motife
09-08-2006, 08:12 AM
Scouting the NFC North
Posted: Sept. 7, 2006
Two personnel directors, one from an NFC team and one from an AFC team, size up the NFC North Division teams. Excerpts from their comments during mid-week interviews follow:
CHICAGO
"Chicago will be good because they've got a great return guy (Devin Hester) and a great defense. That usually means field position. And they can run the ball, which means games will be close. They always have a way of winning close games. If they get any play out of their quarterback and don't turn the ball over they'll be better than they were last year." . . . "I think the Bears are really good up front. Their defensive line controls the game. You better be really good in the offensive line to beat them." . . .
"They play really good zone defense. They run fast to the football, which means they're good in the kicking game. And they've got return guys. They play in cold weather, which certainly helps a field-position style of team." . . . "(Thomas) Jones is better than (Cedric) Benson. He has better vision, better explosion into the hole. Benson is more of a straight-up power runner and can break some tackles." . . . "(Olin) Kreutz is a good, solid, consistent player. (John) Tait is solid at left tackle. But I don't see anybody else that's worth a (expletive). Fred Miller can't block any quickness back inside." . . . "Griese is a better quarterback than Grossman but they'll go with Grossman. Griese has more talent but he's more unpredictable." . . . "They may score as much on defense as they do on offense. They'll be hard to run against and will create turnovers with that umbrella Cover 2 stuff. I see the counter and the cutbacks as areas of weakness just because of the nature of that defense." . . . "They've got a quick defensive line. That's what Lovie (Smith) likes. They got three-technique type players, guys that play one gap and get off blocks. And they can rush the passer." . . . "Urlacher is the glue that holds everything together. He's just a phenomenal player. He defies reality. He's got great instincts and awareness." . . . "(Mike) Brown and (Chris) Harris are tough safeties. What they like in that defense is safeties that can interchange in the box. That's exactly what they are. They're not real good over the top deep. The corners have enough ability and speed to play Cover 2. When they rotate a guy into the box and go thirds I think they're good enough to do that." . . . "Devin Hester is a good punt returner. He's not very smart but how fast do you have to be to return punts?"
MINNESOTA
"I think they're better on defense. They look much stouter. Their front seven is better. Plus, they play in a very loud stadium. It makes it conducive if you have a good front." . . . "Their season will be determined on the health of their quarterback. Can that guy (Brad Johnson) stay healthy at his age?" . . . "I think they've got some question marks at receiver they've got to resolve internally." . . . "Any time a team has that kind of home-field advantage, I think they'll find a way to win. The key for them is how will they win on the road?" . . . "Their offensive line will play good in that style of offense where they get rid of the ball pretty quickly. Plus, they can run the ball. I think Chester Taylor will have a big year for them." . . . "It's a hard one to read with young coordinators." . . . "Brad Johnson has been a reliable, consistent guy. You can count on him. He just can't win games for you. He can keep you from losing games." . . . "Troy Williamson could be good if he gets consistent with his hands. He needs to break out at some point." . . . "(Jim) Kleinsasser is tough as a blocker but I don't see him or (Jermaine) Wiggins as a threat in the passing game. Kleinsasser is a hard-nosed kid as a blocker. He can make that wham block as good as anybody." . . . "I think (Steve) Hutchinson was overpaid and very overrated in Seattle. He's good but not that kind of a money player. They are solid in the offensive line. They won't make a lot of mental errors. You'll be able to run the ball behind them. Kleinsasser really helps that group." . . . "They're solid with their front four but I don't think any of the linebackers are worth a (expletive). I'm very, very disappointed in Napoleon (Harris). He should be a much better player than he is. (Ben) Leber is smart and instinctive but he doesn't have any range." . . . "You can win with their corners. I don't know if Dwight Smith has enough range if they bring the other safety up." . . . "I like Longwell. I can't believe they let him go."
DETROIT
"I think they can be a dangerous team down the road. They're going to get better. The more they play their style on offense and defense, the better they will be. By the end of the year they'll be a much better team than they are early." . . . "Their defensive front is good. Shaun Cody has been really good this summer." . . . "They're starting to run better on defense. They'll be sound and well-coached on defense. They'll fly to the football. That will translate into being good in the kicking game. They've got the No. 1 return guy (Eddie Drummond) in the league." . . . "I think with (Mike) Martz on offense they'll find their niche. He always does. He's one of those coaches that will always make the quarterback a little bit better than he is." . . . "I think (Rod) Marinelli is part of that (Tony) Dungy school of coaching. He believes in simplicity, repetition, playing hard, playing fast. Teams that are coached that way always get better." . . . "I've always liked Kitna. I think he's a very accurate passer. He's very smart. He did a great job in Cincinnati. You can win with him. He doesn't do anything spectacular but he doesn't do anything to get you beat." . . . "Martz will be cutting Marinelli's throat. It won't work. He's hoping they do well so he gets a job as a head coach again. The Dallas Cowboys owner likes him. I don't think (Bill) Parcells will be there next year." . . . "Mike Williams is too slow but Roy Williams is as good as anybody in the league. Corey Bradford is just a guy." . . . "(Damien) Woody is a good player. Rex Tucker stinks. (Dominic) Raiola stinks. I'm not sure about (Ross) Verba." . . . "Shaun Rogers is the anchor and the key. The other (defensive linemen) are just guys." . . . "(Ernie) Sims will make a lot of plays. I've always liked Boss Bailey if he can stay healthy. After that, they're ordinary." . . . "Both corners have good track records. I don't know how much gas Dre' Bly can have in his tank. They're both small. People will complete passes on them. Kenoy Kennedy is a strong, tough kid down in the box." . . . "(Terrence) Holt is a smart safety without great range. (Daniel) Bullocks has better range but he's not as tough. He's not a physical player." . . . "Any time Chuck Priefer is coaching special teams they're going to be good. He's really good. (Jason) Hanson has been kicking since Moby Dick was a minnow."
GREEN BAY
"It's a mess. I have no idea why Ted (Thompson) would entertain hiring that guy (Mike McCarthy) as a head coach." . . . "The little bit I've seen on TV of them, wow. No. 21 (Charles Woodson). Whew?" . . . "I still think Ahman Green can do something. But sometimes when you get behind in games, your running back, as good as he is, can't really run." . . . "Brett Favre is done. He's going to lose games for you, not win them. He's two years late retiring. The bad thing is, he holds you back from developing your team." . . . "I think Aaron Rodgers has a chance. The other guy can't do the things he used to do physically himself and he doesn't have the supporting cast to help him do it. He's a gunslinger. Gunslingers become erratic at some point and aren't worth anything." . . . "How good is Ahman Green going to be? How much speed and quickness has he lost? It's an unknown. He doesn't have a backup." . . . "I like (Greg) Jennings. I don't like the other two, including (Donald) Driver, no matter what he's done. I think Jennings has a chance to be something special. I've never liked any of their tight ends." . . . "I don't know how they're going to win with those two rookie guys at guard. I don't like Scott Wells. (Mark) Tauscher is as good as any right tackle in the league probably. (Chad) Clifton has bad knees. Those backups will get a lot of snaps because they're going to get the (expletive) kicked out of them on the inside. Imagine that offensive line lining up against Chicago. Or Minnesota. Mercy, mercy, mercy." . . . "I know Bob Sanders. I think he's a solid guy. They won't make a lot of mental mistakes but I don't think they're good enough." . . . "Everybody likes their two defensive ends better than I do. They can both rush the passer. (Ryan) Pickett is the real deal inside. The rest are just guys. It's not even close between Pickett and Grady Jackson." . . . "(Nick) Barnett is a good player. (A.J.) Hawk will be a great player. It all depends if (Brady) Poppinga has the instincts for the position. He certainly has the talent." . . . "Is Methuselah still with them at cornerback? They're old. And Ahmad Carroll is just not an instinctive player. He doesn't have any ball sense. I think Woodson will get beat consistently. (Al) Harris doesn't have enough speed. He plays everything in front of him very well. He's a pure Cover 2 corner right now." . . . "It's amazing to me that Nick Collins has played as good as he has. (Marquand) Manuel will be OK but he won't be able to play anything over the top."
- Bob McGinn
Posted: Sept. 7, 2006
Two personnel directors, one from an NFC team and one from an AFC team, size up the NFC North Division teams. Excerpts from their comments during mid-week interviews follow:
CHICAGO
"Chicago will be good because they've got a great return guy (Devin Hester) and a great defense. That usually means field position. And they can run the ball, which means games will be close. They always have a way of winning close games. If they get any play out of their quarterback and don't turn the ball over they'll be better than they were last year." . . . "I think the Bears are really good up front. Their defensive line controls the game. You better be really good in the offensive line to beat them." . . .
"They play really good zone defense. They run fast to the football, which means they're good in the kicking game. And they've got return guys. They play in cold weather, which certainly helps a field-position style of team." . . . "(Thomas) Jones is better than (Cedric) Benson. He has better vision, better explosion into the hole. Benson is more of a straight-up power runner and can break some tackles." . . . "(Olin) Kreutz is a good, solid, consistent player. (John) Tait is solid at left tackle. But I don't see anybody else that's worth a (expletive). Fred Miller can't block any quickness back inside." . . . "Griese is a better quarterback than Grossman but they'll go with Grossman. Griese has more talent but he's more unpredictable." . . . "They may score as much on defense as they do on offense. They'll be hard to run against and will create turnovers with that umbrella Cover 2 stuff. I see the counter and the cutbacks as areas of weakness just because of the nature of that defense." . . . "They've got a quick defensive line. That's what Lovie (Smith) likes. They got three-technique type players, guys that play one gap and get off blocks. And they can rush the passer." . . . "Urlacher is the glue that holds everything together. He's just a phenomenal player. He defies reality. He's got great instincts and awareness." . . . "(Mike) Brown and (Chris) Harris are tough safeties. What they like in that defense is safeties that can interchange in the box. That's exactly what they are. They're not real good over the top deep. The corners have enough ability and speed to play Cover 2. When they rotate a guy into the box and go thirds I think they're good enough to do that." . . . "Devin Hester is a good punt returner. He's not very smart but how fast do you have to be to return punts?"
MINNESOTA
"I think they're better on defense. They look much stouter. Their front seven is better. Plus, they play in a very loud stadium. It makes it conducive if you have a good front." . . . "Their season will be determined on the health of their quarterback. Can that guy (Brad Johnson) stay healthy at his age?" . . . "I think they've got some question marks at receiver they've got to resolve internally." . . . "Any time a team has that kind of home-field advantage, I think they'll find a way to win. The key for them is how will they win on the road?" . . . "Their offensive line will play good in that style of offense where they get rid of the ball pretty quickly. Plus, they can run the ball. I think Chester Taylor will have a big year for them." . . . "It's a hard one to read with young coordinators." . . . "Brad Johnson has been a reliable, consistent guy. You can count on him. He just can't win games for you. He can keep you from losing games." . . . "Troy Williamson could be good if he gets consistent with his hands. He needs to break out at some point." . . . "(Jim) Kleinsasser is tough as a blocker but I don't see him or (Jermaine) Wiggins as a threat in the passing game. Kleinsasser is a hard-nosed kid as a blocker. He can make that wham block as good as anybody." . . . "I think (Steve) Hutchinson was overpaid and very overrated in Seattle. He's good but not that kind of a money player. They are solid in the offensive line. They won't make a lot of mental errors. You'll be able to run the ball behind them. Kleinsasser really helps that group." . . . "They're solid with their front four but I don't think any of the linebackers are worth a (expletive). I'm very, very disappointed in Napoleon (Harris). He should be a much better player than he is. (Ben) Leber is smart and instinctive but he doesn't have any range." . . . "You can win with their corners. I don't know if Dwight Smith has enough range if they bring the other safety up." . . . "I like Longwell. I can't believe they let him go."
DETROIT
"I think they can be a dangerous team down the road. They're going to get better. The more they play their style on offense and defense, the better they will be. By the end of the year they'll be a much better team than they are early." . . . "Their defensive front is good. Shaun Cody has been really good this summer." . . . "They're starting to run better on defense. They'll be sound and well-coached on defense. They'll fly to the football. That will translate into being good in the kicking game. They've got the No. 1 return guy (Eddie Drummond) in the league." . . . "I think with (Mike) Martz on offense they'll find their niche. He always does. He's one of those coaches that will always make the quarterback a little bit better than he is." . . . "I think (Rod) Marinelli is part of that (Tony) Dungy school of coaching. He believes in simplicity, repetition, playing hard, playing fast. Teams that are coached that way always get better." . . . "I've always liked Kitna. I think he's a very accurate passer. He's very smart. He did a great job in Cincinnati. You can win with him. He doesn't do anything spectacular but he doesn't do anything to get you beat." . . . "Martz will be cutting Marinelli's throat. It won't work. He's hoping they do well so he gets a job as a head coach again. The Dallas Cowboys owner likes him. I don't think (Bill) Parcells will be there next year." . . . "Mike Williams is too slow but Roy Williams is as good as anybody in the league. Corey Bradford is just a guy." . . . "(Damien) Woody is a good player. Rex Tucker stinks. (Dominic) Raiola stinks. I'm not sure about (Ross) Verba." . . . "Shaun Rogers is the anchor and the key. The other (defensive linemen) are just guys." . . . "(Ernie) Sims will make a lot of plays. I've always liked Boss Bailey if he can stay healthy. After that, they're ordinary." . . . "Both corners have good track records. I don't know how much gas Dre' Bly can have in his tank. They're both small. People will complete passes on them. Kenoy Kennedy is a strong, tough kid down in the box." . . . "(Terrence) Holt is a smart safety without great range. (Daniel) Bullocks has better range but he's not as tough. He's not a physical player." . . . "Any time Chuck Priefer is coaching special teams they're going to be good. He's really good. (Jason) Hanson has been kicking since Moby Dick was a minnow."
GREEN BAY
"It's a mess. I have no idea why Ted (Thompson) would entertain hiring that guy (Mike McCarthy) as a head coach." . . . "The little bit I've seen on TV of them, wow. No. 21 (Charles Woodson). Whew?" . . . "I still think Ahman Green can do something. But sometimes when you get behind in games, your running back, as good as he is, can't really run." . . . "Brett Favre is done. He's going to lose games for you, not win them. He's two years late retiring. The bad thing is, he holds you back from developing your team." . . . "I think Aaron Rodgers has a chance. The other guy can't do the things he used to do physically himself and he doesn't have the supporting cast to help him do it. He's a gunslinger. Gunslingers become erratic at some point and aren't worth anything." . . . "How good is Ahman Green going to be? How much speed and quickness has he lost? It's an unknown. He doesn't have a backup." . . . "I like (Greg) Jennings. I don't like the other two, including (Donald) Driver, no matter what he's done. I think Jennings has a chance to be something special. I've never liked any of their tight ends." . . . "I don't know how they're going to win with those two rookie guys at guard. I don't like Scott Wells. (Mark) Tauscher is as good as any right tackle in the league probably. (Chad) Clifton has bad knees. Those backups will get a lot of snaps because they're going to get the (expletive) kicked out of them on the inside. Imagine that offensive line lining up against Chicago. Or Minnesota. Mercy, mercy, mercy." . . . "I know Bob Sanders. I think he's a solid guy. They won't make a lot of mental mistakes but I don't think they're good enough." . . . "Everybody likes their two defensive ends better than I do. They can both rush the passer. (Ryan) Pickett is the real deal inside. The rest are just guys. It's not even close between Pickett and Grady Jackson." . . . "(Nick) Barnett is a good player. (A.J.) Hawk will be a great player. It all depends if (Brady) Poppinga has the instincts for the position. He certainly has the talent." . . . "Is Methuselah still with them at cornerback? They're old. And Ahmad Carroll is just not an instinctive player. He doesn't have any ball sense. I think Woodson will get beat consistently. (Al) Harris doesn't have enough speed. He plays everything in front of him very well. He's a pure Cover 2 corner right now." . . . "It's amazing to me that Nick Collins has played as good as he has. (Marquand) Manuel will be OK but he won't be able to play anything over the top."
- Bob McGinn