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motife
01-01-2008, 01:25 AM
http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/Features/Scouts+Eye/2007/eye123107.htm
Redskins carry momentum, purpose into playoffs
By Nolan Nawrocki
Dec. 31, 2007

Having rattled off consecutive wins over the Bears, Giants, Vikings and Cowboys, primarily with their backup quarterback at the helm and Pro Bowl S Sean Taylor at rest, the Redskins suddenly have the look of the Steelers in 2005.

After finishing the third quarter of the season without a win, capped by Joe Gibbs’ foolish decision to call back-to-back timeouts in a Week 13 loss to Buffalo, the Redskins’ playoff hopes looked dim. A 5-7 record with a tough schedule ahead made it appear as if the Skins once again would be home in January. The Steelers, who dropped three consecutive games to even their record at 6-6 in ’05, had their backs against the wall in much the same way. They rallied to beat the Bears, Vikings, Browns and Lions and did so convincingly with a power-running game and an inspired defense that had taken on the personality of its fiery head coach.

With a 27-6 victory over the NFC’s top-seeded Cowboys, Washington made a major statement, not only for lost teammate Sean Taylor, whose number, 21, was also the difference in the Redskins’ victory, but to the NFC. In January, it does not matter how you got there. It’s what you do when you arrive. And now that they've arrived, the Redskins appear hell-bent on winning.

Despite resting some of their starters and pulling others early, the Redskins were firmly in control vs. the NFC’s best and have peaked with Todd Collins under center. He is making good reads, taking strikes down the field to keep defenses off balance and in turn opening up the ground game. For as big as the strides were that Jason Campbell made this season, he was not as crisp or efficient as Collins has been since entering the lineup in Week 14, having yet to throw an interception and masterfully running Al Saunders’ offense.

Like a trademark Gibbs championship team, the Redskins are controlling the clock, pounding the football and swarming to the ball on defense. They are playing with a lot of emotion and exerting their will on the field. If they continue to play Gibbs’ brand of smashmouth football, they could match up with anyone in the NFC. After dismantling the Cowboys, destiny seems to be on their side as they seek to make their own. It could make for an exciting matchup of destiny in the postseason, as the Patriots have run the table playing for one of their own, Marquise Hill, who drowned this past offseason.

Bears offensive coordinator Ron Turner showed as much creativity in his play-calling vs. the Saints as he has all season. He spread the ball around, found ways to get the ball to both Greg Olsen and Devin Hester, the Bears’ two most athletic offensive playmakers, and he caught the Saints off-guard with a halfback-option pass from Adrian Peterson to a wide-open Bernard Berrian for a touchdown.

Saints head coach Sean Payton, who was largely responsible for the development of Eastern Illinois' Tony Romo when the two were in Dallas, may have discovered another good find from the state of Illinois. Undrafted rookie RB Pierre Thomas, who earned a roster spot over fourth-round pick Antonio Pittman, had a better all-purpose day (226 yards) than last year’s second overall pick, Reggie Bush, has yet to put together in the pros, gaining more than 100 yards both rushing and receiving. In contrast, Bush did not cross the 100-yard mark in either category once this season, when he was expected to emerge. Thomas, who played at the University of Illinois, has good vision to follow his blocks and balance to stay on his feet. But most impressive was the ease with which he caught the ball and the alertness he showed picking up blitzing linebackers.

The Bears should take a lesson from the Packers and return DE Mark Anderson to a third-down pass-rush specialist role next season, much as Green Bay utilizes Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila. With Anderson in the starting lineup, the Bears’ front four was as small as any unit in the league and vulnerable against the run. With Alex Brown in the lineup late in the season, the Bears were 2-0 and more disruptive up front.


If the Cardinals could amp up their running game and continue to bolster an improved offensive line, their offense could be strong next season, but it will be interesting to see how Ken Whisenhunt handles his QB situation, with Kurt Warner possessing the toughness and experience he desires, but Matt Leinart returning from season-ending injury and expecting to play. With 62 different quarterbacks having started games this season, having two has become a requirement, not a luxury, but something tells me Leinart will not be happy entering the season.

Broncos WR Brandon Marshall made an exceptional adjustment on an underthrown ball by Jay Cutler in the final minutes to keep a Broncos drive alive. The 2006 WR class is turning out to be a very good one, with Marshall, Packers WR Greg Jennings, Bears WR Devin Hester and Saints WR Marques Colston all emerging as impact players. None, it should be noted, was drafted in the first round.

motife
01-01-2008, 01:28 AM
http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/The+Way+We+Hear+It/default.htm?mode=nfcnorth
Chicago
Williams appears ready to replace Briggs

Looking for more reasons why the Bears appear close to letting high-profile WLB Lance Briggs take a hike in search of much greener pastures in the free-agent market? Look no further than Jamar Williams, a fourth-round pick last season out of Arizona State, who team insiders believe has been ready for a while now to step into Briggs’ starting role, if need be. Williams offered further proof in the Bears’ Week 16 victory over the Packers. With Briggs on the sideline with a hip injury, Williams provided an instant impact, making a tackle for loss on his first snap of the day and proceeding to make five tackles and deflect a pass in only 16 snaps. Not only is Williams considered smart and skilled enough to play any of the three starting LB positions, word is he also has displayed considerable leadership potential in the locker room. There are some Bears observers who keep mentioning the possibility of Briggs taking over at middle linebacker next season, with Brian Urlacher moving to the weak side — a move they feel might take pressure off Urlacher’s chronic back ailment. But the way we hear it, the Bears are more likely to keep Urlacher in the middle and avoid having to make changes at two LB spots.

Detroit
Duckett has chance to earn place in Lions’ offense with Jones out

With RB Kevin Jones (torn ACL in his right knee) out in Week 17, backup T.J. Duckett got a chance to audition for 2008. Though he struggled against the Packers, Duckett had a good Week 16 effort against the Chiefs (15 carries, 102 yards, TD). He also has had nice efforts against the Broncos (5-48-1) and Cowboys (9-60-1), which suggest that Duckett — a free agent-to-be — might be an attractive yet affordable option with Jones’ future in doubt. Duckett has his limitations, to be sure. He runs one speed, doesn’t have great lateral movement to make tacklers miss and isn’t great in the passing game — either as a receiver or a blocker, despite his size. That said, he’s pretty good between the tackles and appears durable. Whether he comes back also could depend on the direction of the offense in 2008, which could be more run-dependent. Jones’ knee injury is his second major setback in two years and could leave him on the sideline to start next season. ACL injuries often can take up to nine months to heal completely, and running backs who suffer the injury often say it takes another year after that before it feels 100 percent normal again. Either way, it’s likely the Lions will add another running back in the offseason.

Green Bay
Franks could be key factor in playoffs

Scheduled to make $4.5 million in 2008 even though he is no longer the team’s starting tight end, eight-year veteran Bubba Franks remains a good bet to be shown the door once the Packers’ season is over. But in the meantime, team insiders believe Franks, who returned to action in Week 16 after missing eight weeks with a knee injury, could be an X-factor in the upcoming postseason for a couple of reasons. For starters, Franks adds an intriguing two-TE wrinkle to a Packers passing offense that has been a bit sporadic the last month, and he is also a much better option in terms of spelling TE Donald Lee than is Ryan Krause, who had only two catches for 11 yards as Franks’ replacement. Just as importantly, Franks is a proven blocker who can help a run game that has been a bit out of sorts recently, Ryan Grant’s occasional big gainers notwithstanding. Finally, it’s very much worth noting that Franks is one of the few veterans with playoff experience on the league’s youngest team.

Minnesota
Vikings need more pressure to come from the ends

It was seen as a positive development around midseason when defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier and head coach Brad Childress agreed that the team needed to manufacture more pressure and display more blitzes in the scheme. It turns out the move was one of need and deficiency. Even before the season-ending injury to Erasmus James and the four-game suspension of Ray Edwards, the Vikings were having trouble getting to opposing quarterbacks. The Vikings’ 38 sacks are a respectable total, but only 17 — a disproportionately low total — have come from the ends, and James and Edwards had six of those. That means the team has had to blitz LBs E.J. Henderson and Ben Leber more than usual. Improvement in this area will be one of the focuses of the offseason.

motife
01-01-2008, 01:33 AM
We hear the recovery time for Saints CB Mike McKenzie, who tore the ACL in his left knee while trying to recover a fumble in Week 16, could extend into next season’s training camp. The injury was a devastating blow for McKenzie, who had been playing as well as he had in three years, according to one source.

The Bucs rank close to the bottom of the league in both red-zone offense and defense, a troubling statistic for any team, let alone one hoping to make a playoff run. One source said it’s been an issue with coach Jon Gruden, but the team hasn’t responded to his calls for improved play close to the goal line. In the postseason, the poor red-zone tendencies could come back to haunt the squad, which overcame such mistakes during a soft regular-season schedule.

There’s been a changing of the guards all season in Green Bay, and heading into the playoffs, the word is the team is hoping for a bit more permanence, with Jason Spitz hunkering down for the duration at right guard. At left guard, Daryn Colledge and Junius Coston will initially share the load, but the team hopes one of the two will ultimately take control.

fan4life
01-01-2008, 12:01 PM
By October, the Cowboys with their reformed T.O and hollywood QB were the hottest team in the NFC. A few short weeks ago, the second coming of the Purple People Eaters with their explosive rookie running back were the flavor of the week to make some noise in the playoffs. Now the 'Skins are media darlings.

That's OK. Green Bay, the youngest team in the NFL, with a solid defense and nostalgic old QB who has managed to direct one of the league's most prolific offenses simply by limiting his mistakes (sic), will just keep on doin' what their no-nonsense sophomore coach has been preaching all season long: if you work hard to get better at playing smart, decisive, fundamentally sound football and believe in yourselves and your teammates, you can beat anybody.

I believe him.