NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

Want to OWN the picture of James Harrison crushing Browns WR Mohamed Massaquoi? You know, the one that cost Harrison $75 grand on Tuesday?

Well, the fine folks at the NFL will gladly SELL you the pic for a cool $15.95 to $64.95.

That’s right, the NFL official website has put the photo of Harrison and Massaquoi on sale, this after they came out used rather strong language stating they were no longer going to stand for the “dangerous and flagrant hits,” that landed a couple players on the bench Sunday.

Funny to note though that the league seems to have no issues making a buck off the very photo. If that’s not a case of hypocrisy, I don’t know what is.

Do Seahawks fans have the wrong local quarterback in mind to lead their favorite pro team into the future?

While talk has been rampant over the past couple of years regarding homegrown Jake Locker taking over the huddle at Qwest Field, Kellen Moore's name has been nonexistent.

The unusually gifted Locker's biggest selling point is not what he's done on the field. At 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, Locker has the size to play at the next level. He has arm strength. He has excellent speed. What he doesn't have is the ability to consistently complete passes. In four years in a Washington uniform, the Ferndale, Wash. product hasn't eclipsed a season completion percentage of 59 percent.

Another issue? Locker's ability to stay healthy. Granted he played a full slate of games last season, the reckless style of play that is his trademark continuously puts him in danger of getting nicks, bruises and setbacks here and there, more so than others at his position.

Moore, on the other hand, has done nothing but produce in three years as the signal caller for the Boise State Broncos. The 6-foot, 187-pound passer from Prosser, Wash. has led his team to the national stage while completing no less than 64.3 percent of his passes in his three-year collegiate career.

While Moore's build could be an area of concern, a few trips to a NFL weight room could do wonders.

What about his height, though? While 6-foot quarterbacks are more the exception than the rule, there's one current starter that's not only had a steady professional career, but also is coming off a Super Bowl championship, Drew Brees.

Then there's also the price tags that will accompany the two. Locker is a surefire high first-round pick in April's National Football League Draft. A big guaranteed contract will follow. Moore could be a first rounder, but probably could more likely be had in the second or third round with a sizably smaller contract, freeing up both money and Seattle's first pick to address a need at a different position.

Should Seattle bring in a potential quarterback of the future via the 2011 NFL Draft, don't be surprised if Moore's name is floated around as much or more than Locker's.

Can't get enough SeahawksGab?  Follow Editor Devon Heinen on Twitter at http://twitter.com/DevonHeinen.

The injuries just keep coming for the banged up Browns, as now reports say that defensive end Robaire Smith may be out for the season because of a back injury.

Smith, who didn’t practice nor play against the Steelers last week, could possibly be placed on IR according to coach Eric Mangini. He confirmed that Smith’s injury could be long term.

Smith has spent three seasons with the Browns, who signed him as a restricted free agent in 2007. He played in all 16 games that season but was limited to two the following year after rupturing his Achilles’ tendon.

The Associated Press is reporting that Smith will be placed on injured reserve on Wednesday, ending his 2010 season after just five games that included 25 tackles.

The Bears are 4-2, with a one-game lead over the Packers in the North. Yet after Sunday's home loss to the Seahawks, Bear Nation is anxious about the prospects for the remainder of the season. And with a second half gauntlet of a schedule that includes games vs. the Dolphins, Eagles, Patriots, Jets, Packers and two vs. the Vikings, there appears to be plenty of reasons for concern.

But I'm about to do something unheard of…something no Bears fan on earth has done since 2006 – trust Lovie Smith. The Bears have enough talent on their roster to make the playoffs in a parity-rich, free-agent saturated league. With experienced coaches all around him, I (think I) trust Lovie to get his team to rise to the occasion.

With that, here are 7 reasons why we should be optimistic heading into the rest of the season.

1) Our young, misplaced offensive line is still growing.

Besides Olin Kreutz, the Bears 4 other starting linemen have a combined 2 seasons of professional playing time. The Williamses (Chris and Edwin), Omiyale and Webb are young, but the arrow is pointing up. With a winnable game vs. the Skins, a Bye and another Bye (vs. the Bills), this unit could look totally different a month from now. Remember, we have a one-game lead in the division, so it's not like we have to make up ground.

Improved line play will open up our running game for Forte and Taylor, and give Cutler the time he needs to generate some big plays out of those long and winding 7-step drops.

2) We have Julius Peppers and the rest of the league doesn't.

Quick, name one other defender in our division who scares you more than #90…yep, still waiting. Charles Woodson? Maybe. Clay Mathews? He's injured. We've already seen Peppers take games over without recording a sack and there's no reason to believe he won't do the same in the second half. Remember, it only takes one impact play to completely change the fortunes of a game in your team's favor…and Peppers has the freakish ability to do this.

3) The Windy City Flyer is back.

Give Lovie credit for this one – he's scaled back Hester's offensive workload so he's fresher for returns. That plan paid immediate dividends when he returned a punt 89 yards for a TD against Seattle. As long as the defense can hold up while our offense finds its way, Hester gives the Bears a big-play, special teams dimension no other franchise in the league enjoys.

4) Trio of young defenders is ready to step up.

In Henry Melton, Major Wright and DJ Moore, the Bears have a talented trio of youngsters who can positively impact a game. Melton has been getting increased reps at D-tackle and his speed from the inside is starting to show up on film. Moore is a guy who played both ways in college, and now that he's had a redshirt year (2009) to learn Lovie's system, he's a valuable extra defender. As evidence, I offer his 2-INT game vs. Dallas. And remember Wright, the preseason safety/savior who has yet to see the field in a regular season game due to injury? With Manning and Harris holding down the fort at safety, there's no need to rush him back until he's mentally and physically ready. His athleticism will bring a boost to the secondary whenever he's ready for game action.

5) Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Lovie is facing the very real likelihood this will be his last year in Chicago. If the Bears tank this week against the 'skins, we could see significant changes dictated by Mr. Smith, like…a greater emphasis on the running game; shake-up in the secondary; more aggressive defensive play-calling – i.e. blitzing (remember that?).

In this win-or-get-canned year, Lovie will pull out all the stops.

6) "Jay Cutler is our quarterback."

Remember the QB who opened the season a 100+ rating 3 straight games? You can criticize him for some occasional bad throws, but he's NOT Rex Grossman, Craig Krenzel, Jonathan Quinn or Steve Hutchinson. The Bears have their franchise QB, and if his young O-line can help him stay upright, he'll put up franchise passing records yet this year.

Besides, he also has a smokin' hot girlfriend.

7) Two solid ball kickers.

With an imposing second half schedule, the Bears ability to stay in and/or win close games will come down to doing the little things well. Brad Maynard has a knack for pinning teams deep in their own territory. Gould has missed only 1 of 13 field goals he's attempted this year. And they're led by the best ST coach in the league – Dave Toub.

There you have it – 7 good reasons for hope in Chicago.

Good thing I wasn't asked to come up with 10 good reasons…

Just how good is this NY Giants defense. I think the answer to this question can allude to what this team will be at seasons end.

I'm not purely a numbers guy, although I do love numbers. And I was looking at some numbers about the Giants defense this morning, and let me tell you. Statistcally they are impressive.

What do the numbers say?

First the Giants are #2 in the league in total defense (the standard measrument for this is "yards per game"). The Giants defense right now is surrendering 264.8 yards per game. San Diego stands at #1 with 255.2 yards per game, and the Ravens are third right now at 280.5 yards per game.

This is impressive because the Giants have faced some good offenses.

The Colts are #2 in total offense, the Houston Texans are #5 in total offense, and the Lions are 14th in total offense. So the Giants hasn't fed on bottom feeders. But they have beat up some bad offenses too.

The Panthers, Bears, and Titans are 26th or lower. However, part of this (at least for the Bears) is becuase the Giants beat them up so bad. The Bears had 110 yards of total offense vs the Giants. If you took out that effort vs the Giants the Bears would move up to 19th in the league in total offense (yards per game).

The Giants are the #2 Defense vs the pass.

Right now the Giants are ranked second in the league vs the pass (yards per game) at a 172.0 per game, which is nice what is also impressive is that the Giants are 7th in the league in yards per attempt, which is a much truer measurment of a teams ability to defend the pass.This year's number is 6.3 (last year was 7.4)

Teams also have a 29.6 first down percentage. Which is good, last year the Giants were 7th worst in the league at over 36 percent.

This year the Giants have the fifth best QB rating against them (by best I mean lowest) with QB having a 71.5 QB rating (Panthers, Bears, Titans are in the top 10 by the way. Three teams Eli has played that have done very well vs opposing QB as well).

The Giants have given up 7 TD passes to opposing QB's though which is average (12th best in the league)

Clearly, statistically the Giants have a good pass defense through six games of this season.

The Giants are the #2 Defense in sacks.

The Giants have 21 sacks this year, which is impressive and is second best in the league. Generally sacks goes hand in hand with pass yardage so this should be expected. The less time opposing QB's have to throw the ball the less yards they are bound to throw with. It is nice though to see the Giants at the top of the league in sacks.

Last year the Giants had 32 sacks which was 18th best in the league.

So far this has shown some good improvement,but not great improvement over last year because t

The Giants were also good in terms of yardage and pass yardage last year, especially through the first half of the season.

But this is where I think the Perry Fewell effect comes most in the following stats.

The Giants are the #1 Defense in Forced Fumbles and #3 in recoveries.

The Giants have forced 13 fumbles and recovered 7. Last year the Giants were 5th in FF but only 14th in recoveries.

The Giants have the #7th most Interceptions with 7

Last year, thr Giants had 13 INT 22nd most last year.

The Giants are 3rd in the league in turnovers on defense with 14 total trailing only the Lions and the Steerlers (though the Steelers have played one less game).

Clearly so far the Giants have been a much more opportunistic team.

So, the Giants have shown an ability to rush the passer, keep the passing game in check, and create turnovers. But what about the run game?

The Giants are only allowing 3.5 yards per rush which is 7th best in the league.

The 4 rushing touchdowns they have allowed so far, though is not great because that's about the league average (17th best).

Their first down percentage vs the run though is very good at only 17.5 percent, 5th best in the league.

But the biggest problem the Giants had last year was allowing points (especially in the red-zone, but really from all over the field).

How are the Giants do this year in that spot?

The Giants are the #13 in points allowed per game at 19.7, which is an improvement, but still lacking.

Now,watching every Giants game gives me a bit of a different perspective because Giants fans know that a few of those points can definitely be contributed to the excessive amount of turnovers the Giants have given up on offense and how poor the field position the Giants defense has had to deal with. Still though this is the most important measure of a defense's effeciency. If you keep the opposing team out of the end-zone your team can win ball games.

The Giants  have still had some trouble keeping opposing offenses out of the end-zone.

And this needs to change.

Through 6 games this season, statistically the Giants defense is for real.

They don't give up a lot of yardage, they force a lot of negative plays (sacks), and they have created a lot of turnovers. As long as the defense continues to force turnovers, the Giants defense can afford to be middle of the pack in points allowed.

What happened last year, though, was the Giants could not keep the ball out of the end-zone AND they could not take the ball away from the other team or force negative plays.

This year, so far that has changed, but the Giants will be facing a lot of good offenses the rest of the season (Dallas twice, the Eagles twice, at Minnesota and at Green Bay.

In these games, the Giants will give up some points, but as long as they can continue to abuse opposing QB and take the ball away they will be a good defense.

The Saints last year gave up big plays, but they also made a lot of big plays. That was the #1 problem with the Giants last year: they could not get off the field, and they could not force turnovers. They didn't make plays on the ball, this year so far, that has changed dramatically.

Is it for real?

I think it is, but the next four games where they play Dallas twice, and Philly once will be the truest indicator to what the Giants can be this year.  If they continue on this same path, they could be a special team, if they revert to something that resonates of 2009 this season could be an abomination.

Things I know.

The Pittsburgh Steelers continue to be a top notch organization. Say what you will, and we don't know how this season will finish, but the Steelers prove once again that they know how to build quality teams and pick quality coaches.  Ben Roethlisberger sounded really contrite (we'll see) in his pre-return interviews.  Sounds like he got a Mike-Vick-like shake up in his life.  For his own sake, let's hope that it's true.  While high profile teams like the Cowboys and Redskins can't seem to learn how to run a quality organization, the Steelers just keep winning.

Martin Mayhew is putting a talented Detroit Lions team together. We'll see if Jim Schwartz is the coach that can win with these players, but Mayhew has rebuilt the team with talent faster than one could have expected after the destruction that Matt Millen caused.  They may not win many games this year, but they are competitive in every game and even with major injuries are making teams sweat.  If Schawrtz is the right coach, expect the Lions to put up some wins next year.

The Dallas Cowboys are completely undisciplined. The Cowboys are 2^nd in the league in penalties per game and 1^st in penalty yards per game and yards nullified by penalties.  On top of that they are -5 in turnover differential, only topped by the 49ers.  Is there any wonder they are 1-4?  Is it any wonder where this is coming from?  It has to be bad coaching.  The key mistakes on a weekly basis should lead to Wade Phillips being fired.  All the teams in the NFC East can only hope that Jerry Jones continues to hire worthless coaches that he can control.  With the talent on that team, the Cowboys with a good coach could be a problem.

Things I think I know.

Platoon Running Backs are saving teams high draft picks. What do Peyton Hillis, Michael Turner, Chris Ivory, Pierre Thomas, Ahmad Bradshaw, Ryan Torain and Arian Foster all have in common?  None of them was picked higher than the 5^th round and all of them are averaging 4+ yards a carry this season and for their career averages.  That's just a few backs that stand out.  Teams are finding these players because in a platoon, several backs get a chance to shine and more of them stay healthy for longer.  No matter how they got to their respective teams, 3 of them were undrafted, 2 were drafted in the 7^th round and 2 of them were drafted in the 5^th round.  That's quite a bit of talent and there's more like them, like Ryan Grant, Jerome Harrison, and Fred Jackson for instance.  Do we blame Mike Shanahan for ruining our fantasy leagues?

The Giants did more than beat up the Bears two weeks ago. They exposed a major weakness of the Chicago Bears.  Either, the O-line is bad, the coached blocking scheme is bad, or Jay Cutler doesn't know how to throw hot reads… or all three.  In any case, the Seahawks had 6 sacks on Cutler and the Bears were unable to punch it in the end zone multiple times.  Expect the Redskins to try to exploit the same weakness in next week's game.   At the current rate, the Bears will give up 61 sacks on the season.

The NFL's crusade to limit "unnecessary roughness" needs to change. It's a valiant crusade, but needs to be adjusted.  Anyone knows that if you want to adjust behavior through discipline, two things are key to success:  consistency and reasonable rules.  The NFL officiating currently has neither.  The more you frustrate players with unreasonable rules, the more a player will just shrug and do what he has always done because it's too difficult to change.  The QB protection rules are an example.  Many D-lineman just can't figure out what will and will not be called roughing the passer.  Either they play soft and get in trouble with the coach or play normal, trying not to break the rules, and get flagged every once in a while.  Every player will choose the latter option.  Another example is the flag on Kevin Kolb for a horse collar tackle when he didn't pull the player down backwards.  The inconsistency and/or unreasonableness of the rules make players less likely to try to follow the rules.

Things I know I don't know.

How do Frank Gore and Steven Jackson not lose their minds? These two players are professionals and perform week in and week out, yet they are part of consistently losing franchises that have gone nowhere and give them no chance of achieving "greatness" through team success.  How do they not lose it?  It has to be frustrating.  Hopefully Jackson's team will improve for his sake, but it doesn't look like SF will improve around Gore for a while.

Are the West teams at a disadvantage? There have been statisticians that have shown that West coast teams consistently have a worse record traveling East than East teams have traveling West.  Is that a function of a time change adjustment problem, or just bad teams in the West?  The 49ers were good for a long time traveling anywhere they had to.   Denver was too.  This year both West divisions are especially suspect.  Is there a disadvantage?  Or are they just bad organizations?

Has the Saints offense finally gotten back on track? The Saints finally looked like the offense from 2006-9.  Yes it was against the Tampa Bay Bucs, but the Bucs have been playing better than expected.  Maybe it was having a solid running game.  Maybe it was just Brees and his WR finally being in sync.  Maybe it was just a fluke.  The Saints play the lowly Browns this weekend, so if they are finally back on track; they should put up a good game offensively.  They better be back to form, the Saints face the Steelers the next week and are in a dogfight with the Falcons for the NFC South.

The NFL Tuesday did as they promised, and took action against three players who laid jarring hits on their opponents this past weekend. Huge fines were laid down to Steelers LB James Harrison ($75,000), Patriots safety Brandon Meriweather ($50,000) and Falcons cornerback Dunta Robinson ($50,000).

Ray Anderson, the NFL’s executive vice president of football operations, stated on Monday that suspensions could start immediately for any future hits from players around the league like those that were laid down Sunday.

Ravens tight end Todd Heap took a vicious hit from Meriweather on Sunday and called it “one of those hits that shouldn’t happen.” Robinson and Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson were knocked out of their game after a collision in which the Falcons’ cornerback launched himself head first to make a tackle. Both sustained concussions.

Harrison was punished for his hit on Browns wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi. Harrison’s hit on Browns wide receiver Joshua Cribbs didn’t figure in the fine, although it also caused a concussion.

The agent for Harrison, Bill Parise, called the $75,000 fine “staggering” and said it would be appealed. He emphasized that neither play drew a penalty. “I’ve talked to James, and he’s very upset,” Parise said. “He’s quite confused about how to play football.”

Robinson said he, too, will appeal.

“I am disappointed by the NFL’s ruling,” Robinson said in a statement released by his agent. “I recognize the goal is to protect all players — from the Pee Wee level on up — however, this was a bang-bang hit situation where I did not lead with my helmet, and therefore I will appeal. Although it was a violent hit, my hit did not violate the NFL’s rules, and I was playing the game the way I always have. I am not a dirty player and have never been characterized as one.”

Jclombardi highlights Packers headlines.

Guest senior writer jclombardi @ http://lombardiave.com

McCarthy says offense lacking in narrow losses: As he assessed Monday what has become a season on the brink, coach Mike McCarthy rejected the notion that the Packers’ inability to win two straight overtime games this season as well as other tight affairs falls completely on the shoulders of his quarterback. ”Our timing is not where it needs to be, and that is everything,” McCarthy said a day after falling to 3-3 with a 23-20 loss to Miami in overtime. “I am talking about the protection, the footwork of the quarterback, the route running. When we do it, we make it look very easy, and when we don’t, we have moments like we did yesterday.” ”It’s hard to figure why it is the way it is,” said wide receivers coach Jimmy Robinson. “We’re just not totally in sync here and it seems like we would be at this point. We’re six games into the season and it seems like routes have to be a little sharper, timing is a little bit off, protection has to be a little bit better.

Reinforcements on the way: Help is on the way for the injury-riddled Green Bay Packers, at least on defense. Veteran cornerback Harris and safety  Bigby, who have spent the season's first six weeks on the physically unable to perform list, will begin practicing on Wednesday. It's possible both players could be back in action for Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field. Rookie running back Starks (hamstring) also got the go-ahead Monday to begin practicing, but it's unclear how much he can contribute to the team's scuffling offense. With rookie safety Morgan Burnett having been lost for the year to an Oct. 3 knee injury, Bigby would be the logical choice to replace him in the starting lineup.  Also, the Packers traded a conditional seventh-round draft pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars to bring back safety Smith, who could start against the Vikings if Bigby isn't ready. Safeties coach Perry said Bigby probably won't be able to play a full game right away.  Given that the Packers play their nickel defense roughly 60 percent of the time, Harris could come back as the No. 3 cornerback, replacing undrafted rookie free agent Sam Shields in that role.

Injury report: NFL sacks leader Clay Matthews, who missed the Green Bay Packers’ previous game because of a left hamstring injury, will return for this weekend’s meeting with the Minnesota Vikings, a team source told NFL.com. The return of Matthews, who has 8.5 sacks in five games this season, is even more important. Also, Green Bay’s decimated defense could have several more reinforcements for the Vikings game. The Packers re-acquired safety Anthony Smith in a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday, and cornerback Al Harris (knee) and safety Atari Bigby (ankle) are eligible to come off the physically unable to perform list this week. Also, injured defensive linemen Ryan Pickett and Mike Neal should be returning this week too.

Harris, Bigby, and Starks set to return: In a season filled with injuries to key players on both sides of the ball, some reinforcements have arrived. The three players who have been on the physically unable to perform list since the start of training camp will begin practicing this week, and the coaches haven't ruled out the possibility that safety Atari Bigby (ankle), cornerback Al Harris (knee) and running back James Starks (hamstring) could play Sunday against Minnesota, although Starks is probably the furthest away largely because the rookie hasn't played any real football in nearly two years. Plus, newly acquired safety Anthony Smith, who on Sunday was traded by Jacksonville for a conditional seventh-round draft pick, arrived at Lambeau Field on Monday and will be available against the Vikings. He spent the day reacquainting himself with the team that cut him at the end of training camp last season. Smith has been out of the Packers' system for more than a year, while Bigby and Harris have been out of football for so long that it's unclear how quickly they can be assimilated into the plan. Both Bigby and Harris will begin practicing Wednesday. The Packers have three weeks to decide whether to activate the PUP players or put them on season-ending injured reserve.

Masthay on thin ice: So much for Mike McCarthy's confidence that his Green Bay Packers would be vastly better at punter this season. The Packers coach publicly put punter Tim Masthay on notice Monday after what McCarthy felt was yet another inconsistent performance from the first-year punter. While Masthay's job isn't in danger in advance of Sunday night's game against the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field, McCarthy made it clear that he'll have to punt better or he'll be out of a job. "The punting was not good yesterday. I think that's obvious," McCarthy said of Masthay, who averaged just 33.4 net yards and 38.0 gross yards on five punts, with a long of 42 yards and with two that landed inside the 20. "Tim has been inconsistent, and my mindset in preparation for Minnesota is to keep working with Tim and get him to be more consistent. Frankly, I thought he did a good job with his inside-the-20 punts going in, but the opportunity to change the field position did not happen, especially when we needed it there in overtime. So he needs to do a better job."

The Charles Grant era with the Bears is over.

The team released him earlier today, as the emergence of Israel Idonije gave the team the luxury of dumping Grant after about a month on the roster.

Grant had joined the team on a one-year deal after the Bears terminated the contract of defensive end Mark Anderson.

The team felt that Grant would contribute as an edge rusher but it never happened and he was inactive for the two games he was on the Bears’ roster.

Grant as a first round pick by the Saints in 2002, and last season played in the teams 16 regular season games and playoff games, with 5.5 sacks. He has 47 career sacks with 431 tackles in 118 games.

The ongoing soap opera surrounding Albert Haynesworth and the Redskins could very well end today, according to executives around the NFL.

Earlier this morning, NFL Network's Jason La Canfora mentioned that Albert Haynesworth's name "comes up" during discussions regarding players that could potentially be traded by today's 4pm trade deadline. La Canfora also later reported that the Redskins may have decreased their asking price for parting with Haynesworth, long rumored to be a 2nd round pick.

It bears noting that Redskins GM Bruce Allen told NBC's Andrea Kramer that Haynesworth will remain a member of the Redskins after the trade deadline, with head coach Mike Shanahan offering somewhat of a confirmation of this by saying: "There's a pretty good chance, though, that he won't be traded."

Regardless, this trade chatter still remains worth watching. As Shanahan himself said: "You just never know." While the Redskins brass may be saying all the "right things" in public, Haynesworth remains firmly implanted in Shanahan's dog house, and it's apparent that the Redskins would rather move on without Haynesworth than to cater to his demands and feelings.