NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

Senior writer jclombardi highlights Packers headlines.

Packers offer contract worthy of top cornerback: Packers have made a competitive contract offer to Tramon Williams that is commensurate with what they’ve paid Al Harris, the player he is replacing at right cornerback. In the midst of an outstanding season, the 27-year-old Williams ranks at the top of the list of players the Packers want to re-sign for the long haul. The club is willing to pay Williams more than Harris, whose average per year is $5.418 million, but not close to Charles Woodson, whose deal averages $9.73 million. ”Whatever happens happens, but I want to be in Green Bay,” Tramon Williams said Friday. “Me waiting until unrestricted, I’m not into that. If it happens to go that way, then it does.” At present, Williams is playing on a one-year, restricted free-agent tender worth $3.043 million. That ranks 36th among all cornerbacks in the National Football League and 17th among all Packers players. Woodson, 34, ranks fourth among cornerbacks at $9.73 million. Harris, who will turn 36 next month, ranks 23rd at $5.418 million.

Green, Wilson join rotation alongside Raji: Packers have established a four-man rotation for their patchwork defensive line in case neither Jenkins nor Ryan Pickett is able to play Sunday against the New York Jets.  Newcomer Green and Wilson would start at defensive end alongside nose tackle B.J. Raji in the base defense. Green also would spell Raji and Wynn would play inside on passing downs. Jenkins (calf) and Pickett (ankle) both were listed as questionable. However, Jenkins practiced on a limited basis all week and Pickett did nothing more than work out with the strength staff indoors. Out again: Cornerback Harris will have one more week of practice before the Packers must decide to activate him from the physically unable to perform list, cut him or place him on injured reserve. Fresh faces: By signing Erik Walden (6-2, 250) Wednesday, the Packers will have to determine whether he or fellow outside linebacker Diyral Briggs (6-2½, 248) is more helpful for the 45-man roster. “Walden is a little bit better on special teams,” one personnel man said. “I’d qualify Walden as above average on special teams. He has enough speed and athleticism. He has moments where he flashes. ”Briggs may have a little more legitimacy to go into the game and take a few plays in base. But if I had to pick one guy to go into the game and speed rush, I’d say Walden. Both are No. 4 outside linebackers, not No. 3s.”

Notebook–good news for defensive line as DE Jenkins thinks he’ll play Sunday vs. the Jets and NT Green will be active despite just one practice: Barring a setback, the Packers will have starting defensive end Cullen Jenkins on the field for Sunday's game at the New York Jets. Ready or not: One practice will be enough for Howard Green. The big nose tackle, who was signed off waivers from the Jets, practiced for the first time on Friday and coach Mike McCarthy said it's a "safe bet" that Green will be on the 45-man roster for the game. No Harris; maybe Bigby. It will be at least another week for cornerback Al Harris to make his season debut but McCarthy hasn't ruled out activating safety Atari Bigby from the physically unable to perform list.

Packers CB Charles Woodson struggling to get back to last season’s greatness: His star player who won the NFL's defensive player of the year award last season hasn't made the kind of eye-opening plays he did last season. Through seven games, Woodson has just one interception, although he did return it 48 yards for a touchdown in Week 4 against Detroit, and two forced fumbles. "He hasn't played poorly," Whitt said on Friday. "He's actually played better than he did last year." While Whitt said he didn't have Woodson's up-to-date numbers, he said they are better than last season. "I hear everybody saying he's having a down year," Whitt said. "He's covered better. He's given up less plays than he did last year. Wood gave up some plays last year, but he made so many splash plays that he just overwhelmed them. He's just not making the splash plays like he did last year." In addition to the lack of game-changing plays, two things stand out about Woodson's play. He already has been penalized nine times — one more than he had all of last season, when he led the defense in that category — and he has been on the ground far more than in the past. One of the basic rules of football is to stay on your feet.

Packers vs Jets preview: To pull off the upset, the Packers must handle these three-phase keys to the game. Offense–This will be the battle inside the battle. No team blitzes the quarterback as often or with as wide a variety of blitzes as Rex Ryan's Jets defense. No quarterback beats the blitz like Aaron Rodgers, who led the NFL in passer rating against blitzes last season (112.7) and ranks fifth this season (106.7). Defense–Packers' defense got by on sheer guts to outlast the Vikings. They'll have to do so again. The Jets, behind a dominant offensive line and the one-two punch of veteran Tomlinson and mammoth Greene in the backfield, are one of just a few teams that runs the ball more than it throws it. There's no reason to expect otherwise this week, with Tomlinson and Greene the focal points of what McCarthy called  the "best run team that we'll face so far this year." Special teams--Ryan says special teams are his team's strength. Nick Folk has made 13-of-15 field goals. Of Weatherford's 32 punts, he ranks sixth in net average (40.1). On returns, Leonhard is among the league leaders with a 12.3-yard average on punts and Smith ranks second with a 31.8-yard average on kickoffs. On the other side, nobody would call the Packers' special teams a strength and they don't have any special players. Those units have struggled since the second game. While Williams has been pretty good on punt returns (9.1 average), kickoff returner Lee is averaging just 19.8 per runback and Masthay ranks 32nd in net punting (33.8). The team-wide injury problem has deprived coordinator Shawn Slocum's units of any semblance of continuity, and potentially adding the three new linebackers into the mix won't help in that regard. Like last week against the Vikings' dynamic kicking teams, the Packers would do well to play to a draw against the Jets' special teams.

Brees and his receivers will need to be on the same page in order to have success against a relentless Pittsburgh defense

Can the vaunted Steelers pass rush make Brees, Saints look bad for a second week in a row?

I was fortunate enought to exchange Q&As with Steelers Gab (and the Sports Gab Network) editor, Matt Loede about Sunday's matchup against Pittsburgh. Here's what we talked about.

Saints Gab:   How much better (or worse) is the Steelers offense with Ben Roethlisberger at the helm and why?

Matt:  It's much better, as seen by the teams last two games, both wins over the Browns and Dolphins. The teams ability to throw the ball now more and more effectively with Ben in there is a key, and it's also helped a couple big pass catchers – Hines Ward and Heath Miller. Ben is a QB that has won two titles, and even if you are against what he does off the field, there's no doubt he helps them greatly on the field.

Saints Gab: What does the loss of Aaron Smith mean for the Steelers defense?

Matt: It's big. Every season that Aaron has missed the Steelers defense has taken a big step back. Smith is hoping to only miss about six weeks, but that's a longshot, as the type of injury he has usually means he misses a couple months, not just a few weeks. The opponents ability to run increases greatly with Smith gone, and that could start this week with the Saints.

Saints Gab: What can the Saints do to find any success against the Steelers stout defense?

Matt: Spread the field. Teams that spread the field and throw often using short 3-4 step drops usually can find more success against the Steelers than those that take 5-7 step drops and try to set up down the field. While the Saints have to keep the Steelers honest with trying to run a little, it's unlikely they will have a lot of success in that department. The Saints best shot to move the ball is use a hurry up, spread the field, and not let the Steelers set up and get their blitz packages on and off the field.

Saints Gab: What will the Steelers do to limit Drew Brees and the potent passing attack of the Saints?

Matt: It's all about pressure, and if the Saints don't play at a fast pace, the Steelers linebackers will make it a tough and long night for Brees. The Steelers ability to allow some downfield stuff here and there doesn't seem to hurt them since their D usually stiffens up once a team reaches about the Steelers 30 and they usually can come up with a big sack or turnover.

Saints Gab: Final score predictions?

Matt: I have no clue what the Saints are doing out there right now, losing to a team like Cleveland at home is just terrible, and while it might be a wake up call, I think the way the Steelers are playing defense and while Roethlisberger and Rashard Mendenhall is running well, I think the Steelers find a way on Halloween night to go to the Big Easy and get a win, topping the Saints 23-17.

Dolphins Gab Editor Brant Houghton sits down with Bengals Gab for a quick Q&A on Sunday's game…

BG:  Tough loss to the Steelers last week.  What's been the reaction in Miami , especially with that questionable call?

BH: The reaction in Miami is pure anger. While the players still are mad about the call and the way they lost the game, they have seemed to turn the page on the loss, and are getting ready for this week. But as a fan I can say I'm still reeling over the loss. We seemed to have the win in the bag, only to have it ripped out from under us. I expect this loss to sting the team enough to carry over to the game against the Bengals, and give them the emotional edge that they need to get things done on the road.

BG: What has the addition of Brandon Marshall meant for the Dolphins?

BH: Marshall has meant a lot to the Fins. Whether it's catching 5-10 balls a game, or simply drawing double teams and taking that extra man out of the box, Marshall has meant a lot to the Dolphins. He is benefitting slot receiver Davone Bess the most though, as well as Chad Henne's production moving along rather nicely with him having a legitimate #1 receiver to throw to.

BG: Miami is 3-0 away from home.  What do you think has made them so successful on the road?

BH:  I think it's just the mentality that they have as a team really. They play hard nosed football, and have been getting more breaks on the road than they have at home. Other than that it really is strange that they are able to have a 3-0 record on the road, while only having a 0-3 record at home. It could just be a coincidence, but really I think it comes down to the team playing better ball on the road.

BG: What is Miami 's greatest strength?  What is their greatest weakness?

BH: At this point in the season I am not so sure what the teams strength is, and that may be a reason why they are 3-3 right now. They have struggled to run the ball, they have been inconsistent stopping opponents passing game, and even more importantly, they have struggled to make the big plays when they have been needed. I guess you could say the team's strength is their pass blocking. Led by Jake Long, who has not allowed a sack yet this year, the team is giving up less than one sack per game.

On the other hand, the teams weakness has to be their ability to make the big play, or their ability to pull off a crucial drive when it is needed. Their ability to score in the red-zone goes hand in hand with this as well. The Dolphins had the chance last week to pull off an upset against the Steelers, but instead, the drive stalled and ended in an interception. The Dolphins have struggled all season long to accomplish this feat, and while they have one of the best pass blocking lines, one of the best receivers, and one of the best rushing games, they still struggle to move the ball down the field. My opinion is that it comes down to play calling, but at this point the team should be able to execute despite the plays that are called.

BG: What's your prediction for Sunday's game?

BH: Despite the teams heartbreaking loss last week, I think Miami uses it as motivation, and the Fins pull out the victory, 24-17. The Bengals defense, especially pass defense has been lacking this year, and I see the Dolphins taking advantage of that.

Despite undergoing finger surgery on Monday, Jackson will “suck up the pain” and play this Sunday against Carolina

The Rams are back to the friendly confines of the Dome with a huge crowd looking forward to celebrating the jersey and number retirement ceremony for Isaac Bruce.  Carolina got their first win of the season last week against the 49ers.

TV

The Rams will be shown only in the area around St. Louis and in the Carolinas.  Sorry long-distance Rams fans.  Check out the map for any changes.

What to Watch For

• Matt Moore – Moore has been the solid starter, benched for a rookie and back in as a starter by default.  Moore has struggled so far in 2010.  He's not known for his mobility and the Rams defensive line should be able to pass rush to a point to collapse the pocket on Moore.

• Rams Defense – The Rams defense wilted under the pressure put on them in the heat against the Buccaneers, but held up against the Chargers.  Tackling was an issue against the Bucs big back LeGarrette Blount.  Carolina sports the two-headed running back combination of DeAngelo Williams (doubtful, foot injury) and Jonathan Stewart. It is of the utmost importance for the Rams to stop the Panthers running game.  The Rams need to tackle when given the opportunity because both Stewart and Williams are very dangerous in the open field.  Whether or not Williams suits up, the run defense has to be up for the challenge presented.

• Rams Receivers – Once again, the Rams struggled passing to their wide receivers on the outside.  Sam Bradford tried a few quick fade passes to the sideline, but Brandon Gibson was unable to get open on both plays.  Laurent Robinson is still hobbled and not back up to full speed.  It is a valid question whether he will ever be back at full speed.  The Rams have had success with short passes to Danny Amendola and their tight ends, but when teams bring up 9 players to stop the run, they also slow the short passes.  The Rams will need help from the outside if they are going to get their offense cranked up (as we have been saying all season).

• Danario Alexander Danario had one game with a big impact and one game with little or no impact.  Was he sore?  Did the Rams not trust him to be healthy?  Did the Rams decide not to use him in their game plan?  It is unclear, but if Danario is healthy and can be as big, strong and fast as he was against San Diego, he should be used as much as possible.  Alexander had a good catch on a quick slant against Tampa Bay.

• Rams Secondary – The Rams secondary is hurting badly after injuries to James Butler, Ron Bartell, Kevin Dockery and Bradley Fletcher against the Bucs.  Fletcher and Bartell should be able to play, but still will be hobbled.  The Rams signed former corner Quincy Butler this week and he should see extensive action as the Rams 4th corner at the very least.  The Rams depth problems at corner kept the Rams from running their favorite offense.  The Rams need their secondary to stay healthy so they can continue to blitz.

Sunday night in New Orleans the past two Super Bowl champs go at it, and the Steelers have a shot to move to 6-1 on the year against a Saints team that is soul searching after a bad home loss to the Browns last week. The Steelers are coming off a 23-22 win over the Dolphins last week, and are hoping to continue their run as what many think is the best team in the AFC and the NFL.

1. Keep the Saints one-dimensional - The Saints have very little to offer in the run game, and that’s mostly due to injury with both Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas out. They will turn to Chris Ivory, who two weeks ago looked good vs the Bucs, but last week getting down early was almost a non-factor vs Cleveland. The Steelers can’t allow Ivory and the Saints run game to have any sense they can gain a yard, or two, when needed.

2. Careful when dropping back – New Orleans is pretty good when it comes to shutting down opposing passers, as they have a pass defense that's third in the league at 179.7 yards allowed per game. Ben Roethlisberger needs to pick his spots, be patient, and take check downs when wide outs are covered. Making mistakes in a game like this is only going to give the Saints more confidence they can hang with the Steelers.

3. Quiet the crowd early – After watching their champion Saints get beat up early and often last week, the crowd knows they have to be loud and nuts on this Halloween night to lift their team to a win. It will be a crazy atmosphere in the Big Easy, and it would do the Steelers good to get off to a fast start like the Browns did, and making sure they don’t allow the crowd to have any sort of factor.

Prediction – When it was released, this looked like a very tough game, but let’s face it, the Saints are not the same team they were in 2009. They are having issues with turnovers, they can’t run, and they were flat footed last week when the Browns pulled off some trickery on special teams. The Steelers have to, as Mike Tomlin would say, impose their will on this team and put them away with a physical beating they are not ready for. It’s time for the Saints to show if they are a contender or pretender, and I think the Steleers show that this is another team in the NFC that isn’t anywhere near as good as the top teams in the AFC. Steelers 24 New Orleans 17

Seems that ESPN NFL analyst Ron Jaworski isn’t much of a fan of the direction of the Cardinals, and said as much Thursday on the Gambo and Ash Show on Sports 620 KTAR,

The former Eagles QB, who played in the Super Bowl in a losing effort against Oakland, says that current Cards QB Max Hall doesn’t have the skills it takes to be a NFL quarterback.

“The one thing we’ve heard about Max is the moxy and the leadership,” Jaworski said. “Those are all wonderful attributes for a quarterback but the attributes you have to have week in week out to be successful over a long period of time is the ability to throw the football accurately and with velocity. When I look at the tape I don’t see either of those.

“I don’t see the ball going down the field. You see the bubble screen, the bootleg thrown in the flat and nothing down the field. You just don’t see a skill set that projects to be a consistent NFL quarterback. Things don’t look good when you’re on the field with Max Hall. It’s that simple. I’m sure he’s a wonderful guy giving everything he’s got but the skill set just isn’t there.”

Jaworski dosen’t seem to think long term that Hall is going to be anything more than a project.

“If you do think you can develop Max Hall that’s wonderful. It’s going to be a project at best,” the analyst said. “If that’s the way the coaches feel that’s great for them but it’s not great for the rest of the football team. The players want to win now. You have the NFC West which is wide open. When I look at the skill set, Derek Anderson gives you the best chance to win right now.”

Hall may not have a fan in Jaworski, but it sure would be nice to see him shut the ESPN NFL analyst up and prove him wrong with a good showing, starting Sunday vs Tampa Bay.

The show that Jenn Sterger was doing on Versus has been canned. The former New York Jets hostess has been featured in “The Daily Line,” but Versus has canceled the irreverent sports show for low ratings.

Sterger’s manager Phil Reese told The Associated Press on Friday the decision is “unfortunate” but “part of the business.”

Sterger allegedly was sent lewd photos and inappropriate text messages by Brett Favre when he was the Jets’ quarterback in 2008. Sterger has not yet met with NFL investigators, although her manager has said she is leaning toward doing so.

The Panthers run game has had issues all season getting going, and Sunday they will likely go at it without running back DeAngelo Williams, who is listed as doubtful with a foot injury.

Williams has missed his third straight practice and the team seems ready to move on without him. Williams hobbled off in the final minute of Carolina's win over San Francisco last Sunday.

Williams is Carolina's top rusher with 361 yards on 87 carries. But he's far behind last year's pace, when he and Jonathan Stewart each rushed for over 1,100 yards.

Stewart, who has just 148 yards on 50 carries, and Mike Goodson are in line to get most of the carries against the Rams if Williams is sidelined.

Peyton’s Colts don’t need to run the football

Truth be told, I cannot allow this point of topic to slide without addressing the issue, matter at hand.

In response to an excellent well-written article by Lions Gab columnist Anthony Kuehn earlier in the week:

Despite how outstanding the piece was executed by Anthony, I cannot agree with his motives, conclusion based behind the production.

It’s one thing to say that balanced football wins Super Bowls, but it’s another thing to say that running the football wins over passing the football.

Bob Schnebly says:

October 29, 2010 at 3:25 am

Greetings:

Great article!!! As a fan of "running the football" I can tell you that I'm glad to see the stats about W & L records and Championships won by teams that "run the ball" even in today's NFL.

Bob Schnebly

So this goes out, not only to Anthony, but to Mr. Bob Schnebly:

And I ask:  But who played in the Super Bowl last season and the year before, and who went 18-0 the year before that, and who won it the year prior to that?

Let me further emphasize my view:

Last year’s Super Bowl participants, Saints-Colts: deemed passing teams, correct?  Drew Brees-Peyton Manning lead passing offenses, right?

The Super Bowl teams the year before, Steelers-Cardinals: both went the direction of via the passing route, truthfully said?  Warner and Roethlisberger traded blows, countering each other with big passing play after big passing play, does my memory serve me precise?  Both clubs needed to utilize the air and rely on deep ball theatrics more often than not throughout the ‘08 season, true of me to say?

More examples:

2007 record breaking New England Patriots: Tom Brady to Randy Moss, records shattered, dominance conquered, can we agree?

Peyton again in 2006 against the Chicago Bears.

Brady’s Patriots back-to-back champs in 2003 and 2004.

Passing, and more importantly, big plays, still rule over the run in the NFL.  Nowadays, opportunistic offenses win games, and yes, even, Super Bowls.  Give me a passing team over a running team any day of the week, and especially on Sundays, when it matters the most.

Name me the last team who was run heavy and reached the big dance and won the show?  Even the Super Bowl XLII winning Giants had to feature Eli all throughout the Playoffs and ride Plaxico Burress and go deep to beat New England.

Pass > Run

The loss on Sunday to Tampa Bay was a difficult pill to swallow for the Rams. Having led for the majority of the game and not allowed a touchdown until the final minute, what seemed like a likely victory had tuned into defeat #4 for the year. One thing that has been a positive for the franchise though has been Sam Bradford's response to a tough game.

It is easy to blame others and apportion responsibility, but Bradford has come out and done exactly the opposite following the game. "[If] I can't go out and execute, it's just… tough. I gotta get better", said Bradford of his week 7 performance. It's that understanding of his role within the team that will help make Sam the keystone of the Rams as the franchise moves forward. Bradford is solidifying himself as a leader for the team, someone who shoulders blame in losses as much as he takes praise for the wins.

The fan base has rallied behind Bradford and given him the plaudits for the three wins to date, when you could quite easily argue that the Rams defense has been the biggest cause for change. Knowing that as the $50m man he is perceived to be the player that will turn the franchise fortunes around has not fazed the rookie, who plays with a maturity beyond his experience level. He also knows when to speak and what to say. On Sunday he threw 2 touchdowns, no interceptions and achieved an 89.6 QB rating, a career high. He could have easily rested on his laurels and ask questions of the others around him.

Despite the decent looking numbers Bradford's play, or rather accuracy was not as sharp as usual. He only completed 50% of his passes and missed some open receiver you would expect him to hit. I liked the fact he came out and acknowledged that fact, "I've got to make throws", as it depicts a player who wants to lead by example. A good leader will protect his troops by coming out and taking one for the team, and that's what Bradford did. Did you know we had 11 missed tackles on Sunday? 2 dropped interceptions? Rather focus on opportunities not taken, Bradford was more concerned that in the second half when the Buccs started to stack the box and play man-coverage, he couldn't make a play.