NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

Injuries are slowing down the Arizona ground game

This was supposed to be Beanie Wells' breakout year.  This was supposed to the year that Arizona finally climbed out of the cellar in rushing yards per game.  The Cardinals, however, average only 92 yards per game rushing, good for 25th in the NFL.  It's one half of a terribly ineffective offense that currently ranks 31st in the NFL.  With the season in serious jeopardy this week, Ken Whisenhunt still doesn't appear committed to running the football, even after all the turmoil at the quarterback spot.  It's a development evidenced by the fact that despite leading the entire second half last week, Arizona rushed the ball only 11 times.

Statistically, this is Arizona's worst year running the ball since Whisenhunt took over four years ago.   According to stats compiled by Greg Esposito of Sports 620 KTAR, Arizona's 162 rushing attempts and five touchdowns through the first eight games are both lows during the Whisenhunt era.  In addition, the Cardinals' 703 rushing yards is second lowest.  Only last season's 687 yards at the eight game mark is lower.

The sum is equal to its parts, so the saying goes.  As such, Wells and Hightower have individually regressed this season:

• Wells – 2010: 70 carries for 231 yards (3.3 yards/carry) and two touchdowns.  2009: 70 carries for 310 yards (4.4 yards/carry) and one touchdown.

• Hightower – 2010: 66 carries, 337 yards, 5.1 yards/carry, and two touchdowns.  2009: 78 carries for 283 yards (3.6 yards/carry) and five touchdown.

Obviously, Wells has had knee issues all season, but his number of carries are exactly the same.  His yards per carry is way down from 4.4 to 3.3.  It just doesn't seem like he's the same dynamic power runner, which is probably due to his knee injury.  Nevertheless, the Cardinals are missing his production.  Hightower actually has more yards on fewer carries this year, but his touchdown total is down and his fumbles are still up.  These stats make the following statement by Ken Whisenhunt quite baffling:

We've run the ball better this year than we have in the past.  I think we've made progress with that.

Well, no coach, you haven't.  Whisenhunt has been recalcitrant in his adherence to a pass first offense.  It's consistent with his affirmation all throughout the summer and in the pre-season that the Cardinals aren't going to change up the offense.  When your personnel changes drastically (and it did) sometimes you need to change with it.

Since Whisenhunt took over in Arizona, the Cardinals have had one of the premiere passing attacks in the NFL.  During the Kurt Warner golden era, the team was built around Warner, Fitzgerald, Boldin, and Breaston.  In 2008, all three receivers recorded 1,000 yards receiving.  That is truly an amazing achievement for an offense.  Only four other teams in NFL history have accomplished that feat (2004 Colts, 1995 Falcons, 1989 Redskins, and the 1980 Chargers).  Fifty percent of that group is gone, though.  It's time for the Cardinals to change their identity.  That's not an easy task and Whisenhunt has so far failed to make much headway.

Overall, Arizona has called 162 rushing plays out of 442 total offensive plays, making them a 64% – 36% pass-run team this season.  In 2009, the Cardinals were a 63% – 37% pass-run team.  If you aggregate out this year's play calling tendencies, assuming they remain the same, the Cards will actually run slightly less than last season.  Finally compare the 2008 season, which was one of the most prolific and productive passing attacks in Cardinals' history; Arizona was 66% – 34% pass-run.

It's seems ludicrous that the Cardinals could end up passing the ball nearly as much, and by the inverse, run as little as the 2008 Super Bowl offense.  The pieces just aren't there this year to win games through the air.  An offensive line that is particular weak in pass protection and poor quarterback play explain Arizona's struggles to rack up passing yards, despite Whisenhunt's best efforts to do so.

To be fair, it's difficult to get a running game going if you're constantly trailing.  Arizona has trailed at the half in six games and held a lead only once (last week) in their first eight games this season.  They were tied against the Rams going into the half in Week 1.  Aside from the indictment imposed by those statistics, they illustrate the point that the Cardinals have been trailing their opponents the entire season, which provides little opportunity to establish the run.

The game starts scoreless, though.  Each team has an equal opportunity to direct their offenses as they see fit.  If Whisenhunt would just stamp the Cardinals with the run first label, I believe the offensive line, which is a drastically better run blocking unit, would embrace the challenge and own it.  It's really about establishing the team's identity before they even set foot on the field.  It would also add some attitude to a team that's really trying to hold on to something after two demoralizing close losses.  A fourth straight loss would most likely render the remainder of the Cardinals' 2010 season moot, except for the 2011 draft order of course.

Rice remains the key to the Ravens success

Week 10: Baltimore Ravens at Atlanta Falcons

Sunday November 11, 2010 8:00 PM

Line: Ravens +1 O/U 43

The NFL wants you to believe that it is all about player safety. The NFL wants you to believe that their number one primary interest is protecting those who make this such a fun game to watch. The NFL wants you to believe that it's not all about money, that it's not all about NFL Network revenues. The NFL wants you to believe a lot of things. Yet for some reason the League still feels like it's a good idea to schedule Thursday night football games for teams who just played on Sunday. There are many players who are so tight and sore the day after Sunday contests that they can barely walk, let alone practice, and the league wants them to go right back at it three days later? That's just insanity. But unfortunately, it is what it is and the Ravens must now get geared up to face a very difficult road test against the Atlanta Falcons, who are undefeated at home this season.

The Ravens looked very good against the Dolphins, and came away from the game with little to no major bumps or bruises. However the Falcons are a much better team than Miami, and currently lead the NFC South by a slim margin over New Orleans. Matt Ryan, Roddy White, and Michael Turner are all going to be ready to play, and the Ravens will have to find a way to suck it up, keep moving forward, and dominate if they hope to win. With that, let's take a look at this week's keys to the game.

RavensGab.com Keys to the Game

RUN! THE! BALL!

The Ravens and the Falcons both faced difficult opponents on Sunday and are heading into the short week having won their respective match ups. The Falcons get a slight edge because they don't have to travel on Thursday, which eats into precious preparation time. Because of this, the focus must heavily be on the running game for both teams. Running the ball allows you to control the clock, running the ball lets you dominate the  point of attack and dictate the game plan, running the ball protects your players from jarring hits and limits the opportunity for significant injuries. Additionally, both teams will be tired in this game. Whichever offense possesses the ball the longest will likely win because the opposing defenses are just going to simply run out of gas. Run! The! Ball!

Stop the Rush

This has not been the best season for the Raven's rush defense. It hasn't quite been porous, but it has looked anemic at times when it has failed to stop opposing teams from running the ball straight up the middle. There was a time not long ago when opposing Coordinators simply took the run plan out of the game due to the futility in cramming the ball down the Ravens' throats. This year that has not even remotely been the case. Hell, even last week against the Dolphins, Ronnie Brown was running extremely well before powers that be inexplicably removed him from the game plan. To beat the Falcons, the Ravens must return to form and bottle up Michael Turner.  Seeing as the Falcons are 6th in the league in rushing yards, this will be no easy feat.

Set Terrell Free

Against Miami, the Ravens finally figured it out. Part of the problem with their lackluster pass rush is that they kept positioning Terrell Suggs in the same spot for every down, using him like a traditional rushing end. News flash Greg Mattison! As talented as Terrell is, he is not Dwight Freeney. Terrell is at his best when he's being moved around to different spots and creating havoc on the opposing team's game plan. He was successful in disrupting plays on Sunday because he wasn't being double teamed nearly as often, in large part because no one knew where he was going to be lined up. The Ravens will need their pass rush to be at its best on Thursday. the Falcons don't let up many sacks and Matt Ryan doesn't throw many interceptions. If the Ravens can force the falcons into the former, they will capitalize on the latter.

Protect Joe Flacco

Rest assured that the Falcons are going to bring the house against Joe Flacco this week. They are going to count on the offensive line being tired and sore and will do whatever they can to get to the Quarterback. If the Ravens are to win this game, they will have to man up, summon all of their strength and keep Joe upright. The Falcons give up a ton of passing yards. if the Ravens can give Joe some time, I guarantee you that he will make the Falcons pay dearly for it.

Possess the Ball

Above I talked about the necessity to hold the ball for as much of the game as possible. The time of possession battle here is going to be crucial because which ever defense is on the field the longest, is the one likely to make the most mistakes. Part and Parcel with this edict, is that the Ravens must also protect the ball. The Falcons have been very opportunistic with interceptions this season and are at the top of the league in takeaways (fumbles and INTs). Joe and Ray Rice and Willis McGahee have all got to protect the ball from turnovers if they are going to wear down the Falcons and win the game.

Win this Game Early

Against the Dolphins this was a necessity, but against the Falcons this key is unimaginably pivotal. If the Ravens can manage to get up early against the Falcons, their will to fight will be severely depleted. The strain and toll of a short week will be too much to bear. If either team falls into a hole early, the likelihood of their being able to comeback decreases ten fold. This is all not to mention the fact that the Ravens are playing in a dome environment, and an early lead will effectively take the Falcon faithful out of the equation. Dome teams are better at home in part due to crowd noise. Take out the team quickly and you'll take out the fans.

Ravens Gab Predictions

Jonathon Scruggs (7-1)

Early miscues could have cost the Ravens dearly against the Dolphins, but they held fast. Additionally, the Ravens received a number of lucky breaks and were able to exploit Miami weaknesses all day long. The Falcons are a much better team, and the Ravens will face a daunting test in coming out of the Georgia Dome with the win. Under Brian Billick I would have easily considered this game a loss, however under John Harbaugh I think the Ravens win a nail-biter and improve to 7-2 heading into the de facto second bye week.

Fun Fact of the Week: Since 2006 when the NFL implemented these ill conceived Thursday games, the home teams have enjoyed an 18-13 record (discounting the annual Detroit Thanksgiving blow-out and its 18-9). Clearly the home team has a decided advantage going into these games. Your move NFL.

Ravens 20 — Falcons 19

Matt Jergensen (7-1)

"These two teams are very similiar and both have balance. I give the edge to Baltimore because with all our issues our defense is better and if Cameron decides to use all our backfield options they should be able to run effectively too. Either way it should be a very good ball game."

Ravens 23 – Falcons 21

Gene Winner (6-2)

The NFL has a few things wrong, one of them is the game in London and the other is making teams play on a really short week, for Thursday Night Football. With that being said, the Ravens can win this game by exploiting Atlanta's secondary. The Ravens run defense has to show up this game facing the power back Michael Turner.

Ravens 34 – Falcons 27

Senior writer jclombardi highlights Packers headlines.

Packers in good position at bye: The Packers' latest bye week in history falls at a time when they are riding a three-game winning streak, their ramshackle defense is finding a way to shut down opponents despite missing a number of key starters and the once-dysfunctional offense is showing signs of figuring things out. Nevertheless, at 6-3 after nine games and enjoying a full week off before returning to work next Monday, the team still has plenty of work to do.  The Packers appear to have the wherewithal to make a run in a watered-down NFC. They also hold a half-game lead on the Chicago Bears (5-3) and 2 ½-game lead on the Minnesota Vikings (3-5) entering Sunday's game between the Bears and Vikings at Soldier Field in Chicago.

Peprah keeps believing–Safety found starting job with Packers: Drafted by the Giants in the fifth round in 2006 and cut. Signed with Green Bay and spent three years fighting for a roster spot and playing on special teams. Reached an injury settlement with the Packers in 2009 and was waived. “The best advice I’ve been given is, ‘Believe in yourself because if you don’t, no one else will,’?” Peprah said. “I knew I could play. I just had to keep plugging along and make sure I was always ready. ”I never lost confidence.” Peprah re-signed with the Packers as a free agent and fought his way onto the roster again.  He was on the small side to play strong safety. At 27 years old and with precious little experience on defense. But there is a lot to like about Peprah. He works hard. He prepares well. He does everything by the book. He is reliable and consistent. “A lot of the traits you look for at this level to be successful, he’s got them,” said Darren Perry, who coaches the Packers’ safeties. “He’s a pleasure to coach because you know what you’re going to get. I love the guy.”

Harris finds a new home back home: The Packers chapter of Al Harris' life officially closed on Monday. By Wednesday, the veteran cornerback was set to begin writing a new one with the Dolphins. The Dolphins certainly had no problem scooping up the two-time Pro Bowler and NFL veteran to add him to their youthful mix of defensive backs on Wednesday. "A player like that comes across your desk and you have the opportunity to get involved with somebody like this, I thought (he) would be really good for our football team," said Miami coach Tony Sparano. "He's a quality, quality individual – never mind the kind of player he's been in this league over the years – (and) the one thing that is important particularly for our young corners right now is the ability to see how it's done and get a chance to learn (from him). "Back there at the corner position, I don't we have that (veteran presence). "This guy can help us in a lot of ways (with) what he does on the field and what he does certainly in the classroom. I felt like this was something we had to do."

Matthews named NFC Defensive Player of the Week: For the second time this season and third time overall, Clay Matthews was named the NFC defensive player of the week. Matthews, the outside linebacker who leads the NFL in sacks (10 1/2), won the award Wednesday for his performance in the Packers' win over Dallas. Matthews had two tackles for a loss, a sack, and an interception he returned 62 yards for a touchdown.

The 49ers winning legacy began in 1981 and lasted all the way until 2002. There were a few good years in the 70's under Dick Nolan that caused all aged Niner fans to forever hate the Dallas Cowboys, but otherwise the Niners saw hard times for 20 years before 1981 and continually since 2002.

What's the difference?

Normally when talking about good football we would think about playing tough, being able to play all 4 quarters, not turning the ball over, minimizing mistakes, and having talented players. Outside the latter, coach Singletary is just the coach to bring all of these things to our team, but still we are not winning. As for talent we have Frank Gore, Brian Westbrook, Vernon Davis, Takeo Spikes, Patrick Willis and yet 49Niner's players, coaches, and fans are banging their collective heads against the wall. But if you look at the legacy era you see we are missing a very key piece of the puzzle.

Besides great running and an all around tough team we are missing a deadly tandem of superstar wide receiver and superstar quarter back. All of the Niners' legacy teams had them. In we started (1981) with Montana and Clark, Montana and Rice, Young and Rice, and in 2002 we finished with Garcia and Owens. The long ball threat is key. Lengthening the field opens up the passing routs underneath and stretches the running game.

Over the past 21 years we had some of the NFL's greatest QBs and WRs and we have taken it for granted. We have given credit to Walsh, Seifert, Mariucci and even Eddie Bartolo (much deserved credit), but none of their brilliance or leadership would have been recognized if not for the sheer world class talent of just a few men who sustained a dynasty over 20 years.

Joe Montana: 2,929 of 4,600 passes for 35,142 yards*, 244 touchdowns*, 123 interceptions*, 35 300-yard passing games*, 7 400+ yard passing games*, 8-time Pro Bowler & 3-time First-Team All-Pro, NFL MVP, Super Bowl MVP, 4 time Super Bowl Champion, and Hall of Fame inductee (and on and on and on).

Dwight Clark: career 49Niner, 506 catches for 6,750 yards and 48 TDs, 2-time Pro Bowler & 1-time First-Team All-Pro, 2 time Super Bowl Champion, on the receiving end of "The Catch", and later became a 49Niner executive.

Jerry Rice: 1,281 catches for 19,247 and 176 TDs*, all-time leader in most major statistical categories for wide receivers, 13-time Pro Bowler & 10-time First-Team All-Pro, MVP, 3 time Super Bowl Champion, Super Bowl MVP, and Hall of Fame inductee (and on and on and on).

Steve Young: 2400 of 3648 for 29,907*, 221 TDs against 86 interceptions*, holds the NFL record for highest career passer rating, 7-time Pro Bowler & 3-time First-Team All-Pro, 3 time Super Bowl Champion (once as starting QB), Super Bowl MVP, and Hall of Fame inductee (and on and on and on).

Terrell Owens: (TO only played about half of his career with SF so his stats will be cumulative. TO is an active player and has never won a Super Bowl.) 1,061 catches for 15,721 yards and 151 TDs. He one of only 3 NFL WRs to amass 150 career TD receptions (Jerry Rice and Randy Moss are the others). He's a 6-time Pro Bowler & 5-time First-Team All-Pro and a likely candidate for the HOF.

Jeff Garcia: Garcia is the least famous or celebrated among the list I have included here, but his passing stats place him within the top twenty of all-time football quarterbacks. He has completed 2,264 of 3,676 for 25,557 yards, he has 161 TD passes vs 83 interceptions, and is a 4-time Pro Bowler.

So, a winning recipe for the success is simple. Replace our current lifeless and extremely inconsistent quarterbacks (Smith and Carr) with the next NFL quarterback legend. (Heisman winner Troy Smith is waiting in the wings, but NFL scouting reports have not been favorable.)

Team this new star with his world class long ball receiver counterpart (who is presently not on the 49Niners). Then combine these elusive future greats with a world class running back (that we have) and an otherwise disciplined and tough team and we are once again world champs. Plainly put… get the next world's greatest QB and WR and we are back in business. It's simple.

Shayne Graham is getting another shot in the NFL, as the Patriots have signed him while putting their kicker – Stephen Gostkowski, on IR with a thigh injury.

"I'll still treat it as a game-by-game basis," Graham said after being inked. "I've got to perform well each week and give them a reason to want to keep me around here."

Gostkowski played every game the past four seasons and the first half of this season. After Gostkowski was hurt Sunday in Cleveland, Wes Welker took over the kicking duties.

While warming up before that game, Gostkowski felt tightness in his right thigh.

"That's a bummer," quarterback Tom Brady said Wednesday. "He's been a hell of a player here and a great kicker. We've had a few guys put on IR this year that are really great, dependable players that have worked hard Kevin (Faulk) and Ty Warren(notes). He will be missed."

New England also signed long snapper Matt Katula to replace Jake Ingram, who was released, and added cornerback Thad Turner to the practice squad.

Jackson, successful run game has helped make Sam Bradford’s transition smoother

The Rams are coming off their bye after eight games in the season and are sitting in first place at 4-4.  The season has been thrilling, infuriating and exciting.  The Rams have been better than we expected and so let's take a look at the Rams report card.  Because the Rams go to one of those new schools where they do not give out letter grades, but instead gives out suns, rainbows, rainclouds and other things.  Let's take a look at the offense.

Quarterback – Sam Bradford has been better than anyone could have ever expected.  He has not had the same wide receivers from week to week and offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur has put more and more of the offense on the kid's shoulders.

Running back – Steven Jackson was the Rams best player coming in and even though he has had to deal with a groin and finger injury this season, he hasn't missed much.  Jackson is a leader on the Rams and the best player, just as was expected before the season. I've said it before, but Rams fans should be honored that we get to watch Steven Jackson week in and week out.  The Rams are still missing a quality back up running back, but with Jackson taking all of the work load, they have not needed the position desperately yet.

Wide Receiver – The Rams have put 3 WRs on IR already this season.  Mark Clayton was a huge surprise before his injury as he had built a connection with Sam Bradford at offseason workouts at Oklahoma.  Danario Alexander came off the practice squad to a huge debut, but soon was injured again.  Mardy Gilyard is badly needed but he has been brought along slowly as injuries have slowed his development.  Brandon Gibson has shown flashes, but needs to become more consistent.  Danny Amendola has been a pleasant surprise as Sam Bradford's favorite target so far.

Offensive Line – The Rams offensive line finally found some continuity over the first 7 games with the same starting 5 for the first time in a few seasons.  Young tackles Saffold and Smith have had some growing pains, but the Rams running to the right side behind Jason Smith has been very successful.  The offensive line has still been too susceptible to the penalties, especially false starts.

Tight Ends – The Rams tight ends are a combination of potential and solid experience.  Because of the injury problems at WR, the tight ends have become more important.  Illinois Mike has had some nagging injuries, but when he has been on the field he has been a great target for Bradford.  Billy Bajema is a hard worker and has picked up some huge 3rd downs for the Rams.  Daniel Fells has been solid and has used his athleticism well.

The Miami Dolphins made some ground breaking news today in the world of Miami Dol-Fans when they announced the switch at starting quarterback from Chad Henne to Chad Pennington, as well as signing Al Harris, and releasing Jason Allen.

Let’s first start with the release of Allen. This was your special teams ace! For a team that harps on the play of their special teams all off-season long, then craps the bed during the season, I would fully expect the management to try and find some way to keep all of their special teams aces on the team at all costs. I won’t say this was a sign of desperation, but it definitely added another page into the book of questionable roster moves for this regime.

The signing of Harris was not a bad one to me. Heck, I tweeted Omar Kelly yesterday asking if he thought Harris would be a possible acquisition in Miami. I’m in favor of this move because it adds yet another veteran influence to the young secondary. But man, the release of Allen is just plain disappointing because we all saw what this guy could do on special teams. At the least try and work him in the dime package, or just strictly on special teams. Don’t just give up on a guy that you praised all throughout the pre-season.

The praising of Allen is another factor that just adds to all of the confusion surrounding the news today. The Dolphins have gone this route before, and we all have seen the end effect in all of the previous situations. Patrick Turner praised, a couple days later he is cut. Pat White reportedly improving all off-season and gaining praise from the coaches, then cut during training camp.

After all of that I would still not expect the Dolphins to just simply cut such a valuable special teams player! That’s what I cannot get over.

Obviously there is something going on here. Obviously someone is trying to save their job by making all of these moves. Obviously there is some level of panic here when the regime is looking to place the blame on a player that was at one time a starter for this team this year.

That leads me into Henne being benched for Pennington. This is the way I see it, plain and simple. If the Dolphins do not make the playoffs with Pennington or Tyler Thigpen as the starter, then this season was a failure in my mind. Not only did this team fail to accomplish their goal of winning the division and making the playoffs, but they also have impeeded the progress of Chad Henne, their young heir to the throne.

Does this regime not understand that there will not be growing pains along the way to success? Do they not understand that this could simply be a roadblock in Henne’s success, after all, not everything is Henne’s fault.

It’s not Henne’s fault the running game has failed to get going on a consistent basis. It’s not Henne’s fault the defense has failed to stop teams on a consistent basis. And it most certainly is not Henne’s fault that time after time the special teams has let the rest of the team down.

While Henne may still get a shot at regaining his starting position over the next eight games, one has to wonder where the Dolphins will go next. Pennington will most certainly not be back next year. So do the Dolphins want to draft another quarterback? Do they think they need to possibly trade up in the first round to take a QB prospect like Andrew Luck?

The benching of Chad Henne is a confusing move that only puts the Dolphins in a bigger predicament for the future. If they make the playoffs this year great, but if they fail, and heads are chopped, then the move was a failure anyway because we still do not know what we have in Henne.

While the move is clearly a statement from the coaching staff that a change had to be made to save some of their jobs, it also is one that I can agree with at the moment. For one, it gives us a chance to see whether or not Henne has what it takes to be a true leader and bounce back after he was knocked down.

Also it gives Henne a chance to take a step back and observe on film all that he was doing wrong. Henne is a solid quarterback who looked like he was starting to get more comfortable in the pocket and as the starting quarterback of the Miami Dolphins, but thing that I observed over the course of this season was that he simply did not have that “IT Factor”.

Name one game where Henne changed the game and ultimately the outcome. He just has not made that step yet as a quarterback, and part of that can be attributed to the coaching staffs conservative approach that they have drilled into him.

Do not get me wrong, Henne has been struggling as of late, but is it all really worth impeding his progress as a young quarterback? I understand that the offense is better suited for Pennington, and I also understand the offense was having trouble getting anything going, especially in the redzone.

But the problem here is clearly offensive coordinator Dan Henning and his conservative approach. Let Henne air it out. Let Henne make plays and do what he does best, and what his physical attributes allow him to do, throw the ball downfield. From what Ricky Williams told reporters today, Henne did not even have access to calling audibles at the line of scrimmage. If a quarterback is not allowed to change a play that he knows will fail, how can you blame the quarterback if a play fails?!

The benching of Henne is a shame in itself, and while I’m in favor of Pennington coming in and trying to work out the kinks in the offense, by the end of the season, I cannot help but wonder whether or not this move will be regrettable or not.

If these moves do not pan out, it very well could be the end for some of the members of the Dolphins coaching staff and front office. For what started out to be a promising season has turned into somewhat of a mess filled with confusion. There now seems more questions to be answered than there were before the season started, and if the Dolphins fail to make true on Brandon Marshall’s promise and make the playoffs, then heads will roll.

The Most Underappreciated QB Of All-Time?

Can we take a step back in time for a moment here? Donovan McNabb gets traded to Washington, they bring in Mike Shanahan, and everyone's talking about the Redskins being a force to be reckon with? Those were the days, right? This is the same time period in which people were talking about the Cowboys having a home game for the Super Bowl. Oh, how things have changed.

The Redskins season has started out in mediocrity and appears to be heading south. Much of this can be placed on the shoulders of McNabb. Whether you like McNabb or you don't, you can't deny that he hasn't played very well this year. He didn't even play well when they beat the Eagles. Remember when he ran out of bounds in the fourth quarter stopping the clock for us?

McNabb's poor play even has his head coach lacking confidence in him. You may have had that feeling in your gut for a while now, but their last game in Detroit proved it to the entire nation.

Why did Shanahan bench McNabb? Is it because Rex Grossman knows the play calls better? No. Is it because Grossman is in better cardiovascular shape then McNabb? Doubt it. However, these are the reasons Shanahan is giving us.

It was a mistake to bench McNabb for Grossman, but piling on all these excuses just make matters worse.

The Redskins have not extended McNabb's contract yet, and that comes as no surprise. He hasn't done anything to prove he deserves an extension. If he wants to be extended in Washington, he's going to have to prove something on the field during the second half of the season. However, you have to question McNabb's feelings about wanting to play for Shanahan.

When Reid benched McNabb in Baltimore, it created a similar uproar. McNabb ended up being forgiving, but Reid and McNabb had a long and successful relationship prior to that. McNabb also ended up getting his "financial apology."

Shanahan and McNabb clearly don't have that same bond. Will they be able to patch things up and move forward? Maybe. However, even if they do, I can't see the Redskins having a lot of success the rest of the season.

The dangerous duo of Johnson-Moss has Titans fans thinking Super Bowl

Newly acquired receiver Randy Moss arrived early to work in Tennessee on Monday and is expected to start this weekend against the Miami Dolphins.

Moss was released by the Vikings and signed by the Titans last week and will have a limited role this week in Miami. ESPN reported that Moss will learn one position and will learn as much of the offense as he can.

The outspoken receiver talked to the media Wednesday after practice in brief.  How much Moss will talk from here on out, after answering only a few questions from the media Wednesday, is unknown at this point.  Short, simple, and sweet.

Full Press Conference:

“Moss said, he doesn’t make this a Super Bowl team”

“He is used to the pressure and hopes to fit in however Coach Fisher wants to use him.”

“Moss said, he isn’t coming here to start trouble”

“and hopes to win….and then walked off.”

The Titans provided this information on Moss

• In his four previous games debuting with a new team, including two games with Minnesota separated by nine year, Moss has averaged 122 yards a game with a 22.2 yards-per-catch average and at least one touchdown (five total).
• Moss has been part of four teams with a top 10 rushing offense: the 2000 Vikings (sixth, led by Robert Smith), the 2002 Vikings (first led by Michael Bennett), the 2003 Vikings (fourth, led by Moe Williams) and the 2008 Patriots (sixth, led by Sammy Morris). Led by Chris Johnson, the Titans currently rank second. But one of their major motivations in claiming Moss was to help stretch defenses and gain more room for Johnson.
• Three catches for Moss will give him 951 for his career and tie him with Andre Reed for eighth all-time on the NFL reception leaders list. Of the top 10, Moss has the best average (15.6) with No. 7 Isaac Bruce second, with a 14.9-yard average on 1,024 catches.

Will Suggs, Ravens ferocious defense get to “Matty Ice” in time?

“It’s a disadvantage if you allow it to be. If you sit back and say, ‘We’re tired and we got to play on such a short week,’ then you’re setting yourself up for failure. We saw the schedule when it came out. We knew what was ahead of us. We knew it was coming.”

—Wide receiver Derrick Mason on playing two games in five days.

Opponent: Atlanta Flacons

Stadium: Georgia Dome

Record: 6-2

Head Coach: Mike Smith

Thursday Night Football:

An offensive shoot-out at the Dome?

A quick turnaround for the Ravens (6-2) as they travel to Atlanta for the NFL's Thursday night football.  The Falcons offensive, playing at a high level, is lead by quarterback Matt Ryan and their explosive receiver Roddy White, along with their powerful running back Michael Turner. The Ravens offensive unit is also playing well and Joe Flacco has been the difference maker getting the ball to his playmakers consistently. This could be a high scoring affair.

The Falcons:

Atlanta is a balanced team lead by QB Matt Ryan who is simply playing at a high level.  The running game features Michael Turner, power back with deceptive speed. The Ravens secondary will also have to play their best, as Atlanta has the speedy wide out Roddy White and future HOF Tight End Tony Gonzalez. TE Tony Gonzalez' "85 career touchdown catches rank tied for 12th in NFL history and his 1,026 career catches rank sixth all time."

Defensively Atlanta ranks in the top eight at stopping the run led by MLB Curtis Lofton (nearly 60 combined tackles), rookie OLB Sean Witherspoon and OLB Stephen Nicholas. Where they struggle is pass defense, ranked 27 in pass yardage, 260.3 yards per game.

Play Match-ups:

Ray Lewis vs. RB Michael Turner: The Ravens run defense has not been as dominant as they would like to be. Ray Lewis will be keeping an eye on Atlanta's featured running back.

CB Fabian Washington/CB Josh Wilson vs. WR Roddy White: This might be the toughest match-up for the Ravens secondary so far this year. White is an explosive receiver and he has developed great timing with Matt Ryan.

FS Ed Reed vs. QB Matt Ryan: Reed is probably the healthiest he's been in quite some time. Atlanta's passing game is potent and Reed will be a key in slowing it down.

LB Jameel McClain/CB Chris Carr vs. TE Tony Gonzales: Atlanta's Pro Bowl (future HOF) tight end must be contained. The Ravens might try a nickel package in order for a defensive back to cover.

RB Ray Rice vs. MLB Curtis Lofton: Rice had a huge game last week and he will draw a lot of attention from Atlanta. Lofton is the leading tackler on his team's defense.

WR Anquan Boldin vs. CB Dunta Robinson: Atlanta's cornerback is aggressive and this might play into the hands of Boldin.

OLB Terrell Suggs vs. LT Sam Baker: Until the Ravens can get pressure from the other end of the defensive line, expect Suggs to see a lot of double teams.

Ravens Pass Protection vs. Atlanta's D-line: The Ravens offensive line struggled a bit in Sunday's game versus Miami allowing 3 sacks. Atlanta does bring the heat from time to time, the Ravens offense needs to make adjustments to protect Flacco.

WHO MAKES THE HIGHLIGHT FILM:

Jonathon Scruggs: Ray Rice

"The Ravens faced a very tough Dolphins defense on Sunday. If they are to keep momentum rolling against the Atlanta Falcons, they are going to have to get Ray Rice going early and often. The running game will factor very large in the game plan this week."

Matt Jergensen: Ray Lewis

"The Ravens need to slow Micheal Turner who has been on fire lately. If they can make the Falcons one dimensional it will improve their chances greatly of taking this one on the road. Lewis had eight tackles last Sunday but he missed several as well. They need another big game from their future HOF this Thursday."

Gene Winner: Anquan Boldin

"The Falcons are a good team, but if they have any weakness it is their secondary. Look for Boldin to be a part of the offensive game plan."

Related:

Coach Mike Smith: In 2002, Smith served as the linebackers coach for the Baltimore Ravens.  The Falcons are 17-3 (.842) at the Georgia Dome under Falcons coach Mike Smith, the league's second-highest winning percentage at home in the last three seasons. http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/teams/atl/report