NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

You had to expect that Ravens fans were not going to be happy this week following a tough defeat to the Steelers.

Sports talk radio has been flooded this week with fans who are still seething over another close defeat to the rival Steelers with playoff implications at stake. No show was immune, not even Head Coach John Harbaugh's radio program last Tuesday night.

Some of the exchanges got heated and Harbaugh as usual defended his team. He also went one step further and delivered a message to anyone who still isn't on board with the current regime of the Baltimore Ravens.

"I'm proud of this football team," Harbaugh said. "I'm proud of our defense. I'm proud of our offense. We will fight our tails off to be the best team we can every single week."

"If that's not enough for you then go find another team to cheer for. If you're not proud of this team then you don't know football," Harbaugh said.

I'd be interested to see what are readers think about these comments but let me add my own thoughts here.

Anyone who really follows this team is frustrated. I know I am. The expectations for this team for this season were elevated due to consecutive playoff runs and new additions to the offense. For some it was "Super Bowl or Bust" to be sure.

So far what we've seen is that the Ravens are a very good AFC team. They are 8-4 with a two game lead over the next contender for a playoff spot with four games to play. They have proven that they can play with and possibly beat any opponent in the NFL. But the team has had its struggles and last Sunday night's game simply magnifies any doubts that fans have as to weather or not this is a championship club.

The offense has been a concern since the days this franchise began and while they have shown improvement under Cam Cameron the first two seasons, this season they are back to being a middle of the pack unit – even with more talent.

Something has to give. Is it the play-calling? Is it the coaching? Is it execution? Is it player personnel? It's probably a bit of all these things but it's clear something needs to change.

I don't really take too much stock in what Harbaugh says. I was shocked that he admitted publicly that he felt the offense was subpar. It's the first time I can remember that he's shown that type of honesty with the media and the fans as to his feelings about his team.

He's never really shown much regard for those that cover the team or the fan's knowledge of the game he coaches anyway. In some respects he's right to be testy and upset when most don't really know what they're talking about. But his behavior is also consistent with who he is – a bit smug and self-assured and at times treats people with less than the respect they might be due. Just ask anyone at WNST.

But you have to expect those questions and commments when you have a public radio show. Otherwise why do it if not for the some extra money.

It's up to you coach. If you don't want to hear it then do something to fix it. It may mean making some hard choices at the end of the season but it's time for you to step up and lead.

Senior writer jclombardi highlights QB Rodgers & emotional game days.

Rodgers gets miffed at mental miscues: Getting on your teammates for mental mistakes is something every quarterback has done, but only some can actually do it and not risk mutiny within the ranks. On Sunday against San Francisco, Rodgers was very demonstrative in pointing out mental errors, dressing down fullback Quinn Johnson, chirping at tight end Quarless and in one instance, seemingly getting irate with wide receiver Donald Driver. Many a quarterback has blown off steam, but most have been careful to contain it. ”I think as a quarterback and as a leader, you have to find ways to get through to your teammates,” Rodgers said. “Some guys do better with a confrontation, some guys with a pat on the butt, some guys a one-on-one sit-down. I’m an emotional player, and sometimes I share my emotions on the field, sometimes I share them in public. But I think some of the mistakes we’ve been making are so correctable, it’s often most frustrating when I know those are mistakes that shouldn’t happen. And when you’re playing a tight game, you can’t have alignment mistakes.” Rodgers was speaking more of the mistakes by Quarless and Johnson. Rodgers patted Johnson on the helmet after chewing him out. Rodgers had to call a timeout because Quarless apparently wasn’t lined up right. ”Sometimes I say things,” Rodgers said. “I guess it’s frustrating when it’s a little thing and it shouldn’t be an issue. You’re probably talking about me getting on Quinn a little bit when he couldn’t line up in the right spot. To me, that goes back to preparation. To me, physical mistakes are going to happen. I’m going to throw a bad ball, guys are going to drop passes, might not be able to make a play at some point. But the mental stuff, I just have a really hard time with that. Because I just feel like the preparation should be the most important thing for these guys.” Driver said he accepts Rodgers for the kind of person he is. He admitted Rodgers is cocky, “but in a good way.” ”I’m cocky,” Driver said. “It goes hand in hand. I think I’m one of the best. He thinks he’s one of the best quarterbacks. That’s pretty good.”

Rodgers–’Sometimes I share my emotions on the field’: He's an emotional guy with high expectations, and that's not going to change. “I think as a quarterback and as a leader,  you have to find ways to get through to your teammates. Some guys do better with a confrontation, some guys with a pat on the butt, some guys a one-on-one sit-down," Rodgers explained at his locker after practice, as the team prepared for Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions. "I’m an emotional player, and sometimes I share my emotions on the field, sometimes I share them in public. But I think some of the mistakes we’ve been making are so correctable, it’s often most frustrating when I know those are mistakes that shouldn’t happen.” The most recent example occurred in last Sunday's 34-16 victory over the 49ers. With the Packers trying to grind out as much clock with a 31-16 lead, Rodgers was facing a first-and-10 from the San Francisco 38-yard line and had to burn a timeout when fullback Johnson lined up incorrectly. Rodgers didn't hide his irritation, and it was clear as he came off the field that Johnson was the target. "To me, that goes back to preparation," Rodgers said. "The way I look at it, physical mistakes are going to happen. I'm going to throw a bad ball; guys are going to drop passes, might not be able to make a play at some point. But the mental stuff, I just have a really hard time with that. Because I just feel like the preparation should be the most important thing for these guys. There's no excuses in my opinion to (have) that many mental mistakes." Earlier, in the first quarter, Rodgers had to burn another timeout and appeared to be peeved at Johnson and rookie tight end Andrew Quarless. After the game, Rodgers suggested that a little more preparation might have prevented the mistakes. "When you’ve playing a tight game, you can’t have alignment mistakes," Rodgers said. "Preparation is the most important thing because the little mistakes are amplified.” The most obvious example was at Atlanta, when Quarless and Johnson were both in the same area on a first-and-goal pass from the Falcons' 2-yard line. Johnson leaped to try to catch the pass, which appeared to be intended for Quarless, and heard about it afterward. While Quarless admitted that it is embarrassing to be chastised in front of fans, he said he believes that Rodgers does it only because he sees potential in him. Rodgers does most of his criticizing in practice and the value he places on practicing well was evident in one of the things. In his response to a question about Starks, Rodgers praised injured running back Grant, injured tight end Finley and four of his five wide receivers for their practice habits. Since Rodgers rarely if ever says something without having thought it through first, his message was undeniable.

So, yesterday Mike Singletary announced that Alex Smith would be the starting quarterback against the Seattle Seahawks this coming Sunday. My first thought: Freakin' BS, Are you kidding me? Even now, I don't understand the logic behind the move. Then again, Singletary is the head coach of the team and he is supposed to do what he thinks is best for the team and that is why he gets paid millions to do this. However, I completely disagree with this decision and firmly believe that Troy gives us as good a shot-if not better-as Alex does to win our games down the stretch.

This is what Singletary about Alex getting the starting nod:

We felt at this time, Alex with his experience and all of the other things, he would give us the best chance to win at this particular time, at this time of the year. Still very confident in what Troy has been able to do and would not rule out at any point in time him playing again. Right now it's just a matter of looking where we are in the season and the opportunity we have before us.

While Troy Smith has not played lights out in his time as a starter, I don'

t think that Alex is so far ahead of him in his knowledge of the playbook and gives the Niners that much a greater chance of winning games this time of the year. In my eyes, Troy has had greater command of the offense, and the guys have rallied around him and I think that that is something to be valued in the last quarter of the season. Clearly, Singletary doesn't think so. Anyways, Singletary has left the door open and made it known that he reserves the right to change his mind and possibly go back to Troy at some point.

Alex has played seven games against the Seattle Seahawks, and his numbers in those games have not been spectacular by any means.  He won two of his games against the Seahawks and below are his numbers against the team:

*Alex also has 2 rushing TD's against the Seahawks.

Now, let's take a look on how Alex has fared in December:

*Alex's record in December is 5-8, and has run for a TD in said month.

Those numbers do not impress me by any means. But, it would not be fair to frown upon Alex's numbers without looking at Troy's numbers, both against the Seahawks, and in the month of December. So, here we go:

Against Seahawks

*Troy won his only game against Seattle.

In December

*Troy is 4-4 in December. He also has two rushing TDs in that month.

For you fans who support Singletary's decision to go with Alex, you will point out that Alex has played in more games, and therefore Troy's sample size is not large enough to measure his success against Alex's down the stretch. You guys can also point out that Troy benefited from playing with a superb defense in his time with the Baltimore Ravens. I say, true and true, but when the numbers are adjusted, you will quickly realize that Troy would fit better not only this weekend against the Seahawks, but also in this last month of the season. Again, that is by no means scientific, but you have to give him the benefit of the doubt. And, I will not cease to say that the guys rally around Troy more that they do around Alex. That cannot be ignored in this crucial stretch for Singletary and the Niners.

I hope that Singletary proves me wrong and Alex surprises us all and takes us to the playoffs. I am no prognosticator but I do not see this working out. In my opinion, this stretch, however long it is, will be a farewell to Alex as the starting quarterback of the once-proud San Francisco 49ers.

In the 2009 off-season the New York Giants' offered then Titans' DT Albert Haynesworth $80 million dollars to be the new anchor of their defensive line. He declined their offer and took more than $20 million more to sign with the Redskins. Two years later, he has been suspended for the final four games of the regular season, and his tenure with the 'Skins' is seemingly over. In not singing with the Giants' Haynesworth has paid serious dividends. The Giants' took the $80 million dollars they ended up not spending on Haynesworth and signed DT Chris Canty, DT Rocky Bernard and LB Michael Boley. All have made significant contributions this season and figure to play a large role if the Giants' have hopes of making a playoff run and avoiding another late-season collapse.

Michael Boley:

The Giants' used $25 million of that money to sign LB Michael Boley to a five-year deal. Last season Boley was plagued by injuries. But when healthy, he contributed. This season Boley has been the most consistent linebacker of the bunch, racking up 67 tackles, 1 sack and 1 forced fumble. He also injured Tony Romo seemingly ended his season.

Chris Canty:

The Giants' used $42 million over six-years to ink Canty. He was also plagued by injuries last season and had a hard time adjusting from the 3-4 defense to the 4-3 defense. Canty has stepped up this season and has lived up to his contract. Canty has been the most consistent interior linemen for the Giants' this season also allowing DT Barry Cofield to make plays. Canty has 34 tackles and 1.5 sacks. He has been batting balls down, too, something he did all training-camp.

Rocky Bernard:

The Giants' signed him a four-year, $16 million contract. He had a horrendous first season, but played the entire season injured. He was suffering from a torn laburm, something he kept quiet. Most assumed he wouldn't be with the team this season or would be inactive most of the time, especially after drafting a DT Linval Joseph in the second round. Bernard has played in run-stopping situations, clogging up the middle He has 10 tackles this season and has been quite a pleasant surprise.

All in all, I'd say the non-Hanyesworth singing was a good one. Wouldn't you?

It doesn’t look like Colt McCoy will be back anytime soon, as he didn’t practice today due to the ankle injury that has kept him on the sideline the past few weeks. All accounts seem to point to Jake Delhomme starting Sunday in Buffalo vs the Bills.

McCoy was hurt in the teams loss in Jacksonville back on November 21st, his fifth start. Coach Eric Mangini said Wednesday it's possible that McCoy could practice this week, but it's "not a slam dunk." He said McCoy was able to work with trainers on Tuesday.

The rookie has already stated that he wants to play again this season, but if the team continues to win, you have to wonder if it’s the right move to even risk him for one of the final three games at Cincy, and vs the Ravens and Steelers at home.

In the aftermath of the Bears 24-20 victory over the Lions in Detroit, a lot has been made about the controversial Ndamukong Suh tackle of Jay Cutler. Like every other American who saw the replay of Suh's violent (yet legal) push, I don't think it warranted a flag.

But to those who believe it was THE single most important play in the Bears come-from-behind win (yes, I'm talking to you, Detroit) need to remember…

• The play occurred on 1^st down at Detroit's 22. After Cutler's 8-yard run, it would've set up a 2^nd and two at the DET 14-yardline had no foul been called.
• The flag resulted in a "half-the-distance-to-the-goal" gain for the Bears, or 7 yards in this instance.

Does a 7-yard gain for an offense that appeared destined for the endzone really warrant consideration as THE play of the game?

I agree with the majority of fans and media that it was a bad call. But all the hullabaloo about Suh's smackdown has more to do with the Lions being robbed of a week one win in Chicago than its 'profound' impact on a game the Bears were going to win anyway.

Like it or not, Suh's aggressive style has drawn attention from the NFL's tackling police. Known as a violent tackler before he even set foot in the league – see his rag-doll toss of Colt McCoy in last year's Big XII Championship game as evidence – Suh is going to be under the league's microscope in much the same way as Steeler's LB James Harrison.

So to the media and Detroit fans who want to pin the latest Lions debacle on a bad call – get over it!

It's been a fantastic season for Michael Vick. In fact, that's probably a huge understatement. Nonetheless, he's been one of the most explosive players in the league and for the Eagles, and though he's already garnered several awards this year, the voting results for this year's Pro-Bowl are beginning to spread across the web, with accurate tallies for the fan votes being released, and it's no surprise that Vick (pictured) is leading the entire league in accumulated picks for the all-star game. While the coaches and players' votes haven't been disclosed, it's still intriguing to know that Vick has received more credit for the Pro-Bowl than perennial standouts like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

Take a look at the top 10 fan vote-getters thus far, courtesy of NFL.com:

1. Michael Vick, Eagles: 729,838 votes
2. Peyton Manning, Colts: 691,146
3. Tom Brady, Patriots: 623,074
4. Adrian Peterson, Vikings: 591,598
5. Aaron Rodgers, Packers: 547,340
6. Philip Rivers, Chargers: 503,282
7. Drew Brees, Saints: 498,079
8. Arian Foster, Texans: 414,033
9. Antonio Gates, Chargers: 375,666
10. Chris Johnson, Titans: 363,908

Defensive Lineman Ndamukong Suh has been fined $15,000 by the NFL after drawing an unnecessary roughness penalty for a hit on Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler last weekend.

Suh says he plans to appeal.

The penalty came in the fourth quarter Sunday when Suh sent Cutler to the ground with what appeared to be a hard shove to the upper back after the quarterback ran for 8 yards. Referee Ed Hochuli called the play "an unnecessary non-football act." Lions coach Jim Schwartz disagreed with the call.

Suh didn't confirm the amount of the fine, but a person with knowledge of the fine, speaking on condition of anonymity because the league hadn't announced it yet, confirmed it was $15,000.

After a decent showing despite the loss last week, the Lions will stick with Drew Stanton at QB this week when the team takes on the Packers.

Coach Jim Schwartz confirmed today that Stanton, who was 16-for-24 for 178 yards with a TD throwing and another running, will be under center for the second straight week at home.

It may be a little easier for Stanton, as there’s a real chance that Packers CB Charles Woodson will not play in the contest due to an ankle injury.

Now that the Chiefs have made the appendectomy for QB Matt Cassel official, the next question is how long with the QB be out?

With four weeks left in the regular season and the team already in the process of selling playoff tickets, the KC Star is reporting that a best-case scenario is Cassel missing the next two weeks. Worse case – four.

The Chiefs are in San Diego this week, two games ahead of the Bolts and Raiders for first in the division. Next week they travel to St.Louis.

As the Star points out, back in 2006, Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger underwent an emergency laparoscopic appendectomy on September 3rd, just a few days before the season opener, which was the Thursday kickoff game at home vs Miami

He missed the opener September 7th, but was able to come back to start the second game of the season on September 18th at Jacksonville, a game where the team was shutout 9-0.

Brodie Croyle took the first-team snaps at practice Wednesday with Tyler Palko, newly promoted off the practice squad, taking snaps as the backup.

”We've been a little on the edge with two quarterbacks the entire year and really had a chance without there being a clear-cut guy we felt could come in and be on the game-day roster . . . The fact you can use a third emergency quarterback was the determining factor. At least it was a body we could get to the game to serve a purpose,” coach Todd Haley said.