NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

Mike Pouncey, C/G, Florida, 6′4 310

Position Ranking: #1

Strengths: Pouncey is a complete player who boasts both very good athleticism and sharp techique. He shows the ability to consistently win the snap of the ball with quickness and inside hand placement. Good strength at the point of attack. Can mirror and slide quickly in pass protection with quick interior pass rushers. Has a good bubble with the ideal lower body size to anchor against the bull rush. Very effective when pulling towards the outide; consistently opens running lanes. Shows a quick and strong punch, keeps hands ready to extend or jolt at all times. Lateral quickness and second level burst are impressive. Tough and plays for the pancake block. Won’t quit until he hears the whistle. No holding or false start penalties in games I observed; sound discipline.

Needs Improvement: Can lose focus at times and was slow to pick up the delayed blitz or the inside stunt. Handles quickness better than strength and can be overpowered by lineman of equal strength if he doesn’t win the snap. Will lose technique on sustained drives; stamina. Not a road grader in the run game when dealing with pure size.

Bottom Line: There simply isn’t many weaknesses to Mike Pouncey’s game. He is very impressive and should be penciled in as a 10 year starter for the organization that drafts him. He showed that he could handle the best speed and size as an interior lineman in the SEC conference. His versatility is also a huge asset as he has started 28 games at RG, to go along with his 13 games at center (even played four games at DT). His athleticism and strength make him ideal for either a zone blocking or a man-to-man scheme. And while his strength isn’t overpowering, his ability to be quicker and sharper than the man across for him will allow him to carry his success to the NFL as his strength improves. Pouncey is as good a prospect as his brother Maurkice was last season, and Maurkice was a late first round selection. I expect Mike to be drafted right in the same area.

Draft Projection: Late 1st to early 2nd round.

Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey has canceled his interview with the Broncos to talk about their head coaching vacancy.

"I respect the decision that Mike Mularkey has made to not interview with the Broncos at this time," John Elway, the Broncos' new executive vice president of football operations, who is spearheading the search, said via his official Twitter account. "I wish Coach Mularkey and the Atlanta Falcons the best of luck in the playoffs."

Mularkey was set to interview with the Broncos on Friday night. ESPN reported that Mularkey wants to focus on the playoffs but will still interview with the Cleveland Browns on Saturday because they called him first. The network also said Mularkey would be open to an interview with the Broncos if the job is still open after the Falcons' season is over.

Mularkey's move led to speculation that he wasn't sold on Tim Tebow as the Broncos quarterback.

LeSean McCoy has been able to do something I never thought would happen in Philadelphia. Something that I don't think that anyone expected or that any expert had predicted. McCoy is having such a good season, that no one is thinking of Brian Westbrook.

The awesome thing is- McCoy is actually a better player than Westbrook, and this is just the start of his career.

McCoy is a beast. This is a player who is only 5-11 and 208 pounds. But this guy plays with more heart and more energy than anyone on the field. I have never seen McCoy give up on a run, and he is always pushing for more yards.

Unfortunately for McCoy, he is playing under the Andy Reid west coast playbook. Which means that the Eagles pass the ball and then when the Eagles are having trouble passing the ball, they just go on and pass some more. Throughout the entire season, McCoy has only 207 touches, but over 1,000 yards rushing. That speaks volumes for McCoy's ability to run the ball and shows that he is one of the top rushers in the entire NFL.

The Eagles first playoff game is at a home against the Green Bay Packers, and it is possible that the Eagles X-factor is McCoy. The Packers are a deadly team, and they are one of the toughest teams to beat in the playoffs. Philadelphia is going to need some help, and McCoy is the man to bring the support on offense.

'Shady' McCoy can take the ball on any down and become an instant threat, as he has the speed to outrun any defender on the field, and the elusiveness to slip out of some of the toughest tackles. Not to mention the killer cutbacks that have most defenders on the ground and 'Shady' no where to be seen. There have been countless situations where McCoy has taken the hand off and just totally reverses field to make a busted play into a huge gain.

Where McCoy will be valuable in the Packers matchup will be his down field vision, which is another one of the impressive traits he possess. When the Packers have the soon to be Defensive Player of the Year in Clay Matthews, a running back that can avoid and make plays around Matthews will be key to the Eagles success.

There is only one way to contain the ClayMaker- Avoid him.

But then again, this is Reid's offense which means that McCoy probably won't be getting too many touches throughout the game. However, this is not a problem for McCoy, as he is one of the best receiving running backs in the entire NFL. Along with having one of the best receiving running backs in the entire NFL, the Eagles also have one of the best screen passing games in the NFL.

This is where McCoy is really valuable to the Eagles, against an aggressive and fast moving Packers defense. Screen passes are a great way to take advantage of that aggressive defense and get some fast and easy yards. McCoy has been excellent this season in the passing game and there is no reason that will change against the Packers.

Then of course McCoy's most valuable asset to the Eagles offense, and more valuable than ever against the Packers defense- The ability to stay in the backfield and block for Michael Vick.

The Eagles offensive line has a had a rough season, and in turn it creates a lot of pressure on Vick in the backfield. However, whenever McCoy is in the backfield and is set to block, he engages the defender and makes sure that Vick has some extra time to throw.

This will prove to be invaluable against the Matthews' led Packers defense, and I would not want anyone else protecting Vick. McCoy has had a great season as a pass protector and is truly one of the most underrated running backs in the NFL.

McCoy is kind of under the radar, as he is overshadowed by Vick and the rest of the explosive Eagles offense, which makes him the perfect weapon. In other words, McCoy is the Eagles X-factor.

Things aren't looking good if your name is Darrell Bevell.

Things are looking worse when your team is preparing to talk to the offensive coordinator of the best offense the NFL has ever seen.

Ed Werder reports that Denver's recently fired head coach, and former Patriot's offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels is going to meet with the Vikings.

McDaniels recently turned down an offer to interview for the vacant head coaching job in San Francisco.  If a move is made and McDaniels is hired, that would likely mean a significant change in offensive style.

And perhaps another reunion tour for Randy Moss wouldn't be as unlikely as we all think.

Just kidding.

(UPDATE:  Access Vikings reports that the interview for the offensive coordinator position will take place on Friday.)

Senior writer jclombardi profiles unsung hero OLB Walden.

OLB Walden: Outside linebacker Erik Walden picked up two unexpected things Wednesday: The NFC Defensive Player of the Week award, and another sack from his already impressive performance against the Chicago Bears last Sunday. Now, he's looking to pick up where he left off last Sunday – 16 tackles, three sacks – and play a key role in the Packers' NFC Wild Card playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. ”He did it all," veteran cornerback Charles Woodson said of Walden's performance against the Bears. "I think he impressed a lot of people around here. When you play at that high of a level, now we expect you to do it all the time. So we look for big things from him coming into these playoffs." "It's just nice to have someone in there to make some plays and take a little heat off me," Matthews said. "I told him he's doing a fantastic job. He's been working his butt off since he got here. It's not easy to come in here halfway through the year. Now he's starting for a playoff team and making sacks, making plays. More power to him." "That's the objective. You have to take your hat off to a guy like Vick, because you never know where he might wind up," Walden said. "He may roll out to his left on one play, and then he scrambles and breaks out to his right on the next play. It's going to be a difficult task, but I know we're going to be prepared to play."

Secret’s out on Packers’ Walden: Erik Walden won’t be able to sneak up on the Philadelphia Eagles. Not after the free-agent linebacker’s coming-out party in the regular-season finale, in which he racked up 16 tackles and sacked Jay Cutler three times in the Green Bay Packers’ 10-3 victory over the Chicago Bears. The Eagles undoubtedly have isolated Walden in film study as they prepare to play host to the Packers in an NFC wild-card playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday. ”I won’t be a secret this week,” Walden said with a smile. “I’m looking forward to it. I’m going to make sure I prepare myself to the max and do whatever I can do to help us win.” The 25-year-old Walden, a third-year pro from Middle Tennessee State, was named NFC defensive player on the week Wednesday, a stunning achievement considering the Packers signed him off the street Oct. 27. Initially credited with 11 tackles and two sacks against the Bears, the numbers were bumped up to 16 and three after film review. The 16 tackles tied the Packers’ single-game high this season. Walden was trying to get used to all the extra attention this week. "Yeah, just with all the phone calls and the texts," he said. "That was great. And your family being proud of you. At the same time I'm trying to just keep on pushing. This is just the beginning. That's how I look at it."

Things I know.

The NFL successfully made week 17 important. The NFL tried to adjust the season schedule to have fewer teams sitting starters than in the past.  Going into the games there were 8 out of 16 games that mattered and really only a few teams with absolutely nothing to play for.  With Tampa winning against NO's second string in the second half of the early games, it put pressure on GB and the Giants to win in the NFC.   In the AFC, the North and the South as well as some seeding details were still up for grabs.  Well done with the schedule NFL.

Higher expectations prior to the season means more coaches in danger after the season. It's often said that missed expectations, even if they are unreasonable, is what makes people upset.  This year started with more teams expecting to have good seasons and fewer divisions "locked up".  The result is that more head coaches are in danger than probably would have been.  We've already seen several coaches gone, and this week is probably going to be hard week especially with some enticing coaches out there that many teams might want to hire.

The Raiders dominated both Wests.   But not much else. The Raiders are the first team in NFL history to go undefeated in their division but not win their division.  But there's more than that to Oakland's West dominance. The AFC West played the NFC West this year.  The only teams that Oakland beat were from one of those divisions.  They went 6-0 against the AFC West and 2-2 against the NFC West for a total 8-2 record total.  They went 0-6 against non-West teams.  Maybe they don't travel well, or maybe the caliber of opponent mattered.  The NFC West is regarded as the weakest division in football with none of them finishing the season with a winning record.  The AFC West isn't far behind.

Things I think I know.

Houston firing Frank Bush Sr. is a good move. Rumor has it that Houston is firing Bush after Sunday.  That defense has been underperforming under Bush since 2007, while the talent put in place by the front office has been stellar.  Yet the defense consistently seems to let the team down.  There were several games that the defense seemed to be either out of place or playing the wrong scheme.  That's not a player problem, that's a coaching problem.  With that said, this is probably Kubiak's last chance to hold on to his job if he doesn't get fired with Bush.  If he doesn't succeed with the next D coordinator, he'll be gone soon.

Several teams with similar records are going in different directions. Once you get below the playoff teams, there are lots of records that could be deceiving.  The Cowboys (6-10) and Lions (6-10) should be encouraged.  They both showed some progress, one after firing the head coach and one just maturing over the course of the season.  The Lions were 4-1 in the last 5 games, even without Stafford.  The Cowboys were 5-3 under Jason Garrett.  On the other hand, the Dolphins (7-9), Titans (6-10) and Redskins (6-10) all collapsed at the end of the season.  All three finished 1-4 in the last five games.  The Dolphins just seemed to be regressing.  The Titans are in a crisis with Jeff Fischer and Vince Young.  The Redskins are a non-stop drama factory.  Not good for any of them.

The NFC Wild Card teams are coming in hot. Both the Saints and the Packers are entering the playoffs hot.  The Packers are 7-1 in the last 8 games that Rodgers started and finished (lost two when he was out).  The Saints were 7-1 in the last 8 games that they played their starters for a full game (they pulled starters in the final game).  That's better than both the divisional opponents that they will face next week.  It's hard to play on the road in the playoffs and win, but could either of these teams be this year's 2007 Giants or 2005 Steelers?

Things I know I don't know.

Is the NFL continuing to move from a rushing league to a passing league? Here's some interesting stats that give a mixed answer.  This year was the first time in NFL history that 11 QBs in the league have thrown for 25 or more TDs and the first time in a decade that no RB has run for 15 or more TDs.  However, at the same time, there was a big drop off in yardage by QBs.   Only 4 QBs threw for 4000 or more yards, which hasn't happened since 2005.  Also, this year there were 16 RBs who ran for 1000 or more yards, right about the average over the last decade.  So is there really continued shift from rushing to passing?  Just to add to the stats to mull over.  None of the top 5 rushing teams were also the top 5 passing teams.  The combined records were exactly the same for both at 46-34 (averaging 9.2 wins).

Has all the "illegal hit" noise distracted from Steelers LB James Harrison's great season? James Harrison leads all LBs with 6 force fumbles and is near the top of other categories.  He has 2 INTs, 7 passes defended, 10.5 sacks and 100 tackles.  That's versatility.  Sure there are LBs with more sacks.  There are LBs with more INTs.  And yes there are LBs with more tackles.  But are there any LBs out there who are in the top of all those categories like Harrison?  He's been more noticed this season for being the most fined and vocal players about the fines.  Harrison is the emotional and field leader of the top scoring defense in the league.  Normally that garners more attention that it seems Harrison is getting.  Should he be the defensive MVP of 2010?

Was McNabb really the problem with the offense in Washington? Since Shanahan benched McNabb for Rex Grossman, the Redskins offense has looked much sharper.  The rumor is that Kyle Shanahan, the offensive coordinator (and Mike's son) doesn't get along with McNabb and doesn't trust him.  It could be that Kyle is calling a different game with Rex in because he trusts him more, but what the heck?.  There is definitely something different with Rex in.  That doesn't necessarily mean that Rex Grossman is the answer for Washington, but it probably means that McNabb isn't the answer.