Tag Archives: Brett Favre

Peyton Manning’s Days in Indianapolis are Numbered

As Adam Schefter pointed out, Peyton Manning will be this off-season’s Brett Favre/lockout.

NFL Power Rankings: 10 NFL Players Who May Be Sinking on the Depth Chart

The NFL is a cruel league. One week, a player looks like they are the next best thing and then before you know it, they are yesterday’s news and someone else has taken their place.

This can happen for a variety of reasons including injuries, age, ineffectiveness or a combination of things.

It’s a tough pill to swallow for players, but it comes with the game. Take for example Arian Foster.

Foster burst onto the NFL landscape last season thanks to injuries by guys ahead of him on the depth chart, mainly Ben Tate. Now this season, the tables have turned and Tate is the primary back as Foster is battling injuries.

Now, that’s not to say Foster won’t reclaim his starting spot, but it wouldn’t be the most outrageous thing if it happened and I think it would be fair to say Tate has earned himself a share of the backfield workload.

That’s the way of life in the NFL.

Here are 10 players who could find themselves sinking down the depth chart sooner than later.

1. Arian Foster

It’s been a frustrating start to the season for Arian Foster.

He injured his hamstring on the first day of training camp only to return in the second preseason game, where he ran for two touchdowns. He re-injured himself in the third preseason game, causing him to miss Week 1.

He made his season debut only to re-injure his hamstring again in the second half. Foster didn’t play in Week 3 and it’s not yet known if he will be available next week.

In his absence, Ben Tate has been taking full advantage, running for over 300 yards with an average of 4.6 yards per carry. Hamstring injuries have a tendency to linger and this could be a season-long problem Foster may have to fight.

Remember, Tate was going to be the starter last year before suffering a season-ending injury in training camp so you know the coaching staff has high hopes for him.

2. Donovan McNabb

The Minnesota Vikings acquired another veteran quarterback this offseason in Donovan McNabb.

McNabb was coming off a rough stint with the Washington Redskins, but there was no way he could be worse than Brett Favre was last year, right?

Not so fast. McNabb was putrid in the season opener, throwing for a miserable 39 yards. He has rebounded somewhat in the past two games, but there was really nowhere to go but up.

McNabb has shown no mobility in the pocket and hasn’t been accurate with his passes. With the Vikings at 0-3, it’s looks like we will be seeing Christian Ponder sooner than many people expected.

3. Hines Ward

Hines Ward has been a valuable member of the Pittsburgh Steelers for 13 seasons. Now in his 14th year, the 35-year-old might be better off playing a reduced role.

Ward is still an efficient receiver and a devastating blocker, but he is not the target he once was.

The Steelers have two young pass catchers who are oozing with potential in Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown. Both have flashed greatness at times, but don’t get enough playing time as they are low on the totem pole.

Don’t be surprised to see these two players get more playing time at the expense of Ward as the season progresses, showing what they are capable of.

4. Shonn Greene

“This is finally the week Shonn Greene is going to break out.” I feel like I’ve heard someone utter that phrase a hundred times. It’s now three games into his third season and we’re still waiting.

Greene was supposed to be the lead back last season, but has been overshadowed by LaDainian Tomlinson. Going into this season, the coaching staff made it clear Greene was going to be the bell cow and even Tomlinson admitted he was accepting a reduced role.

Greene, however, has failed to rise to the occasion.

He had a great opportunity this past Sunday in Oakland, but looked slow hitting the hole and showed no explosiveness. Once again, he is being outplayed by the 32-year-old Tomlinson.

Many questioned the Jets when they drafted Bilal Powell, a running back, in the fourth round of April’s draft, but it makes a lot more sense now with Greene struggling. Don’t forget they also have Joe McKnight in reserve as well.

If Green continues to falter, expect to see the other backs get some playing time.

5. Kerry Collins

The Indianapolis Colts brought in Kerry Collins during training camp as veteran insurance in case Peyton Manning couldn’t make a full recovery. They weren’t expecting him to be Manning, but hoped he could lead a playoff team from last year to a decent season.

The results have been ugly so far. Collins has completed less than 50 percent of his passes and is averaging under 5.0 yards per attempt.

Collins suffered a concussion during Sunday’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and coach Jim Caldwell admitted he is considering a quarterback change even if Collins is cleared to play.

With this season looking all but over for the Colts, it makes sense to give backup Curtis Painter a shot.

6. Rashard Mendenhall

Rashard Mendenhall’s inclusion on this list might surprise you, but if you take a deeper look, it won’t.

Mendenhall has struggled this season, failing to average more than four yards per carry in any game.He hasn’t faced a murderers row of defenses either.

Looking back at the end of season, it has been five games since Mendenhall has averaged over four yards per carry and his last 100-yard game in the regular season came in Week 12 of 2010.

Mendenhall isn’t going to benched right now and probably won’t be anytime soon. However, the numbers are discouraging to see. The schedule does look brighter looking forward so Mendenhall has a chance to get back on track.

7. Reggie Bush

The Miami Dolphins made a splash in the offseason when they traded for Reggie Bush. The running back had his ups and downs with the New Orleans Saints, but now had a chance at a fresh start with the Dolphins.

The season got off to a rocky start and has gotten even worse since then. Bush is now averaging under three yards per carry. He is being completely outplayed by rookie Daniel Thomas, who has put together two straight games of over 100 total yards.

Bush is supposed to, at his best, catch the ball out of the backfield, but has only caught two passes in the last two games. He fumbled twice on Sunday, losing one of them.

Bush will be continued to be phased out of the offense as the Dolphins feature Thomas.

8. Lee Evans

Lee Evans picked the wrong week to be injured.

Playing in place of Evans on Sunday was rookie second-round pick Torrey Smith and to say he played well would be an understatement. Smith went off for 152 yards and three touchdowns against the St. Louis Rams.

The Baltimore Ravens brought Evans in to be a deep threat, but they already one on their roster. Smith toasted the Rams secondary for touchdowns of 71 and 41 yards in the first quarter.

Evans only managed two catches in his first two games with the Ravens. By the time Evans is fully healed, his starting job might be gone.

9. Ryan Grant

Ryan Grant turned back the clock on Sunday, rushing for 92 yards on just 17 carries against the Chicago Bears. Even with that performance, the arrow isn’t pointing up for Grant.

Through the first two weeks James Starks more than doubled Grant’s snap count and outproduced him in yards per touch. The tables turned in Week 3, but don’t expect that to be the norm.

Starks is more explosive, powerful and younger than Grant. The Green Bay Packers know this and will continue to give Starks more of the workload going forward. Consider this past week to be more of an aberration.

10. Nate Burleson

Nate Burleson has been a key cog on the Detroit Lions offense that has propelled the team to a 3-0 start.

The self proclaimed “Black Wes Welker” has been a nice complement to Calvin Johnson, averaging 55 yards per game. While Burleson isn’t playing bad by any stretch, his playing time might shrink going forward.

4 Downs: Super Bowl, Roethlisberger, and NFL Labor Talk

With the Super Bowl over and the news cycle a little slow, were rolling out a weekly feature called “4 Downs” in which we’ll take a look at 4 pressing questions about the NFL. This week’s questions deals with some post Super talks about the the NFL Labor Talks, Ben Roethlisberger, the Packers chances of repeating, and yes, even Brett Favre. If there’s a question you would like to see answered, email us at chris@cippinonsports.com

Will the Green Bay Packers Repeat?

Of course they can, but they won’t. They  have the talent to do so, but it’s just so hard for teams to repeat in today’s NFL. It has happened only once in the past 13 years. You just don’t see it  in the NFL. It is easier in other sports where they play a best of 7 series, but it the NFL its one and done and anything can happen in one game. Now, the Packers will probably have a better record next year, but that doesn’t ensure playoff success. New England and Atlanta were a combined 27-5 in the regular season and they won 0 playoff games.

So all this Brett Favre Green Bay talk can finally end, right?

Yes, finally. Rodgers has now matched Favre in Super Bowls (1) and has a Super Bowl MVP to go along with that, something Favre doesn’t. Also comparing Rodgers first three years as a starter to Brett’s best three year stretch (’95-’97) and Rodgers has Favre beat in passer rating plus his dominance on the ground. When its all said and done, #12 could very well go down in the history books ahead of #4.

What now for Ben Roethlisberger?

Not to worry. You can’t win every Super Bowl you play in, just ask Tom Brady. He was one drive away from leading the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history, so you have to give him some credit for that. The man has a 9-3 playoff record with 2 Super Bowl rings and he’s not even 30 yet. Not many other quarterbacks in history could have said that.

Will there be football in September?

I’m going to go down on record as saying yes and here’s why. There’ just too much to lose for there not to be. The NFL is at it’s peak right now and it’s still growing, why would anyone want to disrupt that. Also, no serious negotiations will actually start to happen until the deadline. That’s the case with all labor negotiations. They might not agree on a deal before the current CBA expires, but it shouldn’t be long after that. Do you really think the players are going to let this drag on until Labor Day? If there’s no CBA, they’re not receiving any paychecks and more players than you think live paycheck to paycheck. You don’t think Anotnio Cromartie needs the money to pay his baby mommas? Eventually, the players will cave to the owners demands, it’s just a matter a when and I predict it will be sooner rather than later. One final word on this whole thing. Can the media stop paying so much attention to these negotiations. I really don’t care about what this side said or what this side wants, just tell me when they are close to a deal. I don’t need 24/7 coverage. Thanks SportsCenter.

NFL Quick Slants 2/6: Super Bowl Edition II

Since it’s Super Bowl Sunday, were doing a double dose of NFL Quick Slants to get you ready for the big game. If you would like to see a link here, send an email to chris@cippinonsports.com

• The evolution of the zone blitz. A great read. (Smart Football)
• If filmmakers directed the Super Bowl. (Slate)
• The two Super Bowl teams differ on safety issues. (NY Times)
• The best Super Bowl food recipes. (SB Nation)
• 10 Things to watch on Super Bowl Sunday. (Peter King)
• A Super Bowl Mailbag. A Super Bag. (Bill Simmons)
• Some easy prop bets to take advantage of. (Cousin Sal)
• How Brett Favre aided in the Packers Super Bowl run. (Adam Schefter)
• 10 types of fans at Super Bowl Parties. (SportsPickle)

Video: Brett Favre “What Should I Do”

LeBron James made headlines recently when Nike released a new commercial with the premise “What Should I Do?”

The commercial sparked many parodies and spoofs including this great Michael Jordan one. Now a pair of filmmakers have replaced LeBron James with the one and only Brett Favre. The video has Favre wondering what he should do that he is retired (again). Watch and enjoy.

The 2011 NFL Playoffs: Time to Put Up or Shut Up

Enough with Rex Ryan’s mind games. Enough with not knowing if this team or that team will be able to “get up” for the game. Enough with off the field stories. This is the time of year where you stop making excuses and playing real football.

These days, ESPN is becoming increasingly more like TMZ for athletes. I don’t care about Rex Ryan’s foot fetish, Antonio Cromartie’s child support bills, Brett Favre’s sexual harassment, or anything of the like.

I definitely don’t care about coaches trying to speak their minds in interviews. There’s a time and a place for honesty. Here’s a formal invitation:

Time: Sunday (or Saturday during the first two weekends of the playoffs).
Place: On the field.

Until then, go to your press conference and give the same generic interview that every player and coach gives. “They’re a great football team but we’re just gonna go out there and give 110%.” That’s all you have to say. Yes I’m talking to you, Rex Ryan. What makes you so special?

Did you really think taking a shot at Tom Brady would help your chances against the Patriots if you get by Indianapolis tonight? What happened the last time you challenged the Patriots to the media? Oh yeah! A six touchdown beat down at the hands of the Pats. In case you’re keeping score, that means if you do three touchdowns better this time around, you’ll still lose by 21.

These guys are professionals. Getting in their heads won’t make them play worse.

I guess I don’t blame Rex for trying. I just blame him for not stopping when it didn’t work the first time.

I understand that this is the NFL, and the parity is greater than it has ever been so you have to scratch and claw to try to pick up any intangible you possibly can. But you know what’s even more important than intangibles? Tangibles. The playoffs are about being physical and executing on the field. Period. The team that does that best will be hoisting the trophy when it’s all said and done.

It’s time to talk less crap to the media and more Xs and Os with the team.

Welcome to the playoffs, where any given Sunday (or Saturday) could be your last.

Video: Brett Favre Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Animation

The good people over at NMA, Next Media Animation, have done it again. These are the guys responsible for the hilarious Tiger Woods Video and now have taken upon the task of America’s favorite footballer, Brett Lorenzo Favre. This isn’t their first animation of Favre, but I can say this one is even better than that one.

This animation deals with the latest allegation against Favre, the sexual harassment lawsuit that two former Jets massage therapists filed against him.

This is a great article that give you some background about the company, NMA, and how they produce these clips and their goals for the future.

Week 9 Fun Facts and Stats

Here are just some fun facts and stats I uncovered from Week 9 and the NFL season is general.

• The New York Jets recorded 10 first downs on their final 3 possessions after recording 13 on their first 11.

• The Detroit  Lions have gone 48 weeks without back-to-back wins.

• Brett Favre recorded only the second 400 yard passing game in his 20 year career.

• Andy Reid is now 12-0 following a bye week.

• The New York Giants have scored 40 or more points in consecutive road games (Seattle, Dallas).

• Peyton Hillis had 6 carries for 59 yards (9.8 YPC) when the Patriots had eight or more defenders in the box. Previously the Patriots have been surrendering 1.3 yards per carry when having eight or more defenders in the box.

• This the first season since 1959 in which every NFL team lost at least two of its first eight games. (There were only 12 NFL teams when this last happened.)

• Dallas now has its seventh head coach, Jason Garrett, in the past 22 seasons, after having just one head coach, Tom Landry, in its first 29 seasons.

• Michael Vick hasn’t thrown an interception in his last 154 attempts.

• The Atlanta Falcons are 17-1 at home with Matt Ryan at quarterback and 17-3 under coach Mike Smith.

• So far, 72 of 127 games have been decided by eight points or fewer.

• 38 games (29.9 percent) have been determined by a field goal.

• The Pittsburgh Steelers have given up an NFL-low 123 points as well as just 11 offensive touchdowns in eight games, but 63 of those points and eight of those TDs have come in the fourth quarter.

• The Raiders held the Chiefs to 3.1 yards per rush. Entering the game, the Chiefs were averaging nearly 200 yards rushing per game.

• Tom Brady passing versus the amoeba (“at least five defensive players in the box with one or fewer down linemen.”): 3-of-13 for 51 yards, zero touchdowns, one interception and an 11.4 passer rating.

• Tom Brady passing versus other defenses: 16-of-25 for 173 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions and a 110.9 passer rating.

Superbowl or BUST for Cowboys and Vikings

Sixteen weeks of football divided in half is eight. Week 8 of the 2010 NFL season has come and gone. So that must mean we’re halfway through the season. Of course we are, that’s sound logic. Unfortunately, no amount of deep thought and reason can accurately predict the fate of a team in the NFL these days. As an evolved species, humans have this tendency to apply such tools when creating assumptions about what will go down on the gridiron.

Before the season began, NFL pundits and experts were drooling over the Dallas Cowboys, who on paper looked solid. Much was made of the possibility of a team hosting the Super Bowl. Two months later, the Cowboys are foundering at 1-6, having just lost their starting QB as well as any remaining hope of turning their season around.  Backup QB Jon Kitna now holds the reins, and he must do so with the backing of a lame duck coach.

The other preseason NFC darling, the Minnesota Vikings, haven’t fared much better at the midway point of the season. Brett Favre looks as if he’s aged considerably, even since last year. The shot of him being carted off the field in Sunday’s loss to the Patriots with a chin laceration was quite telling. Although he looked okay during the post-game press conference, you have to wonder if his tank is finally getting down to empty. The absence of WR Sidney Rice has been significant, but even so, this is nowhere near the team that we all saw in 2009. Of course you can’t blame it all on the offense.  The Vikings defense, even with the return of talented inner LB E.J. Henderson, has largely been a disappointment, particularly in the forced turnover department.

Looking forward, Minnesota’s second half looks a little less bleak than that of the Cowboys, but that isn’t saying too much. Maybe if either of them were in the NFC West, there’d be reason to hope. Alas, this is not the case and neither the NFC East or North has much room for a 1-6 and 2-5 team. The lesson here, of course, is that its not wise to make Super Bowl predictions in August.  You just can’t expect every team to carry over their success from one year to the next. Unless you have Peyton Manning, of course.

Video: Brett Favre Scandal Animation

The people that brought you the infamous Tiger Woods Video, have struck again. This time their subject is America’s favorite gunslinger, Brett Favre.

The 1:15 second clip take you through the time-line from Favre flip-flopping on retirement to the recent allegations of his interactions with Jenn Sterger.

This is a great article that give you some background about the company, NMA, and how they produce these clips and their goals for the future.

In other Brett Favre news he got hit in the nuts by a football in practice. Video below:

That Deanna Favre has some pinpoint accuracy.