Today was a lousy day of football for me. I was looking forward to the Redskins on Fox and Ravens on CBS. The matchups weren't really favorable, but I was hoping one of them would be able to pull off a win. Instead, both teams lost, and lost ugly.
The Redskins were expected to lose, but they let a winnable game get away from them. The mistakes started early and continued most of the game. Haynesworth jumping offsides on a 4th and 1, on a play in which the Falcons were obviously trying to draw Washington offsides was absolutely horrible. That was the first drive of the game, but already big Albert's second offsides call. It was also early in the game when Reed Doughty was WAY offsides on a punt return, which of course led to another Falcons first down.
Another issue with the defense that pissed me off was watching Laron Landry. He is a great athlete, but I hate how he plays the game. He is undisciplined and plays like he was never taught how to tackle. Sometimes this makes him look great. There was a 3rd and short play in which he made an amazing open field tackle to end a Falcons' drive. However, Landry was also highlighted during the broadcast for making mistakes on both of Michael Turner's touchdown runs. He took an awful angle on the first score, and then put his head down and dove at Turner's ankles during the rth quarter score that opened up the game for Atlanta. Oh yeah...there was also the stupid late hit he put on Matt Ryan which cost the Redskins 15 yards and appeared to fire up the Falcons.
Landry isn't the root of the defenses problems today, but his play was awful against Atlanta. One of the greatest traits of a safety is a guy who plays smart, and I just don't see that with Landry.
Offensively the Redskins looked about the same as they have all year. The offensive line was horrid in the first half, both run and pass blocking. Its bad when the broadcasters are openly feeling sorry for a player like they were for Campbell today. However, I was impressed with Campbell for staying tough and making some decent plays throughout the game. His final numbers weren't bad, and I'm sure his stats and the score would have looked a lot better for the Redskins if there weren't so many drops.
Another thing that we saw today is that Ladell Betts is currently a better running option than Clinton Portis. He looked a lot more explosive today than Portis has all season, and I just think that if given the same amount of touches that Betts would outperform Portis. If you take away Portis' 78 yard run this season, he is only averaging less than 3.4 yards per carry. Portis has been a great Redskin and he is a great personality. However, I think this year should be his last as a Redskin.
Things for the Redskins are looking awful. I want them to win every weekend, but I just don't see too many W's coming this year with that offensive line. The good news to take out of this is that the Redskins could be in a good spot to draft the best offensive tackle in the draft come April. Hopefully, whoever is calling the shots at Redskins Park at that time won't blow that decision.
As for the Ravens...Cincinnati is their kryptonite. They have seemed to play great against Baltimore ever since Carson Palmer arrived in Ohio. Cedric Benson has been a great addition for the Bengals, and he ran for over a hundred for the second time this year against Baltimore. That is unheard of for anybody who follows the Ravens. Having Haloti Ngata inactive certainly didn't help, but halfway through the 2009 season I think its time to admit that this isn't the same defense that Baltimore is used to. I don't know how much of it to blame on personnel and how much should be attributed to the departure of Rex Ryan. However, Baltimore's defense while still good, is no longer dominant.
Offensively the Ravens have looked great this season, but they came with nothing today. The Bengals pass rush was excellent, sacking Flacco four times and hitting him eight. They also seemed to make Flacco uncomfortable, which he doesn't act like often. He completed a decent amount of his passes, but not very many downfield. He also threw two interceptions, and basically had one of his worst professional games.
Ray Rice looked great as usual, but I think the offense was taken out of its comfort zone by getting down early. He only rushed twelve times throughout the game, but he had a decent average. He was the Ravens leading pass receiver, although much of that came on the meaningless final play of the game. Baltimore made too many mistakes and found themselves in bad situations all game. They didn't respond well, and they definitely deserved to lose this game. Baltimore is a lot better than 4-4, but losing both games against one of your division rivals certainly isn't helpful when looking towards the playoffs. The Ravens will have a lot better of a chance if they can sweep the Steelers, but Cincy is already looking like the team to beat in the AFC North.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Where Can I Purchase a D'Anthony Baptiste Jersey?
http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/oct/12/dan-daly-problems-with-redskins-o-line-start-at-to/?feat=home_themes_tab2_list
Dan Daly's column in the Washington Times fits my sentiments exactly. I'm upset after watching the Redskins lose yesterday's game to the previously winless Panthers, but I'm not putting it on the players. Jason Campbell is the quarterback and usually gets the blame when the offense struggles, but he probably isn't the cause of the loss when his quarterback rating is 104.4. Yes...he passed for less than 200 yards, but did you see what happened when he took anything greater than a three step drop yesterday. The man got killed every single time.
I don't know D'Anthony Baptiste. I have no problems with the dude...he was probably giving it his best yesterday. However, he shouldn't be playing left tackle in the NFL. In college Baptiste was a second team All-Sunbelt selection at guard. Hmmm...must have been some real talent in front of him in the Sunbelt that he didn't make first team. After that he signed with the Arena Football 2...The DEVELOPMENTAL LEAGUE for the Arena League. Ok...this isn't his first NFL team though. He was a practice squad guy for the Cowboys, made the roster but never saw the field for the Panthers, and did start a few games at GUARD for the 4-12 Falcons in 2007. Throw in a stint for the Edmonton Eskimos, and Baptiste has seen a lot of football. However, he has hardly proven a thing as an NFL player, and certainly nothing as a left tackle.
How can the Redskins go into a game like this with him as their replacement for Chris Samuels. Wouldn't it have made more sense to put Stephon Heyer or Fat Mike Williams over on the left side, and move Baptiste over to right guard? That seems so simple. Instead they decide to put Baptiste out there by himself and watch him get Campbell smacked a few times. After that they appeared to keep Chris Cooley in to block the rest of the game. IDIOTS! Cooley is a hard worker who does a serviceable job blocking. However, the guy is an asset to this team because of his pass catching abilities. I don't see how your leading receiver at over 5 catches a game so far this year, doesn't even have a ball thrown his way. If your line can't get the job done, aren't Mike Sellers and Todd Yoder getting paid to throw blocks? These are the types of adjustments that could have been handled at halftime by the coaching staff. Did anybody on the staff speak up and say, "Hey...we haven't had an open look at Cooley all game...what are we going to do?"
The bottom line is that neglecting the offensive line for years has finally caught up to the Redskins. It was a decade ago during the 99 and 2000 drafts that they selected Chris Samuels and Jon Jansen. Those guys served the team well, but you need to address the offensive line every year, not every decade. In the nine drafts since Samuels was taken, the Redskins have drafted just six offensive lineman, none higher than the third round. During that same period of time they have drafted the same amount of quarterbacks, including two first rounders. The math isn't very hard to do here. Quarterback is one spot on the football field, and offensive line is five spots. Yes...quarterback might be the single most important position on the field, but its not more important than a complete offensive line.
More recently the Redskins lost Randy Thomas for the season to injury. With an offensive line that is already short on depth, what did the Redskins do? They signed running back Anthony Alridge! The Redskins decided it was more important to have a 5th string running back than to solidify their offensive line. At some point this season the Redskins will sign another offensive lineman. That guy may very well be called upon to play meaningful snaps. Wouldn't it have been more important to have that guy on the roster and learning the playbook since September, than it has been to carry another player who has yet to contribute, and won't for the foreseeable future? Meanwhile teams who do have offensive line needs as well, have likely been signing up the best available options, leaving the 'Skins with more players off of the trash heap to choose from.
I like Brian Orakpo. I think he'll be a good player for this team, despite the fact that they are currently misusing him. (It was Orakpo "covering" Jeff King on his touchdown reception yesterday.) However, with an already successful defense, a DE/LB was not the Redskins most pressing need last April. The Redskins knew Jon Jansen wouldn't be back, and that Chris Samuels doesn't have much time left. Stephon Heyer has been a great signing for an undrafted free agent, but he shouldn't be expected to be a dominant starter. Chad Rinehart has been a disappointment for a third round pick. However, thats the nature of the NFL, and why you have to draft lineman each and every year. Its just not that easy to predict how a player will turn out, especially after the first round of the draft.
The logical part of me thinks there is no way the Redskins don't use their first round pick on an offensive tackle this April. However, I've seen enough crap from the Redskins over the years that part of me thinks there is no way they do. I can see Danny and the front office pushing Campbell out the door and going with whatever hot rookie QB they can get their hands on. All of humanity knows Snyder and crew are drooling to have the next Flacco, Ryan, or Sanchez. I could also see them thinking Portis' time is done, and picking some stud running back early on. These would be mistakes. Unfortunately thats what we've come to expect from the Redskins management.
Dan Daly's column in the Washington Times fits my sentiments exactly. I'm upset after watching the Redskins lose yesterday's game to the previously winless Panthers, but I'm not putting it on the players. Jason Campbell is the quarterback and usually gets the blame when the offense struggles, but he probably isn't the cause of the loss when his quarterback rating is 104.4. Yes...he passed for less than 200 yards, but did you see what happened when he took anything greater than a three step drop yesterday. The man got killed every single time.
I don't know D'Anthony Baptiste. I have no problems with the dude...he was probably giving it his best yesterday. However, he shouldn't be playing left tackle in the NFL. In college Baptiste was a second team All-Sunbelt selection at guard. Hmmm...must have been some real talent in front of him in the Sunbelt that he didn't make first team. After that he signed with the Arena Football 2...The DEVELOPMENTAL LEAGUE for the Arena League. Ok...this isn't his first NFL team though. He was a practice squad guy for the Cowboys, made the roster but never saw the field for the Panthers, and did start a few games at GUARD for the 4-12 Falcons in 2007. Throw in a stint for the Edmonton Eskimos, and Baptiste has seen a lot of football. However, he has hardly proven a thing as an NFL player, and certainly nothing as a left tackle.
How can the Redskins go into a game like this with him as their replacement for Chris Samuels. Wouldn't it have made more sense to put Stephon Heyer or Fat Mike Williams over on the left side, and move Baptiste over to right guard? That seems so simple. Instead they decide to put Baptiste out there by himself and watch him get Campbell smacked a few times. After that they appeared to keep Chris Cooley in to block the rest of the game. IDIOTS! Cooley is a hard worker who does a serviceable job blocking. However, the guy is an asset to this team because of his pass catching abilities. I don't see how your leading receiver at over 5 catches a game so far this year, doesn't even have a ball thrown his way. If your line can't get the job done, aren't Mike Sellers and Todd Yoder getting paid to throw blocks? These are the types of adjustments that could have been handled at halftime by the coaching staff. Did anybody on the staff speak up and say, "Hey...we haven't had an open look at Cooley all game...what are we going to do?"
The bottom line is that neglecting the offensive line for years has finally caught up to the Redskins. It was a decade ago during the 99 and 2000 drafts that they selected Chris Samuels and Jon Jansen. Those guys served the team well, but you need to address the offensive line every year, not every decade. In the nine drafts since Samuels was taken, the Redskins have drafted just six offensive lineman, none higher than the third round. During that same period of time they have drafted the same amount of quarterbacks, including two first rounders. The math isn't very hard to do here. Quarterback is one spot on the football field, and offensive line is five spots. Yes...quarterback might be the single most important position on the field, but its not more important than a complete offensive line.
More recently the Redskins lost Randy Thomas for the season to injury. With an offensive line that is already short on depth, what did the Redskins do? They signed running back Anthony Alridge! The Redskins decided it was more important to have a 5th string running back than to solidify their offensive line. At some point this season the Redskins will sign another offensive lineman. That guy may very well be called upon to play meaningful snaps. Wouldn't it have been more important to have that guy on the roster and learning the playbook since September, than it has been to carry another player who has yet to contribute, and won't for the foreseeable future? Meanwhile teams who do have offensive line needs as well, have likely been signing up the best available options, leaving the 'Skins with more players off of the trash heap to choose from.
I like Brian Orakpo. I think he'll be a good player for this team, despite the fact that they are currently misusing him. (It was Orakpo "covering" Jeff King on his touchdown reception yesterday.) However, with an already successful defense, a DE/LB was not the Redskins most pressing need last April. The Redskins knew Jon Jansen wouldn't be back, and that Chris Samuels doesn't have much time left. Stephon Heyer has been a great signing for an undrafted free agent, but he shouldn't be expected to be a dominant starter. Chad Rinehart has been a disappointment for a third round pick. However, thats the nature of the NFL, and why you have to draft lineman each and every year. Its just not that easy to predict how a player will turn out, especially after the first round of the draft.
The logical part of me thinks there is no way the Redskins don't use their first round pick on an offensive tackle this April. However, I've seen enough crap from the Redskins over the years that part of me thinks there is no way they do. I can see Danny and the front office pushing Campbell out the door and going with whatever hot rookie QB they can get their hands on. All of humanity knows Snyder and crew are drooling to have the next Flacco, Ryan, or Sanchez. I could also see them thinking Portis' time is done, and picking some stud running back early on. These would be mistakes. Unfortunately thats what we've come to expect from the Redskins management.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Rookies and other Orioles Discussion
The Orioles season is falling further from relevance with their losing play after the All Star break. For hardcore fans of the team though it remains interesting to watch because of the large amount of young players that comprise the team. While the losing is the same, the level of young talent is far superior to what the Orioles have seen since they started losing over a decade ago. There was a little bit of this type of excitement back in 2006 when Nick Markakis was a rookie. At that time Chris Ray was starring in his second year, Adam Loewen made his debut, and Eric Bedard was finally pitching to his potential. However, the team was still dominated by over the hill players and guys who weren't top level talent. I don't feel that way in 2009.
Last night Chris Tillman took the mound for his second career start and tonight Brian Matusz will make his Major League debut. I'll exclude Koji Uehara because he is in his mid 30's, but that will make five rookie starters the O's have featured this year, each of whom is under 25. The bullpen isn't as reliant on rookies, although Kam Mickolio has been a guy to keep an eye on recently. While this isn't translating into wins in 2009, I think this is a great sign for the next few years.
In the field the Orioles have rookies as their primary starters in left field and catcher, and both are playing well despite Matt Wieters not living up to the god-like expectations that some people had for him.
So yes...the team sucks. But watching eight rookies developing at the Major League level at the same time is fun to watch for me. Of those eight guys playing as rookies this season, it is too soon to make a fair assessment of Mickolio, Matusz and Tillman. Briefly though Tillman has struggled through two starts and Mickolio looks good in just over 4 innings of relief. Jason Berken is the only one of the group I would label a failure, while Reimold, Wieters, Bergesen, and Hernandez have been very good if not great in their debuts.
If five of those guys are ready to be judged and four are so far successful, I like what the Orioles system is batting. 80% on rookie production is a great rate of success. Without a doubt it is better than what the Orioles have done in recent memory. The Orioles have been in rebuilding mode since the end of the 1998 season, and unfortunately there has been very little to show for it.
Take a look back at the Orioles first few years of rebuilding and what it provided for the team. In 2000 and 2001 Orioles management tried to seel Baltimore on guys like Chris Richard, Luis Matos, Larry Bigbie, Jay Gibbons, and Brian Roberts as the next generation of Orioles stars.
OUCH!
I'll give the Orioles credit that they made the right decision when they chose Brian Roberts as their franchise second baseman over Jerry Hairston, but those other names are pretty painful to remember. In terms of pitching the best the Orioles could do was probably BJ Ryan and Jorge Julio. Those guys have had successful careers(and I'm being generous with Julio), but it shouldn't be that hard to find a couple of one inning relievers. The Orioles minor league system gave us failures such as Josh Towers, John Stephens, Sean Douglass, Eric Dubose, Calvin Maduro, John Parrish, and Rick Bauer. Rodrigo Lopez was probably the only successful pitcher the Orioles brought along in the early part of this decade, and I don't think that can be attributed to their farm system.
So the idea of rebuilding this decade has been a complete failure for the Orioles aside from what Brian Roberts has become and what Erik Bedard provided from Seattle. Finally the Orioles have a big crop of rookies who are showing great potential. In addition to them the Orioles are looking younger at other key spots as well rather than collecting older vets. Markakis and Jones are already established as stars at just 23 and 25 years old, while the bullpen features some decent young arms with Meredith, Albers, and Johnson.
Its refreshing in some sense that the guys who seem to be struggling the most, Huff, Mora, Baez, and Hendrickson, probably won't be around this team much longer.
So here is to Brad Bergesen getting healthy, Jason Berken some day finding a new life in the bullpen, and a great debut from Brian Matusz tonight. Another losing season is in the works, but at least there is legitimate hope for 2010 and beyond making an impact on the field this season.
Last night Chris Tillman took the mound for his second career start and tonight Brian Matusz will make his Major League debut. I'll exclude Koji Uehara because he is in his mid 30's, but that will make five rookie starters the O's have featured this year, each of whom is under 25. The bullpen isn't as reliant on rookies, although Kam Mickolio has been a guy to keep an eye on recently. While this isn't translating into wins in 2009, I think this is a great sign for the next few years.
In the field the Orioles have rookies as their primary starters in left field and catcher, and both are playing well despite Matt Wieters not living up to the god-like expectations that some people had for him.
So yes...the team sucks. But watching eight rookies developing at the Major League level at the same time is fun to watch for me. Of those eight guys playing as rookies this season, it is too soon to make a fair assessment of Mickolio, Matusz and Tillman. Briefly though Tillman has struggled through two starts and Mickolio looks good in just over 4 innings of relief. Jason Berken is the only one of the group I would label a failure, while Reimold, Wieters, Bergesen, and Hernandez have been very good if not great in their debuts.
If five of those guys are ready to be judged and four are so far successful, I like what the Orioles system is batting. 80% on rookie production is a great rate of success. Without a doubt it is better than what the Orioles have done in recent memory. The Orioles have been in rebuilding mode since the end of the 1998 season, and unfortunately there has been very little to show for it.
Take a look back at the Orioles first few years of rebuilding and what it provided for the team. In 2000 and 2001 Orioles management tried to seel Baltimore on guys like Chris Richard, Luis Matos, Larry Bigbie, Jay Gibbons, and Brian Roberts as the next generation of Orioles stars.
OUCH!
I'll give the Orioles credit that they made the right decision when they chose Brian Roberts as their franchise second baseman over Jerry Hairston, but those other names are pretty painful to remember. In terms of pitching the best the Orioles could do was probably BJ Ryan and Jorge Julio. Those guys have had successful careers(and I'm being generous with Julio), but it shouldn't be that hard to find a couple of one inning relievers. The Orioles minor league system gave us failures such as Josh Towers, John Stephens, Sean Douglass, Eric Dubose, Calvin Maduro, John Parrish, and Rick Bauer. Rodrigo Lopez was probably the only successful pitcher the Orioles brought along in the early part of this decade, and I don't think that can be attributed to their farm system.
So the idea of rebuilding this decade has been a complete failure for the Orioles aside from what Brian Roberts has become and what Erik Bedard provided from Seattle. Finally the Orioles have a big crop of rookies who are showing great potential. In addition to them the Orioles are looking younger at other key spots as well rather than collecting older vets. Markakis and Jones are already established as stars at just 23 and 25 years old, while the bullpen features some decent young arms with Meredith, Albers, and Johnson.
Its refreshing in some sense that the guys who seem to be struggling the most, Huff, Mora, Baez, and Hendrickson, probably won't be around this team much longer.
So here is to Brad Bergesen getting healthy, Jason Berken some day finding a new life in the bullpen, and a great debut from Brian Matusz tonight. Another losing season is in the works, but at least there is legitimate hope for 2010 and beyond making an impact on the field this season.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Sherrill Trade
The Orioles traded their closer Georrge Sherill to the Dodgers today and received back two decent looking AA prospects just by the stats alone. Losing your best reliever is never fun for a fan, but I still like the trade. For guys like me who watch a lot of Orioles games and follow what goes on with the team, seeing who steps in and snatches the closer's role now that it is vacant should be an interesting story to follow in another losing season. Jim Johnson seems the most likely candidate, but he has struggled at times lately in close situations. I have confidence he will be able to secure that role, but who knows who else might throw their hat into the ring.
The trade made sense for the Orioles to make. Sherrill has a 2.40 ERA and 1.137 WHIP for the O's this season, which puts his stock about as high as it could be. His salary was reasonably under three million dollars this season, which made him a great value for his production. However, the closer is the final piece of the puzzle in my opinion. Bragging about a closer on a last place team just doesn't make sense. Trading a reliever for a legit third base prospect and a potential starting pitching prospect is a no brainer.
In regards to the prospects...
Trading for the son of a former Orioles pitcher and current MASN broadcaster seems like a homer move, but Steve Johnson's numbers look good to me. I'll throw out his numbers as a teenager and take a look at how the soon to be twenty-two year old has done over the last two seasons in A ball and AA.
In 2008 he was 9-2 with a 2.34 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 13 starts at Low A. He moved up to advanced A and struggled with a 3-6 record, 7.10 ERA, and 1.71 WHIP in 11 starts. So he struggled with the jump to a more competitive level. However, this year in advanced A he put up a 8-4 record with a 3.82 ERA and 1.41 WHIP. Thats some solid progression in my mind.
He has just recently completed two starts in AA and has a 1-1 record with a 1.69 ERA and 1.03 WHIP. Thats an extremely small sample size, but certainly isn't discouraging.
Overall since turning 20 he has a 20-12 record with a 3.98 ERA at A and AA. Current Orioles rookies David Hernandez and Brad Bergesen were still in Aberdeen and Delmarva respectively when they were 21, and their numbers weren't blowing people away, and look at how well they are pitching for the Orioles this year. Johnson is no lock to be a part of Baltimore's rotation one day, but he looks like a worthwhile guy for the O's to have traded for.
Josh Bell will probably get more attention from O's fans because of the obvious need to find a replacement for Melvin Mora at 3rd base. This is the spot the Orioles have been trying to find a guy for all along, but Melvin Mora and Aubrey Huff''s struggles have made them undesirable trade options for other clubs. It would have been hard for the Orioles to acquire an everyday Major League player for a reliever, so a high level third base prospect seems like a good get to me.
Bell is a twenty-two year old prospect who has played all year at AA. That seems like a good developmental pace for a guy drafted out of high school. Looking at his minor league numbers, he has only really struggled during a twenty game stretch at high A ball as a 20 year old. His average at AA this season is .296, and even more impressive than that is his .386 OBP. Its great to see a guy who can swing but isn't afraid to take pitches either. He has also shown good power at that level with 30 doubles and 11 homeruns in 94 games. He immediately becomes the Orioles best minor league option at third base. Sorry Mike Costanzo...you didn't get it done.
The downside with Bell is his defense. His size, 6-3 and 235 pounds, makes him sound a bit more like a 1st baseman than a 3rd baseman. At AA this season he has a .929 fielding percentage with his 17 errors. That certainly isn't Gold Glove caliber, but with his offensive potential, he is worth a shot.
With the way the Orioles have handled prospects lately, it seems that 2010 would probably be too soon to expect Bell to contribute in Baltimore. However, I think he'll be a spring training invite and a long shot to play 3rd next season. Most likely he will find his way to Norfolk next year and have a chance to earn the job at third after Wigginton's contract expires next year.
So the Orioles were able to add two more prospects who appear on the Major League track for George Sherrill. Sherrill had a nice year and a half for the O's, but I'm happy with what he has brought back to the organization. The Erik Bedard trade looks like it will continue to reap benefits for Baltimore.
To get an idea of how the Bedard trade looks so far, here is a quick comparison of what the Orioles have gained from it.
Sherrill - 3 wins, 94 innings, 51 saves, and a 3.71 ERA
Mickolio - 0 wins, 11 innings, and a 3.97 ERA
Tillman - 0 wins, 4 innings, and a 5.79 ERA
Jones - 125 runs, 240 hits, and 116 RBI
Seattle has gotten this out of Bedard.
11 wins, 164 innings, and a 3.24 ERA
Bedard has been good in his limited time for Seattle, but the Orioles have already received Major League time from four players in that deal. Who on Earth knows how to compare this, but Jones' solid play and Sherrill's relief work are probably equal or greater to Bedard's production so far. When you consider that Bedard is already 30, and that the six players currently in the Orioles organization, including Bell and Johnson from today's trade, are 25, 23, 22, 21, 21, and 21, the potential for this to be one of the most mind-blowingly lopsided trades ever is huge. I loved watching Erik Bedard pitch for the Orioles, but I don't miss him one bit with what the Orioles have received in return. The last two years have been painful to watch at times, but I am definitely encouraged for the O's future by the talent they have acquired.
The trade made sense for the Orioles to make. Sherrill has a 2.40 ERA and 1.137 WHIP for the O's this season, which puts his stock about as high as it could be. His salary was reasonably under three million dollars this season, which made him a great value for his production. However, the closer is the final piece of the puzzle in my opinion. Bragging about a closer on a last place team just doesn't make sense. Trading a reliever for a legit third base prospect and a potential starting pitching prospect is a no brainer.
In regards to the prospects...
Trading for the son of a former Orioles pitcher and current MASN broadcaster seems like a homer move, but Steve Johnson's numbers look good to me. I'll throw out his numbers as a teenager and take a look at how the soon to be twenty-two year old has done over the last two seasons in A ball and AA.
In 2008 he was 9-2 with a 2.34 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 13 starts at Low A. He moved up to advanced A and struggled with a 3-6 record, 7.10 ERA, and 1.71 WHIP in 11 starts. So he struggled with the jump to a more competitive level. However, this year in advanced A he put up a 8-4 record with a 3.82 ERA and 1.41 WHIP. Thats some solid progression in my mind.
He has just recently completed two starts in AA and has a 1-1 record with a 1.69 ERA and 1.03 WHIP. Thats an extremely small sample size, but certainly isn't discouraging.
Overall since turning 20 he has a 20-12 record with a 3.98 ERA at A and AA. Current Orioles rookies David Hernandez and Brad Bergesen were still in Aberdeen and Delmarva respectively when they were 21, and their numbers weren't blowing people away, and look at how well they are pitching for the Orioles this year. Johnson is no lock to be a part of Baltimore's rotation one day, but he looks like a worthwhile guy for the O's to have traded for.
Josh Bell will probably get more attention from O's fans because of the obvious need to find a replacement for Melvin Mora at 3rd base. This is the spot the Orioles have been trying to find a guy for all along, but Melvin Mora and Aubrey Huff''s struggles have made them undesirable trade options for other clubs. It would have been hard for the Orioles to acquire an everyday Major League player for a reliever, so a high level third base prospect seems like a good get to me.
Bell is a twenty-two year old prospect who has played all year at AA. That seems like a good developmental pace for a guy drafted out of high school. Looking at his minor league numbers, he has only really struggled during a twenty game stretch at high A ball as a 20 year old. His average at AA this season is .296, and even more impressive than that is his .386 OBP. Its great to see a guy who can swing but isn't afraid to take pitches either. He has also shown good power at that level with 30 doubles and 11 homeruns in 94 games. He immediately becomes the Orioles best minor league option at third base. Sorry Mike Costanzo...you didn't get it done.
The downside with Bell is his defense. His size, 6-3 and 235 pounds, makes him sound a bit more like a 1st baseman than a 3rd baseman. At AA this season he has a .929 fielding percentage with his 17 errors. That certainly isn't Gold Glove caliber, but with his offensive potential, he is worth a shot.
With the way the Orioles have handled prospects lately, it seems that 2010 would probably be too soon to expect Bell to contribute in Baltimore. However, I think he'll be a spring training invite and a long shot to play 3rd next season. Most likely he will find his way to Norfolk next year and have a chance to earn the job at third after Wigginton's contract expires next year.
So the Orioles were able to add two more prospects who appear on the Major League track for George Sherrill. Sherrill had a nice year and a half for the O's, but I'm happy with what he has brought back to the organization. The Erik Bedard trade looks like it will continue to reap benefits for Baltimore.
To get an idea of how the Bedard trade looks so far, here is a quick comparison of what the Orioles have gained from it.
Sherrill - 3 wins, 94 innings, 51 saves, and a 3.71 ERA
Mickolio - 0 wins, 11 innings, and a 3.97 ERA
Tillman - 0 wins, 4 innings, and a 5.79 ERA
Jones - 125 runs, 240 hits, and 116 RBI
Seattle has gotten this out of Bedard.
11 wins, 164 innings, and a 3.24 ERA
Bedard has been good in his limited time for Seattle, but the Orioles have already received Major League time from four players in that deal. Who on Earth knows how to compare this, but Jones' solid play and Sherrill's relief work are probably equal or greater to Bedard's production so far. When you consider that Bedard is already 30, and that the six players currently in the Orioles organization, including Bell and Johnson from today's trade, are 25, 23, 22, 21, 21, and 21, the potential for this to be one of the most mind-blowingly lopsided trades ever is huge. I loved watching Erik Bedard pitch for the Orioles, but I don't miss him one bit with what the Orioles have received in return. The last two years have been painful to watch at times, but I am definitely encouraged for the O's future by the talent they have acquired.
Monday, May 25, 2009
The future of the O's
Haven't written on this blog for a while, but since nobody really reads it...I don't think anybody has missed it.
Memorial Day means summer time, which of course means baseball. I've made it out to two O's games this season, a Mother's Day loss to the Yanks and a win over the lowly Nats down in DC. I can live with a 1-1 record so far this year, now only is the O's were playing .500 ball.
The record is crap as ususal, but the Orioles have a lot of positives mixed in with some big negatives. However, the Orioles' management has been saying since Andy McPhail arrived as General Manager that they were aiming to compete in 2010 or 2011, so this year is part of the current rebuilding plan. Damn...how many rebuilding plans has Baltimore seen since 1998? So here is what I like from the O's so far.
The O's have made it a priority to acquire more depth in the minor leagues, and I think they have been very successful in doing so. One piece of evidence is that the minor league teams are playing well and winning across the board.
Norfolk is 28-14
Bowie is 21-20
Frederick is 22-20
Delmarva is 22-18
And for those that really follow the organization at more than just the Major League level, there are prospects at all of these levels, rather than over the hill prospects and guys who failed at the Major League level. From different message boards and blogs I've read, some fans are agitated that the Orioles aren't calling up these potential "stars" from the minors. I'm sure some of the guys in the Orioles' minor league system could do well in Baltimore already, but I like the idea of creating a winning environment in the minors first. Young players shouldn't be given a spot, and should have to earn it first.
Nolan Reimold has been playing well in left field since he has been called up this month, and I feel he is a good example of a player that has proven he belongs in the Majors. Reimold has been a big name prospect for some time now, and I can remember reading fans calling for him to be in the Majors for most of the last year and a half. He wasn't rushed to spring training in 2008 or when rosters expanded last September. He played well this year in the Spring, but was sent to AAA and forced to perform well there before getting the recent promotion. The way he has been handled has apparently shown him that he will need to compete to get where he belongs, and that appears to be working well for him so far.
Hopefully that mindset is also being instilled in the minor league pitchers, because that is this team's greatest need right now. I think this philosophy was shown with Brad Bergesen this spring. He pitched extremely well in spring training, but was sent to Norfolk to start the year despite the wishes of many fans. I'm sure that nobody in the Orioles front office thought Adam Eaton, Mark Hendrickson, and Alfredo Simon were the answers to the Orioles pitching problems. However, those guys were used to start the season in the rotation so that Bergesen and other pitchers weren't just given spots, but had to prove that they belonged. Bergesen was giving the opportunity first to prove he belongs, and it looks like Jason Berken will be given that chance tommorow. I'm excited for all of the Orioles' pitching prospects, but I think its a smart idea to not rush them all at one time, and allow them time to learn success in the minors.
While its exciting to see some guys like Bergesen and Reimold come up and hold their own with the Orioles, its great to realize that these aren't even the biggest names in the farm system. The most anticipated player is obviously Matt Wieters, who was tabbed as the #1 prospect in all of baseball before this season. He is being compared to Joe Mauer and Mark Teixeira, and any O's fan has to be excited to hear that. Like the other guys I brought up, fans thought he should have been on the O's roster to start the season, or maybe last season. However, he is being brought along slowly and the debut is getting closer, although it hasn't been announced yet. Everybody who pays attention knows that he was being held back about a month because of future contract issues. I don't know when he will be up, but I'll guess that June 9th against the Mariners is a good bet. That will be the first game of a nine game home stand, and it falls on a Tuesday after a day off Monday. I'm sure that announcing Wieters' call up Sunday afternoon will create enough build-up for the O's to sell a lot more tickets on a Tuesday evening than they normally would. With nine games in a row at home, including two series that won't likely draw a lot of interest from opposing fans, the Orioles management would assure themselves a lot of interest from Orioles fans, even if the team isn't winning.
The top pitchers are further away, but Chris Tilman, Brian Matusz, Jake Arrieta, and Brandon Erbe are all 4 and 5 star prospects according to Baseball Prospectus. All of these guys are young and have performed well so far this season. Matusz was a first round pick last year, but was placed in just A ball at Frederick. Again, this speaks to the philosophy of forcing a player to earn a promotion to the next level. Each of these guys is expected to be better than Bergesen and Berken, but they are being forced to earn their promotions over an extended period of time, rather than gifted their opportunities. Nobody knows how many of these guys will wear an Orioles uniform this season, but its exciting to know they are on their way.
The other positives are easier to see. Brian Roberts and Aubrey Huff still have it, and the Orioles have a 23 and a 25 year old outfielder who should both be playing in the All Star game. It will be tough for the last place O's to squeeze two guys into the game, but these guys are two of the best hitters in the AL. Losing for over a decade is incredibly frustrating, and playing in the AL East won't make it easy to turn that around. However, the future is looking brighter than I can remember in a long time. At least that is one reason to be excited for the Orioles.
Memorial Day means summer time, which of course means baseball. I've made it out to two O's games this season, a Mother's Day loss to the Yanks and a win over the lowly Nats down in DC. I can live with a 1-1 record so far this year, now only is the O's were playing .500 ball.
The record is crap as ususal, but the Orioles have a lot of positives mixed in with some big negatives. However, the Orioles' management has been saying since Andy McPhail arrived as General Manager that they were aiming to compete in 2010 or 2011, so this year is part of the current rebuilding plan. Damn...how many rebuilding plans has Baltimore seen since 1998? So here is what I like from the O's so far.
The O's have made it a priority to acquire more depth in the minor leagues, and I think they have been very successful in doing so. One piece of evidence is that the minor league teams are playing well and winning across the board.
Norfolk is 28-14
Bowie is 21-20
Frederick is 22-20
Delmarva is 22-18
And for those that really follow the organization at more than just the Major League level, there are prospects at all of these levels, rather than over the hill prospects and guys who failed at the Major League level. From different message boards and blogs I've read, some fans are agitated that the Orioles aren't calling up these potential "stars" from the minors. I'm sure some of the guys in the Orioles' minor league system could do well in Baltimore already, but I like the idea of creating a winning environment in the minors first. Young players shouldn't be given a spot, and should have to earn it first.
Nolan Reimold has been playing well in left field since he has been called up this month, and I feel he is a good example of a player that has proven he belongs in the Majors. Reimold has been a big name prospect for some time now, and I can remember reading fans calling for him to be in the Majors for most of the last year and a half. He wasn't rushed to spring training in 2008 or when rosters expanded last September. He played well this year in the Spring, but was sent to AAA and forced to perform well there before getting the recent promotion. The way he has been handled has apparently shown him that he will need to compete to get where he belongs, and that appears to be working well for him so far.
Hopefully that mindset is also being instilled in the minor league pitchers, because that is this team's greatest need right now. I think this philosophy was shown with Brad Bergesen this spring. He pitched extremely well in spring training, but was sent to Norfolk to start the year despite the wishes of many fans. I'm sure that nobody in the Orioles front office thought Adam Eaton, Mark Hendrickson, and Alfredo Simon were the answers to the Orioles pitching problems. However, those guys were used to start the season in the rotation so that Bergesen and other pitchers weren't just given spots, but had to prove that they belonged. Bergesen was giving the opportunity first to prove he belongs, and it looks like Jason Berken will be given that chance tommorow. I'm excited for all of the Orioles' pitching prospects, but I think its a smart idea to not rush them all at one time, and allow them time to learn success in the minors.
While its exciting to see some guys like Bergesen and Reimold come up and hold their own with the Orioles, its great to realize that these aren't even the biggest names in the farm system. The most anticipated player is obviously Matt Wieters, who was tabbed as the #1 prospect in all of baseball before this season. He is being compared to Joe Mauer and Mark Teixeira, and any O's fan has to be excited to hear that. Like the other guys I brought up, fans thought he should have been on the O's roster to start the season, or maybe last season. However, he is being brought along slowly and the debut is getting closer, although it hasn't been announced yet. Everybody who pays attention knows that he was being held back about a month because of future contract issues. I don't know when he will be up, but I'll guess that June 9th against the Mariners is a good bet. That will be the first game of a nine game home stand, and it falls on a Tuesday after a day off Monday. I'm sure that announcing Wieters' call up Sunday afternoon will create enough build-up for the O's to sell a lot more tickets on a Tuesday evening than they normally would. With nine games in a row at home, including two series that won't likely draw a lot of interest from opposing fans, the Orioles management would assure themselves a lot of interest from Orioles fans, even if the team isn't winning.
The top pitchers are further away, but Chris Tilman, Brian Matusz, Jake Arrieta, and Brandon Erbe are all 4 and 5 star prospects according to Baseball Prospectus. All of these guys are young and have performed well so far this season. Matusz was a first round pick last year, but was placed in just A ball at Frederick. Again, this speaks to the philosophy of forcing a player to earn a promotion to the next level. Each of these guys is expected to be better than Bergesen and Berken, but they are being forced to earn their promotions over an extended period of time, rather than gifted their opportunities. Nobody knows how many of these guys will wear an Orioles uniform this season, but its exciting to know they are on their way.
The other positives are easier to see. Brian Roberts and Aubrey Huff still have it, and the Orioles have a 23 and a 25 year old outfielder who should both be playing in the All Star game. It will be tough for the last place O's to squeeze two guys into the game, but these guys are two of the best hitters in the AL. Losing for over a decade is incredibly frustrating, and playing in the AL East won't make it easy to turn that around. However, the future is looking brighter than I can remember in a long time. At least that is one reason to be excited for the Orioles.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Redskins Head to 0-1
Its a few days later but I wanted to get my thoughts about the Redskins' opening night loss recorded on the blog. It was a frustrating game for Washington fans, and it definitely appears that the final two preseason games were more of a sign of things to come than they were an aberration. Part of judging the Redskins is also judging the Giants. I thought the Giants played fairly well, despite only winnings by 9. Their defense held the Skins down all night, and the offense moved the ball pretty well. They have two big offensive stars in Brandon Jacobs and Plaxico Burress. They both made the Redskins defense look bad in the 1st half, but couldn't capitalize with appearances in the endzone. I've never thought Eli Manning was that great, despite his impressive performance in the playoffs last season. His passer rating was worse than Campbell's, and he has a huge advantage heading into each game that Plax is playing in.
On the positive side for the Skins.
Clinton Portis - CP had a pretty solid game. I've got no problem with him missing pre-season, because I'm a believer in the idea that running backs have a finite number of carries in their career. So keeping him fresh for the regular season is fine by me, and he showed up in week 1. His line was 23 carries for 84 yards. Thats just 3.7 yards per carry, but I rate him high based on HOW he ran the ball. He was moving forward all night and getting the most out of his carries. Unfortunately the line wasn't great and there were several times when he had no place to go.
Rock Cartwright - He had too many kick return opportunities, but a 29 yard average is great. The Redskins don't get on the scoreboard without his 50 yard return in the 2nd quarter. He also had a great open field tackle on a punt, and is just a great special teams guy like Brian Mitchell and James Thrash.
London Fletcher - I can't praise the Redskins' secondary, and the line allowed 154 yards on the ground. However, London Fletcher is and always has been a beast. He came to play with 17 total tackles.
On to the things that disappointed me.
Jim Zorn - I understand its his first regular season game, but there are some things that I thought I wouldn't see. The first one was the conservative nature of the offense. As a former quarterback and a west coast offense type of guy, I thought the Skins would be tossing the ball around some. However, with all of the runs on 1st and 2nd downs, I thought Joe Gibbs was making the calls from somewhere in NASCAR country. I heard from John Madden all night that Jason Campbell didn't look comfortable. That may be true, but it didn't look like his coach was helping him out. One way he could have done that would have been getting #47 some more touches. Chris Cooley is a pro bowl tight end, and its not because of his blocking ability. He had just one catch on the night in the 4th quarter, after a screen pass run for him earlier was called back because of holding. Getting him more involved in the passing game is necessary. I was also disappointed to see him highlighted twice getting beat in the running game by the Giants ends. Put Cooley in motion, split him out wide, and give Todd Yoder a little more time in the running game.
The second thing that bothered me aboout Zorn was the lack of urgency towards the end of the game. Needing at least two scores to win the game, the offense was huddling and taking their time at the line during the last 5 or so minutes. Shots of Zorn on the sideline with his play sheet in front of his mouth made me think that he saw no urgency in the situation. As a QB coach and former NFL quarterback, I thought Zorn would have a better sense of the situation than what appeared on the field. Its almost as if the Redskins forgot to practice the two minute drill before this game.
The Secondary - Having Laron Landry back was a good sign, but this unit was extremely disappointing. The cornerbacks were awful in the first half. Plaxico Burress is a star, and will get his catches. However, the Skins didn't even look like they were challenging him early on. I doubted Carlos Rogers' health and/or heart on one play when he was seen jogging after Plax after being embarassed by a double move. Smoot was slightly better, but again the Giants made the plays they needed early on in the passing game.
The safeties were better, and it was nice to see Laron Landry covering a lot of ground back there. Reed Doughty was a decent support in the run game, but he and LL got embarassed by Brandon Jacobs and his abundance of mass. However, Landry did drop a potential interception. His was the last of three on the night that should have been caught. Each one of those was on different drives, and if the Redskins pick those off, they give their offense a lot more opportunities. Eli Manning should definitely have had more than just one INT on Thursday night.
And finally I have some neutral feelings on things as well.
Jason Campbell - As the team goes, so goes the quarterback. Since the Redskins' offense struggled, its only natural that JC has to shoulder some of the blame. However, I can't think about many plays where he really hurt the Skins. The first drop back when he was sacked is the one time I remember yelling at him. Following that though he got the ball off quickly like a West Coast QB is supposed to do. He wasn't sacked from that point on, and there is no doubt the Giants were coming hard. I think people could argue that he didn't go downfield enough, but I'm not sure how much of that is on him and how much is on the play calling. He went to his checkdowns a lot, but I don't remember seeing receivers running open down field. The biggest problem with Campbell so far in his career has been ball protection. His interception numbers are decent...not great. However, he really struggled last year putting the ball on the turf with 13 fumbles, 8 of which were lost. He didn't fumble or throw an interception. I don't even remember a pass that could have been picked off. So I give him credit for taking care of the ball.
I've read that despite Zorn's insistence that Campbell is athletic enough to run the West Coast offense, that Campbell is better suited to a traditional 5 and 7 step drop offense. Campbell is going to give things his best, so I expect Zorn to put him in situations where he can suceed. In Thursday's game I saw more problems with how the offense was run by the play calling than I did with Campbell's performance.
Jason Taylor - Taylor didn't have a good game, but this isn't a good situation to judge him by. He wasn't 100%, so its not like we saw him at his best. He was a liability in the running game, and a big reason for Brandon Jacobs' great game. Taylor was unable to hold his ground on the line, and Jacobs was able to turn his shoulders up field early on off-tackle runs. Facing a physical back like Jacobs with his knee in its current condition was not a good start for Taylor. He probably would have fared better against a team showing more of a zone rush or pass first look. Despite his weak game against the Giants, all it will take is a couple of sacks for the Redskins fans to be jumping up and down about number 55.
On the positive side for the Skins.
Clinton Portis - CP had a pretty solid game. I've got no problem with him missing pre-season, because I'm a believer in the idea that running backs have a finite number of carries in their career. So keeping him fresh for the regular season is fine by me, and he showed up in week 1. His line was 23 carries for 84 yards. Thats just 3.7 yards per carry, but I rate him high based on HOW he ran the ball. He was moving forward all night and getting the most out of his carries. Unfortunately the line wasn't great and there were several times when he had no place to go.
Rock Cartwright - He had too many kick return opportunities, but a 29 yard average is great. The Redskins don't get on the scoreboard without his 50 yard return in the 2nd quarter. He also had a great open field tackle on a punt, and is just a great special teams guy like Brian Mitchell and James Thrash.
London Fletcher - I can't praise the Redskins' secondary, and the line allowed 154 yards on the ground. However, London Fletcher is and always has been a beast. He came to play with 17 total tackles.
On to the things that disappointed me.
Jim Zorn - I understand its his first regular season game, but there are some things that I thought I wouldn't see. The first one was the conservative nature of the offense. As a former quarterback and a west coast offense type of guy, I thought the Skins would be tossing the ball around some. However, with all of the runs on 1st and 2nd downs, I thought Joe Gibbs was making the calls from somewhere in NASCAR country. I heard from John Madden all night that Jason Campbell didn't look comfortable. That may be true, but it didn't look like his coach was helping him out. One way he could have done that would have been getting #47 some more touches. Chris Cooley is a pro bowl tight end, and its not because of his blocking ability. He had just one catch on the night in the 4th quarter, after a screen pass run for him earlier was called back because of holding. Getting him more involved in the passing game is necessary. I was also disappointed to see him highlighted twice getting beat in the running game by the Giants ends. Put Cooley in motion, split him out wide, and give Todd Yoder a little more time in the running game.
The second thing that bothered me aboout Zorn was the lack of urgency towards the end of the game. Needing at least two scores to win the game, the offense was huddling and taking their time at the line during the last 5 or so minutes. Shots of Zorn on the sideline with his play sheet in front of his mouth made me think that he saw no urgency in the situation. As a QB coach and former NFL quarterback, I thought Zorn would have a better sense of the situation than what appeared on the field. Its almost as if the Redskins forgot to practice the two minute drill before this game.
The Secondary - Having Laron Landry back was a good sign, but this unit was extremely disappointing. The cornerbacks were awful in the first half. Plaxico Burress is a star, and will get his catches. However, the Skins didn't even look like they were challenging him early on. I doubted Carlos Rogers' health and/or heart on one play when he was seen jogging after Plax after being embarassed by a double move. Smoot was slightly better, but again the Giants made the plays they needed early on in the passing game.
The safeties were better, and it was nice to see Laron Landry covering a lot of ground back there. Reed Doughty was a decent support in the run game, but he and LL got embarassed by Brandon Jacobs and his abundance of mass. However, Landry did drop a potential interception. His was the last of three on the night that should have been caught. Each one of those was on different drives, and if the Redskins pick those off, they give their offense a lot more opportunities. Eli Manning should definitely have had more than just one INT on Thursday night.
And finally I have some neutral feelings on things as well.
Jason Campbell - As the team goes, so goes the quarterback. Since the Redskins' offense struggled, its only natural that JC has to shoulder some of the blame. However, I can't think about many plays where he really hurt the Skins. The first drop back when he was sacked is the one time I remember yelling at him. Following that though he got the ball off quickly like a West Coast QB is supposed to do. He wasn't sacked from that point on, and there is no doubt the Giants were coming hard. I think people could argue that he didn't go downfield enough, but I'm not sure how much of that is on him and how much is on the play calling. He went to his checkdowns a lot, but I don't remember seeing receivers running open down field. The biggest problem with Campbell so far in his career has been ball protection. His interception numbers are decent...not great. However, he really struggled last year putting the ball on the turf with 13 fumbles, 8 of which were lost. He didn't fumble or throw an interception. I don't even remember a pass that could have been picked off. So I give him credit for taking care of the ball.
I've read that despite Zorn's insistence that Campbell is athletic enough to run the West Coast offense, that Campbell is better suited to a traditional 5 and 7 step drop offense. Campbell is going to give things his best, so I expect Zorn to put him in situations where he can suceed. In Thursday's game I saw more problems with how the offense was run by the play calling than I did with Campbell's performance.
Jason Taylor - Taylor didn't have a good game, but this isn't a good situation to judge him by. He wasn't 100%, so its not like we saw him at his best. He was a liability in the running game, and a big reason for Brandon Jacobs' great game. Taylor was unable to hold his ground on the line, and Jacobs was able to turn his shoulders up field early on off-tackle runs. Facing a physical back like Jacobs with his knee in its current condition was not a good start for Taylor. He probably would have fared better against a team showing more of a zone rush or pass first look. Despite his weak game against the Giants, all it will take is a couple of sacks for the Redskins fans to be jumping up and down about number 55.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Orioles Winning
The O's had a rough 3-7 stretch coming out of the All Star break which sent them plummeting towards into the cellar of the AL East. Well, thats where everybody thought they would be this season, and despite where they are in the standings they have had a pleasantly surprising year so far. They've rebounded well since that initial post-break free fall, going 5-1 with their lone loss being Dennis Sarfate's first career start against Joba Chamberlain. Thats an understandable loss. Its been great to see the O's offense playing great lately. Aubrey Huff is finally earning the money he signed for before last season, Melvin Mora doesn't look dead in the water, and Adam Jones seems to be developing as the year goes along like Nick Markakis did back in 2006. There are definitely some highlights lately.
The pitching has been weak this season, but its nice that they have had some good outings since the Sunday monkey was lifted. Cabrera had a great start before his BS toss-out against the Yanks. He looked to be going all the way in that game, and then in the last two games Garrett Olson went into the ninth, and Jeremy Guthrie managed his first career complete game last night. The O's have had a string of great starts as good as they have had all year. Its disappointing that Rhadames Liz and Brian Burres didn't work out in the rotation, but nobody could really expect long term success from Burres, and Liz still has a lot to do to ensure he is a steady Major League starter. It will be interesting to see who gets the start for the O's on Tuesday. Hayden Penn would probably be the popular choice among the fans since he his name has held so much promise for several years. I wouldn't mind seeing him, but he is another guy who has a whole lot to prove.
Overall the Orioles have made progress in their first year under Andy McPhail. The standings might not improve, but they are playing better baseball at most spots than they have in previous years. Adam Jones and Nick Markakis are two huge stars for the future, and I'm happy Brian Roberts is still getting things done at the top of the order. Shortstop is obviously an issue with 5 guys who have gotten extended looks their this year. Juan Castro is nothing but a short term solution, and none of Bynum, Fahey, Hernandez, and Cintron appear to be the answer either. I would love to see what the plan is for the O's to acquire a good shortstop for the future. I think that is the main target of McPhail and co. right now, and is probably the main reason why George Sherrill wasn't traded. I think they would rather hold on to him to get what they really need, than to have traded him last week for what may or may not fill a hole on this team. Another interesting development is Mark Teixeira heading to the Angels. He seems to be a guy who wants to play in the AL, but will he fall in love in Anaheim. Arte Moreno is an aggressive owner who will probably want to sign Tex after giving up Kotchman. I can only hope that the hometown urge is their for Tex, and that the O's come up with a great deal for him. The Orioles have had to deal with Kevin Millar-type numbers for too long at first, and another legit power hitter needs to be infused into this lineup.
The pitching has been weak this season, but its nice that they have had some good outings since the Sunday monkey was lifted. Cabrera had a great start before his BS toss-out against the Yanks. He looked to be going all the way in that game, and then in the last two games Garrett Olson went into the ninth, and Jeremy Guthrie managed his first career complete game last night. The O's have had a string of great starts as good as they have had all year. Its disappointing that Rhadames Liz and Brian Burres didn't work out in the rotation, but nobody could really expect long term success from Burres, and Liz still has a lot to do to ensure he is a steady Major League starter. It will be interesting to see who gets the start for the O's on Tuesday. Hayden Penn would probably be the popular choice among the fans since he his name has held so much promise for several years. I wouldn't mind seeing him, but he is another guy who has a whole lot to prove.
Overall the Orioles have made progress in their first year under Andy McPhail. The standings might not improve, but they are playing better baseball at most spots than they have in previous years. Adam Jones and Nick Markakis are two huge stars for the future, and I'm happy Brian Roberts is still getting things done at the top of the order. Shortstop is obviously an issue with 5 guys who have gotten extended looks their this year. Juan Castro is nothing but a short term solution, and none of Bynum, Fahey, Hernandez, and Cintron appear to be the answer either. I would love to see what the plan is for the O's to acquire a good shortstop for the future. I think that is the main target of McPhail and co. right now, and is probably the main reason why George Sherrill wasn't traded. I think they would rather hold on to him to get what they really need, than to have traded him last week for what may or may not fill a hole on this team. Another interesting development is Mark Teixeira heading to the Angels. He seems to be a guy who wants to play in the AL, but will he fall in love in Anaheim. Arte Moreno is an aggressive owner who will probably want to sign Tex after giving up Kotchman. I can only hope that the hometown urge is their for Tex, and that the O's come up with a great deal for him. The Orioles have had to deal with Kevin Millar-type numbers for too long at first, and another legit power hitter needs to be infused into this lineup.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Jason Taylor
Damn, I'm a crappy blogger. I haven't touched this site in months, but felt inspired by the Redskins trade of 2 draft picks to Miami for Jason Taylor. I think this is a great move even if Taylor might not be around for more than a year. There will be a lot of question marks with the Redskins this year with the Jim Zorn era starting. However, if he does a decent job handling the team, they have the talent here already to make the playoffs. Hell...they did it last season despite losing some games that they never should have.
Now that Taylor is in the fold the Redskins have a chance to become an elite NFC team. A great defensive end can immensely improve the play of the other 10 guys on the defense. Look at the current Super Bowl champs. Would the Giants have won with all of Eli Manning's blunders if Michael Strahan had not come back for another year of football? I would argue against that.
So will Jason Taylor have a Strahan-esque influence on the Redskins D? The guy he is replacing, Phillip Daniels, had just 2.5 sacks last season. I have no doubt that Taylor will far exceed that number if he stays healthy. And staying healthy doesn't appear to be an "if." Just looking at Taylor you can tell that he keeps himself in amazing shape. However, he has started all 16 games each season since 2000. He has had single digit sacks for the season just twice in that stretch, and both years he wasn't far off from 10.
For the last few seasons Redskins fans have complained during draft time that the 'Skins needed a pass rushing defensive lineman. They never acquired that guy during the draft, but they have done so now. Their defense should be a lot better this season, assuming it doesn't fall to pieces without Gregg Williams. A legitimate pass rush from the D-line will mean more turnovers and 3rd and longs. I feel the defense will provide Jason Campbell and the offense with a lot more easy scoring opportunities this season. Welcome Jason...and that #55 looks damn good for the Burgundy and Gold.
Now that Taylor is in the fold the Redskins have a chance to become an elite NFC team. A great defensive end can immensely improve the play of the other 10 guys on the defense. Look at the current Super Bowl champs. Would the Giants have won with all of Eli Manning's blunders if Michael Strahan had not come back for another year of football? I would argue against that.
So will Jason Taylor have a Strahan-esque influence on the Redskins D? The guy he is replacing, Phillip Daniels, had just 2.5 sacks last season. I have no doubt that Taylor will far exceed that number if he stays healthy. And staying healthy doesn't appear to be an "if." Just looking at Taylor you can tell that he keeps himself in amazing shape. However, he has started all 16 games each season since 2000. He has had single digit sacks for the season just twice in that stretch, and both years he wasn't far off from 10.
For the last few seasons Redskins fans have complained during draft time that the 'Skins needed a pass rushing defensive lineman. They never acquired that guy during the draft, but they have done so now. Their defense should be a lot better this season, assuming it doesn't fall to pieces without Gregg Williams. A legitimate pass rush from the D-line will mean more turnovers and 3rd and longs. I feel the defense will provide Jason Campbell and the offense with a lot more easy scoring opportunities this season. Welcome Jason...and that #55 looks damn good for the Burgundy and Gold.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Terps Update
Damn...The Terps almost pulled off consecutive wins versus two Top 5 teams, not to mention two of their biggest rivals! Things looked very positive for the Terps when they led by nine points at halftime. However, Duke still had 42 points to the Terps 51. If somebody had told me before the game that Duke would score 42 points in the first half, I wouldn't be thrilled. Maryland had their best offensive half of the year against Duke, but they still weren't shuttnig down the Devils. And history has told us that Duke is always capable of hitting a big shot when it counts, or more likely...getting a bogus call in their direction late in the game.
Gist and Osby were huge for the Terps down low. Duke is extremely weak in the front court, and the Terrapin seniors took advantage of that. Gist had 26 and 5 while Osby had 20 and 15 on the night. Those numbers are absolutely huge. Unfortunately Maryland didn't get much help from the bigs on their bench. Shane Walker had a rebound and Dave Neal had just a bucket and a board. This was the first game of the year that Braxton Dupree didn't see the floor, and I'm not surprised by that with Duke's type of play. BD isn't in good enough shape to run up and down the floor all night, and he isn't quick enough on defense to play against Duke's four guard lineups. Whats upsetting is that Dupree was supposed to be the 3rd big man on this team, and his minutes have been 12, 6, 8, 1, and 0 so far in ACC play. Thats not a good looking trend! He hasn't shown that he is ready to be a contributor on this team.
Despite the loss it feels better to be a Terps fan now than it was a month ago. A month ago today Maryland was 6-6 after losing to American University by eight. PATHETIC! It felt like everybody who followed Maryland basketball was ready to quit on this current team and crucify Gary Williams. In the last month Maryland has gone 6-2 with a win over the previously undefeated and #1 ranked Tarheels. Their two losses were unfortunately both in conference, but by a point to Virginia Tech and to the #3 ranked Duke. This has certainly been a good month for the Terps, and it would be for any other college basketball team too. Unfortunately the hole that the Terps are climbing out of is huge. At 2-3 in the ACC, they need to win about 7 or 8 more conference games to have any shot at the NCAA tourny. 19 or 20 wins with an upset of a potential #1 seed might get them into the tournament. However, that is still questionable with losses to teams like Ohio and American.
Like most people thought, the Terps will be a better team at the end of the year than they were to start it. However, with such an unpredictable lousy stretch to begin the year, will this team be good enough to have an overall positive season. The UNC win is certainly a highlight to be remembered for years, but will that be the only redeeming memory of this season? A win over Carolina and an extremely competitive loss to a Duke team that played well tonight give me hope that the Terps have yet to peak this season.
Gist and Osby were huge for the Terps down low. Duke is extremely weak in the front court, and the Terrapin seniors took advantage of that. Gist had 26 and 5 while Osby had 20 and 15 on the night. Those numbers are absolutely huge. Unfortunately Maryland didn't get much help from the bigs on their bench. Shane Walker had a rebound and Dave Neal had just a bucket and a board. This was the first game of the year that Braxton Dupree didn't see the floor, and I'm not surprised by that with Duke's type of play. BD isn't in good enough shape to run up and down the floor all night, and he isn't quick enough on defense to play against Duke's four guard lineups. Whats upsetting is that Dupree was supposed to be the 3rd big man on this team, and his minutes have been 12, 6, 8, 1, and 0 so far in ACC play. Thats not a good looking trend! He hasn't shown that he is ready to be a contributor on this team.
Despite the loss it feels better to be a Terps fan now than it was a month ago. A month ago today Maryland was 6-6 after losing to American University by eight. PATHETIC! It felt like everybody who followed Maryland basketball was ready to quit on this current team and crucify Gary Williams. In the last month Maryland has gone 6-2 with a win over the previously undefeated and #1 ranked Tarheels. Their two losses were unfortunately both in conference, but by a point to Virginia Tech and to the #3 ranked Duke. This has certainly been a good month for the Terps, and it would be for any other college basketball team too. Unfortunately the hole that the Terps are climbing out of is huge. At 2-3 in the ACC, they need to win about 7 or 8 more conference games to have any shot at the NCAA tourny. 19 or 20 wins with an upset of a potential #1 seed might get them into the tournament. However, that is still questionable with losses to teams like Ohio and American.
Like most people thought, the Terps will be a better team at the end of the year than they were to start it. However, with such an unpredictable lousy stretch to begin the year, will this team be good enough to have an overall positive season. The UNC win is certainly a highlight to be remembered for years, but will that be the only redeeming memory of this season? A win over Carolina and an extremely competitive loss to a Duke team that played well tonight give me hope that the Terps have yet to peak this season.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Controlling Your Own Destiny
With all of the close losses the Redskins have suffered through this season, it feels like this year has been a disappointment. Aside from the debacle against the Patriots, the 'Skins have lost every game by a touchdown or less. Despite so many close calls going the way of their opponents, the Redskins are still in control of whether or not they make the playoffs. They are only a game back of the Vikings right now for the final Wild Card, but they match up with Minnesota in 2 weeks. A win in that game is necessary for the Redskins to make the playoffs, because they would need at least 8 wins and a tiebreaker over the Vikes. That game truly is a playoff for the Redskins.
In addition to a win in week 16, the Redskins need either a 3-0 finish to their season, or a split with New York and Dallas combined with a Vikings loss to either Chicago or Denver. The other contenders besides Minnesota are Detroit, Arizona, and New Orleans. The Lions and Cardinals would have to go undefeated the rest of the way to beat out an 8-8 'Skins team, while I don't know what the tiebreaker would be with the Saints, who are extreme longshots.
The most important game in this whole NFC Wild Card picture for every team will be the Redskins and Vikings. Before that game is decided, the Redskins can't be knocked out of the playoffs. However, a win against the Giants this week would sure make things a lot easier for the 'Skins. Since there isn't an NFC team that has dominated the Redskins, there is potential for this season to still be successful. However, a lot of things need to go right, and I'm hoping that there is something magical about Todd Collins.
In addition to a win in week 16, the Redskins need either a 3-0 finish to their season, or a split with New York and Dallas combined with a Vikings loss to either Chicago or Denver. The other contenders besides Minnesota are Detroit, Arizona, and New Orleans. The Lions and Cardinals would have to go undefeated the rest of the way to beat out an 8-8 'Skins team, while I don't know what the tiebreaker would be with the Saints, who are extreme longshots.
The most important game in this whole NFC Wild Card picture for every team will be the Redskins and Vikings. Before that game is decided, the Redskins can't be knocked out of the playoffs. However, a win against the Giants this week would sure make things a lot easier for the 'Skins. Since there isn't an NFC team that has dominated the Redskins, there is potential for this season to still be successful. However, a lot of things need to go right, and I'm hoping that there is something magical about Todd Collins.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Milledge and Dukes
While most of the local baseball talk so far this offseason is about the probable trades the Orioles will make with Erik Bedard and Miguel Tejada, the only real action has come from the Nationals. The Nationals haven't made any blockbuster moves, but they did make two that will draw a lot of attention to the team.
The first trade was with the Mets, with Lastings Milledge coming to DC and Brian Schneider and Ryan Church heading to NY. Milledge might be considered a bit of a gamble, but a pretty safe one in my opinion. He has gotten a bad rep so far for trying to play himself off as a rapper, before he even establishes himself as a baseball player. He was the youngest player to reach the majors in 2006, and only played sparingly in 2007 with the Mets as well. He will turn 23 right about the time the season starts this year, so the Nats did get younger with this move. He hasn't particularly wowed people with his play, but he did improve from an average of .241 to .272, and an OBP of .310 to .341. That is only a one year trend, but I figure it is a good sign. He is still extremely young, and with some maturing I think he should be a great player in a few years.
Losing Brian Schneider in the deal might hurt some in the short term. He appeared to be a likable guy and a capable defensive catcher, but he is getting up there in terms of catcher age. Replacing his production shouldn't be too hard. Church is a good player, who probably won't max out his stats far beyond where they are now. He will probably have a good career in the Majors, but he isn't a potential star.
The other big name the Nats picked up was Elijah Dukes. This kid is another young guy(23 on opening day) with amazing potential. However, the baggage he brings is more severe than Milledge. He didn't play most of last season because of a domestic incident with his wife, that led the Devil Rays to inactivate him. Demonstrating physically aggressive behavior is certainly a warning sign, but the Nationals seem willing to give him a shot. He did hit 10 homeruns in just 180 at bats for the Rays last season, but his average was below .200. If he can get his head on straight, in terms of his personal life and baseball, than he may be a huge steal for the Nats. They only had to give up one minor leaguer in this deal, a player who hasn't yet gone above A ball. So even with the risk of Dukes self destructing, there doesn't seem to be much loss here.
There seems to be some cultural awareness with these moves that the Nationals have made. The team has brought in two young African American players to introduce at their new stadium that is mostly surrounded by African American neighborhoods. In addition to making baseball sense, the club seems to be considering the demographics of their locale, and are making an attempt to connect with local residents. Dmitri Young has already gained some popularity in the city for his recent performance, and with his publicized personal struggles and journey to overcome them, I think he will be looked upon by others to be a guide for Lastings Milledge and Elijah Dukes. Time will tell how these two moves pan out for Washington, but I admire the team for taking some good chances. This might not be the big name offseason move that people are used to in Boston or NY, but its a pleasant thing to see for a team that is reintroducing itself to the city this season.
The first trade was with the Mets, with Lastings Milledge coming to DC and Brian Schneider and Ryan Church heading to NY. Milledge might be considered a bit of a gamble, but a pretty safe one in my opinion. He has gotten a bad rep so far for trying to play himself off as a rapper, before he even establishes himself as a baseball player. He was the youngest player to reach the majors in 2006, and only played sparingly in 2007 with the Mets as well. He will turn 23 right about the time the season starts this year, so the Nats did get younger with this move. He hasn't particularly wowed people with his play, but he did improve from an average of .241 to .272, and an OBP of .310 to .341. That is only a one year trend, but I figure it is a good sign. He is still extremely young, and with some maturing I think he should be a great player in a few years.
Losing Brian Schneider in the deal might hurt some in the short term. He appeared to be a likable guy and a capable defensive catcher, but he is getting up there in terms of catcher age. Replacing his production shouldn't be too hard. Church is a good player, who probably won't max out his stats far beyond where they are now. He will probably have a good career in the Majors, but he isn't a potential star.
The other big name the Nats picked up was Elijah Dukes. This kid is another young guy(23 on opening day) with amazing potential. However, the baggage he brings is more severe than Milledge. He didn't play most of last season because of a domestic incident with his wife, that led the Devil Rays to inactivate him. Demonstrating physically aggressive behavior is certainly a warning sign, but the Nationals seem willing to give him a shot. He did hit 10 homeruns in just 180 at bats for the Rays last season, but his average was below .200. If he can get his head on straight, in terms of his personal life and baseball, than he may be a huge steal for the Nats. They only had to give up one minor leaguer in this deal, a player who hasn't yet gone above A ball. So even with the risk of Dukes self destructing, there doesn't seem to be much loss here.
There seems to be some cultural awareness with these moves that the Nationals have made. The team has brought in two young African American players to introduce at their new stadium that is mostly surrounded by African American neighborhoods. In addition to making baseball sense, the club seems to be considering the demographics of their locale, and are making an attempt to connect with local residents. Dmitri Young has already gained some popularity in the city for his recent performance, and with his publicized personal struggles and journey to overcome them, I think he will be looked upon by others to be a guide for Lastings Milledge and Elijah Dukes. Time will tell how these two moves pan out for Washington, but I admire the team for taking some good chances. This might not be the big name offseason move that people are used to in Boston or NY, but its a pleasant thing to see for a team that is reintroducing itself to the city this season.
Pats Still Undefeated
Health concerns kept me from attending the Ravens-Pats game from monday night. I was happy to watch it on TV though and know my father was freezing his ass off the whole night long. Going into that game I had visions of just a few thousand fans holding on until the last whistle after the majority of Baltimorons skipped out after a blowout. However, the Ravens made it one of the more entertaining games this season, and the Baltimore fans seemed to be out in full force.
The big news before the game was that Steve McNair has been put on IR. I respect Air McNair a lot for his great career, but it was apparent this season that his time had past. I thought Billick should have gone to Kyle Boller sooner in the season, but now Boller gets to compete down the stretch to prepare himself for what will likely be his job heading into next season.
Boller did a pretty decent job against the Patriots. His numbers were respectable, over 200 yards, 65.2% with 2 TDs and 1 INT. Those numbers will win the Ravens most games. However, a little bit more is probably needed against New England. The interception was the one mistake Boller made, which is impressive considering how much pressure he was under from the Patriots' rush all night long. Altogether it was a good showing for Boller, and I hope he can keep it up to finish up the season.
The big story on offense though was Willis McGahee. The dude ran hard all night long, and showed why the Ravens were smart to make a deal with Bufallo. He has already rushed for over 1000 yards this season, and has been a better receiving threat than how he was used by the Bills. This is a guy who is in his prime, and should provide several more great years for this team.
Defensively the Ravens played great. Holding the Patriots to 27 points is an accomplishment this season. Brady and the New England offense are just too good to be shut down, but the Ravens have done about as well as anybody else this season. The pass coverage was excellent all night, and Tom Brady was frustrated by that and a good pass rush. He certainly didn't have a Brady like game on the stat sheet. However, Tom Brady is clutch, which nobody can deny. Rex Ryan helped him out by calling the timeout before his failed QB sneak. However, Brady came right back and made plays to lead his team to the win.
I've heard from others, mostly Ravens fans about how the referrees ruined the end of that game. I think that is debatable. The biggest missed call I saw in the game was an obvious block in the back that went unflagged on Laurence Maroney's big 2nd half reception. The 4th down holding call in the end zone was the right decision to make, and the Ravens just had to deal with that. The catch to Gaffney in the endzone is extremely debatable, but the way the NFL replay rules are worded, I understand why it wasn't turned over.
My biggest problem at the end of the game was Bart Scott's terrible actions. I've heard from Ravens fans on message boards about how they were proud of him for standing up to the refs and showing some heart and emotion about wanting to win. Thats a bunch of BS. No doubt Bart Scott has heart...otherwise he wouldn't be nearly the type of player he is. However, he was the only player who picked up 30 yards of personal fouls on just one play. Ed Reed and Ray Lewis have unquestioned heart, but I didn't see them hurting their team's chances to score at the end of the game. I would have been much happier to see Yamon Figurs taking the ball upfield on a kick return than seeing a kickoff from Ravens territory.
Regardless of the loss, this was a great game to watch. As a Ravens fan...it sucked. As a football fan...it was a great game. With a team that has thrown their year away with too many losses, it would have been nice to come up with a signature win.
The big news before the game was that Steve McNair has been put on IR. I respect Air McNair a lot for his great career, but it was apparent this season that his time had past. I thought Billick should have gone to Kyle Boller sooner in the season, but now Boller gets to compete down the stretch to prepare himself for what will likely be his job heading into next season.
Boller did a pretty decent job against the Patriots. His numbers were respectable, over 200 yards, 65.2% with 2 TDs and 1 INT. Those numbers will win the Ravens most games. However, a little bit more is probably needed against New England. The interception was the one mistake Boller made, which is impressive considering how much pressure he was under from the Patriots' rush all night long. Altogether it was a good showing for Boller, and I hope he can keep it up to finish up the season.
The big story on offense though was Willis McGahee. The dude ran hard all night long, and showed why the Ravens were smart to make a deal with Bufallo. He has already rushed for over 1000 yards this season, and has been a better receiving threat than how he was used by the Bills. This is a guy who is in his prime, and should provide several more great years for this team.
Defensively the Ravens played great. Holding the Patriots to 27 points is an accomplishment this season. Brady and the New England offense are just too good to be shut down, but the Ravens have done about as well as anybody else this season. The pass coverage was excellent all night, and Tom Brady was frustrated by that and a good pass rush. He certainly didn't have a Brady like game on the stat sheet. However, Tom Brady is clutch, which nobody can deny. Rex Ryan helped him out by calling the timeout before his failed QB sneak. However, Brady came right back and made plays to lead his team to the win.
I've heard from others, mostly Ravens fans about how the referrees ruined the end of that game. I think that is debatable. The biggest missed call I saw in the game was an obvious block in the back that went unflagged on Laurence Maroney's big 2nd half reception. The 4th down holding call in the end zone was the right decision to make, and the Ravens just had to deal with that. The catch to Gaffney in the endzone is extremely debatable, but the way the NFL replay rules are worded, I understand why it wasn't turned over.
My biggest problem at the end of the game was Bart Scott's terrible actions. I've heard from Ravens fans on message boards about how they were proud of him for standing up to the refs and showing some heart and emotion about wanting to win. Thats a bunch of BS. No doubt Bart Scott has heart...otherwise he wouldn't be nearly the type of player he is. However, he was the only player who picked up 30 yards of personal fouls on just one play. Ed Reed and Ray Lewis have unquestioned heart, but I didn't see them hurting their team's chances to score at the end of the game. I would have been much happier to see Yamon Figurs taking the ball upfield on a kick return than seeing a kickoff from Ravens territory.
Regardless of the loss, this was a great game to watch. As a Ravens fan...it sucked. As a football fan...it was a great game. With a team that has thrown their year away with too many losses, it would have been nice to come up with a signature win.
Funeral for Sean Taylor
I work in a school in Washington DC, and one of my coworkers set up a program for some of the students to watch the media coverage of Sean Taylor's funeral. I'm not a big fan of funerals, and have only attended a few in my lifetime. I prefer those types of situations to be small and family focused, rather than elaborate events. However, as I watched the the funeral coverage with the students, I felt it was appropriate.
It made me proud to be a Redskins fan to see how the team represented itself on Monday. It is obvious that this is a tragic situation, but I think the team handled things in a great way. Everybody probably wanted a win on Sunday to honor Taylor, and its too bad the 'Skins couldn't pull it off. However, having the entire organization visit Miami for Taylor's funeral shows what a team and a family should be about. The Redskins went out of their way to show support to their teammate and his grieving family.
I give a lot of credit to Dan Snyder, a thing that Redskins fans rarely do. He is a great businessman, and has obviously been blessed with immense wealth. His generosity in terms of what he pledged for Taylor's daughter, and in shutting down Redskins operations for a day to fly the team to Miami were a sign of how much he cares for one of his players. The example that he and Joe Gibbs sent to the team an to the public was that their season and their game was not more important than Sean Taylor or any other individual that is part of the Redskins.
It certainly is a sobering time to be a Redskins fan right now, and I know it can't compare to what those who were truly close to Sean Taylor have to go through. However, I am proud of the organization that I have grown up cheering for dealing with this loss in such a classy way. The team appears to be handling things as best they can, and I look forward to the game on Thursday night. Although they had maybe the shortest week of preparation and practice in NFL history, I have a feeling that they will come out ready to play against the Bears this week.
It made me proud to be a Redskins fan to see how the team represented itself on Monday. It is obvious that this is a tragic situation, but I think the team handled things in a great way. Everybody probably wanted a win on Sunday to honor Taylor, and its too bad the 'Skins couldn't pull it off. However, having the entire organization visit Miami for Taylor's funeral shows what a team and a family should be about. The Redskins went out of their way to show support to their teammate and his grieving family.
I give a lot of credit to Dan Snyder, a thing that Redskins fans rarely do. He is a great businessman, and has obviously been blessed with immense wealth. His generosity in terms of what he pledged for Taylor's daughter, and in shutting down Redskins operations for a day to fly the team to Miami were a sign of how much he cares for one of his players. The example that he and Joe Gibbs sent to the team an to the public was that their season and their game was not more important than Sean Taylor or any other individual that is part of the Redskins.
It certainly is a sobering time to be a Redskins fan right now, and I know it can't compare to what those who were truly close to Sean Taylor have to go through. However, I am proud of the organization that I have grown up cheering for dealing with this loss in such a classy way. The team appears to be handling things as best they can, and I look forward to the game on Thursday night. Although they had maybe the shortest week of preparation and practice in NFL history, I have a feeling that they will come out ready to play against the Bears this week.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
RIP Sean Taylor
Its been 2 full days for me since I heard Sean Taylor was shot, and a full day since it was announced that he had passed away. This is truly a tragc incident to see a person near my own age, with a child about the same age as my own, shot and killed in his own home. Life changed for me when my wife and I had our son, and I understand the fear of an intruder coming into your home. While listening to some of the radio coverage in the area, it seems to me that a lot of emphasis is being put on Taylor's past and what he did or did not do leading up to his murder. This annoys me. People want to break down the situation, and find reasons for why this happened already. I'd rather wait and see what comes out after a real investigation is completed then people guessing what might have happened or what Sean Taylor should have done differently. I understand that he is a public figure and the public wants to have answers about what happened to him. However, there is too much gossip going on, and none of it is helping honor this man's life. I am eager to hear from official sources about what happened leading up to Taylor's death, but I am tired of fans and media personalities voicing their under-informed opinions on what he should have done and what might have happened.
Any thoughts about the Redskins game for me this week are gone. I know the players will have to head out on Sunday and take care of their business, because thats what the NFL is. It won't be easy for a lot of them, but they need to carry out their jobs just like everybody else. Thats how I feel after this tragedy. It seems the fun of playing a game is temporarily lost when you lose a teammate, and there won't be a lot of joy for the Redskins leading up to their game this week. They will get over this setback...maybe in a few weeks or maybe next season. But for now the Redskins' season takes a back seat. Dealing with the tragedy of losing a teammate to murder is a lot more pressing of an issue.
My prayers go out to Taylor's family, friends, and teammates. I pray that they find strength in themselves to deal with this horrible situation, and to make the best future for themselves and those they love.
Any thoughts about the Redskins game for me this week are gone. I know the players will have to head out on Sunday and take care of their business, because thats what the NFL is. It won't be easy for a lot of them, but they need to carry out their jobs just like everybody else. Thats how I feel after this tragedy. It seems the fun of playing a game is temporarily lost when you lose a teammate, and there won't be a lot of joy for the Redskins leading up to their game this week. They will get over this setback...maybe in a few weeks or maybe next season. But for now the Redskins' season takes a back seat. Dealing with the tragedy of losing a teammate to murder is a lot more pressing of an issue.
My prayers go out to Taylor's family, friends, and teammates. I pray that they find strength in themselves to deal with this horrible situation, and to make the best future for themselves and those they love.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Sean Taylor Shot
http://www3.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/MI68880/
The Redskins loss yesterday looks like it is becoming less of a story right now, as Sean Taylor appears to be in critical condition after being shot at his Miami home. This is certainly an injury that appears to be threatening his life, and not just his football career right now. My prayers go out to his family, friends, and teammates that this situation will be resolved as best as it possibly can be.
The Redskins loss yesterday looks like it is becoming less of a story right now, as Sean Taylor appears to be in critical condition after being shot at his Miami home. This is certainly an injury that appears to be threatening his life, and not just his football career right now. My prayers go out to his family, friends, and teammates that this situation will be resolved as best as it possibly can be.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Terps Lose
Last night was my first opportunity to see the Maryland Terrapins this season. Thanks to their matchup with #1 UCLA, they got a nationally televised game on ESPN. I came away from that game not feeling too enthused about the team.
Maryland hoops fans have had things good for a long time. Gary Williams has done a great job of always fielding a good team. Even with some of their relative struggles over the last few years, they have still been a winning team in one of the best conferences in college basketball. However, it is hard to predict a great year from a team as young as this year's Terps. They return just 2 seniors(big men James Gist and Bambale Osby), 1 junior(Dave Neal 4.4 mpg and 1.6 ppg in 06-07), and 3 sophomores(Eric Hayes, Greivis Vasquez, and Landon Milbourne). Milbourne barely played last season and is basically a freshman in terms of experience, and Neal doesn't have much big game minutes under his belt. So basically the team is coming back with 4 proven contributors.
Williams seems to have Vasquez at the 1 with Hayes at the 2. Although Hayes is the better pure shooter, I don't think this is the best use of their combined talents. Eric played PG in high school, and seems to have that mentality. While Vasquez is a capable ball handler, his aggressive nature isn't suited for running the point full time. Both are capable players though, however neither is a true shooting guard. Vasquez is too inconsistent from beyond the arc, and Hayes doesn't have the mindset or physical ability to create his own shot. I like them on the court together, but I think they would both flourish more if the Terps had a legitimate 2 guard.
Gist and Osby look solid down low. Boom definitely improved his offensive game since last season, although he still turns the ball over way too much. I would like to see the Terps get the ball to Gist more, and for James to act quicker when he feels a double team. These two guys will be relied on game in and game out to put up solid numbers.
Watching the game last night was an introduction for me to the 5 freshman and Milbourne. What I saw from them wasn't bad, but it certainly didn't make me feel good about this season. Milbourne got the start next to the 4 players who got time last season, and he also saw the most minutes of the newcomers. He had a few promising moments, and ended up with 6 points and 5 rebounds. As the starter in the 3 spot, he should be putting up more than just 6 points. He seems like a good enough athlete to start at that spot, but I didn't witness a ton of intensity out of him. Considering that he didn't get time last season, and is still adjusting to being on the floor full time, I'll cut him some slack. However, I hope he comes out a little more determined to make plays later on this season.
Adrian Bowie had the next best showing among the new guys. He played 15 minutes, and had a solid stat sheet with 4 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. His quickness was evident the whole time he was on the court, but there were several times when it seemed he struggled to control the ball. Unlike Milbourne he didn't lack aggressiveness, but it seemed like his game wasn't quite developed enough to be a reliable weapon. I can see him having some big games off of the bench this year, and he should be fun to watch.
Cliff Tucker had just 8 minutes, and never seemed to get into the flow of the game while he was on the court. He seemed to handle the ball well for a taller guy, but that was all I noticed from him. I'd definitely like to see more of him soon.
Calvert Hall product Braxton Dupree got decent minutes against UCLA's freshman big man Kevin Love. Dupree has a body that reminds me of Lonny Baxter. He is a short, yet muscular center who will rely on positioning more so than athleticism to be successful. Love definitely outplayed him on the boards when they went up against each other. Braxton seemed to have a soft touch around the rim, but needs to work on boxing out when he goes up against other physical big men.
The last freshman to get in the game was Dino Gregory, who I only saw for the final minute when James Gist had fouled out. It looks like he may find himself outside of the main rotation right now.
Overall there seems to be some promise with this large recruiting class. However, there isn't a guy who appears ready to step in and be a major contributor yet. With the lack of experienced depth on the team, they will all see good time this season and hopefully one of them shows they are ready to step up and carry a greater load for this team. Otherwise I don't know if Maryland has what it takes to be near the top of the ACC this season.
Maryland hoops fans have had things good for a long time. Gary Williams has done a great job of always fielding a good team. Even with some of their relative struggles over the last few years, they have still been a winning team in one of the best conferences in college basketball. However, it is hard to predict a great year from a team as young as this year's Terps. They return just 2 seniors(big men James Gist and Bambale Osby), 1 junior(Dave Neal 4.4 mpg and 1.6 ppg in 06-07), and 3 sophomores(Eric Hayes, Greivis Vasquez, and Landon Milbourne). Milbourne barely played last season and is basically a freshman in terms of experience, and Neal doesn't have much big game minutes under his belt. So basically the team is coming back with 4 proven contributors.
Williams seems to have Vasquez at the 1 with Hayes at the 2. Although Hayes is the better pure shooter, I don't think this is the best use of their combined talents. Eric played PG in high school, and seems to have that mentality. While Vasquez is a capable ball handler, his aggressive nature isn't suited for running the point full time. Both are capable players though, however neither is a true shooting guard. Vasquez is too inconsistent from beyond the arc, and Hayes doesn't have the mindset or physical ability to create his own shot. I like them on the court together, but I think they would both flourish more if the Terps had a legitimate 2 guard.
Gist and Osby look solid down low. Boom definitely improved his offensive game since last season, although he still turns the ball over way too much. I would like to see the Terps get the ball to Gist more, and for James to act quicker when he feels a double team. These two guys will be relied on game in and game out to put up solid numbers.
Watching the game last night was an introduction for me to the 5 freshman and Milbourne. What I saw from them wasn't bad, but it certainly didn't make me feel good about this season. Milbourne got the start next to the 4 players who got time last season, and he also saw the most minutes of the newcomers. He had a few promising moments, and ended up with 6 points and 5 rebounds. As the starter in the 3 spot, he should be putting up more than just 6 points. He seems like a good enough athlete to start at that spot, but I didn't witness a ton of intensity out of him. Considering that he didn't get time last season, and is still adjusting to being on the floor full time, I'll cut him some slack. However, I hope he comes out a little more determined to make plays later on this season.
Adrian Bowie had the next best showing among the new guys. He played 15 minutes, and had a solid stat sheet with 4 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. His quickness was evident the whole time he was on the court, but there were several times when it seemed he struggled to control the ball. Unlike Milbourne he didn't lack aggressiveness, but it seemed like his game wasn't quite developed enough to be a reliable weapon. I can see him having some big games off of the bench this year, and he should be fun to watch.
Cliff Tucker had just 8 minutes, and never seemed to get into the flow of the game while he was on the court. He seemed to handle the ball well for a taller guy, but that was all I noticed from him. I'd definitely like to see more of him soon.
Calvert Hall product Braxton Dupree got decent minutes against UCLA's freshman big man Kevin Love. Dupree has a body that reminds me of Lonny Baxter. He is a short, yet muscular center who will rely on positioning more so than athleticism to be successful. Love definitely outplayed him on the boards when they went up against each other. Braxton seemed to have a soft touch around the rim, but needs to work on boxing out when he goes up against other physical big men.
The last freshman to get in the game was Dino Gregory, who I only saw for the final minute when James Gist had fouled out. It looks like he may find himself outside of the main rotation right now.
Overall there seems to be some promise with this large recruiting class. However, there isn't a guy who appears ready to step in and be a major contributor yet. With the lack of experienced depth on the team, they will all see good time this season and hopefully one of them shows they are ready to step up and carry a greater load for this team. Otherwise I don't know if Maryland has what it takes to be near the top of the ACC this season.
Monday, November 19, 2007
T.O. 28 - Redskins 23
I missed the 1st half of this game because I was watching the Ravens up in Baltimore. I was pleased to see when I started watching during the 2nd half that the 'Skins were only down 14-13. From what I saw, the Redskins looked pretty good. Clinton Portis' back to back 100+ games were forgotten, and Washington went to the air. Jason Campbell had a career game in terms of yardage, and for the 2nd week in a row he threw a TD to a wide receiver. This seems like a new offense when compared to where they were a few weeks ago. Santana Moss' big game was great to see, especially considering his heel was supposed to be killing him. The offense had a chance to win the game late, and it was tough to see them come up short. However, it was definitely a moral victory after seeing the team lose a close one that should have been a win the week before.
Sean Taylor was definitely missed though. T.O is a great player, but he doesn't score 4 TDs if Sean Taylor is back there. He might get 2 or 3, but not 4. Even with a Detroit loss on Sunday, the Skins are still on the outside looking in for the Wild Card. The Giants will probably grab one spot, and the Lions are in the lead for the next one. However, the 'Skins now have the Eagles and Cardinals at 5-5 to worry about as well. Washington holds the tiebreaker with both Detroit and Arizona, and I'm not sure about the tiebreaker with Philly. So the Redskins might need to just match their competition in wins to get the Wild Card slot. However, there aren't any more acceptable losses for this team.
Sean Taylor was definitely missed though. T.O is a great player, but he doesn't score 4 TDs if Sean Taylor is back there. He might get 2 or 3, but not 4. Even with a Detroit loss on Sunday, the Skins are still on the outside looking in for the Wild Card. The Giants will probably grab one spot, and the Lions are in the lead for the next one. However, the 'Skins now have the Eagles and Cardinals at 5-5 to worry about as well. Washington holds the tiebreaker with both Detroit and Arizona, and I'm not sure about the tiebreaker with Philly. So the Redskins might need to just match their competition in wins to get the Wild Card slot. However, there aren't any more acceptable losses for this team.
OT is a Debacle
I attended the Ravens-Browns game yesterday, which will become infamous for Phil Dawson's game-tieing field goal that landed in the endzone. A lot of people had already left the stadium after Matt Stover hit the go-ahead field goal with less than a minute left. Those who were still there had already started filing out of the stadium before most realized that the game might not be over. It was obvious from where I was on the opposing 30 yard line and hundreds of feet up, that the ball landed in the endzone. However, I began to realize without the help of replay that the ball must have hit the support and not the horizontal goal post. Word came back as people waited in the aisles, that the FG was good and the game was going to OT. Most Baltimorons were incredulous at this point, but I wasn't upset. The kick was good and the refs got the call right in the end. It sucked...but Ravens fans would have wanted it that way if the situation was flipped.
I've always hated the way the NFL plays overtime games. The idea that a team can lose a game in overtime without ever running an offensive play is ridiculous. Sudden death works in hockey or soccer when there is most likely to be multiple change of possessions before the deciding score. However, with football it is a failure. I would much rather see the alternating possession system that the NCAA uses. Each team's offense and defense atleast has an impact in overtime. If the NFL doesn't want to go that route...then let the game end in a tie. That would have been a much more deserving result to yesterday's game.
The game itself was entertaining in the 2nd half. Baltimore's 37 yards of offense in the 1st half was pitiful. However, they looked like a great team at times in the 2nd half. How a team can go from looking that bad to that good is astounding. Kyle Boller looked good throwing the ball down the field in the 2nd half. Of course he still overthrew the soft passes over the middle, and gave up a pick-6 when he got rocked in the red zone. The offensive line was absolutely horrible in pass protection. Boller was sacked six times, and was pressured into a lot of bad throws. For some reason it took the coaching staff a whole half to realize that the offense could be successful when Boller took a three step drop instead of five or seven.
In regards to the coaching...where was it on special teams? Josh Cribbs has been an individual highlight reel for the Browns lately, yet the Ravens kicked the ball off to him SEVEN TIMES! Matt Stover was able to squib one kickoff threw the endzone, but otherwise they tried nothing different. Cribbs had 245 yards on kickoffs alone! Cribbs fielded each kick to his left, and Cleveland ran the same return each time. Since Stover has a weak leg, why not squib it more than once. How about a sky kick to a blocker, or kicking it to Cribbs' right. Of all the miscues in this game, the kickoff team was the worst. On Cleveland's tieing drive and game winning drive in OT, they got the ball on their 43 and 41 yard lines. It was impressive that they came back to win that game, but the Ravens certainly made it easy at times.
I've always hated the way the NFL plays overtime games. The idea that a team can lose a game in overtime without ever running an offensive play is ridiculous. Sudden death works in hockey or soccer when there is most likely to be multiple change of possessions before the deciding score. However, with football it is a failure. I would much rather see the alternating possession system that the NCAA uses. Each team's offense and defense atleast has an impact in overtime. If the NFL doesn't want to go that route...then let the game end in a tie. That would have been a much more deserving result to yesterday's game.
The game itself was entertaining in the 2nd half. Baltimore's 37 yards of offense in the 1st half was pitiful. However, they looked like a great team at times in the 2nd half. How a team can go from looking that bad to that good is astounding. Kyle Boller looked good throwing the ball down the field in the 2nd half. Of course he still overthrew the soft passes over the middle, and gave up a pick-6 when he got rocked in the red zone. The offensive line was absolutely horrible in pass protection. Boller was sacked six times, and was pressured into a lot of bad throws. For some reason it took the coaching staff a whole half to realize that the offense could be successful when Boller took a three step drop instead of five or seven.
In regards to the coaching...where was it on special teams? Josh Cribbs has been an individual highlight reel for the Browns lately, yet the Ravens kicked the ball off to him SEVEN TIMES! Matt Stover was able to squib one kickoff threw the endzone, but otherwise they tried nothing different. Cribbs had 245 yards on kickoffs alone! Cribbs fielded each kick to his left, and Cleveland ran the same return each time. Since Stover has a weak leg, why not squib it more than once. How about a sky kick to a blocker, or kicking it to Cribbs' right. Of all the miscues in this game, the kickoff team was the worst. On Cleveland's tieing drive and game winning drive in OT, they got the ball on their 43 and 41 yard lines. It was impressive that they came back to win that game, but the Ravens certainly made it easy at times.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Redskins Playoff Outlook
I feel decent about the Redskins because they have a winning record and still are barely on the outside of the playoffs. I hear the pessimists saying they should be 3-5, and the optimists saying they should be 7-2. Look! The reality is that they are slightly ahead of the middle in the NFC. 5-4 is perfectly reasonable for this team right now. They have had a fair amount of injuries to key guys, and are still keeping themselves in games. (Note...the Patriots game never actually happened). Injuries to Carlos Rogers and Sean Taylor will surely hurt the team's potential over the rest of the year, but that doesn't spell doom.
Currently the 'Skins are 7th in the NFC. That leaves them as the last team out of the playoffs. At 8-1, Green Bay and Dallas look to have spots wrapped up already. The Buccaneers and Seahawks, both at 5-4, are no better than the 'Skins on the field, but have the benefit of playing in crappy divisons. They or some other mediocre team will take those 2 divisonal slots. So that leaves the Lions and Giants, both 6-4, as the Redskins primary competition for one of the 2 Wild Card spots.
Detroit and NY play each other this week, which gives the Skins an opportunity to pick up a game on atleast one of them. However, the Burgundy and Gold also have to travel to Dallas for their first test against the Cowboys this year. A win in Big D would be huge for the 'Skins' playoff picture. However, even with a loss and a drop back to .500 they have a chance for the Wild Card.
The Giants have the best road ahead of these 3 teams. After the Lions they have Minnesota, Chicago, Philly, Washington, Buffalo, and New England. I see them getting 4 0r 5 wins out of that stretch, which would put them at 10-6 or 11-5 to finish the season. Thats a solid Wild Card team.
Detroit has a much tougher finish to their season. After their matchup with the Giants, they still have to face Green Bay twice and Dallas.(Likely outcome, 1-2) Its hard to predict wins for Jon Kitna during those weeks. While KC and Minnesota look to be struggling now, San Diego is a team that is hard to judge. That game is a toss up to predict. (Likely outcome 2-1). So I see Detroit going 3-3 after this weeks matchup. Three or four more wins would have them looking at 9-7 or 10-6.
Now I'm not up to date on all of my playoff tiebreakers for the NFL, but I would assume the Redskins beat the Lions for a playoff spot because of the Redskins win over Detroit during the regular season. So the 'Skins should be realistically aiming for a 10-6 finish. The Redskins schedule finishing up looks like this.
Dal - W/L
TB - W/L
Buf - W
Chi - W
NYG - W/L
Min - W
Dal - W/L
The three games with the W next to them are must wins for Washington. A loss to Buffalo, Chicago, or Minnesota could be a nail in the Skins' coffin. However, even with those 3 wins the team would still have just 8 victories. To get to 10-6 and to feel comfortable with a playoff spot, the Redskins would have to split their 4 games with likely playoff opponents. All but one of those games will be on the road.
It looks like the Giants will likely get one of the two Wild Card spots. Detroit and Washington both have a shaky road towards the end, but have the best shots of any other NFC teams. DC fans really need to cheer hard for anybody coming up against the Lions this year, and the 2 Dallas games for the Skins take on even more of a meaning this year with where the standings are now.
Currently the 'Skins are 7th in the NFC. That leaves them as the last team out of the playoffs. At 8-1, Green Bay and Dallas look to have spots wrapped up already. The Buccaneers and Seahawks, both at 5-4, are no better than the 'Skins on the field, but have the benefit of playing in crappy divisons. They or some other mediocre team will take those 2 divisonal slots. So that leaves the Lions and Giants, both 6-4, as the Redskins primary competition for one of the 2 Wild Card spots.
Detroit and NY play each other this week, which gives the Skins an opportunity to pick up a game on atleast one of them. However, the Burgundy and Gold also have to travel to Dallas for their first test against the Cowboys this year. A win in Big D would be huge for the 'Skins' playoff picture. However, even with a loss and a drop back to .500 they have a chance for the Wild Card.
The Giants have the best road ahead of these 3 teams. After the Lions they have Minnesota, Chicago, Philly, Washington, Buffalo, and New England. I see them getting 4 0r 5 wins out of that stretch, which would put them at 10-6 or 11-5 to finish the season. Thats a solid Wild Card team.
Detroit has a much tougher finish to their season. After their matchup with the Giants, they still have to face Green Bay twice and Dallas.(Likely outcome, 1-2) Its hard to predict wins for Jon Kitna during those weeks. While KC and Minnesota look to be struggling now, San Diego is a team that is hard to judge. That game is a toss up to predict. (Likely outcome 2-1). So I see Detroit going 3-3 after this weeks matchup. Three or four more wins would have them looking at 9-7 or 10-6.
Now I'm not up to date on all of my playoff tiebreakers for the NFL, but I would assume the Redskins beat the Lions for a playoff spot because of the Redskins win over Detroit during the regular season. So the 'Skins should be realistically aiming for a 10-6 finish. The Redskins schedule finishing up looks like this.
Dal - W/L
TB - W/L
Buf - W
Chi - W
NYG - W/L
Min - W
Dal - W/L
The three games with the W next to them are must wins for Washington. A loss to Buffalo, Chicago, or Minnesota could be a nail in the Skins' coffin. However, even with those 3 wins the team would still have just 8 victories. To get to 10-6 and to feel comfortable with a playoff spot, the Redskins would have to split their 4 games with likely playoff opponents. All but one of those games will be on the road.
It looks like the Giants will likely get one of the two Wild Card spots. Detroit and Washington both have a shaky road towards the end, but have the best shots of any other NFC teams. DC fans really need to cheer hard for anybody coming up against the Lions this year, and the 2 Dallas games for the Skins take on even more of a meaning this year with where the standings are now.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Ravens 22 - Rams 3
My dad is a Ravens season ticket holder, and I was able to meet up with him for my first Ravens game of the year yesterday. Its always great to see a win, but it would have been nice if the Rams showed up to play yesterday. After yesterday's game, it is obvious why they are at 0-6. Their offense is absolutely horrible. Obviously the Ravens are a tough defense to play against. However, Gus Frerotte's 5 interceptions were laughable. One was a dropped ball by a St. Louis receiver, but the others looked like he was just throwing things up in a crowd. Ol' Gus also suffered 4 sacks from the Ravens D. So this is a chicken or the egg scenario. Did the Ravens defense play that well, or were the Rams just that bad. Considering Frerotte threw 3 TDs and 3 INTs last week against the Cardinals, I would have to say a bit of both.
Offensively the Ravens were only slightly better than the Rams. Although the game was never in doubt, the Ravens didn't do much with the ball, and were actually outgained by the Rams. I think the Ravens are struggling offensively because of the general inexperience of their offensive line. Jason Brown had three key penalties in the game, and Chris Chester was flagged for holding on the one yard line. Kyle Boller started the game in place of Steve McNair, and did a good job with the offense. He did have an interception after Chester's penalty put the Ravens back off the goal line, but that pick was the result of Jared Gaither getting beat with a speed rush from Boller's blind side. Its great to see Matt Stover hit 5 field goals, but it would be a lot sweeter for the Ravens if they could manage a few more TDs from those situations.
At the end of the day the only thing that matters is a win. However, the usual frustration with the Ravens offense remains. Atleast Kyle Boller continues to play decently backing up Steve McNair.
Offensively the Ravens were only slightly better than the Rams. Although the game was never in doubt, the Ravens didn't do much with the ball, and were actually outgained by the Rams. I think the Ravens are struggling offensively because of the general inexperience of their offensive line. Jason Brown had three key penalties in the game, and Chris Chester was flagged for holding on the one yard line. Kyle Boller started the game in place of Steve McNair, and did a good job with the offense. He did have an interception after Chester's penalty put the Ravens back off the goal line, but that pick was the result of Jared Gaither getting beat with a speed rush from Boller's blind side. Its great to see Matt Stover hit 5 field goals, but it would be a lot sweeter for the Ravens if they could manage a few more TDs from those situations.
At the end of the day the only thing that matters is a win. However, the usual frustration with the Ravens offense remains. Atleast Kyle Boller continues to play decently backing up Steve McNair.
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