| 29th September 2006 01:47 PM |
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| WinslowStud |
Taken from Sports Illustrated:
It's only Week 4, but dark clouds have gathered in numerous NFL cities. Here's the early hit list and the chances that things will get better:
Pittsburgh
The Steelers are 1-2 in a division in which Cincinnati is 3-0 and getting better and Baltimore is 3-0 and already good. One-and-two is a deeper hole than it looks in the standings. Ben Roethlisberger got booed at home last Sunday (trust me, I was there; it wasn't thunderous booing, but it wasn't a smattering, either).
The Steelers have two problems:
1) Big Ben's turbulent summer has left him way short of early-season sharpness. In the 9-0 Monday night loss to Jacksonville ("It was embarrassing to play like that on Monday night,'' All-Pro wideout Hines Ward told me last weekend), Roethlisberger was lousy and the Steelers lay the blame on their inability to run the ball. Last Sunday in a 28-20 loss to Bengals, they ran the ball just fine (Willie Parker gashed the Tigers for 133 yards on 31 carries and the Steelers' o-line was manly) and still Roethlisberger threw three picks.
2) I understand that Antwaan Randle-El wasn't the second coming of Lance Alworth, but in his absence the Steelers have nobody on the perimeter that scares defenses. Ward might be in the Hall of Fame someday, but he's a reliable possession guy, not an every-day downfield threat. And he told me he's already seeing coverages this year he's never seen before. This offense needs work.
Outlook -- Things will get better. Roethlisberger needs games (this was not a good week for a bye) and snaps and he will improve. He won't carry an offense. Parker looks reliable in the ground game. Ward will find ways to get open. The Steelers will win nine or 10 games, but that's not going to be good enough to win the division and might not be good enough for a wild card, either.
Miami
The offseason is like Christmas: All is good in the world and everybody is headed for the Super Bowl. I did a story on the 'Fins for Sports Illustrated in June, after spending time at their mini-camp. At the time, second-year coach Nick Saban's systems -- on and off the field -- seemed to be taking hold and everyone on the grounds was raving about Daunte Culpepper's swift recovery from a knee reconstruction.
Three weeks into the season the Dolphins are 1-2 and only by virtue of a desperate win over the Titans are they not winless. Culpepper has thrown one touchdown pass and three interceptions. He doesn't look recovered or effective and my ears are ringing with the warnings spoken to me during a visit to Vikings' training camp in August, in which I was warned by Vikings' insiders that Culpepper is not just injured, but maybe finished.
Whether that's true or not, there have already been calls in the South Florida media for Joey Harrington to replace Culpepper until: a) Culpepper is really healthy, or b) forever. This prospect must be chilling for Lions fans, who watched Harrington's slow, steady failure in Motown.
Meanwhile, Saban's patience -- not his strongest quality -- will be tested. A year ago he unloaded on the Dolphins and helped right a listing ship after a terrible midseason loss to Cleveland. A similar eruption will come earlier this year.
Outlook -- Culpepper looks like damaged goods. Maybe he needs another six months' rehab on the knee and he'll be the Daunte of old. That doesn't do the Dolphins any good. On the other hand, the defense is a solid fourth in the AFC in total defense and the AFC East isn't exactly looking like the Group of Death, with New England hearing the death rattle of its dynasty and the Jets hanging on Chad Pennington's shaky right arm. Expect the Dolphins to stay in the hunt in a division that could be won with 10 victories.
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| 29th September 2006 01:48 PM |
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| Some Guy |
Rumour has it that The Atlanta Falcons are bringing sexy back. |
| 29th September 2006 02:05 PM |
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| sirmoonie |
quote:
Some Guy wrote:
Rumour has it that The Atlanta Falcons are bringing sexy back.
That rumor got squelched last week, no? |
| 29th September 2006 02:21 PM |
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| Some Guy |
quote:
sirmoonie wrote:
That rumor got squelched last week, no?
Yo sniff, we rolled over and took one for the good of the country, it's nation time, yes?
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| 29th September 2006 02:32 PM |
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| Saint Sway |
Hey Winslow,
either sign the Dance Little Sister petition or beat it |
| 29th September 2006 03:39 PM |
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| gimmekeef |
No mention of the 0-3 Brownies?.......lmao.....can you say 4-12?.....with some luck that is...watchem lay an egg in Oakland! |
| 29th September 2006 03:41 PM |
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| Saint Sway |
quote:
Some Guy wrote:
Yo sniff, we rolled over and took one for the good of the country, it's nation time, yes?
its PRIME TIME! |
| 29th September 2006 03:59 PM |
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| Some Guy |
quote:
Saint Sway wrote:
its PRIME TIME!
who-miliationism. |
| 29th September 2006 04:02 PM |
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| Saint Sway |
quote:
Some Guy wrote:
who-miliationism.
Deion was at TO's PC! LOL! |
| 29th September 2006 04:04 PM |
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| Some Guy |
look for Leinert to be douched! |
| 29th September 2006 04:06 PM |
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| Saint Sway |
quote:
Some Guy wrote:
look for Leinert to be douched!
Paris' pee-pee? |
| 29th September 2006 05:49 PM |
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| chevysales |
YOU AND K2 SUCK
quote:
WinslowStud wrote:
Taken from Sports Illustrated:
It's only Week 4, but dark clouds have gathered in numerous NFL cities. Here's the early hit list and the chances that things will get better:
Pittsburgh
The Steelers are 1-2 in a division in which Cincinnati is 3-0 and getting better and Baltimore is 3-0 and already good. One-and-two is a deeper hole than it looks in the standings. Ben Roethlisberger got booed at home last Sunday (trust me, I was there; it wasn't thunderous booing, but it wasn't a smattering, either).
The Steelers have two problems:
1) Big Ben's turbulent summer has left him way short of early-season sharpness. In the 9-0 Monday night loss to Jacksonville ("It was embarrassing to play like that on Monday night,'' All-Pro wideout Hines Ward told me last weekend), Roethlisberger was lousy and the Steelers lay the blame on their inability to run the ball. Last Sunday in a 28-20 loss to Bengals, they ran the ball just fine (Willie Parker gashed the Tigers for 133 yards on 31 carries and the Steelers' o-line was manly) and still Roethlisberger threw three picks.
2) I understand that Antwaan Randle-El wasn't the second coming of Lance Alworth, but in his absence the Steelers have nobody on the perimeter that scares defenses. Ward might be in the Hall of Fame someday, but he's a reliable possession guy, not an every-day downfield threat. And he told me he's already seeing coverages this year he's never seen before. This offense needs work.
Outlook -- Things will get better. Roethlisberger needs games (this was not a good week for a bye) and snaps and he will improve. He won't carry an offense. Parker looks reliable in the ground game. Ward will find ways to get open. The Steelers will win nine or 10 games, but that's not going to be good enough to win the division and might not be good enough for a wild card, either.
Miami
The offseason is like Christmas: All is good in the world and everybody is headed for the Super Bowl. I did a story on the 'Fins for Sports Illustrated in June, after spending time at their mini-camp. At the time, second-year coach Nick Saban's systems -- on and off the field -- seemed to be taking hold and everyone on the grounds was raving about Daunte Culpepper's swift recovery from a knee reconstruction.
Three weeks into the season the Dolphins are 1-2 and only by virtue of a desperate win over the Titans are they not winless. Culpepper has thrown one touchdown pass and three interceptions. He doesn't look recovered or effective and my ears are ringing with the warnings spoken to me during a visit to Vikings' training camp in August, in which I was warned by Vikings' insiders that Culpepper is not just injured, but maybe finished.
Whether that's true or not, there have already been calls in the South Florida media for Joey Harrington to replace Culpepper until: a) Culpepper is really healthy, or b) forever. This prospect must be chilling for Lions fans, who watched Harrington's slow, steady failure in Motown.
Meanwhile, Saban's patience -- not his strongest quality -- will be tested. A year ago he unloaded on the Dolphins and helped right a listing ship after a terrible midseason loss to Cleveland. A similar eruption will come earlier this year.
Outlook -- Culpepper looks like damaged goods. Maybe he needs another six months' rehab on the knee and he'll be the Daunte of old. That doesn't do the Dolphins any good. On the other hand, the defense is a solid fourth in the AFC in total defense and the AFC East isn't exactly looking like the Group of Death, with New England hearing the death rattle of its dynasty and the Jets hanging on Chad Pennington's shaky right arm. Expect the Dolphins to stay in the hunt in a division that could be won with 10 victories.
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