Late Night Movie
Sunday, 31. January 2010
Watching “Never Back Down” on a Saturday night. Doesn’t get any better than this. This guy looks the spittin image of Tom Cruise here.
Watching “Never Back Down” on a Saturday night. Doesn’t get any better than this. This guy looks the spittin image of Tom Cruise here.
2010 Heisman Hopefuls
Tuesday, 26. January 2010
2010 Heisman Candidates
Jacquizz Rodgers
Rodgers has to be considered a Heisman candidate. He ran for 1440 yards and 21 td’s on 273 attempts. He also chipped in with 522 yards and another td on 78 receptions. Rodgers and his brother are pretty much the entire offense at Oregon State. If it happens, it is usually one of them doing it. Jacquizz is extremely durable for his size. He can take a large dose of carries and not be slowed down. He will get a ton of them this year, and even though the Beavers may be an average team, he will roll up a ton of stats.
Christian Ponder
Christian Ponder is a Heisman contender. He was on his way to an All-American type season this past year until an injury derailed him for the last three games of the season. Ponder still ended up with 2717 yards and 14 td’s with only 7 int’s. Florida State has some receivers in which to throw the ball. Ponder will be hungry after ending his season on such a disappointing note. He was only improving as the weeks went by last year. I feel like Ponder is poised for a monster season this year.
Jeremiah Masoli
Masoli will again lead the Ducks attack this year. He does it through the air and on the ground. Masoli had over 2100 yards in the air and another 600 yards on the ground. He accounted for 23 td’s, all while missing one game. The Oregon offense will be potent again this year, and Masoli will pile up the stats, but the main reason he may not win will be the next guy in this list.
LaMichael James
How did the state of Texas ever let this guy get away? You would think someone would have been able to reel him in. James had a dynamic first season in Oregon. The state of Oregon has two of the leading candidates for the Heisman trophy at running back, both from Texas high schools. James ended up with over 1500 yards on the ground on only 230 carries. He only carried the ball eleven times total in the first two games, so just imagine what his stats could have looked like had he been playing the whole wasy. He will be playing the whole way this year, and he will get his yards, but Masoli and James may split some votes if they both have the season expected of them.
Dion Lewis
Lewis grew on me towards the end of the year last year. The more you watched him, the more you noticed it was not the system, but it was him being able to make tacklers miss and get all of those yards. He was another one that got away from some of the bigger schools. He will be back wreaking havoc in the Big East again this year after a freshman campaign a year ago that saw him get nearly 1800 yards and 17 touchdowns on the ground. Keep an eye on this year as teams try to key on him a little bit more to see how he handles it.
Kellen Moore
Moore is probably not the most talented guy in the world. True, if he were playing in a BCS Conference, we wouldn’t even have him here. Heck, he may not even be starting for a lot of BCS teams, but the kid did put up the state last year. You have to figure with the schedule that Bloise State has that Moore is going to throw up monster stats again and the Broncos are going to win nearly all of their games. This should be reason enough for any intelligent observer to put him here knowing how voters vote.
Andrew Luck
Luck is a guy I watched multiple times at Houston Stratford High School. He willed his so-so team to near state championship runs two years in a row. He is a competitor. He is extremely intelligent. He is a winner. All of the components you look for in a quarterback. Luck will not put up the great numbers probably, but he will overwhelm you with his innate ability to quarterback a football team. He threw for 2500 yards and 13 td’s last year, but his stats do not begin to tell his worth to the Stanford Cardinal football team.
Terrelle Pryor
Yeah, I know…everyone is tired of waiting for Pryor to get past mediocre and become even a good quarterback before we put him in this conversation. That’s not always waht the Heisman is about though. Look at this year as prime example number one. Ingram was not a special back, nor did he have sparkling numbers, but that is not what the Hesiman is about any more. Pryor is on Ohio State, one of the big time schools in college football. He plays the most important position. He can make breath-taking plays occasionally. Those are the things that will get him some Heisman consideration, especially is the Buckeyes do well as a team. He did end up passing for over 2,000 yards and running for over 600 yards, which is nothing to sneeze at. Where he needs to work is on limiting his turnovers and improving his decision making skills in the clutch. If he can do that, you can mark him down for a spot in New York.
AJ Green
Green followed up an amazing freshman year with a decent sophomore year. His numbers fell a bit from 950 yards receiver to 800 and 8 td’s to 6. That had a lot to do with the offense as a whole. They did not have much going on that side of the ball last year. Losing Knowshon Moreno and Matt Stafford were obviously big blows for the Bulldogs. Hopefully with another year under his belt Green will do a better job of harnessing his immense talent and Georgia will find a way to get him the ball. He likely will not be around for senior campaign, so this is his year to shine. However, how many receivers have won this award without some major special teams contributions? Green is fighting an uphill battle.
Ryan Mallett
Talk about a strong armed Texas kid. It’s amazing how many of the quarterbacks around the country are from Texas these days. Ponder, Luck and Mallett all grew up in the Lone Star state. Mallett has the biggest cannon that I have probably ever seen as a college qb. He effortlessly flicks it 45 yards down the field on a line. He does not have any mobility at all which will not help if he is to get into the thick of the Heisman race. He will have to do all his damage through the air. He ended up throwing for over 3600 yards and 30 td’s. IF he can duplicate that, then he should be in the race.
Ryan Williams
Williams is a darkhorse candidate. He really came on at the end of the year last year finishing up with 180 yards and four td’s against Virginia, then following that up with another hundred yard game against a tough Tennessee defense in the bowl game. Williams has legitimate NFL skill at the running back position. Virginia Tech loves to run the ball. The Hokies are always in the top 15-20. If they can put it together and make a run for a top 5 slot this year, with Williams leading the way, I expect he will get his name in the race.
Jacory Harris
Harris looked like he was ready to get in the Heisman hunt last year, but he faltered a little towards the middle of the season. After throwing for over 650 yards against Florida State and Georgia Tech to open the season with two big wins, Harris came crashing back down to earth in a loss to Virginia Tech. Harris threw four interceptions in a late season loss to North Carolina. If he can stay away from throwing so many interceptions and Miami can become a national contender again…those are some huge if’s…then he will have a shot. He went for 3300 yards and 24 td’s last year. I exect much the same, if not more, with better decision making this year.
Case Keenum, QB, Houston – He will have the stats, but he really needs to win nearly every game to have a shot.
Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama – No way will he win it back to back, especially with Richardson getting more and more carries.
Andy Dalton, QB, TCU – Dalton could slide into the hopefuls category if he has an abdolutely monster year.
Garrett Gilbert, QB, Texas – too soon for Gilbert, though he will put up good stats and win a lot.
Colin Kaepernick, QB, Nevada – Nevada is not going to have a Heisman winner, but he will put up some stats though.
Jake Locker, QB, Washington – Not going to have the stats, though he is a nice NFL prospect.
Noel Devine, RB, West Virginia – Late entry to the list. Devine will need a top 10 Mountaineers team to get in the mix.
2010 NFL Mock Draft
Thursday, 21. January 2010
#1 St. Louis Rams – Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame
While Clausen is not the best player in the draft, the Rams are in desperate need of a quarterback to take over for the aging, ineffective Marc Bulger. Clausen, as much as peole may dislike him, is a really good quarterback. He was much improved this year and usually was able to keep the Irish in most games. He made great strides in his three years in South Bend. His completion percentage went from 56% to 60% to 68%. His yards went from 1250 to 3100 to 3700. His td’s went from 7 to 25 to 28. His int’s went from 6 to 17 to a remarkable 4 this year. Clausen would be a nice choice for a team that needs a quarterback right here.
#2 Detroit Lions – Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska
Suh is probably the top overall player in this draft. He really had his coming out party in the Big 12 Championship game against Texas where he just abused the Longhorns’ offensive line. The Lions could really use some offensive line help to better protect Matt Stafford, but Suh is just too good to ass up. He can anchor a stout defensive front for the next ten years.
#3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Eric Berry, S, Tennessee
While it may be hard to envision a defensive back going this high, the Bucs would be foolish to pass up Berry. He is Ed Reed art two. Berry makes game changing plays from the defensive side of the ball. He can hel shore up what has become a less than stellar defense in Tampa Bay.
#4 Washington Redskins – Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7OC0YbG2fek/R34lk7pyQTI/AAAAAAAAEhg/LEDaLTeOnQA/s400/SamBradford.jpg")
Had Bradford not gotten hurt, he may have gone number one. He was almost certain to go number one or two last year. I do not feel the injury will hurt him near as bad as some feared though. Mike Shanahan has to be wanting a fresh start. Jason Campbell has proven that he can not get the job done there in Washington. I see no reason to waste more time hammering that point home. Bradford, if healthy, will be a good NFL quarterback.
#5 Kansas City Chiefs – Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma
McCoy is only a shade or two below Suh as a defensive tackle. The Chiefs could use some help in a few different laces at this point. Some have them going offensive line here with Okung, but I think they will stay on the defensive side of the ball.
#6 Seattle Seahawks – Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State
Okung is a nice prospect. I feel that he was a little bit over-hyped coming into the season. This is a lean year for offensive tackles though, so I think he will still sneak his way into the top 10 here with Seattle.
#7 Cleveland Browns – Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State
This may be considered a reach right here, but the Browns need some type of offensive firepower. When your best chance of scoring a touchdown is on a special teams return, then you need some help on this side of the ball. Cleveland could probably use a new quarterback right here, but Brady Quinn will be re-evaluated by the new staff in Cleveland first. There really are not any qb’s worthy of this slot after Clausen and Bradford go off the board. Bryant is a dynamic receiver. He can jump with the best of them, make yards after the catch and has fairly reliable hands.
#8 Oakland Raiders – Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers
The Raiders are in dire need of a quarterback. When your former first overall pick is barely hanging on as the third best quarterback on your team, you need to rethink your scouting principles. Jamarcus Russell is going to rival Ryan Leaf in terms of being a bust. The Raiders could use some help at the left tackle spot and Davis, who has declared for the draft after his junior season, is a nice place to start.
#9 Buffalo Bills – Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland
The Bills are another team that could use some help at the skill positions on offense. Who are they going to take here though? Tim Tebow is not going to be an NFL quarterback. Other quarterbacks are simply not rated highly enough to go here. Teams can always find a place for a good offensive lineman, so the Bills will select Campbell, another early entry lineman, from Maryland
#10 Jacksonville Jaguars – Brandon Spikes, ILB, Florida
I may not personally feel that Spikes deserves to go this high, but he is a Florida guy. Jacksonville will draft him and keep him in Florida. I just hope they can keep him from trying to gouge any more eyes out once he gets to the NFL.
#11 Denver Broncos – Rolando McClain, ILB, Alabama
McClain is a monster in the middle. He’s over 250 pounds and can move. He reminds me of a slightly bigger version of Demeco Ryans, also from Alabama, who is laying in the pro bowl this year. Both have a nose for the ball. Both have the natural linebacker instincts. McClain will be a great NFL player for a long time.
#12 Miami Dolphins – Everson Griffen, DE, USC
We know Parcells is going to go defense first. With McClain and Spikes both off the board, the Dolphins will look to shore up their pass rush by selecting Griffen out of USC. Griffen is more comfortable in pass coverage than some of the other options available here. This will be key in a 3-4 defense that Parcells likes to employ. Joey Porter and Jason Taylor are both getting up there in age, so this would be a good time to draft a younger guy to groom for the position.
#13 San Francisco 49ers – Joe Haden, CB, Florida
This is where a guy like Haden falling down can really help the Niners. Haden is too good of a prospect to pass up at this point. He has started a lot of big games for Florida, and he has a good nose for the ball. He will hel immediately.
#14 Seattle Seahwaks – Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa
The Seahawks may be reaching right here. They do need a tackle, but Bulaga may make more sense towards the end of the first round. The Seahawks have not been making a lot of sense lately though.
#15 New York Giants – Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee
Defensive tackle is a need right now for the Giants. They have other needs, namely in the offensive backfield where Brandon Jacobs greatly underperformed this year. The defense could use some help too as they fell apart towards the end of the season. Williams is widely regarded as the third best defensive tackle behind Suh and McCoy. He would be a good fit for the Giants.
#16 Tennessee Titans – Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech
The Titans had trouble putting pressure on the opposing quarterback this year. This reared its head in the game against San Diego especially. They could use another receiver, but Britt seemed to be coming along nicely towards the end of the year. They have an offense that they can work with, but they just need a defense to stop someone. Morgan’s specialty is bringing pressure off the edge.
#17 San Francisco 49ers – Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma
The Niners have a need at offensive tackle. Williams probably would have gone higher had he came out last year. His stock slipped a little bit this year, but he is talented to last past this point in the first round.
#18 Pittsburgh Steelers – Taylor Mays, S, USC
How in the world do the Steelers get this lucky? The real explanation is that Mays saw his stock drop quite a bit this year. He has gained the reutation as a guy that is looking for the big hit at the expense of taking proper angles and covering his man. Once he gets in this system, he will flourish.
#19 Atlanta Falcons – Patrick Robinson, CB, Florida State
Atlanta needs some cover corners in the worst way. They were eaten alive by most passing attacks last year. Robinson is the second best corner behind Haden from Florida. Atlanta could use Robinson’s cover skills, and he will most likely start game 1.
#20 Houston Texans – Earl Thomas, CB/S, Texas
Thomas is a bit undersized to play safety at the next level. He proved to be quite adept playing cover corner when he was forced into the role at Texas. The Texans have a gaing hole at corner in the secondary. Dunta Robinson is no where close to the level that he used to be a few years back. This is the one glaring weakness in an improving Houston defense.
#21 Cincinnati Bengals – Golden Tate, WR, Notre Dame
The Bengals have a nice offense already, but they could use a compliment to Ochocinco on the outside. Tate is a former running back that can do a lot after the catch. The Bengals would be wise to snatch him up right here.
#22 New England Patriots – CJ Spiller, RB, Clemson
How do the Patriots always get this lucky? The one guy that every fan in the nation wishes their team would draft and he falls down to New England. The Patriots could definitely use some help at the position. Maroney has never really steped up to the plate. Siller is a home run hitter that could really thrive in an offense like this that gets him the ball in space.
#23 Green Bay Packers – Jerry Hughes, OLB/DE, TCU
Hughes is a fierce pass rusher off the edge. He is the tye of OLB/DE that you look for in a 3-4 defense that Green Bay runs. The ackers have a great defense already, but they could be even better after adding Hughes.
#24 Philadelphia Eagles – Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida
Dunlap has probably fallen in the eys of some after his recent trouble with the law. He does have a lot of ability though. After seeing Michael Vick go to the Eagles, it’s evident that Andy Reid does not mind giving second chances. The Eagles could use some help along the defensive line.
#25 Baltimore Ravens – Damian Williams, WR, USC
Let’s face it. Joe Flacco and Ray Rice need some help. Mark Clayton is not blossoming like the Ravnes would have liked. Derrick Mason is running on fumes. They need a go to receiver to take some pressure off of Ray Rice. Williams is dangerous with the ball in his hands. He could hel on special teams as well if need be.
#26 Arizona Cardinals – Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida
The Cardinals have what they need on offense. They have four great receivers. They have Beanie Wells coming along nicely. They have a prospect at qb that they can hopefully bring along. They need to be able to stop teams better than they have in the past few years though to take the next step. They need someone to bring the heat on the opposing quarterback. Pierre-Paul may not be known to the average fan, but teams would love to get this athletic defensive end on their roster. He’s an early entry, so the Cardinals are lucky in that he may have gone higher next year.
#27 Dallas Cowboys – Brandon LaFell, WR, LSU
Lafell is a olished pass receiver, and that is exactly what the Cowboys need. Miles Austin established himself as one of the young stars of the NFL. Roy Williams established that he is sliding, barely qualifying as a #2 receiver at this point. LaFell will be a much better receiver in the NFL than Williams, and they do not need the distraction any more in Dallas.
#28 San Diego – Jonathan Dwyer, RB, Georgia Tech
Tomlinson is on his way out the door. He needs someone to help share the load. Sproles will never be an every down back. Dwyer is probably the best running back left on the board at this oint.
#29 Minnesota Vikings – Terrence Cody, DT, Alabama
Pat Williams is getting up there in age. The Vikings identity is their ability to stop the run. Cody could come in and learn the ropes and take over for Williams once he decides to hang it up. Cody is a terrific run stopper, though he can not provide any sort of pass rushing at all.
#30 Indianapolis Colts – Mike Iupati, OG, Idaho
The Colts could use some help across the frontline. They have not been able to run the ball at all for the last few years. Iupati is the best guard on the table. He would be a great fit right here.
#31 New Orleans Saints – Ricky Sapp, LB, Clemson
The Saints have Scott Fujita starting at one outside linebacker. It is working though, as they are one ste away from the Super Bowl. Sapp would provide more athleticism to a team that could use some.
#32 New York Jets – Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma
Gresham is an extremely gifted tight end. His injury may have had as much to do with the oor season the Sooners had as Bradford’s injury. Gresham is big, can move and has hands like glue. If not for the injury, he would be a top 10 type pick. The Jets could use a little more punch in their offense to go with their strong running game.
Houston Texans Offseason
Wednesday, 20. January 2010
Final Record 9-7
The Houston Texans came through with a winning season finally.
It only took eight years to get there.
Of course, they could have easily done much better.
Of the seven losses, five of them came in the final minutes of the game.
There was a lot to like about this season regardless of what could have been.
The Texans had the 4th best offense in the league. The passing attack was rated first in the league.
Surprisingly, the Texans had the 13th ranked defense in the NFL as well.
Everyone knew about the offense coming in, but the Texans defense really started to turn the corner this year, starting with the game against the Bengals.
Brian Cushing was possibly the best linebacker in the league this year as a rookie. I personally did not see anyone play any better than him. That is pretty impressive stuff for a rookie.
Mario Williams did not have the season that many expected, but in the end he still made another pro bowl appearance.
With a winning season came a ton of accolades for the individual players.
Making first team All-Pro is Andre Johnson. Johnson led the league in receiving yards for the second straight year. This was his second time to be named first team all pro. He finished the season with 101 catches for 1569 yards to further cement his status as the league’s best receiver.
Pro Bowl players
Matt Schaub
Andre Johnson
Mario Williams
Brian Cushing
Demeco Ryans
Brian Cushing won the AP defensive rookie of the year award. He posted 133 tackles, 5 sacks and 4 int’s on the season despite missing the majority of the pre-season.
College nicknames crossword
Monday, 18. January 2010
Click on the crossword below to try and guess the college nicknames.
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