In the 40 years since the Jets lasted tasted Super Bowl gold, and since then Jets history has been marked by futility, inconsistency, and failure. So much so, their failure has taken on a name of its own: Same Ole Jets. 2010 appeared to possibly be the year that bucked the trend. The Jets raced out to a 9-2 record with victories over the hated Patriots and Dolphins, and were tied for the top record in football.
Then the past 2 weeks happened. The Jets were handed embarrassing back to back losses to the same rival teams they beat earlier in the year: a 45-3 thumping to the Pats in Foxboro, then a horribly boring 10-6 loss to the Fins at home. Now 9-4 with road games against the Steelers (where the Jets have never won) and the 9-4 Bears... 9-6 and a playoff berth on the line in Week 17 looks like distinct possibility.
The Jets offense has been off track: 9 points in the last 2 games combined. Sanchez, after starting the first 4 games with 8 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, has thrown 8 touchdowns to 12 interceptions in the last 9. The Jets have played 6 games against teams who currently hold winning records: they are 2-4 in those games. The defense has been inconsistent; great performances don't carry from quarter to quarter or week to week. The defense plays fantastic for most of the game against Houston, only to falter in the 4th quarter; great against the Bengals, terrible against the Pats, then great again against the Fins. Special teams has overall been solid, though unspectacular and Weatherford has been spotty.
As disappointing as the personnel has been, the coaching has been even more disappointing. Rex Ryan's clock management has come under fire in recent games, so much so that it has been described by WFAN host Mark Malusis as "Herman Edwards-esque". Cat calls for Brian Schottenheimer's job as offensive coordinator have intensified as his gameplans have been unimaginative. The low point came during a punt return, where strength and conditioning coach Sal Alosi purposely tripped Miami cornerback/gunner Nolan Carroll. I mean, come on now! Some have coined the Jets locker room as a "frat house" and the Carroll trip was something deplorable that carries over from that type of locker room.
The postseason, which seemed to be a certainty 2 weeks ago, is now going to be a fight. The Pats (11-2) are in, and presumably the Steelers (10-3) will get in soon. Beyond those 2, the playoff picture is muddy with 3 games left. Since the Pats have the AFC East all but locked up, the Jets are going to have to test themselves against the Wildcard field. The Chiefs (8-5) have a one game lead over the 7-6 Chargers. The Chargers end with a very soft schedule (SF, @ CIN, and @ DEN), and barring an upset should finish 10-6. The Chiefs schedule is slightly rougher, though not by much (@ STL, TEN, OAK). Even if the Chiefs drop one of those games and the Chargers win out, whichever team does not win the division will have a competitive case for the Wildcard. Regardless, both are real threats to the Jets.
The Jags (8-5) currently lead the AFC South by a game over the 7-6 Colts. They will have a showdown next week, where a Jags win will clinch the division for them and presumably take the Colts out of the wildcard race. A Colts win, however, keeps them alive and could further complicate matters. The Jags end with WAS and @ HOU, while the Colts will finish @ OAK and against TEN. Again, those are games in which the Jags and Colts will be favored to win. A Jags win would be ideal for the Jets, as it wins them the division and eliminates the Colts as wildcard threats.
The Baltimore Ravens sit tied with the Jets at 9-4. The Ravens have a tough matchup against the Saints next week, however they end with the Browns in Cleveland and at home against the Bengals to finish the year. The Miami Dolphins, fresh off an important victory against the Jets, are still lurking at 7-6. They'll take Bills and the Lions at home the next 2 weeks before the season finale against the Patriots, who at that point may have nothing to play for and will rest their starters.
If the Jets can go out and take care of business, they can make it easy on themselves. Take games against the Steelers and Bears, and the playoffs are locked up. But if the Jets lose to a pair of very good teams on the road and take a 9-6 record into week 17, and the rest of the other contenders take care of business, things will really start to get interesting. And as a Jets fan, that's not good. In this case, boring and safe is the way to go. Jets control their destiny, they must go out and seize it. Otherwise... it's the same ole Jets.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Just how bad ARE the Carolina Panthers? A look into the horrendous NFL teams of the decade.
The 2010 Carolina Panthers are a horrendous team. Their 1-10 record is the worst record in football. If the NFL were Adam Sandler movies, the Panthers would be Punch Drunk Love (if you haven't seen it, lucky you. That's an hour and a half of my life that I will never get back). They're so bad even Sloth from The Goonies is embarrassed for them. Insane Clown Posse saw more success than the 2010 Carolina Panthers. Any Panthers fans still watching their team should see psychologists for their masochism. In other words, the Panthers suck.
The Panthers offensive output is simply pathetic. They rank last in the NFL in total offense, last in pass offense, 22nd in rushing, and last in scoring offense. They average 12.7 points per game. They have scored 12 touchdowns in the 11 games they've played thus far. They have turned the ball over 29 times, which amazingly is only second worst in the league ahead of the New York Giants (who have turned it over 30 times). The Panthers have the 5th worst 3rd down rate at 32.3%. They've been forced to punt more than all but Washington and Detroit. I have a sneaking suspicion Cam Newton's Auburn offense could perform better than the Panthers.
Defensively they are much, much better... which isn't to say that they are good on defense, just not entirely inept. The Panthers rank a respectable 14th in total defense, mostly on the strength of their 7th ranked pass defense. Their run defense is 25th, however, and considering how the Panthers are often way behind in their games, it stands to reason that the Panthers have a good pass defense rating simply because other teams don't throw the ball much against them due to having the lead. Perhaps most telling is their 24th ranked scoring defense, allowing 25.1 points per game. Which goes to show that not only are they terrible at scoring points, they aren't very good at preventing points either.
The Panthers currently sit at a point differential (number of points scored minus the number of points allowed) of -136. The only other team in football with a score worse than -100 is the 3-8 Arizona Cardinals, at -125. If the Panthers keep up their average of getting outscored by 12.36 points a game, they will finish with a point differential of -198. Simply horrendous. I doubt they'll win another game this year. How horrendous are they as compared to 5 most horrendous teams of the decade, going back to 2001-02 season? Well, let's compare.
2008 Detroit Lions (0-16)
The team with which every bad team will be compared against. The 2008 Detroit Lions failed to win a single football game out of 16 just 2 years ago. They are the only team since the adoption of the 16 game schedule in the late 70's to lose every game, and the only team other than the expansion Tampa Bay Bucs to lose every game of the season since World War II. They had a point differential of -249, an average of -15.6 per game. The majority of their games weren't even competitive. Only in 4 games did the Lions lose by a touchdown or less. 2 other games they lose by single digits. The other 10 games? Double digit losses. Ouch. The Lions ranked dead last in scoring and total defense, giving up 404.4 yards and 32.3 points per game. The offense didn't fare much better, ranking 30th in total offense and 27th in scoring offense at 16.8 points a game. 5 quarterbacks threw passes for the 08 Lions, including Jon Kitna (ancient), Daunte Culpepper (not healthy or good enough to play for Oakland), Dan Orlovsky (once stepped out of bounds in his own end zone for a safety), and Drew Henson (yes, they actually allowed Drew Henson on the football field). Matthew Stafford was the result of this debacle, and he's been a mixed bag due to injury.
Comparison: The Panthers are bad, but they aren't this bad.
2009 St. Louis Rams (1-15)
While the 2009 Rams don't have the stench of a winless season, they were just a horrendous football team. Despite beating the Lions 17-10 for their only win, a case can be made that they were actually worse than the '08 Lions. They almost managed to pull off a clean sweep of league-worst incompetence, ranking dead last in scoring offense at 10.9 points per game (yes, you read that right... the Rams averaged less than 11 points per game), second to last in scoring defense at 27.3 points per game, and 29th in both total offense and total defense. The offense scored 16 touchdowns on the year. The Rams also had a worse point differential than the Lions did, with a -261, an average of -16.3 per game. Only 4 of their games, other than the game they won, were within a touchdown. The Rams scored in single digits 7 times, including being shut out twice, and had only 2 games of scoring 20 or more. Despite having bell cow running back Steven Jackson, who had a very good year with 1700 total yards and a 4.4 yards per carry average, the Rams couldn't get even a mediocre effort from the 3 quarterbacks who took snaps for the Rams. Marc Bulger, Kyle Boller, and Keith Null combined for 11 touchdown throws and 21 interceptions. Josh Brown, the kicker, had nearly as many touchdown passes (1) in one pass as Keith Null had in 119 attempts (3) and Kyle Boller had in 176 attempts (also 3). Pitiful. The long term result, however, was Sam Bradford, so that's good.
Comparison: I think this team may be worse than the 2008 Lions, and definitely worse than Carolina.
2007 Miami Dolphins (1-15)
Rocked by the sudden departure of coach Nick Saban, the Dolphins nearly beat the Lions to winless glory. However, the Phins managed to eek out a win in overtime against the Ravens after starting off 0-13. The Phins were a little more hard luck than the other awful teams of the decade: 6 of their 15 losses were decided by 3 points. They still had poor all around numbers: 26th in scoring offense, 28th in total offense, 30th in scoring defense, 23rd in total defense. 7 times the Dolphins gave up 35 or more points. They had a -170 point differential, an average of -10.6 per game. Surprisingly, this wasn't the worst point differential in the league (that belonged to the 3-13 Rams). Still, when the majority of the teams snaps were taken by Cleo Lemon (who?), the head coach was fired after the year, and the only win you earned was in overtime... it's hard to label you as anything but one of the worst teams of the decade. Luckily, Jake Long and an 11 win season were to follow.
Comparison: They lost a lot of close games, so I think the Panthers may actually be worse.
2006 Oakland Raiders (2-14)
This Raiders team had a respectable defense. They finished 18th in the league in points allowed, 3rd in total yardage, and beat a solid Steelers team based solely off the strength of the defense after gaining less than 100 yards on offense. But offense is why they wind up on this putrid list. The 2006 Raiders had THE worst offense of the decade. They were BAD. They ranked dead last in both total offense and scoring offense, 29th in rushing offense, and 31st in pass offense. The Raiders scored 16 total touchdowns on the season. Of those 16, 4 were on defense. Basic math tells you that the Raiders scored only 12 touchdowns on offense. TWELVE. 1-2. Peyton Manning playing at his average level can put up 12 touchdowns in 4-5 games. The 2010 Raiders put up 6 offensive touchdowns in one game this year. The 06 Raiders had 12 in 16 games. They averaged 10.5 points per game. Their point differential was -164, not all-time bad but certainly not good, but that could be attributed to a defense that gave a Herculean effort. Randy Moss flat out quit midway through the year. The most unfortunate part? With the #1 pick, the Raiders took JaMarcus Russell. That's rubbing the wound with hydrochloric acid.
Comparison: The Raiders defense gives them the slight edge in my mind. But man, that offense sucked.
2001 Carolina Panthers (1-15)
The 2001 season started off with a bang for George Seifert and the 2001 Panthers. Rookie Steve Smith took the season's opening kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown and the Panthers marched their way to a 24-13 victory over the Vikings. Unfortunately, that was the last time they marched to victory as they went on to lose the other 15 games all in a row. The Panthers came close to that elusive second victory several times, losing 6 games by 3 points or less and another game by 4, with 2 games lost in overtime. The Panthers managed a -157 point differential, an average of -9.8 per game, worst in the league. They ranked second to last in total offense, last in total defense, 29th (in a 31 team league at the time) in scoring offense, and 28th in scoring defense. Chris Weinke, a 300 year old rookie, took the brunt of the work under center, throwing 540 passes and notching a meager 11 touchdowns to 19 interceptions (though, Weinke DID score 6 rushing touchdowns... double the amount of all the runningbacks combined). Matt Lytle, a name absolutely foreign to me, had 1 TD pass to 3 interceptions while starting one game (a 48-14 blowout loss to the Rams). In keeping with their misfortune, the arrival of the expansion Houston Texans the next season meant that rather than get the #1 overall pick the Panthers worked so hard for, they got bumped down to #2. This probably worked out for the better, however, as the Panthers got star defensive end Julius Peppers with the #2 pick while the Texans wound up with mega bust David Carr.
Comparison: The 2010 Panthers are horrific, but they aren't as horrific as their 2001 counterparts.
Honorable mentions go to other terrible teams such as the 2002 Bengals, 2004 Niners, 2005 Texans, 2008 Rams, and the 2008 Chiefs (my goodness, there were some bad teams in 2008).
There is still some time for the Carolina Panthers to turn it around and avoid this list, but if they continue down their current path they'll go down in history as one of the all time bad teams.
The Panthers offensive output is simply pathetic. They rank last in the NFL in total offense, last in pass offense, 22nd in rushing, and last in scoring offense. They average 12.7 points per game. They have scored 12 touchdowns in the 11 games they've played thus far. They have turned the ball over 29 times, which amazingly is only second worst in the league ahead of the New York Giants (who have turned it over 30 times). The Panthers have the 5th worst 3rd down rate at 32.3%. They've been forced to punt more than all but Washington and Detroit. I have a sneaking suspicion Cam Newton's Auburn offense could perform better than the Panthers.
Defensively they are much, much better... which isn't to say that they are good on defense, just not entirely inept. The Panthers rank a respectable 14th in total defense, mostly on the strength of their 7th ranked pass defense. Their run defense is 25th, however, and considering how the Panthers are often way behind in their games, it stands to reason that the Panthers have a good pass defense rating simply because other teams don't throw the ball much against them due to having the lead. Perhaps most telling is their 24th ranked scoring defense, allowing 25.1 points per game. Which goes to show that not only are they terrible at scoring points, they aren't very good at preventing points either.
The Panthers currently sit at a point differential (number of points scored minus the number of points allowed) of -136. The only other team in football with a score worse than -100 is the 3-8 Arizona Cardinals, at -125. If the Panthers keep up their average of getting outscored by 12.36 points a game, they will finish with a point differential of -198. Simply horrendous. I doubt they'll win another game this year. How horrendous are they as compared to 5 most horrendous teams of the decade, going back to 2001-02 season? Well, let's compare.
2008 Detroit Lions (0-16)
The team with which every bad team will be compared against. The 2008 Detroit Lions failed to win a single football game out of 16 just 2 years ago. They are the only team since the adoption of the 16 game schedule in the late 70's to lose every game, and the only team other than the expansion Tampa Bay Bucs to lose every game of the season since World War II. They had a point differential of -249, an average of -15.6 per game. The majority of their games weren't even competitive. Only in 4 games did the Lions lose by a touchdown or less. 2 other games they lose by single digits. The other 10 games? Double digit losses. Ouch. The Lions ranked dead last in scoring and total defense, giving up 404.4 yards and 32.3 points per game. The offense didn't fare much better, ranking 30th in total offense and 27th in scoring offense at 16.8 points a game. 5 quarterbacks threw passes for the 08 Lions, including Jon Kitna (ancient), Daunte Culpepper (not healthy or good enough to play for Oakland), Dan Orlovsky (once stepped out of bounds in his own end zone for a safety), and Drew Henson (yes, they actually allowed Drew Henson on the football field). Matthew Stafford was the result of this debacle, and he's been a mixed bag due to injury.
Comparison: The Panthers are bad, but they aren't this bad.
2009 St. Louis Rams (1-15)
While the 2009 Rams don't have the stench of a winless season, they were just a horrendous football team. Despite beating the Lions 17-10 for their only win, a case can be made that they were actually worse than the '08 Lions. They almost managed to pull off a clean sweep of league-worst incompetence, ranking dead last in scoring offense at 10.9 points per game (yes, you read that right... the Rams averaged less than 11 points per game), second to last in scoring defense at 27.3 points per game, and 29th in both total offense and total defense. The offense scored 16 touchdowns on the year. The Rams also had a worse point differential than the Lions did, with a -261, an average of -16.3 per game. Only 4 of their games, other than the game they won, were within a touchdown. The Rams scored in single digits 7 times, including being shut out twice, and had only 2 games of scoring 20 or more. Despite having bell cow running back Steven Jackson, who had a very good year with 1700 total yards and a 4.4 yards per carry average, the Rams couldn't get even a mediocre effort from the 3 quarterbacks who took snaps for the Rams. Marc Bulger, Kyle Boller, and Keith Null combined for 11 touchdown throws and 21 interceptions. Josh Brown, the kicker, had nearly as many touchdown passes (1) in one pass as Keith Null had in 119 attempts (3) and Kyle Boller had in 176 attempts (also 3). Pitiful. The long term result, however, was Sam Bradford, so that's good.
Comparison: I think this team may be worse than the 2008 Lions, and definitely worse than Carolina.
2007 Miami Dolphins (1-15)
Rocked by the sudden departure of coach Nick Saban, the Dolphins nearly beat the Lions to winless glory. However, the Phins managed to eek out a win in overtime against the Ravens after starting off 0-13. The Phins were a little more hard luck than the other awful teams of the decade: 6 of their 15 losses were decided by 3 points. They still had poor all around numbers: 26th in scoring offense, 28th in total offense, 30th in scoring defense, 23rd in total defense. 7 times the Dolphins gave up 35 or more points. They had a -170 point differential, an average of -10.6 per game. Surprisingly, this wasn't the worst point differential in the league (that belonged to the 3-13 Rams). Still, when the majority of the teams snaps were taken by Cleo Lemon (who?), the head coach was fired after the year, and the only win you earned was in overtime... it's hard to label you as anything but one of the worst teams of the decade. Luckily, Jake Long and an 11 win season were to follow.
Comparison: They lost a lot of close games, so I think the Panthers may actually be worse.
2006 Oakland Raiders (2-14)
This Raiders team had a respectable defense. They finished 18th in the league in points allowed, 3rd in total yardage, and beat a solid Steelers team based solely off the strength of the defense after gaining less than 100 yards on offense. But offense is why they wind up on this putrid list. The 2006 Raiders had THE worst offense of the decade. They were BAD. They ranked dead last in both total offense and scoring offense, 29th in rushing offense, and 31st in pass offense. The Raiders scored 16 total touchdowns on the season. Of those 16, 4 were on defense. Basic math tells you that the Raiders scored only 12 touchdowns on offense. TWELVE. 1-2. Peyton Manning playing at his average level can put up 12 touchdowns in 4-5 games. The 2010 Raiders put up 6 offensive touchdowns in one game this year. The 06 Raiders had 12 in 16 games. They averaged 10.5 points per game. Their point differential was -164, not all-time bad but certainly not good, but that could be attributed to a defense that gave a Herculean effort. Randy Moss flat out quit midway through the year. The most unfortunate part? With the #1 pick, the Raiders took JaMarcus Russell. That's rubbing the wound with hydrochloric acid.
Comparison: The Raiders defense gives them the slight edge in my mind. But man, that offense sucked.
2001 Carolina Panthers (1-15)
The 2001 season started off with a bang for George Seifert and the 2001 Panthers. Rookie Steve Smith took the season's opening kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown and the Panthers marched their way to a 24-13 victory over the Vikings. Unfortunately, that was the last time they marched to victory as they went on to lose the other 15 games all in a row. The Panthers came close to that elusive second victory several times, losing 6 games by 3 points or less and another game by 4, with 2 games lost in overtime. The Panthers managed a -157 point differential, an average of -9.8 per game, worst in the league. They ranked second to last in total offense, last in total defense, 29th (in a 31 team league at the time) in scoring offense, and 28th in scoring defense. Chris Weinke, a 300 year old rookie, took the brunt of the work under center, throwing 540 passes and notching a meager 11 touchdowns to 19 interceptions (though, Weinke DID score 6 rushing touchdowns... double the amount of all the runningbacks combined). Matt Lytle, a name absolutely foreign to me, had 1 TD pass to 3 interceptions while starting one game (a 48-14 blowout loss to the Rams). In keeping with their misfortune, the arrival of the expansion Houston Texans the next season meant that rather than get the #1 overall pick the Panthers worked so hard for, they got bumped down to #2. This probably worked out for the better, however, as the Panthers got star defensive end Julius Peppers with the #2 pick while the Texans wound up with mega bust David Carr.
Comparison: The 2010 Panthers are horrific, but they aren't as horrific as their 2001 counterparts.
Honorable mentions go to other terrible teams such as the 2002 Bengals, 2004 Niners, 2005 Texans, 2008 Rams, and the 2008 Chiefs (my goodness, there were some bad teams in 2008).
There is still some time for the Carolina Panthers to turn it around and avoid this list, but if they continue down their current path they'll go down in history as one of the all time bad teams.
The San Francisco Giants: Not a Band Of Misfits, But Rather, a Case Study In Draft Excellence
Since winning the World Series, the Giants have been branded with several labels. Misfits. Awful lineup. Forgettable. One of the worst champions in history. They finished with a solid record, but their division was awful with the light-hitting Padres leading most of the way through the year. The Giants were 9th in the National League and 17th in the Majors in runs scored. Their World Series lineup was nothing scary. Of their 9 hitters for the Series-clinching game 5, 3 of them didn't even start the year in the Giants 25 man roster. 2 of them, Pat Burrell and Cody Ross, were picked off the scrap heap. World Series MVP SS Edgar Renteria is so nondescript that the Giants declined his option for next season. Certainly, when compared to the titan offense of Philadelphia, New York, and Texas, San Francisco simply didn't stack up. The Giants won the old fashioned way: relying on their pitching and timely hitting from a few cornerstone players. But more impressive is how they attained their pitching staff: through a series of hits in the draft.
The Giants won through the type of shrewd moves that teams must make when they don't have the finances of the Yankees, Red Sox, Phillies, or Mets. The Giants have a respectable payroll number, 92 million dollars, 9th highest in the league. But when you factor in how the money is divided, it isn't exactly efficient. SP Barry Zito, who wasn't in the rotation for the playoffs, was paid 18.5 million. Edgar Renteria, well as he played in the post-season, wasn't worth 10 million dollars in 2010. Aaron Rowand was paid 13.6 million to bat .230 and hit 11 homers. Jose Guillen was a 12 million dollar player who got designated for assignment, and the Giants paid for 47 games remaining on the year.
Instead, it was the home grown staff and a stud rookie catcher than proved to be the difference. Tim Lincecum, 2 time Cy Young award winner who beat Cliff Lee twice in the Series, was selected 10th overall in 2006. Matt Cain, who twirled 2 post season shutouts including game 2 of the Series, was the 25th overall pick in 2002 out of high school. Madison Bumgarner, the 21 year old rookie who looked beyond his years in throwing a game 4 shut out, was drafted 10th overall out of high school in 2007. And the best hitter in the lineup, Buster Posey, was drafted 5th overall in 2008. The Giants also picked up key staffers Jonathan Sanchez (27th round, 2004), closer Brian Wilson (23rd round, 2003), and set up Sergio Romo (28th round, 2005) later in the draft. Cain, Lincecum, Sanchez, and Bumgarner are the first entirely home grown playoff rotation to win the Series in 24 years. Add on the 2 primary pieces on the back end, and that streak goes even longer. Plus a rookie of the year hitter. That is astounding drafting when you consider the sport, where going back to 1990, less than half of the overall #1 picks have ever made an MLB all-star game and a large amount of young, highly drafted players flame out in the majors or before they even reach that level.
Cornerstone players win games. The Giants had that, and most of that was in the starting pitching rotation. So before you label the Giants as "misfits" and "forgettable", just know that in the sport with the most hit-or-miss draft in North America, the Giants knocked several out of the park. No pun intended.
The Giants won through the type of shrewd moves that teams must make when they don't have the finances of the Yankees, Red Sox, Phillies, or Mets. The Giants have a respectable payroll number, 92 million dollars, 9th highest in the league. But when you factor in how the money is divided, it isn't exactly efficient. SP Barry Zito, who wasn't in the rotation for the playoffs, was paid 18.5 million. Edgar Renteria, well as he played in the post-season, wasn't worth 10 million dollars in 2010. Aaron Rowand was paid 13.6 million to bat .230 and hit 11 homers. Jose Guillen was a 12 million dollar player who got designated for assignment, and the Giants paid for 47 games remaining on the year.
Instead, it was the home grown staff and a stud rookie catcher than proved to be the difference. Tim Lincecum, 2 time Cy Young award winner who beat Cliff Lee twice in the Series, was selected 10th overall in 2006. Matt Cain, who twirled 2 post season shutouts including game 2 of the Series, was the 25th overall pick in 2002 out of high school. Madison Bumgarner, the 21 year old rookie who looked beyond his years in throwing a game 4 shut out, was drafted 10th overall out of high school in 2007. And the best hitter in the lineup, Buster Posey, was drafted 5th overall in 2008. The Giants also picked up key staffers Jonathan Sanchez (27th round, 2004), closer Brian Wilson (23rd round, 2003), and set up Sergio Romo (28th round, 2005) later in the draft. Cain, Lincecum, Sanchez, and Bumgarner are the first entirely home grown playoff rotation to win the Series in 24 years. Add on the 2 primary pieces on the back end, and that streak goes even longer. Plus a rookie of the year hitter. That is astounding drafting when you consider the sport, where going back to 1990, less than half of the overall #1 picks have ever made an MLB all-star game and a large amount of young, highly drafted players flame out in the majors or before they even reach that level.
Cornerstone players win games. The Giants had that, and most of that was in the starting pitching rotation. So before you label the Giants as "misfits" and "forgettable", just know that in the sport with the most hit-or-miss draft in North America, the Giants knocked several out of the park. No pun intended.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
The Moose? The Moose!!!
Martin Brodeur... what else can you say about him? Calder Trophy for Rookie of the Year. 10 All-Star Games. 8 seasons with 40+ wins, most ever. 2 Gold Medals. 3 time Stanley Cup winner. 4 Vezina Trophies. 5 Jennings Trophies. All time leader amongst goalies in wins and shutouts. Quite possibly... the greatest goalie of all time.
But what you cannot say is that in the 2010-2011 NHL season, Martin Brodeur has been the best goalie on his team. That honor belongs to Johan Hedberg, aka "The Moose". As the Devils stumbled out of the gates and were tied with the Islanders for the least points in the NHL after 20 games with Brodeur suddenly sidelined by an elbow injury, "The Moose" stepped up off the bench and has temporarily rescued the Devils season. Hedberg and the Devils have won 3 of their last 4 games, accounting for 37.5% of their 8 wins through 24 games. Most of this is due to Hedberg's brilliance in goal.
Over the past 4 games, Hedberg has allowed only 4 goals and has made 113 saves on 117 shots on goal, an overall save percentage of .966. 2 of these victories have come in the shootout, only allowing 1 out of 7 shootout attempts hit the back of the net. He defeated both the Philadelphia Flyers and the Washington Capitals, the top 2 scoring teams in the NHL and 2 of the NHL's elites, allowing one goal in those 2 games combined.
The Devils are fortunate to get such great play from "The Moose", because they are still struggling immensely on offense. Though they broke out for 5 goals against the Capitals, they only scored 1 goal each against the Flyers and the Calgary Flames, leading to 1-1 ties that went to shootouts. Sandwiched between the 1 goal efforts was a game in which they failed to score against the worst team in hockey, the New York Islanders, in a 2-0 loss. 100 million dollar man Ilya Kovalchuk is only converting on 5.8% of his shots on goal, well below his overall career average of 14.5%. The team is missing fellow superstar scorer Zach Parise, out until February, and overall the team is shooting a league low 5.9% to go along with their league low 1.77 goals per game average. While the masters of the neutral zone trap have never been a team marked by their goal scoring, you cannot win with that type of offensive ineptitude. If the Devils are to get back in the playoff race and fulfill their preseason Cup hopes, they need to pick up the scoring to compensate for when Hedberg starts to play a little less superhuman.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Mark Sanchez has taken the next step
Another game in which sloppy play, blown opportunities, and all around disappointing play highlighted another Jets Sunday. And, like 7 other times before, the Jets somehow prevailed. And they did it from the hand of their rapidly improving 2nd year quarterback, Mark Sanchez. After throwing an almost-certainly backbreaking interception that led to a Texans field goal, Sanchez drove the team down the field 72 yards in 45 seconds with no timeouts. The drive was highlighted by a 42 yard bomb to Braylon Edwards, followed by a 6 yard game winning touchdown strike to Santonio Holmes with 10 second left on the clock. Overall Sanchez was 4/5 on the drive, with his incompletion coming on a clock stopping spike. It was just the latest in a string of Sanchez miracles.
The stats aren't great for Sanchez: 55.2% completion rate, 16 touchdowns to 8 interceptions, and an 81.9 passer rating. Statistics don't tell the whole story, though. The overall stats don't, for example, tell you that Mark Sanchez went 9/10 in the final 4 and a half minutes to score 10 unanswered points against the Detroit Lions, tying the game and sending it into overtime... where Sanchez then hooked up with Holmes for a 52 yard pass to set up the game winning FG. They don't tell you that Sanchez threw the game winning 37 yard touchdown toss to Holmes in overtime 8 seconds before a tie was declared. Or how the Jets have 3 victories after trailing in the 4th quarter with 5 minutes or less to go in the game.
Sanchez is throwing 33.1 passes per game in 2010, up from 24.3 passes per game as a rookie. He has raised his yards per attempt, raised his TD%, lowered his interception percentage, and has compiled more wins as a starter through 11 games than he did in 15 regular season games last year. What many experts thought would be the Jets undoing has been a strength: The Jets are 10th in the NFL in scoring at exactly 24 points per game, up from 2009's 17th ranking, and the pass offense ranks at 19th... not very high but a giant step from 2009's 31st ranking (second worst only to the Cleveland Browns). The development of their young, franchise quarterback is the reason the Jets offense has become a formidable unit, and one that has been lethal when it has to be.
Many pundits define greatness as what a player does in clutch moments, when the chips are down. If Sanchez continues down his current path, he may get there yet.
The stats aren't great for Sanchez: 55.2% completion rate, 16 touchdowns to 8 interceptions, and an 81.9 passer rating. Statistics don't tell the whole story, though. The overall stats don't, for example, tell you that Mark Sanchez went 9/10 in the final 4 and a half minutes to score 10 unanswered points against the Detroit Lions, tying the game and sending it into overtime... where Sanchez then hooked up with Holmes for a 52 yard pass to set up the game winning FG. They don't tell you that Sanchez threw the game winning 37 yard touchdown toss to Holmes in overtime 8 seconds before a tie was declared. Or how the Jets have 3 victories after trailing in the 4th quarter with 5 minutes or less to go in the game.
Sanchez is throwing 33.1 passes per game in 2010, up from 24.3 passes per game as a rookie. He has raised his yards per attempt, raised his TD%, lowered his interception percentage, and has compiled more wins as a starter through 11 games than he did in 15 regular season games last year. What many experts thought would be the Jets undoing has been a strength: The Jets are 10th in the NFL in scoring at exactly 24 points per game, up from 2009's 17th ranking, and the pass offense ranks at 19th... not very high but a giant step from 2009's 31st ranking (second worst only to the Cleveland Browns). The development of their young, franchise quarterback is the reason the Jets offense has become a formidable unit, and one that has been lethal when it has to be.
Many pundits define greatness as what a player does in clutch moments, when the chips are down. If Sanchez continues down his current path, he may get there yet.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Nets Fail To Trade For Carmelo Anthony... And Why It Was A Good Thing
The New Jersey Nets seemingly take another hit in their "It's All New" campaign, failing to close on a publicized and complicated 4 way deal with the Nuggets, Bobcats, and Jazz that would've brought Carmelo Anthony to New Jersey. The deal would've seen the Nuggets wind up with rookie Derrick Favors, Andrei Kirilenko, and 2 first round picks, the Jazz with Boris Diaw and Quinton Ross, and Charlotte with Devin Harris. The Nets of course would've wound up with Carmelo Anthony and possibly DJ Augustin from the Bobcats to serve as the backup point guard. The trade was set to go down, but the Nuggets got cold feet, fielded offers from other teams, other teams involved in the deal got impatient, and the deal fell through. In all, the Nets would've gotten Carmelo Anthony, an all-star, for Devin Harris, a rookie, and 2 first round picks. A good deal, right?
Well, no, not really.
The Nuggets are not dealing from a position of strength... and quite frankly, neither are the Nets. Carmelo Anthony holds the power here, with his ability to become a free agent at the end of the year. Essentially, he can dictate where he goes by refusing to extend with any team he doesn't want to play for... unless a team is happy to give up assets to rent Carmelo for a season. I don't see that as likely. There were conflicting reports as to whether or not he would agree to such an extension with the Nets, though the consensus believes the Nets wouldn't pursue Anthony without a strong indication he would sign longterm.
Denver's best course of action would've been to accept the deal... because history tells us disgruntled stars that change teams do not bring in a return the Nuggets were set to get. Derrick Favors was the #3 pick of the draft, already 240 pounds and strong with a 35.5 inch vertical and a 9'4" standing reach. Those athleticism numbers are all better than those produced by Amare Stoudemire. And he just turned 19 years old. Andrei Kirilenko is a useful player who can put up stats in every category on the court and, even better, represents 17.8 million dollars of expiring salary, which could be a useful piece at the trade deadline for cost cutting teams or for a big cap relief load at the end of the year. 2 first rounders are also helpful for a team looking to rebuild, particularly since one of them were coming from Golden State, a mediocre team who's pick should be early in the draft. In the meanwhile, the Nets would've lost 2 first round picks, Derrick Favors, and Devin Harris, a borderline all-star point guard when healthy. That's a significant loss of talent for a player who's situation says his value should be less.
Carmelo's situation is similar to that of another disgruntled superstar back in 2004... Vince Carter (who, ironically, also wound up with the Nets). Carter was fed up with Toronto's management and wanted out. The Raptors dragged it out, waiting and attempting to convince Carter to stay and be a good soldier... and killed his trade value. By mid-December, the relationship was irreparable and the Raptors had to take the best deal they could get. The predictably low ball offers netted them with a haul of: Eric Williams (a career 9 points per game player), Aaron Williams (who had less than 2 points per game in the season the trade went down), Alonzo Mourning (post-kidney disease, was immediately bought out and never reported to Toronto), and 2 future first round picks (both of which were later in the round because of the Nets team success, a lot having to do with Carter). Neither Williams was on an expiring contract. The assets gained by the Raptors were useless. The Nets in return got a 24 point scorer and a consistent all-star. Is Carmelo worth more than Vince Carter? Let's compare the 2's career numbers:
Carmelo Anthony: 24.7 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 3.1 APG, 45.9 FG%, 30.8 3P%, Player Efficiency Rating of 20.1
Vince Carter: 22.9 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 4.2 APG, 44.5 FG%, 37.5 3p%, Player Efficiency Rating of 21.1... granted some of these numbers were compiled since coming to NJ but he had seasons of 24, 25, 22, 21, and 21 PPG before being traded.
As we can see, Carmelo Anthony and Vince Carter are very close caliber players. Both were all-star caliber guys who can score in bunches and excite crowds. Carter had 2 seasons left on his deal when he was dealt... giving the Raptors some more leverage in moving him than the Nuggets currently do. Yet they got a WAY under value deal for Carter. They got no prospects the caliber of Derrick Favors. They didn't get a huge cap relief piece. They got, essentially, 2 mid-first round picks and a bunch of crap.
Don't expect a big return for Carmelo Anthony as time continues to march on. Denver doesn't want to wind up like the Cavaliers and the Raptors, who lost their franchise players to free agency with no compensation in return. They should've pulled the trigger on this deal, when the return is bigger than what Denver likely should receive. I have a suspicion that by mid-season Derrick Favors will have more than played his way off the offer table.
Well, no, not really.
The Nuggets are not dealing from a position of strength... and quite frankly, neither are the Nets. Carmelo Anthony holds the power here, with his ability to become a free agent at the end of the year. Essentially, he can dictate where he goes by refusing to extend with any team he doesn't want to play for... unless a team is happy to give up assets to rent Carmelo for a season. I don't see that as likely. There were conflicting reports as to whether or not he would agree to such an extension with the Nets, though the consensus believes the Nets wouldn't pursue Anthony without a strong indication he would sign longterm.
Denver's best course of action would've been to accept the deal... because history tells us disgruntled stars that change teams do not bring in a return the Nuggets were set to get. Derrick Favors was the #3 pick of the draft, already 240 pounds and strong with a 35.5 inch vertical and a 9'4" standing reach. Those athleticism numbers are all better than those produced by Amare Stoudemire. And he just turned 19 years old. Andrei Kirilenko is a useful player who can put up stats in every category on the court and, even better, represents 17.8 million dollars of expiring salary, which could be a useful piece at the trade deadline for cost cutting teams or for a big cap relief load at the end of the year. 2 first rounders are also helpful for a team looking to rebuild, particularly since one of them were coming from Golden State, a mediocre team who's pick should be early in the draft. In the meanwhile, the Nets would've lost 2 first round picks, Derrick Favors, and Devin Harris, a borderline all-star point guard when healthy. That's a significant loss of talent for a player who's situation says his value should be less.
Carmelo's situation is similar to that of another disgruntled superstar back in 2004... Vince Carter (who, ironically, also wound up with the Nets). Carter was fed up with Toronto's management and wanted out. The Raptors dragged it out, waiting and attempting to convince Carter to stay and be a good soldier... and killed his trade value. By mid-December, the relationship was irreparable and the Raptors had to take the best deal they could get. The predictably low ball offers netted them with a haul of: Eric Williams (a career 9 points per game player), Aaron Williams (who had less than 2 points per game in the season the trade went down), Alonzo Mourning (post-kidney disease, was immediately bought out and never reported to Toronto), and 2 future first round picks (both of which were later in the round because of the Nets team success, a lot having to do with Carter). Neither Williams was on an expiring contract. The assets gained by the Raptors were useless. The Nets in return got a 24 point scorer and a consistent all-star. Is Carmelo worth more than Vince Carter? Let's compare the 2's career numbers:
Carmelo Anthony: 24.7 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 3.1 APG, 45.9 FG%, 30.8 3P%, Player Efficiency Rating of 20.1
Vince Carter: 22.9 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 4.2 APG, 44.5 FG%, 37.5 3p%, Player Efficiency Rating of 21.1... granted some of these numbers were compiled since coming to NJ but he had seasons of 24, 25, 22, 21, and 21 PPG before being traded.
As we can see, Carmelo Anthony and Vince Carter are very close caliber players. Both were all-star caliber guys who can score in bunches and excite crowds. Carter had 2 seasons left on his deal when he was dealt... giving the Raptors some more leverage in moving him than the Nuggets currently do. Yet they got a WAY under value deal for Carter. They got no prospects the caliber of Derrick Favors. They didn't get a huge cap relief piece. They got, essentially, 2 mid-first round picks and a bunch of crap.
Don't expect a big return for Carmelo Anthony as time continues to march on. Denver doesn't want to wind up like the Cavaliers and the Raptors, who lost their franchise players to free agency with no compensation in return. They should've pulled the trigger on this deal, when the return is bigger than what Denver likely should receive. I have a suspicion that by mid-season Derrick Favors will have more than played his way off the offer table.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Why The Nets Will Almost Triple Their Win Total From Last Year
The 2009 New Jersey Nets were one of the all-time examples of basketball futility in NBA history. They had a .146 winning percentage with their 12-70 record, good for 5th worst in NBA history. They kicked off the season with an NBA record 18 straight losses before notching their first win of the year over the Bobcats. The Nets as a team shot a league worst 42.9% from the field and opponents shot 48.1% against the Nets, 4th highest in basketball. Basically, the Nets were terrible. If this were the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest, the Nets are Larry Hughes to the Lakers' Vince Carter. They were that bad.
The offseason continued the disappointments in the Swamps of Jersey. Despite being the worst team in the league by a sizable margin, they failed to secure the #1 pick in the Draft Lottery and potential franchise point guard John Wall, who went to Washington. The Nets wound up with the #3 pick, taking the super athletic but super raw 18 year old power forward Derrick Favors. Favors has a bright future, and if he fulfills his potential he may very well be the best player in the class longterm, but not getting Wall was a huge let down. The hits continued, as the Nets completely struck out on the huge free agent class, seeing targets LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Amare Stoudemire, Carlos Boozer, and David Lee all go to different teams. This left the Nets scrambling to fill cap space, giving a 5 year deal to SF Travis Outlaw and 3 year deals to Jordan Farmar, Johan Petro, and Anthony Morrow. The Nets then traded young guard Courtney Lee in exchange for PF Troy Murphy in a 4 way deal that put the Nets near the edge of the salary cap... though, with about 17 million in expiring contracts leaving them with plenty to spend in the next free agent period.
Despite the downfalls taken by the Nets, there is reason for optimism. This is a team primed to take a big step forward, to the point where the Nets could easily double and possibly triple their win total from last year. Here's why:
The Coaching
After starting 0-16, the Nets canned incumbent coach Lawrence Frank, often the target of scorn for many Nets fans for 7 years of underachieving. The Nets named general manager Kiki Vandeweghe the interim coach for the year, and he was the worst coach in the league. This isn't just me saying this... Vandeweghe HIMSELF admitted he was the worst coach in the league. Vandeweghe's experience is in the front office, not on the sideline, and he was clearly out of his element. The Nets went out and hired Avery Johnson, former NBA coach of the year and the fastest coach to 50 wins in history. Johnson was very successful in Dallas, having led the Mavericks to their first ever NBA Finals appearance before losing to the lethal Dwyane Wade/referees combo. Johnson was shown the door after 2 straight first round playoff losses in a somewhat raw deal, and has been itching to get back on the sidelines ever since. He's a fundamentalist coach, stresses defensive basketball, and likes to play uptempo ball with athletes who can run the floor... all areas where the Nets can excel with guidance. Johnson's staff also contains another former coach of the year, Sam Mitchell. The upgrade from Vandeweghe's apathy and lack of knowledge to Johnson's energy and past success may be worth 10-15 wins alone.
Devin Harris Returning To Form?
In 2008, Devin Harris was a 21 PPG/7 APG All-Star who looked like a guy capable of scoring in bunches. Last season, Harris's field goal percentage dropped by 3.5 points, and his numbers fell to 17 PPG/6.6 APG. He suffered an ankle and a groin injury early in the year and didn't look like the same explosive player he was in the past until February, then promptly hurt himself again. In the offseason, he worked with Tim Grover, said to be one of the best in the fitness industry. Harris claims to have gained 15 pounds to better survive the hits he takes on his reckless drives to the hole and Grover's clients tend to stay healthier. Harris should also benefit from more space to get to the bucket due to...
Shooters
2 years ago, the Nets were 6th in 3 point shooting. Last year, they fell to 29th. The Nets had 1 player last year who shot better than 37.5% from behind the arc last year: Keyon Dooling. This season, they'll have several who hit that mark last year: Troy Murphy (38.4%), Anthony Morrow (45.6%), Jordan Farmar (37.6%), Travis Outlaw (38.1%), and rookie Damion James shot 38.3% last year for University of Texas. The abundance of shooters to space out the floor will give Devin Harris more room to get to the bucket and give Brook Lopez more space to work with underneath, because if defenses sag on Lopez or pack the paint they will be hurt by the 3 point bombers. The Nets didn't have this threat offensively last year, allowing teams to collapse on Brook Lopez and keep Harris from penetrating. The Nets will be more potent on offense due to the spacing they can create.
Rebounding
Brook Lopez was a bit of a disappointment on the boards, grabbing only 8.4 per game, and having very little help from his front court mate Yi Jianlian who didn't have the body or the toughness to box out. No one else on the team was even a threat to rebound. Adding Troy Murphy will help immensely, as he was a very effective rebounder in Indiana, grabbing 11.8 and 10.2 boards a game in the past 2 seasons. Uber athlete rookie Derrick Favors can also help in this regard as well, he grabbed 8 rebounds a game in college where the games are traditionally lower scoring and have much less total rebounds than the pro game. Damion James as well grabbed 10 per game at Texas last season, and Travis Outlaw has the size and ability to be a much better rebounder than last year's SF rotation of Bobby Simmons, Trenton Hassell, and Jarvis Hayes.
Carmelo Anthony?
Reports say that the Nuggets are now listening to offers for Carmelo Anthony... and the Nets are front runners. They have the tradeable assets to give: young players like Damion James, Terrence Williams, and Derrick Favors; expiring contracts that offer cap relief like Troy Murphy's 12 million coming off the books after the year; and a boatload of draft picks, 10 over the next 3 years, most in the NBA. Carmelo paired with Lopez (who I assume is untouchable in any trade talks) would make the Nets immediately relevant. Melo is a legitimate star, and the NBA is a star driven league. Along with borderline star Brook Lopez, the Nets can compete for the playoffs yearly while building the role players around the base of Melo and Lopez... and perhaps lure another big fish to New Jersey/Brooklyn to build a rival "Big 3" to the Miami Heat's trio.
Whether the Nets wind up with Carmelo or not, the simple fact is that the Nets will be better this season... a lot better. Things are trending upwards for the Brooklyn bound boys.
The offseason continued the disappointments in the Swamps of Jersey. Despite being the worst team in the league by a sizable margin, they failed to secure the #1 pick in the Draft Lottery and potential franchise point guard John Wall, who went to Washington. The Nets wound up with the #3 pick, taking the super athletic but super raw 18 year old power forward Derrick Favors. Favors has a bright future, and if he fulfills his potential he may very well be the best player in the class longterm, but not getting Wall was a huge let down. The hits continued, as the Nets completely struck out on the huge free agent class, seeing targets LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Amare Stoudemire, Carlos Boozer, and David Lee all go to different teams. This left the Nets scrambling to fill cap space, giving a 5 year deal to SF Travis Outlaw and 3 year deals to Jordan Farmar, Johan Petro, and Anthony Morrow. The Nets then traded young guard Courtney Lee in exchange for PF Troy Murphy in a 4 way deal that put the Nets near the edge of the salary cap... though, with about 17 million in expiring contracts leaving them with plenty to spend in the next free agent period.
Despite the downfalls taken by the Nets, there is reason for optimism. This is a team primed to take a big step forward, to the point where the Nets could easily double and possibly triple their win total from last year. Here's why:
The Coaching
After starting 0-16, the Nets canned incumbent coach Lawrence Frank, often the target of scorn for many Nets fans for 7 years of underachieving. The Nets named general manager Kiki Vandeweghe the interim coach for the year, and he was the worst coach in the league. This isn't just me saying this... Vandeweghe HIMSELF admitted he was the worst coach in the league. Vandeweghe's experience is in the front office, not on the sideline, and he was clearly out of his element. The Nets went out and hired Avery Johnson, former NBA coach of the year and the fastest coach to 50 wins in history. Johnson was very successful in Dallas, having led the Mavericks to their first ever NBA Finals appearance before losing to the lethal Dwyane Wade/referees combo. Johnson was shown the door after 2 straight first round playoff losses in a somewhat raw deal, and has been itching to get back on the sidelines ever since. He's a fundamentalist coach, stresses defensive basketball, and likes to play uptempo ball with athletes who can run the floor... all areas where the Nets can excel with guidance. Johnson's staff also contains another former coach of the year, Sam Mitchell. The upgrade from Vandeweghe's apathy and lack of knowledge to Johnson's energy and past success may be worth 10-15 wins alone.
Devin Harris Returning To Form?
In 2008, Devin Harris was a 21 PPG/7 APG All-Star who looked like a guy capable of scoring in bunches. Last season, Harris's field goal percentage dropped by 3.5 points, and his numbers fell to 17 PPG/6.6 APG. He suffered an ankle and a groin injury early in the year and didn't look like the same explosive player he was in the past until February, then promptly hurt himself again. In the offseason, he worked with Tim Grover, said to be one of the best in the fitness industry. Harris claims to have gained 15 pounds to better survive the hits he takes on his reckless drives to the hole and Grover's clients tend to stay healthier. Harris should also benefit from more space to get to the bucket due to...
Shooters
2 years ago, the Nets were 6th in 3 point shooting. Last year, they fell to 29th. The Nets had 1 player last year who shot better than 37.5% from behind the arc last year: Keyon Dooling. This season, they'll have several who hit that mark last year: Troy Murphy (38.4%), Anthony Morrow (45.6%), Jordan Farmar (37.6%), Travis Outlaw (38.1%), and rookie Damion James shot 38.3% last year for University of Texas. The abundance of shooters to space out the floor will give Devin Harris more room to get to the bucket and give Brook Lopez more space to work with underneath, because if defenses sag on Lopez or pack the paint they will be hurt by the 3 point bombers. The Nets didn't have this threat offensively last year, allowing teams to collapse on Brook Lopez and keep Harris from penetrating. The Nets will be more potent on offense due to the spacing they can create.
Rebounding
Brook Lopez was a bit of a disappointment on the boards, grabbing only 8.4 per game, and having very little help from his front court mate Yi Jianlian who didn't have the body or the toughness to box out. No one else on the team was even a threat to rebound. Adding Troy Murphy will help immensely, as he was a very effective rebounder in Indiana, grabbing 11.8 and 10.2 boards a game in the past 2 seasons. Uber athlete rookie Derrick Favors can also help in this regard as well, he grabbed 8 rebounds a game in college where the games are traditionally lower scoring and have much less total rebounds than the pro game. Damion James as well grabbed 10 per game at Texas last season, and Travis Outlaw has the size and ability to be a much better rebounder than last year's SF rotation of Bobby Simmons, Trenton Hassell, and Jarvis Hayes.
Carmelo Anthony?
Reports say that the Nuggets are now listening to offers for Carmelo Anthony... and the Nets are front runners. They have the tradeable assets to give: young players like Damion James, Terrence Williams, and Derrick Favors; expiring contracts that offer cap relief like Troy Murphy's 12 million coming off the books after the year; and a boatload of draft picks, 10 over the next 3 years, most in the NBA. Carmelo paired with Lopez (who I assume is untouchable in any trade talks) would make the Nets immediately relevant. Melo is a legitimate star, and the NBA is a star driven league. Along with borderline star Brook Lopez, the Nets can compete for the playoffs yearly while building the role players around the base of Melo and Lopez... and perhaps lure another big fish to New Jersey/Brooklyn to build a rival "Big 3" to the Miami Heat's trio.
Whether the Nets wind up with Carmelo or not, the simple fact is that the Nets will be better this season... a lot better. Things are trending upwards for the Brooklyn bound boys.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Time To Take The Reigns Off Of Mark Sanchez
Captain Obvious moment: The Jets were poor on offense. Really poor. In fact, poor doesn't even describe the Jets offense. Inept is more like it. Here's some stats for you:
176 total yards of offense.
60 yards passing (!)
10 pass completions
A meager 2.6 yards per pass play, sacks included.
The team's leading receiver was Jerricho Cotchery... with 18 yards on 2 receptions.
Despite a defensive effort that was valiant even if not perfect (images of Rex Ryan continually running rookie CB Kyle Wilson out there in single man coverage are alarming), the Jets didn't muster enough offense to score double digits or sustain a drive longer than 35 yards. First downs achieved? 6. Absolutely embarrassing.
The onus does not fall on Mark Sanchez, or the offensive line, or the receivers however. This is squarely on the shoulders of Rex Ryan, Brian Schottenheimer, and the offensive coaches. The Ravens are in transition in the secondary, and missing Ed Reed. Yet, there was no vertical attack. No threat to the Ravens downfield. Sanchez looked timid to throw downfield, undoubtedly a result of the "don't screw up" leash he's dangling on. Only 2 of Sanchez's 21 attempts were thrown 15 yards downfield.
As poor as Sanchez has looked, the coaches are doing him no favors. This is a kid who the team drafted 5th overall in the 09 draft. He was brought to New York to be the franchise quarterback. Franchise quarterbacks make plays and are put into position to make plays. The Jets don't allow him to do so. In a Super Bowl year, the Jets seem determined to not allow a young QB to sink their hopes; yet, they are hindering their own hopes by doing so. Despite some claims to the contrary, recent history shows that the NFL is still a quarterbacks league, and the Jets are behind the 8 ball as long as Sanchez continues along the path Ryan and Schottenheimer have set for him.
Sanchez has decent though not ideal size (6-2, 225), a good arm, and decent mobility. Schottenheimer needs to tailor his gameplan to the strengths of his quarterback and let him sink or swim, because the Jets are not a Super Bowl contender with performances like last week regardless of how good the defense is.
How can you say no to a face like this?
176 total yards of offense.
60 yards passing (!)
10 pass completions
A meager 2.6 yards per pass play, sacks included.
The team's leading receiver was Jerricho Cotchery... with 18 yards on 2 receptions.
Despite a defensive effort that was valiant even if not perfect (images of Rex Ryan continually running rookie CB Kyle Wilson out there in single man coverage are alarming), the Jets didn't muster enough offense to score double digits or sustain a drive longer than 35 yards. First downs achieved? 6. Absolutely embarrassing.
The onus does not fall on Mark Sanchez, or the offensive line, or the receivers however. This is squarely on the shoulders of Rex Ryan, Brian Schottenheimer, and the offensive coaches. The Ravens are in transition in the secondary, and missing Ed Reed. Yet, there was no vertical attack. No threat to the Ravens downfield. Sanchez looked timid to throw downfield, undoubtedly a result of the "don't screw up" leash he's dangling on. Only 2 of Sanchez's 21 attempts were thrown 15 yards downfield.
As poor as Sanchez has looked, the coaches are doing him no favors. This is a kid who the team drafted 5th overall in the 09 draft. He was brought to New York to be the franchise quarterback. Franchise quarterbacks make plays and are put into position to make plays. The Jets don't allow him to do so. In a Super Bowl year, the Jets seem determined to not allow a young QB to sink their hopes; yet, they are hindering their own hopes by doing so. Despite some claims to the contrary, recent history shows that the NFL is still a quarterbacks league, and the Jets are behind the 8 ball as long as Sanchez continues along the path Ryan and Schottenheimer have set for him.
Sanchez has decent though not ideal size (6-2, 225), a good arm, and decent mobility. Schottenheimer needs to tailor his gameplan to the strengths of his quarterback and let him sink or swim, because the Jets are not a Super Bowl contender with performances like last week regardless of how good the defense is.
How can you say no to a face like this?
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Intro
Hello. My name is Jeremy Jackson, I'm new to this whole blogging thing. That said, I love sports and I am opinionated (comes with being from New Jersey, I suppose). I don't claim to be unbiased, though I am as objective as I can be and I fancy myself a realist. I am a fan of the New York Mets, the New York Jets, the New Jersey Devils, and the New Jersey Nets. I'm a student at Rutgers University and a fan of Rutgers football and basketball as well, I'm also a former student at Virginia Tech and have a soft spot for the Virginia Tech Hokies football team. That's me.
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