ZB Notebook 1-13-2013

by | Jan 13, 2013 | 2012 season, NFL Random Thoughts

The Divisional playoff round is one of my favorite weekends of sport all year round and this year exemplified why. The Denver/Baltimore game and the Atlanta/Seattle contest provided extreme drama. The San Francisco/Green Bay game, which is the one I was not able to watch, introduced Colin Kaepernick as perhaps the league’s next great quarterback. And the Patriots/Texans game … well, nothing is perfect.

I was pretty surprised only by the results of the Ravens’ double overtime win over the Broncos. I had started to feel, like many, that Denver was the best team in the NFL. But the result, I think, does lend some credence to the possibility that the one downside to Peyton Manning’s selection of Denver as his later-career home is the potential for cold playoff games. No matter what anyone says, that could play havoc with his neck issues.

Nonetheless, the Ray Lewis retirement party carries on for one more week and I think the AFC Championship game rematch between his Ravens and the Patriots should be a fascinating game.

The NFC game also presents plenty of intrigue, with a rough, physical defense from San Francisco going up against the 2010s’ version of the 49ers of yesteryear, the Falcons. I’m already looking forward to it.

Can we hold off on Tebow talk?: I was tuning in Saturday morning to NFL Network for pregame information and before I got any information at all about the games coming up in mere hours, I was subjected to two segments on Tim Tebow’s future as an NFL quarterback. (more…)

Pro Football HOF announces 15 modern era finalists for 2013

by | Jan 11, 2013 | Hall of Fame

Four first-year nominees, including defensive linemen Warren Sapp and Michael Strahan and offensive linemen Jonathan Ogden and Larry Allen, are among 15 modern-era finalists for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s class of 2013.

Three wide receivers, Cris Carter, Andre Reed and Tim Brown also are on the list.

Other offensive players in the running for induction are running back Jerome Bettis and offensive lineman Will Shields. Defensive players among the finalists include linebacker Kevin Greene, defensive end Charles Haley and cornerback Aeneas Williams.

The last three finalists are coach Bill Parcells and two owners, Edward DeBartolo and Art Modell.

The finalists were announced Friday morning on NFL Network.

The list of 15 modern-era finalists was culled from a list of 27 semifinalists that was announced in November. The 12 semifinalists who did not make the cut to 15 were: running backs Roger Craig and Terrell Davis; offensive lineman Joe Jacoby; linebacker Karl Mecklenburg; defensive backs Steve Atwater, Albert Lewis and John Lynch (another notable first-time candidate); kicker Morten Andersen; special teamer Steve Tasker; coach Don Coryell; former Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and former Giants General Manager George Young.

Notable among the finalists are the three wide receivers. Brown, Reed and Carter all are seen as legitimate candidates for the Hall, but to this point they seem to be siphoning votes from one another, with none of the three able to garner enough support to earn enshrinement. (more…)

Did Bears make mistake firing Smith?

by | Jan 8, 2013 | 2012 season, NFL Random Thoughts

Heading into the weekend of week 17, I had a Twitter exchange with Da Bears Blog wherein he indicated he did not believe Smith’s job was in jeopardy, regardless of whether Chicago won or lost in week 17 against Detroit.

The Bears went on to win the game, but Smith was fired regardless of the 10-6 record posted by the Bears. I thought there was a decent chance Smith’s job was on the line but guessed that he would not be canned if the team finished 10-6, even if it missed the playoffs.

We both were wrong, but looking at some of the candidates teams are looking at right now, I’m starting to think Da Bears Blog should have been right.

The Chicago Tribune reported today that the Bears have a list of 12 potential candidates they might interview. AND they aren’t letting their assistant coaches interview anywhere else because they might want to retain guys like Rod Marinelli and Jeremy Bates, respectively the defensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

(more…)

ZB Notebook 1-6-2013

by | Jan 6, 2013 | 2012 season, NFL Random Thoughts

For the playoff teams, wild card weekend was the news. For the rest, the coaching carrousel was the biggest news. A couple surprises popped up.

The biggest stunner to me was Buffalo’s selection of Syracuse head coach as its next leader, replacing the fired Chan Gailey. Syracuse is better than it was four years ago, but it’s still a mid-level school in an uninspiring conference. So I was surprised to see Marrone get the attention he did this offseason.

The 48-year-old also was being pursued reportedly by Chicago, Cleveland, Philadelphia and San Diego. And he does have experience as an offensive line coach and as an offensive coordinator in the NFL, so it’s not like he’s coming in cold.

Judging by the comments at BuffaloRumblings.com, the hire is receiving mixed reviews in Buffalo, but Brian Galliford, manager of the site, has a number of posts with information about why he was hired. The Saints had a pretty successful offense when he was there, Galliford notes, even though Sean Payton called the plays. (more…)

Redskins’ “other” rookie leads team into playoffs

by | Dec 31, 2012 | 2012 season, NFL Random Thoughts

At my fantasy drafts back in August and September, whenever someone was hemming and hawing over who to pick, I often rather arrogantly shouted out “Alfred Morris is still available.” I generally was rewarded for my trash talk with some confusion, a couple of guffaws (unless it was the seventh or eighth time I brought up his name) or perhaps some ridicule. The drafter would usually roll his eyes and pick someone else.

Well, 1600 yards and 13 touchdowns later, Morris has made me look like a dumbass.

I had a fairly successful season this year. I won two leagues, took fifth place in a game-picking pool that included 167 participants and, most importantly, beat my brother in both our picks and bets segments (although admittedly the latter isn’t saying much).

But it is guys like Morris who make fantasy football challenging and who keep me from talking too much trash. They make deep research rewarding — and this year I failed. There was no greater “no name” getting selected in drafts as the 2012 season got underway. He’s a rookie sixth-round pick on a team coached by Mike Shanahan, who usually rotates running backs like Lindsay Lohan rotates court appearances. (more…)