Tebow mechanics dicussed on Fox broadcast

by | Aug 29, 2010 | NFL Random Thoughts

I was one of many people who, a couple years ago, predicted that Tim Tebow would have to find another position if he was going to have a successful NFL career.

The jury is still out on his long-term prospects but it’s clear watching the Denver-Pittsburgh game on Fox tonight that he’s done a lot of work.

I preface this saying I am no expert on quarterback mechanics. But when he left Florida his throwing motion was put under a microscope. And it was clear even to a mere observer like me that his long, winding motion was going to hinder his chances for success.

His delivery still looks a little clunky, at least to me. But the long windup seems to have improved, at least some. His release appears quicker, again, at least to me.

He botched a short third-down pass to Eddie Royal in the middle of the third quarter that likely would have resulted in a first down. And in the fourth quarter he threw an ugly interception that set the Steelers up with a short field.

But in between, Tebow threw a couple bullets downfield in traffic that resulted in nice gains.

My guess is that he still has quite a ways to go before he’s ready to start in the NFL. I think Denver probably recognized that when they drafted him. Fox analyst Troy Aikman says it’s dangerous taking a guy who has played the position as long as Tebow has and completely reworking his mechanics as the Broncos appear to be doing with Tebow, and that process certainly is going to take time.

But even though this game is against a group of backups it seems as though he may have a better shot at making the transition to NFL quarterback than many originally believed. If he keeps leading drives like a couple of the ones he did in the third quarter, what it looks like won’t matter.

Does Roy Williams understand offense?

by | Aug 24, 2010 | NFL Random Thoughts

The Dallas Cowboys should be very good this year and I am on record as saying as long as they can keep Tony Romo upright, they have a chance to be tremendously exciting on offense.

That said, underachieving wideout Roy Williams may be jumping the gun a bit. He compared this year’s Cowboys’ offense to that of the 1998 Minnesota Vikings.

Easy Champ. The Vikings scored 556 points that season, second most in league history since the Patriots broke that mark in 2007.

While Dallas should be good, they were just 14th in points scored last season (361, for the record). Williams’ response to that, according to the Dallas Morning News? “We were a good offensive unit last year, very good, we just couldn’t score.”

Umm. Isn’t that the point?

You can put up hundreds and hundreds of yards. If you can’t put the pig in the end zone you aren’t going to win games. And if you don’t win games, nobody is going to mistake you for the 98 Vikings, the 07 Patriots or any other memorable team, Super Bowl champ or not.

Thanks for the laugh, Mr. Williams.

49ers first round linemen pegged as starters

by | Aug 9, 2010 | Fantasy Football, NFL Random Thoughts

One of the teams I am most intrigued to get a look at this season is the San Francisco 49ers. With Kurt Warner’s retirement bringing uncertainty at quarterback for Arizona, the door is open for San Francisco to make a playoff run.

The 9ers sported a solid defense last season and Alex Smith provided some hope at quarterback that he not only might not be a complete stiff but also might actually be something resembling decent.

Couple that with a full training camp for last year’s holdout rookie wide receiver Michael Crabtree and another year of experience for tight end Vernon Davis, who finally looked like a talented receiver himself last year, and there were already plenty of reasons for optimism.

What I liked best were this season’s first round draft choices, tackle Anthony Davis and guard Mike Iupati. I am a proponent of building offenses from the fat guys out and these two have the potential to really bring it for the red and gold.

I would expect some struggles early as those two figure it out on the job. But it looks based on a Fox Sports report like they’re both pegged for the starting lineups from the start of the preseason. Give them half a season to figure it out and guys like Frank Gore, Crabtree and Davis could be guys you want to have on your fantasy rosters for the second half of the season.

Mike Singletary might be on his way toward bringing this team back to its days of glory. I don’t expect a Super Bowl run this year, but I would be hugely surprised if San Francisco is not dramatically improved this season.

Now Favre will play if healthy … maybe

by | Aug 4, 2010 | NFL Random Thoughts

See? It never gets old.

Yesterday the media jumped on reports of text messages indicating that Brett Favre was retiring.

Today ESPN reports that he told Ed Werder he never sent those alleged text messages and that he’d play if he felt he was healthy enough to do so (I tend to believe that there were text messages of some sort and that they were either subterfuge or that the media misinterpreted them or blew them out of proportion, but I have no evidence to support the hunch).

And Deadspin reports that as a New York Jet two seasons ago, Favre text-messaged pictures of his … unit to a female employee of the team.

The soap opera never gets old.

…

…

Okay, it’s ridiculously old and it has been for a couple years now. But it never goes away. So when we wrote the post yesterday indicating that he was “retiring … maybe,” it was with full expectation that this was just the beginning. Others felt the same way.

I’m a little surprised the second chapter of this year’s “Will he or won’t he” book happened this quickly. But the truth is we don’t know if Favre will play or not and we won’t know if he will play or not until the season starts and we see who is starting at quarterback for the Vikings.

And even then, if Favre doesn’t start the season I think there is a good chance that if the team gets off to a slow start he’s cajoled into returning.

As we wrote yesterday, the only certainty with Favre is the uncertainty. That’s what you sign up for when he joins the team. And I think it’s going to be around for another year or three.

Cheers.

Jeff George throws name into Vikings quarterback derby

by | Aug 4, 2010 | NFL Random Thoughts

The restarting of Brett Favre’s annual retirement saga has promised to make the rest of the Minnesota Vikings’ training camp a circus for the second year in a row. And it got even stranger this morning when KFAN radio host and Vikings play-by-play guy Paul Allen interviewed Jeff George on his morning show.

The 42-year-old George last played in an NFL game in 2001 (he was also on rosters in 2002 and 2004). But he pops up annually trying to get one more shot to make a roster. And he makes some decent points.

A quarterback surrounded by a defense like the Vikings have and with skill position players like Adrian Peterson, Sidney Rice and Visanthe Shiancoe isn’t going to have to do a ton to make the team a winner.

“I’m not saying I’m a savior,” he told Allen. “I’m just saying I can still do what I need to do.”

George and Allen have kept in touch sporadically since the 1999 season when George stepped in mid-season to rescue what had been an underachieving Vikings team to that point. He went 8-2 as a starter that season and ultimately took the team to the second round of the playoffs before falling to St. Louis. (more…)

Favre might announce retirement … or not

by | Aug 3, 2010 | NFL Random Thoughts

Word leaking from Brett Favre-camp indicates that the quarterback will release a statement Tuesday saying he won’t play in 2010.

Fans on comment boards all over media sites are up in arms that he could hold the Vikings’ organization hostage like this.

Really?!?!?

This is the ride the team and the fans signed up for when Favre joined the Vikings a couple weeks before the 2009 season. And when he showed up he took the team and the fans on a helluva ride, finishing just a few yards and a couple minutes shy of the Super Bowl.

Newsflash, everyone. If Favre doesn’t play in 2010 it hampers the Vikings chances of making a similar run this year. But last year also doesn’t happen if Favre stays retired and Tarvaris Jackson starts at quarterback all year.

The developments coming out today should be a surprise to nobody. Favre was a diva three years ago. He was a diva two years ago. He was a diva a year ago. And he’ll be a diva a year from now.

I think there is still a 50-50 shot that he shows up to play in 2010. If he does, great. It will make the season much more interesting again. (more…)