ZB Notebook 10-16-12

by | Oct 16, 2012 | 2012 season, NFL Random Thoughts

I think the wear and tear and stress and strain may be getting to Eagles coach Andy Reid. He was getting ready to follow up a hugely disappointing season when the tragedy of his son’s death struck during training camp. And ownership made no bones about the fact that a repeat of 2011 in 2012 would not be acceptable.

Reid looked incredibly tired and worn down by Sunday’s comeback loss to Detroit, barking more aggressively at officials than I recall him doing in the past. Now word has emerged that his embattled defensive coordinator Juan Castillo has been fired and there are even rumors that quarterback Mike Vick may be on the brink of losing his job.

I think the hotseat is getting hotter in Philly – and probably deservedly so, even in spite of the conference championship games and Super Bowl Reid has led the Eagles to since arriving in 1999. I ranked him the sixth most-likely coach to get fired in a preseason list. I’d say he could be as high as number three now – and owner Jeff Lurie may do him a favor.

Reid, frankly, looks tired and worn out. He is a great coach, but it might actually do him some good to take a page from the book of Jeff Fisher by taking a year off to catch his breath and get some sleep.

London Jaguars?: (more…)

NFL Picks, 2012 Season Week 3

by | Sep 18, 2012 | 2012 season, NFL Picks

After two weeks of the regular season Philadelphia has turned the ball over nine times – and won two one-point games. When congratulated on the start, Chris Meares of The Mole & Meares Show described the feat as … well, Un$%&@believable.

We’ll see if Meares can match his favorite team by beating us at our picks for week three.

Last week, bloggers from The Landry Hat and HogsHaven both took their best shot. The Landry Hat struggled during a tough week to a 7-9 finish. HogsHaven matched Andy with a 9-7 mark. Tony grabbed top honors for week two with a 10-6 mark. So here is where we stand for the season so far.

Week two Total
Celebrity bloggers 9-7 20-12
Tony 10-6 18-14
Andy 9-7 17-15

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ZB Notebook 09-10-12

by | Sep 11, 2012 | 2012 season, NFL Random Thoughts

Five rookie quarterbacks started their careers on Sunday. Only one looked really good. From the start of the game, Robert Griffin III looked in control of Washington’s game against New Orleans. Despite the Saints having a chance to tie the game with a final drive, there really wasn’t a point during which it seemed like Washington was in any real trouble. That’s a huge credit to Griffin, who does appear to be the best quarterback the Redskins have had since … Joe Theismann?

There will be rough patches as teams gather film on this composed rookie, but I may have been wrong predicting another season in the cellar of the NFC East for the Redskins. This guy looks good.

None of the other rookies fared well in their debuts. Andrew Luck got beat up by Chicago. I still think he’s going to be fine, but when the Colts fell behind the Bears and the run game provided little support, Luck was out of … luck.  It is important to note the similarities between the first games of Luck and one Peyton Manning, however. CBS put up the linked graphic during the game broadcast. Colts fans can take solace in the likelihood that better days are ahead.

Russell Wilson showed glimpses that he’s going to be alright, though he ended up not able to pull the Seattle game out in the end against Arizona. Cleveland’s Brandon Weeden and Miami’s Ryan Tannehill both had forgettable debuts. A statistical breakdown of their performances can be found at RealRedskins.com.
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Modell’s death renews debate on his Hall of Fame cred

by | Sep 7, 2012 | Hall of Fame, NFL Random Thoughts

Tributes and recollections of former Baltimore Ravens owner Art Modell have been pouring in since word of his death broke Thursday.

For decades, Modell was one of the most visible of the NFL owners, having taken a lead role in negotiating the league’s first major television contract and in establishing Monday Night Football.

Not one to shy away from controversy, Modell bought the Cleveland Browns in 1961 and fired the team’s namesake coach Paul Brown two years later.

Later on, Modell moved the Cleveland Browns to Baltimore, leaving the football-intense Ohio city without a team for several years.

It was reportedly a move Modell felt he had to make, but it’s also the move he is most closely associated with and it has left him with many detractors.

Eric Edholm, senior editor with Pro Football Weekly, told ESPN-1500 in Minneapolis Thursday that the story of the NFL’s history could not be told without mentioning Modell’s name and that he thinks the owner should be in the Hall of Fame.

“The fact that he is not in the Hall of Fame does not make sense to me,” Edholm told listeners.

The move to Baltimore left an entire region bitter and bought Modell a number of enemies, however. And that issue alone, according to Edholm, is keeping him from being enshrined.

I think he probably should be in the Hall, though the backlog of players we’ve discussed time and again makes it unlikely he’s selected anytime real soon. It lends some credence to the argument made a few years back by Sports Illustrated reporter Peter King that “contributors” should be considered separately from players and coaches.

I’m sure his death will revive discussion of his merits as a candidate. It may already be doing so. His contributions to the game were more great than bad. What are your thoughts? Will he get his day?

In depth: Baltimore Ravens

by | Mar 13, 2012 | 2011 season, 2012 season, NFL Draft, NFL Free Agency, NFL Random Thoughts

Had Lee Evans hung on to a late toss from Joe Flacco in the end zone, the Baltimore Ravens may have been the team taking on the New York Giants on Super Bowl Sunday rather than New England.

He didn’t and they weren’t. So it’s on to 2012, when an offense full of up-and-coming stars like Joe Flacco, Ray Rice and Torrey Smith will partner with a better-than-solid but also aging defense, whose stars Ray Lewis and Ed Reed are getting close to the end of future Hall of Fame careers.

So do they have enough to make a run in a division that also includes Pittsburgh and fast-improving Cincinnati? Tony Lombardi is the founder of 24×7.com blogs and the lead writer on the site’s blog dedicated to the Ravens. He thinks if the team catches some breaks they can pick up where they left off. Lombardi shared some thoughts with Zoneblitz. Here’s what he had to say:

Zoneblitz: What are your thoughts on the development of Joe Flacco and his future as quarterback of the Ravens? – What kind of impact will adding former Colts head coach Jim Caldwell have on Flacco and the Ravens’ offense? (more…)