Friday Night Link Dump

It's been a long day, ladies and gentlemen.  I'll look more in-depth into Sunday night's game at some point tomorrow, but for now, here are some Vikings-related links for you to peruse.

-Apparently the purple-on-purple color scheme that the Vikings went with on Monday night was Pat Williams' idea. . .and that it was a one-time only event.

Eh, I liked the all-purple look.  Maybe it will be a "one-time" thing in the same way that a Barbara Streisand retirement concert means that she's actually retiring.

-Also from Access Vikings, Sidney Rice, Antoine Winfield, and Dontarrious Thomas are all listed as "questionable" for Sunday night's game.  Crap.

-Mr. Cheer or Die has an interesting little yarn about his encounter with part-time punter/part-time steroid abuser/full-time drunken ass Todd Sauerbrun during his days with the Bears.

-The Ragnarok gives us their take about Redskins' fullback Mike Sellers whining about Tony Richardson being selected to the Pro Bowl ahead of him.  And he has a great point. . .why shouldn't a fullback that blocks for the 23rd ranked rush offense in the league be selected as a Pro Bowler over a guy that lead blocks for the best 1-2 RB tandem in the NFL?

-Vikes Geek takes a closer look at the Vikings' recent struggles running the football.

-Vikings Nation has a preview of Redskins/Vikings.

-According to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Fred Smoot will have "more than revenge on his mind" when he comes to the Metrodome on Sunday.  Apparently, Fred Smoot has once again forgotten that he is, indeed, still Fred Smoot.

-KARE-11 tells us about Fred Davis.  Who the heck is Fred Davis?  Read the article to find out.

Lastly, I want to throw a non-Vikings link in here.  This one's about Atlanta Falcons' running back Warrick Dunn and his conversation with a man named Kevan Brumfield.  Kevan Brumfield is. . .well, you know what, just read the story.  Allow me to say here that Warrick Dunn is one of the few non-Vikings players that I can bring myself to cheer for on a regular basis, and this is an incredible story.

That's all for tonight, folks. . .have a good evening!

Read The Full Article:
http://www.dailynorseman.com/story/2007/12/21/235624/45

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Oakland Raiders v. Jacksonville Jaguars: Final
Injury Report

Sorry for the light posting, I've got a big Christmas Party of sorts happening tomorrow and a bunch of stuff to do before some holiday travels.  Please don't forget to stop by Silver and Black Pride for all your Oakland Raiders news and notes!

-Chris

Jaguars:
Paul Spicer (DE)
Practice:     Did Not Participate In Practice     team decision

Mike Peterson (LB)
Practice:     Out (Definitely Will Not Play)     Hand
Game:     Out     Hand
Reggie Hayward (DE)
Practice:     Limited Participation in Practice     Groin
Game:     Doubtful     Groin
Tony Pashos (T)
Practice:     Full Participation in Practice     Thigh
Game:     Probable     Thigh

Raiders:
Daunte Culpepper (QB)
Practice:     Did Not Participate In Practice     Quadricep
Game:     Out     Quadricep
Justin Fargas (RB)
Practice:     Did Not Participate In Practice     Knee
Game:     Out     Knee
Tim Dwight (WR)
Practice:     Limited Participation in Practice     Hamstring
Game:     Questionable     Hamstring
Chris Carr (CB)
Practice:     Full Participation in Practice     Shoulder
Game:     Probable     Shoulder
Josh McCown (QB)
Practice:     Full Participation in Practice     L Finger
Game:     Probable     L Finger

Read The Full Article:
http://www.bigcatcountry.com/story/2007/12/21/214429/84

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Browns' Playoff Scenarios Galore: Week 16

Last week against the Buffalo Bills, it seemed like our playoff chances would've been slim if the Cleveland Browns lost. However, in a way, things will be worse this week if Derek Anderson and company fail to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals, because the amount of games left to make up ground would be lost. It's best to think positive, but until I see the Browns with more points on the scoreboard than the Bengals this Sunday as the game ends, I'm going to be very nervous. I was confident against the Cardinals, Jets, and Bills, but the "win, or you're basically screwed" vibe that surrounds this game has changed my demeanor.

Here are the top three wildcard tie-breaking procedures that we need to be concerned with:

1. Head-to-head
2. Best record in conference
3. Best record in common games

Scenario #1 - Clinch Playoff Spot

The following games are this weekend. In the best scenario, the winners are in navy:

1. Cleveland Browns vs. Cincinnati Bengals
2. New York Jets vs. Tennessee Titans = N/A

It's simple. If the Browns win, we don't even have to worry about what the Titans do against the Jets at 4:15 PM. A win, regardless of what the Titans do, will clinch a playoff spot for the Browns. To prove that, let's assume that the Browns beat the Bengals and lose against the 49ers, while the Titans win their final two games. These would be the final standings:

Team W L ComC ComT Conf Cleveland Browns 10 6 -- 4-1 8-4 Tennessee Titans 10 6 4-1 -- 7-5

(ComC = Common games with Cleveland)
(ComT = Common games with Tennessee)

Our better conference record would be the official deciding factor, and we wouldn't have to worry about the common opponents records. Now then, what about the depressing situation? Here it is:

Scenario #2 - Titans Seize Advantage

1. Cleveland Browns vs. Cincinnati Bengals
2. New York Jets vs. Tennessee Titans

Heading into Week 17, the wildcard race would look like this:

Team W L ComC ComT Conf Cleveland Browns 9 6 -- 3-2 7-5 Tennessee Titans 9 6 4-1 -- 6-5

Wait a minute...the Browns would still hold the advantage heading into Week 17? Yes, this is true: regardless of what happens this Sunday, the Browns will hold a playoff spot heading into Week 17. However, the big asterisk that you can shove next to this scenario is that if both the Browns and the Titans win in Week 17, the Titans would make the postseason. Why? Take a look at another table:
  Team W L ComC ComT Conf Tennessee Titans 10 6 4-1 -- 7-5 Cleveland Browns 10 6 -- 3-2 7-5

Since the Browns are playing an NFC team in Week 17, our conference record cannot improve beyond 7-5. The Titans are playing an AFC team though -- the Indianapolis Colts -- and a win would put them in a tie with us for that category. The next tiebreaker would look at the common opponents category, which is where the loss to the Bengals in Week 16 would come back to haunt us.

Hopefully, if the Browns lose to the Bengals, the Colts will pile it on the Titans early in Week 17 before they start putting their backups in. Then, a Browns win and a Titans loss in Week 17 would give the Browns a one-game advantage record-wise over the Titans, and obviously put us into the postseason.

Scenario #3 - Division Win

1. Cleveland Browns vs. Cincinnati Bengals
2. San Francisco 49ers vs. Cleveland Browns
3. Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens

In the above scenario, the Browns would move ahead of the Steelers for the AFC North title. The division standings would look like this:

Team W L H to H Div Conf Cleveland Browns 11 5 0-2 4-2 8-4 Pittsburgh Steelers 10 6 2-0 5-1 7-5

Would it be such a tall order for the Steelers to fall to the Ravens? Under ordinary circumstances, I would say "yes". However, consider all of the change and external elements in the game. The Steelers are only 3-4 on the road this season. They just lost Willie Parker for the season (although I actually like Najeh Davenport better). And, the Ravens may have Troy Smith under center. Granted, I don't want a rookie facing the Steelers' defense, but between him, Kyle Boller, and Steve McNair, I'd take my chances with Smith. In one final scenario, how would things have to go down for the Steelers to not even make the postseason? Imagine if the scenario above occurs, and the Titans win their final two games. This is how the race for the sixth seed would look:
  Team W L ComP ComT Conf Tennessee Titans 10 6 2-3 -- 7-5 Pittsburgh Steelers 10 6 -- 2-3 7-5

What's up with this scenario? We can't decide from the conference record or the common opponents record. Based on there scores of each team's games in the final two weeks, if the Titans finish the season with a better strength of victory, then they will make the playoffs. There is also a loophole where the Jaguars could lose both of their games and end up winning the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Steelers, as the Titans would finish ahead of the Jaguars.

Conclusion

Just like last time, I hope all of the scenarios above are rather clear. If there are any mistakes that I made, please let me know so I can fix them. The message this week: beat the Bengals, and we don't have to worry about being "in" or "out" heading into the season's final week.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.dawgsbynature.com/story/2007/12/21/195148/55

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Readers Make The Case For A New Head Coach

I figure I've gotten all the responses I'm going to get, so it's a great time to jump into this. As you know, I'm endorsing Mike Singletary, but there was an interesting range of choices. Because this is lengthy, everyone's responses will go after the jump. I posted the responses in the order in which I got them.

Catch 'em all!

Reader John Tortoso

Who else has the real credibilty Mr. Blank is talking about (and no one else), other than Bill Parcells. This man has taken on 4 different teams and transformed them into super bowl contenders each and every time. For some reason, whether if you like him or not, he never fails to build a good team. And then he leaves them in good shape for years to come, to someone else. Although Arthur should have never let Dan Reeves go, Marty and Cowher both have pretty good track records, and would be my second or third choices. After that, pick your project. We might get lucky.

Reader Brian Basenberg

I've been a die-hard Falcons fan for 35 years now and let me tell you one thing...I'm tired of losing! The Falcons have been playing football now for over 40 years and yet we still haven't managed to have two consecutive winning seasons. It's time for that to change. And there is no surer way of changing that shameful legacy than by hiring the right head coach.

First of all, we need a head coach that is already coaching in the NFL and is aware of the challenges involved in operating in a high-pressure environment where you are coaching grown men and where millions of dollars are at stake. I think the Petrino fiasco simply highlights the fact that college coaches, even the great ones, are almost never successful in the NFL due to the entirely different challenges involved in coaching at such a high level.

Secondly, we need a coach with head coaching experience. The Atlanta Falcons have faced one disaster after another this year, and the players are clearly fed-up with dealing with amateurs. We need someone who's "been there before" and has the knowledge, strength of will, and self-confidence to do whatever has to be done to make the team better, even if it means stepping on a lot of toes.

Finally, we need a coach who is a proven winner. Not the son of a good coach, not someone who had one or two good seasons with a team loaded with talent, not someone who the media thinks will be a great coach one day. No, we need someone who has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are a winner and will do whatever it takes to win.

In my opinion, there are only a handful of coaches who meet all these criteria and are available for hire. And of these few, none has been more successful than Marty Schottenheimer. He made the Cleveland Browns into winners, he made the Kansas City Chiefs into winners, and he made the San Diego Chargers into winners. Everywhere he has been he has taken losers and made them into Winners. In fact, no one in the past 20 years has been as successful at as many different teams as Marty Schottenheimer has been.

Oh sure, I can hear some already saying "He can't win the big game". So what? He can make the Falcons into consistent winners, something they have never managed to achieve in over 40 years. And remember, Bill Cowher and John Madden were both once considered coaches who "couldn't win the big game" until their final season as a head coach. And who would question their greatness today?

Sure, many NFL players can't stand Marty's super-strict, and very demanding style of coaching. The players on the Washington Redskins even complained to the owner in order to get him fired after only one season. But success in the NFL is not about having warm and fuzzy feelings for one's head coach. Success in the NFL is defined by winning. Period. And no one understands that better than Marty Schottenheimer.

Reader Gil James

My response and attitude about a new head coach is one with passion for football in the national football league. One whom is not scared of the upper management during decision making and one whom has the upmost respect from the players. One whom motivates and is experienced. Arthur Blank needs to realize a coach of this magnitude isn't cheap but he also needs to realize that the Falcon franchise needs such a coach to bring the fan base and excitement back to Atlanta.
       A rumor has started about Bill Cowher being brought back from retirement. He is my pick. Give him a ten year, 100 million dollar contract such as Vick received and I guarantee that we will have a dedicated coach whom has passion and heart for the game, the league and the players. A coach of this magnitude will bring back an unscaled excitement to a city whom is in a dire need for it. I remember the excitement when Dan Reeves was hired and placed as head coach and general manager and his passion brought a lot to Atlanta. In my opinion, the biggest mistake Arthur Blank did since taking over the Falcons is of Dan Reeves departure. Even if the current general manager gets the boot to bring a coach of this magnitude to Atlanta, then so be it. History proves that a coach whom has a strong role in developing the team has great success.
      Dave, this is a serious mail sent to you by a serious falcons' fan. I hope Arthur Blank has learned from his mistakes in the past, stop taking chances with want to be coaches and bring in a real coach with talent, skill and experience. To me, that best candidate is Bill Cowher.

Poster runningback

Marty Schottenheimer

First off, he is the exact opposite of our last two coaches when it
comes to player relations.  Petrino didn't give a crap about his
players, Mora Jr. was a little nice.  I don't know if "nice" is the
right word but in either case I think it was both of those guys'
inexperience as a head coach in the NFL that lead to serious personal
issues.  Right now this team needs a coach for his leadership skills
as much as for his playbook.

Second, he is a proven winner.  He has had success wherever he has
coached except for the single year with the Skins (is 8-8 REALLY a
failure?) but then again he wasn't given a fair shake as Daniel Snyder
had a boner the size of Florida for Steve Spurrier (ironically another
college coach who couldn't hack it).  In 20 full seasons of being a
head coach he has taken his teams to the playoffs 13 times and has a
career winning percentage of .613.

Look no further than San Diego where the Chargers are basically
playing with the same talent this year (maybe even a little more of
defense) as they did last year when they went 14-2.  Where are they
now without him?

Closing Statement:
Marty is an old school coach who before anything can add stability to
the team which is what they really need next year more than anything
and of course he has a proven track record.  And oh yeah, unlike some
of the other candidates, he is currently unemployed.

My name is runningback, and I approve this post for Marty Ball in 2008.

Reader Jeff Horowitz

Read your blog as often as I can and I just wanted to thank you for writing insightful and thought provoking articles on a team that we all
love in the midst of a disastrous season. I have just completed my 5th year as a season ticket holder and hope for the "best for the 08 campaign".
It is going to suck watching games in an empty dome. I appreciate the fact that Mr. Blank is painting the outside of the dome...etc..etc... to
enhance the "game day" experience, but to my the ONLY thing that will enhance the game day experience is putting a competitive team on the
field. That being said I feel the problem may start with our esteemed general manger Rich McKay. True he has had some great success in the past
with the Bucs et all...but what has he done here in the ATL. Just examine our draft from this past season. Jamal Anderson...Justin Blalock...
rookies that have had zero impact. What is even more painful in the fact that we traded away a franchise QB to move up two spots in the draft to
pick both these guys up.
OK...getting to the point of this e mail..new head coach. I will give you my top 5...some may not be available but as we know Mr. Blank has DEEP
pockets and there is no salary cap when it comes to head coaches. We need a coach who can  take CONTROL of all aspects of the team and will
help to put fans in the seats
1.Bill Parcells (the Cowboys are his team as we all know)
2.Bill Cowher
3.Marty Shottenheimer
4.Jimmy Johnson...can't deny his past history in the NFL
5.Dan Reeves..the best coach we had had since I have been in this city
The one thing I do not want at this point is a college coach or an NFL coordinator( I know Tomlin is a good coach..but there are plenty of bad ones
Cam Cameron,Mike Nolan,Jim Mora).

Poster MKL

This is coming from a person who thought Petrino was a good hire to utilize Vick....

One of the unseemly things in the whole Vick thing was the issue of race. Terrance Moore addressed that early on when Vick was indicted and it showed on that "townhall" crap that ESPN did. So, like it or not, a black coach will help with the fans. A former player, especially one that has won and a HOF'er will help with locker room not to mention the PR.

All the above leads to Singletary. But there are the unknowns. He has no DC experience, much less HC. And while we can guess his defensive mentality (I think Zimmer has done a pretty good job as DC. I like his aggressiveness but would Singletary take over the play calling?), what would his offense look like?

As a Falcons fan, it's hard to take an objective look at the roster and decide whether this team can win with a few tweaks (well, a major tweak at QB...) or if the roster needs to be blown up. The roster is going to be blown up soon I suspect because of age and salaries. That would be a major factor in a coaching hire.

I know Cowher is being tossed out there a lot but I just don't know about him. He had some great coaches on his staff at Pittsburgh but he would have to assemble a brand new one for the Falcons. Take away his staff and he's reduced to spittle-laced tirades on the sidelines. Whisenhunt and LeBeau aren't coming with him but he might bring Mularkey or Chan Gailey...

My dark horse candidate would be Jim Caldwell, QB coach of the Colts. He interviewed with the Cards and Cowboys last year. He's a Tony Dungy-type who would also be a good coach for a rookie QB... Here's a report on him from when he interviewed with the Cards.

Leave your own comments about everyone's selections, and share your own thoughts if you haven't already.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.thefalcoholic.com/story/2007/12/21/185813/82

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MAC officials make mistake at the Poinsettia Bowl

After Utah tied Boston College for the longest consecutive streak of bowl victories, the officiating crew issued a statement admitting a blown call in the game, even after it had been reviewed.

The play came on a Brian Johnson third-down pass to Jereme Brooks, where the Utah wide-out dove for the end zone and tried to push the ball past the sideline pylon at the goal line.

The ball appeared to leave his hand and hit the pylon, with the officials ruling the play wasn't a touchdown and that Utah retained possession for a fourth-down try from inside the 1-yard line.

In their written statement, the crew cited NCAA Football Rule Section F-1, Rule 8, Section 6, Article 1, Item 1, explaining "the ball was fumbled forward, hit the pylon. The pylon is out of bounds, also in the end zone. The mistake was ? it should have been ruled a touchback."

Lou Holtz and Mark May had it right in the press box, how do the refs in the replay booth get it wrong? I am a Utah fan, it should have been a touchback.

The results of the mistake was that Navy stopped Utah at the goal line the next play, giving them the ball at the goal line instead of the 20 they should have. They got eight yards and went for it on fourth down. This was the real mistake that cost Navy. Utah got the ball back at the ten and went in for the easy touchdown.

The Navy coach said he would have ran the same three plays from the 1 as from the 20. Option, option, option. Maybe if he had got to the 28 he would have punted, but at your own 8 you got for it?

I'll take the win and the 32 Bowl mania points.

© www.fanblogs.com

Comment on MAC officials make mistake at the Poinsettia Bowl...

Read The Full Article:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/fanblogs/~3/204329401/007403.php

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Back to Where It All Began

     The legendary American general George Patton once said, “Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom.”     Last Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Dallas Cowboys, especially quarterback Tony Romo, hit bottom.  Despite a strong defensive performance, the Cowboys’ offense looked horribly inept, and the team fell, 10-6.     Tomorrow night, Dallas gets a chance [...]

Read The Full Article:
http://mvn.com/nfl-cowboys/2007/12/21/back-to-where-it-all-began/

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Another honor for Tom Brady

Read The Full Article:
http://www.patsfans.com/price/blog/?p=263

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Friday Injury Report

Read The Full Article:
http://www.patsfans.com/price/blog/?p=262

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Bill Belichick-Josh McDaniels Q&A, 12/21

Read The Full Article:
http://www.patsfans.com/price/blog/?p=261

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The Shaun Hill debate

Consider this perfect timing for this post.  I hadn't fully weighed in on the burgeoning Shaun Hill era aside from the run through of his performance against the Bengals.  Since then, over at ESPN The Sports Guy weighed in on the quarterback crisis in the NFL and I posted some this morning thoughts on not getting ahead of ourselves with Shaun Hill over at Nothing Finer, the FSN Bay Area 49ers blog I've been writing.

First off, Bill Simmons aka The Sports Guy, for those who do not read his work.  He did a quasi-poll of the 60 quarterbacks who have started a game this season to clear up how ugly things really have been in the NFL.  It's not a traditional 1-60 poll, but rather a breakdown into different categories.  What did he have to say about Alex Smith and Shaun Hill?

FLASHES OF UPSIDE, FLOODS OF DOWNSIDE
Cleo Lemon,Tarvaris Jackson, Rex Grossman, Sage Rosenfels, Brodie Croyle, Alex Smith, the McCown brothers (Josh and Luke)

Comments: I'm not sure what's more astonishing -- that Alex Smith was included in this list, or that you could argue he should be two levels lower. Also, this list actually made me laugh out loud after I typed all the names. There's something inherently funny about the group itself and the sight of "the McCown brothers" pushes it over the top. They're like the Buffer brothers, only if both of them were Bruce.

THE ONE-WEEK WONDERS
Todd Collins, Shaun Hill

Comments: Just remember, William Hung and Delores the Lunch Lady had their 15 minutes, too. Yes, I'm bitter both guys cost me money last week.

While the Alex Smith category is pretty spot on, I take umbrage with his lumping of Shaun Hill with Todd Collins.  Collins has been in the league for 13 years and actually started most of the 1997 season with the Buffalo Bills.  Shaun Hill has been in the league six years and made his first ever start last week.

I put together the post over at Nothing Finer to basically say, "Let's not get ahead of ourselves, ANYTHING is possible."  Shaun Hill could be the savior fans have been looking for.  Then again, Alex Smith could bounce back from surgery and be the franchise quarterback for the next decade.  And of course, neither could work out and we start all over in a couple of years.  However, the upside to Hill playing so well is that he'll give Alex Smith competition that he has never had before.  Smith was handed the starting QB position and never had to earn it with his performance on the field after college.  Plenty of teams do that and it works out fine (Aikman, Manning, etc...).  However, competition could prove useful to Alex Smith.  If he wilts under the pressure, we've saved ourselves further heartache.  If he steps up and claims the job as his own, all the better.  Either way, a strong finish for Hill this year will make for an interesting 2008 training camp.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.ninersnation.com/story/2007/12/21/15189/514

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