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Posts Tagged Armchair QB

Favorite NFL speedsters of all time . . .

Aug 14

Posted by Bob Noyes in Armchair QB | 1 Comment

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In the wake of Michael Vick’s signing with the Philadelphia Eagles, there’s been an onslaught of Vick highlight reels and they have been, to say the least, impressive. It’s almost amazing what that man was capable of during the prime of his career.

That string of highlights involving Vick running around opposing defenses had me reminiscing about the good ol’ days and the initial advent of created-players in football video games, players that you created to simply run circles around opposing outside linebackers on sweeps and option plays. Being somewhat of a purest in my video football, however, my created players didn’t make the cut very often or were scaled back to fit the mold of an average athlete with room to improve.

I’ve always loved speed (and unlearned attributes), however, and the recent buzz around Vick has gotten me thinking about some of my favorite NFL speedsters:

Bo Jackson

Bo Jackson was a bad-ass, plain and simple, and had a reel with the best of them.

Darrell Green
Green means go and I will always remember that Darrell Green meant go. He was recorded as running a 4.09 40 time. That’s ridiculous.

Deion Sanders

Deion was “Primetime” and definitely put on a show.

Additional favorites, you may ask?

Willie Gault - The Bears’ quick WR had a gold medal to go with his Super Bowl ring.

Randy Moss – I’ll wager that if you doubt Randy’s quickness, he’s already behind you.

Devin Hester – His rookie season returns put him on the list by themselves.  Anything else is just fodder.

And then there’s always Dickerson, Walker, etc. etc. etc. – The list could go on and on, but these are just a few of my favorite speedsters to sit and watch.

All videos above are from YouTube and though I cannot claim responsibility for them, please enjoy.

Cheers.

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Off-Season Wrap Up: Green Bay Packers

Aug 12

Posted by Nick Thomas, NFC North resident in Armchair QB | 1 Comment

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In the first year After Favre, the Pack became an enigma. They lost a lot of close games, and their 6-10 record doesn’t show how well they played at times, especially early. Going into their Week 8 bye last year, Green Bay was comfy at 4-3 and Aaron Rodgers had posted passer ratings above 100 five times in seven games. Their three losses were to teams considered pretty good at the time; one was to those pesky Falcons who were clipping off surprise victories almost every week.

Things were fine. They went into the off-week tied with Chicago (who also had their bye) for the division lead. Minnesota (who also had a week 8 bye?) trailed at 3-4, and Detroit was already dangling Roy Williams as trade bait. The Packers were looking at a tough schedule down the line, but the rest of the division wasn’t too threatening, and never really would be.

Aaron Rodgers celebrates. Online photo, source not available

But something must have happened over the bye week, because the Pack went 2-7 the rest of the way, the only victories coming against rivals Chicago and Detroit. Green Bay pasted my Bears in a game that, at the time, stood to decide the division winner with both teams a stunningly mediocre 5-5. Kyle Orton was being rushed back from a cringe-inducing high-ankle sprain and the Bears never stood a chance. It was Green Bay’s biggest win of the season, 37-3. Both teams sucked thereafter and Minnesota crept their way into a first-round playoff exit.

November was particularly tough for Rodgers & Co., going 1-4. The heir to the FavreThrone averaged an 82 rating for the month and had a season-low 59 against New Orleans. They got smoked 51-29 in that game, and the towel was pretty much thrown in by the time December rolled around. It looked like the Pack were getting thrown a bone against 0-15 Detroit in their last game, but the Lions were scrappy and muscled out a 21-31 loss.

The defense was scapegoated in the off-season and Green Bay brought in Dom Capers as Defensive Coordinator to install his 3-4. The Pack drafted defense to comply, taking D-End BJ Raji and LB Clay Matthews with their two first-round picks. Coupled with Justin Harrell, the Pack have gone defense with their last three first-round picks (Harell is his own story, missing most of his first two years in the pros with injuries, and just yesterday he went down again).

Clay Matthews joins AJ Hawk as the 2nd long-blond-haired-underachieving-star-linebacker-from-a-big-school on the team, while BJ Raji is stuck in the Crabtree Contract Quagmire. He left town Tuesday night, which can’t be a good sign.  (UPDATE:  RAJI HAS AGREED IN PRINCIPLE TO A DEAL, NO SIGNATURE YET)

BJ Raji. online photo, no source available

Not to be outdone, the management in Green Bay has decided to cheer everyone up by considering Mike Vick as a backup option. Things have taken a turn for the morbid in Green Bay as the Preseason approaches, but you’ll never know what comes out of that…place. They play up to their good opponents and always compete in division games. Don’t expect that to change, even if Green Bay finishes below .500 again. Which won’t happen. If there’s a team whose arrow is pointing down, it’s Green Bay’s neighbor to the west.

NEXT: THE MOTOR-CITY KITTIES

PREVIOUS: MINNESOTA VIKINGS, CHICAGO BEARS

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Off-Season Wrap Up: Minnesota Vikings

Aug 11

Posted by Nick Thomas, NFC North resident in Armchair QB | 2 Comments

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There was really only one off-season story for the NFC North Champion Minnesota Vikings.  I’m actually impressed with this team and it’s fanbase after the letdown of Brett Favre teasing them like that.  While the fiasco was consuming the Twin Cities, I honestly believed that if Favre decided to stay in retirement it would deal a crippling blow to the Purple and it’s faithful. Not the case.

 

In the initial aftershock stages of the rejection, of course, most Vikings fans had one of two immediate reactions: Either they popped a bottle of Scotch out on the lake in celebration, or popped a bottle of Scotch out on the lake in despair.  Much of the latter was compromised of the Vikings’ marketing department, whose 4th-floor office windows had to be welded shut. 

 

But most of those fans who supported bringing Favre on board just crossed over to the other side, where the fans still hated him and refused to cheer for him in a Vikings uniform. So the team and it’s Zubaz sporting faithful actually moved on from the Favre Flirting episode pretty easily, and have passive-aggressively sighed in acceptance that Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels are what they have to deal with in 2009. 

 

Purple Bleeding Zubaz Faithful - Online Photo

Purple Bleeding Zubaz Faithful - Online Photo - No Source Available

The jury is out on their draft, just like everyone else.  Phil Loadholt seems like a steal in the 2nd round, and by chancing Percy Harvin in the 1st, they definitely added a new dynamic element to their offense. What Harvin does with the chance is up to him.  So far he’s pretty much lived up to his ‘flake’ and ‘feminine hygiene product’ labels. Historically, players like Percy Harvin make very little impact in their rookie seasons. I believe there will be more bloopers than highlights out of Parvin in 2009, although this is coming from a guy who has Devin Hester on his squad – the human blooper AND highlight reel of the NFL.  Hester is Kurt Rambis and Dominique Wilkins all rolled into one.

 

Loadholt has earned the coaching cliché of “he’s right where we expect him to be”, which is oftentimes code for “yeah, he’ll make the team but he’s not blowing us away”.  That certainly doesn’t mean he can’t become a solid, steady force, but a guy that big doesn’t play long, and you’d like him to be making an impact early.

 

Adrian Peterson’s influence when healthy isn’t necessary to detail to anyone on this continent, and Chester Taylor will continue to be the best 2nd-string tailback in the NFL (someone has to do Purple Jesus’s blocking and pass-catching for him).  Practice-squad stud Albert Young from Iowa will ensure stability in the backfield, even in case of emergency.

 

Bernard Berrian needs to have his first 1000-yard season to justify his free-agent contract, but which of these QB’s seem capable of making any of their wideouts blossom into legit playmakers?  Berrian will most likely keep coming up with the periodical big play but fall short of ever drawing a consistent double-team.  Sydney Rice is doing okay in drills, but overall the offense is pretty sluggish.  

 

Luckily the defense and running game will rise to the occasion for Minnesota in 2009.  The outcome of the Williams-Wall’s Starcaps case will have a say, but Jared Allen, Antoine Winfield, E.J. Henderson and Chad Greenway should be able to hold down fort through a reasonably easy first-quarter of the season if need be. 

Minnesota Vikings Jared Allen - Online Photo No Source Available

Minnesota Vikings Jared Allen - Online Photo No Source Available

Then there is the always-pending stadium dispute between Vikings ownership and the city of Minneapolis which has occasionally broken through the FavreFest media frenzy this offseason.  It can be argued that the Vikings have a pretty good case: the city says they don’t want to pony up to finance shiny new digs, and potential taxpayer reaction has been lukewarm.  But two new stadiums have been built in town over the last two years for the Twins and the Minnesota Golden Gophers, and somehow the Vikings got passed over.  Somewhere in Los Angeles, a Purple clock is ticking.

 

NEXT UP: GREEN BAY PACKERS

PREVIOUS: CHICAGO BEARS

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Just another Michael Vick article . . .

Aug 11

Posted by Bob Noyes in Armchair QB | Comments off

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I recently read yet another article on the return of Michael Vick, and can officially state that I simply do not care anymore.

Sure, what he did to those poor dogs was absolutely repugnant and should forever be an Acme-sized anvil hanging over his head, but it’s his head, his anvil, and his judgment day to come.  What people need to remember is that it is not our place (IMO) to further judge the man.  He went to jail through our court system, lost millions of dollars, all but ruined his career and future (outside of the construction business apparently), and is labeled as just another athlete getting a free pass.

I personally believe if anyone got a free pass, it’s Donte Stallworth.  Stallworth killed a man and served 24 days in jail.  Let me repeat that – 24 days in jail for killing a man.  Wow, and people think Vick’s 2-year stint in the pen is just another slap on the wrist?

Here are my simple bullets for why I’m officially okay with Michael Vick returning to the NFL:

  • Goodell saw fit to reinstate the man.
  • Dungy seems to believe in his rebirth.
  • And lastly, it’s not like he’s managing your finances at a local bank or running a day care.  Sure he may end up being a role-model  to some of your children, but sometimes there’s no better preacher than the one who’s actually committed a sin and grown from it (cross your fingers anyway).

Sure, I can understand why others may not like it or go so far as to boycott his endorsed products (there can’t be that many anymore, can there?), but I’m not fully interested in all seeing it my way.

I guess I needed some sort of closure . . .

Update: Vick signs 2 yr deal with Eagles

Check out Nick Thomas’ Off-Season NFL Expert Wrap-ups.

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Off-Season Wrap Up: Chicago Bears

Aug 10

Posted by Nick Thomas, NFC North resident in Armchair QB | 3 Comments

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Jay Cutler at Chicago Bears training camp - Online Photo

Jay Cutler at Chicago Bears training camp - Online Photo

The time is finally upon us. Training camps are underway, and the speculation, machismo, and rhetoric of the NFL media starts to ramp up.  I enter the season with a new quarterback at the helm of my team, beatable division rivals, a promising young tailback, and…something…to look forward to on defense, I guess.

 

It’s a foreign sensation as a Bears fan to go into a season excited about the quality of the offense while deciding to ignore the problems on defense.  Typically it’s much more the other way around. But I’ve managed to convert nicely.  In fact I spent an entire picturesque Saturday watching Jay Cutler highlights from 2008. My jaw moved to the ‘dropped’ position upon watching this highlight early in the binge.

 

I vaguely remembered the game. It was Week 2 and I didn’t see it, but I recalled the image of Jay Cutler with the slapstick fumble in the last minute of the game. I recall ridiculing him, as an open discussion regarding who was more despicable – Jay Cutler or Phil Rivers – had broken out between my lady and me (Cutler usually won). I didn’t remember Cutler getting up and throwing the game-clinching touchdown and 2-pt. conversion.  

 

The fumble will remind any Bears fan of You-Know-Who, but his poise afterwards sure won’t. I know Cutler throws picks, and bad ones sometimes, but I’m past it. I’ll take the guy who has a rocket arm and who doesn’t fumble two snaps a game. And who doesn’t throw picks for TD’s to D-Ends. Or post 0.0 passer ratings in crucial division home games late in the season.

 

Indeed the quarterback position has me pumped.  But then I am deflated like a guy wearing a purple Brett Favre jersey when I look at the defense, particularly when I get an eyeful of the secondary.  They’ve replaced Mike Freaking Brown with Josh Freaking Bullocks, and their underachieving cornerbacks are barely making it through camp.  

 

I like what Rod Marinelli brings to the table as a D-Line coach, but the players are as suspect as they were last year, when Chicago did a pretty decent impression of The Three Stooges trying to go through a door at the same time.  They blitzed more than any team in the league and rarely even got pressure.  As the Bears’ D-line improves, so do the Bears.  Nate Vasher and D.J. Moore will look like world-beaters if Tommie Harris (uh..), Mark Anderson, and Tank Johnson Israel Idonije can return to their Super Bowl season form.

 

Bears fans, let everyone else underestimate what Cutler will do with Matt Forte, Devin Hester, and Greg Olsen. Don’t worry. They’ll be fine.

 

NEXT UP: MINNESOTA VIKINGS

 

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