A spin around the league
What a treat this week of football will be! We have a marquee Monday night game and a bevy of Thanksgiving matchups to feast our eyes on throughout the day. The NFL playoff landscape is shaping up nicely, and most fantasy football leagues are inching closer to the playoffs.
Everyone likes a little variety in their holiday dinner, so please bear with me as I hop around the NFL.
Clinton Portis, running back, Washington Redskins
The Washington Post reports Portis is dealing with blurred vision after suffering a concussion in Week 9. He will miss his third straight game, but if the Redskins are smart they’ll sit Portis for the remainder of the season. Washington could have gone on a little roll with a win against the Dallas Cowboys last week, but it’s now time to concede a lost season. The contract implications of releasing him are too great to part ways in the offseason. Give the 28-year-old rusher as much rest going into the 2010 season as possible in effort to milk one final strong campaign from the former Miami Hurricane.
Kris Brown, place kicker, Houston Texans
I’ll be quick to say that I feel bad for Brown after missing two huge kicks against division opponents, but you have to wonder why Texans head coach Gary Kubiak is backing his maligned booter. A 77.8 percent career kicker, Brown posted his two most accurate seasons since his rookie year of 1999 in the past two years. His 2009 accuracy rating of 64.7 is vintage Sebastian Janikowski terrible, especially for a team in contention of a playoff spot. Texans fans at least deserve the team making a phone call to Matt, no? Give him a workout. Who knows … he may win you a game this year!
Vince Young, quarterback, Tennessee Titans
While his numbers may be paltry, and Young’s passes are often ugly, the guy wins games. Just like Michael Vick did in Atlanta, VY knows how to rack up the Ws.
Not so bad, eh?
Brady Quinn, quarterback, Cleveland Browns
I guess my blog entry last week about it being Brett Ratliff’s time turn as the Browns’ starting quarterback struck a nerve within Quinn. Kudos on the impressive showing last week, but you played the Lions. My hat also goes off to Matthew Stafford (shoulder) for his record-setting effort, but you played the Browns. I digress….
Speaking of Stafford, it’s probably not fair of me to say he is injury prone, which I don’t truly believe his is – yet. On the other hand, it’s tough to ignore two significant injuries in his limited NFL experience.
It appears as though Shanny is serious about his interest in taking the Buffalo Bills‘ head coaching job. It’s probable the team will offer him their general manager role, too, as a selling point. One report suggests he could ask for partial ownership. Two parties don’t meet for seven hours if there isn’t a sincere mutual interest. Stay tuned….
Offensive coordinator Ron Turner’s bland style of play-calling has come under fire, and rightfully so. Recent rumors suggest the Bears will look to Mike Martz to run the offense, but Martz denies the reports. Nevertheless, it is clear as day: Chicago MUST replace Turner and bolster their wide receiver corps in the offseason. Without making these moves, the Bears are setting Jay Cutler up for failure. You have invested the money in your quarterback, now it’s time to improve his offensive line and provide legitimate weapons in the passing game.
Miscellaneous
Veteran offensive linemen Jon Runyan (San Diego Chargers) and Kendall Simmons (Buffalo Bills) each signed this week with their respective new teams. Buffalo desperately needs Simmons and should have pursued him in the offseason. Too little, too late, though.
Runyan is coming off a major knee injury and replaces the injured Jeromey Clary at right tackle. The former long-time Philadelphia Eagle, who turns 36 Nov. 27, said this will be his last year as he preps for a political run in New Jersey.
No facemasks: John Madden heads the league’s concussion committee and said the NFL is investigating tinkering with the facial protection devices each helmet sports. Some ideas tossed out there include removing helmets during practice, which will certainly “improve” tackling in the NFL, and altering or removing facemasks altogether. Yikes!
Happy Thanksgiving to all! Be safe, eat well and enjoy what should be a fantastic week of NFL action.
KFFLians think:
If the Bills give partial ownership to a joke like Mike Shanahan who has done nothing and I repeat, nothing since HOF QB John Elway retired … did I say he’s done nothing but live off his name and rep? Then the Bills are not only the most stupid franchise in the existence of the NFL but in all sports. No player or coach should be given any type of ownership. It will ruin the future of all sports and to be frank, he doesn’t deserve it.