EMQB NFL Blogcast

Drew Brees Offensive Player of the Year

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees was named the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year today. Drew was a great choice. All he did was re-write the Saints’ record books this season. He became just the second player in NFL history to throw for 5,000 yards in a single season and he had a team-record and league-leading 34 touchdown passes. Naturally, he spoke of team first:

“I don’t come out from week to week and say I have to throw for 300 (yards). I don’t think about that. It’s really about what I can do to help this team win. Certainly in this offense, being the quarterback, you’re in the driver’s seat. You have the opportunity to control every play and have it in your hands. Every play is about me making good decisions and putting it in a guy’s hands who is open or our playmakers working to their strengths. That’s my job.”

This choice is a little odd considering Drew didn’t get one MVP vote, but he deserves the award. It seems like Drew gets a little better each season. His 5,069 yards passing this season came up just 15 yards short of the all-time record held by Dan Marino. Even if the Saints didn’t make the playoffs, that is called having one heck of a season, especially when you consider the number of injuries the Saints had on the offensive side of the ball (Marques Colston, Reggie Bush, Jerome Shockey). Drew finished with 22 votes. Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning and Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson had nine votes each. Philip Rivers had six votes.

Sources: NewOrleansSaints.com, NFL.com, Photo: Newscom

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By David Kindervater -- 0 comments

17 Finalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast

And then there were 17. There are four first-year eligible players — John Randle, Shannon Sharpe, Bruce Smith, and Rod Woodson — among the 17 finalists who will be considered for election into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The HOF’s Board of Selectors meets in Tampa on Saturday, January 31, the day before Super Bowl XLIII. There are nine modern-era players, two contributors and two players nominated earlier by the Hall of Fame’s Senior Committee. The nine modern-era players are Cris Carter; Dermontti Dawson; Richard Dent; Russ Grimm; Cortez Kennedy; Bob Kuechenberg; Randall McDaniel; Andre Reed; and Derrick Thomas. The contributors are former National Football League Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and Buffalo Bills founder/owner Ralph Wilson, Jr. And the Senior Committee nominees are former Dallas Cowboys receiver Bob Hayes and former Atlanta Falcons defensive end Claude Humphrey.

This is a very interesting and diverse group. The first-year eligibility players alone are impressive enough to have a spot in the Hall. Rod Woodson is the NFL’s all-time leader in interceptions returned for touchdowns. Bruce Smith is the NFL’s all-time leader in sacks with 200. When Shannon Sharpe retired he was the NFL’s all-time leader in receptions for tight ends. He also went to eight Pro Bowls. And John Randle had 137.5 sacks and was a seven-time All-Pro. I can’t wait for the announcement. The Class of 2009 can be no more than seven and no fewer than four.

Source: ProFootballHOF.com

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James Harrison Defensive Player of the Year

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast

Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro linebacker James Harrison is an absolute menace to opposing offenses. Today, he was rewarded for it by being named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year. Having been voted — by his teammates — as the Steelers’ team MVP for a second straight season, he’s becoming rather accustomed to the accolades:

“It’s a tremendous honor. I feel good. I don’t know if I have the words to express it, I am not going to show you the emotions, but it feels good.”

James is not only a prototypical NFL linebacker, he’s a prototypical Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker. Historically speaking, if you look at the tradition of Steelers linebackers — guys like Jack Lambert, Kevin Greene, Greg Lloyd and Chad Brown — James fits the mold perfectly. What impresses me the most about his game is his ability to wreak havoc. On the NFL’s top-rated overall defense, James had 16 sacks, 100 tackles (68 solo) and led the NFL with seven forced fumbles. If you’re playing the Steelers, that’s a problem that’s difficult to solve. Vote totals — James finished with 22 and Dallas Cowboys linebacker Demarcus Ware was second with 13.

Source: Steelers.com, Photo: Newscom

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One Play From Brian Westbrook

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast

When you play the Minnesota Vikings, you’d better be prepared to throw the football. The Vikes had the NFL’s best run defense this season and even without All-Pro, run-stuffing tackle Pat Williams, they kept the Philadelphia Eagles’ ground game in-check (67 yards) this afternoon in a 26-14 NFC Wild Card loss. That total included a meager 38 yards on 20 carries by RB Brian Westbrook. But all Brian needed was one touch to make the difference in this one. He broke open a 16-14 game by taking a screen pass from quarterback Donovan McNabb 71 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Brian finished with 121 yards from scrimmage to go along with his TD. Of course, Donovan knew what to expect from his teammate:

“Anytime you get an opportunity to give the ball to a guy like Westbrook, give him an opportunity in space or against any other defenders, you feel confident about that matchup.”

It’s not like the Vikings weren’t prepared for this. Every NFL team knows Brian Westbrook is one of the most dangerous and explosive players in the league. He’s proven it year after year. And the focus of any opposing team’s game plan is to account for him at all times. The Vikings certainly did. The problem is, you might keep him down for a while, but it only takes one play to make the difference in a game. His 71-yard catch and run today was a perfect example. The Eagles’ defense played well, especially in the second half. And Donovan was sharp for most of the game. But Brian is the main reason why the Eagles are moving on to the Divisional round of the NFC Playoffs.

Source: NFL.com

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Is Ed Reed the Best Safety Ever?

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast

I would have to consult with a number of knowledgeable football historians before making this claim, but Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed has to be considered one of the best safeties to ever play professional football. He’s certainly one of the biggest defensive playmakers the game has ever seen. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh seems to agree with me:

“No one is surprised at the way Ed Reed plays. He may be the best player in the game.”

In a rather lopsided 27-9 AFC Wild Card win over the Miami Dolphins this afternoon, Ed had two interceptions, returning one 64 yards for a touchdown. He now has 10 picks on the season and in three career playoffs games, he has five interceptions. But it’s what he does with those interceptions that is most impressive. Ed has 11 regular-season touchdowns, five of those on interceptions returns, including an NFL-record 107-yarder this season. He’s also scored on blocked punts, punt returns and fumbles. That being said, I believe he may have already secured himself a spot in Canton.

Source: NFL.com

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Mike Smith NFL Coach of the Year

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast

One day after losing a Wild Card playoff game to the Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith was named the Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year. Coach Smith edged Miami Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano by a mere one vote. He explained his team’s process to success:

“I’m honored individually, but more so for our coaching staff and our players. I think we have tried to establish that we’d be very systematic in how we did things, that we were going to have a plan. We laid that plan out from the very beginning how we were going to practice, how we were going to travel, how we were going to meet, how we were going to communicate, and I think the guys really appreciated definitely how we presented the plan in the framework for us to start the season.”

I believe the award could’ve gone to both men but I would’ve given the edge to coach Sparano. Nevertheless, it was nearly impossible to separate the incredible job these two coaches did this season — coach Sparano taking the NFL’s worst team last year, a 1-15 team, all the way to an 11-5 record and the AFC East title. And coach Smith improving the Falcons from 4-12 to 11-5 and a Wild Card playoff berth. Neither the Falcons nor Dolphins were able to advance beyond the Wild Card round, but both of these coaches set foundations for what should be promising football futures in Atlanta and Miami.

Source: Yahoo! Sports, Photo: Newscom

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Darren Sproles is All-Purpose for Chargers

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San Diego Chargers running back/return specialist Darren Sproles had a busy night. With starting RB LaDainian Tomlinson limited to just five carries because of a nagging and potentially serious groin injury, Darren more than picked up the slack as the San Diego Chargers beat the Indianapolis Colts 23-17 tonight in an AFC Wild Card game. Darren had a whopping 328 all-purpose yards — 105 yards on 23 carries; 45 yards on five receptions; and he averaged 25 yards on seven punt and kickoff returns. It was the third most all-purpose yards in NFL playoff history. Chargers receiver Chris Chambers summed-up Darren’s stellar performance after the game:

“He was a busy guy tonight and he just kept making plays. You see a guy like that work so hard and you just get so happy for him individually. He gave this team a huge lift tonight.”

OK, what Chris means by “a guy like that” is that Darren is just 5-6 and 181 pounds. Generally speaking, being that short would not encourage a person to pursue a career as a professional athlete unless they were going to be a jockey. And naturally, the knock on Darren has been and will always be his size. So he has to prove people wrong on a daily basis. One of the first comments I heard after this amazing performance was that he could never hold up week after week, carrying the ball 20-25 times per game as a full-time starter. I beg to differ. Because of his height (or lack therefore) and incredible quickness, he’s able to avoid a lot of the crushing hits that would sideline any player that handled the ball that many times per game. He’s certainly not slight of build like a Roscoe Parrish (receiver, Bills) or DeSean Jackson (reciever, Eagles). The Chargers should find a way to keep Darren. He and L.T. provide a potent one-two punch at the running back position. But if they don’t, I think Darren can thrive anywhere in the popular dual RB role so many teams are employing these days. Whatever happens, I believe he may have already cashed-in based on tonight’s performance.

Source: Chargers.com, Photo: Newscom

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Cardinals Dust Off Edgerrin James

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I guess the Arizona Cardinals were saving Edgerrin James for the playoffs. After demoting Edge back in November in favor of a younger and faster Tim Hightower, the Cardinals gave their veteran second team running back 16 carries for 73 yards in a 30-24 Wild Card playoff win over the Atlanta Falcons this afternoon. It’s pretty obvious Edge is playing his final games for the Cards, but he was all smiles during and after the win:

“They (teammates) were telling me they’re not ready for me to go yet. They said, ‘Edge, we know you’re ready to go, but not yet.’”

It’s obvious Edge isn’t all of the running back he used to be (and I don’t see any other team making him their featured back next season), but he can still get the job done. He ran hard and looked strong. Obviously, the Cards are happy to have the fresh legs and they’ll need all the running game they can muster to have any chance to get through January. As explosive as Arizona is with quarterback Kurt Warner and receivers Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston, it will be their ground attack that wins games on the road in foul weather. It might take a minor miracle to get past the Panthers and Giants to Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, but Edge’s experience and smarts will certainly help the Cardinal cause.

Source: AZCardinals.com, Photo: Newscom

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EMQB Interview: Samson Satele

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National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast

After suffering through a miserable 1-15 rookie season, Miami Dolphins center Samson Satele and his teammates are enjoying the fruits of their labor as the Dolphins accomplished the biggest single season turnaround in National Football League history. Personally, Samson continued to a current 32-game start streak, the longest in team history for an offensive lineman starting a career. The simple recap — the Dolphins went from being the worst team in the NFL to AFC East champs with a home field Wild Card game this weekend against the Baltimore Ravens. I talked with Samson from his home in South Beach after another day at the office. Guest appearance by Samson’s son — Samson LotoToa (meaning “brave heart”) Satele.

• 0:11 - Three games in one week at Dolphin Stadium
• 0:34 - Bill Parcells and head coach Tony Sparano lead new Dolphins
• 1:27 - Almost 40 new players have ignited a rebirth in South Beach
• 1:50 - Learning how to win and developing a winning attitude
• 2:20 - Quarterback Chad Pennington NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year
• 2:49 - Creating the Wild Cat offense and watching the “copy cats”
• 3:22 - Working with trainers and taking care of a 32-game start streak
• 4:02 - The Dolphins have been in playoff mode for the past five games
• 4:52 - Blevins29, Huntington, WV: toughest player and team to block
• 5:41 - Sean, Pensacola, FL: difficulty of adjusting to life on the mainland
• 6:25 - Samson hasn’t cut his hair since he was a freshman in college
• 6:58 - New Year’s resolutions: being a good husband and father

Links: MiamiDolphins.com, NFLPlayers.com, NFL.com

 

 EMQB Interview: Samson Satele [7:31m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Peyton Manning NFL Most Valuable Player

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning was named the National Football League’s Most Valuable Player today. It was a landslide win as Peyton received 32 votes, well ahead of Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington and Atlanta Falcons running back Michael Turner, who received four votes each. It was Peyton’s third time to win the NFL’s highest individual honor. Only N.Y. Jets quarterback Brett Favre has won as many league MVP honors. As usual, Peyton had the right words to graciously capture the moment:

“I know it’s an individual award, but … truly, in my opinion, a team award. It’s been the most rewarding regular season that I’ve been a part of in my 11 years, and I have to believe a lot of the other players and even coaches might feel the same way.”

Rewarding is recovering from two operations on his left knee in the preseason. Remember how the Colts’ season and Peyton’s career were in supposed jeopardy? And rewarding is winning nine straight games to qualify for the playoffs after a shaky 3-4 start. The Colts didn’t even win the AFC South this year, something they have become accustomed to doing. That distinction went to the deserving Tennessee Titans, but even the Titans would have to admit no team wants to play the red hot Colts right now. And Peyton is predominantly the reason. During the nine game run, Peyton was 209-of-290 passing for 2,248 yards and 17 touchdowns. He threw only three interceptions and he extended his NFL record 9th 4,000-yard season, finishing with 27 touchdown passes, 12 interceptions and a 95.0 passer rating. MVP worthy numbers? There was no doubt about it. No other player was even close in the voting and that was simply and honestly the reality of the situation.

Source: Colts.com, Photo: Newscom

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