There is a lot of Buzz going around the league this week. Here is a few highlights.
We will be featuring the Oakland Raiders, New York Jets, and Pittsburg Steelers.
Oakland Raiders: Raiders defensive assistant Randy Hanson told Napa police that coach Tom Cable struck him and broke his jaw during training camp. Hanson's lawyer said it was "a textbook case of felony assault". He said that Hanson spoke with the Bay Area Police for over 90 minutes on Friday and turned over all medical records. Hanson's lawyer did say that they are not sure if there will be charges. Randy Hanson was not at the game on Sunday.
As if Oakland did not have enough problems going on, the last thing they needed was for their head coach to be in legal trouble. I wonder what the commissioner is going to do as punishment to Tom Cable?
New York Jets: Rex Ryan benched David Clowney Sunday due to some comments he made on twitter(once again people saying stupid things on twitter...) Here is what Clowney said after week 2's game..
"1 play in the 1st Half, 4 plays in the 2nd half,.... A bit disappointed about my playing time but very happy and satisfied about the win. Just time to work harder for next week ... My team always comes first so I'm a just keep grinding,.. And we gonna keep winning"
Here is what Rex had to say about benching Clowney over the tweet.
"I'm not a big Twitter guy, but you hear different things. To me, it's about your team. No individual is bigger than the team. So if I feel a guy is not putting the team first, then I'll make the decision to put the guy down.
"I put David down. That was my decision. I wanted to see how David would respond. David had two options: He could have come out and been upset and pouted or he could come out and been a Jet, worked his tail off and showed me that he wants to do it our way.
He did exactly that. He was phenomenal in preparation. I'll probably give him scout team player of the week."
Rex said he will be playing during the game this week.
I wonder if he spends most of the time on the bench if he will be tweeting again?
Pittsburg Steelers: It looks as though Mike Tomlin is making some personal changes. Tomlin said he was concerned about Limas Sweed's struggle to catching the football. He state that he many not even dress Sweed for Sunday's game against San Diego. When asked if he would consider moving Shaun McDonald in , who has been inactive for 2 weeks, he said "Absolutely".
Tomlin did not let Rashard Mendenhall start during last weeks game due to bad practice during the week. Tomlin said that he wanted to make a point to Mendenhall and expects him to perform better this week.
After 2 unexpected losses it looks as though Tomlin is trying to keep everyone motivated and getting the right people on the field to win a game.
The Buzz (Wk3)
Coach Speak
We are adding a new feature to the blog, called "Coach Speak". Every Monday. I hope to have some guest bloggers from the league to let them sound off on everything from the league, other teams, and the nfl. Look for this to start next week!
Game of the Week (WK3)
This weeks' Game of the Week is Ox4 vs Scrappers. This game is the only game between 2 2-0 teams. Both of these teams broke 100 points last week with big showings from their wide receiver squad. Ox4 has a leads on the head-to-head by one game. Scrappers have a chance to tie the series up.
Based on the picks this week by fellow WCW members. They expect Scrappers to win. I have to agree with my fellow WCW members, I think Scrappers has this win. Most of Ox4's team is questionable for this week so we may see alot of his bench showing up to the game.
It should be a great game!
Twitter Strikes Again!
That's right folks...It looks as though Twitter is making as many headlines as the injuries. It seems as though players have not figured out yet their their Twitter remarks are the same as press conference remarks. They all come back to bite you...(even brother's accounts).
Washington Redskins: Rookie linebacker Robert Henson has yet to play in a regular season game for the Redskins but he is drawing lots of attention from his teammates and his coach after tweeting about the boos that accompanied the 9-7 win over St. Louis on Sunday.
After the game, Henson tweeted: "All you fake half hearted Skins fan can . . . I won't go there but I dislike you very strongly, don't come to Fed Ex to boo dim wits!!"
He also wrote: "The question is who are you to say you know what's best for the team and you work 9 to 5 at McDonalds."
As always he apologized later..
"I understand the weight that my words carried and, you know, how I offended some fans," he told reporters at Redskins Park.
Jim Zorn had this to say...
"Robert is a young player learning to handle his emotions during and after the game," Zorn said in a statement released by the Redskins. "When he gets a chance to play, I want him to have this level of emotion on the field, not off the field."
Arizona Cardinals: It seems that even family members can cause problems with their twitter accounts. The brother of Larry Fitzgerald Marcus tweeted multiple insults about Kurt Warner throughout the game on Sunday because he was not throwing the ball enough to Larry. Many reporters have speculated that Larry was unhappy about it due to his body language on the side of the field Sunday. However, Fitzgerald took the high road and said his body language was from exhaustion. However, the tweet that really has Fitzgerald in trouble is this one...
"Just got off the phone with my brother. he's happy about the win. But PISSED he didn't get the ball thrown 2 him much!"
It seems that players and their family members need to remember that twitter is available to anyone, including reporters. Therefore, what you say can and probably will become mainstream news. Any easy way for them to look at it is...if you wouldn't say it in a press conference don't say it on twitter... What do you think?
The Buzz (Wk2)
There is a lot of Buzz going around the league this week. Here is a few highlights.
We will be featuring the NFLPA, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, and Tennessee Titans
NFLPA: The NFL Player's Association is increasing its dues from $10,000 to $15,000 for the 09' and 10' seasons in order to create a "dues lock-out fund". This only affects the player's not the agents. In addition to the fee above, players who are eligible to receive the licensing royalty payments due them by NFL Players, Inc will have their dues increased by that amount as well. This is about a $15,000 increase to what they had been paying. The NFLPA's statement said this increase was to create a fund in which they can pay players out of in case there is a lockout for the 2011 season. This is concerning to many fans, as there has seem to be no movement whatsoever on labor talks. It looks as though the NFLPA believes there will be no football during the 2011 season.
Cleveland Browns: Eric Mangini is handing down some harsh fines lately. He fined a player $1,701 for taking a water bottle from the team's road hotel during the preseason. Mangini had this to say about the fine ''I make no apologies for demanding a high level of personal conduct.'' He has been under fire lately for his policy's and fines. He has handed down a few fines around $1,700. Mangini would not discuss the fines in detail but did have this to say..
''I don't like taking players' money, but the rules are in place because we're a very diverse group of people,'' Mangini said. ''The rules are set up to make sure we can operate as effectively as possible. They're clearly laid out, they're clearly explained, expectations are explained. I don't ask anybody to do anything that anybody else in society isn't asked to do, that normal, mature people aren't asked to do. When we go to hotels, we pay incidentals. We don't park in handicapped spots, we don't park in fire lanes, we don't park in somebody else's spot. I don't think the equipment guy or the secretary deserves any less respect than anybody else in the organization. I believe people should be mature and approach things in a responsible way. I'm going to keep believing that, I'm going to keep demanding that we have mature, responsible people as part of the Browns.''
There has been some concerns that his strict policies may lead players away and make it hard for the Browns to sign free agents. Mangini had this to say about that..
''I understand things can be presented in a lot of different ways, but I've clearly articulated to the players why we have rules and regulations,'' Mangini said. ''There's a grievance system. But I also believe that everybody deserves the same respect and everybody should be responsible. I wouldn't want my mother or my sister to come to a place where they were treated any differently.''
It seems as though he has set a precedence and plans on sticking to it. If the players are not on board there may be more problems than their poor performance Sunday to worry about.
Denver Broncos: There is more trouble brewing in Denver. During Sunday's win against the Cleveland Browns; Josh McDaniels decided to leave Brandon Marshall on the sideline for 27 plays (little over a quarter). Josh McDainels said Monday that there was no specific reason that Marshall did not play more other than that the team has "a lot of guys that deserve to play." and "That's how we're going to play, Period." Eddie Royal agreed with the coaches decision. He said he was surprised to hear that Brandon was not in that long but he figured the coaches were comfortable with the receivers they had in the game -- himself, Gaffney, and Stockley. Eddie had this to say...
"You want to stick with the group that's moving the ball, It's the way the rotation played out."
Brandon Marshall has not commented on the situation was not available to the press after the game in the locker room.
It seems as though the relationship between the Broncos and Marshall is completely gone. Do you think if they continue to win games that they will trade Marshall? It seems as though they feel confident in the other receivers they have.
Tennessee Titans: It looks that the 0-2 start for the Titans is to hard for them to handle. The always collected Titans run by Jeff Fisher is showing some signs of cracking. After the lose Sunday to Houston cornerback Nick Harper had this to say..."There were some plays that happened on my side, and (the Texans) flip-flopped and ran the exact same play on the other side and we still didn't get any stops,'' Harper said. "That tells me we didn't make any corrections on the sideline but they made all the corrections, and that hurt us.''
On Sunday Jeff Fisher made the comment that adjustments were made on the sidelines but were not executed on the field. However, Monday it seems as though he is trying to back track on that statement. See what he had to say below...
"Let me set the record straight here: When you are a good football team and you start off the season (0-2) there is going to be frustration, OK? And the only way you get out of it is you avoid pointing fingers at anybody,'' Fisher said."Everybody accepts the blame and you move on. There were adjustments made on the sideline for each and every thing that we saw. There was an adjustment made for that last big pass that they made, I heard it. The players alluding to the fact that we're having trouble making adjustments need to pay better attention to what is going on on the sideline.''
It looks as though Titans are starting to fall apart. The once tightly oiled machine that Fisher coached is having problems handling being 0-2. Does this spell trouble for the rest of the year?
See you next Tuesday for another round of "The Buzz".
Steve Smith Mic'd Up!
There is some "controversy" spreading around the league, especially the Charlotte area about some comments that Steve Smith (WR for Carolina Panthers) made while he was mic'd up for the 1st game of the season.
Steve Smith says, "I never really liked you as a quarterback. But as a person . . . I love you as a person." after Jake apologizes for his play during the game.
This was done after Jake Delhomme (QB for Carolina Panthers) had thrown his 4 INTs and was benched. Many news sources are saying that he was out of line and should not have said this remark. Others are saying he was being serious. There are a slight few who are saying he was just messing around with his friend and it didn't mean much.
Watch below and see what you think...
The remark is made around the 2:53 point.
Now that you have seen the video, what do you think? Do you think everyone is making a big deal out of nothing? I personally think he was just joking around and talking junk to him like anyone does to another person that they are good friends with. Obviously Jake didn't seem to take it to mean much. Looks like "controversy" over nothing to me (the news seems to do this a lot).
Game of the Week (WK2)
This weeks' Game of the Week is Minimes vs 1570. This game is the only game between 2 1-0 teams. Both of these teams broke 100 points in their 1st game and won by a good margin. These teams have only met one other time; which Minimes won.
Based on the picks this week by fellow WCW members. They expect Minimes to win. I have to agree with my fellow WCW members, I think Minimes has this win. I think the QBs will decide tihs win and I believe Brees is going to have the better game.
It should be a great game!
Fan's Going to Far?
Are fan's going to far? Buffalo Bills cornerback Leodis McKelvin came on Tuesday morning to an obscenity and the score of Monday night's game -- a 25-24 loss to the Patriots -- painted in white on his front lawn. If you remember right, McKelvin is the person who fumbled the kickoff during the last 1:30 of the game, that lead to great field position for New England Patriots.
This seemed to really upset a few players on the Buffalo team. Kawika Mitchell had this to say via Twitter...
"With all the safety issues n the NFL its not funny at all," Mitchell wrote. "We have Fam at our homes to protect. If u show ur face on my prop Ill make sure I do everythin to keep my Fam safe."
McKelvin has said that he is not going to press charges and he still thinks that Buffalo has some of the best fans.
I think that this is going a little far. I love football but vandalizing their homes is going a little far. What do you think? Going to far?
QB Surprises!!
There was a lot of quarterback surprises this week, both good and bad. Below I break down the the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Let's first chat about the bad...
Donovan McNabb fractured his ribs Sunday in the 3rd quarter during the Carolina game. It is unknown at this time how long he will be out. The estimate currently is 2 weeks. That spells trouble for Ox4 who's #1 QB was Donovan.
Kurt Warner had a dismile performance during Sunday's game against the 49ers. It looks as though that hip surgery he had during offseason is affecting his performance, even though Arizona argues that he is alright. With only 288 yards and 1 TD with 2 INT's I would sit him this coming week considering he is going from West to East. I think his performance is only the beginning of bad performances.
2nd the ugly...
Matt Schaub had a terrible performance. One of the fantasy quarterbacks who is considered to be a top 5 pick if he would not get hurt did not perform like one. He only had 166 yards with 1 INT. It could possibly be his ankle injury that he suffered during the 2nd preseason game that his holding him back. He is looking like a terrible draft pick and needs to be replaced. As a fantasy owner, you will not win many games with him as your starting QB.
Jay Cutler looked embarrassing. He was touted as the Savior of the Bears. The franchise QB they have been looking for all these years. What does he return? A terrible performance of 277 yards, 1TD, and 4 INTs. That's right folks...4 INTs. I do not see him doing anything miraculous in Chicago, their best wide receiver is Hester, who is a kicker returner. And with the Steeler's coming up this week, it may get worse. I would be sitting him this week.
And because I like to end on a good note here is the good...
Joe Flacco had an amazing game. He put up a surprising 29 points in his 1st game of the season. He was not even drafted by the league. CapsLockItUp signed him on the waiver wire late last week. He seems like a good pickup if he can keep this up. I think he has more good games to come.
Mark Sanchez had a good game. His 1st Pro football game looked good. He did not show any signs of being a rookie. His numbers were good but I was impressed with how well he handled an INT for a touchdown (came back and drove them down the field for a touchdown) and the 2minute warning. I think he has a lot of upside.
**NOTE: I left the worst QB play out b/c I think it has already been talked about way more than any of us here in Carolina want to hear anymore.***
The Buzz
I am adding a new feature to the blog. Every Tuesday I am going to post the latest Buzz (rumors) around the league. It will talk about rumors coming from all areas including on the field and off the field. I hope this is helpful when making some of those fantasy moves.
This week we are going to talk about the following NFL Teams: Washington Redskins, Tennessee Titans, and Buffalo Bills.
1st up Washington Redskins:
There is news flying around the league that the Redskins may be moving to more two tight end sets. 2nd year tight end Fred Davis has made major strides since his rookie season. He is looking to start contributing more to the team. Campbell had this to say about Fred, "I've been saying all along we need everybody, and Fred will be involved in what we're trying to do, Fred is one of the young guys we're expecting to see step up." Davis had this to say, "After last year, I just wanted to work hard and show the coaching staff I'm ready to do this, I feel like I've done that. I'm ready to do what I need to do if I'm out there with Chris, and I know what I need to know if they need me to be in there for Chris, I'm ready." These two quotes lead me to believe that we may be seeing more of Fred Davis. If he makes some big plays it may be trouble for Chris Cooley's production in fantasy this year. It is definitely something to keep an eye on.
2nd up Tennessee Titans:
Scaife is making waves in Tennessee. He had some very choice words for James Harrison on the hit he laid on him during their Thursday night game. "I have been playing my whole life and no one has ever hit me like that," Scaife said. "So I know when it is real and when it is not real. So it was a cheap shot and I don't care if that gets back to him either." Based on the rule book the hit was clean. It was very similar to the hit that Maurice Jones-Drew was complaining about the other day. Wide Receivers and Running backs are starting to complain about the hits to the legs. I wonder if the league will make changes to tackling?
3rd up Buffalo Bills:
Buffalo Bills have announced their team captains for the 2009 season and T.O. is not on that list. The offensive captains are Trent Edwards and Lee Evans. The team captains are decided upon by teammates votes. How do you think Terrell Owens took this? Good? Bad? Didn't care?
I hope you enjoyed this week's Buzz.
Draft Review & Thoughts
We had a great turn out for our first live draft, 8 people participated. The others looked to have set their roster so everyone is active this year. There was some surprises this year. Lots of wide receivers went early along with a defense in the 2nd round. 2 of the top 4 running backs made it to the 6th pick. Even the Pressure participated in the early wide receiver picks by picking Randy Moss. <-- This was a shock!
Scrappers and Delusions of Grandeur were the fastest pickers in the draft with all of their picks being done in less than 5 minutes. They seemed to have a game plan and executed it without second thoughts.
Based on a poll on the website most people are happy with how their team turned out. There are only 4 people with either negative or undecided feeling about their teams.
Even with the draft being so close to the start of the season, people hit the waiver wire. Scrapper's picked up Mark Sanchez, Pimps with limps picked up Cardinals DST, Reddoggs picked up Matt Stover, Engima picked up Brent Celek.
Having the draft late this season made for the anticipation of the football season easier. Everyone seemed to really like the live draft format and the late draft. Maybe we will look to doing this again next year.
Overall, everyone got who they were after and are looking forward to the season. I can't wait to see how everything plays out.
Game of Week (Wk1)
This weeks' Game of the Week is Scrappers vs Engima. This is a replay of a playoff game last year. Both of these teams had a slow start last year, losing their 1st game of the season. Scrappers is up on Engima by one game in the series. This is a chance for Engima to tie it up or for Scrappers to pull ahead even more. It should be a very close game.
Based on the picks this week by fellow WCW members. They expect Engima to win. I think Scrapper's is going to pull it off with the surprise team moves.
It's a great game to begin the season with. Enjoy!
Madden Curse has Struck!!
In the 1st game of the season the Madden Curse strikes again! Troy Polamalu sprained his MCL and is going to be out anywhere from 3-6 weeks. They are running further tests to determine if there was any 0ther damage done. He started out having an all-star game with lots of tackles and an amazing one handed interception. But that all ended when a Titans lineman fell on his leg.
I wonder if Larry Fitzgerald is concerned? I think I would be. The curses seems to be keeping its reputation.
You can see my original post about this here. Madden Curse
Guest Blogger: Dustin (Ox4)
Today I have something special for you. We are having our first of many guest bloggers. Today's guest blogger is Dustin, the coach of Ox4. Here's Dustin....
After a perfect 3-0 last year in Divisional picks I can only imagine how high demand is for this information so I wont make you wait a second longer. Extra Bonus I will even throw in Wildcard and Super Bowl picks this year:
Dustin aka Ox4 (formally known as Italia Kings) is the co-founder of WCW. He even goes back to the original Commscope league. He won 3 CSL Championships including a back to back run. His claim to fame is #1 scoring team in WCW history. For more information about Ox4 please visit the WCW site.
Firing Spree?
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers fired offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski Thursday and replaced him with Greg Olsen. Marking the second time that Jagodzinski has been fired in 2009. He has not even coached a single game all year but has been fired twice. <-- That would stink!! There is speculation that he was let go because of a disagreement with Morris over who should start as QB this year.
It seems that these new young coaches are coming in and shaking things up. This is the 2nd firing this week by a new head coach (Todd Hailey fired his Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey). It seems to be risky and strange to let go of such big positions a week before regular season. At least Todd Hailey has an offensive background. Morris does not and is going to be dependent on Olsen to take the reins.
These moves seem risky, if they go bad it is all on the new coach. What do you think? Do you think this was a good move? How do you think this will affect their long term success?
**UPDATE: JeffJagondzinski has released a statement through Tampa Bay Bucs “I am certainly disappointed but I wish nothing but the best for Raheem Morris and the entire Buccaneer organization," Jagodzinski said. "I was given the chance to remain on staff as the quarterbacks coach, but felt that the timing for such a move was not in the best interest for either side. I appreciate the opportunity that was given to me. Again, I wish nothing but the best for this organization.”**
Here is an interesting article about the Bucs - Buc's Fiasco
