Year: 2015

What if Brees had landed in Miami?

Chris McGlynn Football, NCAAF, NFL , , , ,

If you follow football, you’ve heard of Nick Saban. You’ve probably also heard of Drew Brees. These two have been wildly successful at what they do. Saban has coached Alabama to three National Titles in four years and Brees has both a Super Bowl trophy and the record for most consecutive games with a passing touchdown. These two have been very successful in their own right, but they could have been very successful together.

Nick Saban2006. Way back before either of them had had any of their major triumphs, Nick Saban was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins and Drew Brees was a young quarterback on the San Diego Chargers. Neither one had anything to do with each other. Saban was fresh from his days of coaching LSU and made the move to Miami. Brees was dealing with a career-threatening shoulder injury that had caused the Chargers to let him walk into free agency. The two nearly crossed paths, and we are going to discuss what might have happened if they had.

The Dolphins were searching for a starting quarterback during the 2006 offseason. Gus Ferrotte had been the Dolphins starter under center the year before but was not convincing by any means. Brees was a free agent and the Dolphins were in contract talks with him. Miami ended up ending negotiations when they traded for Dante Culpepper and Brees signed with New Orleans. But what if the Dolphins had signed Brees?

Brees had turned the Saints from a doormat to a playoff team in just one year. The Dolphins were already a pretty solid team and the addition of Brees would have put them over the top. Brees’ receivers would have been Chris Chambers, Marty Booker, and Randy McMichael, with Ronnie Brown in the backfield as well. Before you know it, the Phins would have had an offense that scared people. Brees would have had Andre Whitworth to protect his backside when Miami used their second round pick on him instead of trading it to the Vikings for Culpepper.

Drew_BreesInstead of faltering down the stretch, the Dolphins make a huge push toward the postseason in 2006, making it as a wildcard. As a result, Saban never jumps ship for Alabama and stays in South Beach. The Dolphins would be preparing for a stellar season in 2007.

Meanwhile, down in the Bayou, the Saints never end up with a quarterback, which means they select Vince Young in the 2006 draft. Young has a nice year for New Orleans as a rookie but fails to get much else going. After another year or two of poor play from the Saints, the team packs up and heads to Los Angeles. 

2007 comes and goes and the Patriots dominate the league going 16-0 again. Rather than suffer through a 1-15 season with Cleo Lemon at the helm, Brees guides the Phins to yet another wildcard berth. The defense is rock solid behind the play of Jason Taylor, Zach Thomas, Channing Crowder and Joey Porter. After the emergence of bench player Wes Welker with the gun slingin’ Brees at quarterback, Miami has no need for Tedd Ginn Jr. and opts to bolster their offensive line instead drafting Ben Grubbs.

In a storybook tale, Brees matches up with his former team, the Chargers and delivers a shocking win. Miami followed that up with an upset of the Peyton Manning led Colts, leading to a matchup with the rival Patriots. Miami is simply outmatched in that game, and falls in the AFC championship. The Dolphins get some satisfaction though as New England still loses in the Super Bowl as Tom Brady can’t seem to find enough offense with Welker on the field.

Instead, Welker and Brees are tearing apart the league, and in 2008 when Brady goes down for the season with a major knee injury, the Dolphins have their chance. The Dolphins rule the AFC and roll to a number one seed. Instead of Chad Pennington throwing four interceptions to end the Dolphins’ hopes in the wildcard round, Brees catches fire and the Dolphins look destined for glory.

Miami beats up the outmatched Steelers in the AFC title game and heads on to the Super Bowl played in nearby Tampa Bay. The Dolphins win a shootout with the Cardinals and Brees wins his first Super Bowl a year earlier than he would have in New Orleans.

The Dolphins go on to compete with the Patriots as the top team in the AFC, and the Brees vs. Brady matchup becomes a biannual classic. Saban goes down as a great NFL coach, instead of a quitter. Alabama never turns into a football factory and the Saints live out their days competing with the Raiders to avoid being the worst team in California.

There are some other interesting nuggets that would happen in this scenario. Brees would still go on to break the single season passing record, eclipsing Dan Marino, this time in a Dolphins uniform. However, unlike Marino, Brees would have a ring, which would probably hold weight for the conversation of greatest quarterback to don a Miami uniform.

Just think, all of this could have happened, if only the Dolphins had decided to sign Drew Brees in the summer of 2006. 

Preseason performers who will make an impact

Chris McGlynn Football, NFL , , , , , ,

We see a lot of talented players in the preseason and sometimes we happen to see a player beginning a breakout. Here are some candidate for some breakout players based on their impressive preseason performances.

Kenjon BarnerKenjon Barner, Running Back/Kick Returner
Philadelphia Eagles
Most of the preseason in Philly was spent fawning over Tim Tebow being back but Kenjon Barner was really the player to watch. He didn’t have too many carries but he found a way to be useful in other ways. Against Indianapolis, he had six punt returns for 131 yards, including a 92-yard punt return for a touchdown. Then he had 94 yards on five returns, including a 68-yard touchdown against Baltimore. The following week, he flashed his skills again with 59 yards on two receptions, one of them being a 50 yard catch and scamper. This kid has a lot of explosiveness. Chip Kelly will find a way to work him in occasionally.

Chris Givens, Wide Receiver
St. Louis Rams
The Rams have been searching for a solid receiver for the better part of about two years now. Tavon Austin was supposed to be transcendent, but didn’t really go anywhere. It is definitely a bit of a stretch but Chris Givens had a really nice preseason. He showed off his big play ability that Austin has lacked. He scored two touchdowns, one that went 80 yards, on nine catches. His 204 yards receiving were the fourth best mark of the preseason. He is buried behind guys like Kenny Britt, Brian Quick and Austin right now on the depth chart but if anyone goes down or struggles, don’t be surprised to see Givens get some game action.

Ronnie_HillmanRonnie Hillman, Running Back
Denver Broncos
Trying to guess who will be the starting running back at the end of the season is very hard. Last year, it seemed like Montee Ball was lined up to be the bell cow back. Now he sits fourth on the depth chart. CJ Anderson appears to be in place as the starter but you never quite know with Denver. Ronnie Hillman had a really good preseason, mostly playing with the twos though. He will definitely be an integral part of the Bronco running game and there is still a chance that he could usurp Anderson for the starting job if the latter begins to falter during the season.

Zach Zenner, Running Back
Detroit Lions
It might have only been preseason, but Zach Zenner led the NFL in rushing yards through those four games. He had two touchdowns, an impressive 5.2 yards per carry and even got involved in the passing game with some receptions out of the backfield. He finished with 183 yards on the ground and he could be in line for some regular season carries now. Joique Bell has been hampered all preseason by injury and Ameer Abdullah has been hot and cold. If Bell can’t go, expect Zenner to split the load with Abdullah in the backfield.

Jerryd Haynes, Running Back/Kick Returner
San Francisco 49ers

Every once in a while, the NFL sees a former Rugby player enter its ranks. Jerryd Haynes did that and made a statement that he deserved to stay. Haynes finished second in the NFL for preseason rushing yards, rumbling seven yards a carry. He even caught a couple of passes out of the backfield and showed off his kick returning skills, amassing 196 total return yards. Carlos Hyde is expected to be the lead man in San Francisco but if Reggie Bush proves ineffective behind him, Haynes could find his way onto the field for some carries.

Kenny PhillipsKenny Phillips, Safety
New Orleans Saints
New Orleans shelled out a lot of money a season ago to sign Jarius Byrd. So far, he has played four games and suffered major knee injuries. He is a candidate to start on the PUP list for the regular season which would open a void for Kenny Phillips to fill. He looked like he was becoming a star in New York before injuries side tracked his career. After spending a year out of the league, Phillips returned and had a great preseason. His 27 tackles were tied for most in the league. He started New Orleans’ final three preseason games as well, which makes you think he has earned the starting gig for week one.

Damontre Moore, Defensive End
New York Giants
From a former Giant, to a current Giant. Jason Pierre Paul is going to miss some time and Robert Ayers has a lingering ankle injury. It sounds like Damontre Moore will see some significant playing time. He recorded 3.5 sacks this preseason, tied for third in the league, and forced 2 fumbles. Don’t expect any JPP-like production out of Moore but after a solid 2014 and a good preseason, he is primed to make an impact.

Could RG3 be headed for Ohio?

Chris McGlynn Football, NFL , ,
RG3
Griffin was named the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2012.

With the second pick in the 2012 draft, Washington selects…

I bet that’s a moment fans in the Nation’s capital would love a do-over on. 2012 turned out to be one of the most talent-filled drafts the NFL has seen in some time. Between Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson, Luke Keuchley, Bobby Wagner, Chandler Jones and the list goes on.

Washington gave up eight picks to move up to second overall in that draft. The belief was that there were two franchise-altering quarterbacks set to join the league in Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III. Washington put itself in the position where whichever quarterback Indianapolis didn’t select would fall to them at two.

Indy took Luck and the rest is history. The Colts have been one of the best teams in the AFC over the last three seasons while Washington has gotten progressively worse.

After one fantastic year in DC that ended with a shocking knee injury, RG3 has had a rough time in the NFL. Griffin threw 20 touchdowns and only 5 interceptions his rookie year. In the last two years, he has only managed to throw 20 more scores while 18 of his passes were picked off. Griffin has been notorious for fumbling throughout his career as well. Not to mention the numerous reports that Griffin has a bit of an attitude problem and blames his teammates. It is clear that he has strayed from the path of franchise QB.

However, there is some upside to the former Baylor quarterback. His career completion percentage sits at a healthy 63.9 for his career, including last year when he completed 68.7 in limited appearances. He also has a respectable 7.62 yards per attempt passing during his career.

Robert Griffin III
Griffin has missed 10 games over the last two seasons due to injury and benching.

Teams could do a lot worse than having Griffin as their starting quarterback. He is definitely injury prone but still has the ability to be successful. Part of his being prone to injury might be due to the number of times Griffin has been hit when he drops back. Washington’s line has allowed more sacks each year since Griffin entered the league, ending last season with a whopping 53 sacks allowed, representing the second worst mark in the NFL. Griffin sustained a concussion during this preseason after he was sacked on three of his eight drop backs against Detroit as well. That stuff doesn’t happen to Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning or Drew Brees.

The management in Washington has also ruined any chance RG3 has of succeeded there. The coaching staff has made it clear that they want him out, as has the management, but rumor has it that Dan Snyder is insistent on keeping Griffin on the team. Washington is in a state of complete disarray at the moment and the best thing for both sides would be to trade or release Griffin. Washington simply needs to wash their hands of the terrible trade they made in 2012 and move on.

It seems unlikely that a trade would happen but it is more than possible that Griffin could hit the open market. Several teams have mentioned that they would have “medium” interest in RG3 if he was a free agent. No one seems overly eager to bring him in.

Johnny Manziel
Manziel, a former first round pick himself, has taken strides but is not ready to be the starter.

One team that makes more sense than probably anyone else to sign him has to be Cleveland. The Browns have had the worst luck in terms of quarterbacking play over the last three decades. They have their project Johnny Manziel in progress right now but he is nowhere near ready to roll quite yet. They also have Josh McCown under contract and he will likely be the team’s starter come week 1.

Believe it or not, Griffin would probably be a major upgrade for Cleveland. Bringing him in from Washington on a contract that doesn’t have a ton of guaranteed money over the next two years or so could make a lot of sense. Griffin desperately needs a fresh start and the Browns are searching for the answer at quarterback. Letting Griffin take the reins in Cleveland might just be the spark they need.

The Browns probably still aren’t going to be in the playoff picture but it could be a step in the right direction. It also gives Cleveland another option at quarterback to ensure that they will not need to prematurely throw Manziel on the field.

While moving to Cleveland would be a downgrade for Griffin in terms of his offensive weapons around him, he would have a much better offensive line. Cleveland allowed 31 sacks last season which was in the top half of the league. With five-time All-Pro Joe Thomas protecting his blindside and two-time Pro Bowler Alex Mack organizing the line at center, Griffin will have some time to survey the field from the pocket.

Josh_McCown_Browns_2015
McCown spent most of his career as a backup and had a very inconsistent year with Tampa Bay last season.

When given time, Griffin has proven that he can be an above average quarterback. He still has to learn how to play without relying on his legs quite so much but there is some hope for him. He is only 25-years old and has plenty left in the tank. He might be fragile but if the Browns can limit the number of times he is hit, then that shouldn’t be a problem.

A strong defense and an run-first offensive approach could benefit Griffin as well. Washington’s poor defense often meant that he was playing from behind but if the Browns can control the clock and the defense improves against the run then Griffin will be in a much better system.

Griffin moving to Cleveland makes a lot of sense. Washington already has a contingency plan in the form of Kirk Cousins. For the Browns, it means bringing in a quarterback with some potential without risking much. Griffin could be the ultimate low-risk high-reward type of player that Cleveland should take a chance on.

As a football fan, I hope Washington releases Griffin and he gets a chance to start elsewhere. I think RG3 could succeed in the right environment and I think it would be a lot of fun to see him in a Browns uniform. If Griffin has something of a turn around and survives the season, Cleveland suddenly would have someone to attract free agents for the first time in years.

Who knows, maybe three years from now we will be talking about how good the Browns are with their stud QB Robert Griffin III. Probably not, but all the same, it really couldn’t hurt the Browns to try. He can’t be much worse than McCown right?

NFL Power Rankings: Preseason Week 4

Chris McGlynn Football, NFL, Power Rankings

1. Indianapolis Colts (Last week: 1)
Andrew Luck finally found the endzone and the Colts offense got some much needed game reps. It will be really interesting to see how Frank Gore changes this offense.

2. New England Patriots (Last week: 4)
After months of waiting and debating, Brady’s suspension has been overturned. He will be on the field against Pittsburgh and the Patriots look like favorites to run away with the AFC East once again.

3. Green Bay Packers (Last week: 2)
After talking about how happy Green Bay was to have Randall Cobb back, Cobb suffered a shoulder injury himself. It is not believed to be anything serious but if it persists, the Packers could be in a lot of trouble. Also, the defense needs to figure out what went wrong after giving up 25 points in the first quarter against Philly.

4. Seattle Seahawks (Last week: 3)
For the third straight week, the Seahawks struggled to move the ball and score points. Seattle’s new look offense has to be scaring some fans who are watching. Marshawn Lynch is not involved as much as he usually would be but still, the offense needs to click Week 1 to restore confidence.

5. Denver Broncos (Last week: 5)
No one knows quite what to expect from Peyton Manning and the Broncos this year. Until I see otherwise though, I see no reason to drop them from the top five.

6. Dallas Cowboys (Last week: 6)
Darren McFadden had success running the football for the first time in a long time. It was a limited number of carries but McFadden showed he could still cut well and had some good open field speed.

7. Arizona Cardinals (Last week: 7)
I think most people forget just how tough it was to beat the Cardinals before they lost Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton this year. Bruce Arians’ team is as much a title contender as the rival Seahawks.

8. Kansas City Chiefs (Last week: 9)
Another sharp week for Alex Smith has to make Chiefs’ fans think this offense has turned the corner. Three straight convincing wins for Kansas City makes you wonder if Denver still has a grip on the AFC West.

9. Philadelphia Eagles (Last week: 10)
Alright, two preseason games with a lot of success can maybe be written off as nothing, but after a third straight week where the Eagles offense went off, that has to put the league on high alert. The defense also shutout the Packers in the first quarter. Most teams aren’t going to blow a 25-point lead. The Eagles look dangerous in the NFC.

10. Pittsburgh Steelers (Last week: 8)
Martavius Bryant will now miss the first four games of the season with a drug suspension and the Steelers’ defense looked helpless to stop the Bills. THE BILLS?!?!? Tyrod Taylor, E.J. Manuel and Matt Cassel ripped the Pittsburgh secondary apart.

11. Cincinnati Bengals (Last week: 11)
The Bengals bounced back from a really rough second preseason game. Andy Dalton looked very good in limited action and the running game got going. If Cincy gets hot then they are really good but when they are cold, they are among the worst teams in the league.

12. Minnesota Vikings (Last week: 12)
Minnesota has had a very convincing preseason and that was without Adrian Peterson on the field. The Vikings could be a tough out and could challenge the beaten up Packers for the NFC North if all falls into place.

13. Miami Dolphins (Last week: 14)
Same deal as last week. Ryan Tannehill looked great while Lamar Miller struggled. It is starting to look like Tannehill has finally come into his own entering his fourth year. He and a strong Miami defense could push them into the playoffs.

14. San Diego Chargers (Last week: 13)
Defense looks like it will not be an issue for the Chargers this year. The running game is downright awful. Donald Brown, Melvin Gordon, Danny Woodhead and Branden Oliver had a combined 2.7 yards per attempt on 27 carries.

15. Detroit Lions (Last week: 15)
The defense took a step back as it failed to reach Blake Bortles even once and the Jacksonville QB had a field day. Ameer Abdullah has looked like a dud since his first week explosion. Should be interesting to see how he fairs in the regular season.

16. Baltimore Ravens (Last week: 16)
He might be 36, but Steve Smith Sr. still has a lot of fight in him. Smith torched the Washington secondary for 95 yards and a touchdown on four receptions. Unfortunately, that was about all the offensive production the Ravens had that night.

17. Buffalo Bills (Last week: 18)
Everyone though the Bills lacked a starting quarterback. It turns out, all Rex Ryan had to do was rotate them throughout the game. Buffalo played four quarterbacks who went a combined 30 of 33 passing for 386 yards and three touchdowns. One of them can start, right?

18. Houston Texans (Last week: 17)
Running the ball is not something the Texans have shown they are particularly adept at when Arian Foster is not on the field. Their running backs combined for 78 yards on 33 attempts. Houston might make a push when Foster is back but it looks unlikely before that point.

19. Atlanta Falcons (Last week: 19)
The Falcons offensive line struggled big time against the Miami defense. Allowing six sacks and only managing to pave the way for 2.1 yards per carry is mediocre at best. If this persists, Atlanta has more to worry about than their porous defense.

20. New York Jets (Last week: 21)
Ryan Fitzpatrick seems to be settling down in this offense and the Jets ran the ball effectively. Antonio Cromartie flashed his big play ability, something New York desperately lacked last year on defense. This team is far from a contender but things are starting to come together.

21. New Orleans Saints (Last week: 20)
New Orleans didn’t leave their starters on the field too long and they seemed effective while they had the chance. There are a lot of question marks surrounding this team heading into the regular season.

22. New York Giants (Last week: 22)
Odell Beckham Jr. finally caught the ball on Saturday night. It didn’t help much as the Giants still lost and the defense was bullied by a strong Jets’ running game for most of the night. The Giants have a lot of holes to fill before week one.

23. Cleveland Browns (Last week: 27)
With rumors that Robert Griffin III might be released in Washington, the Browns have to be licking their chops. With all of the quarterback issues going on in Cleveland, Griffin is far from a sure thing but he does offer some promise and give them a potential starter.

24. Carolina Panthers (Last week: 25)
The offense got creative and the defense looked strong in a tough loss. Two interceptions of Tom Brady was huge for the Panthers secondary. If the Carolina offense can find a way to score even 20 points in a game, the Panthers have a good shot to win.

25. St. Louis Rams (Last week: 24)
Nick Foles rebounded from a pathetic performance a week prior but the Rams ground attack stalled. St. Louis better hope that Todd Gurley is healthy soon and that he can start playing as well as he did while he was at Georgia.

26. San Francisco 49ers (Last week: 26)
Colin Kaepernick looked very effective running the ball and completely lost when throwing it. This San Francisco offense has to figure out exactly what kind of team it wants to be.

27. Chicago Bears (Last week: 27)
Once again, the Bears defense looked like it was just about game ready while the offense spun its wheels. Generating 194 total yards of offense is not going to win you too many football games.

28. Oakland Raiders (Last week: 28)
There is a little bit of hope in Oakland for the first time in what seems like years. The Raiders are making the right moves and are slowly beginning to develop a young nucleus to build this team around. The results won’t come in 2015 though.

29. Jacksonville Jaguars (Last week: 29)
Blake Bortles had a great outing against the Lions, throwing for 285 yards and a touchdown. Unfortunately, he also led the Jaguars in rushing with only 38 yards. Good to see this type of play from Bortles. Very concerning that the running game was nowhere to be found. And with Julius Thomas missing the first three weeks, that could mean a slow start for the Jags.

30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Last week: 30)
Jameis Winston will maintain that he didn’t take a step back but he certainly didn’t take one forward either. Completing 40 percent of your passes and throwing a pick shows Winston still has a lot of growing to do before this team can start challenging even in the NFC South.

31. Tennessee Titans (Last week: 32)
Tennessee finally moved up! Although that is more due to the short comings of Washington than the Titans success. The defense looked pretty bad this week getting shredded by Alex Smith and Aaron Murray all game long.

32. Washington (Last week: 31)
Washington announced the Kirk Cousins will start the year at quarterback. That’s not the reason for the fall though. The disarray between ownership and management is apparent and Washington lost Junior Galette for the year. This team is floundering at the moment.

Golf needs a new poster boy

Chris McGlynn Golf , ,

The big four sports don’t really need to have huge stars to draw in viewers and fans. US soccer manages to bring in international stars to draw some major attention. Men’s tennis has its big four of Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Rodger Federer. Women’s tennis has Serena Williams. Men’s golf has…wait, I don’t really know who it has any more.

Tiger Woods
Tiger dominated golf in the 2000s, holding the title of world’s number one for a record 683 weeks total.

Golf thrived in times when it was being dominated by one man, one poster boy if you will. All throughout history, there has been one man to dominate the headlines, and the competition. It started way back in 1914, when Walter Hagen won 45 events in a 23 year span. Then in the late 30s Sam Snead he won an unprecedented number of PGA tour events with 82, a mark that still stands today. He, and later Ben Hogan, dominated golf until about the 1950s. It continued with Arnie Palmer piling up wins from the mid 50s to the mid 60s until another golf legend stole the show by the name of Jack Nicklaus. Nicklaus won 18 majors during his storied career, which remains the most of any golfer ever. Nicklaus earned his last win in 1986, by which time, the golfing community was getting to know Steve Norman, who ranked as the number one golfer in the world for a then record 331 weeks during the late 80s and early 90s. There was some back and forth during the late 1990s as a couple of men fought for supremacy. Eventually, Tiger Woods emerged from the pack and simply dominated golf from the turn of the century until about 2010.

Rory_McIlroy_watches_drive_flight_(portrait_orientation)
McIlory has spent time bouncing between being number one and being all but forgotten.

Since about 2010 though, golf has searched for a new king. Lee Westwood took his brief turn at the top. Luke Donaldson and Rory McIlory traded on and off for a number of years. Then it seemed like McIlroy was the true heir until a rash of injuries kept him from competing for some time. Tiger even returned for a one-year stay at the top before falling way down the rankings. The world was ready to crown Jordan Spieth it’s next hero after his clutch win at the Masters this year but he arrived at the Fed Ex Cup Playoffs and completely fell apart, relinquishing his number one ranking to McIlroy again.

So now, golf is still searching for a new face of the sport. And it is essential that it finds one. Obviously, all of the invested golf fans will continue to watch no matter what but most casual fans will not tune in unless a big name is playing. The popularity of golf in the US was through the roof when Tiger dominated the fairways. He brought the casual fan in to watch what amazing thing the best golfer in the world would do next. Since Tiger’s extreme decline following 2013, golf has tried to hang on to him as its way of keeping people interested. All coverage begins and ends with Woods because he will draw in the casual fans. But as Tiger continues to fade, that effect continues to wear off.

Golf needs a new talisman for fans to gather around and follow. I’m not saying that you need one person to win every event, even Tiger didn’t do that, but you need someone who wins a majority of them. Some of the best storylines in golf following the turn of the century occurred when someone knocked off Tiger or Woods won in spectacular fashion. It created excitement among fans and genuine interest for even the casual golf fan.

As much as sports strive for parity so that we can witness different champions come and go on a regular basis, golf simply does not follow that format. It thrives off of having a king at the top and all of the challengers attempting to knock him off. Until golf finds its new king, it could be in for a rough time.