Best Review About The Monday Night Football Contest

 

By Gary Horton
Scouts Inc.

After watching a lot of film on both the Falcons and Saints, talking to coaches and scouts and following preseason practices, here are some key things to watch in their Monday night game (ESPN 8:30 p.m. ET). Atlanta Falcons • Atlanta’s rushing numbers in their first two games — 558 net yards on 91 rushes — are simply mind boggling, considering they don’t have a marquee offensive lineman. They do have a good fullback in Justin Griffith, but they have an undersized back in Warrick Dunn and don’t have great blocking downfield.A big reason for their success is quarterback Michael Vick, who is still a threat every time he touches the ball. He is also doing a much better job of using the threat of the run to set up the pass. Dunn is a perfect fit in the Falcons’ zone blocking schemes that require only one cut. As long as they keep running the ball, it will keep their defense off the field and Vick from forcing the ball in the passing game. • The new stretch option play with Vick worked well against a veteran Tampa Bay defense. While it is a fairly basic play, it is lethal because of Vick’s and Dunn’s speed and running ability. Vick simply takes the snap and has the option to give it to Dunn or keep it himself. What makes it tough on defenses is that the two guys run in opposite directions. This is a play that Vince Young ran well at Texas, but how long will it take for NFL defenses to adjust to it? • An individual matchup that may fly under the radar this week is Atlanta left offensive tackle Wayne Gandy versus New Orleans right defensive end Will Smith. Although Gandy is an aging veteran, he has played really well in pass protection in the first two weeks and has been a stabilizing influence for this unit. The NFC South has quality pass rushers at RDE and the LOT position is very important. • When you watch the Falcons’ run game on film, it is easy to be impressed with their zone blocking schemes, especially on inside runs. On almost every run play between the tackles, the Falcons get double team blocks on both defensive tackles and get a great push, making it tough for the LBs to scrape and get off those blocks. • A big challenge for the Saints’ defense is defending Vick when he is on the run. They are an aggressive defense that likes to pursue, but the best way to play against Vick is to stay in a contain mode and guard against the cutback run. They must also be prepared to flow fast if he doesn’t cut back against the grain. It is a tough assignment for any defense. • Another big factor in Vick’s early success is the fact that he is running the option offense out of the shotgun formation. It gives him a lot of room to see the defense and make decisions. Even though Vick may run this offense only 20 snaps a game, it is so unusual that defensive coordinators spend an inordinate amount of time preparing for those 20 plays, which takes away from preparation for the other 40 to 50 snaps. • The Falcons are starting to incorporate RB Jerious Norwood into the running game as a nice changeup to Dunn. Norwood gives them some physical, inside running, which sets up Dunn for outside runs. The Saints are very active on defense, but they are not very big and physical. They depend on one-gap quickness and penetration to have success, and the Falcons’ offensive line should be able to get a big body on defenders and move them out of the hole. An underrated player in this run game is Griffith, who does a nice job as a lead blocker and is also excellent in pass protection and blitz pickup. He also catches the ball well out of the backfield. • A fun individual matchup to watch is Atlanta cornerback DeAngelo Hall versus New Orleans wide receiver Joe Horn. Hall is developing into a shutdown corner. While he can outrun the veteran Horn, he is not big and physical. Horn will look to push off to get separation on quick crossing routes and hitches. Drew Brees will have to be smart in this matchup and not force the ball to Horn, who will want the ball often in this national spotlight. Hall can jump routes and take chances because he has the ability to recover if he makes a mistake. This may be a frustrating night for Horn and I think Brees may have to look elsewhere for success in the passing game. • Reggie Bush could have a significant role in this game as a receiver out of the backfield. If Horn is neutralized by Hall, he may become a little bit of a decoy by running vertical routes and clearing out some zones for Bush. If he lines up in the backfield, Bush will likely be covered by a linebacker and that is a matchup he will win every time. We know that New Orleans likes to put Bush in motion or play him in the perimeter, but when he is in the backfield he has a much better chance to get the individual matchup he likes. The Falcons might counter with Hall covering Bush at times, which is a great athletic matchup. • This Atlanta defense may be for real. We know that ends John Abraham (who won’t play) and Patrick Kerney are excellent edge rushers, and Hall is becoming a true shutdown corner, but where they get my attention is up the middle. They have two physical tackles in Grady Jackson and Rod Coleman, which allows middle linebacker Keith Brooking to fly to the ball without a lot of contact. Behind Brooking they have two physical safeties — Lawyer Milloy and Chris Crocker. It is tough for offenses to attack the inside of this improving defense. New Orleans Saints • When you break down Brees on film, the first thing you examine is his arm strength and the velocity of his passes because of his shoulder surgery. He looked good against Green Bay a week ago. He threw an excellent deep ball with a lot of air, and his intermediate passes had decent zip and excellent accuracy. He is also taking hits and responding well. He has a good command of this offense and is the face of this team.• Speaking of Brees, a big play in the second quarter typifies the intelligence and grittiness that makes him such a good leader. He threw a 26-yard TD to WR Devery Henderson, set up by a great double pump that froze corner Ahmad Carroll, allowing Henderson to get behind him. Brees also made a perfect throw. However, what most fans didn’t realize is the play before the TD, Carroll went to the ground with leg cramps and muscle spasms. Brees saw it and knew he had a good one-on-one match on the outside. He went right after Carroll one play later for the touchdown. • The right side of the Saints’ defensive line — tackle Bryant Young and end Will Smith — has combined for five sacks in the first two weeks of the season, and the Saints are playing solid overall run defense. They have given up only 74.0 yards per game on the ground in the first two weeks, but they have not seen a run offense like the Falcons. This is a defense that is overachieving and playing smart football (only two penalties versus Green Bay) • The Saints are opening up the passing game to stretch defenses and set up the run game. Brees is doing a great job of recognizing positive individual matchups. Against Green Bay, the Saints had six receivers catch a pass for 20 yards or longer. We think of Brees as a QB who excels in a short passing game, but his ability to go vertical with good touch makes this offense much less predictable. • One reason the Saints may be playing so well on defense so far is they put a premium on conditioning in training camp and this is a unit that is in good physical shape. The other reason is they are using a rotation, not only in their defensive line, but also in their back seven. They are playing a lot of different defensive packages and appear to be fresher in the fourth quarter than opposing offenses. • It is imperative for the Saints to run the ball well this week against an aggressive and athletic Atlanta defensive front seven. Last week, they only ran the ball 22 times against Green Bay. They must control the clock on offense and keep the Falcons’ offense off the field. They cannot afford a lot of three-and-outs or they will let this game get out of control early. • The Saints will play some Cover 2 schemes versus the Falcons. On paper, this is a good defense against Vick, as there are seven defenders sitting in coverage facing Vick, in position to come up and contain him. However, because the Atlanta running game is so good right now, the Saints will be tempted (and possibly forced) to bring at least one safety in the box in run support, creating a huge matchup problem versus tight end Alge Crumpler. He can beat most safeties or linebackers in coverage, and can exploit the middle of the field, especially if Vick freezes the Saints’ defense with his option reads. The Saints love to play downhill on defense, but Atlanta has so many offensive options with Vick, the Saints may be forced to be less aggressive. • Brees is doing an excellent job of spreading the ball around and managing the game. He gets the ball to his best playmaker in Horn, but also knows how to incorporate rookie Bush into the offense. He is also not afraid to get the ball to his other receivers such as Marques Colston and Henderson. Brees takes what the defense gives him and his best feature may be his composure under pressure. He is the perfect guy right now to lead this team. • Brees will face a Falcons defense that may try to blitz him and force him throw on the move, which is not his strength. However, he does process information very quickly and has a quick release. The key will be to get the ball out faster than usual and the passing game on Monday night may consist of more short passes, quick slants and hitches. • A very tough matchup for the Saints is Atlanta DT Rod Coleman versus the interior of New Orleans’ offensive line. Coleman is one of the most dominating inside penetrators in the NFL and is an excellent pass rusher for a big man. If he gets a good inside push, it will negate Brees’ ability to step up in the pocket, forcing him to move sideways. Controlling Coleman is critical, because he can totally take over a game at the line of scrimmage. Gary Horton, a pro scout for Scouts Inc., has been a football talent evaluator for more than 30 years. He spent 10 years in the NFL and 10 years at the college level before launching a private scouting firm called “The War Room.”

They Were Called “Aint’s”, Which Saint Will Come To The Dome?

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The game is so big, it’ll require two stadiums.

Two NFL commissioners will be there.Two internationally renowned rock bands will play in the Louisiana Superdome shortly before kickoff.

And two 2-0 teams will take the field while nearly 70,000 fans purge a year of post-Katrina frustration with howls almost loud enough to blow the dome’s new galvanized steel roof right off.

Saints players and coaches are well aware of all this, and they’re trying not to think about it too much.

“The evening’s only special if you win it,” Saints coach Sean Payton said. “We’re seeing a good team come in here in Atlanta. … We’re going to have to have a good week of practice, and all the other stuff is stuff that we can’t control and we just want to make sure it doesn’t become a distraction.”

Saints spokesman Greg Bensel said more than 500 credentials have been issued to media outlets from around the world — from Sky Sports to Al-Jazeera — and that ESPN is sending a crew of several hundred to build up it’s coverage of the “Monday Night Football” telecast.

Because the dome is sold out for the season, there’s no place in the stands to set up an overflow press box as has been done in past Super Bowls, so a couple hundred media members will have to work out of the adjacent New Orleans Arena and watch the game on TV.

Former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue, who played a leading role in making this game happen when New Orleans’ future in the NFL seemed in doubt after the storm, is expected to attend, along with his successor, Roger Goodell.

U2 and Green Day will play during pregame ceremonies. Former President George H.W. Bush is slated for the coin flip, although he may not receive quite the welcome of another Bush — the running back named Reggie, who’ll be making his home debut in the refurbished dome.

This is a tough ticket. On the Saints’ Web site, season ticket holders who have decided to resell their tickets on a team-approved exchange program are asking $690 for upper deck seats, more for premium seats.

“Could this game be any more hyped up or bigger than it already is?” Saints quarterback Drew Brees said. “We all know what it is, but the way I’m approaching this week is: It’s a football game and we need to win it. That’s it.”

While opening 2-0 on the road is always an accomplishment in the NFL — and something the Saints have never done since being founded in 1967 — the teams they beat this month are winless. Those games were played in pleasant late-summer weather in Cleveland and Green Bay and the results remained in doubt until past the two-minute warning.

Atlanta is a regional rival that has long given the Saints fits. Many in New Orleans remember well that the Saints’ worst loss ever, 62-7 in 1973, came at home at the hands of the Falcons.

And Atlanta appears to be the stronger of the two teams this year. In games against Carolina and Tampa Bay, the Falcons have yet to allow a touchdown while outscoring their opponents 34-9.

With a strong offensive line and quarterback Michael Vick always a threat to run, Atlanta has rushed for 558 yards.

“This is a respected team we’re playing,” said Saints receiver Joe Horn, long a crowd favorite in the Superdome both for his play on the field and his outgoing manner off it.

Horn remembers well what the dome was like on its best days, and he anticipates a spine-tingling scene when the fans welcome back the team that wears their city’s symbol, the fleur-de-lis, on its gold helmets.

“Once I get in there, I’m sure there’ll be some emotions flowing, but mentally you have to be prepared to play the football game,” Horn said. “If the emotions can make you focus more, it will help you, but sometimes heartfelt emotions can keep you away from having your mental edge, sharpness. I hope the emotions that flow make us focus more on the game and the job at hand.”

Brees has never played in the Superdome. Still, he has immersed himself in the local culture since moving here this year, buying an historic house near Tulane University, dining at renowned restaurants and even taking a ghost tour in the French Quarter.

So while he preaches the need to focus on the Falcons, he can only hold out so long before gushing about the larger, transcendent nature of Monday night’s game.

“It’s huge — just to show that this city is very much alive and that people are excited to be here and there’s no doubt in their mind that this city’s going to come back better than ever,” Brees said. “It’s just even more motivation for people to bring back tourism and come down here and spend money here and the government and the NFL to put money in this region, because it’s such a special place.”

Does Brent Need A Beating or Something?

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Southern California formally complained that ABC-TV’s Brent Musburger revealed privileged information in play-by-play commentary during Saturday’s game against Nebraska.

The university sent a letter to ESPN, which oversees sports programming on ABC, saying Musburger, with less than 10 minutes to play and the Trojans leading 21-10, began describing how USC quarterback John David Booty lets receivers know he has spotted a certain kind of coverage.

“John David told us that his signal when he finds one-on-one and they’re coming, it’s that ‘hang loose,’ that familiar sign you’ve seen surfers use,” said Musburger, referring to the sign where the thumb and little finger are raised.

USC sports information director Tim Tessalone sent a formal complaint to ESPN/ABC game producer Bill Bonnell on Monday and sent a copy to the Pacific-10 conference office.

“We’re supposed to be partners in this, but this is certainly going to make us think twice about trying to help them have as good a broadcast as possible,” Tessalone said. “What he did was unconscionable.”

Last Friday, announcers and producers met with coaches and star players as part of their game preparation. During the meeting, there was discussion about how a replay of the Ohio State-Texas broadcast showed Buckeyes quarterback Troy Smith tapping the top of his helmet to let receiver Ted Ginn Jr. know he’s noticed one-on-one coverage.

Booty was asked if Southern California had a similar signal, and Booty told Musburger about his “hang loose” signal.

“We are very mindful of what we learn in pre-game meetings in terms in what is appropriate for broadcast and what is for our background. We’re sorry this led to an unfortunate misunderstanding, which was never our intention,” ESPN said in a statement released by spokesman Josh Krulewitz.

Musburger said in a statement late Monday that the network regretted the confusion.

Asked about Musburger’s on-air revelations, USC coach Pete Carroll said with a laugh, “Just wondering what they’re going to tell us next. I’m not worried about it. There’s a million signals, a million ways to do it.”

Tiger Woods for a Day..

There was this preacher who was an avid golfer. Every chance he could get, he could be found on the golf course swinging away. It was an obsession. One Sunday was a picture perfect day for golfing. The sun was out, no clouds in the sky, and the temperature was just right.

The preacher was in a quandary as to what to do, and shortly, the urge to play golf overcame him. He called an assistant to tell him that he was sick and could not do church, packed the car up, and drove three hours to a golf course where no one would recognize him. Happily, he began to play the course.

An angel up above was watching the preacher and was quite perturbed. He went to God and said, “Look at the preacher. He should be punished for what he is doing.”

God nodded in agreement. The preacher teed up on the first hole. He swung at the ball, and it sailed effortlessly through the air and landed right in the cup three hundred and fifty yards away. A picture perfect hole-in-one. He was amazed and excited.

The angel was a little shocked. He turned to God and said, “Begging Your pardon, but I thought you were going to punish him?”

God smiled. “Think about it — who can he tell?”

HIV/AIDS Needles hidden under gas pumps

In Florida and other places on the East Coast a group of people are putting HIV/AIDS infected and filled needles underneath gas pump handles, so when someone reaches to pick it up and put gas in their car, they get stabbed with it. 16 people have been a victim of this crime so far and 10 tested HIV positive. Instead of posting that stupid crap about how your love life will suck for years to come of you don’t re-post, post this. It’s important to inform people, even if you don’t drive, a family member might, and what if they were next? CHECK UNDER THE HANDLE BEFORE YOU GRAB IT!!! IT MIGHT SAVE YOUR LIFE! Tell as many people as you can about this serious issue!!!!

Steal of draft? How about Saints’ Colston?

NEW ORLEANS – Marques Colston’s rise from little known Division I-AA prospect to one of Drew Brees’ go-to receivers has been so sudden, even his coach couldn’t see it coming.

“If we loved him we would have drafted him in the third round or the fourth round, so we liked him,” Saints coach Sean Payton said of the seventh-rounder out of Division I-AA Hofstra. Payton’s eyes were smiling as if he’d just been dealt 21 at a blackjack table.

“We thought he had all those tools that are necessary and yet there’s that uncertainty as to all the other things. So I’m excited about a young player.”

Colston made four clutch catches in the Saints’ season-opening victory over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. All came on third downs — three for first downs, the other for New Orleans’ only touchdown.

He was not even certain to make the roster on draft day, yet Colston strolled calmly from the end zone after his first NFL touchdown. His veteran quarterback was the one who looked like the excitable rookie, leaping up to smack the 6-foot-4 receiver on the helmet and shoulder pads.

 

HUT, HUT, HUT, OUCH YOU STABBED ME!!

GREELEY, Colo. — The University of Northern Colorado’s reserve punter was arrested Tuesday, accused of stabbing his rival in his kicking leg.

Mitch Cozad, a sophomore from Wheatland, Wyo., allegedly attacked starting punter Rafael Mendoza in a parking lot in Evans on Monday night, Evans police Lt. Gary Kessler said.

Mendoza, the Bears’ first-string punter from Thornton, was treated and released from the North Colorado Medical Center Monday night. Coach Scott Downing said Mendoza will not punt for UNC in Saturday’s game at Texas State University.

“I don’t know how long he’ll be out because I haven’t talked to the doctor,” Downing said.

Cozad, Mendoza and freshman Zak Bigelow had been in a three-way race for the starting punter’s job in preseason training. Mendoza has averaged 37.6 yards per punt on nine punts in the two games so far this season.

Cozad is facing second-degree assault charges and was scheduled to appear in court Wednesday for a bond hearing. He was suspended from the team, evicted from his residence and expelled from school on Tuesday, The Greeley Tribune reported.

Bill Clintons Plan To Save Our Airline Industry

Dump the male flight attendants. No one wanted them in the first place. Replace all the female flight attendants with good-looking strippers!   What he hell – the attendants have gotten old and haggard-looking. They  don’t even serve food anymore, so what’s the loss? The strippers would  at least triple the alcohol sales and get a “party atmosphere” going in  the cabin.

And, of course, every businessman in this country would start flying again, hoping to see naked women.

Because of the tips, female flight attendants wouldn’t need a salary,  thus saving even more money Hell, I suspect tips would be so good that  we could charge the women for working and have them kick back 20% of  the tips, including lap dances and “special services.”

Muslims would be afraid to get on the planes for fear of seeing naked women. Hijackings would come to a screeching halt, and the airline industry would see record revenues. This is definitely a win-win situation if we handle it right – a golden opportunity to turn a
liability into an asset.

Why the hell didn’t Bush think of this? Why do I still have to do everything myself?

Sincerely,
Bill Clinton

Was Culpepper really a Bargain?

All day I was sitting on needles at my cubicle waiting till the whistle blows.
I dashed to my car and sped off to my house so I can get in front of my TV before 5:30pm. This type of behavior is often referred to as fanaticism and usually occurs in my neck of the woods around beginning of the NFL season. Tonight its Pittsburgh and Miami were showing off their old and their new stuff in a brand new season.
All questions that hunted the experts in regarding to the major trade that Vikings did with Dante or if the Steelers are slipping in the quality of their play.

The game started as a defensive battle where it partially assisted by nervous play of Batch and throwing grounders by Culpepper. Charlie was playing in front of his home crowd and many relatives in what seems to be his big chance to prove to everyone that he belongs in the NFL and can guide a Super Bowl team to victory. Well, no one scored in the first quarter, so I had time to make some food and get a drink.

After Batch shook off the butterflies, he took the Steelers on a 75-yard drive and capped it with a 27-yard pass to Washington. The Pitt receiver made an acrobatic catch in the corner of the end zone jumping over his defender while the ball was thrown perfectly where no one but Washington can get it.
Miami did not look impressive running the ball, even though some fantasy owners might be happy with 14-16 points from Ronnie Brown, its not even close to a premiere backs numbers 15 attempts for 30 yards. On the other side Parker and the Pitt front line wore down the smaller defensive front and utilized the strategy to run right at Jason Taylor which yield 115-yards on 29 carries.
QB comparison was not even close, Batch settled down, looked focused, and looked like the perfect QB. Front line did a great job blocking and going 15/25, 209 yards, and 3 TD’s prove that. Dante, who the commentator was complimenting on coming into the camp lighter, but he did not look any better then when he played for the Vike’s. Plus how is going from 265 LB’s to 255 LB’s make you look in better shape? I mean if I miss a few meals I loose 10 LB’s, but I don’t see the difference when I run or play ball just from loosing water weight. Under pressure of scoring he threw two key interceptions, including one to the NFL stud linebacker Porter, which went for a TD. A USC boy Troy Polamalu snatched the other one out of the air when he read Culpepper’s eyes and stepped right in front of the receiver. Vikings trade decision is starting to look pretty good right about now.

I feel that many experts were wrong about Miami’s high hopes, and I didn’t see Steelers performance slipping at all from last year. Please let me know if I am wrong about my review.

Your Humble Fan,

ChaChi4a20

Not What Pitt Bargained For First Game

PITTSBURGH – The NFL season begins tonight with the

 Miami Dolphins taking on the Steelers in Pittsburgh. The Steelers will be without quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who had an emergency appendectomy on Sunday.

Charlie Batch will start at quarterback, with Brian St. Pierre as backup. St. Pierre was moved from the practice squad to the 53-man roster yesterday, two days after being re-signed by the team.

The Steelers play their first game that counts since winning the Super Bowl. Finally, the player who received the biggest signing bonus on the club gets to show what he can do.

Rookie receiver Santonio Holmes? Newly signed cornerback Ike Taylor? Super Bowl MVP Hines Ward?

No. How about backup quarterback Charlie Batch — who, except for two winning spot starts last season — often is one of the least-seen players on a most-visible team that has gone an NFL-best 26-6 the last two seasons?

Batch couldn’t ask for a much bigger stage this time as he fills in Thursday night for out-of-action quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in the NFL’s season-opening game against the Miami Dolphins. Batch once helped the Lions make the playoffs, but still calls this the biggest game of his career.

It’s not because Batch gets to go against former elementary school classmate Jason Taylor, the Dolphins’ star defensive lineman, for the first time since both played college ball in the Mid-American Conference.

“I’m really looking forward to this because I haven’t been able to take part in an opener for a while,” said Batch, whose last such start came with Detroit in 2001. “I’m excited, I really am.”

The Steelers won their final four in the regular season and four more in the playoffs to win their first Super Bowl in 26 years, but Batch threw exactly one pass in those games. He wouldn’t be starting this one if Roethlisberger hadn’t needed an emergency appendectomy on Sunday, forcing him to miss at least one game.

That’s why it may be easy to forget Batch was once seen as one of the NFL’s best young quarterbacks, one good enough that the Lions gave him a $10 million signing bonus before the 2000 season. To this day, that’s about $1 million more than any Steelers player has gotten.

“He’s pretty athletic. He knows their offense well,” Dolphins coach Nick Saban said of Batch. “They are not as quarterback oriented an offensive team (as some other teams). They run the ball really effectively. They have a really good play-action game.”

The Dolphins were as quarterback oriented as any team when Dan Marino ran the show, but they haven’t had a Pro Bowl QB since him — until now. Daunte Culpepper missed the Vikings’ final nine games last season with three torn knee ligaments, but has returned months earlier than expected and with a new team.

Quarterback play is always important in deciding an NFL winner, but especially so in this opener. If Culpepper can get into a rhythm early with his receivers against one of the NFL’s toughest defenses — the Steelers have nine of 11 defensive starters back from February — it might force Batch to throw more than coach Bill Cowher would like.

One important matchup is Ike Taylor, who signed a $22.5 million contract only last week, against Dolphins receiver Chris Chambers, who had 82 catches for 1,118 yards and 11 touchdowns last season.

The Steelers would prefer to get the lead early, then turn running back Willie Parker loose on the outside against a Miami defense that excels in the pass rush but might be vulnerable against a runner with the speed Parker possesses.

“Their defense is playing with a lot of confidence now because they ended the regular season on a heck of a win streak,” Batch said. “When you come into the next year with a lot of experience, and still have a lot of your guys back, it makes for a tough test for us.”

Maybe, though, tougher still for the Dolphins, who probably would prefer to open the season against an opponent other than the returning Super Bowl champion in its home stadium.

Not that Jason Taylor, who grew up watching the Steelers and understands how Pittsburgh embraces them, expects the atmosphere and opening-night pageantry to have much influence on the outcome.

“What’s the difference? We don’t watch the (pregame) concert,” he said. “We will go out for the pregame warmup, we will play football and get back on the plane and get home. It’s the same thing we do every week. Who cares who we are playing or what they have going on at halftime? We don’t watch that stuff.”

Batch knows he will be excited, and said calming those emotions will be important to him settling into the offense quickly in his first start since Nov. 13.

“Yes, it’s a blow to our offense not having Ben out there,” said Ward, who is expected to play after missing the four exhibition games with a sore hamstring. “But Charlie’s capable of going out there and getting the job done.”