FanHouse

FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/ Between the Lines: Who Sends the House and Who Plays It Safe? http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/06/between-the-lines/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/06/between-the-lines/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/06/between-the-lines/#comments

Filed under: Jets, Saints, NFL Analysis

Every week we analyze line play in a new Between The Lines feature.

In watching line play around the league, it's obvious that there's more than one way to pressure the quarterback. The Jets and Eagles generate pressure with confusion. Teams don't know if they're sending three or eight and they don't know where they will be coming from. The Vikings send their front four most of the time, but with Jared Allen and Kevin Williams, they don't need to confuse people as much as just beat them off the line. It generally works and drives Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers insane (14 sacks in two games).

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]]> Between The Lines JJ Cooper jj-cooper 2009-11-06T09:41:00 00:00 Hines Ward's the NFL's Dirtiest Player? http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/players-hines-wards-the-nfls-dirtiest-player/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/players-hines-wards-the-nfls-dirtiest-player/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/players-hines-wards-the-nfls-dirtiest-player/#comments

Filed under: Steelers, AFC North

Hines Ward

It's accurate to say that there aren't a whole lot of players around the league who like Hines Ward. When he's not going over the middle to catch passes, he's always looking to lay a hit on an unsuspecting defender. Heck, the NFL even passed a new rule after Ward broke linebacker Keith Rivers' jaw last year.

So it's no surprise to learn that Ward has been voted as the NFL's dirtiest player in a survey by Sports Illustrated, topping former teammate Joey Porter. With Rodney Harrison now retired, Ward was the obvious choice, which in some way is a badge of honor for the Steelers wideout. After all, how many receivers are tough enough and physical enough to be considered dirty?

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]]> Albert HaynesworthHines WardJoey PorterKevin MawaeKevinMawaeRoy Williams JJ Cooper jj-cooper 2009-11-04T13:52:00 00:00 Hines Ward: Ryan Clark Should Sit Out This Week http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/hines-ward-ryan-clark-should-sit-out-this-week/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/hines-ward-ryan-clark-should-sit-out-this-week/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/hines-ward-ryan-clark-should-sit-out-this-week/#comments

Filed under: Steelers, AFC North, NFL Injuries

Ryan Clark

No one will ever accuse Hines Ward of being soft on the football field.

He's caught passes over the middle with busted ribs; he's been dragged off the field by the training staff only to return and put his body on the line again. He regularly blocks defensive ends that outweigh him by 70 pounds and he's somehow stayed healthy despite being every defensive back's top target. So when Hines Ward says that if he was Ryan Clark, he wouldn't play this weekend, it means something.

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]]> Hines WardRyan Clark JJ Cooper jj-cooper 2009-11-03T08:55:00 00:00 Vince Young Takes a Step Forward, but Has a Long Way to Go http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/vince-young-takes-a-step-forward-but-has-a-long-way-to-go/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/vince-young-takes-a-step-forward-but-has-a-long-way-to-go/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/vince-young-takes-a-step-forward-but-has-a-long-way-to-go/#comments

Filed under: Titans, AFC South

Vince Young

Vince Young did everything he needed to do on Sunday to stake a claim to the Titans' starting job for the rest of the season, but did he really do anything to show he should be around in 2010 and beyond?

Young clearly gave the Titans a spark. In the most important stat of all, Young is 1-0 this season as a starter while Kerry Collins is 0-6. The inaccuracy that has plagued Young in the past wasn't visible. Young arguably had two bad passes all game, and only one of those -- a near interception on a deep ball to Justin Gage -- was a true mistake.

But before people start annointing Young as the Titans quarterback of the future again, it's worth noting that Young was 15-of-18 for only 125 yards, and almost all of his passes were of the dump-off variety.

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]]> Vince Young JJ Cooper jj-cooper 2009-11-03T08:48:00 00:00 Steelers Fans Need to Be Patient with Ziggy Hood http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/31/steelers-fans-need-to-be-patient-with-ziggy-hood/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/31/steelers-fans-need-to-be-patient-with-ziggy-hood/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/31/steelers-fans-need-to-be-patient-with-ziggy-hood/#comments

Filed under: Steelers, AFC North

Ziggy Hood

When the Steelers lost defensive end Aaron Smith for the season, it wasn't too much of a shock that the Steelers turned to veteran Travis Kirschke instead of first-round pick Ziggy Hood.

But now that Kirschke is also likely to be sidelined for next Sunday's Broncos game, it looks like the Steelers would turn to Nick Eason next week as the starter instead of Hood. Essentially the Steelers are saying that Eason, who battled Sunny Harris for a spot on the roster during training camp, is a better bet as a starter than the Steelers first-round pick this year.

That would normally be a sign that the first-round pick is on the path to being a big-time bust--first-round picks should be contributors, not the No. 5 defensive end on a team that normally carries five defensive ends.

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]]> Nick EasonTravis KirschkeZiggy Hood JJ Cooper jj-cooper 2009-10-31T22:07:00 00:00 Titans Make Another Change http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/30/titans-make-another-swap/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/30/titans-make-another-swap/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/30/titans-make-another-swap/#comments

Filed under: Titans, AFC South, NFL Injuries

Alvin Pearman

Mark Jones lost the Titans' return job during the preseason because he couldn't stay healthy. Now he's lost it again because of yet another hamstring injury.

Tennessee put Jones on injured reserve with a hamstring injury and signed ex-Jaguars returner Alvin Pearman to replace him, a week after Jones' injured his hamstring again. The decision to put Jones on injured reserve is a pretty strong sign that the Titans aren't very concerned about losing him -- there was a chance Jones would be healthy in four to six weeks, but considering how often he's injured his hamstring this year, the Titans decided it was better not to wait on him to get healthy.

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]]> Alvin PearmanMark Jones JJ Cooper jj-cooper 2009-10-30T13:34:00 00:00 Titans' Timing for Vince Young Switch Is Pretty Good http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/29/titans-timing-for-young-switch-is-pretty-good/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/29/titans-timing-for-young-switch-is-pretty-good/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/29/titans-timing-for-young-switch-is-pretty-good/#comments

Filed under: Titans, AFC South

At 0-6, there are clearly no sure-thing wins for the Titans. But if you were going to pick a point in the schedule where new starter Vince Young could succeed, you could do a whole lot worse than this week: he gets to face the Jaguars, 49ers and Bills after a bye week.

None of those are sure-fire wins, but all three are winnable games (especially since the Jaguars and Bills passing games should help give the beleaguered Titans secondary a bit of a break). Win two of those games and Young all of a sudden looks like a spark, no matter what his passing stats look like.

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]]> Vince Young JJ Cooper jj-cooper 2009-10-29T21:55:00 00:00 Between the Lines: Steelers Offensive Line Has Taken Big Steps http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/29/between-the-lines-steelers-offensive-line-has-taken-big-steps/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/29/between-the-lines-steelers-offensive-line-has-taken-big-steps/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/29/between-the-lines-steelers-offensive-line-has-taken-big-steps/#comments

Filed under: Steelers, AFC North, NFL Analysis

As we have done since the FanHouse began, I'll be taking a look every week at some aspect of line play. You can read more features in the series here. Check back every Thursday for a new Between The Lines.

For three years I rewatched every Steelers game with an eye on the offensive line. And a good bit of the time, it wasn't pretty. Whether it was a debacle against the Raiders in 2006 or the mass of confusion against the Eagles in 2008, there have been plenty of lowlights.

After watching the Steelers win the Super Bowl last year despite a struggling offensive line, I kind of figured that if everything went well, Pittsburgh could figure out a way to do it again. They had enough defense and enough skill position players on offense to make up for the offensive line's problems.

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]]> Between The LinesChris KemoeatuJared AllenMax StarksTrai essexWillie Colon JJ Cooper jj-cooper 2009-10-29T10:01:00 00:00 Pashos' Injury Is Bad News for 49ers QBs http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/27/pashos-injury-is-bad-news-for-49ers-qbs/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/27/pashos-injury-is-bad-news-for-49ers-qbs/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/27/pashos-injury-is-bad-news-for-49ers-qbs/#comments

Filed under: 49ers, NFC West, NFL Injuries

Tony Pashos

When San Francisco right tackle Adam Snyder gave up five sacks in the first two weeks of the season, the 49ers were glad they had a Plan B.

Former Jaguars tackle Tony Pashos stepped in to replace Snyder and provided mediocre pass blocking. He wasn't good, but he wasn't nearly as bad as Snyder either--giving up three sacks in five games. For a team with a very leaky right side of the offensive line, that was actually an improvement.

But Pashos is now done for the season with a broken shoulder blade, which means that Snyder is back at right tackle. And what that means is new starting quarterback Alex Smith better be mobile.

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]]> JJ Cooper jj-cooper 2009-10-27T19:49:00 00:00 Mile High Poses Serious Risk for Steelers' Ryan Clark http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/27/ryan-clark-has-to-decide-if-he-can-handle-mile-high/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/27/ryan-clark-has-to-decide-if-he-can-handle-mile-high/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/27/ryan-clark-has-to-decide-if-he-can-handle-mile-high/#comments

Filed under: Steelers, AFC North

Ryan Clark

The last time Ryan Clark played football in Denver, it nearly killed him.

Clark's sickle-cell disease meant that his blood attacked his gall bladder and spleen forcing Clark to have both removed and sidelining him for the remainder of the 2007 season. He lost more than 30 pounds and needed months to recover.

So now he has to decide if he's willing to risk playing in the thin air of Denver two weeks from now. It's a big game for the Steelers, but Clark, understandably, is only going to play if doctors can give him a clean bill of health. Right now, it's hard to say which way Clark is going to decide. He's run as many tests as can be run. Doctors have poked and prodded him. But it appears that no one can tell him for sure that Clark won't have another bad reaction to the altitude.

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]]> Ryan Clark JJ Cooper jj-cooper 2009-10-27T07:47:00 00:00 Jeff Fisher Vague on QB Starter http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/26/jeff-fisher-vague-on-who-will-play-quarterback-on-sunday/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/26/jeff-fisher-vague-on-who-will-play-quarterback-on-sunday/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/26/jeff-fisher-vague-on-who-will-play-quarterback-on-sunday/#comments

Filed under: Titans, AFC South

Whenever he's been asked before this week, Titans coach Jeff Fisher has made it clear that Kerry Collins is his quarterback.

Vince Young has played a little in mop-up duty of blowout losses (which is happening a lot), but Collins has been the undisputed starter.

But with his team sitting at 0-6 having already wrapped up the title of "NFL's most disappointing team of 2009," Fisher isn't ready to say who his quarterback this week. Instead, he's answering with what can best be termed as double talk.

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]]> Jeff FisherKerry CollinsVince Young JJ Cooper jj-cooper 2009-10-26T19:11:00 00:00 Steelers' Bargain Hunting Pays Off Again http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/26/steelers-bargain-hunting-pays-off-again/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/26/steelers-bargain-hunting-pays-off-again/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/26/steelers-bargain-hunting-pays-off-again/#comments

Filed under: Steelers, AFC North, NFL Free Agency

There's a pretty strong belief that the Steelers avoid the free agent market. Because of their belief in the draft and the Rooney's lack of a Daniel Snyder-size bankroll, they ignore free agents and focus instead on developing their own stars.

It's only halfway true. It's fair to say that Pittsburgh won't be in the market for the top free agents on the market next year, just like they haven't gone shopping for a big-money free agent in any of the past 17 years. But Pittsburgh does go shopping in the bargain bin. And more often than not, they find deals -- like linebacker Keyaron Fox, the star of Sunday's win against the Vikings.

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]]> keyaron foxlawrence timmons JJ Cooper jj-cooper 2009-10-26T09:29:00 00:00 Redskins Will Need to Look to Draft to Replace Chris Samuels http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/23/redskins-cant-buy-a-left-tackle-to-replace-chris-samuels/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/23/redskins-cant-buy-a-left-tackle-to-replace-chris-samuels/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/23/redskins-cant-buy-a-left-tackle-to-replace-chris-samuels/#comments

Filed under: Redskins, NFL Analysis

The news that Redskins left tackle Chris Samuels may have to retire because of the neck injury that has sidelined him this year is just the cherry on the top of a miserable season in Washington. The team has become where everyone else goes for their first win. Fans are chanting at games for the owner to sell the team and the head coach just had his play calling duties taken away from him.

But for the long-term success of the Redskins, the Samuels news may be the worst thing that's happened to Washington all year. With Samuels gone, the Redskins will depend on right tackle Stephen Heyer to play the left side for the rest of the season, but they don't have a long-term answer on the roster.

Report: Six-Time Pro Bowler Samuels Planning to Retire

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]]> Chris Samuels JJ Cooper jj-cooper 2009-10-23T21:43:00 00:00 Between the Lines: Which Tackles Are Starring and Which Are Struggling? http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/22/between-the-lines-which-tackles-are-starring-and-which-ones-are/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/22/between-the-lines-which-tackles-are-starring-and-which-ones-are/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/22/between-the-lines-which-tackles-are-starring-and-which-ones-are/#comments

Filed under: Broncos, Chiefs, Atlanta Falcons, Packers, Panthers, Steelers, NFL Analysis

As we have done since the FanHouse began, I'll be taking a look every week at some aspect of line play. You can read more features in the series here. Check back every Thursday for a new Between The Lines.

If you're a reasonably diligent football fan, it's pretty easy to follow which running backs, quarterbacks and wide receivers are living up to their reputations -- you just check the stats. It's not as easy, but you can also get a pretty good sense of which pass rushers are having big years, by checking out the sacks.

But when it comes to evaluating offensive linemen, it's a lot tougher to know which blockers are starring and which ones are living off reputation.

After logging 401 sacks this season, it's time to start diving into the numbers to try to get a better sense of who has stood out this year.

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]]> Between The LinesJordan Gross JJ Cooper jj-cooper 2009-10-22T14:45:00 00:00 Adrian Peterson Joins Antoine Winfield On Vikings' Injured List http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/21/adrian-peterson-joins-antoine-winfield-on-injured-list/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/21/adrian-peterson-joins-antoine-winfield-on-injured-list/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/21/adrian-peterson-joins-antoine-winfield-on-injured-list/#comments

Filed under: Steelers, Vikings, NFC North, NFL Injuries

Adrian Peterson

Whether you win or lose against the Ravens, they are physical enough that you suffer for a couple of weeks afterward.

The Vikings got the win on Sunday, but they also got the bruises that come with it.

The biggest problem for the Vikings is cornerback Antoine Winfield's foot injury. When Winfield left the game on Sunday the Ravens' pass offense suddenly became a world-beater as backup Karl Paymah quickly proved he's not really ready for a starting job. The Vikings are not ruling out Winfield playing on Sunday, but everyone else is.

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]]> Adrian PetersonAntonie Winfield JJ Cooper jj-cooper 2009-10-21T22:30:00 00:00 Seahawks Find Their Scapegoat, Cut Kyle Williams http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/20/seahawks-find-their-scapegoat-cut-kyle-williams/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/20/seahawks-find-their-scapegoat-cut-kyle-williams/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/20/seahawks-find-their-scapegoat-cut-kyle-williams/#comments

Filed under: Seahawks, NFC West, NFL Injuries

When an offensive linemen gets injured, very few fans notice. But if you want a good explanation for why the Seahawks laid an egg this week against the Cardinals you can point the finger at Kyle Williams. The Seahawks sure did, as Williams went from starting on Sunday to out of work on Tuesday.

Williams had been battlefield promoted from the practice squad to the starting lineup when a desperate Seahawks team lost its third starting left tackle of the season. Pro Bowler Walter Jones has yet to play this season because of a knee injury. Seattle was actually well prepared for his injury, as replacement Sean Locklear has been prepped as a left tackle of the future.

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]]> Brandon FryeDamion McIntoshKyle WilliamsSean LocklearWalter Jones JJ Cooper jj-cooper 2009-10-20T20:18:00 00:00 Jeff Reed in Trouble Again, but Towel Dispensers Are Safe http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/19/jeff-reed-arrested-again-but-all-towel-dispensers-are-safe/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/19/jeff-reed-arrested-again-but-all-towel-dispensers-are-safe/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/19/jeff-reed-arrested-again-but-all-towel-dispensers-are-safe/#comments

Filed under: Steelers, AFC North, NFL Police Blotter

Jeff Reed

Back in the 1970s, the Steelers had plenty of characters and flakes. Running back Frenchy Fuqua had shoes with live goldfish in the heels. Defensive tackle Ernie Holmes was always a couple of bricks shy of a full load -- he suffered a breakdown on a trip to Ohio that ended with him shooting at a police helicopter. In both cases, the Steelers overlooked the craziness because they were key members of the team.

Now in the 2000s, the craziest Steeler is the kicker.

Jeff Reed is in trouble for the second time in less than a year. Just hours after the Steelers beat the Browns at Heinz Field, he was cited for public intoxication outside a bar.

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]]> Jeff Reed JJ Cooper jj-cooper 2009-10-19T09:14:00 00:00 Browns' Futility Is Simply Embarrassing http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/18/browns-futility-is-simply-embarrassing/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/18/browns-futility-is-simply-embarrassing/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/18/browns-futility-is-simply-embarrassing/#comments

Filed under: Browns, Steelers, AFC North

Ike Taylor

The Browns may have only lost by 13 points on Sunday, but the final score doesn't explain the complete lack of respect the Steelers showed their one-time rivals.

Fourth and one within easy field goal range during the first half? Go for it. A close call on a seemingly meaningless 11-yard catch by the Browns? Challenge it. Against a team with a real offense, Mike Tomlin would have kept the challenge flag in his pocket -- as it might be needed on a play that actually matters. Against a Browns team that had 14 yards and no first downs through the air in the first half, Tomlin was worried about keeping Cleveland away from any moral victories -- like a first down.

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]]> JJ Cooper jj-cooper 2009-10-18T19:56:00 00:00 Ziggy Hood Ready to Help, but Not Ready to Star http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/17/ziggy-hood-ready-to-help-but-not-ready-to-star/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/17/ziggy-hood-ready-to-help-but-not-ready-to-star/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/17/ziggy-hood-ready-to-help-but-not-ready-to-star/#comments

Filed under: Steelers, AFC North

Ziggy Hood

Five weeks into the season, we really have very little idea how Steelers first-round pick Ziggy Hood will look when he gets his first extensive playing time as a pro.

Coming into this week's game, Hood has less than 25 defensive snaps under his belt -- less than five per game. And that includes 16 snaps last week, many of which came after Aaron Smith's rotator cuff started aching.

But if his 16 snaps in the Lions game is any indication, expect to see a defensive end who's able to use his hands pretty well, but also seems somewhat hesitant to really cut loose on the pass rush for fear that he'll get caught out of position. Hood did manage to help flush Daunte Culpepper once, but he also had another play where he held off on going all out for Culpepper, likely because he feared it was a screen pass. He doesn't look like a liability, but in his first serious action he wasn't a big asset either.

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]]> JJ Cooper jj-cooper 2009-10-17T09:26:00 00:00 With Rashard Mendenhall Sick, Willie Parker May Get Starting Job Back http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/16/with-rashard-mendenhall-sick-willie-parker-may-get-starting-job/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/16/with-rashard-mendenhall-sick-willie-parker-may-get-starting-job/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/16/with-rashard-mendenhall-sick-willie-parker-may-get-starting-job/#comments

Filed under: Steelers, AFC North, NFL Injuries

Rashard Mendenhall

Just at the time that Willie Parker seems ready to return to action from his turf toe injury, the Pittsburgh Steelers are dealing with another ailing running back.

Rashard Mendenhall was sent home on Thursday with an illness. Some of the Steelers beat reporters (like the Washington Observer-Reporter's Dale Lolley) believe that the illness shouldn't be much of a problem by Sunday, but the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Scott Brown questions how much he will be able to play against the Browns.

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]]> Mike TomlinRashard MendenhallWillie Parker JJ Cooper jj-cooper 2009-10-16T08:41:00 00:00