Training camps have wrapped up, the NFL season is right around the corner, and it's still hot as sin outside. But instead of cooling you off with a warm island song, FanHouse break out ye old heat check for our 2009 NFL Season Previews. We'll rate each club in 5 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.
Give Josh McDaniels this much: He's willing to make an impression. Before he's even coached so much as one regular season game, he's assured that he will either be remembered as a bold, brilliant leader who won because he had the courage of his convictions, or as an abject failure whose hiring set the franchise back by years because he had the courage of his convictions. Some of that has to do with Jay Cutler's career trajectory, but McDaniels needs to win and he needs to win quickly.
Everyone makes mistakes. But when those mistakes are magnified by intense scrutiny of the NFL draft, well, they become much more embarrassing than, say, my typical Friday morning, mustard-stain-on-khakis incident.
Which is why the NFL FanHouse braintrust got together to determine who is the biggest bust for each NFL team. They're not listed in terms of stupidity -- they're all stupid relative to a team's total draft performance. Meaning, of course, some teams "bust" is much different than another organization's; we did it this way to avoid just linking you to DetroitLions.com.
Instead, we're putting it in current draft order, sans trades, and allowing this list to serve as a reminder of each's team's ability to properly execute a fail. The "bust factor" was based primarily on three things: statistical production (or lack thereof), position in the draft and other available options during that year's draft.
With the draft approaching, we ignore projections and identify the dream scenario for each team in a series we call The Perfect Draft.
From Mike Shanahan's firing to the Jay Cutler trade, the Broncos are almost unrecognizable from the team that finished last season. After three playoff-less seasons, that may not be a bad thing.
The upheaval does make it difficult to predict where they'll look on draft day, however. A new coach and general manager running their first draft don't have a track record to use as a guide, which should make the Broncos a team to watch on April 25.
Whatever happens Sunday, the Patriots will undoubtedly be the team to beat come September -- at least according to the predictably sycophantic media who assume that, as long as Bill Belichick is breathing and Tom Brady is walking, New England is winning.
There are still concerns about Brady's reconstructed left knee, but if he's fully operational by training camp, the prognosticating bobbleheads should take great comfort in anointing the Patriots as favorites to win their fourth Super Bowl this decade. It's the same banal "analysis" that fans have been beaten about the head with since New England won its last championship four years ago.
Whatever happens Sunday, the Patriots will undoubtedly be the team to beat come September -- at least according to the predictably sycophantic media who assume that, as long as Bill Belichick is breathing and Tom Brady is walking, New England is winning.
There are still concerns about Brady's reconstructed left knee, but if he's fully operational by training camp, the prognosticating bobbleheads should take great comfort in anointing the Patriots as favorites to win their fourth Super Bowl this decade. It's the same banal "analysis" that fans have been beaten about the head with since New England won its last championship four years ago.
I'm a big fan of Patriots tight end Ben Watson, mainly for his Don Beebe-like "no play is over until I say it is" type of mentality. A week ago, on what was essentially a meaningless play in the Patriots' 33-10 loss to Pittsburgh, he ran Steelers linebacker Lawrence Timmons down from behind on an interception return and tackled him one yard short of the goal line. It was a play that was remarkably similar to his effort in a playoff game a couple of years ago in Denver, when he ran 100 yards to chase downChamp Bailey and blast him at the goal line.
None of these plays have anything to do with my point here, but it's not everyday that I have a reason to write about Ben Watson, so I just figured he deserved some praise. He can play for my team any day of the week.
Anyway, during the Patriots' come-from-behind win in Seattle yesterday, Watson hauled in two-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Matt Cassel, cutting an 11-point first half deficit to just four. To celebrate this occasion, Watson took the football, placed it under his jersey, and proceeded to rub his stomach -- as if he were expecting a child -- as a salute to his pregnant wife, as reported by Shalise Manza Young of the Providence Journal.
I'm not sure if Jay Cutler has his own charitable foundation, but philanthropy is certainly something he should look into sooner rather than later. His three interceptions in today's loss to the Dolphins prove that he likes to share his wealth with others, and money is a better thing for him to give away than football games.
Cutler threw picks on two of the first three Bronco possessions, which helped stake the Dolphins to a 13-0 lead. The Broncos climbed back into the contest and appeared to take the lead on a 77-yard pass to Brandon Marshall, but a questionable offensive pass interference call negated the score. Cutler lost his cool after the call and threw his third pick on the next play to set up a Miami field goal.
Cutler's sloppiness was doubly damaging because the Dolphins stopped the Denver ground game in its tracks. The Broncos ran eight times for five yards in the first half and, as the Broncos fell further and further behind, the running game was nowhere to be found. That contributed to a 13-minute time of possession edge and enabled the Dolphins to win despite a lackluster offensive performance.
The Dolphins points, save an impressive drive for the capping touchdown, came as a result of great field position. Chad Pennington was erratic, completing just 23-of-40 passes and throwing one pick. The Bronco defense, deservedly maligned much of the season, turned in its best performance of the year.
Two days ago, the Broncos were 4-2, featured one of the best all-around offenses in the NFL, and were primed to take a two-game lead over the Chargers in the AFC West. All they needed to do was beat a reeling Patriots outfit. Instead, Denver got their ass handed to them, and that's putting it politely.
Yesterday, cornerback Champ Bailey suggested the Broncos' defense lacked a "sense of urgency," which is ironic since he'll be out for the next four to six weeks with a torn groin muscle. That he'll return in a month and a half is the good news coming out of Denver.
Champ's brother, linebacker Boss Bailey, is done for the season -- he needs knee surgery -- as is backup quarterback Patrick Ramsey, who briefly filled in for Jay Cutler on Monday night. Turns out, he was in there long enough to reinjure his right throwing elbow, which had bothered him since the preseason.
When teams play the Denver Broncos, they rarely throw in the direction of Champ Bailey. He showed why last night, breaking up a pass to Randy Moss in the end zone, before exiting the game with an injury. The problem for the last few years has been that the other 10 guys on the defense aren't in Bailey's league. In fact, they often seem to be playing a completely different game.
"I've always got a nasty attitude. That's just the way I play, but it's not rubbing off on some people, and I don't like it. It's getting very frustrating."
This isn't a new phenomenon in Denver. The team's defense has been poor for multiple seasons. No matter how many new players and new coordinators Mike Shanahan brings in to fix the problems, the team remains unable to come up with enough stops to provide a winning record.
They've allowed 30 or more points four times already this season, which indicates that nothing is working. That means Shanahan will go back to the drawing board again this offseason in an attempt to change the team's fortunes and, if history is a guide, will fail to come up with any answers. That begs the question, how much longer does Shanahan get to be the guy charged with leading this team?
Training camps have wrapped up, the NFL season is right around the corner, and it's still hot as sin outside. But instead of cooling you off with a warm island song, FanHouse break out ye old heat check for our 2009 NFL Season Previews. We'll rate each club in 5 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.
With the draft approaching, we ignore projections and identify the dream scenario for each team in a series we call 
I'm a big fan of Patriots tight end 
I'm not sure if 
Two days ago, the Broncos were 4-2, featured one of the best all-around offenses in the NFL, and were primed to take a two-game lead over the Chargers in the AFC West. All they needed to do was beat a reeling Patriots outfit. Instead, Denver 
When teams play the Denver Broncos, they rarely throw in the direction of 
