FanHouse NFLStatusCheck

Status Check is FanHouse's conversation with fans from the rest of the blogosphere. Every week during the NFL season we'll be focusing on a big rivalry. Today, it's Lions-Redskins, which, if we're being honest, wasn't much of a rivalry until both teams started strong this season. Sean Yuille, the guy behind Pride of Detroit, and Skin Patrol of Hogs Haven, answer a few questions.

First up, Lions fan Sean Yuille.

FanHouse: It's easy to make fun of Matt Millen and his crack-like addiction of drafting wide receivers, but there's no arguing that Roy Williams is legit, and Calvin Johnson looks like he will be. Heading into the season, Detroit had other needs than pass catcher -- be honest, who did you want the Lions to take in the draft?

POD: Honestly, I was hoping that Detroit would trade the pick with someone like Tampa Bay or Atlanta, pick up a ton of extra picks, and then fill their many needs in that way. Instead, Detroit went the route of Calvin Johnson, and I must say, that works too. I would've still liked to see some of the other positions of need get addressed, but C.J. has the talent and athleticism to be one of the league's best receivers some day, so the sting of another WR is taken off a tad.

Status Check is FanHouse's conversation with fans from the rest of the blogosphere. Every week during the NFL season we'll be focusing on a big rivalry. Today, it's the Broncos, who face the Super Bowl Champ Colts this weekend. The Sports Guru, the guy behind Mile High Report, answers a few questions.

FanHouse: Jay Cutler enters his first full season as Denver's starting quarterback. For the most part, he's played well, but has had a few "what the... ?" moments. Did you have any reservations about Mike Shanahan giving him the reins as a rookie? Any part of his game concern you now?

MHR: Absolutely not!! No doubt he has made some throws that make me want to pull my hair out but you can tell the kid has IT. All young quarterbacks go through the growing pains of becoming a starting quarterback in the NFL and one need look no further than across the field this Sunday for proof. The Broncos were not going anywhere last season, even at 7-4 under Jake Plummer. Jake simply didn't love the game as much as you have to be in the upper echelon.

I think Shanahan realized after the AFC Championship game loss to Pittsburgh that he needed to go another direction because Jake was just aloof enough to up and retire at any moment. Jay, on the other hand, lives and breathes football. He is a student of the game and football is the #1 thing in his life. That just wasn't the case for Plummer, and while that may work in Arizona, It doesn't in the building that Elway built. While there have been growing pains, Cutler has started 8 games and already lead 5 come-from-behind drives in the 4th quarter to win or tie a game. I'll take that kind of success anytime.

Status Check is FanHouse's conversation with fans from the rest of the blogosphere. Every week during the NFL season we'll be focusing on a big rivalry. Today, it's Cowboys-Bears, two teams with very different strengths, at least through the first two weeks of the season. Dave Halprin, the guy behind Blogging the Boys, and WCG of Windy City Gridiron, answer a few questions.

First up, Cowboys fan Dave Halprin.

FanHouse: Bill Parcells retired and owner Jerry Jones hires Wade Phillips. Phillips has a pretty good record as a head coach (50-39 heading into the Bears game), but he'll forever be remembered as the guy who benched Doug Flutie for Rob Johnson. What were fans' reactions when he was first hired? And what about now, after he has a training camp, preseason schedule and two regular season games under his belt?

Dave: When Wade Phillips was hired there were a lot of Dallas fans behind the move. I would say a majority, but of course not everyone. I supported it because Dallas had spent so much effort in building a 3-4 defense through draft picks and free agency and Wade Phillips is one of the gurus of the 3-4 defense. Almost everywhere he's gone, his defenses have been good. Plus, the players needed a more relaxed atmosphere after four years of Bill Parcells. He's a great coach, but his style was starting to produce diminishing returns and he had lost some of the players.

Status Check is FanHouse's conversation with fans from the rest of the blogosphere. Every week during the NFL season we'll be focusing on a big rivalry. Today, it's Chargers-Patriots, for, well, obvious reasons. Rob Zepeda, the guy behind BoltHype and Chargers Confidential, and Tom Masse of the Pats Pulpit, answer a few questions.

First up, Chargers fan Rob Zepeda.

FanHouse: Marty Schottenheimer goes 14-2 and gets canned. General manager A.J. Smith wasn't a big Schottenheimer fan, but how did the fans feel about him. And how do they feel about Norv Turner?

Rob: The fans had mixed feelings about Marty. He was a likable person who truly loved his players, and was a character on the sidelines. He certainly seemed like a coach, even if he wasn't calling the plays. But he had such a stigma about him; a conservative coach who played not to lose instead of playing to win. He was a guy who could build up a team by instilling discipline and work ethic in his players.

But his teams seemed to always hit a ceiling. Marty could only take a team so far. It was his nature to almost handcuff his Quarterback. Our defensive backs played timid under Marty; they seemed almost so afraid to make a mistake that they rarely took gambles and as a result never put up impressive interception numbers.

Status Check is FanHouse's conversation with fans from the rest of the blogosphere. Every week during the NFL season we'll be focusing on a big rivalry. Today, it's Steelers-Browns, two teams with fanbases that stretch across the globe. The guys behind Mistake by the Lake, Alex and Corey Rubin, and Adam Gretz of the Black and Gold Blog, answer a few questions.

First up, Alex and Corey, Browns fans.

FanHouse: Everybody knows the Browns are a long-suffering franchise, but does the 2007 season -- or more specifically -- the 2007 draft class finally offer some hope? If not for this year, maybe in 2008 or 2009?

Corey: What offers the most hope, to me, is that in two consecutive offseasons the Browns have made the best possible moves to strengthen their offensive line, in signing LeCharles Bentley, signing Eric Steinbach, and drafting Joe Thomas. Bentley's injury has made it impossible to see any progress on the field, but there is evidence of good decision making in terms of player personnel.

Previous Browns regimes inspired no confidence whatsoever. The 2007 draft class is essentially three guys, and the team mortgaged next year's draft to get them. So while they offer plenty of hope, there is more pressure (than usual) on this nucleus to be the one that finally breaks through. That's a roundabout way of saying yes, I am optimistic about 2008 and 2009.

FanHouse: If you're Romeo Crennel, what do you do at quarterback? Charlie Frye plays just well enough to lose, and Derek Anderson regressed during camp. Of course, since 2003, the Browns are averaging five wins a season, so is there any reason not to start Brady Quinn Sunday?