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.
Unless you were a Patriots fan or a self-loathing Dolphins supporter, you probably missed the live showing of Channing Crowder and Matt Light offering their interpretation of the Pacman-bodyguard hotel bathroom cat fight. You've no doubt seen the replay, although it's still not clear what precipitated the whole thing.
Thankfully, the Boston Herald's Karen Guregian has some answers, via Light's offensive line mate, Logan Mankins:
"He was doing a good job, drilling [Chowder] right in the head," Mankins said of Light, "so kudos to Matt." ...
[As to why the fight happened:] "Any time you have a team with the guy 55 (Joey Porter), he just won't shut up the entire game," Mankins said. "Then I think some of the other guys are starting to play the way he does."
Mankins also figures that Light won't face a suspension, just a fine. While whaling away on a dude not wearing a helmet might seem like an offense worth of a little time away from the game, as Mankins rightly points out, a precedent has been set. A few weeks ago, John Henderson actually tried to remove Andrew Whitworth's eyeballs and all it cost him was $15,000.
During the Bengals Week 9 win over the Jaguars (their first of the season!), Jacksonville defensive tackle John Henderson tried to remove Cincy offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth's eyeballs from his skull. He didn't scrub up, ask for a melon baller ... nothing. Just started poking away.
Predictably, both players were fined for the altercation ($10,000 each), although Whitworth has a legitimate gripe: why is the punishment for eye-gouging the same as having your eyes gouged? It's a fair question.
You can see Henderson in all his professional wrasslin' glory below:
And yesterday we learned that the going rate for eye-gouging with the intent to blind* is $15,000, at least according to the NFL Plinko Board. Of course, this is the same outfit who fined Justin Tuck for making a legal tackle only to have commissioner Roger Goodell explain that legal tackles are, you know, legal.
Whitworth was also fined $10K because he threw a punch, but there should probably be allowances for self defense, especially if it's in an effort to save your sight. Just outside-the-boxing it there.
"I just pushed [Henderson] past the quarterback, and he fell to the ground," Whitworth said. "But he held onto my facemask and ripped my helmet off. I turned to go back to the play, and the next thing I knew, I felt him grabbing at my eyeballs. I really didn't know what to do when someone's fingers are trying to dig into my eyes."
During the Bengals win over the Jaguars yesterday, there was a nasty exchange between Bengals OL Andrew Whitworth and Jags DT John Henderson. There were punches thrown and ejections made, but there was also some eye-gouging from Henderson that could/should see him fined or suspended.
"We had gotten in a tussle after a run play and he came up and took a shot at the back of my head. Levi (Jones) was screaming at the refs for a flag. And when he stood up, he pushed me again in my facemask, and the ref still didn't throw anything," Whitworth said.
"So on the next play, he wanted me, I wanted him, and he kind of 'swam' me. I just pushed him past the quarterback and he fell to the ground, but he held onto my facemask and ripped my helmet off."
If I know Bengals fans, they are hyped that their team is 1-8. Okay that doesn't sound like much but when that "1" came today, forgive Cincinnati for celebrating. They should celebrate as the pressure of a winless season finally goes away.
Chad Johnson is. He broke out of a season long funk with two TD grabs and a kiss on the cheek for both head coach Marvin Lewis and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. Cincinnati got their first win with a gutsy 21-19 victory over Jacksonville.
Here's a screwed up stat for you: the Bengals are 8-1 when they wear the orange jerseys they sported today.
It wasn't their duds that won the game. Cincinnati was aggressive on both sides of the ball and finally played somewhat physical. They even had a guy (Andrew Whitworth) ejected from the game for exchanging punches with the Jags' John Henderson (Henderson was given the boot, too).
Training camps are underway, the NFL season is right around the corner, and to get you ready for 2008, FanHouse previews all 32 teams, "heat index" style. We'll rate each club in 10 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.
Quarterback:David Garrard threw all of three interceptions last year. Three. Three. Despite his questionable pedigree from the Eastern part of my fair state, his incredibly efficient performance earned him a pimped out $60 million deal. If the Jags new-old wideouts can ever get healthy, Garrard might actually live up to the lofty expectations he'll be staring down this season. Heat Index: 8
Running Back: When will Fred Taylor stop? Ever? And will Maurice Jones-Drew be ready for a full time gig when he does? Why is Greg Jones getting paid so much to be a glorified quasi goalline fullback? Why do I have so many friggin' questions about a team that finished second in the NFL in rushing yards per game last year at 149.4? Heat Index: 10
Receivers: Guh. The Jags went out and got Jerry Porter in the offseason to give Garrard a "legit" first option and he immediately got hurt. They also added Troy Williamson who has shown a penchant for dropping the ball, but like Mittens in Carolina, we probably have to reserve judgment until we find out if his greasy mitts in Minny were a result of Tavaris Jackson cooties. Heat Index: 3
[On Sunday,] Merriman finished with a team-high seven tackles as the Chargers dominated the punchless Ravens, holding Baltimore to 210 yards in a 32-14 victory that once again put San Diego alone atop the AFC West.
Merriman spent much of last week living down this, and perhaps that was the motivation he needed to snap out of his funk:
"My friends are the worst," he said. "My teammates are the worst. They think the TV played it out; my teammates gave me hell about that. We all laughed because it doesn't happen often. They've got to get me when they can. I heard it all week."
Maybe the Chargers can work out a system where MJD jacks up Merriman before every game. Kind of like the routine Jags' John Henderson and the trainer have worked out.
"I put the [injury] report out, and John's not even on it," Del Rio said. "Other than missing practice earlier in the week - a team decision we already announced - there's nothing else to report."
That's good news because the Jaguars are already without their other starting defensive tackle, Marcus Stroud, who's serving a four-game suspension. But the news isn't as good about quarterback David Garrard, who will likely sit out again as Quinn Gray starts.
"I took all the reps this week, and coach [Jack Del Rio] told me that most likely, it'll be me [starting Sunday against the Tennessee Titans]," Gray said.
The Titans have the best defense in the league. They'll have a field day with Gray.
Denver's quest for a 3-0 start would get a boost if John Henderson of the Jaguars misses the first game of his NFL career. Henderson is doubtful because of a head injury he suffered against the Falcons last Sunday and hasn't practiced all week. If he does miss the game it would end the sixth-year veteran's consecutive games played streak at 82, which is equal to the number of games the Jags have played during his career.
That streak is a testament to Henderson's durability and the fact that he's started 78 of those games tells you how good he's been since entering the league. His absence would be a big benefit to the Broncos offense. Henderson and Marcus Stroud, also nicked up, are nearly impossible to clear from the middle of the line on running plays and passes find them collapsing the pocket. That puts the quarterback on the move, ups the chances of a rushed throw and can lead to the kind of turnovers that bedeviled Jay Cutler in Oakland last weekend.
No Henderson doesn't mean disaster for the Jaguars, however. Likely replacement Rob Meier has 11 sacks over the last two seasons although he started just nine games. He doesn't have the same bulk that the two-time Pro Bowler does, though, and won't offer the same resistance to the running game. That's good news for Travis Henry and good news for Mike Shanahan who hardly needs help composing a winning offensive gameplan. With Gerald Sensabaugh placed on injured reserve earlier this week the Jags are well below 100% for Sunday. That's a dangerous way to enter a road game with a team piling up 450 yards of offense a week.
If I know Bengals fans, they are hyped that their team is 1-8. Okay that doesn't sound like much but when that "1" came today, forgive Cincinnati for celebrating. They should celebrate as the pressure of a winless season finally goes away.
Although
Denver's quest for a 3-0 start would get a boost if 
