After Jay Cutler was traded to the Bears because he wouldn't cooperate with the Broncos, some in the NFL community -- notably former Bears head coach Mike Ditka -- suggested that Cutler's attitude in Denver showed he wasn't a good leader.
But one of Cutler's new receivers, Devin Hester, begs to differ.
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.
Last week, the NFL clarified an existing rule to protect quarterbacks from the kind of hits that sidelined Tom Brady for virtually the entire 2008 season. The clarification "specifically prohibits a defender on the ground who hasn't been blocked or fouled directly into the quarterback from lunging or diving at the quarterback's lower legs."
Over the past two weeks we've heard all about the numerous connections between Pittsburgh and the Arizona Cardinals, and there are plenty. So many, in fact, that the Cardinals are jokingly referred to as "Pittsburgh west" by Steelers fans.
TAMPA, Fla. -- A harsh dose of reality was injected into the festive atmosphere of the Super Bowl this morning when about three dozen retired players met with the media to promote the Gridiron Greats, an organization that provides financial assistance to retired NFL players who left the game with serious injuries.
Everyone who follows football knows that players often leave the game with permanent disabilities, and that even the lucky ones can usually point to a knee, hip, elbow or shoulder that bears surgical scars and still causes them pain. But seeing all these former players gathered in one room brought the point home: At one point during the press conference, the ex-players were asked if they were in physical pain just sitting there. Almost all of them said they were.
This season, FanHouse writers take their cameras to NFL stadiums to document what happens when you stop being polite and start getting real. Or something. We've cleverly titled it "FanHouse in the Stands."
The Bears didn't get into the playoffs after their road loss to the Texans, but their fans deserve to be. Bears fans traveled to Reliant Stadium in visiting team numbers not seen since the Steelers came to town in 2005. They were very loud.
Da Bears Super Fans
Before the game, I got to chat with Da Bears Superfans who made their funny yet wrong predictions about the game:
Mike Ditka, the Hall of Fame tight end and Super Bowl-winning coach, discussed the Plaxico Burress situation today in his role on ESPN's NFL Countdown.
And Ditka proposed a simple rule that would likely make players safer, but would also draw the ire of the National Rifle Association: Simply ban all NFL players from owning guns. Here's what Ditka said today, according to a transcript provided by ESPN:
"This is all about priorities. When you get stature in life, you get the kind of contract, you have an obligation and responsibility to your teammates, to the organization, to the National Football League and to the fans. He just flaunted this money in their face. He has no respect for anybody but himself. I feel sorry for him, in the sense that, I don't understand the league, why can anybody have a gun? I will have a policy, no guns, any NFL players we find out, period, you're suspended."
Ditka's proposal will never happen, but Ditka deserves credit for pointing out a simple fact that Burress learned the hard way: If you carry a gun around, you're more likely to hurt yourself than protect yourself.
You've got questions. I've got answers. If not, I'll make them up. Each Thursday at 1 p.m. EST, I answer your queries on all things related to the NFL. If you have a question, send it over to NFLMailbag@gmail.com. Don't forget to include your name and location. Click here for the archives. Rock'n'roll.
How bad will the Colts beat the Texans on Sunday? Also, will the Texans win a game this year? Matt Schaub got in tune with the game for a while last week but he is so inconsistent. I think it's time for him to take a hike and take Gary Kubiak with him. - Ward77029, Texas
Oh ye of little faith. The Texans won't continue to slide into the 2008 twilight. While the Dolphins and Rams last year offered legitimate hope for an 0-16 season, the Texans are simply too talented to continue losing, and I think it comes together this week in what most would consider a shocker. Schaub did begin to harmonize last week, and though the Colts defense is offering a remarkably stout pass defense, they're also now missing Bob Sanders, and if we've learned anything about the Colts it's that their defense relies quite heavily on that tiny young man. Add in a remarkable Texans front four that will be playing against a Colts line that will be missing Tony Ugoh and Ryan Lilja (though the line has done a good patchwork job of protecting Peyton Manning, they've been awful on the ground, and they haven't played a unit like this), and I like the increasingly-healthy Texans' chances of getting in the win column this week. Added motivation? I don't care what Bob McNair says, the Texans have a chip on their shoulder after Jerrah equated the fourth-largest city in America with Mayberry.
You couldn't tell by the pitiful performance the Saints put up against the Redskins today, but this is actually a well-coached team. And the Saints put their faith in their leader earlier today when they announced the extension of Sean Payton's contract for another three years, through 2012.
Payton's in the third year of a four-year deal, and the Saints tacked on the extra years with an apparent raise, though the dollar amount of the contract hasn't been announced.
It's not surprising that the Saints extended Payton. Though his overall record (18-16 with a 1-1 playoff mark) doesn't seem incredibly impressive, Payton has changed the culture in New Orleans and given the team a new attitude after 40 mostly stagnant years. He took hem to the NFC Championship game in 2006, the farthest the franchise had ever gone, and won Coach of the Year in the same season. He's also made them an elite offense and is building a promising core on defense, factoring heavily in all personnel moves. Not to be understated, he's also served as an excellent ambassador and public figure in post-Katrina New Orleans.
Besides that, the Saints are very coach-friendly, looking to give their leaders the benefit of the doubt. They've been looking for a guy they can keep for the long haul like Mike Shanahan in Denver and Bill Cowher in Pittsburgh, but struck out on Mike Ditka and Jim Haslett. They're very confident they've got that guy now in Payton. Of course, fortunes change on a dime in the NFL, and another couple of sub-.500 seasons can change things drastically.
ESPN has announced this year's second-string Monday Night Football team, and it's the same as last year's second-string Monday Night Football team: Mike Greenberg, Mike Golic and Mike Ditka.
The NFL season's kickoff weekend features two Monday night games. The first, Vikings-Packers at 7 p.m. Eastern, will be called by the usual ESPN crew of Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski and Tony Kornheiser. The second game, Broncos-Raiders at 10:15 p.m. Eastern, gets the Greenberg-Golic-Ditka trio.
I thought the three Mikes were fine last year (aside from the one unfortunate moment caught on camera), although I wish Greenberg and Golic wouldn't be quite so reverential toward Ditka: They act like he's a god, not a colleague. If the three of them can just talk football without reminding us every five minutes that Ditka is a Hall of Famer, they'll be fine.
After Jay Cutler was traded to the Bears because he wouldn't cooperate with the Broncos, some in the NFL community -- notably former Bears head coach Mike Ditka -- suggested that Cutler's attitude in Denver showed he wasn't a good leader.
TAMPA, Fla. -- A harsh dose of reality was injected into the festive atmosphere of the Super Bowl this morning when about three dozen retired players met with the media to promote the Gridiron Greats, an organization that provides financial assistance to retired NFL players who left the game with serious injuries.
Mike Ditka, the Hall of Fame tight end and Super Bowl-winning coach, discussed the Plaxico Burress situation today in his role on ESPN's NFL Countdown.
You've got questions. I've got answers. If not, I'll make them up. Each Thursday at 1 p.m. EST, I answer your queries on all things related to the NFL. If you have a question, send it over to NFLMailbag@gmail.com. Don't forget to include your name and location. Click here for the archives. Rock'n'roll.
You couldn't tell by the pitiful performance the Saints put up against the Redskins today, but this is actually a well-coached team. And the Saints put their faith in their leader earlier today when they announced the extension of Sean Payton's contract for another three years, through 2012.
ESPN has announced this year's second-string Monday Night Football team, and it's the same as last year's second-string Monday Night Football team: Mike Greenberg, Mike Golic and Mike Ditka.
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