Dan vs. the Texans

The mini camp drills of the Texans have been in question for quite a while, and it’s proving to be a very controversial issue. It was Dan Stevenson that first came out and filed a  grievance against the team. He claims that because of the mini camp drills, he sustained injuries that are possibly career ending. The Texans responded and said that all their drills were legitimate and that the injury wasn’t because of the minicamp.

What Stevenson did was to record the minicamp drill videos that was saved on a Texans’ computer. He recorded the dates and the games themselves, and it seemed like the players were made to do blocking drills, even in the absence of pads. NFL minicamp rules clearly state that there are to be no pads and no contacts.

It really is difficult for a player not to follow the drills since he would like to get on the best side of the coach. He would want to show his full potential, and wouldn’t want to be beaten by another player. This makes it difficult for them to say no.

You’re Fired!

It has been known the Arizona Cardinals are not really a defensive team. It was such an amazing run for them last season, and everyone saw a slight improvement in their defense. The thing is that this improvement simply isn’t enough, and it just didn’t work when it mattered the most. Finally, they were able to reach the Superbowl for the first time in franchise history, but fell short of winning it because of a crucial defensive lapse.

It was during the last few minutes that the defense allowed the Steelers to score a touchdown, which eventually led to their loss. This could be the reason why the Cardinals are letting go of defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast.  Coach Whisenhunt says that Pendergast did a good job, but he is only thinking of the general good of the team, and that he want to give Pendergast an opportunity for the growth of his career.That sounds kinda showbiz but he may have meant it.

The Cardinals now both have the defensive and offensive coordinator positions available, and it is still unknown as to who Whisenhunt has his eyes on for the d-coordinator spot.

The Pro Bowl Beast

The AFC once again faced the NFC in another exciting Pro Bowl. A collection of all the best talent in the NFL where seen playing together and against each other, which is probably the highest level of American Football in the World. Some would only play for fun, some would play to win, others would simply dominte.

Larry Fitzgerald has had a phenomenal season. He was such a headache for the defense, that even against the Steelers, he was still able to unleash his fury even though he was covered for most of the Superbowl. Now that he’s playing in the Pro Bowl, he once again proved that he can destroy the defense, even if that defense is a collection of AFC all stars.

It was because of him that the NFC won against the AFC, and he became the first Cardinal in history to ever become a Pro Bowl MVP. He caught 5 passes, and gained 2 touchedowns. If that’s not monstrous enough, he’s catched at least a touchdown for the last 7 games he’s played.

It was just right that he was named Pro Bowl MVP.

The Great Peyton Manning

Playing in the NFL means that you are part of an elite group of football players. Since the game is followed by a wide number of consumers, it means a lot deals and endorsements, thus a lot of money. This could lead to a lot of athletes being stuck up, greedy, and selfish. They tend to forget what it was like when they just played for the love of the game. This aspect alone tends to turn off a lot of people from professional sports. While this is a reality, it’s sucha relief to know that there are still players around that have a lot of heart.

Peyton Manning is regarded to be one of the best quarterbacks of all time. He is one of only two people to have recieved the MVP award three times, and a 94.7 passer rating, which is second all time. Though his statistics alone show how great of a player he is, there are things about thim that go way beyond his talent.

What he’s been doing for quite sometime now is send hand-written letters to former opponents of his that have recently retired. He would write them and tell them how much he’s respected the way they played, and how much they have given to the game of football. It would be great if other players would follow this example.

The Franchise

It is known to the football community that Tom Brady is one of the best quarterbacks there are today. Along with Manning and Warner, he is one of the few QB to be able to destroy a blitz defense with such ease. Sadly with the start of 2008, he suffered from a knee injury and his status is still uknown whether he will be playing next season.

This lead to the smart and yet predictable move that the New England Patriots did. They placed the franchise tag on Matt Cassel, so it would become tougher for other teams to sign the free agent QB. While they are not sure whether Brady will be able to return or not, they could easily trade Cassell instead of paying his $14.65 offer, if in case Brady is able to play.

Whether Brady returns or not, the New England will remain one of the tougher contenders, and are easily a playoff team. They are likely to reach and win Superbowl 44 if  ever they get passed the Pittsburgh Steelers. It will surely be an exciting season for them and they will still be a great team to watch because of their fast paced offense.

No Contact Please!

American Football is one of the most exciting games that anyone could play or watch. It simply is a good release of agression, and it let’s you be healthy as well. The problem is that the human body has it’s limits, and it sometimes just breaks down. This makes football a dangerous sport as well, because of the serious injuries it can cause. Without the proper safety measures, one could end his career in an instant.

For this reason alone, the NFL has certain rules to keep the players safety in check. One of them is the rule of “no contact and no pads” during offseason mini camp. It would be heartless of a coach to break such a rule, because it is for the safety of their players.

The NFL is now questioning the mini camp of the Houston Texans. There were several team player representatives that have already complained to the NFL about coach Gary Kubiak’s methods, still it seems as if the rule is still constantly broken. Because of this, 3 players suffered injuries that were season ending.

It’s really upsetting that a coach would do such a thing and jeopardize the dreams, aspirations, and careers of his dedicated players.

What to Do During the Offseason pt. 1

Another great NFL season is finally over, and the Pittsburgh Steelers have won their 6th Superbowl championship. It was an exciting game, and super plays were witnessed by people from all over the world. Now that it’s all done, we have to wait for quite sometime for the next season to start. A burning question in the minds of football fans is: what is there to do during the offseason?

Well believe it or not, there actually is a life outside of the NFL season. Since watching football was a good reason enough to stay on the couch and drink beer, now there are a lot of options for you.

One of these options is actually playing football. Even if you are not the most athletic person out there, playing a friendly game of football with your friends once in a while would be a great way to shed off calories you’ve accumulated from chips and beer. You don’t have to play football, just look for an activity and keep yourself active.

Another option is to learn a new language. Learn Spanish, German, or Mandarin as they would eventually useful to you everday life. The next time you watch the NFL, it would be a good experience to watch it with let’s say, Spanish commentators.

Weary Warner

The Cardinals had a great season and for the first time, they were able to reach the Superbowl. They got so close to the win if it weren’t for a few mistakes. The question now is if they will be able to retain or even improve on last seasons performance? Well so far the future of the Arizona Cardinals seem to be cloudy, since Anquan Boldin says that there only is a slim chance that he will stay with the Cardinals when his contract expires in two years. Another problem is if Kurt Warner would keep on playing or would decide to finally retire.

Superbowl 43 was very emotional for the veteran quarterback, and now he just isn’t sure if he still wants to play or not. At the start of the ‘08 season, he said that he would be playing for another 2 years, but it seems as if he is having second thoughts. Hopefully for the Cardinals, he decides to stay for a while so that they have a good chance of returning to the Superbowl and probably win this time. It’s really difficult to find a quarterback as great as him.

We’re Going for 7!

The Superbowl is over and the Pittsburgh Steelers are once again the Superbowl champions. It was an amazing run for both teams, and they proved to be Superbowl worthy. The Steelers were able to accomplish what no other team in the history of the NFL has: winning 6 Superbowl championships. This truly is an great feat but of course, they should not be content with that. Their team is still relatively young, and Ben Roethlisberger isn’t even in his prime.

The Steelers are now looking to improve on their offense. Their defense is one of  the greatest the game has seen, but their offense is still in the works. The good thing that Mike Tomlin did when he first came into this team is that he didn’t try to change the way Big Ben played. What he did is build an offense around Roethlisberger’s stlye of play. This could be the reason it’s still chaotic at times.

It would be very likely that the Steelers would be drafting good blockers in the high rounds of the season. If they get to improve their offense, then they would be knocking on the door of number 7.

The Blitz-Buster

Upon hearing the name of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the first thing that goes into the mind of football enthusiasts are their defense. This is thanks to defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau and his mega blitzing defense. It was evident that in the Superbowl, it was working until a few minor mishaps.

In the same football mental plane of Manning and Brady, Kurt Warner is one of the few quarterbacks in the history of the NFL that can break the blitz with ease. He just knows how it works whether he studied it carefully, or just simply has a natural affinity towards breaking through the blitz.

During the first half of Superbowl 43, the Steelers were able to limit Kurt Warner to 135 passing yard. This was because LeBeau would rush only four on passing plays, so that 7 defenders would remain in coverage. For some reason, LeBeau would start to use a lot of 5 man rushes. This is what spelled disaster for the Steelers defense. When Warner saw the 5 man rushes, in his mind was probably “big mistake”, and would eventually knit pick the defense and would end up with 222 more yards.

Amazing Game, Amazing Plays

Superbowls are readily expected to be spectacular and exciting events. This is the reason why so many viewers tune in to the Superbowl every year. Even those who don’t follow the Superbowl religiously make sure that they make time in their busy schedules to watch it. Especially with what technology can offer nowadays, everyone always have options so that they won’t miss it. Superbowl 43 was no exception and it once again delivered the goods.

The first epic play that fans were able to witness was the 100 yard return of James Harrison. It was with this play that he proved that nobody can stop the Silverback. He intercepted the pass by Warner, and dashed through 2 defenders to get the touchdown.

Another amazing feat was the 4th quarter explotion of Larry Fitzgerald. Offensive coordinator Haley found the right adjustment to counter the blitzing defense of the Steelers, and Fitzgerald instantly got 2 touchdowns in the 4th quarter.

Last but not the least, was the great catch that Santonio Holmes had to get the Steelers the lead, and the win as well. It was MVP worthy, and true enough, he earned the Superbowl MVP award.

Hello, Hall of Fame

The Superbowl is a great way for athletes to prove to people that they are worthy of being inducted to the Hall of Fame. This was true for a few people in the Superbowl, and they all didn’t disappoint as the game progressed.

Kurt Warner has been a great player and has been able to prove his worth during the course of his career. In spite of already winning a Superbowl, a lot of people have still been doubtful that he is Hall of Fame worthy. The chances that it was going to be his last season were high, but he became a started for the Arizona Cardinals, and brought this problematic team all the way to the Superbowl. During the Superbowl, he was able to pass 377 yards and get 3 touchdowns. Even though the Cardinals lost, he was able to secure his spot in the Hall of Fame, and gave a good slap on the face of his doubters.

Another QB that has secured a seat is Ben Roethlisberger. This is already his 2nd Superbowl championship, and he still isn’t even in his prime. At the age of 26, he’s still considered to be a great playing waiting to bloom, yet he has already accomplished so much.

Offensive NFL Era

One of the most common things that you would hear around the NFL is that defense win championships. That has been true for most of the years of the NFL, but there seems to be a different wave of thought for the past few seasons. It seems as if teams have become more and more offensive, and that championships are won through offense.

If you take a look at the past two Superbowls, the Colts and the Giants won through offense and clearly not through their defense. They won the Superbowls in spite of that fact that their defense didn’t even reach the top 10. With Superbowl 43, it wasn’t the Steelers’ popular defense that won the game, but their amazing plays with Big Ben’s 78 yard touchdown drive, James Harrison’s record breaking 100 yard return, and Santonio Holmes’ amazing catch.

Another thing is that you have to give the Cardinals credit even if they didn’t win the Superbowl. They pushed and reached to Superbowl in spite of their dismal display of defense. It was their unstoppable offense that took them to where they got to.

So it seems as if we are reaching an NFL era of offense. This would surely be more exciting for the fans to watch.

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