Mock draft, what would you do?

2013 Outside the Pocket mock draft

#1 Chiefs – Luke Joeckel – OT – Texas A&M
This could quite easily be Eric Fisher, but I believe Joeckel’s big school pedigree sees him being taken over the slightly more athletic Fisher. Joeckel is in many people’s minds the consensus number one pick.

#2 Jags – Eric Fisher – OT – Central Michigan
Many mock drafts have the Jags taking Dion Jordan here, but with Blaine Gabbert under centre and Chad Henne as the back-up, keeping the QB upright could be key. I’m thinking they take Eric Fisher to help this.

#3 Raiders – Star Lotulelei – DT – Utah
The Raiders could well go for Lane Johnson here making it three offensive tackles taken in the top three draft picks (when did this last happen?) I think the Raiders will try to trade down to stack up on picks, but should they be unable to do so they go for arguably the best defensive tackle in the draft – Star Lotulelei.

#4 Eagles – Dion Jordan – DE – Oregon
Jordan boosts the Eagles pass-rush here. As the Eagles pair him with his college coach Chip Kelly. Don’t rule out another team trading up to get to this spot in order to try to stop the Lions getting the next man.

#5 Lions – Dee Milliner – CB – Alabama
Detriot take Dee Milliner here if he is still on the board, much to the upset of the Browns, and possibly Milliner. Another Nick Saban product, Milliner is the best cornerback of this year’s class.

#6 Browns – Ezekiel “Ziggy” Ansah – DE/OLB – BYU
Having missed out on Milliner, the Browns add to the work they did in the off-season by bringing in BYU defensive end, and raw talent Ziggy Ansah.

#7 Cardinals – Sharrif Floyd – DT – Florida
Arizona takes highly rated University of Florida DT Sharrif Floyd with the seventh pick in this draft. Some experts view Floyd as the top defensive tackle in the draft and the Cardinals will be happy to have him.

#8 Bills – Chance Warmack – G – Alabama
Many mock drafts have Buffalo taking Geno Smith or Ryan Nassib at this spot. They need to keep Kevin Kolb safe, so I think they will go for the best guard on the board at this point and that is Chance Warmack. There is depth at QB and also the possibility that Nassib may still be around at the top of round two.

#9 Jets – Barkevious Mingo – DE/OLB – LSU
They’d love Tavon Austin but they need pass rushers, so they go for the best one available, hoping Austin will still be around when they use the 13th pick they got from Tampa in the Revis trade – he won’t. The Jets then, pick Barkevious Mingo, the man with possibly the best name in the draft, giving them a high energy player who makes their pass rush better from day one.

#10 Titans – Jonathan Cooper – G – North Carolina
Mingo could’ve been the pick here but instead they add guard Jonathan Cooper in a bid to try to protect Jake Locker and keep him on the field.

#11 Chargers – Tavon Austin – WR – West Virginia
Austin is a playmaker who can make a difference to Phillip Rivers’ performance by opening up throwing lanes and the Chargers can’t afford to let the opportunity to sign someone as dynamic as Austin pass them by.

#12 – Dolphins – Lane Johnson – OT – Oklahoma
The Dolphins need a tackle to replace Jake Long so they take Jane Lonnson and quite frankly they can’t believe he has dropped to number twelve. Johnson has the calibre of a top ten pick, and will be if a team like the Titans go a slightly different way.

#13 – Jets (Via Bucs) – Xavier Rhodes – CB – Florida State
The Jets make their second pick in the round and they opt for cornerback Xavier Rhodes. They have a need following Revis’ departure to Florida, but Rhodes will only be available if the Fins don’t pick him. If he is gone the Jets may try to trade down to stockpile later picks.

#14 – Panthers – Sheldon Richardson – DT – Missouri
Defensive Tackle Sheldon Richardson out of Missouri is rising up a number of draft boards, he is relatively inexperienced but the game tape is there.

#15 – Saints – Cornellius “Tank” Carradine – DE/DT – Florida State
Carradine started the season on fire, but suffered an injury and probably lost a few draft spots for it. Carradine can play in the middle or on the edge and has a knack for getting to the quarterback.

#16 – Rams – Tyler Eiffert – TE – Notre Dame
The Rams are hoping, after the Jets missed on him that no one trades above them and takes their man, athletic tight end from Notre Dame, Tyler Eiffert. The Rams paid Jared Cook and with Eiffert, they get a cheap partner. As well as giving Sam Bradford a player who can create space, make the catches and open up the field. Bradford is happy if this scenario plays out.

#17 – Steelers – Jarvis Jones – OLB – Georgia
The Steelers need to replace James Harrison and Jones by accounts is an ‘Harrison-like player’. This feels like a lazy pick by me, but an obvious one.

#18 – Cowboys – Vacarro – S – Texas
Vacarro is arguably the best safety in the draft and the Cowboys need one.

#19 – Giants – D.J Fluker – OT – Alabama
The Crimson Tide’s former tackle is good against the run and would add something to the Giants defense. Fluker is strong and is used to having his way with defenders on the field. The Giants will hope his recent twitter “hack” means he falls to them here.

#20 – Bears – Alec Ogeltree – ILB – Georgia
Many mock drafts predict Manti T’eo to go to the Bears here, but I think they will select Alec Ogeltree, if they don’t trade down. Their biggest area of need is linebacker but they have more needs, so if Ogeltree is gone, they may trade back, get extra picks and still pick Manti T’eo.

#21 – Bengals – Matt Elam – S – Florida
Like the Cowboys, the Bengals need a safety and University of Florida player, Elam fits the bill. Elam is versatile and can play a number of positions in a nickel defense, which sort of means he fits Bill Belichick’s type, but the Bengals take him first.

#22 – Rams (via Redskins) – Justin Hunter – WR – Tennesee
With their second pick in the first round the Rams aggressively go for another offensive player. Hunter is a quick receiver who would complement the core group of young guys they have at the position, saving the need to pick a WR next year. This pick will probably be Hopkins now I’ve said Hunter but oh well.

#23 – Vikings – DeAndre Hopkins – WR – Clemson
The Vikings need to replace Percy Harvin, Hopkins won’t do that immediately but he will give Ponder someone to aim at.

#24 – Colts – Eric Reid – S – LSU
Cornerback makes sense here, as would another player to fill the offensive line to give Andrew Luck a bit more protection. While I could see Sylvester Williams or Manelik Watson going here, I don’t think they will. Williams could be available to a team in round two, as could Watson, who projects as being a bit more of a project, so could fall to the Colts in round three if they are lucky. With that in mind I think they select the second best safety in the draft, Eric Reid of LSU.

#25 – Vikings (Via Seahawks) – Bjoern Werner – DE – Florida State
The big German-born defensive end out of Florida State can play as an outside linebacker or a defensive end. The Vikings get a productive player with good upside.

#26 – Packers – John Cyprien – S – Florida
I think the Packers wanted Eric Reid, but they get the next best thing in safety John Cyprien of Florida International. Reid is a big tackler who impressed at the Senior Bowl and has seen his stock rise even further off the back of a great combine performance.

#27 – Texans – Robert Woods – WR – USC
The other guy in the Matt Barkley led USC Trojans offense, the one not named Marqise Lee, he’s pretty good too. Woods wasn’t targeted as much as Lee in 2012, and has been known to lack concentration at times but the 6’1″ Woods was superb in 2011 and the Texans take a chance they can rekindle that form.

#28 – Broncos – Datone Jones – DE – UCLA
As Jordan, Ansah, Floyd are off the board, Denver decide to go for the next best defensive end. They have a need after the whole Elvis Dumervil debacle in the off-season. Bjoern Werner and Margus Hunt have also likely been considered.

#29 – Patriots – Desmond Trufant – CB – Washington
The Patriots draft cornerbacks. They hit with some and miss with others, but it is a need. Dennard and Talib should be a solid starting point this season but the Pats need someone to complement these two and Desmond Trufant is that player. Trufant is possibly the third best corner back in the draft, so may not be available here. In that case expect Bill Belichick to look to trade down if possible, or to select D.J Hayden.

#30 – Falcons – Zach Ertz – TE – Stanford
The Falcons need to think about replacing Gonzalez, who could be in his last season, or not. Ertz is talked about as the second best tight end in this draft behind the slightly more athletic Eiffert, but Ertz has good hands and comes up with the goods on third down.

#31 – 49ers – Margus Hunt – DE – SMU
The 49ers needs are slim, but a good pass rusher is never a bad thing. Taking Estonian discuss thrower Hunt will give an already tough defense another edge.

#32 – Ravens – Manti T’eo – ILB – Notre Dame
The reigning Superbowl champions lost several key figures in the off-season. Ray Lewis and Ed Reed in particular won’t be easy to replace. Much has been made of T’eo’s performance in the championship game against Alabama and rightly so, although T’eo had an exceptional season and finished among the Heismann trophy candidates, he could be a bit of a project.

Patriots offseason moves 2013: Defense – free agency tracker

The Patriots have made a number of moves defensively so far this offseason.

One of the most important was retaining Aqib Talib for another season. While not placing the franchise tag on Talib they saved themselves $5.6m for the season. Talib appeared to solidify the cornerbacks when he came in to the team in November and he gives Alfonzo Dennard support as Dennard enters into his second year starting for New England.

Patriots cornerback Aqib Talib: image source http://www.bleacherreport.com

The Pats resigned Kyle Arrington to a four year contract, which is not a move I was hoping for, but I’m assured by people I’ve spoken to that Arrington is not entirely useless as an inside corner. Time will tell.

There has been no word as yet on cornerback Marquice Cole, but Cole projects to be a second string back at best, so his signing is not really imperative. Ras-I Dowling is still under contract and is expected to return and play a part, providing he can stay fit.

Adrian Wilson has been signed to give the secondary some stability and the seemingly ever injured Pat Chung has been released. Chung played well for the Patriots at times over the course of his four seasons at the Gillette stadium but his injury history spoke louder than his play. Wilson will add experience at safety and won’t cost the earth.

Patriots new safety Adrian Wilson: image source http://www.bleacherreport.com

The rest of the core group of safeties remain in tact. Devin McCourty will look to get back to his best, while Steve Gregory will be hoping to build on a largely successful first season in New England, the AFC Championship excluded, and Tavon Wilson will hope to develop further in year two.

New England have been quiet on the pass rush front, but it is believed that there is interest in either Dwight Freeney of the Colts, the Falcons John Abraham and perhaps most interestingly Elvis Dumervil of the Denver Broncos.

Falcons DE John Abraham: image source http://www.bleacherreport.com

I believe that Dumervil will work something out with the Broncos despite last week’s monumental mess up with the contract. Still, if they can’t work it out it’d be nice to have a player of Dumervil’s ability rushing the passer for the Pats. Abraham is possibly the most likely of the three players mentioned to sign, but demand is there for him and he is testing the market, though if reports are to be believed Abraham has a meeting scheduled with New England for Friday.

Defensive End Trevor Scott is out of contract but it is unknown if the desire is there to retain him, after all, Scott only registered three sacks and 14 tackles in 14 games this season. That is hardly productive.

Linebacker Tracy White is also a free agent and I don’t see any real reason for keeping White around unless there is no one else available, White could possibly still do a back up job but he isn’t anything more. While Niko Koutouvides has signed for a year, the Patriots still need to add some linebackers to back up Hightower, Mayo and Spikes.

So, with the cornerbacks and safeties looking reasonably solid this year it seems New England will look to improve areas of the defense while leaving the defensive backs largely unchanged.

The Patriots also need a couple of pass rushers to allow Chandler Jones to blossom, as well as giving Vince Wilfork some talented help in the middle, wouldn’t you say?

New England did sign DT Armond Armstead in January from the CFL but it remains to be seen if Armstead can make the step up.

Patriots offseason moves 2013: offense – free agency tracker

It has been an interesting offseason for Patriots fans so far, as far as free agency goes. In this post I will look at the offensive moves.

First, we had the news that New England had not retained the services of diminutive slot receiver Wes Welker. While this is something I called for , it is with a tinge of sadness that we say goodbye to Brady’s favourite weapon and wish him well as a Denver Bronco, though not too well.

Wes Welker. Image source: http://www.patriots.com

Unsurprisingly this news was followed up by the announcement that the Patriots had replaced Welker with Danny Amendola of the St Louis Rams. Amendola is seen as a more fragile, younger facsimile of Welker. This move is another I had urged the Pats to get done, partly because I like Amendola as a fit for New England but also in the hope that Julian Edelman would see more playing time.

Danny Amendola. image Source: AP / Tom Gannam

There is little news thus far as to whether Edelman will be offered a new contract by the Pats, but they say no news is good news, so here’s hoping.

Further changes to the wide receiving unit came about with the news that Brandon Lloyd has been released. Lloyd wasn’t a disaster in New England, but I feel the management probably felt they could replace him more cheaply. Replace him they must though as the WR chart feels a little thin, even with the arrival of Donald Jones from the Buffalo Bills.

Jones is relatively young at 25, compared to Lloyd’s 31, but is less of an outside threat. Jones has potential but Deion Branch isn’t getting any younger. At this rate it seems the Pats may hope to run a lot of three tight end sets with Gronk, Hernandez and Jake Ballard providing the mis-matches with linebackers, but an outside threat is required.

Emmanuel Sanders has been brought in from the Pittsburgh Steelers for a chat, but New England would have to give up a third round pick for him, as well as offering a wage the Steelers were unwilling to match. This year there seem to be a decent amount of mid-level receivers in the draft so this route is not one I would go down. If the Patriots don’t get Tavon Austin in the first round, and more likely trade back, maybe for a second and fourth or fifth round pick, they could possibly get Texas A&M’s Ryan Swope or Virginia Tech’s Steadman Bailey, teammate of Tavon Austin. Admittedly all three of those guys are probably slot guys, but the 6ft Swope could possibly play on the outside, as could Aaron Hernandez.

Texas A&M’s Ryan Swope

Receiver is not the only area undergoing changes on the offensive side of the ball, with the O-line and running backs seeing some change. Guard Donald Thomas has left New England to join the Colts and will be missed. The futures of guard Logan Mankins and tackle Sebastian Vollmer are uncertain, so New England needs to bring in fresh blood in the offensive line, as well as re-signing Mankins and Vollmer, or at the very least, just Vollmer.

Donald Thomas. Images Source: Kirby Lee / USA Today

Veteran Seahawks running back and kick returner Leon Washington has been brought in, allowing Danny Woodhead to leave for the Chargers. While I am sure Washington will add something at KR, allowing Devin McCourty some time off the field, I’d have liked to have seen Woodhead stay.

The next post will focus on the defensive side of the ball. Be sure to let me know what you think below.

Patriots offseason moves: signings and releases

This offseason the Patriots have plenty of work to do, with contracts that need renegotiating and assessments to be done on players that just aren’t good enough. Free Agency and the draft also need close inspection.

Offense may not be the biggest area of concern for the high scoring Pats – Brady and co. racked up a league leading average of 34.8 points 427.9 yards per game, but there are concerns.

Free agency centres need to be looked at, as the Pats are relying on Ryan Wendell after releasing Dan Koppen prior to last season.

Running back seems to be a strong area for the Patriots, although it remains to be seen whether New England will retain the services of versatile back Danny Woodhead, whose contract is up. Brandon Bolden and Jeff Demps could both become factors in their second seasons, while Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen will hope to build on their productive seasons. A veteran could be brought in, somebody like Jackson of the Rams would fit.

There are two areas where the Patriots could be making moves, both the offensive line and wide receivers could see a change in roster line up. Although Tom Brady’s recent contract re-structure means Wes Welker is more likely to get a new deal, I can still see him leaving with the Rams’ Danny Amendola signing as a free agent, and along with Julian Edelman, filling the void. Edelman’s contract is up but the Pats should re-sign him, as I stated previously. I’d like to see the Pats bolster their offense by drafting either Notre Dame’s athletic tight end Tyler Eiffert or Virginia Tech wide receiver Tavon Austin in the first round of this years draft but in all honesty that is quite unlikely, Bill Belichick will probably trade down. Tight end may not seem a need, but there are durability concerns with both Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. Daniel Fells is not a first team player and Michael Hoomanawanui didn’t show enough to threaten to be the third tight end.

Two names that could prove pivotal in the off-season are Logan Mankins and Sebastian Vollmer. Both guys have injury worries, Mankins missed a chunk of games and Vollmer has just undergone knee surgery, prior to possibly hitting free agency, with Nate Solder on Brady’s left, it makes sense to try to keep the big German at the right tackle position, health willing. Marcus Cannon did a decent job opposite Nate Solder but a replacement for Vollmer could be needed as well as a guard, should Mankins struggle for fitness again. Keeping Brady on his feet is key to this offense, whichever way you look at it. Nick McDonald and Donald Thomas may not have been terrible but neither of the Pats back-up guards is near the player Mankins is.

Defense is the real worry for New England though, they ranked 25th in yards allowed and 271.4 yard passing. One of the keys is the defensive backs. The cornerbacks looked better when Aqib Talib was on the field, and getting him to re-sign is important, although Talib only made one interception this season, he did return it for a touchdown, and let’s not forget he only joined the team of the first of November. Also relevant is that up until Talib left the AFC Championship game the Baltimore Ravens offense was causing the Pats secondary little trouble, after Talib’s exit the Ravens took over.

Talib seemed to help out Alfonzo Dennard too, who seemed more comfortable than earlier in the season. When you factor in Ras-I Dowling being seemingly made of glass and Kyle Arrington’s frankly uninspiring play it easy to see why Talib was the difference maker. I can see one or two of the current cornerbacks moving on, if offers are made for them. I can’t see teams lining up to take either Dowling or Arrington but I could be wrong. Marquise Cole and Will Allen were non-factors this year and I don’t expect that to change.

At the Safety position one of the big names the Patriots may be eyeing up is Ed Reed of the Baltimore Ravens, but I’m not convinced Reed would be as productive as he was in a defense with Suggs and Lewis in it. Devin McCourty looks to be a viable option at safety and Tavon Wilson showed he has potential but another safety is a must. Nate Ebner didn’t show much in his rookie year, Steve Gregory looked good but had injury concerns and Pat Chung is one big walking injury concern.

The Patriots didn’t have much in the way of pass rush last season, and haven’t for a few years but it’s not all bleak. Rob Ninkovich is proving to be a very useful player, with an ability to get to the quarterback at times and an understanding of the requirements Bill Belichick and the coaching staff have of him. Defensive end is a must for upgrade this time around, although Chandler Jones showed production, he slowed down after a decent start, while Jake Bequette never really got going and Justin Francis looks to need more work. Jermaine Cunningham and Trevor Scott didn’t exactly light it up either. One option could be to bring back Andre Carter on a one year deal. Carter recorded ten sacks in 2011 as a Patriot.

Linebacker is another area that needs upgrading. Jarod Mayo was selected to the Pro-Bowl and Brandon Spikes had a good season, alongside rookie Dont’a Hightower, aside from Tracy White though, the remaining players don’t add up to much. Dane Fletcher, Mike Rivera and Niko Koutovides are nothing more than back-up players.

Vince Wilfork is the anchor of this defense, and should continue to be so for a few more seasons. Wilfork though could do with some support, Kyle Love was decent this season, but nothing special.

The franchise tag deadline passed this afternoon and it seems New England didn’t tag a player. This will leave teams sniffing around the top Patriots free agents, Welker, Vollmer and Talib. Time will tell what happens next.

Feel free to tell me how wrong my assessments are, by commenting below.

Why the Patriots should let Wes Welker go.

Wes Welker: Image source – http://www.espn.go.com

At the risk of alienating some of my fellow Patriots fans I’m going to come out and say it, I don’t think the Patriots should spend a bucket load of money on keeping Wes Welker.

There, I’ve said it. I know many people will disagree with me, but that’s what makes sport so great.

I don’t think the Pats should give Brandon Lloyd another contract either, but that’s a different matter.

Source: nfl.com

Here are the reasons I believe the Patriots should let Wes go.

Firstly, there is the matter of key drops. Now I know this is not all on Wes as some of the drops have been down to Brady forcing the ball into tight windows, but all the same, it seems as though Wes occasionally takes his eye off the ball at the crucial moment.

The drops are not the main reason I wouldn’t pay the man. As Bill Belichick doesn’t keep players based on sentiment this purely comes down to money as the primary reason. Prior to signing for the Patriots for a second and a seventh round pick in 2007 from the Miami Dolphins Welker was not exactly hugely productive.

I’m sure teams will line up to offer Wes a huge paycheck based on his recent flurry of 1,000+ yard receiving seasons, as there is no doubt he still has the ability to get open and often brings the ball in when in traffic.

The Patriots though, may think they have Welker’s replacement already on the roster, at a significantly lower cost contract. That man is the number 11, Julian Edelman.

Source: nfl.com

Edelman is five years younger than Welker, who will be 32 come the start of the next season.

There is no denying that Wes is a statistical beast, but he only caught six touchdown passes this season as the Patriots No. 1 receiver. Edelman, largely as a special teams player, arguably had a breakout season this year, averaging 11.2 yards per carry, just 0.3 less per catch than Welker. He also scored three touchdowns off just 21 receptions.

Both players have a similar stature, with Edelman having the slight edge in size.

Last season the Patriots placed the franchise tag on Welker at a cost of $9.5m. This was short of his desired wage and to franchise him for a second successive season would cost in excess of $10m.

Julian Edelman is not the only reason I think it is financially sound to release Welker. There are a Few wide receivers hitting free agency this off-season. While Mike Wallace could be one of them, I think he is unlikely to be cost effective, one possible option could be Danny Amendola of the St Louis Rams.

The majority of the wide receivers entering the draft may not be draft-able for the Patriots, due to them drafting low, or due to team needs. Other positions need drafting first, but I’ll go into that in another post. There could be a couple of value options low down in the draft though. Steadman Bailey or Chad Bumphis, for example, may be deemed viable ‘projects’.

New England could also have three quality tight ends available next season, providing Gronk-andez and Ballard can remain fit. Daniel Fells remains a decent back-up, particularly in the blocking game and Josh McDaniels may decide to vary the offense to suit the personnel available to him.

McDaniels and Bill Billichick may also use more screen passes, with both Shane Vereen and Danny Woodhead showing they can offer something in the passing game. If Jeff Demps can see the field this will allow Vereen and Woodhead to play this dual role of receiving and passing the baton with Demps and Ridley in the running game.

Think I’m a complete idiot who knows nothing? Or less likely, agree with me? Let me know below.

Superbowl XLVII: A preview

Image source: forbes.com

NEW ORLEANS – Sunday sees the Baltimore Ravens take on the San Francisco 49ers in a bid to become the 47th champions of the Super Bowl era.

There are a number of sub-plots to this one, not least the Harbaugh vs Harbaugh element and the last chance at glory for Ray Lewis, but lets not forget that after fifteen seasons in the NFL this is also likely to be Matt Birk’s last game at centre for Baltimore. There is also the small matter of Ray Lewis’ alleged usage of ‘deer antler spray’ and Ed Reed supposedly saying he’d be open to joining the Patriots. This game is, for a lot of the Ravens, a chance to silence some doubters, San Francisco are the bookmakers’ favourite, although we all know this means nothing. The team who plays well and plays hard will probably win.

This game involves two quarterbacks vying to add their name to a list of elite luminaries that includes the names Manning, Brady, Montana and many more.

Should the 49ers win, Colin Kaepernick, the second year, second round pick, quarterback drafted by Jim Harbaugh will have exceeded any pre-season expectations placed upon him. Joe Flacco, on the other hand will leave none of his doubters surprised if he loses, any more-so than his supporters will not be surprised should he lead the Ravens to the win.

Neither team has won this trophy for a few years, since the Ravens won it back in 2001 in Tampa. The 49ers have been waiting since 1995 when Steve Young was under centre for the Red and Gold and they beat the Chargers 49-26.

Anyone who thinks this game is just about the QB battle though, is deluded. It is likely to come down to defence. The 49ers have the second best defence in the league, with only 17.1 points allowed per game, the Ravens undeniably elite defence has suffered with injuries this season but still finished 10th in points allowed with 24.9.

The Ravens patched up defence is still suffering with injuries, but one of the bigger misses could be running back Bernard Pierce, whose inclusion helps Ray Rice. Pierce is, like Vonta Leach, questionable.
Rice should still be effective, and will likely play a part in the passing game, as he did in the dismantling of the New England Patriots.

The 49ers appear to have the healthier roster, though it is not always possible to tell with the NFL as every little stub or tweak has to be added to the injured report.

In the post season the 49ers have seven rushing touchdowns and only three receiving. The Ravens, meanwhile have three rushing and 10 passing touchdowns. This would imply that one team will be passing and one rushing, but don’t rule Michael Crabtree out of the receiving game, he has two receiving touchdowns and has looked revitalised of late.

Both teams will be looking to give away as few penalties as possible, but do not be surprised if this one comes down to the kicking game. Jacoby Jones is a formidable kick-returner for the Ravens and LaMichael James has the potential for the 49ers to make a special return, he certainly is no slouch.

Field goals could be key though, and that is not something Jim Harbaugh will be hoping for. David Akers, the 49ers’ kicker has been a shadow of his former self this season and seems to have lost accuracy, confidence or a mixture of both. Ravens kicker Justin Tucker is having a very good season, missing only three of his 33 attempts, giving him a 90.9% completion percentage. In contrast, Akers has made just under 70% of his kicks.

Whatever happens, this one should be compelling for the neutrals, with one Harbaugh picking up the Lombardi trophy alongside their chosen champion. Kaepernicking could be about to go global, I don’t see Flacco-ing taking off myself.

Review: Texans @ Patriots divisional playoff game

The reigning AFC Champion Patriots took on the AFC South winning Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium last night in the AFC divisional playoff, with the winner moving on to the AFC Championship game next Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens.

The Patriots overcame the Texans 41-28 in an exciting game to reach the AFC championship game for the seventh time in 12 years and now have the chance to retain the title they won last year. New England quarterback Tom Brady surpassed his idol Joe Montana with his 18th playoff win.

Offense was largely on top for both sides, though it wasn’t as straight forward as the score-line might suggest. The Houston Texans relied on the kick returns of Danieal Manning to gain huge yards. The Patriots simply had no answer to the cornerback’s running. The first drive of the game saw manning return to the Patriots 12 yard line, only for Schaub to go three-and-out and for Shayne Graham to kick the field goal.

New England started slowly, and had to adjust their offense when both Danny Woodhead and the talismanic Rob Gronkowski were injured early on. Gronkowski re-fractured his left forearm and will miss the remainder of the post season. Woodhead is likely to be fit to play against the Ravens, but could see his carries reduced due to the form of second year back Shane Vereen. After Woodhead’s injury Vereen was utilised in the running and passing game, making a diving catch on the sideline and scoring three touchdowns.

Wes Welker caught eight receptions for 130 yards as he remains Brady’s favourite receiver. This was the perfect time to remind his employers that he is out of contact in the summer, the number of dropped catches is something Welker and Brady must improve though, often the ball seemed to catch Welker in the fingertip area.

Stevan Ridley again looked like the Patriots best option when running the ball, but with Woodhead expected to be back this weekend and Vareen showing the versatility so beloved by Bill Belichick the New England running game looks good.

The tipping point of the game was arguably the third quarter interception of Texans quarterback Matt Scaub by Rob Ninkovich, the linebacker had dropped a bit deeper than usual and Schaub put the ball right into his hands. A few plays later, everyone but Brady and Brandon Lloyd played out a running play that left Brady to find Lloyd in single coverage, a mere jink away from diving in for the touchdown.

Much was made pre-game of the supposed battle between Tom Brady and J.J.Watt. The Texans defensive end had just half a sack and zero passes defensed. Brady and co. practiced with tennis racquets and brooms this week and it seemed to do the trick as Brady consistently found open receivers.

The Texans may have scored 28 points in this game but Matt Schaub didn’t look good for the first three quarters, though he did make a couple of key throws late in the game. Arian Foster was constantly able to find space. Foster finished with 90 yards rushing, the first time he has been sub 100 yards in four playoff games. He was the leading rusher in the game, and had a rushing touchdown. Foster was a viable threat in the passing game too as the New England defense consistently left him open.

The Patriots arial defense had some struggles against Houston, but it is not every week you play against Andre Johnson, the talented Texans wide receiver gave Aqib Taliban a tough afternoon. Rookie Texans receiver DeVier Posey showed he could be one for the future by scoring a touchdown in unlikely circumstances, it took three attempts to pull the ball in to his chest and he ended up on his back, bringing the ball under control just before he slide out of the end zone on his back.

The Patriots run defense may have done well overall but Arian Foster still made a lot of big gains in the rushing game, New England can’t allow Ray Rice to do the same on Sunday.

Griffin and Shanahan, too proud for the Redskins good?

Mike Shanahan and Robert Griffin III scaled new heights Sunday night as the Redskins took on the Seahawks. Shanahan’s stupidity and RGIII’s stubbornness could have severely limited Griffin’s career as well as set back the franchise.

Griffin aggravated his knee in the first quarter and Shanahan kept him in the game. Washington were 14-0 up at that point. Griffin is alleged to have been in pain but ok to carry on, with many pundits claiming they would have left the former Baylor man in the game. Anyone watching could see that Griffin was ailing.

The Washington offense slowed after that first quarter as the Seattle D only had to worry about covering the receivers and stopping Alfred Morris on the ground. The fact that Griffin suffered a further set back in the fourth quarter is no surprise, the extent of this injury is not yet known but a suspected ACL tear and damage to his lateral collateral ligaments in his right knee, the same one injured in 2009 while the quarterback was at Baylor, could keep him out for up to a year.

While it is understandable that Griffin, as a proud and undeniably gutsy young man, didn’t want to leave the game, Shanahan keeping him in was a disastrous decision. As Sky Sports pundit Neil Reynolds said “He (Shanahan) let down the 52 other guys on the roster”.

Of course RGIII is the face of this franchise, and its future, but Kirk Cousins should have played the final three quarters. It has been suggested that as the Redskins chose to play Griffin in the must-win game against the Cowboys, he should have played against the Seahawks. This is in part true, but once it was clear he couldn’t perform to his high standards why was Cousins not given the chance? After all if Griffin had been subbed out in quarter two, he wouldn’t have been in the shotgun formation in the fourth quarter and subsequently on the receiving end of Center Will Montgomery’s terrible snap, which caused his knee to buckle after his foot caught in the turf.

Kirk Cousins has performed well enough in his very short stints under centre for the Redskins and could have perhaps given the offense an injection that is seemingly lacked. Cousins may have been able to open up the offense for Alfred Morris to do his work, instead it was the defense that had to carry the team, which they did to good effect until

Ultimately, we will never know whether Russell Wilson would still have driven the Seahawks to the win over a fully fit RGIII, but it is now Wilson who is pushing his way to the top of the rookie of the year award chart. If Wilson can take the Seahawks one step further and into the NFC championship game it would be hard to argue against him, despite the stellar play of Andrew Luck and Griffin this season.

The focus for Griffin now is to rehab that knee and to look back on a largely superb rookie year, with a mixture of pride and anguish at what might have been.

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Rookie Review: The class of 2012

At the start of the season, this new-to-the-Redskins writer said that the rookies could have a big role to play, little did I realise quite how big. Here I am going to look at the performances of the Redskins rookies through the 2012 regular season.

Robert Griffin III, the second overall pick in the 2012 draft, lived up to all the hype, and exceeded expectations to lead Washington to a 10-6 regular season record and their first NFC East title since ’99. The man they call RG3 broke the rookie quarterback rushing record previously set by Cam Newton and generally harassed defences all season, even when injured he performed to a level higher than most quarterbacks in the league.

The biggest surprise to some was the performance of sixth round pick, the 173rd overall pick of the NFL draft, Alfred Morris. Though it was clear during pre-season that Morris was a special talent. He rushed for over 1,600 yards and 13 touchdowns in his first season as an NFL running back. As the 173rd pick of the 2012 draft Morris can only be described as exceptional value, particularly if, as expected, he continues this level of production in 2013.

Third round pick, Guard, Josh LeRibeus played in five games, losing one and picking up four wins in the Redskins’ run of victories since the loss to the Panthers. LeRibeus looks to have a part to play in the Washington offense next season.

Backup quarterback, Kirk Cousins was the first player Washingon took in the fourth round and he has exceeded expectations. Not only did Cousins beat out veteran QB Rex Grossman to land the backup quarterback spot but he also ably stood in for Griffin when RG3 was injured against the Ravens. Cousins played the next game against the Browns, and lead the Redskins to a win, looking like a very good backup in the process. Don’t be surprised if some team liked what they saw enough to make a trade for Cousins, possibly for a second round draft pick, thus giving the Redskins even more value than they anticipated.

The second pick of the fourth round was linebacker Keenan Robinson. Robinson played in 11 games, registering 11 tackles. While at times his play was good, with two games featuring three tackles, this figure is lower than expected for a linebacker. Overall solid but not spectacular.

5th round pick, Guard, Adam Gettis is yet to see the field for the Redskins. Therefore regardless of future ability, this pick is deemed by this writer as fairly unsuccessful. If Gettis has a breakout seasoning 2013 then the grading for this pick will change but for now it is what it is.

The Redskins used the first of their three sixth round picks to select offensive tackle Tom Compton. The 193rd pick of the draft was cut before the season, cleared waivers, and then wound up on the practice squad. Compton recently made the active roster in place of the suspended Cedric Griffin. While he is not expected to play this season he has used his time watching film of his fellow offensive line, in a bid to see the field in 2013.

Cornerback, Richard Crawford was next to be selected in round six and has had an up and down season. Crawford got game time in the early weeks of the season, then had to sit out for sometime, before getting a chance to take over from Brandon Banks on punt returns. A scintillating return for 64 yards against the Baltimore Ravens showed Crawford has a place in the 53.

The final pick of the 2012 NFL draft for Washington was used on Iowa Safety, Jordan Bernstine. Jordan was injured against New Orleans in game one. A torn ACL, MCL and PCL in his right knee put Bernstine out for the season. Bernstine would have had a chance to get games at safety with Merriweather’s early season injury, he was also impressing on special teams. It remains to be seen if Jordan can return to full physical fitness next season but if he can, he could be challenging for a roster spot.

It is worth noting that Washington also retained two of the 12 undrafted rookies they signed. Chase Minnifield was projected by the Redskins as a third round draft pick, before suffering a knee injury in January. Minnifield broke down again at the end of mini-camp in June. If he can return from injury to full full fitness, Washington could get value and production from Minnifield in 2013. Darius Hanks will find himself at the back of a line of wide receivers, should he have recovered sufficiently from his shoulder injury by then.

Overall, the Redskins draft could not be called anything less than a success. Sure there are some players that have seen little-to-no playing time, but they also drafted Robert Griffin III, Alfred Morris, and Kirk Cousins. Regardless of the other selections those three picks are enough to give the Redskins a B at least. Aren’t they?

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Preview: Seahawks @ Redskins

Playoff football returns to FedEx Field this week as the NFC East champion Redskins play host to Pete Carroll’s Seahawks in what should be one of the most exciting playoff games of the year.

Washington’s top rated rushing offense hasn’t seen many defenses like Seattle’, which although ranked tenth against the run, is ranked first In points allowed with a meagre 15.3 per game given up by Gus Bradley’s defensive unit.

Seattle’s third rated rushing offense has seen defenses like Washington’s, which has struggled at times, but has done really well against the run, with the fifth lowest yards per game allowed in the ground at 95.8 yards per game.

Marshawn Lynch and Russell Wilson will both look to find gaps in the bend-but-don’t-break Redskins run defense. Griffin and Morris will look to do the same for Washington, providing Griffin is fully mobile. Griffin and Wilson have a combined 11 touchdowns between them, with Griffin leading the way on seven. Both of these rookie quarterbacks ooze class and regardless of the result in this match, are the future of these two franchises.

Morris and Lynch’s numbers are not dramatically different for the year, with Morris having a slight edge by 23 yards and two rushing touchdowns. Between them Lynch and Morris have scored 24 rushing touchdowns for the season.

The Seahawks appear to have the edge in two key areas, firstly at wide receiver. Golden Tate and Sidney Rice each have seven touchdowns for the season, with an average of 15 yards per reception. In contrast Santana Moss has eight for the Redskins, while Garçon has four, though Garçon has suffered with injuries. Both Moss and Garçon have averaged 14 yards per reception.

The second area in which Seattle has the edge, on paper at least, is in the secondary. Washington’s secondary has had its struggles this season, with Cedric Griffin’s suspension and veteran free agent signing Brandon Meriweather’s long term injury. DeJon Gomes and DeAngelo Hall have done the rest to carry the defensive backs.

Richard Sherman and Brandon Bowner have been extremely good at cornerback for Seattle this year, although, like Cedric Griffin for the Redskins, Bowner was suspended for four games due to a ‘substance violation’. Sherman has eight interceptions so far this season, which is more than the seven put up by Washington cornerbacks, Hall, Josh Wilson and Richard Crawford put together.

It is hard to see a scenario where the Redskins come away with the win, but they have an intangible something about them this year. Washington have won games they were not supposed to, in places they were not meant to win in.

RGIII has that ‘Je ne sais quoi’. Yes, he is a total athlete. Yes, he can throw a deep ball, or an option slant, he can pitch the ball to Morris, or take off with it, but it’s more than that. He has made the players around him better. The Redskins offensive line has been much better this season than last and tonight it has to be at the very top of its game, Guard Kory Lichtensteiger is battling injury and Josh LeRibeus could be the man to step in to his shoes.

If the game comes down to the boot of the kickers, the Redskins have the in-form kicker in Kai Forbath, who hit 17 of 18 field goals for the regular season, while Steve Huschka has hardly been lax for the Seahawks, converting 24 of his 27 attempts. A kicker is only as good as his last field goal though, as 49ers kicker David Akers knows only too well.

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