For Nats, Riggleman far from the answer

Last week, the Nationals removed the interim tag from Jim Riggleman and made him their permanent manager. It was a move that disappointed some - including this blogger - because names such as Buck Showalter and Bobby Valentine were being thrown out as possible candidates.

My first choice? Valentine. He's had success before in the major leagues and, if nothing else, would make the season entertaining. He thought he would be given the job, but GM Mike Rizzo decided to stick with the in-house candidate, Riggleman.

His reasoning was pretty simple: Riggleman knew the team, went 33-42 as their manager, and improved the team's fundamentals.

Well, that's sound logic. I can't really argue with any of that, other than to say that their 33-42 record was more of a result of the team finally hitting its stride and playing to its capabilities. Nyjer Morgan had a big role in that. While Riggleman was manager I was not really impressed with him. He mismanaged the bullpen just about every night and made some comments that really rubbed me the wrong way. I didn't like how he refused to start prospect Ian Desmond; he did, however, become a big Desmond supporter by the end of the season. So, at least he isn't opposed to changing his ways.

I did like some things Riggleman did - he was better than Acta, that much is true - but overall, I was hoping the team would bring in a winner to the organization to change up the losing culture that has already begun to develop. The team got behind Riggleman, though, and I'll trust Mike Rizzo in this move; he hasn't done anything to break my confidence..yet.

Which leads me to my next point: hiring the manager was just the first step to improving the team. The manager is only as good as the players you give him. If Rizzo fails to acquire pitching help and defensive help, Riggleman will fail as a manager. If Rizzo acquires 1-2 quality starters, some solid defensive players, and bullpen help, the Nats could be .500 next year (a big leap, I know).

If I was Rizzo, I target these types of players this offseason: sub-4.50 ERA starters, middle-of-the-road relievers, good defensive middle infielders, a good defensive backup 1B, and a veteran backup catcher who could play 80-90 games.

Really, that isn't that much. Their outfield is essentially set with Willingham-Morgan-Dukes and Maxwell as the primary backup. Willie Harris can also play if needed. On the infield, the team really needs to try to move Cristian Guzman so they can start Desmond full-time and start a guy like Adam Everett or Alex Gonzalez. The last two guys aren't offensive threats, but are quality defensive infielders. I'd like the team to go after a veteran like Mark DeRosa who can start if needed but is a great utility player.

On the mound, the team just needs MLB-quality talent. There just isn't enough there right now. John Lannan is a good pitcher and players like JD Martin, Ross Detwiler, and Craig Stammen are decent young options, but a veteran ace would add so much. As for the bullpen - well, there's just a need for every role.

All in all, the team needs a lot of work. Rizzo has a lot of holes to fill and may or may not have a tight budget to do so. It will be interesting to see who he goes after and who he can actually reel in. He's been talking the talk, now can he walk the walk?

NFL Midseason Awards 2

NFL Midseason Awards

In case you missed it, last week Tyler and I talked about our NFL midseason awards. Now that most teams have actually played the full 8 games, its time to recap those (I'll do half today, half tomorrow) and look at some others to consider.

Defensive Rookie of the Year
Tony: Jairus Byrd, FS, Buffalo (32 tackle, 16 p def, 7 int)
Tyler: Brian Cushing, LB, Houston (78 tackle, 1 safety, 10 p def, 2 int, 2 ff)
SI.com's Peter King: Cushing
Others considered: none
--> This is a tw0 man race and will continue to be so until the end. At the end of the season, I have a hard time seeing anyone but Cushing coming away with it because 6 of Byrd's 7 interceptions have come in three games. If Byrd (pictured) can snag a few more before the end of the year and possibly lead the NFL in picks, however, he'll be impossible to ignore.

Offensive Rookie of the Year
Tony: Percy Harvin, WR, Minnesota (28 rec, 369 yds, 3 rec TD, 2 KR TD)
Tyler: Harvin
CBS Sport's Clark Judge: Harvin
Others considered: Michael Oher, RT, Baltimore; Mark Sanchez, QB, New York Jets; Austin Collie, WR, Indianapolis; Knowshon Moreno, RB, Denver
--> Despite the gluttony of other people to talk about, this is Harvin's (pictured) award to lose, 100%. On pace for 10 total touchdowns and 750 yards, even if Collie puts up the same numbers, Harvin will win because, after all, it's Peyton Manning throwing to Collie. Oher won't get it because he's a lineman and Sanchez won't get it unless the Jets make the playoffs. Moreno would have to have a huge second half to be under real consideration.

Comeback Player of the Year
Tony: Cedric Benson, RB, Cincinnati (198 att, 837 yds, 6 tds)
Tyler: Benson
SI.com's Don Banks: Tom Brady, QB, New England (204/310 com/att, 2364 yds, 16 td, 5 int)
Others considered: Brett Favre, QB, Minnesota; Carson Palmer, QB, Cincinnati
--> Preface here: During our show, Tyler and I said that nobody else was under consideration for this award but Cedric Benson (pictured). However, Mr. Banks of SI didn't even mention Benson when he talked about this award. I'm sticking to what I said. Yeah, Tom Brady's having a good season, but he's not playing like hes one of the top 5 QB's in the league this year. I know he didn't play after the first game last year, but before that, the man was the best quarterback in football. So, yes, a comeback from last year, but not a comeback to his career. Benson on the other hand, through 8 games, has more yards this year than any other year during his career. Here's a guy completely left for dead on a completely left for dead franchise and he - way more than Carson Palmer - has turned them into a contender in the AFC. Respectfully, this award is Benson's and Benson's only.

One Week Later, Does Anyone Care?

It was one week ago today that the Yankees defeated the Phillies 7-3 for their 27th world championship.

It was a fitting end for the postseason it was in: lots of hype, a bad baseball game, and then talk about that city's respective NFL team.

Who could be excited/worked up at all about this outcome? Yankee fans? "Woo hoo, we won our 27th title, and the 5th since I've been alive." I mean I'm sure it was good for a "27th heaven" facebook status, but most I talked to spent the next day complaining about how bad the Giants' defense was.

What about Philly fans? Is there some inescapable grief? No, because they won it last year and were all still too giddy about that. Philadelphians (not a word; go with it anyway) love the Phillies more than any other team. They're deservedly proud of their squad and were okay with losing in the grand finale to the best team in baseball.

... Which leads me to why nobody else was excited about this series. Besides the rest of the country having both rational and irrational hatreds toward everything sports-related in the cities of New York and Philadelphia, this series was the best team in baseball against the second best team in baseball. I know NOTHING when it comes to predicting the MLB. I'm the guy who predicted at the beginning of September that the Angels wouldn't make the playoffs. I'm pretty sure I predicted the Indians to go to the playoffs at the beginning of the season. Yet I said before the first pitch of the 2009 MLB postseason was thrown that it would come down to the Yankees beating the Phillies in 6. If I could predict it, surely most people at least could see there was a real possibility of it happening.

Last point: You can ask, "Isn't that what it's supposed to be all about? The two best teams in baseball squaring off?" The answer: sure, if you want to decide who the best team in baseball between those two is. The problem: that wasn't the case here. Every person who followed a lick of baseball the entire season knew the Yankees were the best team in baseball. They bought their way to the top better than anyone else did but still managed to play like a team. This outcome was predetermined. Throw that in with a World Series that featured a total of zero 1-run games and you're left with a city that stopped celebrating a World Championship hours after it happened and sports media that would rather talk about Eli Manning's plantar fasciitis than Hideki Matsui's clutchness.

NFL Power Rankings 2009: Week 10

Sigh. I fail spectacularly. After that impassioned blog post about how regularly I'm going to be doing this ... I didn't. No more promises, but I will try my best. Anyway, how about that AFC? 5 of the top 7 teams, still 3 of the top 4 divisions (the NFC South's big week had to be thrown in there) and looking to win in interconference play for about the millionth time in a row. By the way, if it feels like the Steelers are better than 6th and the Cowboys are better than 8th, it's because they probably are. It's a very top heavy league though right now.

1. New Orleans Saints (last week's rank: 1; change: 0): The Saints certainly look beatable, but nobody's done it yet. Drew Brees needs to stop fumbling (he's fumbled 8 times and lost 4) or it could hurt them by playoff time.
2. Indianapolis Colts (2; 0): Oh, boy. Indy-New England. Which is not the MNF game because that's Baltimore at Cleveland. ... What?
3. Minnesota Vikings (3; 0): I graciously keep them here even though the Steelers (who beat them) are waiting a few spots behind. Their schedule is absurdly easy; it would shock me to see them not get a first round bye.
4. New England Patriots (5; +1): If NE beats Indianapolis this week, Minnesota will have to shrug it off because NE is moving into the two spot. Gee, we've never seen New England, Pittsburgh and Indy be the three best teams in the AFC this decade, have we?
5. Cincinnati Bengals (6; +1): But wait! Cry the Bengals fans. We already beat the Steelers this week; surely we are better than they! Well, for now, Bengals fans, you are. Win this coming weekend and you'll stay that way.
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (7; +1): Watching the Steelers' second half performance against the Broncos ... Well, all I'll say is this: If there's one team I would not bet AGAINST making the Super Bowl, it would be Pittsburgh.
7. Denver Broncos (3; -4): They hold onto a spot in the top 10 with trembling fingers, just praying that the pseudo-expected collapse hasn't begun. San Diego fans are snickering so loudly Josh McDaniels can hear it in his office.
8. Dallas Cowboys (9; +1): Dallas flexes its muscle and grabs sole possession of first place in the NFC East. Tony Romo rips the month of December out of his personal calendar.
9. Atlanta Falcons (11; +2): It kind of feels like last year for this team. They're good, and nobody would be surprised to see them in the playoffs, but they're not Super Bowl contenders yet.
10. Philadelphia Eagles (8; -2): I'm a bit surprised Philadelphia's offense couldn't get more going at home. They have a huge game this week at San Diego; I don't even know what it is, but I would be betting on the "over."
11. San Diego Chargers (15; +4): Everyone (well, maybe not Tyler) thought they would eventually get hot, but few thought it would be so soon. If they take care of the Eagles this weekend, there won't be any more doubters.
12. Arizona Cardinals (16; +4): Is anyone going to be surprised if they get knocked out of the first round of the playoffs? Will anyone be surprised if they go to the Super Bowl?
13. Baltimore Ravens (10; -3): The bad news for the Ravens? The division is basically out of reach. The good news? They're in the thick of the dogfight that will be the race for the 6th seed in the AFC.
14. Houston Texans (14; 0): The Texans finally get a bye (what is the point of having two teams with byes in week 10?) as they prepare to grab their first playoff berth in franchise history.
15. Miami Dolphins (13; -2): I stubbornly keep the Dolphins in my top 15 for only one more week (if they lose). That playoff spot I predicted for them looks far-fetched, but I'm telling you, still possible.
16. New York Giants (17; +1): Nothing about losing at home merits a raise of one point, but the epic failure of a certain Wisconsin football team says they have to move up one.
17. Chicago Bears (18; +1): See above.
18. New York Jets (19; +1): See above, replace "losing at home" with "having a bye."
19. Jacksonville Jaguars (20; +1): See above, replace "having a bye" with "struggling with Kansas City."
20. Green Bay Packers (12; -8): Ah, that certain Wisconsin football team. So much potential, so little reward. There's no excuse for losing to any team ranked 26-32.
21. Tennessee Titans (25; +1): I'm not even going to say it, but you know what I'm thinking. Mum is the word on this team until they pick up two more losses, then everyone can exhale.
22. Carolina Panthers (22; 0): Blast. My upset pick of the year didn't come through for me. When they were up 14-0, I have to tell you, I was feeling pretty darn good.
23. Buffalo Bills (23; 0): Is there a team that receives less publicity than the Buffalo Bills? Even with T.O, you hear nothing about them - except that they're probably going to leave Buffalo.
24. Seattle Seahawks (24; 0): They won! ... at home ... against Detroit ... clinching it in the last 45 seconds ...
25. San Francisco 49ers (21; -4): Ouch, San Fran. I don't believe in you one bit, except for Patrick Willis, Frank Gore and Vernon Davis.
26. Oakland Raiders (26; 0): It's bad enough the world has to stomach one KC-Oakland game a year, but two? Really?
27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (32; +5): Good for you, Tampa Bay. Good for you, Josh Freeman. If they can get even two or three more wins this year, they have to feel okay about their future.
28. Kansas City Chiefs (27; -1): Does anyone else think that the KC front office was listening to our show on Wednesday when we said they should release Larry Johnson?
29. Washington Redskins (28; -1): Washington could get a morale boost with a win over struggling Denver at home this weekend. Not saying it could happen, but I wouldn't be surprised.
30. Cleveland Browns (29; -1): The Browns have every single reason to win this Monday night game. The Ravens will probably play undisciplined because they're mad. The Browns are home underdogs on a Monday night, the safest bet in sports. The players are going to be playing angry because of their fans. Mangini has something to prove. If there's a perfect storm for upset, this is it. ... And they're still going to lose by 20.
31. St. Louis Rams (30; -1): I drop the Rams on their bye week just because they're really, really bad. I still can't get that safety out of my head.
32. Detroit Lions (31; -1): Sigh. The Lions. I hope you enjoyed your 6 weeks out of the cellar. I hope you don't spend the rest of the season in here.

Division Rankings: With the Bucs being the biggest movers this week, the NFC South catapults itself into the top 3. The AFC North remains in the lead, and that shouldn't change too much this week unless Cleveland pulls the Baltimore upset. I broke the NFC North/AFC West tiebreak because the NFC North had the best team between the two.
1. AFC North (last week: 1): 13.50 average rank amongst the four teams
2. AFC South (3): 14.00
3. NFC South (6): 14.75
4. AFC East (2): 15.00
5. NFC East (4): 15.75
6. NFC North (5): 18.00
7. AFC West (7): 18.00
8. NFC West (8): 23.00

NFL Power Rankings 2009: Week 9

After I failed to post the rankings last week, I'm back at it. You're still going to hate my Miami ranking, but I'm telling you, the Dolphins are dangerous. There was actually some shake-up on the back end this week, too, so don't stop reading after number 10. Oh, and the "last week" and "change" categories are actually talking about last week. Remember, I had them done, but couldn't get them up here. So, here we go ...

1. New Orleans Saints (last week's rank: 1; change: 0): They've been living on the edge the past two weeks, but still managing to win nonetheless. The defense isn't great, but with that offense, it doesn't need to be.
2. Indianapolis Colts (2; 0): Many other teams with they were in the position where a "bad game" consists of beating a desperate, motivated team without playing that well.
3. Minnesota Vikings (7; +3): The Vikings leapfrog three teams with byes with their impressive win in Lambeau. Is you-know-who's arm going to hold out?
4. Denver Broncos (3; -1): This is a temporary one point fall, but don't you get the feeling this is only the beginning of the deluge?
5. New England Patriots (4; -1): By the end of the next four weeks (games against Miami, Indianapolis, New York Jets and New Orleans), it's not unrealistic to think New England could be at the top of these rankings.
6. Cincinnati Bengals (5; -1): The Bengals are 1-4-1 coming off of bye weeks under Marvin Lewis. If they make it 1-5-1 this week, the 2009 Bengals doubters will return in full force.
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (6; -1): Denver didn't look very good against Baltimore, but Pittsbugh fans would be foolish to think that going into Denver on a Monday night will be an easy win.
8. Philadelphia Eagles (9; +1): Philadelphia's "A" game is better than anyone else in the league's "A" game. They don't bring it consistently during the regular season, but it's something to watch for come playoff time.
9. Dallas Cowboys (10; +1): I hate to be that guy, but it's no surprise Dallas is moving up in the top 10: it's November, not December.
10. Baltimore Ravens (14; +4): That was a season-saving victory against the Broncos this week. Now they just need another one in Cincinnati.
11. Atlanta Falcons (11; 0): On NFL GameDay Final on the NFL Network, Deion Sanders said that Joe Flacco is starting to leave Matt Ryan behind. After watching the Falcons-Saints game, I think I believe him.
12. Green Bay Packers (12; 0): There's no need for them to be upset about their 4-3 mark after week 8. If they win the games they're supposed to win (starting this week at Tampa Bay), they'll be fine.
13. Miami Dolphins (15; +2): Ted Ginn, Jr. What a game. It's great to see guys get bounce-back games like that. Maybe Miami's running game will have one against New England this week.
14. Houston Texans (18; +4): See "Stat of the Week 3." I really, REALLY, can't wrap my head around that.
15. San Diego Chargers (19; +4): An average ranking for an average team. 4-0 against sub-.500 teams, 0-3 against +.500.
16. Arizona Cardinals (13; -3): Arizona, I just don't understand. As the rest of the NFC West continues to be terrible, I suppose their bad losses don't matter that much, though.
17. New York Giants (8; -9): And the Giants get dropped into the bottom half of the league. Their defense hasn't been showing up and their offense isn't good enough to compensate.
18. Chicago Bears (20; +2): The Bears hope that their blowout against Cleveland got them back on track, and wasn't just an abberation because it was against Cleveland.
19. New York Jets (16; -3): And now New York fans are starting to feel a little bit of the pain Baltimore fans have felt for the past four years ... Just shut up, Bart Scott.
20. Jacksonville Jaguars (17; -3): That was a bad loss for Jacksonville to take. How could Maurice Jones-Drew only get eight carries in that game?
21. San Francisco 49ers (21; 0): Alex Smith played fairly well in San Francisco's tough loss to the Colts. Their defense sure played tough, tough.
22. Carolina Panthers (23; +1): Don't look now, but the Panthers are 3-4. You don't want your team to face them when they have their running game going.
23. Buffalo Bills (22; -1): Buffalo could have made a big statement against Houston, but they didn't. It's a shame Trent Edwards can't ever seem to stay healthy.
24. Seattle Seahawks (25; +1): Yea, they moved up one after losing by double digits to Dallas. I couldn't stomach Oakland being above them.
25. Tennessee Titans (30; +5): I respect Jeff Fisher for pulling the plug on Kerry Collins and I respect Vince Young for - at least temporarily - seeming to get it all together. I respect the Titans organization in general.
26. Oakland Raiders (24; -2): Donovan McNabb has 1/6 of the number of pass/catches to himself as Russell to Heyward-Bey.
27. Kansas City Chiefs (27; 0): I'll be sick if Larry Johnson gets another chance. Jamaal Charles has promise and should be playing.
28. Washington Redskins (29; +1): They get moved up one A) because the Browns are the Browns and B) because there's a resemblance of talent there that gives you a fleeting suspicion they could play better after their bye.
29. Cleveland Browns (28; -1): What good will firing your GM during the middle of the season possibly do? Someone find me this answer.
30. St. Louis Rams (32; +2): Their victory was overshadowed by one of the dumbest plays I have ever seen in professional football.
31. Detroit Lions (26; -5): Oh, Lions. You better pray Tampa goes winless or else you'll take your usual perch back.
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (31; -1): Dumbest call I've ever seen that I knew was going to be the dumbest call I would ever see when it was made: Jon Gruden, during the preseason, saying the Bucs would win 9 games.

Division Rankings: Woah! After three NFC divisions took numbers 1-3 a few weeks ago, this week, it's thee AFC divisions. There are a bunch of big interconference games the next few weeks that will be bound to shake this up.
1. AFC North (last week: 1): 13.00 average rank amongst the four teams
2. AFC East (3): 15.00
3. AFC South (6): 15.25
4. NFC East (2): 15.50
5. NFC North (4): 16.00
6. NFC South (5): 16.50
7. AFC West (7): 18.00
8. NFC West (8): 22.75

Last Week's Power Rankings:

As promised, here's a brief overview of the power rankings I had assembled from last week that never got up here. I hate to post these right after Tyler puts the work into an actual post, so please scroll down.

Anyway, the top 10 was as follows:
1. New Orleans Saints
2. Indianapolis Colts
3. Denver Broncos
4. New England Patriots
5. Cincinnati Bengals
6. Pittsburgh Steelers
7. Minnesota Vikings
8. New York Giants
9. Philadelphia Eagles
10. Dallas Cowboys

The bottom 10 ... eh. You don't care about the bottom 10. Anyway, the "bye" question really comes in this week, with numbers 4, 5, and 6 all not playing. Minnesota certainly looked very good and had a great win at a good Green Bay team, but does that win make them better than the Steelers - who they just lost to - or the Bengals - who had beaten the Steelers? So you have to look at it that way. Meanwhile, Denver could fall a lot. Not really fair considering their one loss was on the road to a truly desperate team, but such is life. Everyone's still rooting for them, but I'm not sure anyone had their heart into rooting for the Broncos 100%.

Other teams I may not know what to do with this week:
13. Arizona Cardinals: All of a sudden, the Giants win doesn't look so great, does it?
18. Texans: If the playoffs started today, the Texans would be in them.
23. Carolina Panthers: They're 3-4, which means - assuming Atlanta loses tonight - they're a game back in the loss column behind other NFC playoff "contenders."

All this and more tomorrow.

Caps Face New Challenge

Sunday night, the Caps lost to the Blue Jackets in overtime. Not really a big deal. They got a point, and in the first 2 months of the season, the key thing is to maximize the number of points you can get. Yea, it's never good to lose, but the team can certainly bounce back and is still in good shape (only 2 regulation losses in 14 games).

But the bigger story, without a doubt, was that Alex Ovechkin left the game with an apparent shoulder injury. You can read my game story here.

After the game, the big question was: "How long is he out for?"

Naturally, the Caps said he was day-to-day with an upper body injury. If you follow the team, you know that means that it could be anything from a minor foot injury to a season-ending neck injury.

On Monday, the team announced that Ovechkin's injury was an upper body strain and that he was "week-to-week." This was an interesting announcement, considering earlier that day Bruce Boudreau said he could play this weekend and Ovechkin said the injury wasn't serious. So, which one is it?

No matter what, the team has to figure out how to play without the best player in the world. The reigning MVP, Ovechkin was off to one of the best starts in his career - he led the league with 14 goals and 23 points in the month of October. They played the third period without him, and scored 3 goals. But that's a small sample size. Now they have to play New Jersey without their biggest threat and emotional leader. On paper, it sounds like a disaster.

But what if I told you it could be a good thing? You'd say I'm crazy, right? Well, maybe I am, but I think this could do wonders for this Caps team.

First of all, the team is forced to rally and learn how to score the gritty goals that they rarely get. 3 of their 4 goals were what I would call gritty goals. Laich's first one was a textbook rebound goal, his second one was a weak, low shot through a screen by Mike Knuble (who I'll get to in a second), and Quintin Laing's almost-game-winner was pretty much the definition of a garbage goal. As long as Ovechkin is out, the team is going to need the secondary scoring to really, really pick up. Not only do Alex Semin and Nicklas Backstrom have to shoulder more of the load, but guys like Chris Clark, Laich, Tomas Fleischmann, and Keith Aucoin all have to become more dangerous. Ovechkin's 20 minutes a night is going to be filled by someone. But who?

Well, last night, Boudreau ran these lines after the injury:

Laich-Morrison-Knuble
Fleischmann-Backstrom-Semin
Laing-Steckel-Bradley
Clark-Aucoin

If Ovechkin goes on the long-term IR, then they'll have to call up someone. I would bet they call up Alexandre Giroux, who always tears up the AHL but can't stick in the NHL. Personally, I'd like to see a guy like Francois Bouchard, Oskar Osala, or Andrew Gordon get a shot. All three put up good numbers and all add a little something different. But that still depends on whether or not Ovechkin actually visits the IR for the first time in his career.

Another solution is to put Michael Nylander into the lineup. His conditioning stint with AHL Grand Rapids is just about finished. Would they put him in? They don't need another center, but they could probably move some people around and make it work. But based on what the team's done so far, I don't think we'll be seeing #92 in the lineup.

No matter what, the absence of Ovechkin gives the team a chance to learn how to play without their superstar. Too many times have I seen the team get complacent and rely on a great game/play by Ovechkin to bail them out. Now, they're all going to have to dig deep and work harder for their goals. Especially on the powerplay. I really liked what I saw from the Laich-Morrison-Knuble line in the third period Sunday, and I loved that Knuble and Laich were all over Steve Mason on each goal. Knuble's play is such a boost to the offense, and not because he's some dynamic scorer. He just knows where to be when the skilled players have the puck: in front of the goaltender. He's perfected that role and he's definitely teaching it to guys like Laich and Fleischmann. If those guys can continue to step up offensively, it could go a long way to making the team that much closer to being a Cup winner. The secondary scoring is what has been lacking in some key situations/games.

A couple games without #8 out there to score his usual goal(s) may give other players a chance to play more playoff-style hockey; that is, dump it in, work hard in the corners, play good defense, and get the boring, ugly goals that the elite teams can get. We saw it in the third period yesterday and I am interested to see if the team changes up its gameplan without Ovechkin. There's still loads of offensive talent out there, but Semin has been far too cute lately and while Backstrom has played well, he could show just how good he really is by playing well without Ovechkin.

This team is good enough to win the Southeast division, even if Ovechkin misses a week or two. The division is terrible and there is enough talent to end up on top. It's all about learning to play playoff hockey and this is the kind of test a talented, but sometimes immature/lazy team may need to get it going. And while I never like to hear the words "Ovechkin" and "injured" in the same sentence, the Caps could turn it into an opportunity to show just how good they really are.

Revamped Blogging Mindset

I'm ashamed to say that my (our, if I can speak for Tyler) blogging has been quite subpar lately. I didn't even post power rankings this past week (shock-gasp-cry of disappointment). It's a new month, though, and with that I'm going to try to get a post up on this thing every single day of November. You know, except for November 1, which I already missed. Anyway, things to keep an eye out for ...

• A recap of last week's power rankings. I won't bother posting them because most teams have played another game since then. I will go over, though, who moved the most, and a preview of this week's rankings.
  
• This week's power rankings. Where do the Ravens and Broncos fit in after the beatdown in Baltimore? How low will the Giants fall? Are the Vikings completely back?
• A World Series recap when it's over (which might be tonight). Unless the Phillies make a comeback, it will certainly be a disappointing series in terms of game quality.
• A recap of Wednesday's show: It's either going to be NFL midseason awards or an NCAA basketball preview. Either way, I'll recap the action since I know a lot of you can't listen to the show.
  

Any other suggestions, I'll take them. I've posted things like this before and I always get sidetracked. November will be different. I like this blog too much.

As Much As We All Complain, This Series Should Be Good

Let's face it. If you don't love the Yankees, you hate the Yankees. You hate them because of all the money they spend. You hate them because their fans wet themselves whenever they get a two out single already up 8-1 in the 8th inning. You hate them because Derek Jeter (pictured right) is just so freaking good. You hate them because their best player is a cheater you would want on your team every day. You hate them because they represent everything wrong with baseball. You hate them because Joe Girardi is younger than some of his players. The list goes on.

Let's face it. If you don't love the Phillies, you hate them because - after all, they're from Philly. These are the worst fans in the world. THEY BOOED SANTA CLAUS, THOSE JERKS! THEY CHEERED WHEN MICHAEL IRVIN LITERALLY DIED! And even though you think the Phillies are a pretty cool team, you still have to hate them, because, after all, they are from Philadelphia.

All that aside ... if you actually call yourself a baseball fan (and even if you don't), this should be a great series. Think of the pitching match-ups. Sabbathia vs. Lee in an Indian rematch? Hamels vs. Burnett featuring the best number two pitchers in baseball? Pedro vs. Pettitte in a "I swear I'm not too old" game 3? It's great stuff. And who has the closer advantage? Seemingly Rivera, the best closer of all time, but postseason 2009 Brad Lidge is looking a lot like 2008 Brad Lidge.

Then you look at their lineups. Who do you want batting cleanup for you: A-Rod or Howard? You don't know? Yeah, me neither. I see your Teixeira over Utley batting third and raise you a Werth over Posada batting 5th.

Bottom line: I'm sticking to what I said before the postseason started: Yankees in 6. That being said, I would not be surprised for a second if this went 7, and I have the feeling this will be a MUCH better matchup than Phils-Rays last year.

Black and Gold Love

Disclaimer: this is going to be the most homer post I'll ever make in my life, and that's the way I want it to be. It may sound like rambling, but it's something I've always wanted to write out because people do wonder how I can be both a Steelers and Capitals fan. I hope you enjoy it.

When I was younger, I wasn't a big NFL fan. I watched it casually and played NFL video games, but never really felt attached to any team. I enjoyed watching it but would never have considered myself a hardcore fan despite going to a couple Redskins games. The only sport I really dove into was ice hockey. That was until 2004. In that year, the NHL canceled a season. For me, it was devastating. The Capitals had just drafted Alex Ovechkin and I really wanted to see him play. Now, I had to hope the NHL and the NHLPA would agree to a new CBA and I could see my Washington Capitals play again. When the season officially was delayed, I needed to find a sport to watch. So, naturally, I turned to football and the NFL.

Like most kids, I looked to my parents for what teams to like. My dad is from Detroit and is a Lions fan, but is more of a Redskins fan. He isn't a hardcore fan but he watched every Sunday and even went to a couple games. My mom is from Pittsburgh and grew up going to Pitt Panthers football games and watching Franco Harris and Terry Bradshaw. She watched the Steelers any time they were on TV at home.

So, when the NHL canceled the season, I decided I'd become a Steelers fan. I had watched them casually and knew a handful of players on the team and some of the history. My mom and her family (all from Pittsburgh) would teach me whatever else I needed. Yes, it was weird that I would be a Caps fan and Steelers fan. The Caps and Pens had played in the playoffs and were definitely rivals. They still are. Trust me, I hear about it.

Well, I've been pretty lucky. Since 2004, they've been incredibly successful. In 2004, the Steelers drafted Ben Roethlisberger. I had watched that draft and was pretty disgusted at what Eli Manning did. When the Steelers took Roethlisberger, I was really happy: he had an awesome name, he went to a small school that went under the radar, and he seemed like a cool guy. So, as the NFL season began, I watched the Steelers and watched Roethlisberger have a magical rookie campaign. I watched Jerome Bettis have a great season and learned to absolutely fall in love with Hines Ward's smile. I was heartbroken when the Steelers got beat by Tom Brady and the Patriots in the AFC Championship game. It was a terrible way to end a great season.

The NHL may have locked out but the NFL opened up my eyes to a whole world I had barely touched. After that season, I, like so many others before me, fell in love with the NFL. It in no way replaced the NHL: when the season resumed in fall 2005, I watched it and loved the Caps with the same amount of enthusiasim as I had before the lockout. Ovechkin helped. But the NFL gave me another sport to really enjoy, and the Steelers gave me another team to love.

As the next couple years went by, I divulged deeper and deeper into the NFL and the Steelers. I watched the Steelers ride the Bus home to a Lombardi Trophy in 2006. I defended Ben Roethlisberger's touchdown run and subsequently freaked out when he was nearly killed in a motorcylce accident. I watched Bill Cowher finish his Steelers career with an 8-8 season. I went to Latrobe, Pa., for training camp and I visited Heinz Field for the first time in 2006 for a pre-season game against the Vikings. It was more than I ever could have imagined.

The terrible towels, the scenery, the excitement...captured me. It was different than anything I had ever experienced. I walked through Steelers history and saw pictures and videos of Swann, Stallworth, Bradshaw, Lambert, Greene - a whole generation I had never experienced. I felt a little bit out of it. So many Steelers fans had lived that dynasty or had grown up learning about it. I hadn't. The more I studied, the more I watched, the more I wish I could have watched those teams.

In January of 2009, I drove to Pittsburgh to watch the Steelers take on the Chargers in their first playoff game. I had never been to a Steelers regular season game and had no idea what to expect. It was going to be sub-freezing and I didn't really know where to go or where my seats were. Once I got situated, everything changed. I went from feeling like an outsider to feeling like a family. For the first time, I felt like a part of Steeler Nation. I waved my Terrible Towel with 60,000 people and high-fived the random guys in their mid-twenties who sat behind me. I may have left the game frozen, but it was definitely worth it.

Watching last year's team win a Super Bowl was an emotional roller coaster, mostly because the Steelers loved taking every game down to the wire. It was a wonderful experience. I knew Tomlin was a great coach and Big Ben shut up every single critic with his legendary drive. I loved it. The Steelers were the class of the NFL.

And this past Sunday, as I watched Big Ben tear apart the Cleveland defense yet again, I kept repeating to myself the following phrase: I love this team. I really do. I love watching the black and gold play every Sunday and I love everything the team is and stands for. I love the Rooneys, I love Tomlin, I love the fact that the team is such a reflection of the city of Pittsburgh. I may not be from there and I may not have been a member of Steeler Nation since my birth like so many have, but I really love the team.

I can't really put a finger on it, but everything about the team draws me to it. It starts up top with the Rooneys, goes down to the players on the field, on to the coaches, to Heinz Field, and all the way to the city itself. I love the way the offense is run, the personalities they have, the history. I think the defense is the best in the NFL and that Troy Polamalu is the best safety in the NFL. I love the fact that the team produces star linebackers like no other team in history. It's not like I just started feeling this way this week - trust me, I loved watching the team from the moment I started to. But whatever it was, this weekend really made me think about all that's happened the last four years or so.

I'm sure it's normal for hardcore NFL fans to feel like this about their team; I can just about guarantee you that Tony feels this way about the Ravens.

But it took me longer and I usually feel I have to prove myself to people who don't get that I can be a Caps fan and a Steelers fan. It's not orthodox, but I don't care. I love both teams. But watching the Steelers every Sunday, watching Tomlin, Big Ben, Troy, and Hines out there feels perfect for me. And even if the team struggles, I still love watching them. Luckily, there have been few consistent struggles. They'll come, and I'll enjoy following the team just as much.

I'll love swinging my Terrible Towel until the day I die and I'll Unleash the Fury until my voice is gone, and there's nothing that will change that. I'll argue with people who hate everything about the team, the city, and the people for probably the rest of my life. I'll be forced to defend my DC-Pittsburgh fandom for a long time, but that doesn't bother me. My blood can and will run Steelers Black and Gold and Capitals Red.

NFL Power Rankings 2009: Week 7

Oh, baby. We had some movers and some shakers this week, from the top to the (almost) bottom and virtually everything in between. The division rankings have been completely turned upside down. This week also marked just about the first week that you have to factor in fluke games: We know by week 7 Oakland is not better than Philadelphia, nor is Buffalo better than the Jets. Comment and tell me what you think ...

1. New Orleans Saints (last week's rank: 3; change: +1): I said last week that the Saints would leapfrog the Colts if the Saints took down the Giants, and boy did they ever fulfill there. You didn't take Drew Brees in the first round of your fantasy draft why?
2. Indianapolis Colts (2; 0): With games at St. Louis, home against San Francisco and home against Houston, you think Indy is already looking forward to week 10 against the Patriots or what?
3. Minnesota Vikings (4; +1): They're just as lucky as they are good, but you have to be both to be a successful team in this league. Brett Favre has turned Sidney Rice into a star.
4. Denver Broncos (5; +1): Forget doubting whether they're good or not. It's time to start thinking whether they're actually the best defense in the NFL. They're playing like it.
5. New York Giants (1; -4): Obviously, it's no easy task to come into New Orleans and win, so the loss is no surprise. I am a bit taken aback by how easy the Saints made it look, though.
6. New England Patriots (8; +2): Make no mistake. Keith Bulluck is a bad, bad man. Bill Belichick should have thought about that before putting Tom Brady in to start the second half.
7. Atlanta Falcons (9; +2): Their defense is playing just good enough to win games with that great offense of theirs. The playoffs - albeit probably as a wild card - are definitely in sight.
8. Chicago Bears (10; +2): Yeah, I know. They lost. As everyone else around them crumbled, I respected their tough loss on the road during prime time the most.
9. Cincinnati Bengals (7; -2): I don't think the loss to Houston told us anything about this Bengals team that we didn't already know. Of course they're still the Bengals. It will need to take a few more bad losses for me to believe they're not good this year, though.
10. Pittsburgh Steelers (11; +1): They've quietly won 3 in a row and they definitely don't look like they've hit their stride yet. They're clearly the favorites in the North this year.
11. Philadelphia Eagles (6; -5): The Eagles are going to be playing a game this coming week very similar to the one this past week: against a weak opponent (Washington) with a lot to prove after lots of criticism the previous week. Hopefully they don't overlook this one.
12. Green Bay Packers (17; +5): They have to make sure not to overlook Cleveland before the you-know-who reunion part II.
13. Miami Dolphins (13; 0): Their game against New Orleans this week will be fascinating to watch. If they get down early, how much (if at all) are they going to abandon their incredible running game?
14. Baltimore Ravens (14; -2): Is Frank Walker the worst player in the NFL? No? You think Chris Carr is?
15. Dallas Cowboys (16; +1): They have a chance for a huge statement game this week against Atlanta. I wouldn't be surprised if this ends up being one of the games of the week; Dallas, off their bye, should come out fired up.
16. San Francisco 49ers (18; +2): The beneficiaries of a bye week, San Fran gets bumped back into the top half. Who would have thought them and Arizona may actually have an interesting division title race?
17. Arizona Cardinals (19; +2): They can definitely turn some heads if they play with - they don't even have to win - the Giants this weekend. Everyone wrote them off after their 1-2 start but they're 3-2 now.
18. New York Jets (18; -4): Hmm, I don't look so dumb now for having the Jets at 14 last week. With the run support he was getting, a bad performance by Mark Sanchez would have won that game. It just so happens he turned in a God-awful performance.
19. Jacksonville Jaguars (21; +2): They have to feel pretty good going into their bye week at 3-3. If they can keep flying in under the radar, they are certainly a playoff sleeper.
20. Houston Texans (22; +2): Like Jacksonville, the division title is out of reach this year. There's a sixth spot in the playoffs begging for someone to claim it, though.
21. San Diego Chargers (16; -5): Division race over? You would have to think so. I fully expect them to make a late-season charge into a crowded AFC wild card race, however. (Sense a theme?)
22. Carolina Panthers (23; +1): The invisible line has been moved! The Panthers still lead the pack of "so terrible I should be competing for the number one pick" teams but this week they're at 22! Who's the addition to the pack? ...
23. Seattle Seahawks (20; -3): It's Seattle! Sorry, when you lose by 20+ at home to a division rival that's not even that good, you belong in here. I don't care what you did to Jacksonville the previous week.
24. Buffalo Bills (28; +4): You know, at 2-4, the Bills are only a game out of a playoff spot 6 games into the season. Just saying.
25. Oakland Raiders (29; +4): You know, at 2-4, the Raiders are only a game out ... Okay, no I really take it too far this time. If the Raiders make the playoffs I will quit being a football fan.
26. Detroit Lions (24; -2): You forgot just how bad the Lions were last year until you watched them with Daunte Culpepper back in, didn't you? What's that? You didn't watch the Packers-Lions game? ... Yeah, me neither.
27. Kansas City Chiefs (30; +3): Remember when people were talking about the Chiefs being a sleeper team with Matt Cassel as their quarterback?
28. Cleveland Browns (27; -1): Things aren't looking up when your quarterback goes 9 for 24 and it's considered a vast improvement over the previous week.
29. Washington Redskins (25; -4): Jim Zorn, you're being humiliated. End it.
30. Tennessee Titans (26; -4): The Titans have played worse in every single one of their games so far this year. Which was the fluke? Last season or this one?
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (31; 0): How come I can name 3 quarterbacks and 3 runningbacks on this team, but a total of 3 other players on the rest of the squad?
32. St. Louis Rams (32; 0): Fine, I lied. They're not better with Kyle Boller as their quarterback. Do you think they've already conceded the game against Indy this week because they're thinking about Detroit the following week?

Division Rankings: Wow, what a logjam in the middle. One team with a 15.00 average and three others with a 15.25. I broke the tie by giving the division with the best team the highest ranking, and down from there. As such, the NFC now has the best three divisions in football. It is tough to argue ...
1. NFC North (last week: 2): 12.25 average rank amongst the four teams
2. NFC East (1): 15.00
3. NFC South (5): 15.25
4. AFC East (4): 15.25
5. AFC North (3): 15.25
6. AFC South (6): 17.75
7. AFC West (7): 19.25
8. NFC West (8): 22.00

The Runningback Class of 08 Making Its Presence Felt

Last year, Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco got most of the talk about NFL rookies, and deservedly so.
Both took struggling teams and turned them into playoff teams at the most important position in the NFL.

The rookie runningbacks did pretty good for themselves too, though.

Steve Slaton was 6th in the league in rushing yards, with Matt Forte and Chris Johnson right behind him at 7th and 8th, respectively.

This year, things are looking up even more.

Chris Johnson (pictured, left) is the only one in the top 10, but second year runningbacks are scattered across the top 40. Ray Rice is 14th. Felix Jones is 16th. Matt Forte is 20th. Rashard Mendenhall is 26th. Kevin Smith is 27th. Jonathan Stewart is 31st. Steve Slaton is 36th. Once Darren McFadden gets out of Oakland, he's going to be a player in this league. Don't sleep on Kansas City Chief Jamaal Charles, either.

While that may not overwhelm you, keep in mind the NFL is almost exclusively a runningback by committee league, and these guys are still not even midway through their second season. For some, like Rice and Mendenhall, it's not even that because of injuries during their rookie season. Most of these guys, and again I point to Rice and Mendenhall, along with Jones, Choice and Stewart, were brought in to be the change of pace back who will eventually replace back "1" of their two-back system.

There are certainly a lot of great young quarterbacks in this league, but there's a lot of good young runners, too.

NFL Power Rankings 2009: Week 6

The power rankings were actually pretty easy this week; a lot of things seemed to fall into place. The huge mover was the Jets, who I still had optimistically high after their showing against New Orleans. I could have kept them ahead of the Dolphins on the premise of a completely fluke win, but watching that game last night, the Dolphins looked every bit the team that the Jets did. Hope you enjoy ...

1. New York Giants (last week's rank: 1; change: 0): Ho hum, a 37 point win by the Giants. There are a lot of great teams in the league, but starting here is as good of a place as any.
2. Indianapolis Colts (2; 0): I haven't seen a lot of the Colts this year, because they always play in primetime against teams I know they're going to crush. Have they clinched the South already?
3. New Orleans Saints (3; 0): Sorry Colts fans. If the Saints beat the Giants this week in what could be the game of the year so far, the Saints are taking the top spot.
4. Minnesota Vikings (4; 0): Brett Favre has been known to be egregiously confident in his arm. He'll throw it anywhere. That could either translate to a Viking blowout victory this week or a multiple interception day for Ed Reed. Based on the Ravens play this week, the former is more likely.
5. Denver Broncos (8; +3): After hating on Josh McDaniels earlier this summer, he's making me eat my words. I find myself rooting for him more every week.
6. Philadelphia Eagles (9; +3): Donovan sure looked rusty after missing a few weeks, didn't he? (sarcasm) They have one of the fastest wide receiving corps ever.
7. Cincinnati Bengals (13; +6): A truly impressive 3-0 sweep of the AFC North the past three weeks. Carson Palmer is playing some of the best fourth quarter ball you will ever see.
8. New England Patriots (6; -2): New England is really good, but didn't it just look like Denver wanted that game a bit more?
9. Atlanta Falcons (11; +2): That was a beat-down. Atlanta played like it used the bye week very well. With only one loss, they're obviously right in it for the NFC South race.
10. Chicago Bears (10; 0): NBC's getting a good one on Sunday night. Chicago-Atlanta should be a great, high-scoring game.
11. Pittsburgh Steelers (14; +3): They move up three not for how they played against Detroit but for how much better they instantly become now that Troy Polamalu is back.
12. Baltimore Ravens (7; -5): Cam Cameron's lack of mid-game adjustments has crippled the offense two weeks in a row. He gameplans as well as anyone. He's being outcoached during the game, though.
13. Miami Dolphins (20; +7): This is a completely different team with Henne as their quarterback. I still think last year's 11-5 was a fluke because they had Chad Pennington, but with a strong-armed quarterback back there now, it looks like the playoffs are realistic again.
14. New York Jets (5; -9): This is absolutely the pick that most experts would disagree with me the most. They're 3-2, but they've lost 2 in a row, and they lost the first one because of their offense and the second because of their defense. They don't look like the team that beat New England in week 2.
15. San Diego Chargers (15; 0): Not to make too much of a game in mid-October, but who knew that the Denver-San Diego matchup on Monday night would mean 10 times more to San Diego than Denver?
16. Dallas Cowboys (16; 0): They go into the bye week scratching their heads as to why they needed overtime to beat the Chiefs. They have to love getting an extra week to prepare for Atlanta.
17. Green Bay Packers (17; 0): They have must-wins against Detroit and at Cleveland before they "welcome" back you-know-who.
18. San Francisco 49ers (12; -6): Ouch. That was about as humbling of a loss as there is. It's going to be a long bye week for them.
19. Arizona Cardinals (21; +2): You had to love watching Fitzgerald on one side of the ball and Andre Johnson on the other. In the end, though, the Cardinals defense won the game.
20. Seattle Seahawks (23; +3): If you believe MVP actually means the most valuable player to his team, Peyton Manning would obviously win the award. Matt Hasselebeck might be number two.
21. Jacksonville Jaguars (18; -3): In a savage beating, the Jags (number 21) lose by 41 to the Seahawks (number 20). There should really be more separation than this, but they already beat Houston and then you get into Carolina and Detroit. It gets thin down here.
22. Houston Texans (19; -3): Deion Sanders may not make sense most of the time, but you have to agree with him here: Why was Andre Johnson not on the field for either the 3rd and 1 or 4th and 1 at the end of the game?
23. Carolina Panthers (24; +1): Draw an imaginary line between 22 and 23. The 10 worst teams in the league - starting here at Carolina - are all fantastically awful.
24. Detroit Lions (25; +1): In fact, they're so bad that you can lose by 8 at home to a team without its best player and move up one.
25. Washington Redskins (26; +1): In fact, they're SO bad you can lose to an 0-3 team and still move up one.
26. Tennessee Titans (27; +1): They're 0-5. They've lost their past two games by a combined 42 points. And they're not one of the six worst teams in this league.
27. Cleveland Browns (29; +2): You know what else gets you a promotion down here? Completing two passes in a game!
28. Buffalo Bills (22; -6): Tyler, I'm fascinated to hear your defense for Trent Edwards after this week.
29. Oakland Raiders (28; -1): Have you read the allegations on Tom Cable? Oh, only in Oakland. (quote is almost at the bottom of the page)
30. Kansas City Chiefs (30; 0): Will Washington give Kansas City their first win of the season, too?
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (31; 0): I love football. A lot. And you would actually have to pay me to willingly watch the Panthers-Bucs game this weekend.
32. St. Louis Rams (32; 0): Insert Rush Limbaugh joke here.

Division Rankings: The AFC East took a hard fall this week, going 1-3 (including a loss to the Browns.) The rest stayed the same, with the exception of an NFC South/AFC South flip flop.
1. NFC East (last week: 1): 12.00 average rank amongst the four teams
2. NFC North (3): 13.75
3. AFC North (4): 14.25
4. AFC East (2): 15.75
5. NFC South (6): 16.50
6. AFC South (5): 17.75
7. AFC West (7): 19.75
8. NFC West (8): 22.25

The Wild AFC North

Coming into this season, most people predicted the following for the AFC North: the Ravens and Steelers battling for 1st place all season, led by their elite defenses. The Bengals would finish 3rd but play decently and the Browns would finish in 4th, like usual.

5 weeks in, the only prediction that is looking accurate is the fact that the Browns are one of the worst teams in the NFL.

Right now, the Bengals are in first place in the AFC North after beating the Ravens in Baltimore. Yes, in Baltimore. One of the toughest places to win the NFL. They're now 4-1 and would be 5-0 if not for a fluke hail mary. The strangest part of it is that the Bengals have done it behind a 9th-ranked defense (points-wise). This past weekend, they shut down the explosive Ravens offense. They held Joe Flacco to 186 yards passing on 22 completions. The Ravens rushing game was neutralized and they forced turnovers at key moments. And, oh yea, Carson Palmer led yet another last-second, game-winning drive.

The Bengals are looking legitimate right now. They have a good defense, a good running game, and a clutch quarterback. It's early, but you have to respect a 4-1 record and a road win at Baltimore.

Behind them, the Ravens and Steelers are facing some pretty big issues. Both teams are 3-2. Both teams' offenses are showing serious signs of being elite. The big problem for both teams? The defense. Yes, the defense. For the two teams that take pride in having a defense at the top of the league, it's a surprise to see both teams so beatable.

A close examination of both defenses shows that the secondaries of each team are terrible. The Ravens are giving up passing yards like crazy and even gave up a 100-yard rusher for the first time since a Bush was in the White House. Their rush defense is the same it's always been: elite. But they're 25th against the pass. It's a problem area and the Ravens know it. Is it because of Rex Ryan jumping ship? Is it just poor players? The pass rush not getting there quick enough? Whatever it is, the Ravens must fix it soon. They play the Vikings this weekend and have a brutal schedule the rest of the year.

The Steelers are in a similar situation. They're only 14th against the pass, but they're struggling on third down and are still giving up some big plays - especially in the fourth quarter. Since week one, the defense has collapsed in the fourth quarter. Their stats don't look too bad at first glance because they played so well in the first three quarters against Chicago, San Diego, and Cinciannti. But in the fourth quarter of those games, they gave up tons of yards and against the Bears and Bengals, they lost the game in the final seconds due to poor defense. This past Sunday against Detroit, they had tons of sacks and even had an interception, but still gave up tons of yardage and overall was unimpressive. Luckily, Lamarr Woodley and James Harrison combined for 4.5 sacks and were able to hold off a late Lions comback.

But still, the trend is troubling. In key moments, the Steelers defense is giving up big plays and not creating turnovers. Statistically, they're the 5th best defense in yards against. But any Steelers fan will tell you that there are problems. The root of the problems? Two words: Troy Polamalu. The last four weeks have shown just how important he is to that defense. Without him, the secondary is average at best. They have no depth at safety. Without him, they have to drop Woodley into coverage much more to make up for all the ground Tyrone Carter can't cover in Polamalu's place. Without him, they lose their biggest playmaker and turnover machine.

Luckily for the Steelers, Polamalu comes back next week to face the Browns. If he's 100% healthy, the Steelers defense could return to form, which would mean bad, bad things for the NFL. Their offense is lighting teams up through the air (Ben Roethlisberger leads the NFL in completion % at 73.5%) and they may have found a decent running back in Rashard Mendenhall. Still, they have a lot of questions to answer. Will Polamalu be healthy? Will the defense step it up in the fourth quarter? Can Ben keep it up? Is Mendenhall for real?

No matter what, the matchups between the Ravens and Steelers will be very, very interesting. Even if they are shootouts. And even if they are for second place in the AFC North.

3 out of 4 Division Series Wrapped Up

We thought the crazy Twins-Tigers game was going to be an omen for a great opening round of baseball playoffs.

Well, at least it's been great for the favorites' fans.

The only series that hasn't ended in a sweep is the Phillies-Rockies, who play tonight in the freezing cold of Colorado. Other than that, it's been a lot of brooms.

A lot of people thought the Cardinals were a better team than the Dodgers coming in; the Dodgers put that to rest in 3.

The Red Sox were supposed to have the Angels number, right? Surely this was going to be a great series. If anything, it was going to be a Red Sox sweep. Oops.

The only thing that's gone according to plan is the Yankees crushing the spirits - one A-Rod homer at a time - of the Twins.

Don't get me wrong, there's been at least one good game on every day of the postseason thus far. On Thursday, the Dodgers beat the Cardinals 5-3. Thursday saw the Rockies pulling off the upset in Philadelphia 5-4 and the most memorable play of the postseason so far in Matt Holliday's error (brutal still image sequence here). The play extended the game and gave the Dodgers the opportunity to go up 2 games to 0. Friday had the first extra inning game of the series, culminated by Mark Teixeira's walk-off (pictured right) for the Bombers. Saturday we all watched in disbelief as the Dodgers just pounded the Cardinals in St. Louis to complete the sweep. And, finally, the Yanks were just better than Minnesota in their quest to sweep the Twins at the Metrodome.

So while there have been good games, there's only been one (and we don't know how that will end up) good series. One has to assume the championship series will be different. Yanks-Angels especially should be great drama.

National Media Siding with Ravens

I'm in a journalism class where we have to set up a weekly blog. The purpose of said blog is to blog about something - anything - media-related. Naturally, my topic is how the media views the Ravens. I thought I would shamelessly promote the latest article here. http://tonyherman.org/

It's actually pretty interesting because the last time the Ravens played the Patriots in 2007, the Ravens had a lot to say about the officials then, too. After that game, everyone outside of Baltimore was just telling the Ravens to shut up. This time it's a different story.

NFL Power Rankings 2009: Week 5

My bad for not posting too much other than power rankings lately. I have a few ideas lined up for the week to do about one a day until next Tuesday. Here's hoping I can actually get to it. Without further ado, the quite difficult week 5 power rankings (I really felt like a prisoner to my own rules this week; you'll see):

1. New York Giants (last week's rank: 1; change: 0): There just aren't many holes in this team. In what could be a crowded NFC championship race, they have just as many weapons as anyone.
2. Indianapolis Colts (2; 0): While Brett Favre and Drew Brees are getting all the hype, Peyton Manning's having a career year. That's saying something.
3. New Orleans Saints (3; 0): You can really just label them "1c." They've won with passing, running, and now defense. Darren Sharper is the free agent acquisition of the year.
4. Minnesota Vikings (6; +2): If Brett Favre's arm actually does hold up this year, the NFC is in trouble.
5. New York Jets (5; 0): Ugh. Just two weeks ago, the Jets beat the Patriots. Since then, I think New England has gotten their groove back and the Jets' suspect offense has been discovered. Nonetheless, ranking laws are ranking laws.
6. New England Patriots (7; +1): They're just so good at maintaining time of possession. They always could with their short passing game; now they have that and a running game.
7. Baltimore Ravens (3; -4): Things are looking up in Baltimore when you can play a mistake-plagued, horrid-luck game and still come within a drop of winning at Foxboro.
8. Denver Broncos (9; +1): The offense isn't anything special. Overrated. At this point in time, I don't think we can say the same thing about the defense.
9. Philadelphia Eagles (8; -1): The bye week really screws with you doesn't it? I feel like the Eagles haven't played in a month. They have a great chance to be 5-1 heading into their showdown with the Giants.
10. Chicago Bears (14; +4): After the ugly beginning in Green Bay, Chicago has won a quiet 3 in a row. The less you hear about Jay Cutler, the better this team is doing.
11. Atlanta Falcons (12; +1): They took the bye week to hopefully improve their run defense. Huge game at San Francisco this week.
12. San Francisco 49ers (15; +3): Good teams dominate inferior opponents in all three phases of the game. The 49ers did that to the Rams.
13. Cincinnati Bengals (13; 0): I let the Bears and 49ers leapfrog them because of how inept they looked at times against the Browns. They need to learn to play four quarters of football.
14. Pittsburgh Steelers (17; +3): Speaking of playing four quarters of football, it's not like the Steelers to give up all of those late points. The mojo of this team isn't there right now.
15. San Diego Chargers (10; -5): I knew they were horrid against the run, but that was just embarrassing.
16. Dallas Cowboys (11; -5): All of a sudden the Cowboys have gone from the team with all the talent in the world that couldn't get it done to a team that's just not that good.
17. Green Bay Packers (16; -1): The defense isn't that good. Ryan Grant doesn't look that good. The offensive line just looks bad. Aaron Rodgers is the only thing keeping this season from being a disaster.
18. Jacksonville Jaguars (19; +1): The Jags rebounded nicely from 0-2 with 2 wins against divisional opponents. It'll take a lot to catch Indy, though.
19. Houston Texans (20; +1): The Texans played like they were supposed to stomp the Raiders, and they were. This week's game at Arizona may be fun to watch.
20. Miami Dolphins (24; +4): Fantasy note: If Ricky Williams is a free agent in your league, take a look at his numbers. I think you'll be surprised.
21. Arizona Cardinals (21; 0): They needed the early bye about as much as anyone could. With the way San Francisco is playing, they're going to need to turn it around soon.
22. Buffalo Bills (18; -4): That was ugly. Both scoring only 10 against Miami and giving up 38 to Miami are not good things.
23. Seattle Seahawks (23; 0): You gotta feel bad for Matt Hasselbeck and the Seahawks. The NFC West race would be a lot more fun with him in it.
24. Carolina Panthers (25; +1): Perhaps I'm too nice to Carolina, but I just think they have too much on offense to be that bad this season.
25. Detroit Lions (26; +1): Not that I condone giving up 48 points in a game, but I'm bitter at Tennessee, so they get the bump up despite the loss.
26. Washington Redskins (28; +2): You do realize they get Carolina and Kansas City the next two weeks, right? They could be 4-2 at that point. Unless they beat Philadelphia after that, they stay down here.
27. Tennessee Titans (22; -5): Tennessee, I can't rank on talent alone. You're down here with the dredges of the league because you started playing like them.
28. Oakland Raiders (27; -1): Is there anyone in the NFL you would want to play for less than the Raiders?
29. Cleveland Browns (32; +3): Derek Anderson gives them a better shot at winning than Quinn does, that's for sure. Derek Anderson is really, really bad, by the way.
30. Kansas City Chiefs (29; -1): If I'm Todd Haley, I'm convincing my guys this is the week they get in the win column. They're not better than Dallas, but they'll probably play harder.
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (30; -1): Fun fact: The Bucs have dropped one spot for the third week in a row. Does this mean the Rams are getting lucky this week?
32. St. Louis Rams (31; 0): They're playing Minnesota. I highly doubt this is the one.

And, of course, the division rankings. Only one change this week: the AFC North and AFC South flip flop.
1. NFC East (last week: 1): 13.00 average rank amongst the four teams
2. AFC East (2): 13.25
3. NFC North (3): 14.00
4. AFC North (5): 15.75
5. AFC South (4): 16.50
6. NFC South (6): 17.25
7. AFC West (7): 20.25
8. NFC West (8): 22.00

Terrapins Win First ACC Matchup

The Maryland Terrapins sure love to make it interesting. In a game with multiple momentum shifts, missed field goals, and high-pressure moments, the Terrapins came away with their first Atlantic Coast Conference win against the Clemson Tigers, 24-21. Both teams made mistakes at critical junctions in the game and the game swung in the balance for the last five minutes.

"I was working my rosary pretty good," head coach Ralph Friedgen said after the game.

For a team that had lost two consecutive games and was being left for dead, a win against Clemson seemed like a tall task.

Clemson got on the board first with a field goal by Richard Jackson following a muffed punt return by Anthony Wiseman. Five minutes later, the Tigers scored on a touchdown run by wide receiver Jacoby Ford to take a 10-0 lead. It looked as though the Terrapins would find themselves on the wrong side of a blowout for the second week in a row.

The Terrapins would fight back, however, with a 43-yard field goal by Nick Ferrara early in the second quarter. Jackson would kick a 51-yard field goal to make the score 13-3 to put the Tigers up 10.

The Maryland offense would come to life, however, and capped off a 76-yard drive with a 29-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Torrey Smith. Following a defensive stop, the Terrapins would get the ball back with 2:15 remaining in the half and drive 81 yards to take the lead 17-13 into the half.

In the third quarter, Tony Logan returned a short punt to the Clemson 1-yard line to give the Terrapins a chance to add to their lead. Three plays later, Davin Meggett took an option pitch from Turner and dodged a tackler to give the Terrapins a 24-13 lead with 4:27 left in the third quarter.

On the ensuing kickoff, Spiller broke multiple tackles and went 93 yards to swing the momentum back in Clemson's favor. A two-point conversion brought the Tigers back within three points. The two teams would continue to trade possessions until late in the fourth quarter. With less than five minutes remaining, Friedgen decided to go for it on a forth and short from his own 30 yard line. He called for a QB sneak.

"James [Franklin] wanted to go for it. The kids wanted to go for it. I knew our defense was tired, and I went for it," Friedgen said. "I wanted to think about it. I probably changed my mind three times."

Chris Turner was stopped and lost yardage. Friedgen left his defense to face a good Clemson offense already in field goal range. It looked like the game would either be tied or the Terrapins would find themselves trailing with little time remaining.

His defense stepped up, however, and forced a three-and-out by the Tigers. Richard Jackson went out and kicked a long field goal to tie the game. There was one problem: Friedgen had called a timeout right before Clemson hiked the ball. Jackson was forced to try again, and missed.

The Terrapins had dodged a bullet and had a chance to ice the game with a couple first downs. On their first play, however, Meggett fumbled the ball and gave the ball right back to the Tigers. The defense, yet again, stopped the Tigers in their tracks and forced a field goal attempt. Surely Jackson, one of the best kickers in the ACC, would not miss twice from the same spot.

He did. He missed the kick again, and gave the Terrapins another chance to end the game. The Maryland offense, however, was forced to punt after another three and out.

With the ball back and 1:30 left on the clock, the Clemson offense had a chance to march down the field and tie or win the game. After three plays, they were already in field goal range in Maryland territory. On third down, however, Terrapin linebacker Demetrius Hartsfield capped off a 10-tackle day by breaking free and sacking Clemson quarterback Kyle Parker. Hartsfield forced Parker to drop the ball, and, after a review, Maryland had the ball and their first ACC victory.

Still, the Terrapins have problems on both sides of the ball. They had costly fumbles, untimely penalties, and missed assignments.

"I know what's wrong and I'm trying to fix it," Friedgen said. "But it was better today."

The running game also continued to struggle. The Terrapinsonly had 28 total yards on the ground last week vs. Rutgers. Turner was the Terrapins' leading rusher at the half with 7 carries for 31 yards. Da'Rel Scott, who lead the Terrapins in rushing last season and came into the game with 297 yards on the ground, had no carries in the first half and sustained an injury on his first carry of the second half. Meggett ended up with 10 attempts for 29 yards and Gary Douglas had 7 carries for 24 yards.

Defensively, the Terrapins had their best game of the season. Clemson running back C.J. Spiller was held in check (18 attempts for 72 yards) despite his kickoff return and first-year defensive coordinator Don Brown was finally able to use the blitz effectively to stop the powerful Clemson offense, especially in crucial moments in the fourth quarter with the game on the line. Brown saw his defense become closer as a unit and better at running his defense.

"We're really getting comfortable now in terms of guys disguising. We're running the pressures. Even though we only sacked [Clemson quarterback Kyle Parker] twice today, we chased him around all day long," Brown said. He also felt his defense finally put together a solid, full game, which is something he preached all week long.

"The proof is in the pudding. We played 60 minutes today."

(Photo: Washington Post)

NFL Power Rankings 2009: Week 4

There was a lot less movement this week, although we did have one double digit move. Sorry, Pittsburgh, enough's enough. The NFC North made the biggest move of the week, not because they did anything really special, but because I didn't realize the Bengals were actually good when I dropped the Packers so far last week and because there are so, so many bad teams in this league that I had to reward the Lions. With no other introduction needed ...

1. New York Giants (last week: 1; change: 0): That was about as dominant as it gets. They play in too tough a division to feel too comfortable up here, though.
2. Indianapolis Colts (2; 0): Don't you get the feeling when watching Peyton Manning throw to Pierre Garcon that Marvin Harrison's entire career was completely overrated?
3. Baltimore Ravens (3; 0): The gauntlet begins. It doesn't get too much tougher than at New England, home against the suddenly potent Bengals and then at Minnesota three weeks in a row.
4. New Orleans Saints (4; 0): They face maybe the best defense in the league this week with the Jets. If they score at will on them, then the rest of the league will take notice.
5. New York Jets (5; 0): You think they have swagger now? Imagine if they beat the Saints in New Orleans.
6. Minnesota Vikings (8; +2): Brett Favre ... Touche.
7. New England Patriots (9; +2): Atlanta's a good team, so that was a good win. The Patriots need Wes Welker because Joey Galloway isn't working out.
8. Philadelphia Eagles (10; +2): How used does Jeff Garcia feel? They bring him in in case the Kolb experiment didn't work out. It did. Kudos to him for proving everyone wrong.
9. Denver Broncos (15; +6): Eh. They're probably too high. At some point, though, you have to reward wins. I still can't believe how well their defense is playing.
10. San Diego Chargers (12; +2): Philip Rivers is a step below Brees/Brady/Manning, but I do believe he is the top of the second tier of quarterbacks in this league.
11. Dallas Cowboys (13; +2): Conservative Tony Romo just can't last, can it? Either way, they have a heck of a ground game there.
12. Atlanta Falcons (6; -6): A little tough for dropping a hard fought game at New England, but there's a strong crop of 2-1 teams out there. They'll be in the battle for the postseason at the end.
13. Cincinnati Bengals (19; +6): Cedric Benson. What a story. This team wants to win, and it shows.
14. Chicago Bears (14; 0): None of their games seem convincing. I image they'll be hanging around the mid-teens for most of the year.
15. San Francisco 49ers (11; -4): There is absolutely no shame in how they lost that game. Vernon Davis is playing like never before.
16. Green Bay Packers (21; +5): No, they don't deserve to be up 5 for beating the Rams. In retrospect, they didn't deserve to drop double digits for losing to Cincinnati. This is a compromise.
17. Pittsburgh Steelers (7; -10): They have issues. Fourth quarter collapses on defense. Lack of pressure on the quarterback. Patchy offensive line play. Questionable playcalling. That being said, they'll still make the playoffs.
18. Buffalo Bills (16; -2): You already know my thoughts on the T.O. situation. What's more interesting to me is how they incorporate Marshawn Lynch.
19. Jacksonville Jaguars (26; +7): It gets really, really muddled down here. This won't be the first leapfrog between the 19 and 26 spots.
20. Houston Texans (17; -3): Houston being mediocre is about as predictable as Oakland being bad.
21. Arizona Cardinals (18; -3): It's hard to consider a season when you get to the Super Bowl to be a fluke, but unless they put this bye week to good use, I think we can do just that.
22. Tennessee Titans (22; 0): They're not playing good defense, and they definitely don't have the offense to be compensate.
23. Seattle Seahawks (23; 0): Kudos to this team for playing hard with Seneca Wallace at quarterback. It just seems like this isn't Seattle's year for the second consecutive time.
24. Miami Dolphins (24; 0): Can we talk for one second about the fact the Ravens - because they were in second place in the North last year - play the combined 5-1 Patriots and Colts this year while the Steelers play the combined 0-6 Titans and Dolphins?
25. Carolina Panthers (25; 0): You know there are some bad teams in this league when the Panthers are 25th here.
26. Detroit Lions (32; +6): You knew and I knew they weren't the single worst team in the league, but I had to keep them there until they won. I think this is more like it.
27. Oakland Raiders (27; 0): I broke my own rule last week. I just realized that I dropped the Raiders 2 spots in my rankings when they beat the Chiefs. I notice nobody complained.
28. Washington Redskins (20; -8): Albert Haynesworth. Brian Orakpo. Clinton Portis. Santana Moss. Chris Cooley. LaRon Landry. These are good players. How are they so bad?
29. Kansas City Chiefs (28; -1): Their offense is bad, but their defense is worse. A lot worse.
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (29; -1): Have they not noticed that this whole rookie quarterback/rookie coach thing seems to be working? Why is Josh Freeman not playing?
31. St. Louis Rams (31; 0): I'm telling you, they have a better chance to win with Kyle Boller playing than Mark Bulger.
32. Cleveland Browns (32; 0): They just make consistently bad decisions. Hmm, I kind of want to write a post about that now.

Division Rankings
1. NFC East (last week: 1): 12.00 average ranking amongst the four teams
2. AFC East (2): 13.50
3. NFC North (6): 15.50
4. AFC South (5): 15.75
5. AFC North (3): 16.25
6. NFC South (4): 17.75
7. AFC West (7): 18.75
8. NFC West (8): 22.50