The Arizona Cardinals are in an interesting (and unforturnate) situation. They are 9-5, good enough for first place in 4 NFL divisions, yet they are currently on the outside looking in for the playoffs. It doesn’t help that the NFC is clearly the stronger conference, with powerhouses such as Seattle, San Francisco, Carolina, and New Orleans all tying up potential playoff spots. Arizona looked to be in for a messy season after a week one loss to the Rams. In that loss, Carson Palmer looked erratic and turnover prone, and many fans groaned, wondering when their team would ever get a franchise QB. Since then, Bruce Arian’s club has been largely sucessful, only losing to Seattle, SF, the Saints, and Philedalphia. The only team there that they really should have beaten was the Eagles. They own a tiebreaker against Carolina if it comes to that, and they embarresed the Colts. In recent weeks, Palmer has stepped up his play and is looking like he did in his prime in Cinncinati. With strong quarterback play, the offense is humming and running on all cylinders. Patrick Peterson is making his case as the number corner in the league-Darrelle Revis looked really bad last Sunday-and John Abraham, Darnell Dockett, and Daryl Washington has really played well. Losing Tyrann Mathieu to an ACL tear will hurt, but the defense has grown together over the season. Arians has done a fantastic job with offense, and this is a team that could end up winning 10 games but missing the playoffs. That seems a little unfair, given that the both the Eagles and the Bears have defenses made out of Swiss Cheese and will be torn up by Cam Newton and Frank Gore. Arizona is a team that deserves to make the playoffs, but unless they get lucky, they most likely will not. It’s unfortunate, but the potential of this team makes the NFC West nervous for the years to come.
Manziel’s NFL Projection
Johnny Manziel is one of College Football’s premier players and is making a strong case for his second Heisman Trophy in a row. It’s indisputable that he is a great college quarterback-the question is whether or not that will translate to the pros. Many NFL scouts are projecting him to go in the second to third round. A good day at the NFL Combine could launch his draft stock into the first round. Of course, this is all assuming that he decides to declare for the NFL Draft after his sophmore season.
Manziel’s supporters point out the fact that he was the first true freshman to win the Heisman in a breakout year and Texas A&M that included a victory over eventual nation champion Alabama. Manziel’s speed, quick release, and accuracy are all factors that work in his favor. His deep ball has improved quite a bit in his sophomore season. At 6’2, size is not a pressing concern. He is a proven winner and has performed well in the clutch in the past.
However, Manziel’s detractors point out quite a few flaws and raise compelling questions. Manziel frequently gains huge yards on broken plays. He’ll run around behind the line of scrimmage for 10 seconds before finding a broken coverage and zip it to his suddenly wide open wide receiver. NFL defensive backs are too smart and fast for this to happen, no to mention the fact that he won’t be able to elude NFL defensive linemen so easily. There are also questions about how Manziel will fare in the NFL without his big possession receiver, Mike Evans. Manziel relies heavily upon him, and if he ends up on a rebuilding team, Manziel will have little in the means of open receivers. Manziel also needs to learn to slide more and play smarter, if he continues to play recklessly he will get injured often and may end up having a tough season like the one RG3 is currently enduring. Some scouts also point to Manziel’s perceived arrogance, indicating that he might not want to play for a rebuilding team or ride the bench.
Manziel is not a complete quarterback prospect, nor a guy who can start for you day 1. He will need some time to learn the ins and outs of the pro game, and he will need to make big strides in his decision making if he wants to last in the NFL. That being said, Manziel is a solid draft choice for a few teams.
Best Teams: Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears.
In Arizona, Manziel would have his possession receiver in the ever reliable Larry Fitzgerald and a solid second option in the exciting Michael Floyd. Arizona’s run game looks promising and the defense can turn in dominant performances. Offensive minded Head Coach Bruce Arians would be extremely helpful in Manziel’s development and the team can always turn to veteran Carson Palmer if Manziel struggles. He could potentially be their franchise quarterback with the proper coaching. If he’s available in the second round, they should pull the trigger. The offensive line should be addressed in the first round for Arizona.
The Bears have a plethora of offensive weapons in Ashlon Jeffrey, Brandon Marshall, and Matt Forte. With a Jay Cutler contract situation looming, Manziel could sit behind Cutler in 2014 and take over the reins in the following year. Marc Trestmen has done a fantastic job in revitalizing Chicago’s offense, and he seems to be a good fit to mold Manziel into a pro ready quarterback. Manziel is in optimal position to succeed with either of these two teams.
Worst Teams: New York Jets, Houston Texans
The media, especially ESPN, loves to hate the Jets, and loves to hate Manziel. Manziel on the Jets? Oh boy. In an already tumultuous quarterback situation involving Mark Sanchez and Geno Smith, Manziel might have to see the field before he is ready. Also, what would it say about the franchise’s faith in Smith, their proposed franchise QB? The New York Media would eat Manziel alive, labeling him a bust after one bad game. Rex Ryan is a good head coach, but he is naturally a more defensive minded coach. The Jets offensive has sputtered lately, and it would be tough for any quarterback to succeed with the Jets’ depleted offensive weapons.
The University of Houston and Texas A&M have a major rivalry. With Manziel’s first mistakes the fan base would be calling for hometown hero and college legend Case Keenum. The fans allow their quarterbacks a short leash, turning on Matt Schuab after a few bad games, forgetting everything he has done for the franchise, where the real blame lies with Head Coach Gary Kubiak for not allowing him to audible. With the fans predisposed to dislike him and competition with Case Keenum, I can’t see it ending well for Manziel in Houston.
What we know about the NFL after Week 10.
Some important notes about the NFL 10 weeks into a bizzare season.
1. The Chiefs are for real.
Led by a swarming defense, the Chiefs have vaulted themselves to the NFL’s lone undefeated team. The pass rush is unparalled, and the secondary is led by two standout corners in Marcus Cooper and Brandon Flowers, and a ball hawking safety in Eric Berry. On offense, Jamaal Charles is the most productive running back in the NFL right now and Alex Smith is managing the game excellently.
2. Peyton Manning still has it.
This is ridiculous. 33 touchdowns to 6 picks after just 10 weeks. Working with a talented trio of receivers in Wes Welker, Eric Decker, and Demaryius Thomas, nobody can slow down the Bronco’s passing attack.
3. The NFC East stinks.
Somehow, the Giants, who started the season 0-6, are right back in the thick of it in the hopelessly mediocre division. The Cowboys will always finish 8-8, Philedalphia has a explosive offense but a poor defense, and Washington just really isn’t that good. If Eli Manning cuts down on his mistakes and they get a consistent running game out of Andre Brown, the Giants could claw their way back right into the race.
4. Russel Wilson>Colin Kaepernick
It was a often debated topic in the offseason, as a heated rivalry emerged between the Seahawks and Niners and their young, explosive QB’s. Kaepernick was lights out week 1, carving up a Green Bay secondary decimated by injuries. Since then, he’s been mediocre at best and awful at worst. During the 49ers 5 game win streak, he attempted under 20 passes a game and failed to reach 200 passing yards, the team riding on its suffocating defense and powerful ground game. In the 49ers 3 losses, he’s been horrible, throwing for just 91 yards in his latest game and throwing a pick to seal the game during a critical drive in which they needed to get into field goal range. Against the Colts he was ineffective, and he had a nightmarish game in Seattle as just looked plain lost against Seattle’s ferocious defense. Wilson, meanwhile, has been precise, accurate, and a headache for opposing defenses as he has dragged the Seahawks to victory in several games that they were poised to lose. He has managed to get accurate throws off behind a horrific offensive line that has done a poor job protecting him from serious pass rushing threats. Wilson is undoubtabley the better QB here and is the main reason the ‘Hawks sit at 9-1.
5. Case Keenum is not a system QB.
Despite being one of the greatest College Football quarterbacks ever, NFL scouts were unimpressed due to the fact that he played in a weak conference in college and was featured in an air raid offense designed to rack up passing yards. Since he’s taken over as the starter due to a Matt Schuab injury and ineffectiveness from TJ Yates, Keenum has thrown 7 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. He impressed in keeping the injury plauged Texans in a dogfight with the dominant Kansas City Chiefs, and he has quickly developed Chemisty with star receiver Andre Johnson. Coupled with his readiness to chuck it up deep down field, good mobility, and solid accuracy, the Texans look like they have their QB of the future.
6. Tavon Austin is really, really, fast.
There was nobody that could keep up with the speedy rookie wide receiver, as the Rams rode the wave of his 300+ total yards to a victory over the talented Colts. Watching the replay, his speed is straight up ridiculous. The rookie was highly touted in the draft and has taken a few weeks to acclimate to the NFL, but he’s got a bright future.
7. The Falcons are no longer among the league’s elite.
The Falcons started 8-0 last year and made it to the NFC Championship game behind an dominant passing attack. This year, they have been ravaged by injuries to both Roddy White and Julio Jones, and the lack of a ground game has stalled this once-dominant offense. The Falcons may be back next year, but they will need more consistency out of their defense.
8. Geno Smith is better than Mark Sanchez.
Well, we hope. Many people forget that Mark Sanchez took the Jets to the AFC Championship game in each of his first two seasons, and it wasn’t until his third season that he began to regress. Geno has better mobility than Sanchez, and the ability to make a highlight reel play at any time, but he struggles with consistency and typical rookie mistakes. All in all though, not back for a rookie second round draft pick in his first season. Hopefully the sucess sticks, but the jury is still out,
Credit for the image goes to: http://www.espn.go.com
Russel Wilson has been electric this year. Credit for the image goes to sports.yahoo.com
Case Keenum might be the long term answer for the Texans. Credit for the image goes to: houson.culturemap.com
Geno Smith led the Jets to an impressive win over the rival Patriots. Credit for the image goes to: http://www.jetsgab.com
Ranking all 32 of 2013’s QBs
A quarter of the way into the season, and there have been many suprise teams and a few dissapointing ones. My rankings are not on these player’s overall careers, just this season. So if you’re shocked that I have a 3rd year player ahead of Tom Brady, it’s not because I believe Brady is an inferior player, it’s just that he may have had a slow start to 2013. It’s also not a complete reflection of the team: No one is arguing that Jacksonville isn’t the worst team, but Blaine Gabbert might not be the worst quarterback.
32. Mike Glennon, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Well, the rookie 3rd round pick played in his first NFL game this weekend after coach Greg Schiano benched Josh Freeman, who was once projected to be Tampa Bay’s franchise quarterback. Glennon certainly didn’t impress, and he made a critical mistake in throwing a late interceptionto Patrick Peterson. The sample size is really too small to say anything more.
31. Blaine Gabbert, Jacksonville Jaguars.
He had an awful Week 1 and all Chad Henne had to do was play competent to take the starting job, and he failed to do that. Gabbert is certainley not good, but he’s been hurt from some boneheaded plays from his wide receivers and an O-line with more holes than a slice of swiss cheese. Gabbert is not as bad as his stats, but he hasn’t played very well either.
30. Christian Ponder, Minnesota Vikings.
According to coach Leslie Fraizer, he’s the starter. That might change after Matt Cassel led the Vikings to their first victory this season and got the endorsement of Adrian Peterson. Ponder’s main job consists of handing the ball off and he has passed poorly en route to 2 td’s and 5 interceptions.
29. Geno Smith, New York Jets.
The Jets went ahead with Geno as their starting QB despite him cleary not being ready. To be fair, he hasn’t been horrible and has the Jets sitting at .500, which is more than Mark Sanchez could say last year. There have been rookie mistakes and there is certainly room for improvement, but he should give Jets fans hope, and quite frankly I’m sure they’d take pretty much anyone over Sanchez at this point.
28. Brian Hoyer, Cleveland Browns.
Hoyer led the Browns to 2 wins over 2012 playoff teams, and that is an encouraging sign. However, he did throw 3 picks in his first game and he’s only played in 2 games this year. Hoyer is a much better option than Brandon Weeden, but Hoyer needs to go up against a team with an elite pass rush and deliver consistently to move up on my list.
27. EJ Manuel, Buffalo Bills.
EJ was the first quarterback taken in this year’s draft, and last week he led the Bills to a win over the defending Super Bowl champion Ravens. His 3 fumbles are concerning, but he’s been the most impressive rookie QB this year and looks to be a solid player the Bills can build around.
26. Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams.
I don’t believe Bradford is a draft bust. He excelsin a high-tempo offense and that is not what the Rams are running. He has no run game to support him, and until the Rams decide to build their system around him, he’s going to have a tough go of it in St. Louis after his sucessful rookie season. One knock on him is his injury history, and his consistency is a bit worrying.
25. Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens.
Despite being at the helm of the Super Bowl Champions last season, Flacco is one of the most overrated quarterbacks in my opinion. He threw 5 interceptions last week in a losing effort to a Bills defense missing it’s best secondary player and one of the best safeties in the league in Jarius Byrd. Flacco has thrown too many picks this year and is struggling without Anquan Boldin and Ray RIce. Rice had just 5 carries last week and should return to form, but Boldin has gone to San Francisco. Flacco is a slightly above average quarterback, nothing more.
24. Carson Palmer, Arizona Cardinals.
The Cardinals have a Hall of Fame wide receiver in Larrry Fitzgerald and an exciting young receiver in Micheal Floyd playing opposite him, yet Palmer has failed to produce like they had hoped. Palmer hasn’t been the same since he hurt his elbow when he was with Cininnati. Despite his early struggles, Palmer is still a much better option than anyone Arizona has employed since the departure of Kurt Warner.
23. Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals.
Dalton was impressive as a rookie and is clearly the Bengals quarterback of the future, yet he has struggled a little bit this season. His ceiling projects to a solid QB but not a spectacular one. Dalton has an elite receiver in AJ Green but fails to conncect with him at times and struggles on the deep ball. He has been fairly solid with turnovers and will not be a liability at quarterback.
22. Matt Schuab, Houston Texans.
Schuab works with an incredible receiving corps and had a solid first half in the game against Seattle, resulting in a 17 point lead at halftime. But the second half was terrible. They allowed Seattle to catch up and in a situation where they should have been playing it safe, Schuab threw a pick 6 to Richard Sherman to tie the game up, and they lost it in overtime. The game was concerning to the Texans coaching staff, and the considerable talent on this team may be wasted if they continue to blow big leads.
21. Terelle Pryor, Raiders.
I may have Pryor ranked a bit higher than he should be here, but he showed some real poise in his first game against the Colts and has shown he is the fastest quarterback in the NFL. Pryor has had some growing pains, as expected, but has a bright future.
20. Robert Griffin the third, Washington Redskins.
RG3 has looked like a differnt player out there, and not in a good way. By forbidding him to run, coaches have limited a huge part of his game. He looks timid and looks like he is still unsure about his surgically repaired knee. His throwing motion is worse, but not so much that it isn’t correctable. Hopefully he will figure it out as he gets more comfortable with his Roboknee.
19. Jake Locker, Tenesee Titans.
Locker was finally starting to play into his potential when he went down last week with what looked like a gruesome hip injury. Thankfully the injury wasn’t season ending, and he could be back in 4-6 weeks. Locker was playing well and is a talented young QB that will be intergral to this improving Titans team.
18. Eli Manning, New York Giants.
The 0-4 start by the Giants is not Eli’s fault. Offensive Coordinator Kevin Gilbride needs to go and he’s had absolutely no help in the running game. David Wilson and Da’Rel Scott have both been so bad that they felt it was necessary to sign an over-the-hill Brandon Jacobs. Eli was leading a nice drive in week 1 when an easily catchable pass bounced off Scott’s hands and was picked off for a touchdown. The O-line has been awful, but when you start a weak 0-4 and get beat down by the Panthers, the quarterback has to take some blame. Eli needs to cut down on his interceptions, which seems to be said every year.
17. Ben Rothliesberger, Pittsburg Steelers.
Rothliesberger is pretty much the only decent player the Steelers have right now, though rookie running back Le’Veon Bell looked good against the Vikings. Big Ben was leading a nice drive when he was sacked by Jared Allen to seal the game. Things don’t look good in Pittsburg this year, but don’t look to Rothliesberger as a scapegoat.
16. Michael Vick, Philedaphia Eagles.
Vick looked great Week 1 in Chip Kelly’s new offense, but has been mediocre since. Vick has managed to keep turnovers to a minimum, and needs to continue to do so if the Eagles want to compete in the NFC East.
15. Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys.
Romo has really played well this year, despite the 2-2 record. Romo is off to his best start of his career and could turn in the best year of his career if he stays healthy. Dez Bryant is a top receiver in the league and Jason Witten is an elite tight end, giving Romo plenty of offensive weapons to work with.
14. Ryan Tannehill, Miami Dolphins.
One of the biggest suprises this year has been the Dolphins and there rise to prominence. They acquired elite WR Mike Wallace and Tannehill has thrived in the new offense. He showed flashes of his considerable potential last year but he has improved his decision making and accuracy this year, and is really coming along nicely into a franchise Quarterback. He folded a little bit against the Saints, but how he comes back will be an indication of the type of player he really is.
13. Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers.
Newton’s been mostly mistake free but he is being limited by head coach Ron Rivera, who is making a huge mistake in doing so. Newton needs to be set free and needs to lead this young Carolina team that is growing into a contender. Newton’s considerable talent and improvement on turnovers lands him this spot.
12. Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears.
Cutler was playing very well this year during Chicago’s 3-0 start, but stumbled a bit with 3 interceptions against the Lions. Cutler is the x factor in this Chicago offense, and if he plays well the Bears are poised to make a deep playoff run.
11. Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions
Stafford is playing football at a high level and looks crisp and accurate with his passes. This is the quarterback Detroit was hoping for when they drafted him.
10. Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts.
Luck has continued to play well in his second year. He beat up on a bad Jaguars team but also led the Colts on an impressive win over the 49ers, outplaying Colin Kaepernick. Luck has the arm strength, moblity in the pocket, accuracy, and decision making to be an all time great.
9. Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers.
This season we’ve seen good Kap and bad Kap. Good Kap was the one that diced up the Packers defense through the air, and converted on several key 3rd downs and passed well on his way to a 35-11 win. Then there is bad Kap, who got schooled by the Colts and Seahawks defense, and was outclassed by Russel Wilson. Hopefully last weeks game is an indication of what CK7 is all about.
8. Russel Wilson, Seattle Seahawks.
Russel Wilson beat the Texans on the ground last week and beat the 49ers two weeks before that in the air. One of the premeir dual threat QB’s in the league, Wilson is a nightmare for opposing defenses. His modest passing numbers are the only reason he is not ranked higher.
7. Alex Smith, Kansas City Chiefs.
KC brought him in to play mistake free football, and although his turnovers last week were concerning, Kansas City has already doubled their win total from last year and they look to be for real, and a lot of that is thanks to Alex.
6. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons.
The Falcons are not the same as last year, but Ryan continues to make his push to be one of the elite QB’s in the league with his play this year.
5. Phillip Rivers, San Diego Chargers.
Rivers was considered as the nex QB to make the leap to elite a few short years ago, but interceptions and poor timing led to a 2 year fall off. Rivers improved his release time and accuracy, and is playing like a stud so far this season.
4. Tom Brady, New England Patriots.
It’s crazy to think how bad this team would be without him. He’s been hurt by drops and inexperienced receivers. Brady is carrying this team, and he showed he still has it by out dueling Matt Ryan last week.
3. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers.
Rodgers had a suprising amount of trouble in a 34-30 loss to Cincinnati, but he played excellent football in his previous 2 games before that, and with his track record, be assured it’s just a blip in the radar.
2. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints.
In any other year, Brees would top this list. He is absolutley decimating defenses, picking them apart with ease. It feels like could thread the football through a pinhole right now.
1. Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos.
Well, Peyton Manning is in the discussion for greates quarterback of all time, and it seems he only gets better with age. 16 tds, no picks through 4 games. That’s the most touchdowns through the first 4 games and the most touchdowns without an interception in NFL history. At his current pace, he would rewrite the record books in almost every passing category. Peyton Manning could be turning in the greatest season from a quarterback ever.
Pigskin and Pine Tar 