05-06 American Football Topic

[sahyder1]

NY Giants 2005 Eastern Division champs. I called it right after the Super Bowl ended.......all this turmoil in Eagles camp is sure to backfire on them.

[jonnycomelately]

I don't think this latest thing coming out of Eagles' camp is going to keep them from winning the division but I am not as sold as I used to be on them being a lock for it. With Pinkston now out and T.O. taking his ball and going home will put a damper on the whole offense. But as long as McNabb and Westbrook are around and at least one receiver steps up (Brown, McMullen, Lewis) they should be fine. T.O. will play come the season opener and will be the #1 receiver no matter how much of baby he is right now.

[VerbalPuke]

Associated Press

ST. LOUIS -- Chicago Bears quarterback Rex Grossman broke his left ankle early in the second quarter of Friday night's preseason game against the St. Louis Rams and will be sidelined three to four months.

Grossman, who played in only three games last season before being sidelined by a right knee injury, was hurt with 11:08 to go in the half as he threw a pass. After being flushed out of the pocket and being spun around by Trev Faulk, he got back to his feet. While limping, Grossman signaled for a trainer.

He then sat down and grabbed his left knee. He slammed his helmet on the cart before he left the game.

"I began praying as soon as he hit the field," said wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad, who was added in the offseason to boost the Bears' nonexistent passing game.

"Ill be staying with him in spirit and whatever injury it is, I just pray that it's a fast recovery," the former Carolina Panther wideout said.

The Bears used four quarterbacks last year and have used at least three in six of seven seasons.

Grossman was 6-for-11 for 52 yards before leaving the scoreless game. He was replaced by Chad Hutchinson.

"It's adversity, but I think we'll be able to respond well," running back Thomas Jones said. ``Chad Hutchinson is a great quarterback. He proved himself last year and we have some other young quarterbacks who are good, too.

"When one guy goes down, another has to be able to step up, and I think Chad would be ready to do that.'"

The Bears used four quarterbacks last year and have used at least three in six of seven seasons. They could be stuck in a similar predicament this year given that backup Chad Hutchinson is unproven.

General manager Jerry Angelo said in the offseason that he was committed to having a veteran backup on board, but the team passed on Kurt Warner, Brad Johnson and Jay Fiedler.

Chicago was 5-11 last year in Lovie Smith's first season as head coach, losing six of their last seven games with the NFL's worst offense and finishing with more lost fumbles (21) than offensive touchdowns (19). The Bears were ranked last in six major statistical categories, including scoring and total yards.

Grossman was 6-for-11 for 52 yards before leaving the scoreless game. He was replaced by Hutchinson, who led the Bears to their only first-half score on the same drive.

Grossman, a first round draft pick and Heisman trophy runner-up, was 3-3 in the 6 games he started for the Bears over two seasons.

Credit to espn.com

Man, that is rough. I realize that the Bears are a division rival, but I really feel bad for Grossman. I understand the frustration of having a top draft pick suffer a serious injury in consecutive years (see: Charles Rogers). It is good news as a Lions fan, but I hate to see any player lose two seasons due to injury (especially such a young player). Grossman could be back before the regular season is over, but how well can he do when he has barely played in his career?

[GhostMachine]

Grossman being injured could be good for Da Bears, unless their backups are shit and they don't have enough money left to sign someone to fill in.

He was over-rated in college, and threw more interceptions than touchdowns in those 3 games he played for the Bears last year.

Haven't heard anything solid yet, but there's word going around that T.O. might be switching agents. I bet the agent who currently represents him is probably going to be upset with the money he'll be losing by losing him as a client, but happy he won't have to deal with him anymore.

[gunnar hendershow]

T.O. is with Rosenhaus right now, who is the sports agent by which all other sports agents are judged.

And do you remember the Bears last year? Yeah, that's from what I gather their QB situation this year too.

[Guest Takayamanofear]

Well I like Kyle Orton I don't know if I like him that much right now. Maybe the Bears Should be looking at Kitna, McMahon, Wallace or some one along those lines. Grossman' has gotten the curse of Chicago or the curse of Jim McMahon or something.

[VerbalPuke]

Well I like Kyle Orton I don't know if I like him that much right now. Maybe the Bears Should be looking at Kitna, McMahon, Wallace or some one along those lines. Grossman' has gotten the curse of Chicago or the curse of Jim McMahon or something.

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Kitna? Jon Kitna is still a free agent right now? Wow, I can't believe that nobody has picked him up yet. Unless you are referring to them trading for him.

And if the McMahon you are talking about is Mike McMahon (a cult favorite of Detroit), then he is the back up in Philly right now.

[Guest Takayamanofear]

Well I like Kyle Orton I don't know if I like him that much right now. Maybe the Bears Should be looking at Kitna, McMahon, Wallace or some one along those lines. Grossman' has gotten the curse of Chicago or the curse of Jim McMahon or something.

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Kitna? Jon Kitna is still a free agent right now? Wow, I can't believe that nobody has picked him up yet. Unless you are referring to them trading for him.

And if the McMahon you are talking about is Mike McMahon (a cult favorite of Detroit), then he is the back up in Philly right now.

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Edited August 13, 2005 by Takayamanofear

[VerbalPuke]

Well I like Kyle Orton I don't know if I like him that much right now. Maybe the Bears Should be looking at Kitna, McMahon, Wallace or some one along those lines. Grossman' has gotten the curse of Chicago or the curse of Jim McMahon or something.

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Kitna? Jon Kitna is still a free agent right now? Wow, I can't believe that nobody has picked him up yet. Unless you are referring to them trading for him.

And if the McMahon you are talking about is Mike McMahon (a cult favorite of Detroit), then he is the back up in Philly right now.

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Yeah I was talking more about a Trade. I know they are signed but the Bears need a player that can start.

Current Free Agent QB's that I found

Jeff Blake

Quincy Carter

Chris Chandler

Jason Garret

Brock Huard

Doug Pederson

Kordell Steward

Vinnie Testivertie

Maybe Carter but unless you are going to trade nothing is there and Orton is your best bet.

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Yeah, agreed there but Quincy supposedly has alot of baggage attached, which has scared teams off. He is really the only guy worth signing from that list, considering the Kordell Stewart/Chicago Bears experiment has already been a proven failure. Honestly, Vinny might be the best option from that list, but he's as old as dinosaur shit. I figure they may just have to throw a guy like Kyle Orton to the wolves.

Edited August 13, 2005 by VerbalPuke

[GhostMachine]

They should sign Jeff Blake or Jason Garrett, out of the free agent QBs that Takayamanofear posted. But just about any of them, except Vinnie `shoulda retired when he left the Jets' Testaverde, would probably work.

Garrett was a fairly decent back-up when he was with Dallas.

[jonnycomelately]

With the Bears' QB carousel last year, there is no real gauge on what the Bears plan to do in response to Rex Grossman getting injured AGAIN. Last year they went even as far as to bring Jeff George in to the frey. I haven't seen any of Kyle Orton yet (outside of college games of course) but I know for sure that Chad Hutchinson is a bum. And if I had to choose a QB off that list of FA's, I'd probably go with Jeff Blake. He could help some of these young receivers out and I think him and Muhsin Muhammad would be a decent QB/WR combo.

[gunnar hendershow]

I'd say they should sign Quincy Carter despite his apparent drug problems (Isn't this why he got dumped by the Cowboys?). He's a good QB, and young. Maybe they could see how Kyle Orton does also, but this just a bad situation for Chicago.

[jase12881]

I'm excited for the new NFL season and to see what the Detroit Lions can accomplish. Other than my love of music, football is probably one of my only true passions in life.

Anyway, my favorite team is obviously the Detroit Lions. I've always been a hometown boy, and this season wont be any different. I'm really excited to see our three young WR's stretch the fields, which in turn should create room for Kevin Jones to run. My prediction is that out of our three WR's, Roy Williams will make the impact. The circus catches this guy made last year were amazing, and I can see him becoming a bonafide top five WR in the league.

I see similar success for Kevin Jones, and I think this year he will have his name announced as being a Pro Bowler. Having a bit of a re-vamped offensive line, and the ever consistent Corey Schlesinger blocking for him will definitely benefit him. An interesting stat to note, Kevin Jones lead the league in rushing yards during the last 8 games of the season last year. That's plenty of reason for optimism.

The defense looks solid, if unspectacular. The defensive line should continue to be it's consistent self, especially with DE James Hall (our sack leader with 11.5 last year) and Pro Bowl DT "Big Baby" Shaun Rogers. Add in Dan Wilkinson, good depth, and you have a solid line. The LB core is the biggest question mark, while very fast, they are still inexperienced (Earl Holmes being the obvious exception). I'm holding hope the secondary will stay strong this year with Pro Bowl CB Dre' Bly, and recent signing Kenoy Kennedy. I expect Terrence Holt (younger brother of the Rams Torry Holt) to have a breakout year. He has shown a nose for the ball in his limited duty the last few years. The signing of R.W. McQuarters makes an excellent insurance policy in case Bryant or Holt goes down. He can also return kicks should Eddie Drummond go down, which leads me to our special teams.

This will be brief as our special teams have always been very good. Jason Hanson, the longest serving Detroit Lion has been one of the most consistent kickers in the league for a number of years now. Nick Harris, while shakey at times has shown he has the potential to be a very solid punter. The afore mentioned Eddie Drummond is potentially the most dangerous KR/PR in the NFL right now. He made NFL history last season being the only man to return two kick returns and two punt returns for touchdowns. His only problem is his health, but that's another reason McQuarters was signed on.

All in all I look forward to an exciting year from my Lions, and expect nothing less than a playoff appearance.

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[VerbalPuke]

You sound like me during football season. Football season is my top priority throughout the fall. Hell, I even go as far as taking the weekend of the NFL draft off because it's so exciting.

And yeah, I remain cautiously optimistic about the Lions right now. I thought Harrington looked sharp last night, and Williams/Rogers look to be a great tandem if Rogers can hold up for the year. I have no worries about Kevin Jones, as I think he'll be a complete beast this year.

My biggest concern is the defense, and our lack of pass rush. We still don't have a defensive end that can really get in there and disrupt things. James Hall is pretty good with that, but we need another guy to compliment him. Also, I'm not a big fan of Fernando Bryant, the guy plays way too soft. I really hope that RW McQuarters can pry the starting job from him.

[gunnar hendershow]

Well allegedly Boller played terrible in the preseason game tonight.

I was at work so I missed it, but everyone I talked to that saw it said he looked just flat-out terrible. Fortunately our defense apparently played great.

[EddieRuckus]

When I watched the hall of fame game, Kyle Orton looked really good. Him and Bradley(I think that's him, can't remember his name but he's a rookie wide receiver) hooked up quite a bit when they led them to victory over the Dolphins.

Saw a little of that Raven's game, defense looks great.

I'm also very happy to hear that Seneca Wallace looked good in the pre-season, ran 28 yards or so for a TD and passed another one. I'm pretty sure he will be a good back-up for them.(Going to watch it tomorrow.)

[livid]

A win for the Niners starts off the preseason. Alex Smith didn't do that good at all last night, but that was due in part to the lack of offensive line. 4 of their 5 projected starters on the O-Line didn't play last night, but regardless, he needs to learn how to get rid of the ball quicker, because Rattay did well, which was surprising.

The defense looked impressive at times and awful at times as well. I have high hopes for them if they all stay healthy as the linebacking corp, all together, could be one of the best in the league. Problem is, they're constantly plauged by injuries and inconsistent.

The special teams is what gave them the win last night, as well as a solid performance from Rattay. The kickoff team swarmed onto the ball carrier on kickoffs and it was the strong point for them in the game last night.

And from what I saw on the Ravens' D, they look similar to the intensity and complexity of the Pats, so we'll see where that goes.

[Mr. X]

Bears, Blake agree to terms

By ANDREW SELIGMAN, AP Sports Writer

August 14, 2005

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. (AP) -- The Chicago Bears agreed to a one-year deal with veteran quarterback Jeff Blake on Sunday, two days after Rex Grossman broke his left ankle.

Grossman, expected to be the starter, was scheduled for surgery Monday afternoon and will miss three to four months. The injury occurred during the second quarter of Friday's preseason game at St. Louis, when he was flushed from the pocket and twisted to the turf by the Rams' Trev Faulk.

Grossman tried to walk off the field, before crumbling and grabbing his leg in pain.

Chad Hutchinson is now the starter and rookie Kyle Orton the backup. Coach Lovie Smith said that won't change with the addition of Blake, a former Pro Bowl selection.

``I've been saying all along: I feel real good about the guys we have here,'' Smith said.

Blake has appeared in 117 games and passed for 21,656 yards for six teams in 13 seasons. His longest stay was with Cincinnati from 1994-99.

Grossman's injury casts a cloud over the Bears and, for that matter, himself.

This is the second consecutive year Grossman's season has been wrecked by an injury. Last year -- his second in the NFL and first as a starter -- he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in the third week while rushing for a touchdown against Minnesota.

Without him, the Bears finished 5-11 with the worst offense in the NFL. Jonathan Quinn and Craig Krenzel failed as replacements before the Bears signed Hutchinson.

In the offseason, the team brought in veterans Kurt Warner, Jay Fiedler and Brad Johnson for visits but made it clear the Grossman was the No. 1 quarterback. The Bears also brought back Ron Turner for a second stint as offensive coordinator and acquired All-Pro wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad.

The Bears practiced Sunday for the first time since losing Grossman. Hutchinson, who had seen time with the first unit, has a more prominent role. Unlike last season, he has time to learn the offense.

``It's a whole different scenario,'' said Hutchinson, who was 1-4 as the starter last season.

The 27-year-old Hutchinson, speaking before the news about Blake broke, said he wasn't worried about the Bears adding a veteran quarterback.

``Right now, I'm thinking about winning ballgames,'' he said. ``It's out of my control. My focus is on what I do.''

With the addition of Blake, the Bears have some insurance if Hutchinson falters.

But Smith said, ``We need three quarterbacks. Chad isn't looking over his shoulder. He's our guy.''

Source: Yahoo! Sports

So now we know that it'll be Hutchinson, Orton, and Blake. I feel really bad that Grossman isn't able to stay healthy but sometimes that's just the way things go. I wouldn't be surprised to see him axed soon as he just hasn't been able to stay injury free.

[gunnar hendershow]

Well the Bears might axe Grossman if they get the number one pick (And isn't Chris Leak eligible to come out of college this year also?). I think the Leinart competition is between Chicago, New Orleans, and Miami myself.

[Hellfire]

I didn't put this up earlier, but I was watching the Patriots preseason game a couple days ago and their rookie QB, Matt Cassel, is entertaining as hell. I couldn't stop watching him. In the two minute drill he reminded me of Tom Brady, which is what alot of people were saying about him. He would've been a much higher pick in the draft if he didn't go to USC, but I don't mind at all. Hopefully he gets a little playing time during the season.