Gifts from Steve McNair

July 6th, 2009 9:27 am
by Big Dog

It’s hard to know what to say when one of the greats passes away, even harder when the circumstances lend themselves to all sorts of conjecture and speculation. There are so many aspects of his contribution to football that are worth noting. As a football player Steve McNair was a true journeyman. He played hard, he played tough, he played hurt and most importantly of all, he played different.

In a time when scrambling quarterbacks rolled out or danced about in order to keep the pass alive, McNair looked for space and ran the ball forward. This simple strategy (which can easily be overlooked these days due to its common use) changed the way the game was played. It challenged other quarterbacks to make even harder decisions and to be willing to risk more themselves in pursuit of not just victory, but also the right to lead their teams.

Make no mistake, Steve suffered with his team. He took his hits and kept on playing. He pushed through the pain, and kept doing his job. This attitude also changed the way that defenses played against him. All of a sudden they had to cover another option. A broken play wasn’t automatically a good thing, because if your coverage was good, that probably meant that all you’d achieved was to give McNair space. He also changed what teams looked for in a quarterback. Organisations started to look for more from the key offensive position, they wanted the options a McNair type quarterback could bring.

McNair also had the stats to back up his playing style. His college records for passing yards and offensive yards still stand today. He wasn’t just a different style of quarterback, he was a guy who got the job done his way.

Of course, Steve also made great contributions to the communities in which he lived. Literally a man who was willing to serve others, he demonstrated a real humility in his involvement with various charitable endeavours, from paying for football camps to packing boxes for relief efforts following the Katrina disaster, McNair was always a giving man.

We will miss him, we will miss him terribly, but we will be blessed by his legacy for years to come.

For those interested in acknowledging Steve McNair’s contribution to football and the community, I recommend looking at one of the charities he was involved with.

Posted in Analysis, Baltimore Ravens, Game, NFL, NFL Franchises/Teams, NFL Players, Steve McNair, Tennessee Titans | No Comments »

Vale Steve McNair 1973 – 2009

July 5th, 2009 10:24 pm
by Pro Set

Steve McNair died over the weekend past from four gunshot wounds. Sympathy and prayers are extended to all who were close to the great quarterback. He was a truly great football player.

The details of McNair’s career are well known. I want to focus on two matches that defined his greatest attributes: outstanding individual ability and leadership in the toughest circumstances.

Tennessee Oilers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1998 season Week 10)

This was the first time that I saw McNair in prime time. Jeff Fisher still looked so young. The Bucs had made it to the NFC Divisional Playoff Round in 1997 and already had a reputation as a strong defense. McNair was electric. What struck me most was his decisiveness. He would make a read, and either throw or run.  After the first quarter he continually hit pass rush gaps and evaded open field defenders. Ultimately he won the game on a 71 yd touchdown run into the north endzone. The first instinct to break up the middle differentiated McNair from Steve Young and John Elway. Those 90s legends would scramble out of the pocket, keeping the pass alive, but never threatened to cause continuous carnage as a runner.

Baltimore Ravens at Tennessee Titans (2000 season AFC Divisional Playoff)

By the 2000 season McNair was a national star. His final play Super Bowl slant pass to WR Kevin Dyson was one of the most famous failed plays in NFL history. The Titans were AFC Central Champions and #1 seed. The Ravens were the most fearsome defensive unit, in my opinion, that the game has ever seen. RB Eddie George had been crushed by an early LB Ray Lewis tackle only weeks earlier. McNair’s eyes as he fought for his team are my abiding memory. His courage was exemplary but unrewarded. With the score tied 10-10 in the fourth quarter, K Al Del Greco had a 37 yd FG blocked and returned for a Ravens TD. Then George dropped a pass into the hands of Ray Lewis for an INT TD. McNair deserved better from his teammates that day. To illustrate what he faced, one week later Raiders QB Rich Gannon was embedded in the ground by Ravens DT Tony Siragusa.

As tributes well deserved continue to pour in, our thoughts are with McNair’s loved ones and also with the family of Sahel Kazemi in their time of grief. The loss that we as football fans have suffered pales in comparison. We will always remember McNair as one of the greatest, but we hope that his children will have enduring memories of a loving father.

Posted in Baltimore Ravens, Jeff Fisher, NFL, NFL on television, Oakland Raiders, Ray Lewis, Steve McNair, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans | No Comments »

AFC 2009 Power Previews – AFC South

July 5th, 2009 10:31 am
by Big Dog

AFC South

The AFC South is devoid of massive media markets, but the division deserves some attention. Tennessee, the surprise 2008 champion, faces a quarterback controversy. Indianapolis, Jacksonville, and Houston will all consider themselves to be playoff contenders.

Tennessee Titans

ProSet Proclaims: Jeff Fisher needs his interior defensive linemen to cover the departure of DT Albert Haynesworth in free agency to Washington. DE Jevon Kearse is over the hill. DE Kyle Van Den Bosch has a great motor, but is injury prone. LB Keith Bulluck is a 10 year veteran. If the Titans can’t stuff the middle, last season’s 13 wins will be impossible to replicate. On the other side of the ball, Kerry Collins and Vince Young will dominate the headlines. The miserable performance by Collins in the AFC Divisional Playoff loss means that goodwill is scarce in Nashville. Ten wins would be a very good effort from this staff.

Fearless Prediction: 9-7 with a QB controversy

Big Dog Barks: It’s clear that there are two big questions facing Tennessee this season. The first is how will their defense hold up with the absence of DT Albert Haynesworth. A lot has been made of the Titans’ running game last season and while the dual options afforded by RB Chris Johnson and RB LenDale White are an essential part of last season’s impressive 13-3 record, it’s foolish to ignore the contribution their defense made to that record. It’s simply a lot easier to win games if your opposition are not provided opportunities to score. Defense wins games, and this year Tennessee has a big question hanging over their defense. In particular the defensive line need to have a big start to the season. They need to make a statement in their first few games to remind every opposing team why they should be feared this year. If they can do that, then the second big question the team faces is a little less of a problem… who is their QB? This year will see more competition for attention as Collins and Young compete for starting rights. In reality this issue just won’t matter if the Titans’ defense can’t reproduce their dominance of last year.

Foolhardy Guess: 8-8 with a defensive meltdown

Indianapolis Colts

ProSet Proclaims: I’ve been down on the Colts since they blew my money on the 2008 SNF opener. Tony Dungy, despite being perceived as a defensive coach, has bequeathed poor run defenses even in eras of success. Despite the weekly panegyric to S Bob Sanders, the Colts seem to me to remain weak against the run. DT Raheem Brock is not going to collapse interior running lanes. To beat the Colts in the Manning era, the recipe is simple. Run the ball effectively on first down and shorten the game. Manning will force passes and turn it over. Tennessee has been doing this at least since the 1999 AFC Divisional Playoff. The cross over with the NFC West will provide more wins than tough divisional contests.

Fearless Prediction: 11-5 with a Week 17 loss costing a first round bye

Big Dog Barks: Even with the change in coaching staff, it’s unlikely that the Colts will bring anything particularly new to football this season. Unfortunately for them that probably means that they’ll also bring a season plagued by injuries with them this year. There’s little point in detailed analysis at this stage, if you’re a Colts fan, just stock lots of beer to drown your sorrows, buy stock in your local sports medicine clinic and prepare yourself for the inevitable rebuilding required over the next few years.

Foolhardy Guess: 9-7 with major injury problems all season long

Jacksonville Jaguars

ProSet Proclaims: The small market Jags need a bounce after last season’s 5-11 record. With several veterans departed, including RB Fred Taylor, Jacksonville is desperate to keep QB David Garrard healthy. The passer depth is pitiful. Shunned Rams legend WR Torry Holt will be useless without protection for Garrard. It was no surprise to see JAX select two offensive tackles in the first 40 overall picks. If early season losses arrive, it could be blackout central for the Jaguars market, despite the covered seats. Wayne Weaver will not appreciate the pessimism, but Jags fans, despite Weaver’s marketing efforts, know this will be a tough season. Jack Del Rio bet his career on Garrard. This season will be time enough to judge.

Fearless Prediction: 6-10 with a coaching change at season’s end

Big Dog Barks: WR Torry Holt joins the team as QB Garrard’s primary target and that should help things on the offensive side of the ball. Even so, it remains that the relatively young defensive team is really going to need to step up and get the job done when they’re on the field. The goal for the Jaguars this season needs to be to protect Garrard and Holt, keeping them out of situations in which they need to take major risks. If Garrard can get the protection he needs and the defense can produce some consistently good performances then the Jags might just wind up making some noise this season.

Foolhardy Guess: 7-9 but don’t worry – it’s unlikely anybody will be watching anyway

Houston Texans

ProSet Proclaims: Zero playoff games and a failed No 1 overall QB. It is a bit sad to think that the highlight of the seven seasons of Texans football was their opening game: a nationally televised win over Dallas. The franchise is best known for moments such as last season’s disastrous loss at home to Indianapolis. No 1 overall pick DE Mario Williams will need to pressure the passer, as the Houston secondary is weak. It goes without saying that QB Matt Schaub and WR Andre Johnson need to fire, although you could not pay me enough to be “protected” by the Houston offensive line. Gary Kubiak needs to make that work; otherwise he’ll be another footnote in Texans futility.

Fearless Prediction: 5-11 with Allen Stanford appointed to manage team finances

Big Dog Barks: Last season the Texans continued their lacklustre performance with a disappointing 8-8 record. However, it is important to remember that there were several disruptive factors in the early weeks of the 2008 season, in fact Houston had a great streak in the second half of the season and managed to claw their way back from an abysmal start. If they can improve their consistency on both sides of the ball, but especially become more productive on offense, then this could finally be their year. Most importantly for their offensive efforts is to understand the simple principle of converting yards gained into points won. It sounds simple, but pounding the ground close to the goal is going to need to be a major focus for this team. Victory is founded on this sort of simplicity.

Foolhardy Guess: 11-5 with a surprise draftee becoming an instant superstar

Posted in Analysis, Bob Sanders, David Garrard, Game, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jack Del Rio, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kyle Van Den Bosch, LenDale White, Matt Schaub, NFL, NFL Coaches, NFL Franchises/Teams, NFL Game Previews, NFL Players, NFL schedule, Peyton Manning, Tennessee Titans, Vince Young | No Comments »

50th Anniversary Season for the AFL

June 28th, 2009 10:31 pm
by Big Dog

So the 2009 NFL season also happens to be the 50th Anniversary Season for the original eight teams of the AFL. Of course this will be celebrated in many ways throughout the coming months but the primary format will be a series of matchups being touted by the NFL as “Legacy Games“.

These Legacy Games will involve the original eight teams (or their modern variations) wearing special historic uniforms and will of course provide the opportunity for a great deal more NFL merchandise to be sold. For the die-hard fan of any one of these franchises it will be all but impossible to not buy a commemorative jersey, cap, tshirt, sweatshirt, jacket, cup, cup-holder, giant foam finger and so forth.

Not to appear overly cynical, I think it’s great that the game’s alive and well today, here 50 years later and still going strong, but it does seem to me that the value of any game – “Legacy” or otherwise – can really only be measured in terms of its contribution to the season as a whole.

Why on earth is it more important that the Tennessee Titans Houston Oilers play the New York Jets Titans of New York on September 27 than that Cleveland and Baltimore go head-to-head on the same day?

It’s important to celebrate the evolving history of the game we love, but let’s all remember to keep it in context. And that context is competition. Win your division, win your conference, win the title… but win. It doesn’t matter if you’re facing a legacy team or the high school from the next town over. The game is the game, and it only rewards winners.

So feel free to buy a commemmorative tshirt, jersey, hat, whatever. Just don’t expect it to make one bit of difference to how well your team plays.

Posted in Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Game, NFL, NFL Franchises/Teams, NFL schedule, New York Jets, Tennessee Titans | No Comments »