THIS & THAT FOR THURSDAY
The Raiders have finally pulled the plug on JaMarcus Russell. The #1 overall pick in the 2007 draft has been a major disappointment, I told you a few days ago I think he will go down as the biggest bust in NFL history. Russell's 96 completions on 205 attempts is a league worst. His 2 touchdown passes against 9 interception is also low in the league among quarterbacks who have started every game. He has a 47.7 quarterback rating, the next lowest in the NFL is rookie Mark Sanchez with 66.5. Bruce Gradkowski was elevated to starter for Sunday's game with Cincinnati. If you've seen Russell play, there can be no mistaking his pitiful level of play. His lack of preparation shows in his recognition & checkdowns, he is simply lost in the pocket. His mechanics aren't close to being consistent, why the Raiders didn't get this guy a quality NFL QB coach from the jump is lost on me. You invest over $40 million in guaranteed money & it's like he's been left to his own devices learning how to play the position. It was obvious to anyone when Russell was a senior at LSU, he was woefully under prepared for playing at the next level. His lack of leadership & preparation has fostered a lack of confidence in the entire offensive unit. He had no business being picked that high in the beginning, the Raiders did almost nothing to help this kid & he did even less. This is the worst run franchise in the NFL & that's saying something considering how horrible the Browns are right now.
Miami running back Ronnie Brown will miss the remainder of the season with a Lisfranc fracture to his foot. This is a serious injury for a runner & the Dolphins have made a very responsible decision to put him on I.R. & allow plenty of time for recovery. The Dolphins were a playoff longshot at best & having Brown healthy in 2010 will be big. Miami runs the Wildcat offense better & on more snaps than any other team in the league & Ronnie Brown was the trigger man. Rookie QB Pat White will take more snaps in the formation as well as Ricky Williams, but I can't see the Wildcat being as effective without Brown.
Apparently not everyone in Cincinnati is excited to have Larry Johnson on board. Starting running back Cedric Benson was asked yesterday what Johnson's arrival could meant to the team & his response was pretty surprising. He said "I didn't know I was supposed to be jumping out of my seat or anything. I have no feelings about it." Welcome to Ohio Larry. At his news conference, Johnson reiterated his desire to make the Chiefs pay when the Bengals play them in late December. Too bad Johnson didn't make any of the Chiefs opponents 'pay' when he was running for Kansas City. Guess he can just turn it on whenever he needs it. I have the feeling there are more than a few guys wearing red who would like to have Johnson as the one who 'pays'. Another career malcontent has weighed in on Twitter with his support for the misunderstood former Chief. Terrell Owens criticized his former receivers coach with Dallas, Todd Haley, as the culprit in the demise of Johnson's production. Here's a guy who never accepts responsibility for being in the league top-5 in dropped passes every year, spreads his poison thruout every locker room he's ever been a part of, plays for a team that was expected to challenge for a playoff spot & has exactly one touchdown. The Bills have won one more game than Kansas City with far superior talent. It's a shame Johnson & Owens weren't teammates years ago, I know a lot of people in San Francisco, Philadelphia, Dallas, Buffalo & Kansas City would have preferred it.
UNLV is interested in Dennis Franchione to fill their vacant head coaching position. Franchione has a positive history rebuilding mid-level programs. He started out at Pittsburgh State(Ks) & compiled a 53-6 record, making the playoffs every year. He moved onto New Mexico, where the Lobos hadn't had a winning season in 15 years & he posted 3 of them in 6 years. He moved onto TCU, where he helped to build the program to where it is right now under his former assistant, Gary Patterson. His record with the Horned Frogs was 25-10 plus wining 2 bowl games. Franchione moved onto Alabama for a short stint, left after just 2 seasons, leaving 'Bama fans with real hard feelings. He was canned in '07 after so- success with the Aggies & an 0-3 bowl record. He's better off being a big fish in a small pond. The spotlight at Alabama & A&M was too bright for Franchione, but UNLV might be a perfect spot, a glamorous city & a school without high expectations. If he can turn that program into a 7-8 game winner with a bowl bid, he's got a job for life in Vegas.
Did anyone hear John Gruden's explanation of his new deal with ESPN Monday night during the telecast? He said he would return to coaching at some point. Does Chucky have an out in his new contract that would allow him to leave if Notre Dame comes calling? Maybe, stay tuned.
Because of the lagging economy, diminished donations & having to pay former coach Gary Barnett over $1.5 million a year, Colorado will have a hard time financially if they can current coach Dan Hawkins. Under normal circumstances, he would be history at the end of this season, his 3rd straight losing effort. The athletic department is in real trouble money-wise, currently operating with nearly a $3.7 million deficit. Looks like Hawkins will get another year in Boulder, but recruiting could be a real problem as it's clear he's on borrowed time.
I think the SEC has passed the torch as the best football conference in the land. For the last few years, it appeared the Big-12 was hot on their heels, but not this season. Like the SEC, the Big-12 is also having a down year. Yes, Florida, Alabama & Texas have been the to-3 ranked teams virtually all season, but it's the rest of these conferences that have disappointed. Georgia, Ole Miss, LSU & Auburn, all powers in the past few years, haven't really scared anyone all season. Same for Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State & Kansas in the Big-12. Right now I'd put the top six teams in the PAC-10 up against either conference & I think they'd win a majority of the matchups. Oregon, Stanford, Oregon State, USC, Arizona & Cal all have fielded very competitive teams in '09. I look forward to the bowl matchups to drive this point home.
Today's real name of the day; Jheranie Boyd, wide receiver, North Carolina.
Miami running back Ronnie Brown will miss the remainder of the season with a Lisfranc fracture to his foot. This is a serious injury for a runner & the Dolphins have made a very responsible decision to put him on I.R. & allow plenty of time for recovery. The Dolphins were a playoff longshot at best & having Brown healthy in 2010 will be big. Miami runs the Wildcat offense better & on more snaps than any other team in the league & Ronnie Brown was the trigger man. Rookie QB Pat White will take more snaps in the formation as well as Ricky Williams, but I can't see the Wildcat being as effective without Brown.
Apparently not everyone in Cincinnati is excited to have Larry Johnson on board. Starting running back Cedric Benson was asked yesterday what Johnson's arrival could meant to the team & his response was pretty surprising. He said "I didn't know I was supposed to be jumping out of my seat or anything. I have no feelings about it." Welcome to Ohio Larry. At his news conference, Johnson reiterated his desire to make the Chiefs pay when the Bengals play them in late December. Too bad Johnson didn't make any of the Chiefs opponents 'pay' when he was running for Kansas City. Guess he can just turn it on whenever he needs it. I have the feeling there are more than a few guys wearing red who would like to have Johnson as the one who 'pays'. Another career malcontent has weighed in on Twitter with his support for the misunderstood former Chief. Terrell Owens criticized his former receivers coach with Dallas, Todd Haley, as the culprit in the demise of Johnson's production. Here's a guy who never accepts responsibility for being in the league top-5 in dropped passes every year, spreads his poison thruout every locker room he's ever been a part of, plays for a team that was expected to challenge for a playoff spot & has exactly one touchdown. The Bills have won one more game than Kansas City with far superior talent. It's a shame Johnson & Owens weren't teammates years ago, I know a lot of people in San Francisco, Philadelphia, Dallas, Buffalo & Kansas City would have preferred it.
UNLV is interested in Dennis Franchione to fill their vacant head coaching position. Franchione has a positive history rebuilding mid-level programs. He started out at Pittsburgh State(Ks) & compiled a 53-6 record, making the playoffs every year. He moved onto New Mexico, where the Lobos hadn't had a winning season in 15 years & he posted 3 of them in 6 years. He moved onto TCU, where he helped to build the program to where it is right now under his former assistant, Gary Patterson. His record with the Horned Frogs was 25-10 plus wining 2 bowl games. Franchione moved onto Alabama for a short stint, left after just 2 seasons, leaving 'Bama fans with real hard feelings. He was canned in '07 after so- success with the Aggies & an 0-3 bowl record. He's better off being a big fish in a small pond. The spotlight at Alabama & A&M was too bright for Franchione, but UNLV might be a perfect spot, a glamorous city & a school without high expectations. If he can turn that program into a 7-8 game winner with a bowl bid, he's got a job for life in Vegas.
Did anyone hear John Gruden's explanation of his new deal with ESPN Monday night during the telecast? He said he would return to coaching at some point. Does Chucky have an out in his new contract that would allow him to leave if Notre Dame comes calling? Maybe, stay tuned.
Because of the lagging economy, diminished donations & having to pay former coach Gary Barnett over $1.5 million a year, Colorado will have a hard time financially if they can current coach Dan Hawkins. Under normal circumstances, he would be history at the end of this season, his 3rd straight losing effort. The athletic department is in real trouble money-wise, currently operating with nearly a $3.7 million deficit. Looks like Hawkins will get another year in Boulder, but recruiting could be a real problem as it's clear he's on borrowed time.
I think the SEC has passed the torch as the best football conference in the land. For the last few years, it appeared the Big-12 was hot on their heels, but not this season. Like the SEC, the Big-12 is also having a down year. Yes, Florida, Alabama & Texas have been the to-3 ranked teams virtually all season, but it's the rest of these conferences that have disappointed. Georgia, Ole Miss, LSU & Auburn, all powers in the past few years, haven't really scared anyone all season. Same for Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State & Kansas in the Big-12. Right now I'd put the top six teams in the PAC-10 up against either conference & I think they'd win a majority of the matchups. Oregon, Stanford, Oregon State, USC, Arizona & Cal all have fielded very competitive teams in '09. I look forward to the bowl matchups to drive this point home.
Today's real name of the day; Jheranie Boyd, wide receiver, North Carolina.
Comments