Tennessee Titans Morning Links: Ochocinco Getting Smoked For A Good Cause Edition
by August West on Jan 18, 2010 10:21 AM CST
in Tennessee Titans Links
47 comments
In this week' installment of 'Who in the world wants to race Chris Johnson' Chad Ochocinco offers himself up as the sacrificial lamb. The noble twist is that the race would happen around the Pro Bowl, and the loser would donate their $40K Pro Bowl check to the Hatian relief effort. Still, Ocho couldn't help but provide a little comedy relief, even if it was unintentional:
The first "chrisjohnson" Ochocinco addressed on Twitter wasn't the NFL star but a guy in St. Paul, MN with 42 followers. Ochocinco almost certainly could have won that race. As for a sprint against the other Chris Johnson, I'm not so sure.
Jim Wyatt looks into the enigma that was Jared Cook's rookie campaign. Apparently the story is still that the high ankle sprain threw the youngster off so far that he never really could get back on track and supplant the veterans in front of him on the depth chart. Combine that with a late-season concussion, and it was all-around a shadow of the year we all expected after he lit-up teams in the preseason.
You gotta credit LenDale for saving a little face here, but I honestly hope he's headed to Seattle to reunite with his college coach Pete Carroll. I bet he'd be happy there and they need people who know how to play football.
Brett Kern definately seemed to lock-up the punting duties for 2010 by the end of the year with some increasingly steady performances as both the punter and holder. A lot of that improvement probably came from some close mentoring from Craig Hentrich, who is expected to retire this off-season despite kind words of hope from everyone around the facility.
That's about if in Titans news, but follow us through the jump for NFL notes...
PFW Draft Guru Nolan Nawrocki ranks the top underclassmen talent that should be available for the 2010 draft which follow the theme we're seeing in many other draft lists: a plethora of talent on the defensive side of the ball, and specifically in the front seven. Like Jimmy posted this weekend, that's a crucial development that all Titans fans should be hoping holds true.
Gotta love the Jets for knocking off the whiny, poorly-caoched Chargers.
Reports out of Philadelphia are that veteran running back Brian Westbrook is close to hanging it up after sustaining the 1,000,000th injury of his career. Westbrook has been one of the great scat-backs in league history when healthy, but unfortunately nobody can remember a time when he was healthy.
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It's shaping up for Indy to win it all... I hate that
T-Rac's Posse - T-Rac is one boss raccoon.
My personal Tribute to Air McNair
by T--Rac's Posse on Jan 18, 2010 10:46 AM CST reply actions
The Saints also could win...
or the Jets…
I’m an early bird and a night owl. So I’m wise and I have worms.
by DonFrancisco on Jan 18, 2010 11:45 AM CST up reply actions
if the jets can make the team that was supposed to knock off indy...
look as bad as they did, they can do it to indy too.
"hey, quit reading these ridiculous words of wisdom and get back to work!"
As long as Rex Ryan is the coach
I neither “gotta” or “do” love the Jets.
by TNTitans on Jan 18, 2010 11:30 AM CST reply actions 4 recs
Yes. Rec'd
T-Rac's Posse - T-Rac is one boss raccoon.
My personal Tribute to Air McNair
by T--Rac's Posse on Jan 18, 2010 11:59 AM CST up reply actions
Colts chances and Westbrook....
I think the Colts will definately come to play against the Jets, but can you imagine the headlines if they lose to the team they allowed to make the post-season? I can tell you, after they pulled the starters, the “fans” around here went nuts. Many claiming they wouldn’t support the team anymore. Of course, they’re strangely silent now….
It’s a shame about westbrook. I hate it when guys have injury problems like he has. I don’t care for the Eagles at all, but it would have been nice for him to stay healthy. Seems to be a pretty smart, team oriented guy.
TN Sports fan in Hoosier Country....
Definitely
hoping a good LB and/or DE is taken, but I’d also like to see a good proven corner picked up in free agency. We have some young corners already, makes sense to grab a veteran to replace Harper.
I doubt we keep both Crump and Scaife, so opportunity should be there for Cook next year.
Think we will keep Scaife because of VY
But I will miss people getting crumped by alge’s girth
by danomite on Jan 18, 2010 12:38 PM CST via mobile reply actions
Sciafe will be too much buck for the bang.
I expect Scaife to go, and KC and VY to get more frugal contracts.
Frankly, I hope it happens and that said savings is put towards a vetearn #1 WR, and some defensive help (maybe a Returner, too)..
Defense, defense!
"Bite my shiny metal ass!" -- Bender Bending Rodriguez
"Life is just one crushing defeat after another until you just wish Flanders was dead."
by The Jade Scorpion on Jan 18, 2010 1:55 PM CST up reply actions
which veteran #1 WR?
Those aren’t easy to come by
T-Rac's Posse - T-Rac is one boss raccoon.
My personal Tribute to Air McNair
by T--Rac's Posse on Jan 18, 2010 2:14 PM CST up reply actions
What is Boldin's
contract status?
In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and is widely regarded as a bad move.
by pound the rock on Jan 18, 2010 2:50 PM CST up reply actions
I worry about Boldin's health.
Just find a way to draft Dez Bryant. Maybe his suspension drops him far enough that we could get lucky. Kid is going to be a stud.
Better than Britt?
T-Rac's Posse - T-Rac is one boss raccoon.
My personal Tribute to Air McNair
by T--Rac's Posse on Jan 18, 2010 3:09 PM CST up reply actions
Yes. Better than Britt.
Talent evaluation is always tough. And, if I had all the answers, I’d be in a front office somewhere. But, to me, he looks as good coming out of college as Larry Fitzgerald and Calvin Johnson did.
That may be true
Problem is, my memory gets fuzzy after a year or so. Wasn’t it 2007 the last time we saw him play?
I jest. I’m just saying it’s even tougher to evaluate him because he missed the whole season.
T-Rac's Posse - T-Rac is one boss raccoon.
My personal Tribute to Air McNair
by T--Rac's Posse on Jan 18, 2010 3:20 PM CST up reply actions
He played last year.
Look at these stats…
87 catches. 1480 yards. 17 YPC. 19 TDs. That’s from his sophomore year.
This year he played three games, and got suspended. I really don’t think he did anything wrong other than lie to the NCAA about training with Prime Time. Even then, I think it was more out of fear than anything else, but that’s speculation.
Furthermore, talent always prevails. Look at how well Crabtree played after sitting out half of a year. You can re-coach, and re-condition, but you can’t teach someone to be 6-2, 220, with 4.55 speed, and ENORMOUS hands.
I'm not disagreeing that he is good
I am just saying it’s harder to evaluate him since he missed a year. And to take yet another WR in the first round, I mean what are we? the Detroit Lions? Wide Receiver isn’t a position we need help at.
I know it’s unlikely, but what happens if Dez Bryant is a bust? Or what if he is just mediocre and is essentially the equivalent of Justin Gage, but costs more money? Then we have wasted a 1st round pick on a position we didn’t really need in a year we also are missing our 2nd round pick. I see no need to take him, and I don’t think he is a guaranteed lock because nobody is at Wide Receiver. We gotta go defense.
T-Rac's Posse - T-Rac is one boss raccoon.
My personal Tribute to Air McNair
by T--Rac's Posse on Jan 18, 2010 3:38 PM CST up reply actions
and trade down, if possible (and probable)
T-Rac's Posse - T-Rac is one boss raccoon.
My personal Tribute to Air McNair
by T--Rac's Posse on Jan 18, 2010 3:39 PM CST up reply actions
It's just a different philosophy.
And, one that I think this front office and I agree on. With the exception of one position, quarterback, I’d always suggest drafting by the best available player, especially in the higher rounds. There are a few guys in this draft that I’d take because there are good indications that they could be dominant NFL players. Suh, Berry, Gerald McCoy, and Dez Bryant in that order. If any of those guys are on the board, I’m taking them regardless of who else is available just because I think their potential is so high.
Maybe
I really, honestly didn’t realize Bryant was in the same category as Fitzy and Randy Moss, etc. If he is and he drops to 16/17 then I guess it wouldnt be bad to take him. We already did the “pass on a great guy for dumb reasons” thing when we passed on Randy Moss. I still firmly believe that if the Titans had drafted Moss, we’d have 2-3 Super Bowls. So, I am more inclined to agree with you assuming Bryant is actually that good.
T-Rac's Posse - T-Rac is one boss raccoon.
My personal Tribute to Air McNair
by T--Rac's Posse on Jan 18, 2010 3:48 PM CST up reply actions
He's not as talented as Randy Moss.
We may never see anything like what he did in his first 4 years. He was uncoverable.
Watch this. Again, keep in mind that he’s 6-2, 220. He’s also a hell of a kick returner, which makes him that much more appealing. I don’t know if he translates to the NFL, but it’s rare to come across a player with that kind of size and body control.
Typically, yes.
It appears that several will be available this offseason, however, via Free Agency or trade.
The “no cap” offseason is going to lead to a lot of unexpected “cuts” to avoid roster bonuses. I expect we’ll see anywhere from 4-5 quality WRs available to sign, 3-5 available via trade. All we need to do is nab one, and then our offense is set for the next few years.
"Bite my shiny metal ass!" -- Bender Bending Rodriguez
"Life is just one crushing defeat after another until you just wish Flanders was dead."
by The Jade Scorpion on Jan 18, 2010 9:32 PM CST up reply actions
While this is possible
what would they be saving money for? Office supplies? They never seem to spend any of it on anyone anyway…. hey, look everybody, we’re 10 million under a cap that doesn’t even exist anymore… yay!
just kidding (kinda). i hope this offseason they actually add some free agents that impress the crap out of us. i’ve had a few years of frugal now, I’d rather they spend some money and not start 0-6.
Exactly!
Which is why, if I’m Vince, I’d laugh at the idea of renegotiating a contract.
keep in mind, because of the uncapped year, the Titans can cut him and no suffer a penalty
I think they’ll renegotiate something. But we’ve been over this.
T-Rac's Posse - T-Rac is one boss raccoon.
My personal Tribute to Air McNair
by T--Rac's Posse on Jan 18, 2010 3:40 PM CST up reply actions
Cut him? And then what?
The backlash would be monumental. Fans would revolt. Especially if there was no explanation, ie A LOT of big FA signings.
I'm not advocating him to be cut
I’m just saying that if they did, there is no residual hit on the Salary Cap. It doesnt really apply to Vince Young, I was more just thinking about it in general. It just dawned on me that with no Cap there is no repercussions for cutting a guy.
T-Rac's Posse - T-Rac is one boss raccoon.
My personal Tribute to Air McNair
by T--Rac's Posse on Jan 18, 2010 3:51 PM CST up reply actions
i wouldn't be shocked
if they resigned crumpler to a 1 year deal on the cheap. he helped block for a 2000 yrd rusher and he didn’t have any problem with injuries. he wouldn’t be able to gain any more weight though so he’d need to go down to only 3 Jack-in-the-Box combos at a time.
"Oh, you should never, never doubt what nobody is sure about." Gene Wilder - Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
wait how can SD be poorly coached
if coaching means nothing?
Inadequate game plan
that offense is too good to be shut-down like that. If the Jets hold the Colts to 10 points, then I may give Norv a pass.
Music City Miracles blogger and official Jon Bovi tour manager.
Right. It was the game plan
not the:
1. Kicker missing 2 kicks he hits 95%+ of the time.
2. Rivers’ atrocious INT in his own end zone that led to the Jets only TD.
3. Antonio Gates dropping 2 big passes he almost always brings in.
4. LT aging 1 year of his life per Quarter.
5. Their Offensive Line’s inability to stop the blitz combined with the Chargers WRs not being able to get open most of the game.
Definitely the game plan’s fault.
T-Rac's Posse - T-Rac is one boss raccoon.
My personal Tribute to Air McNair
by T--Rac's Posse on Jan 18, 2010 3:42 PM CST up reply actions
sorry, not only TD. 1st TD
T-Rac's Posse - T-Rac is one boss raccoon.
My personal Tribute to Air McNair
by T--Rac's Posse on Jan 18, 2010 3:42 PM CST up reply actions
Here we go again...
I’m an early bird and a night owl. So I’m wise and I have worms.
by DonFrancisco on Jan 18, 2010 3:57 PM CST up reply actions
#4 and #5 are part of coaching
LT is bad. he’s been bad all season. most have seen it. he’s so bad the at one point the fans started booing after one of his patented “run into the left guard for 2 yards” runs. it’s Norval’s and the rest of the coaching staffs job to take him out of the game. this is different than the Harper situation b/c there is actually someone better behind him. LT shouldnt be touching the ball more than 10 times a game. they dont owe him anything.
Do you mind if we dance with your dates?
Nobody on that team is better
Sproles only averaged 3.7 YPC and Bennett averaged 2.8 YPC. Sounds to me like the offensive line can’t run block, and based on the way they defended the blitz, they cant pass block either. That’s not coaching, that’s just your talent. Everybody admits the Steelers are one of the best coached teams in the NFL and yet their O-Line is garbage. Maybe part of it is coaching (I do think O-Line is influenced greatly by coaching, but you still need talent) but if it is, that’s a long term thing going back to training camp, not a one time game plan issue.
T-Rac's Posse - T-Rac is one boss raccoon.
My personal Tribute to Air McNair
by T--Rac's Posse on Jan 18, 2010 4:03 PM CST up reply actions
1. I’ll give ya that
2. That was bad playcalling: the kind they’d avoided in most of the games I’d seen
3. Drops happen, and drops are overcome in every game
4. LT has struggled for about 2 1/2 years now. You know how they’d overcome that all season? The screen game. They run it better than any team in the NFL and they couldn’t get it going at all.
5. Failing to call a protection scheme that works or routes that exploit a shallow secondary is on the offensive guru of a coach.
When a team fails to do the things it’s done all year on their strongest side of the ball, that’s on the coach. Norv just got out coached, period. This wasn’t the Titans’ offense of 2008 that would be expected to score about 14 points against a great defense, this was a powerhouse offense that was one of the league’s best.
Did the players help? No. Did they get the help they needed from the staff? Not that I saw.
Music City Miracles blogger and official Jon Bovi tour manager.
2. If Phillip Rivers makes a good throw, it isn’t a bad play call all of a sudden. From what i have read, it was a miscommunication with Receiver and QB. If true, how is that on the playcall?
3. Drops do happen. Drops also affect games. Sometimes they can be overcome. Sometimes they cant. Rarely dependent on coaching if they can or can’t, though.
4. They ran a few very successful screens, but you can’t make a living with screens. The double screen they ran with Antonio Gates was a thing of beauty, but they also had several screens get blown up.
5. How do we know the protection scheme he called wasn’t the right one and the O-Line failed to execute? It’s unbelievable to me to see players misreading blitzes, getting blown off their blocks or just not being fast enough to guard a defender and the coach gets the blame. As I said, maybe it’s a long term coaching issue of Norv not being able to properly coach an O-Line, but that isn’t a one time game plan issue.
The Jets have the best D in the NFL. They did a great job on San Diego’s offense. However, that same offense also killed one drive by snapping it over the QBs head, one INT that was a miscommunication and a bad throw by the QB, another INT that was one of the luckiest and most remarkable INTs I’ve ever seen, and then 3 missed field goals, 2 that were gimmies. So that is 6 drives in all killed by plays that the coach can’t do anything about.
Did Norv get outcoached? Maybe, but if Kaeding goes 2/3, then the Chargers win the game, and all of a sudden Norv “found a way to get it done”. Please explain to me how the difference between Norv “finding a way to get it done” and “Norv got outcoached” is his field goal kicker going 2/3 vs 0/3? It’s revisionist history.
Let me ask you this: If Kaeding does go 2/3 and the Chargers win, is anybody saying “Norv got totally outcoached, luckily his field goal kicker and the advantage of Rivers over Sanchez bailed him out”? I don’t think that is the storyline anywhere, including here. I base that on the fact that I have never seen you write that a coach was outcoached despite winning.
People just play the result on whether a coach did a good job or not. If his kicker makes 2 field goals he should make, all of a sudden Norv coached hell of a game.
T-Rac's Posse - T-Rac is one boss raccoon.
My personal Tribute to Air McNair
by T--Rac's Posse on Jan 18, 2010 5:23 PM CST up reply actions
You can get outcoached and still win.
Jeff Fisher does it all the time.
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Retire #9!
Look, I'm getting your point in general
but not on this day. The only reason the Jets were even hanging around in this game is because Rex Ryan and his staff put in a gameplan made adjustments that Norv and his staff couldn’t handle. When one of the league’s top 2 or 3 offenses gets held to just over squat despite only 1 more turnover than their opponent, the coaching is suspect at best.
Also, if Phillip Rivers makes that throw then it’s him overcoming a bad play call, because that was a completely unnecessary risk, IMO. I’d be saying that either way.
Music City Miracles blogger and official Jon Bovi tour manager.
that one play? maybe. but if Kaeding goes 2/3 and the Chargers win you'd be saying, "Norv got outcoached"?
I’d have to call BS on that one. I’ve never seen you or anyone else write that on here, and that includes commenters. Everybody plays the result with coaching.
An example of a game in which it looked like one coach outcoached the other would be when we played AZ. Fisher got outcoached, yet the Titans won because Matt Leinhart sucks dick and VY had an amazing drive. NOT ONE PERSON mentioned how Arizona seemed to have a great gameplan, considering the circumstances, and almost won that game. Everybody just jacked off Vince Young and I bet if you had taken a poll and said, “Who coached the better game?” the only people who would’ve voted Wisenhunt would be Gramsey (because he irrationally hates Jeff Fisher), me, and a couple others. Maybe you, August, but most people wouldn’t have.
T-Rac's Posse - T-Rac is one boss raccoon.
My personal Tribute to Air McNair
by T--Rac's Posse on Jan 19, 2010 9:01 AM CST up reply actions
is anyone else here glad braylon edwards went to the jets and not here?
talk about over-rated.
"hey, quit reading these ridiculous words of wisdom and get back to work!"
Living in Cleveland, all I can say is:
HELL YES I’m glad he didn’t end up with the Titans. He can’t catch a cold.
And Kellen Winslow was worse… he can’t catch AND whines every chance he gets.
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