I caught up with Rexx from Baltimore Beatdown to ask him 5 questions about his Baltimore Ravens.

MCM- Talk about Joe Flacco.  Do you wish you still had McNair (who is my all-time favorite player), or are you happy with Flacco?

Baltimore Beatdown- McNair was a great pickup in 2006 and we got all we could have expected from him, interms of skills and leadership. Too bad we couldn't have taken that season further into the playoffs. 2007 showed us a much different McNair, one whom the years of his physical play finally caught up w/ him and he was slow, inaccurate and almost feeble. It was tough to watch, but you couldn't turn aay, like a bad accident.  I'm glad he retired. This season the QB Derby fell to Joe Flacco by default, with Kyle Boller getting IR'd and Troy Smith contracting a rare tonsil infection. Flacco has done much better than anyone could have imagined and is firmly entrenched as the QB of the present as well as the future. He is still a rookie and will make rookie mistakes; however, he has looked remarkably poised in the pocket and plays well ahead of his rookie year.

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I caught up with Gonzo from Daily Norseman to ask him 5 questions about tomorrow's game.

MCM- A lot of the power rankings out there have the Vikings around #20. Where do you think they should be?

Daily Norseman- Right now, after the way they've performed over the first three weeks, somewhere in the 17 - 20 range seems about right to me.  They are 1-2, so there aren't a whole lot of teams that they should be placed ahead of, but they haven't been getting blown out or anything like that, and they've played three pretty good football teams thus far.  They might have been a little overrated at the beginning of the season, depending on your source (I believe Sports Illustrated had them at #4), but as of now somewhere between 17 and 20 is the right range for them.  Hopefully it will go up after this week.

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I caught up with Andrew Kneeland of Viking Vigil for 5 questions about his Vikings.

MCM- What are your thoughts on the switch from Tarvaris Jackson to Gus Frerotte?

VV- To put it simply; it was the wrong move but had the right result. The Minnesota playcalling, prior to Week 3, had been absolutely horrendous and I was convinced that Tom Brady couldn't put up decent numbers were he in Jackson's shoes. Coach Childress was limiting Jackson in terms of pass attempts and was not allowing him to get into a groove. Not only was Childress pounding Adrian Peterson to the ground, but when Jackson was called upon to make a big throw he simply wasn't in a rhthym. Then Frerotte comes out and plays like he did against the Panthers and seemingly ends the discussion. If he can play like that all season, I'll obvoiusly have no objections. I will, however, hold a small grudge for the benching of Jackson. I don't believe he is a good quarterback, but I do believe that no quarterback should have been benched under those circumstances.

MCM- How healthy is Adrian Peterson?

VV- According to Peterson he is almost perfect. He said his hamstring didn't bother him at all last week, and that it held up accordingly. I wouldn't expect him to be limited at all against the Titans.

MCM- A lot of people, myself included, think these 2 teams are very similar.  In your opinion, what do the Vikings do better in regard to running the football and stopping the run than the Titans?

VV- In terms of running the ball, the Vikings have Adrian Peterson. Not to be cocky, but he is simply a better runner than LenDale White and Chris Johnson. Peterson also knows how to dish out the hits, which may, we can only imply, make some tacklers hesitant, which leads to more yards. As to stopping the run, the Vikings are lucky to find themselves with four freaks of nature. All four, but Kevin Williams in particular, possess an usual combination of speed, athleticism, and size. They have good quickness off the ball and are great at positioning themselves. I would also say that the Minnesota linebackers, particularily EJ Henderson, are superb against the run, while they lack in pass defense.

MCM-The Vikes' pass defense was pretty bad last season.  Have the improved any?

VV- Sure, it's improved. It can't go anywhere but up, as the Vikings had the worst pass defense last year. They brought on safety Madieu Williams, but he is hurt and unlikely to play agianst Tennessee. Rookie Tyrell Johnson will take his place, and he has been just fine. The Vikings are still not great against the pass, but they're not as bad as last year. The Titans have a potential to throw all over the Vikings, but then again, so does everybody else.

MCM- What are the Vikings' two biggest weaknesses?

VV- One - Coaching and playcalling. It was better last week, but it can potentially be the Vikings' downfall. Two - pass defense.

As always, go over there to see my answers to his questions.

To get us ready for this weekends game with the Texans we have 5 questions with Battle Red Blog:

MCM- It seems in situations like the one the Texans have faced this week teams either come back with a great performance or they fall apart. Which one do you think it will be for the Texans on Sunday?

Battle Red Blog- The optimist in me says that they bounce back and put up a good fight. They were manhandled in the season opener at Pittsburgh. In the days immediately following the loss, the team was focused entirely on proving to the fans, and more importantly, to themselves that they were better than the team that got beat down in week one. Then came Ike, and their entire focus changed.

To be honest, this team doesn't have years of cohesion to fall back on, so it is going to be tough. The offensive line has been overhauled and features a rookie left tackle in Duane Brown, and Steve Slaton, our starting running back, is also a rookie. Mix in a revamped blocking scheme, and you can see where the team may be doing a little more thinking and a little less reacting during the course of the game.

With all that said, I have faith in Matt Schaub and the wide receiving corps. They have always shown the ability to move the chains, and I expect them to step up big this weekend.

Defensively, there are questions to be answered. Hines Ward took second year cornerback Fred Bennett to school, and our safeties looked out of position during Steelers' key plays. But then again, Mario Williams showed why he is quickly becoming the best defensive end in the game with his outstanding performance (six tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble). They should have an easier time than they had with the Steelers, so I expect the defense to rise to occasion.

The Texans will be fired up and looking to give their fans something to feel good about. They have all the motivation they need, but the question is, have they prepared well enough to take on a team as physical as the Titans? We'll find out on Sunday.

MCM- Matt Schaub was knocked out of both games against the Titans last season. Is the Texans offensive line going to be ready for the Titans pass rush this time?

BRB- The Texans gave the reigns of the offensive line to legendary line coach Alex Gibbs. The zone blocking system is simple, but the practice proved to be a little more difficult at Pittsburgh. The Steelers run an attacking 3-4 defense that is predicated on blitzing, so that had something to do with the lines poor performance. Couple that with the team falling behind so quickly, and it makes a little more sense as to why the team struggled to keep Schaub upright.

Last year the Texans gave up a franchise low 22 sacks with four coming at the hands of the Titans (two in each game). The line held up fairly well in those two games; however it's hard to defense a player like Albert Haynesworth whose intentions are to injure the opposition. You gotta admit, that helmet to helmet hit on Schaub was pretty cheap. Nevertheless, the Odom sack in the second game was monstrous - and clean. There's no doubt that our newly formed line is going to have their work cut out for them.

I don't expect to see Schaub on the ground any more than usual. If the game remains close, Schaub stays pretty clean. 

MCM- Do you think the Texans are glad to see Kerry Collins at quarterback, or would they rather Vince Young back there?

BRB- It would have to be Vince.

When the game is close, Vince Young is at his most dangerous. He's always a threat to scramble and make a play with his legs. The problem with Vince is his inability to beat a team with his arm. I don't know if he doesn't do well reading defenses, but he's not going to pick a team a part from the pocket.

Interestingly, Kerry Collins seems to be the polar opposite. He's a veteran with limited mobility, but has enough experience playing quarterback to take what the defense gives him. He can still play pro quarterback in this league, and even if he isn't the same guy he was back when he was throwing for 250 yards a game, he can still make decent decisions in the pocket.

With the Titans' potent rushing attack, and his ability to be a "game manager", Collins seems to be the tougher matchup. Besides, beating the Vince Young led Titans would probably feel more satisfying.

MCM- This Texans defense has a couple of young studs on it in Mario Williams and DeMeco Ryans Are they ready to take a step forward and become an elite NFL defense?

BRB- In short, no. Don't get me wrong - Mario and DeMeco have both proven themselves to be two of the league's best at their positions. Amobi Okoye is coming along, but he has a long way to go before he is held in that regard.

What's keeping this team from taking that next step from mediocre to good is the inability to pressure the quarterback. Outside of Mario Williams (12 sacks over his last eight games), the Texans haven't been able to produce a consistent pass rush. They desperately need to find a bookend to compliment Mario. If they do, I think you'll start to see this defense really take off.

The Texans made a last ditch effort to solve their pass rush problems when they brought in Rosevelt Colvin, but that train was derailed before it ever left the station. While I was a fan of the incentive laden contract, I went on record early and often criticizing the move to sign him in the first place. And sure enough, he ended up getting cut when the rosters were trimmed to 53.

The lack of a pass rush makes it hard on our secondary. They just don't have the skills to cover a talent group of receivers for very long, especially if the quarterback is being given seven seconds to find the open man. And with CB Dunta Robinson on the PUP list until the seventh week, the pressure falls on free agent acquisition Jacques Reeves and 2^nd year man Fred Bennett to step up and keep the secondary from being the unit that sinks the season.

The Texans are just now starting to free themselves from the dead money deals left over from the Casserly era. My hope is that they are able to bring in a couple of impact players this offseason to mesh with this burgeoning defense.

MCM- Standard fifth question: What will the headline for this game be in Monday's Tennessean?

BRB- "Vince Young Leaves House without Cell Phone... Again!" Just kidding. The headline will read: "Titans fall to Tenacious Texans".

As always, go over to BRB and check out his 6 question VY bashing for me.

Josh from Cincy Jungle was nice enough to give us some information about his Cincinnati Bengals

MCM- It seemed that Chad Johnson was nothing but a distraction during the offseason.  Has he been welcomed back into the fold with all of that being water under the bridge?

Cincy Jungle- The offseason Chad Johnson, Ocho Cinco, Ochocinco, Johnson, had has been well documented. Truly, his arguments for leaving Cincinnati, on the surface, were consistent with the fan's perspective. We all want to win, and Johnson questioned that commitment after last season and wanted to bail. However, it was also rumored that Chad was in desperate need for more money since the last contract he signed was front-loaded with guarantees; basically forcing a pay-raise through a trade. Though I made the point several times that I don't believe Chad was a catalyst in his offseason; rather horrible advice from his agent, Drew "Oil Slick" Rosenhaus advising Chad to run a character-suicide campaign.  

Once training camp got going, and once "Oil Slick" bailed on Johnson after he realized no trade or extension was going to happen, Chad came back to us; with the added promise that the Bengals would review financial compensation if he performs at the high level we expect of him.  

Now he's saying all the right things. Before the season started, Johnson apologized to the team, the media and the fans for his disrupting behavior in those weird ESPN interviews, or general national coverage that were uncomfortable (and frustrating) for everyone involved with the Bengals (including fans). Now he's even helping Bengals fans to put last week's loss into perspective; which is not something Chad is known for doing.  

MCM- How serious is that injury to Johnson?  Is he playing at 100%?

CJ- That's what he'll tell you. The biggest issue he's facing with the partially torn labrum is that he's lacking full reach. Based on the style and technique he uses, it shouldn't hurt him much. Chad is a "gut catcher", most of his receptions are caught around his body. However, that has a lot to do with Palmer's accuracy, not forcing his receivers to reach and extend themselves.  

Truly, we don't know the actual effects yet. Baltimore's defense used linebackers on our receivers, beat them up at the line of scrimmage, eliminating Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh from playing a major role; both combined for four receptions.  

We should see how well Chad will do, with his injury, against a more conventional defense.  

MCM- Palmer has his top 2 completion days in his career against the Titans?  Do you think he will be able to match that on Sunday?  Why or why not?

CJ- Palmer's season started horribly; an extension of a horrible preseason; primarily the result of poorly performed protection schemes with the offensive line and running backs. Often times, our offensive coordinator sends out running backs and tight ends forcing five guys to protect Palmer with no help; which hasn't worked for much of the preseason or last Sunday's game.

The key to Sunday's game is the obvious, novice commonality. If Palmer can get protection to sit in the pocket, and dissect coverage schemes, he'll do what he does best; pick apart defenses and stretch the field. This offense is ready to break out, salivating at the chance to redeem themselves from those that demand production to help out our young defense. However, in the past five games, dating back to the preseason, the trend with this offense can be summarized with "broken pass protection".  

MCM- How do you think the Bengals are game planning for Chris Johnson?

CJ- The Bengals defense will play with passive aggression, thanks to first year defensive coordinator, Mike Zimmer. We play gap control defense, with above average linebackers and a below average defensive line. However, our young cornerbacks (Johnathan Joseph and Leon Hall) are being groomed as "Island guys"; not always requiring safety help over the top, or linebacker help underneath. This allows the Bengals to run more blitzing schemes; especially against the rush.  

If the Titans run up the gut, between the guards, I would suspect we'll give up around five yards or so, per play. We're much better defending the edges than last season. Chris Johnson will be a good test for this young, reformatted defense.

MCM- My standard 2008 5th question: What will the headline be in Monday morning's edition of The Tennessean?

CJ- "Bengals offense rebounds with lopsided win". You expected something unbiased? :-)

As always head over there to see his questions and my answers.

It is awesome that the regular season is here.  With the return of the regular seaosn we have the return of 5 questions with the opposing team's blogger.  This week we have Chris, the head blogger over at Big Cat Country:

MCM-  It seems there has been a lot going on around this team in the last few weeks with the Fred Taylor arrest and the shooting of Richard Collier.  First, how is Collier, and second, do you think these distractions will have any baring on Sunday's game?

Big Cat Country- Fred Taylor's situation, despite being an unnecessary annoyance, is a pretty ridiculous situation.  Someone told a police officer in Miami that Fred's car had guns and drugs in it, and when Fred was pulled from the car and searched, he got a vocal about what happened.  He was not arrested, booked, or bonded out, he was given a citation.  While it's more than a parking ticket, I think the Taylor situation is overblown.  Now, in all seriousness, I'm unhappy that several Jaguars have had the time to go out past midnight on the biggest week of the season.  The Richard Collier situation is very sad.  He's a player the Jaguars have developed and saw as their future at left tackle.  Now we're all hoping and praying he can have a regular life, football's merely an afterthought.  Collier is still in critical but stable condition.  As far as distractions go, I hope that the Collier incident helps put things into perspective.  They're going to play for their absent teammate and will be in everyone's hearts and minds on Sunday.

MCM- How is Derrick Harvey coming along after the long hold out?  Will he be a factor in this game?

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