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Who among us can really judge Steve McNair?

By TonyLombardi | July 8, 2009 | Ravens Roost

It's been four plus days yet seemingly months ago since Steve McNair was taken from this earth in a violent and unnecessary way. I've taken in the talk on sports radio and I've read the feedback submitted by Ravens fans and clearly the opinions vary on how McNair will be remembered. When I think back, I recall the nickname Air McNair as the former Alcorn State Brave emerged on to the NFL scene as the third overall pick by the Houston Oilers in the 1995 NFL Draft. At the time I thought the nickname was a bit unusual since his legs can be credited with most of his early success. Right around the time McNair was maturing as a professional my son Tyler, to the delight of his proud Dad began to really develop an affinity for the NFL and in large part the credit for that can be attributed...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Baltimore Ravens, Eddie George, Steve McNair, Tennessee Titans

RAY LEWIS ISN'T PAID TO BE A BABYSITTER

By TonyLombardi | July 8, 2009 | Ravens Roost

Whenever an NFL player becomes available who might be a match for the Ravens on the field yet is a problem off the field or in the locker room, fans inevitably look to Ray Lewis and conclude that he can be the voice of reason and stave off any potential issues. Fans think that Ray can turn a drama queen into his own little dancing queen who will march to his beat on demand. Look up babysitter in the NFL Glossary and fans expect to see the willing and smiling face of Ray Lewis. And given this widely held belief among fans, they precipitously conclude that the problem child flavor of the month can be the missing ingredient for the Ravens - particularly if the player is a wide receiver. Plaxico Burress - bring him on! Brandon Marshall - no worries, besides what has he been CONVICTED of... If either...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: baltimore Ravens, Ray Lewis

Can the Ravens surpass Steelers without No. 1 WR?

By TonyLombardi | July 8, 2009 | Ravens Roost

This article was written by Tony Lombardi of Ravens24x7.com The Ravens are just a wide receiver away from overtaking the Steelers in the AFC North. How many times have you HEARD that? If the Ravens had a true No. 1 receiver they may have advanced to and won Super Bowl XLIII. How many times have you SAID that? The Ravens would love to have a player in the mold of Larry Fitzgerald or one with the skills of Brandon Marshall. But is that the only way for the Ravens to take that next step? Can they take that next step with the wide receiver talent currently on their roster provided they improve in other areas? That's a reasonable assumption don't you think? But before we go there, let's look at the receiving talent the Ravens do have heading into the 2009 season. Derrick Mason: It's safe to say that...

Read more | 7 Comments | Tags: baltimore Ravens, Derrick Mason, Joe Flacco, Marcus Smith, Mark Clayton

NFL Outsider Season Preview 2009: Carolina Panthers

By Staff Report | July 8, 2009 | MVN Outsider

NFL Outsider is hosting a season preview of all 32 teams. The NFL regular season begins on September 10; in the meantime follow the best NFL bloggers as they analyze their teams in this 2009 season preview.Joe Coward from CatCrave.com gives insight into what to expect from this year's Carolina PanthersCarolina Panthers, 2009 Season Preview Some Negative Comments Most Carolina fans think of the horrendous playoff game Delhomme last played more often than the season opener he won for Carolina in San Diego. Some call Delhomme's extension a blessing in disguise, for salary cap room, if nothing else. In time we will sort it out and see if a contract extension for Delhomme was right or wrong. Some worry about Julius Peppers. He will have a solid season in 2009 if he wants to move elsewhere that bad in 2010. Some Positive Comments Carolina has become a force...

Read more | 2 Comments | Tags: Carolina Panthers, NFL

Five Predictions for the 2009 Season

By MJ Kasprzak | July 7, 2009 | The Frozen Tundra

As training camp nears before the 2009 season, expectations for the Green Bay Packers grow. This is unusual coming off a 6-10 season in which the team lost five of its last six.Ironically, coming into the 2008 training camp there was more trepidation than expectation, despite coming off a 13-3 season. That is because there were questions as to how well the offense would endure the loss of Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre.But the offense flourished despite numerous injuries on the offensive line and the nagging hamstring affecting running back Ryan Grant. Production fell only slightly--from fifth to sixth in the league, with scoring dropping just a point per game.Aaron Rodgers led eight fourth-quarter comebacks, only to see the defense and special teams blow seven of them. This led to the firing of almost every coach on either unit, and Dom Capers has been brought in to engineer a...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Aaron Rodgers, Al Harris, B.J. Raji, Clay Matthews, Green Bay Packers, NFC, NFC North, NFL, Quinn Johnson, T.J. Lang, Tramon Williams

Five Predictions for the 2009 Season

By MJ Kasprzak | July 7, 2009 | The Frozen Tundra

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Aaron Rodgers, Al Harris, B.J. Raji, Clay Matthews, Green Bay Packers, NFC, NFC North, NFL, Quinn Johnson, T.J. Lang, Tramon Williams

NFL Outsider Season Preview 2009: Kansas City Chiefs

By Staff Report | July 7, 2009 | MVN Outsider

NFL Outsider is hosting a season preview of all 32 teams. The NFL regular season begins on September 10; in the meantime follow the best NFL bloggers as they analyze their teams in this 2009 season preview.Josh Knox from KCChiefsFootball.com shares his insight on the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs. Check in on other teams here.Chiefs 2009 NFL Season Preview Last year was a very rough year to be a Chief. One positive that can be taken from this is finishing 2-14 there is really nowhere to go but up and Chiefs seem to doing everything in their power to make the best on and off the field decisions to help their organization for both now and the future.. Let's talk about some of the key losses for the Chiefs and then we will go on and see what they added. . Key Losses: Carl Peterson, Herm Edwards, Tony Gonzalez, Donnie Edwards, Patrick Surtain If you watched...

Read more | 1 Comment | Tags: Chiefs, Kansas City Chiefs, Matt Cassel, Scott Pioli

NFL Outsider Season Preview 2009: Carolina Panthers

By Staff Report | July 8, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Read more | 2 Comments | Tags: Carolina Panthers, NFL

NFL Outsider Season Preview 2009: Kansas City Chiefs

By Staff Report | July 7, 2009 | MVN Outsider

NFL Outsider is hosting a season preview of all 32 teams. The NFL regular season begins on September 10; in the meantime follow the best NFL bloggers as they analyze their teams in this 2009 season preview.Josh Knox from KCChiefsFootball.com shares his insight on the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs. Check in on other teams here.Chiefs 2009 NFL Season Preview Last year was a very rough year to be a Chief. One positive that can be taken from this is finishing 2-14 there is really nowhere to go but up and Chiefs seem to doing everything in their power to make the best on and off the field decisions to help their organization for both now and the future.. Let's talk about some of the key losses for the Chiefs and then we will go on and see what they added. . Key Losses: Carl Peterson, Herm Edwards, Tony Gonzalez, Donnie Edwards, Patrick Surtain If you watched...Read more

Read more | 1 Comment | Tags: Chiefs, Kansas City Chiefs, Matt Cassel, Scott Pioli

NFL Outsider Season Preview 2009: Pittsburgh Steelers

By Staff Report | July 6, 2009 | MVN Outsider

NFL Outsider is hosting a season preview of all 32 teams. The NFL regular season begins on September 10; in the meantime follow the best NFL bloggers as they analyze their teams in this 2009 season preview.Donald from Steelerstoday.com gives insight into what to expect from this year's Pittsburgh Steelers.2008 regular season record: 12-42009 predicted record: 13-3Predicted finish in AFC North: 1st The Pittsburgh Steelers ended 2008 by taking home their sixth Lombardi Trophy. However, repeating in 2009 is not going to be an easy task. Steeler Nation is not going to like hearing me say this, but I don't think the Steelers were the best team in the NFL last season. However, the Steelers got hot at the right time, and had a few breaks go their way. Next thing you know, they're throwing a parade in Pittsburgh. Key Weaknesses:If the Steelers hope to repeat, they are going to have...Read more

Read more | 4 Comments | Tags: Ben Roethlisberger, Mike Tomlin, NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers, Steelers

NFL Top 10: The Best Offseason Moves Not Made

By Greg Trippiedi | June 30, 2009 | MVN Outsider

We tend to judge coaches by how their actions effect games. We tend to judge front office types by their acquisitions. These are fair game of course, but the best offseason moves are often the ones that weren't made.In today's NFL Top 10 column, we'll take a look back at all aspects of the offseason, and narrow down just ten player personnel moves that were not made, and how the discussed party is much better off.10. The Detroit Lions pass on an offensive lineman in the first round of the NFL DraftThis is coming from a man who thinks that Jason Smith should have been the pick at No. 1, the prior Lions regime might have decided that after taking Matthew Stafford at No. 1, the No. 20 pick should have been the best lineman available. And even with OT Michael Oher available, the Lions decided that TE Brandon Pettigrew...Read more

Read more | 2 Comments | Tags: Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, NFL Top 10, Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins

NFL Outsider 2009 Season Preview: Green Bay Packers

By Staff Report | June 26, 2009 | MVN Outsider

NFL Outsider is hosting a season preview of all 32 teams. The NFL regular season begins on September 10; in the meantime follow the best NFL bloggers as they analyze their teams in this 2009 season preview.Bob Fox from PackerChatters.com and Wisconsin Sports Online gives insight into what to expect from this year's Green Bay Packers.The 2009 Green Bay Packers have made some big changes as they prepare for the upcoming season. The 2008 Packer squad was let down by the defensive shortcomings and by issues on special teams.Because of that, head coach Mike McCarthy made several changes to his coaching staff, mostly on the defensive side of the ball, as he hired Dom Capers to be his new defensive coordinator. Capers brings with him the 3-4 defensive scheme, an excellent track record and a energetic coaching staff.The Packers have to try and reverse the problems that the 2008 Packer...Read more

Read more | 2 Comments | Tags: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers, NFL

NFL Great Debates: What to Do with Michael Vick?

By Staff Report | May 26, 2009 | MVN Outsider

NFL Outsider's Greg Trippiedi and Anthony Brown debate the issue: Which team is the best spot for Michael Vick if he overcomes the enormous hurdles necessary to get on the field this year?Greg Trippiedi says Vick shouldn't be a starting quarterback:It's pretty clear that Michael Vick is not going to have a job waiting for him when he gets back. He's 29 years old -- too old and too young in different ways. Vick's open field running abilities were already in decline when we last saw him, and that was in 2006. But that doesn't mean he won't stick somewhere. He's still got a good five or six seasons ahead of him as an effective athlete. The question though remains: Where will Michael Vick fit in, and who will take a chance on him? I don't think Vick is a good fit on a team with a clear need...Read more

Read more | 2 Comments | Tags: NFL

NFL Top 10: Coaches on the Hot Seat in '09

By Greg Trippiedi | May 13, 2009 | MVN Outsider

You know, I think there are only a handful of topics in sports that would make for great discussion on radio shows, or on blogs, that have no practical meaning in the real world. I think back to debates about running up the score: you'll get tons of callers in on a topic like that, putting in their two cents. Is is right? Did it happen? Does it matter?Well, to me, I see the ever-present NFL Head Coaching Hot Seat as cut from the same mold. It's a debate partially on the merits of certain coaches, partially on the trends of certain owners hiring and firing patterns, and mostly on probability. Does it really matter if Coach 'X' is on the Hot Seat? We're not even wondering if he should be fired, we're asking if he should be/is in a position where you would consider a coaching change.I don't have...Read more

Read more | 1 Comment | Tags: Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Hot Seat, Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins

NFL Great Debates: Would Favre Fit in Minnesota?

By Staff Report | May 9, 2009 | MVN Outsider

NFL Outsider's Greg Trippiedi and Anthony Brown debate the issue: Would Brett Favre fit in with the Minnesota Vikings if he decided to come out of retirement once again?Greg Trippiedi says No. 4's retirement would be a blessing in disguise for Vikings fans:Regardless of what the results of Favre Watch '09 produce, I think the best thing Minnesota Viking fans can hope for is that Brett Favre does not suit up for them this September.Jets fans will vouch for me here.First, the Vikings need to realize that they aren't resigned to another year of poor QB play this year like they have been since Daunte Culpepper left. Given: Sage Rosenfels, Tavaris Jackson, and John David Booty don't bring a lot of hope, and that's one thing that Favre brings wherever he goes.But hope is cheap, and ultimately hollow.The big picture is that a 40-year-old Brett Favre does nothing to improve...Read more

Read more | 4 Comments | Tags: Brett Favre, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets, NFL

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