29
Jun
2010
VIDEO: Walter Payton runs the wildcat offense (1984)
Props to the guys at Tremendous Upside Potential for uncovering this gem from the mid-80s, featuring Bears Hall of Fame RB Walter Payton running a variation of the Wildcat offense, WAY before it was in fashion in the NFL. I’m not exactly sure what happened to Jim McMahon that forced Payton into action here, but Sweetness is fairly effective here, leading the offense to about midfield before heaving a bomb downfield that gets picked off by the Packers (effectively a punt).
Man, that guy was the best.
7
May
2010
Is JaMarcus Russell the #1 Draft Bust of All Time?
Has Jamarcus Russell failed badly enough to make him the biggest flop in league history? (Original photoshop/hack job by ArtieFufkin)
When news broke that the Raiders released former #1 draft pick JaMarcus Russell yesterday, the sports blogosphere collectively wondered weather Russell had claimed the throne as the biggest draft bust in the history of the NFL. And while it would be easy to place the Rotund Raider at the top of the list, we’re not going to hand him the crown just yet.
Until now, the general consensus has been that Ryan Leaf – the #2 overall pick of the San Diego Chargers in 1998 - is the biggest draft bust of all-time. For our money, it’s Tony Mandarich, who the Packers selected with the #2 overall pick in 1989 (you can read our previous pieces on Mandarich here and here). But most people seem to think it’s Leaf, and since both he and Russell are QB’s, it makes things much easier for the purpose of this conversation.
The guys at Shutdown Corner put together a nice statistical comparison between the two quarterbacks, and while both players were godawful, the numbers paint Russell in a more favorable light:
So based on these figures alone, Leaf has the edge (for being worse, that is … 14 TDs vs 36 INTs?!? Ouch.) And when you take into account Leaf’s locker-room outbursts and the fact that he was universally hated by his teammates, Russell doesn’t really even come close to eclipsing the train wreck that was Ryan Leaf.
For us, the question of how big a draft bust someone is always comes down to one main thing: expectations. Sports Illustrated took a look back at the pre-draft hype on JaMarcus Russell from 2007, which includes some incredible gems from some of the draft’s top prognosticators, including Mel Kiper:
JaMarcus Russell is going to immediately energize that fanbase, that football team — on the practice field, in that locker room. Three years from now you could be looking at a guy that’s certainly one of the elite top five quarterbacks in this league. …You’re talking about a 2-3 year period once he’s under center. Look out because the skill level that he has is certainly John Elway-like.”
Way to go Mel. Good call. But he wasn’t alone … at the time, Todd McShay, Terry Bradshaw, and a slew of other “experts” were all drooling over Russell’s physical skill set.
Let's face it, we all saw this one coming
But while everyone seemed to agree that Russell’s physical skills warranted a roll of the dice, there were plenty of questions about his mental state of mind from the beginning. In the linked SI article, Peter King and Gil Brandt were among those who expressed serious doubts as to whether or not JaMarcus had the desire & work ethic to be a top-level NFL quarterback.
When Russell – who was the best QB in a weak draft class for the position – went to the Raiders, it seemed like a bust made in heaven. After all, Al Davis has made a living out of spending draft picks on physical specimens with questionable heads. And with Lane Kiffin taking over at the helm (if temporarily) for Art Shell, the Oakland organization was entering a dysfunctional heyday in 2007. We all knew how this story was going to play out, didn’t we?
14
Jan
2010
VIDEO: Dom Capers caught napping in coaches’ box
The Green Bay Packers defense looked like they were sleepwalking on Sunday night, giving up 51 points and 531 yards to the Arizona Cardinals en route to an overtime loss and early exit from the playoffs. Receivers were running free all night long, and Kurt Warner had all sorts of time to sit back and pick apart the Green Bay defense, who looked lost out there at times. It was a far cry from the unit that ranked 2nd in the league in total defense during the regular season.
But as this video proves, it all starts at the top. Packers Defensive Coordinator Dom Capers was apparently knocking back the Ambien prior to the game, and was caught dozing off in the coaches box at the end of the third quarter. It’s kind of tough to call a defensive gameplan and instill fire in your players while drifting in and out of dreamland, huh?:
Fortunately we had that insanely witty narration, so I don’t have to even bother trying to say anything funny here. I mean, that guy nailed it!
12
Jan
2010
Hey, it could be worse … you could be a Redskins fan (video)
The playoffs can be an emotional time for football fans. While Packers fans have been crying themselves to sleep these past few nights, and Eagles fans are attacking female Romo fans, we thought it would be good to give everyone a little bit of perspective on things. So before you go throwing yourself in front of a bus because you won’t get to watch Tom Brady’s chin any more this season, please try to keep in mind that a) it’s just a game and b) it could always be worse … you could be a Redskins fan.
Comedian Danny Rouhier – of Redskins Anonymous fame – is back to recap the painful experience that was the Washington Redskins 2009 season. Love this guy.
10
Jan
2010
Cardinals survive shootout to defeat Packers in OT, 51-45
Aaron Rodgers fumbles the game away in OT (Photo: ESPN.com, AP/Matt York)
Wild finish in the desert tonight, as the Arizona Cardinals survived a furious comeback by the Green Bay Packers (and a potentially soul-crushing miss by K Neil Rackers), to win a 51-45 shootout in OT .
In the most entertaining game of the weekend (unless, of course, you like defense), both offenses ran wild, combining for 96 points, 13 TDs, over 1,000 yards and 62 first downs. Kurt Warner was nearly unstoppable, going 29-33 for 379 yards and 5 TDs. Think about that. Warner had more TDs than incomplete passes. Pretty impressive. But QB Aaron Rodgers (4 TDs passing, 1 TD rushing) wouldn’t go down with out a fight, leading the Packers back to tie the game at the end of regulation.
The Packers won the coin toss in overtime, but the Cardinals defense – who had been invisible in the 2nd half – came up with the game-winning TD on this sack by CB Michael Adams and 17-YD fumble return by LB Karlos Dansby:
Apparently the refs decided that in OT, you can rip the QBs facemask off without a penalty. NFL FanHouse has more on the resulting officiating controversy.
CONTINUE READING AND WATCH THE RACKERS MISS AFTER THE JUMP
26
Nov
2009
Live Game Blog: Thanksgiving Day Edition
mmmmm .... Turducken. (Photo: Jeff Kowalsky/Getty Images)
Thanksgiving annually means 3 things: 1) awkward family gatherings 2) overeating/drinking and 3) football. Guess what we’ll be doing today?
As has become tradition, the Cowboys and Lions will be hosting turkey day games … off against the Packers and Raiders respectively (hint: neither of these games will be interesting to watch). But John Madden is no longer a part of the festivities, and in looking at the banner pic above, we can’t help but miss the ol’ son of a gun around this time of year.
This year we also get an extra night game courtesy of the NFL Network, and I – ArtieFufkin – will be attending the Giants/Broncos game this evening in Denver, and will try to report back with images and tales of whimsy from the game.
In the mean time, here is Adam Sandler’s classic “Thanksgiving Song” to get you in the holiday spirit. All of us here at ReadAndReact hope your Thanksgiving is filled with joy and cheer!
And if you can sneak away from the family for a moment, feel free to post your gameday thoughts and follow today’s NFL action in the comments section.
20
Nov
2009
Iraqi military detainees use Favre to taunt cheesehead guards
(Photoshop/hack job by ArtieFufkin)
Psychological warfare has long been an important part of military strategy. From Alexander the Great to Ghengis Khan to Winston Churchill, world leaders have always used propaganda and other psychological tactics to get into the minds of their enemies.
And now, NewsRadio WTMJ reports that Iraqi detainees have been targeting American soldiers with their own brand of psychological warfare. One in which they’re using our own sports heroes against us!:
According to a military official, detainees at a Wisconsin National Guard camp in Iraq are using Brett Favre as a manner of getting at the guard troops there.
“They know Favre by name,” said First Lieutenant Tim Boehnen, who is from New Richmond, Wis.
“One of the big words they know now is shenanigan. They’ll constantly talk about ‘Favre shenanigans,’ ‘He’s so good for the Vikings,’ and ‘The Packers have got to really feel bad about that one.’ “
Apparently the Cheesehead troops were outfitting their camp with Packer green & gold, which gave their prisoners the opening they were looking for. The next plan is to taunt the Oakland National Guard about JaMarcus Russell until they break down in tears. And then everyone will escape. And the very fabric of our society will crumble. Way to go, Al Davis.
11
Nov
2009
The Aaron Rodgers Sack Tracker has been working overtime
(Screen Shot via madison.com)
The Green Bay Packers offensive line has been horrendous in pass protection this year, allowing 37 sacks on QB Aaron Rodgers. That’s already more than the total number of times Rodgers was sacked all of last year, and they are on track to destroy the Packers club record for # of sacks allowed in a season (62). In fact, if the way the OL played against the hapless Bucs on Sunday was any indication (6 sacks allowed), Rodgers has a good shot to break David Carr’s 2002 all-time record for # of times sacked in one season (76).
Fortunately, technology has blessed us with the Interactive Aaron Rodgers Sack Tracker, so we can keep track of Rodgers’ progress from week to week. But be careful not to put all of the sacks for the season up on the tracker at once … just trust me on this one. And don’t say I didn’t warn you.
1
Nov
2009
NFL WEEK 8 LIVE GAME BLOG: FAVRE VS. THE CITY OF GREEN BAY EDITION!
Aaron planned to whisper: "The circle is now complete. When I left you, I was but the learner; now I am the master." Not so fast, Mr. Rodgers. (Source: AP)
When Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings clashed with Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football earlier this season, the NFL’s elder statesman met and surpassed all expectations, the Vikings won easily, and the press fell in love with Favre all over again. Nice show, but we always felt that something was sorely missing from that hype-fest: Brett might have been facing his old team–in the harmonious, 75-degree confines of the Superdome–but what about his old fans? Entirely different story. THIS is the game that needed to be on Monday Night Football… but we won’t complain.
A great day of football is ahead.
Got something to say? Bring it.
Hit the “Comments” button and go to town.
(Yes… I fashioned this message in topical purple and green…)
25
Oct
2009
NFL Gameday: ReadAndReact Buffalo Wing Summit
mmmmm ... wings
Several of your faithful ReadAndReact staffers – TheDarkHorse, Artie Fufkin and steverodgers – will convene in a suburban Denver sports bar this morning to take in this week’s NFL action. Many wings will be eaten. Many beers will be drunk (drank?). Many laughs will be shared. It is a cold, snowy Sunday in Colorado. A perfect day for football.
We’ll be keeping an eye on the Vikings/Steelers and 49ers/Texans as the best early match-ups, along with the Browns/Packers for strictly masochistic reasons. Falcons/Cowboys is the best late game, with the Giants/Cardinals closing things out tonight, in what could be a shootout.
We’ll do our best to share ongoing commentary via iPhone, and you can be assured it will get progressively sloppy as the day wears merrily forward. Enjoy the games!!!
