The Early Season NFL Injury Debate… In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb

September 27, 2010

Read the opposing arguments from Sports Geek and Loyal Homer.

It just doesn’t seem fair, does it?

The Steelers, who traded away their top receiver, Santonio Holmes, after a multitude of legal issues, then saw Ben Roethlisberger suspended for his off-season activities. And now the team is cruising with a 3-0 record on the arm of the FOURTH-string quarterback.

Even the Jets, who have a front office, apparently, that does not care how classless and trashy the team looks, flaunt profanity, harass female TV reporters, and offer only token punishments for guys who get arrested for a DWI. Yet even the Jets have managed to win this season.

Then we have the Detroit Lions. No suspensions, scandals, controversies, or crimes of note. But more importantly, no wins yet again as we close out week three of the season.

Does Karma take Sundays off?

Despite winning only two games since the start of the 2008 season, the Lions were entering 2010 with real reasons for optimism, thanks in large part to the combination of Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson, and rookie running back Jahvid Best on offense. Through the first half of the week one game against the Chicago Bears it appeared that potential really was progressing toward proven. Matt Stafford was 11-15 in passing for 83 yards, Jahvid Best scored two rushing touchdowns, and the Lions stormed out to a 14-3 lead over the division rival Chicago Bears.

Unfortunately for Detroit, that’s where the good news ends.

As the first half drew to a close Stafford suffered a shoulder injury which knocked him out of the game, completely derailing any progress the Lions had hoped for while starting the 2010 campaign. Although it is true that the Lions were not going to be legitimate Super Bowl contenders this season, it does not change the absolutely devastating impact that Stafford’s injury has on the Lions.

Now, I don’t normally play the “What if” game, but who knows what would have happened if Stafford had remained healthy.

After losing Stafford the Lions went on to lose the first two games by a COMBINED total of only eight points. Perhaps if the Lions had the BEST quarterback in the game (instead of backup Shaun Hill), they would have gotten a little more production out of the offense, and would have come into yesterday’s game against the Vikings at 2-0 instead of 0-2.

Perhaps, if Stafford had remained healthy, the Lions’ box score from last weekend would have read better than 234 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions against a struggling Vikings team.

Perhaps, if the Lions had been able to bring positive momentum into yesterday’s game, they would have been in FIRST place in the NFC North, rather than last place.

But those things didn’t happen. Instead, the Lions ARE in last place, and now that Jahvid Best is also injured, they appear to once more be in contention for the dubious honor of being the worst team in football.

Matthew Stafford’s injury has come at a much greater cost to the Detroit Lions than any other injury sustained around the league. The Lions will only find improvement with Stafford at the helm. Until he returns, Detroit fans better get used to losing (well, I guess they already are).

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The Best Game of THIS Weekend Debate… Lion(s) Share of Questions

September 17, 2010

Read the opposing arguments from Babe Ruthless and Sports Geek.

It is only week two of the NFL season and we already have a matchup between two backup quarterbacks.

Unfortunately, that is only the start of the issues facing the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions on Sunday. Both teams find are in the extremely rare situation of entering the second game with MORE questions than were faced on opening weekend.

Let’s start with the Eagles.

For the last decade the Eagles have been led on the field by quarterback Donovan McNabb. In the off-season, though, the team made a strategic decision to look toward the future by trading McNabb to the division rivals Washington Redskins. The young and highly anticipated prospect, Kevin Kolb, was given the keys to the kingdom.

So how did that decision pay off in week one? In less than two quarters of playing time, Kolb struggled under the pressure provided by the Packers defense and he went 5-10 with only 24 passing yards. Then, to make matters worse, he was knocked out of the game with a concussion.

Replacing Kolb, Michael Vick (yeah, THAT Michael Vick) finally got his opportunity to once more lead an NFL offense as THE quarterback, and he never looked back. Even though the Eagles lost the game, Vick looked spectacular playing like he hasn’t missed any time at all since his pre-prison Pro Bowl days. During his time on the field Vick was 16-24 for 175 yards with one touchdown, and he added another 103 rushing yards to the mix… just for some variety.

And with Kolb not passing his concussion test until yesterday (he failed his first try on Wednesday), it looks like Vick will get another shot to prove that he deserves more than just a supporting role in the NFL.

Then, the Lions.

If ever there was a rock bottom in the NFL, the Detroit Lions found it. The Lions went a pathetic 2-30 over the last two seasons and were coming into 2010 with no place to go but up. The team was entering 2010 with some very real expectations for genuine improvement, with Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson coming back to lead the offense along with explosive rookie running back, Jahvid Best.

And to the delight of the fans, the Lions showed signs of improvement during the week one matchup with the Chicago Bears. But a controversial call at the end of the game cost the team victory. Like Kolb, Stafford was knocked out of the game, only Stafford’s injury was in his shoulder.

If the news of Stafford’s injury wasn’t bad enough for Lions fans, the name of his doctor surely must be –Dr. James Andrews (although Dr. Andrews stated that Stafford would not need surgery, which had to ease the blow at least a little bit).

So now it is up to Shaun Hill to try and continue leading the development of the Lions’ offense.

Neither of these teams want to start the season off at 0-2, but with so many questions sitting unanswered right now, it is virtually impossible to try and predict a winner.

Will there be a new quarterback controversy in Philadelphia?!

Is Matt Stafford REALLY that valuable to an NFL franchise, and are the Lions REALLY improving?!

Did Calvin Johnson go back and study the fundamentals of completing a reception?!

Will Rocky and Bullwinkle find the missing ingredient for the rocket fuel formula?!

Be with us Sunday for “Eagles Come, Eagles Go,” or “The Goal Lion Stand!”

Editor’s Note: Sigh.

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The Best Game of THIS Weekend Debate – Cal Trying To Stop Stanford From Seeing Roses, and Harbaugh From Seeing Maize and Blue

November 20, 2009

Read the arguments from Bleacher Fan and Loyal Homer about what they believe is the best game or sporting event this weekend.



For all of the SEC, Big XII, and Big Ten talk I hear – and I hear quite a bit of each – it is amazing how the Pac-10 always seems to fly under the college football radar. How quickly fans seem to forget that it was not any of those conferences that went undefeated in the bowl season in 2008. It was the Pac-10. It is the Pac-10 that boasts six teams with a record of 6-3 or better. It is also the PAC-10 that features the weekend’s best game between the California Golden Bears and the Stanford Cardinal.

Obviously, this game is important in the race to win the Pac-10. Stanford has the best opportunity to snag the top spot in the conference from Oregon and Arizona which, as of this writing, both control their destiny in conference. Should Oregon lose in one of its last two games – a distinct possibility with matchups against a resurgent Arizona and an always strong Oregon State (at least the Beavers are always strong at the end of a season) – Stanford owns the tiebreak over the Ducks. With a win over rival Cal, Stanford has an excellent chance of winning the conference. Cal has the chance to disrupt the Cardinal’s Rose colored dreams, but will have to do so without star running back Jahvid Best.

Best has 12 touchdowns on the season with 6.1 yards per carry, and is sorely missed by the Cal offense. With Best out the offense has managed just 38 points in two games. Best was one of the best running backs in the country before going down to injury. His replacements, Shane Vereen and CoVaughn DeBoskie-Johnson have been good, but not as great as Best. An underrated aspect of Best’s game was his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. He is third on the team with 22 receptions and second on the team with four receiving touchdowns. Best’s absence changes the offense and the preparation of opposing defenses, and the Golden Bears have not fully adjusted.
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While Best is out, Stanford’s sudden Heisman Trophy candidate, running back Toby Gerhart, is very much in. Gerhart, who has scored 19 touchdowns on the season in just 10 games, averages over five yards per carry and nearly 140 yards per game. He has a bruising style and runs behind an excellent offensive line. Quarterback Andrew Luck has been impressive in his freshman season, too. Thirteen touchdowns against just three interceptions is quite impressive, but his 2,220 passing yards are good enough for second in the conference.

Ironically, the more Stanford wins, the greater – it seems – the chance that the team will lose its coach. Jim Harbaugh, who has done a credible job of turning the Cardinal football program around, graduated from Michigan. Michigan, we all know, has a coach whose time seems to be running out. Should Rich Rodriguez be jettisoned from Michigan, it is understandable if the athletic director’s first call is to Jim Harbaugh. The rumors first started early this month, then Harbaugh refused to address them, then he finally gave the standard coach’s comment where he did not deny the possibility of moving on to Michigan but kept the interview focused on the current situation. Kudos. But, fans have seen this game a million times before.

This is a game that Stanford must win. This is a game that Stanford should win. This is a game that, if the team wins, it may lose a coach where every win adds to an already impressive resumé. If the team loses, this game may be the reason why the coach stays around next season.

Oh, and there is that whole rivalry thing. These two teams genuinely dislike each other, and have for decades. Not only is this a compelling game in a compelling conference, it is an example of what makes college rivalries great.

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The Fumbling the BCS Debate – Sometimes, Your “Best” Just Isn’t Good Enough

September 28, 2009

Read Sports Geek’s argument and Loyal Homer’s arguments about the which NCAA football team has lost their chance to play in a BCS game this season.



Four weeks ago, The Sports Debates had an argument about which team ranked outside of the top ten at that time had the best shot of breaking up the traditional BCS party. The team I felt at the time had that best opportunity was the California Golden Bears.

Within my argument, I spelled out my reasons for why the Bears were a dangerous team, and why I considered them a threat to the USC Trojans within the Pac-10. Those reasons included a relatively weak schedule, and the very dangerous running back, Jahvid Best.

I also discussed exactly what Cal would need to accomplish in order to see that BCS dream come to fruition. Two of those accomplishments were to first defeat Oregon, and then to defeat Southern Cal. I argued at the time that if California could defeat Oregon (whom I expected to struggle early in the season under their new head coach Chip Kelly), it could position itself for a Pac-10 showdown at home against a very young and vulnerable USC team.

Leading up to last weekend’s matchup, everything went as planned for Cal. As predicted, the Ducks did struggle early, falling out of the top 25 after a week-one loss on the road at Boise State (star running back LeGarrette Blount was also lost for the season in the process). California, on the other hand, started off the season by winning in VERY impressive fashion, outscoring their first three opponents (Maryland, Eastern Washington, and Minnesota) by a combined score of 146-41. As a result, California had climbed ahead of USC in the rankings, moving all the way up to the sixth position.

Then came the showdown with Oregon, which is when the good times ended for the Bears.

Last weekend, the Oregon Ducks EMBARRASSED the sixth ranked California Golden Bears, defeating their PAC-10 cohorts 42-3. During the game, THEN-Heisman hopeful Jahvid Best (he should NOT be hopeful anymore) managed to rush for just 55 yards on 16 attempts as the Duck defense completely shut down an explosive California offense (the Bears only managed to gain 207 total yards of offense in the game). On the other side of the ball, California’s defense did not fare any better as they gave up 22 second-quarter points, putting the game out of reach before halftime.

Had the Bears been able to pull off the win, they would have entered PAC-10 play with a victory, would have climbed into the top-five in rankings (thanks to a loss by GREATLY overrated Ole Miss), and would have been poised to host a USC team that had proven their vulnerability by losing to Washington two weeks earlier (good call, Sports Geek). Instead, the loss puts California at 0-1 in the Pac-10 BEHIND Oregon, with a matchup against USC looming on the horizon. As a side note, the 42-3 score marks the worst loss in history for California when they entered the game ranked in the top ten (thanks to ESPN.com for THAT obscure stat of the day!)

Unlike USC, a team that has already defeated a BCS-caliber opponent in Ohio State and could potentially get an at-large BCS invitation, California needed to win the PAC-10 if they wanted to reach the BCS. That meant beating Oregon AND USC. They were unable to beat Oregon, and their BCS hopes are now gone! In order to win the PAC-10 now, they have to win out the rest of their season (including a victory over USC), AND they need Oregon to lose to USC and ONE MORE PAC-10 opponent (not to mention the fact that they also need all of the OTHER PAC-10 teams to lose at least one game). I just do not see it happening.

California was the top-ranked PAC-10 team, and had every opportunity to play in the BCS in January. After a blowout loss to an unranked in-conference opponent, they can kiss the BCS goodbye!

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The 2009 BCS Championship Sleeper Debate – They Call Them ‘Golden ‘ For A Reason

August 28, 2009

Read Sports Geek and Loyal Homer’s arguments on which teams they feel could be a surprise contender for the BCS Title Game.



All good things must come to an end, and for head coach Pete Carroll and his USC Trojans, the curtain may be falling on what has been one of the most impressive (and dominant) performances in college football over the past decade. The Trojans, who have won at least a share of the Pac-10 title for seven consecutive seasons, could be in danger of seeing that streak come to an end in 2009.

After losing 11 players from last season’s team in the NFL draft (including quarterback Mark Sanchez and the entire linebacking corps of Rey Maualuga, Brian Cushing, Clay Matthews Jr, and Kaluka Maiava), the Trojans will be putting a lot of young and inexperienced players on the field in several critical positions. Most notably, Carroll announced earlier this week that true freshman Matt Barkley is starting at the quarterback position. While Barkley’s performance in training camp was strong enough to make him the first ever true freshman to start a season opener at USC, that does not mean it will be strong enough to claim an eighth consecutive Pac-10 crown.

The two teams most likely to challenge USC’s supremacy in the Pac-10 this year are Oregon and California. While Oregon returns two very dangerous offensive threats to the highest scoring team in the conference from a year ago, senior running back LeGarrette Blount and junior quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, they have a new head coach in Chip Kelly and may have some early struggles before finally settling in.

The California Golden Bears are a team full of upside and pose the most serious threat to finally ending USC’s streak at the top. Cal’s most exciting player to watch this season will be junior running back Jahvid Best. My pick as the dark horse for the 2009 Heisman Trophy, Best is an explosive playmaker that becomes a threat to score every time he is handed the ball. He finished second in total yards in the NCAA last year, rushing for 1,580 yards and 15 touchdowns along the way, and should at least match those totals this season.

Best, however, is not the only bright spot for Cal in 2009. The Bears are bringing back a very experienced group of players at wide receiver, including seniors Nyan Boateng and Verran Tucker. Junior Kevin Riley will also be returning behind center for his first full season at quarterback, after throwing for more than 1,300 yards, 14 touchdowns, and only six interceptions while splitting time with Nate Longshore in 2008.

Defense should be the strongest point for the Golden Bears in 2009. Eight of last year’s 11 defensive starters are returning to the field this season. Leading the defense is senior cornerback Syd’Quan Thompson, who last year racked up 70 tackles, two sacks, and four interceptions (on special teams, Thompson also had 344 punt return yards with a touchdown). Thompson anchors a defense that ranked in the top 15 in the nation for sacks in 2008, and ranked third overall for interceptions (picking off 24 passes, three of which were returned for touchdowns).

Also leaning in Cal’s favor this season is their schedule. During the 2009 season, the only road game that really poses a challenge for Cal is the September 26th matchup at Oregon (keep in mind that Cal has not lost to Oregon since 2005, including a win in Eugene in 2007). The rest of their road schedule includes games at UCLA, Arizona State, Stanford, and Washington. They get to play the “tougher” teams of USC, Oregon State, Arizona, and Washington State all at home, and their non-conference schedule includes Maryland and Eastern Washington at home, and a trip to Minnesota (who started 4-0 last season before losing six of their remaining nine games and do not look to be much improved for 2009).

Conditions seem right for California to make a strong run to the top of the Pac-10. Sure, they will need some help from Florida, Texas, or Oklahoma if they are going to push for the National Championship, but so will every other team in the nation! If Cal can finish the season as the Pac-10 champs, having beaten USC and Oregon, and with no more than one loss (which is entirely possible when you consider their returning talent and their 2009 schedule), look for them to be right in the thick of the National Championship conversation.

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The Heisman Trophy Sleepers Debate – The “Best” of the Rest

August 21, 2009

Read Sports Geek’s and Loyal Homer’s arguments on which of the Heisman Candidates are the most likely ‘sleepers’ to break the ranks of Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow, or Colt McCoy.

Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy, and Sam Bradford are all favorites for the 2009 Heisman trophy for one reason only – they will be the featured players on teams that are expected to compete for the BCS National Championship. As the quarterbacks for Florida, Texas, and Oklahoma respectively, expectations are that at least one, if not all three, will be leading their teams towards a chance at the national crown. When you have that kind of supporting cast and spotlight around you, it is kind of hard NOT to be a favorite for the award.

That does not mean those quarterbacks are the best three college football players in the NCAA for the 2009 season. With all due respect to the three Heisman “favorites,” it can be easy to look like a superstar when you are on the best team in football. Just ask Tim Tebow, for example. His Florida Gators are the reigning National Champions. They lost very little of their talent to graduation and the NFL last year (wide receiver Percy Harvin is the only departure of note), and are the proud owners of one of the weakest non-conference schedules in college football. Anything short of absolute DOMINATION during those games is utter failure. By my count, Florida should AVERAGE a 24-point margin of victory against Charleston Southern, Troy, Florida International, and Florida State. On their way to collective domination, Tebow should rack up some impressive statistics of his own.

More impressive in my book is the ability to succeed DESPITE a lack of fanfare. The player who will do that in 2009 is California running back Jahvid Best.

Here is the difference. Oklahoma is still a great team this year WITHOUT Sam Bradford. Likewise, if Texas were without Colt McCoy, or Florida played sans Tebow, they would still make formidable opponents and would likely remain in the top 25 rankings all season long. The Golden Bears of California, however, NEED Jahvid Best if they are going to compete for the Pac-10 title and a shot at a BCS bid in 2009. Bradford, McCoy, and Tebow are very good players in high-profile positions on great teams. Best is a great player on an average team, and he elevates the talent of those players around him.

Best is an explosive runner with big-play potential. In 2008, he ran for touchdowns of greater than 80 yards THREE different times! He combines speed with power, all packed into a 5-foot 10-inch frame. He is difficult to tackle, and nearly impossible to catch once he gets into the open field. Expect him to be a dominant presence on the field all season long.

Last year, en route to a 9-4 record and a fourth-place finish in the Pac-10 for California, Jahvid Best managed to rush for over 1,500 yards on only 194 attempts. That is an average of more than eight yards per carry! While four other running backs gained more rushing yards than Best, (Donald Brown of Connecticut, Shonn Greene of Iowa, MiQuale Lewis of Ball State, and Javon Ringer of Michigan State), they each needed at least 100 more carries to reach their totals. When you add his receiving and return yardage to those numbers, Jahvid Best finished the 2008 season with the second most all-purpose yards in the nation, behind Missouri WR Jeremy Maclin. Simply put, when Best gets the ball, yards will follow!

Many believe 2009 is the year that Cal FINALLY has a chance to end the perennial domination of Pete Carroll and the USC Trojans in the Pac-10. With the much depleted USC starting lineup (having lost 11 players to the NFL draft last year, including sux on the first day), fans in Berkeley hope this is the year their Golden Bears have the opportunity to end the current seven year streak of USC championships. If Cal is truly going to make that push, it will have to come on the shoulders of Jahvid Best.

Best does not have an easy road ahead of him. But, if Cal finds themselves sitting atop the Pac-10 standings in December, then expect to find Best sitting atop the Heisman vote totals!

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