Random Thoughts from Week 3

Here are some Random Thoughts from Week 3 of the NFL season:

• The talk of the NFL seems to be Bill Belichick's postgame grabbing of an official after the classic Patriots-Ravens thriller on Sunday night. Many are calling for Belichick to be fined or even suspended. Personally, after watching the supposed "grabbing", I see no reason for everyone to get upset. Belichick simply wanted a word with the official after a very close game winning field goal call. It's not like he wanted to fight the guy, after all. However, it would have been smart for Belichick to simply do nothing at all, since a) field goals cannot be challenged, and b) apparently it's a fine to touch an official. Frankly, it's in the best interest of the officials, but this type of over-reaction is just a sad excuse to berate coaches for simply berating themselves.
• What a Sunday, huh? There were at least 4 games this Sunday that went into overtime, most notably the frantic Lions-Titans interconference thriller. Unfortunately for many of us, we couldn't watch the end of it. I think the NFL and television networks should try to establish something more than it's current format to allow viewers to watch the conclusions of exciting games. If ESPN can do it with perfect games in baseball (ie. live look-ins), why can't something similar be done in the NFL? Is there nothing in the NFL that compares to a perfect game in baseball? We'll leave that discussion for another day.
• The replacements need to go. Now. After watching the scary hit that Darrius Heyward-Bey took in the Steelers-Raiders contest, it's become evident that the refs don't know when to protect players, and thus the NFL doesn't really care about player protection. That's too bad, because the NFLPA really got ripped off in negotiating a new CBA that ensured player benefits. The refs have allowed too much pushing and shoving, too many uncalled penalties, and seem to lack knowledge of the rulebook in some cases. Sometimes they have to be reminded by fans and sideline personnel to call a certain penalty. It's really quite a travesty. Maybe I'm only knocking on a few refs here, some look competent. But for the most part, we NEED the regular officials back. They keep order in the NFL's business, the game. Owners and administrators may adhere to the rules and formats, but they do nothing for the casual fan on gameday. So they might as well do something right to grab our attention.

That's all for tonight, although I may add more throughout the week. Until then, enjoy the defensive slugfest going on in Seattle.

UPDATE: Just finished watching the Green Bay-Seattle game on MNF. Watched a whole lot of postgame coverage. Please note that these are my immediate reactions, but I'm sure my view may change as this story develops into tomorrow. In what may be the most controversial call in football history since the Immaculate Reception, the Green Bay Packers were narrowly defeated by a highly questionable call. I'll stop short of saying they were robbed and only say that they were handed a loss by the scabs on the sidelines. This wasn't a football game. It was a theatre controlled by the replacement officiating crew. Every call, every play, everything was essentially decided by a ho-hum group of random pop warner zebras who essentially cost the game for the Packers. The Seahawks could have just as easily had the game stolen from them, but the fact remains that the officials cost a team a win. This game will be put under a far larger microscope since it came on a last second game-winning Hail Mary play on football's biggest stage. But it comes at a time when certain things shall pass. And they should, for the NFL has reached a point where it has become a mockery and embarrassment of itself. Man, I sure wish the early 2000s NFL. Because what we have here is a struggling shell of former glory.

Random Thoughts from Week 2

Here is the first Random Thoughts article on UTTQ. This will be a semi weekly feature on UTTQ, depending on how many thoughts I have on the previous week's games. I will just give out a few thoughts on a variety of things from the previous week or so that I feel need to be said but yet I don't want to write a long article about it. So please debate, critique, and enjoy.

• The replacement officials were pretty good in Week 1, or at least reasonably competent. However, Week 2 was a much different story. Maybe it's just the fact that I watched two of the most poorly officiated and controversial games of the weekend (the WAS@STL game and the Monday night DEN@ATL game), but I have seen and heard about bad calls in other games as well. The officials mismanaged the games, made many simple mistakes that I have NEVER seen the regular locked-out officials make, and generally allowed games to get out of hand. The chippiness in both the WAS@STL and DEN@ATL games were enough to cause the officials to get flustered and make (or not make) accurate calls. The NFL must understand that the regular officials not only have a better understanding of most obscure rules, but that they also have the respect of the players. Don't get me wrong, you wouldn't see Ray Lewis hugging Walt Anderson after a defensive pass interference call, but the players generally know and respect the regular officials for their details and regulation of the game. There is little delay during penalties, fewer replays that are reversed, and the flow of the game is generally smoother. Sure, the regular refs make mistakes sometimes. But they hardly make such easy mistakes as not knowing the penalty yardage or failing to flag a flagrant jab or punch. They respect the game too much to do that. And, in that regard, the mistakes they do make are often judgement call mistakes that could go either way.
• The Bucs-Giants game ending is the talk of the league. Was Greg Schiano right to rush his defense at New York quarterback Eli Manning during a victory formation? Or was Tom Coughlin right in asserting that those actions had no place in the National Football League? To be honest, I sided with Coughlin early on, but then switched to Schiano's perspective. Now, after careful considerations on both fronts, I have come to realize that no one was right or wrong. First off, think about the formation. The victory formation was established to secure a win by having the quarterback kneel down to run out the clock. Many times both teams accept the outcome of the game by then and simply play like it's a Pro Bowl field goal attempt. But sometimes, the quarterback may back up and delay the kneel to force more time off the clock. Even rarer, a team may actually run a play during a kneeldown formation (although it's illegal to simulate the kneel and then run the play, as evidenced by this NCAA game). In that regard, the defense shouldn't merely give the quarterback the benefit of the doubt and should try to get him down if he does delay kneeling. So Schiano was right in that aspect. However, with 5 seconds left, the Giants had no reason to ask Eli Manning to back up for 5 yards before taking a knee, so the Buccaneers had little reason to actually force him to kneel as quickly as possible, thus making the bull rush on the final play highly unnecessary. So Coughlin had some right to be mad. But could there still be some merit to the Bucs' actions? Very rarely, a defense may get lucky and have the quarterback fumble the snap, or even force a fumble via the extremely rare "swatting of the center's ball hand immediately after he hikes the ball but before the ball reaches the quarterbacks hands" maneuver, but both are, like I said, rare. Schiano may have been employing such a tactic, since a last minute penalty would've been meaningless, but a fumble and recovery by the defense could have set up a last second game-tying touchdown attempt. In the end, though, I believe both coaches had their faults: Schiano didn't need to employ the tactic, but Coughlin didn't need to call him out for doing it. It should be reasonable for the Bucs to play to the final gun in a desperation attempt to get the ball back, but it certainly was not necessary in such circumstances.
• Already being dubbed "Swooshgate" (I used to hate scandals being called "---gate", but now I've come to accept it as an unavoidable part of "professional journalism" these days), Robert Griffin III's wardrobe has attracted quite the attention. Griffin, who is sponsored by Adidas, plays for a league that is universally sponsored by Nike. As such, the league asks players to wear Nike uniforms, gear, and even shoes (although there is some leniency in this department). Griffin, who is and should be wary of his public image, wore a shirt last week that had the Nike swoosh marked over with a crudely written "HEART" wordmark. The league talked to Griffin about defacing/hiding the Nike logo and that he should not do it, and that was that. However, this week Griffin appeared during warmups with a plain gray shirt over his presumably Nike-branded undershirt. Apparently this has caused a minor controversy as well, with people shaming RGII for not listening to the NFL's wishes. Seriously? Cut the man some slack. He shouldn't be forced to wear gear that someone has sanctioned to him. If anything, he should just warmup without a shirt on from this point forward. I kid, but the NFL shouldn't have complete authority over the way a player dresses. Sure, it's good for RGIII to show face in something by the NFL's official supplier of gear, but he does that every friggin' week. Just look for the mark of the beast above his TV numbers on Sundays, and you'll see that he does represent Nike quite well on the football field. On the practice field he doesn't, but who cares! In 10 years his football career photo album will include pics of him on the field of play, in full Nike uniform. So to all the mediaheads trying to make much ado about nothing, try to focus on something more important. Like the fact that his Adidas shoes were taped over to conceal the three stripes.

UTTQ Preseason Predictions

With a slightly muted buzz and a snap, crackle, and pop or two, UTTQ has returned just in time for the 2012 NFL season! But before I get into some NFL predictions, I must make notice of several unfortunate circumstances that are about to befall all of you loyal readers. UTTQ will be scaling back it's content a lot this year. I probably won't have time to do week-by-week game predictions like last year. That's probably for the best, since most of the content may end up being editorials and the like, which is more interesting anyway. Second, these editorials may be few and far between, like once a month or so, unless I have free time and have nothing better to do. Third, we probably won't finish the "list"articles (Greatest Teams, #1 Draft Picks, etc.) in the foreseeable future. However, they aren't fully closed content, so I may be interested in doing them again later.

So without further ado, here are UTTQ's Preseason NFL Predictions (due to time constraints, I'm just gonna make this short and sweet):

AFC NORTH

1. Pittsburgh Steelers (2)

2. Baltimore Ravens (WC)

3. Cincinnati Bengals

4. Cleveland Browns

AFC SOUTH

1. Houston Texans (3)

2. Indianapolis Colts

3. Jacksonville Jaguars

4. Tennessee Titans

AFC EAST

1. New England Patriots (1)

2. Buffalo Bills (WC)

3. New York Jets

4. Miami Dolphins

AFC WEST

1. Denver Broncos (4)

2. San Diego Chargers

3. Oakland Raiders

4. Kansas City Chiefs

NFC NORTH

1. Green Bay Packers (1)

2. Chicago Bears (WC)

3. Detroit Lions

4. Minnesota Vikings

NFC SOUTH

1. Atlanta Falcons (4)

2. New Orleans Saints

3. Carolina Panthers

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

NFC EAST

1. New York Giants (3)

2. Dallas Cowboys (WC)

3. Philadelphia Eagles

4. Washington Redskins

NFC WEST

1. San Francisco 49ers (2)

2. Seattle Seahawks

3. St. Louis Rams

4. Arizona Cardinals

WILD CARD ROUND

Bills over Texans

Ravens over Broncos

Giants over Cowboys

Bears over Falcons

DIVISIONAL ROUND

New England over Buffalo

Pittsburgh over Baltimore

Green Bay over Chicago

San Francisco over New York

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Pittsburgh over New England

Green Bay over San Francisco

SUPER BOWL XLVII

Pittsburgh over Green Bay

UTTQ 2012 NFL Mock Draft

The 2012 Draft is only days away, and the only guarantees thus far have been in the top two picks. There's multiple rumors about trades and other different scenarios going on, but nothing has occurred just yet. As such, this mock is as much of a toss-up as it has ever been in an NFL mock draft. Here goes nothing:

1. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS--Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

There's been talk for months that Luck would be the guy. In fact, ever since Peyton Manning went down and the Colts started their season on a low note, Luck has been mentioned as the guy who will follow the greatest Indy quarterback ever. It's definitely a tough burden, but with some veteran players still in the fold (Reggie Wayne, Dwight Freeney), Luck could have success in what has undoubtedly been a difficult transition for Colts fans.


2. WASHINGTON REDSKINS (from St. Louis Rams)--Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor

Griffin has been the ultimate big risk big reward player who became a stud during his junior year at Baylor. He was great in college but many draft experts question the success he will have in the pros. Washington is desperate for an answer at quarterback and traded a bounty of picks to St. Louis in order to secure the services of Griffin (or Luck). This pick is set in stone.


3. MINNESOTA VIKINGS--Matt Kalil, LT, Southern California

The Vikings have been dabbling about taking OSU's Justin Blackmon or LSU's Morris Claiborne, but if they were smart, all they are doing is blowing smoke. The pick here should either be Matt Kalil or, if they aren't sold, a trade. The Vikings need a decent tackle, and Kalil is one of the surest bets in the draft.


4. CLEVELAND BROWNS--Trent Richardson, HB, Alabama

Richardson is one of the best pure players in this draft. All around a strong runner, he could be very successful at the next level. A good guy off the field as well, Richardson can be a game-breaker, as evidenced by his touchdown run in an offensively lacking BCS National Championship game. The Browns could use Richardson or a receiver like Blackmon, but good runners are far more rare in this draft.


5. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS--Morris Claiborne, CB, Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College

Claiborne may be dumb according to the Wonderlic, but on the field he shows the smarts and talent to achieve at the next level. The Bucs current corners include veteran Ronde Barber and E.J. Biggers. Barber could retire at any moment, while talented but troubled corner Aqib Talib is frequent police blotter material. Claiborne is a perfect complement for new acquisition Eric Wright, as the Bucs try to regroup from their 4th place NFC South finish last year.


6. ST. LOUIS RAMS (from Washington Redskins)--Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

The Rams get their man in the end, even though earlier teams (namely the Vikings and Browns) could trade out of their spots for a team desperate to snag Blackmon. Unfortunately, that team would be dumb, because the Rams could simply trade down a few spots and take a decent but perfectly good wideout in Michael Floyd, or even Kendall Wright. The Rams need to be smart with this pick, however. Taking a wide receiver would be ideal, but there are many other needs that could be addressed depending on how the top of the draft turns out.


7. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS--Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina

The Jaguars have apparently been high on Gilmore for a while, and he will provide great insurance in a defensive backfield consisting of new signee Aaron Ross and the oft-injured Rashean Mathis. Gilmore is without a doubt one of the top corners available, so the Jags will pounce on the chance to get him early.


8. MIAMI DOLPHINS--Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas Agricultural and Mechanical

Tannehill has steadily been rising up draft boards, and the Dolphins believe that they need to secure the quarterback of the future in the first round (another second rounder will surely fail again, right?). Personally, I believe taking Tannehill this high isn't justified, and it's only because he is the third best guy behind the two studs of the draft. There is definitely a drop-off after Griffin, but if the Dolphins really want to break the mold, they'll happily take Tannehill here.


9. CAROLINA PANTHERS--Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science

The Panthers need to address concerns on the inside of the D-line, and what better way than to take one of the top prospects available? Cox has shot up the draft boards and could very well kiss the top-five, but I believe he will "slide" to the Panthers at number 9. Cox definitely has the skills and rigor necessary to bolster the Panther's D-line and continue to keep them close in tight games.


10. BUFFALO BILLS--Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

The Bills really want Gilmore, but with the Jaguars taking him 3 picks ago, they'll have to settle for Dre Kirkpatrick of Alabama. This may be a reach, but Kirkpatrick is the best corner available. There are some encouraging prospects that the Bills might take, but I believe corner will be a key position they must strengthen.


11. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS--David DeCastro, OG, Stanford

The Chiefs have the talent on the outside to make a formidable rushing attack but they could use some cleaning up on the inside. DeCastro will presumably start at right guard and make his way to the left to form a combination with Branden Albert that will dominate opposing D-line schemes.


12. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS--Luke Kuechley, LB, Boston College

The Seahawks get their man in Kuechley, who will fill a vital hole in the defense ever since Lofa Tatupu left the team. Kuechley has the skills and talent to thrive as a middle linebacker in the league. If Kuechley is gone, the Seahawks may dip into the other linebackers available, but they hope to pick a guy like Kuechley here.


13. ARIZONA CARDINALS--Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa

Reiff is the best tackle available, and the Cards will get their man to protect Kolb and the young runners in the backfield. This pick should be a no-brainer if Reiff is available.


14. DALLAS COWBOYS--Mark Barron, SS, Alabama

The third Tide player to get drafted, Barron will shore up a position that the Cowboys have been weak in for several years. Barron can immediately be a threat in a defense that has had rough patches over the years but is slowly improving.


15. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES--Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina

The Eagles would like to take a defensive end here, but with so many options to choose from, they'll settle on Melvin Ingram out of South Carolina. Ingram is an intriguing talent that could immediately add to the team after last year's disappointment. Other options here include Quinton Coples or Chandler Jones, who are more versatile players.


16. NEW YORK JETS--Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina at Chapel Hill

If Coples is still available here, the Jets will gladly take him. Coples is a top 15 talent, and the Eagles had to reluctantly pass on him. Coples can fit nicely into a Rex Ryan defense hungry on pressuring the quarterback from the edge.


17. CINCINNATI BENGALS (from Oakland Raiders)--Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame du Lac

Floyd is the second best receiver available, and the Bengals will gladly take him if he falls to this spot. With Jerome Simpson gone, the Bengals will have the chance to replace Simpson and more in Floyd. The success of A.J. Green last season could also benefit Floyd's transition.


18. SAN DIEGO CHARGERS--Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse

The Chargers will gladly take either Coples or Ingram if they fall here, or might opt on Courtney Upshaw or Whitney Mercilus. The Chargers could definitely use an strong improvement on defense in a suddenly much more offensively competitive division.


19. CHICAGO BEARS--Whitney Mercilus, Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

The Bears will continue the recent trend of picks by picking a defensive end. The local product is reportedly a favorite of the coaching staff, and can turn out nicely alongside Julius Peppers in continuing to be one of the league's most gritty defenses.


20. TENNESSEE TITANS--Michael Brockers, DT, Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College

The Titans need to address the void in the middle, and what better way than to take one of the top defensive tackles available? Sound familiar? I've seen a few mocks that have Brockers going in Cox's spot, so the Titans will be getting a good value pick here.


21. CINCINNATI BENGALS--Courtney Upshaw, DE/OLB, Alabama

The abundance of versatile defensive ends keep on coming when the Bengals draft for the second time in round one, this time addressing defensive concerns. The secondary is decent, but he guys up front could struggle at times. Upshaw will be the fourth Alabama player taken after Richardson, Kirkpatrick, and Barron.

22. CLEVELAND BROWNS (from Atlanta Falcons)--Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

The Browns are looking for weapons for Colt McCoy, and have found two in Richardson and Wright. Wright can certainly be a field stretcher, but is also versatile enough to take on a Josh Cribbs role later on.


23. DETROIT LIONS--Cordy Glenn, OT, Georgia

Glenn will help to forget about the failed Gosder Cherilus pick, and could possibly work his way as a replacement for veteran Jeff Backus. Although Backus may have a few more years left in him, insurance always helps.


24. PITTSBURGH STEELERS--Nick Perry, DE, Southern California

The Steelers will jump out to grab Perry, who will ease into the rotation as insurance to a slowly aging Steeler D. Perry has the skills to jump in when he has the chance, but the Steelers could also forgo him for a linebacker with this pick.


25. DENVER BRONCOS--Amini Silatolu, G/OT, Midwestern State

The Broncos could certainly use an upgrade to their O-line now that Peyton Manning is quarterback and needs more time to throw than the previous QB. Denver could also address their lack of interior defensive linemen.


26. HOUSTON TEXANS--Shea McClellin, DE/OLB, Boise State

The Texans could use this pick to find a replacement for Mario Williams, but the reality is that they will only get low first rounders/top second rounders here.


27. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (from New Orleans Saints)--Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis

Poe really rose up draft boards because of his Combine, but slowly worked his way back down due to lackluster gametape. Poe could be an intriguing prospect that Belichick could mold.


28. GREEN BAY PACKERS--Devon Still, DT, Pennsylvania State

Green Bay has issues to address up front on defense. Their offense is set and ready to perform at great levels. Still can make the transition onto a constantly aggressive defense.


29. BALTIMORE RAVENS--Dont'a Hightower, LB, Alabama

Hightower will be the fifth and last former Tide player to be drafted in the first round. I believe Hightower has great skills that can translate onto an aging defense. He fits the mold perfectly.


30. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS--Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Institute of Technology

The 49ers lack at the receiver position, which they somewhat addressed during free agency. However, adding a young receiver like Hill will do wonders for Alex Smith and Jim Harbaugh's menacing gameplan.


31. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS--Peter Konz, C/OG, Wisconsin-Madison

Konz is a versatile O-linemen that can fill in spots for the aging Pats O-line. The Patriots will probably trade one or both of their picks, however.


32. NEW YORK GIANTS--Doug Martin, HB, Boise State

The Super Bowl Champions will look slightly different next year, most notably due to their different offensive weapons from their run in the playoffs. Martin will come in as insurance to Ahmad Bradshaw, who will presumably carry most of the load now that Brandon Jacobs is gone.

2012 Offseason Transaction: Cortland Finnegan

Without a doubt, the St. Louis Rams struggled mightily at the corner position in 2011. Injury upon injury depleted the depth chart leading to Al Harris starting at corner in a couple games. However in Cortland Finnegan, the Rams land a very talented and fiery corner that made the Pro Bowl while playing under Jeff Fisher in Tennessee. The Rams took a major step backwards in 2011, mostly due to an unprecedented amount of injuries to the secondary and offense though Finnegan brings supreme talent to a position of dire need. If St. Louis adds a few more players through the draft and free agency, they could surprise in 2012 though won’t make the playoffs.

2012 Offseason Transaction: Vincent Jackson

Vincent Jackson was the top unrestricted free agent receiver on the market before signing a monster contract with the Tampa Bay Bucs. In Jackson, Josh Freeman gets an elite, big down field receiver that has the potential to be absolutely dominating from game to game. The one question mark regarded Jackson is how effective he can be while not playing beside elite talent Antonio Gates, who draws defenders. Jackson has never topped 68 catches in a single season and the Bucs are going to need more out of him this season if they hope to contend in a deep NFC South. The Bucs are now loaded on offense if Mike Williams can bounce back after a disappointing 2011 season, and Josh Freeman can show that last year was just a down year and 2010 is his real form. While Vincent Jackson should certainly help the Bucs passing game is a big way, it probably won’t be enough to get to the postseason in 2012.

2012 Offseason Transaction: Brandon Marshall

In the first marquee move of the 2012 NFL offseason, the Chicago Bears acquired big-time receiver Brandon Marshall from the Miami Dolphins for two third round picks in April’s draft. In a trade that appears to be an absolute steal for Chicago, Jay Cutler finally gets the premier receiver that he’s lacked in his tenure in the windy city. Easily forgotten in the display of ineptitude that was the Bears in the second half of the 2011 season, is that Chicago was a dominant team early on with Cutler and Matt Forte playing at an elite level. Now with Marshall on board, the Bears look to be extremely improved on offense next season while the defense is still top notch. The Cutler-Marshall combo that was so dynamic and effective in Denver should resume its dominance of defenses in 2012, and this one move should propel the Bears to a playoff berth.