Unsportsmanlike Conduct Sacks Saints

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NFL commissioner Roger Goodell slammed the New Orleans Saints "bounty" program. "A combination of elements made this matter particularly unusual and egregious." Goodell's statement also said, "a strong and lasting message must be sent."

In an unprecedented move Goodall suspended head coach Sean Payton without pay for the 2012 season, ordered Saints to forfeit second round draft picks for two years, indefinitely suspended former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, suspended GM Micky Loonis for 8 games, suspended assistanct coach Joe Vitt for six games and fined the organization $500,000. This all stems from New Orleans coaches offering cash bounties to their players for targeting/injuirng opposing players.

Good for Goodall. A harsh sentence for unsportsmanlike conduct. It's no secret NFL players try their best to levy hits to remember against opponents. But, it's another thing when coaches offer cash "bounties" to take out opponents.

Payton becomes the first NFL coach suspended for any reason. He's been accused of covering up extra cash bonuses to players by ignoring instructions from the NFL and Saints ownership to make sure bounties weren't being paid (after the league first caught wind last season). The NFL took down Payton for "falsely deny that the program existed," and for trying to "encourage the false denials by instructing assistants to 'make sure our ducks are in a row."

This was as blatent as it gets in professional football. Coaches paying players to inflict harm. I can guarantee you bounties exist far beyond the NFL. I'm willing to bet it happens in college & high school football too (probably without cash payments).

Football is a tough game. New Orleans will pay a heavy price for their actions. Quite frankly, losing second round draft picks for two years isn't harsh enough. First round picks are justified in a situation where the commissioner's office directly forewarned Saints coaches to end this practice - they did not. No denials coming from New Orleans either. Plenty of apologies - suggesting this practice was in place for at least a few seasons.

Hats off to NFL officials on using the Saints as examples. I'm amazed their shenangan's remained a secret for this long. It shouldn't surprise anyone to learn this practice has been in place with many teams in the past. Hard to imagine legendary Bears, Raiders and a handful of others not instituting bounties. There's one glaring difference - the NFL will no longer put up with this kind of behavior.

Brees Sets Passing Record vs Whiny Falcons

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New Orleans Saints (12-3) star QB Drew Brees bested Dan Marino's NFL record for passing yards in a single season on Monday Night Football. Brees hit halfback Darren Sproles with a 9 yard strike to set the record with 2:51 remaining in a 45-16 romp over Atlanta.

New Orleans fans showered Brees with a long standing ovation as their quarterback celebrated and received congratulations from Saints teammates. Marino passed for 5,084 yards during a magical 1984 season. Brees needed just 15 games, finishing with 5,087. He'll raise the bar further in the final week of regular season action becoming the only player to surpass 5,100 yards.

Not everyone was celebrating. A beaten down Atlanta Falcons team wasn't happy New Orleans continued throwing late in the game. Get over it Falcons!!! What did you expect? A record within reach - during a home game - on Monday Night Football - why shouldn't New Orleans head coach give the green light. This is the NFL - Not For Lightweights. Stop whining and give Brees the respect he deserves - especially after picking apart Atlanta's defense. This wasn't about running up the score against a beaten team. It was all about letting their team leader achieve record status. If Atlanta didn't want him to break the record then their defense should have stepped up. They didn't. Drew Brees did.

Congratulations Drew! The Saints finish up the regular season against a very porous Carolina defense on New Year's Day. Let's predict a final season ending total of 5,415.

NFL 2011 Preview: NFC South

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2010 - Atlanta dethroned New Orleans. Tampa Bay came out of nowhere to win 10. Carolina was an embarrassment winning only two games. It'll be Atlanta vs New Orleans in 2011 with Tampa not living up to new expectations.


1 - New Orleans Saints
Offense: Big time firepower led by Drew Brees. Running game is always questionable in New Orleans pass first attack. Rookie RB Mark Ingram might change their plan if he's able to run vs NFL defenses. Darren Sproles is a speedy back and kick returner. Plenty of deep threats at WR. 400+ points well within reach.
Defense: Ball hawks get a boost with new NFL kickoff rules. Speedy defense was #4 overall last season but struggled big time vs run oriented attacks. New faces on D line and LB will certainly help correct short comings.
Prediction: 2011 version of Saints could be better than Super Bowl winning squad. 12-14 wins.

2 - Atlanta Falcons

Offense: Efficient and getting better. Threats at all positions creates one of NFL's most balanced attacks. RB Turner has scored 39 TD's in past 3 seasons. Wideouts need to make big possession plays to keep drives moving.
Defense: Young CB's getting better - it's their make or break season. Pass rush is key to helping secondary. If the D line steps up then Atlanta is a Super threat.
Prediction: Fun team to watch. 2011 could be their year. At least 11 wins.

3 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Offense: NFL's surprise unit in 2010. Can they duplicate/improve in 2011? Perhaps. 2nd year QB Freeman's 25-6 TD-INT ratio was superb. RB Blount needs to have a big season & Freeman hopes to keep blossoming.
Defense: Very young unit played well enough in 2010. They future is bright. Inexperience will set them back a step in 2011.
Prediction: Hard to imagine a 10 win repeat performance. Expecting a .500 season.

4 - Carolina Panthers

Offense: Cam Newton (Auburn) is the new man in town. Carolina's offense has been terrible in recent seasons. Newton has all the tools to quickly turn this franchise into a powerhouse. Question - can he perform vs NFL defenses? Time will tell - sooner than later. Decent offensive line, good RB's, talented ball catchers will all contribute if Newton is a quick study.
Defense: Don't get too down on this bunch. They've been plagued by recent inept offenses putting them in near impossible defensive positions - short fields and spending more time defending than offense attacking.
Prediction: Anything more than 5 wins is a positive first step.

NFC South will become one of NFL's most exciting divisions in years to come

NFL 2010 Preseason Predictions - NFC South

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Super Bowl XLIV Champion New Orleans are the obvious odds on favorite to win NFC South. They're better, deeper and maturing quickly. They should have no problem as repeat division winners unless they haven't stopped partying.

1) New Orleans Saints Saints take dead aim at back to back titles. Solid draft netted a future starting CB (Patrick Robinson, FSU), future starting TE (Jimmy Graham, UM) and local DT from LSU Al Woods. None figure to be immediate impact players but they'll fit right in with a very deep and talented squad. Brees' targets are maturing nicely. Running game may need a boost to help give the defense a rest. Defensive players are ball hawks. These guys swarm to the ball and create turnovers (26 int, 15 fumbles). They ran off to a stunning 13-0 record. Saints have the 27th hardest (6th easiest) scheduling heading into 2010. 14 wins is a possibility.

2) Atlanta Falcons After an 11-5 finish in '08 and additions to key positions on offense heading into '09 Falcons fans had high hopes. Atlanta soared early before crash landing mid-season. 4-1 quickly turned into 6-7 before rebounding to finish 9-7. Team needs were met in the draft with the selections of LB Sean Weatherspoon (Mizzou) and DT Corey Peters (Ken). To help protect oft pressured QB Ryan Atlanta tabbed 2 guards, Alabama's Mike Johnson & Joseph Hawley (UNLV). Atlanta has all the tools to return as a playoff challenger. Solid talent at most positions. Falcons middle of the road defense holds the key to success or failure.

3) Carolina Panthers I was a bit off last year in one of various NFC synopsis. I expected Carolina to put the naysayers to rest and make the playoffs. Their 8-8 record is quite deceptive. Offense scored 10 or fewer points five times. Play selection was miserable which was no help to Jake Delhomme who looked weak armed and lost while posting career worst numbers. Panthers really needed to better position themselves before draft day. Their first pick came in round 2, 48th overall. A very questionable pick taking Notre Dame's QB Jimmy Clausen. Many question marks heading into training camp covering all bases from starting qb to health issues with runningbacks. 2010 will be a transition season unless questions are answered early and new role players step it up.

4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tampa production on both offense and defense ranked near last in all categories. They're a long way from climbing back to championship status. QB situation was a revolving door before Josh Freeman took over. Weak running game produced only 5 td's. Bucs gave the ball away 34 times. Offense scored 10 or less six times. Another long year awaits but there's light at the end of the tunnel if fans can be patiently supportive. They had a great draft. 3rd pick of the NFL draft was Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma. 2nd round pick UCLA's DT Brian Price. Their presence will be felt immediately and should mature into fine players for years to come helping restore Tampa's reputation for no nonsense defense. 4th rounder Mike Williams (WR, SYR) might turn out being the steal of this draft if he can straighten out personal off field issues. 2010 will be filled with ups and downs. No reason this team can't win 5-7 games.

Super Bowl XLIV: Colts vs Saints

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Super Bowl XLIV promises to be a fast paced shootout featuring two of NFL's top offenses. Peyton Manning vs Drew Brees. Each team might score 30+ points. On paper, I'd say these two teams will set a new Super Bowl record for points scored. Big scoring plays should be plentiful.

Peyton Manning, Colts - 4 NFL MVP's, 1 Super Bowl Championship, 50,000+ career passing yards, 366 TD's, lifetime 95.2 passer rating. Colts win or lose on his golden right arm. He calls most Colts offensive plays. He'll need 400 yards of precision passing to win.

Drew Brees, Saints - 2009 NFL best 109.6 passer rating, 4 consecutive 4300+ yard seasons, 15-2 as starter in '09 (includes 2 playoff wins), threw TD's to 10 different players.

Prediction: Weather will cooperate. Clear skies, 60 degrees predicted. Both teams come out firing. Ball control is key. Interrupting passing patterns key for both defenses. Protecting the ball extremely important for offenses. Saints take first half lead into locker room, 28-24. Saints lead at end of 3rd quarter, 38-31. Manning dominates 4th quarter.... Colts win, 45-41.

Indianapolis Colts Ready for Super Stampede

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Rookie head coach Jim Caldwell and his Colts have played clutch all season long. Indianapolis is one win from their second Super Bowl victory in four years (2006). Ironically, their opponent Sunday was one win from becoming the Colts opponent in the '06 game.

Indy rises and falls on the right arm of future Hall of Fame QB Peyton Manning. He's the Commander in Chief. His ever changing signals at the line keep defenses guessing. Even when they guess right Manning finds a way to get the job done. Fourth quarter comebacks are his specialty. Indy had plenty of close calls but usually found a way to victory (14-2). Playoff football has been near perfect with convincing wins over stingy Baltimore and New York.

How can the Colts slow down New Orleans? It won't be easy. Sentiment from fans seems to be on the Saints side. Hardly anyone I know seems to be rooting for the Colts. We should be treated to a great Super Bowl this weekend. Here's what the Colts must do to bring home another Lombardy Trophy....

Keys to Victory - Offense: Patience. Patience not to abandon running attack. Patience by Manning when passing lanes are jammed. If the Colts line can open up running lanes then Manning will have plenty of opportunities to lead long time consuming drives. Offense must protect the ball at all costs.

Keys to Victory - Defense: Dwight Freeney, Dwight Freeney, Dwight Freeney. Everyone has left Indy for dead without defensive star Dwight Freeney. All inquiring minds want to know if the Colts can step up? Rumors now speculating he'll play but there's no way he'll be effective in a fast paced game with a bum ankle. Colts only chance slowing down Brees is to keep plays in front of them... don't allow speedy Saints WR's to roam downfield. Saints run best from spread formations. Colts D doesn't match up well vs NFL's #1 offense. They only faced one, maybe two, high powered attacks all season. Saints fast pace could overwhelm these guys. Winning the turnover battle is the biggest key to slowing down Brees & Co. Lack of turnovers will most likely spell defeat.

Keys to Victory - Special Teams: Nothing exciting to write home about when it comes to Colts special teams play. They're not great at covering kicks. Not so hot returning punts and kickoffs. I'm expecting Saints returners to create great field position if given chances. Punter Pat McAfee really needs to angle kicks and keep New Orleans pinned deep. Advantage Saints.
Stay tuned for Super Bowl predictions.

Who Dat Saints Chase 1st Super Bowl

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Who Dat? New Orleans Saints (13-3) players are having the football season of their lives. A franchise best 13 wins, first NFC title, energized their rebuilding city, and now, a chance to win their very first Super Bowl. New Orleans football history is filled with highs and bag-headed lows since the Saints began play in 1967. They're riding a high now. Is it their time to win it all?

Head coach Sean Payton has all systems firing. A prolific offense led by Drew Brees and an opportunistic defense capable of making game changing plays. His biggest challenge on Sunday will be keeping his young team focused. Which way will he go with game planning? Will it be a big play day of stretching wide receivers deep down field vs an Indianapolis defense deficient in pass coverage? Or, will he choose a more patient time consuming strategy aimed at keeping Peyton Manning off the field of play?

Keys to Victory - Offense: Line needs to play huge. If Brees has time to find streaking receivers then they can score 45+ with quick strike plays. Who will be the go to guy at running back? Reggie Bush is getting all the press this week. His speed will open up great matchups out of the backfield on passing plays. Saints wide receivers are fast. They must avoid drops as every missed opportunity could soon become a game changer. Brees - one never knows how a QB will handle "The Big Game" pressures? He needs to stay calm and not force throws. Protect the ball at all times.

Keys to Victory - Defense: Is there really any way to contain Peyton Manning? There's only one way I see New Orleans being able to slow down the Colts offense. The defensive line has to disrupt Manning's timing. Stunts, bull rushes, zone blitzes, all of the above. Every once in a while he'll force one and New Orleans defensive backs will have to come up big. Keeping the defense fresh (stamina) is huge for both teams. This game could turn into a shoot out. Whichever teams D gets burnt first will spell doom and gloom.

Keys to Victory - Special Teams: Reggie Bush always seems one play away from breaking off a long touchdown. Last season he returned 3 punts all the way. None in 2009 with a low 4.8 average/return. Kickoff returns will be handled by Courtney Roby who boasts as 27.5 average. Thomas Morstead hopes not to be used but will be ready to boom a few punts when his number is called. Place kicking is a potential hazard. Garrett Hartley is unproven. Get ready for pressure kicks kiddo.

NFL Divisional Playoff Predictions

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Green Bay vs Arizona was quite the show last Sunday. Cards won 51-45 on a defensive play in OT! So how will Arizona vs New Orleans shape up Saturday afternoon? Will Favre & Co. be too much for red hot Dallas to handle? Jets D vs a Chargers team on a mission? Is Peyton ready for more 4th quarter heroics vs a stingy Ravens D? Time to toss my two cents into predicting this weekends games.

(Saturday)
Cardinals @ Saints: Arizona's coming off a thrilling OT win vs Green Bay, 51-45. Was it a preview for what's next? At times, the Saints can score at will. Both teams have top notch QB's and WR's. Defensive edge is probably says advantage Saints. Take your pick in this one. New Orleans should win but we're talking about the still not respected Cards who surprised everyone last year by coming within one play of winning the Super Bowl. Not many gave them a shot last week. Not many are giving them a shot this week. Guess what? They'll put up points again.Arizona 38 New Orleans 34

Ravens @ Colts: MVP Manning's 4th quarter performances have been nothing short of spectacular. He'll have his hands full against a very aggressive Ravens defense. These teams squared off back on November 22nd. Indy won on a late 4th qtr field goal, 17-15. I'm thinking it'll be another very tight game.
Indianapolis 24 Baltimore 20

(Sunday)
Cowboys @ Vikings: Here's my favorite matchup in this round. Dallas is red hot. Romo's looking great and Dallas defense has played especially well in three consecutive contests. Minnesota has weapons at every offensive position with plenty of depth to boot. Vikings defense is equally tough. Favre had been struggling down the stretch until unleashing hell vs Giants. Minnesota is too tough at home. Adrian Peterson will have a huge statistical game leading the Vikes to victory.
Minnesota 33 Dallas 27

Jets @ Chargers: Jets defense is NFL's best. They can shut down anyone. On Sunday, New York's D needs to score points too. San Diego's offense is too good. Jets offense not good enough to keep up. Turnovers is the key. Chargers win but never bet against the Jets. They're not here by accident.
San Diego 23 New York 10

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