Sports

[gardenman]

Mike Nolan teaches a read and react style of defense which can work as long as all eleven defenders make the same read at the same time. And, that's the problem. Getting eleven guys to make the same read simultaneously is nearly impossible. It's a type of defense that looks good on chalkboards, but falls apart on the fields.

Nolan's last three years as a DC in Atlanta had his defenses ranked 24th, 27th, and 32nd. Read and react puts the defense behind the offense. You're not pressuring the offense. You're on your heels waiting to see what the offense does rather than dictating play to the offense. I far prefer an attacking defense. Let the offense react to what you're doing rather than the other way around.

The Cowboys will have to make a move at DC by the end of the season anyway. It's hard to make a big structural change mid-season, but Mike Nolan probably won't be back next year. Whoever the DC is will have a hard time due to the lack of talent on defense. You can legitimately argue the Cowboys need to upgrade at six or seven defensive positions and that's not easy. They lost an all-pro corner, 11.5 sack defensive end, a competent safety, and defensive tackle in free agency. They've got big issues on defense. 

They have a surplus of offensive players who could be tradeable for defensive help. I think the most tradeable guy would be CeeDee Lamb. He's inexpensive, on a rookie contract, and playing well. A team like the Jets might be intrigued enough to trade a good defensive player or two to get Lamb. That trading deadline could be interesting this year.

[Spurt]

@gardenman @teganslaw 

TEXANS FIRE BILL O'BRIEN!

Romeo Crennel is expected to take over as interim head coach. Jack Easterby, who has become the second-most powerful member of the team’s front office, is expected to stay with the team.

Boy are the Texan fans happy!

[AuntG]

Isn't it kind of early to be firing coaches?

[gardenman]

That's very fast. You typically get to the halfway point of the season before the firings start. I think he's a better coach than a GM, but he's not a great coach. I guess removing him before he can trade away more talent might be smart. In O'Brien's defense when your first four games are KC, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Minnesota, an 0-4 start isn't all that improbable. Optimistically, you might emerge 2-2. Realistically, 1-4 seems more likely. Going 0-4 against those teams isn't a mark of shame. It happens.

[Spurt]

@AuntG @teganslaw @sunshine45  @GoneButNotForgotten  @

CONGRATS TO ALL THE FANS OF TEAMS THAT WON!!!

[gardenman]

A couple of pretty good games last night. The Patriots could have won had they better QB play. The Chiefs didn't look as dominant as they typically do. The Patriots just left too many points on the field with bad turnovers and dumb play.

Aaron Rodgers is still playing like a man possessed. The Falcons are still playing like a team that wants a new head coach. Matt Ryan is surrounded by a bunch of first-round and high draft picks on offense while Aaron Rodgers is surrounded by a bunch of guys who aren't as talented, but Rodgers just uses his guys much better. Great quarterbacks elevate the play of the guys around them and Rodgers does that. Matt Ryan? Not so much.

[RetRN]

@gardenman, any thoughts on who will play in the Super Bowl? 

[gardenman]

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@RetRN wrote:

@gardenman, any thoughts on who will play in the Super Bowl? 

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You pretty much have to pick the Chiefs on the AFC side. The Ravens, Bills, and Steelers could give them a good fight though.

On the NFC side, the Packers would be my early favorite. The Seahawks could give them a good fight though. The Bucs are a bit of a wildcard. They're playing well enough to be up there also and never rule out New Orleans with Drew Brees.

We'll have seven NFC and seven AFC teams in the playoffs this year with the expanded format. My best guess for the NFC teams would be Packers, Seahawks, Bucs, Saints, Rams, Niners, and either the Eagles or Cowboys, whoever wins the NFC East.

On the AFC side we're probably looking at the Bills, Patriots, Titans, Colts, Chiefs, Ravens, and Steelers making the playoffs.

The wrong injury at the wrong point of the season can derail even the best teams, so you never truly know how things will play out.

In the NFC East the Cowboys have the easiest schedule the rest of the way, but they have by far the worst defense. Last year they only won games when they scored more than 30 points. This year they may have to score 40 or more points to win. They can't stop the run or pass. That's putting a lot of pressure on their offense. Every offensive coordinator is drooling at the thought of playing the Cowboys. Their defense is just pathetic. They'll be facing some pretty high output offenses over the last three-quarters of the season also in the Cards, Steelers, Ravens, and Niners. Even lesser offenses will look good against that defense. The big goal for every offense playing the Cowboys is just ball security. Unless you give them the football, they won't stop you. Stopping the Cowboy offense is more of a nightmare, but you should be able to match them score for score.

The Eagles have been badly beat up and injured, but should be starting to get healthier. DeSean Jackson and Alshon Jeffery could be back this week. Much of the offensive line is done for the year, but the kids have done a nice job so far against some tough challengers. Beating the Niners in San Francisco was huge for the mental state of the team. They have the Steelers this week and a win there would be very, very good. (Not likely, but good.) After the Steelers they have the Ravens, Giants, Cowboys and Giants again. If they come out of those five games 3-2 they'll be in pretty good shape. If they somehow win four of those games they'll be in very good shape.

The Cowboys/Giants game this coming weekend will be interesting to watch. The Giants have been playing very poorly. They should be able to score on the Cowboys though. Can they slow down the Cowboys? Maybe. If the Cowboys lose that game Mike McCarthy may have only outlasted Bill O'Brien by a week as an NFL head coach. The only game the Cowboys won came on a miracle onsides kick recovery where the Falcons forgot they could touch the ball short of it going ten yards. They could be, should be 0-4 at this point instead of 1-3. The Cowboys were 8-8 last year and got weaker at a lot of roster spots. I have them pegged as being a 6-10 to an 8-8 team this year and 8-8 might be a stretch.

Depending on what happens this Sunday the Cowboys may slip down to the 4-12 range if they lose to the Giants. That Cowboy defense is historically bad. They've given up 146 points so far. The next closest team is the Jets who have given up 133. Giving up 36.5 points per game is awful. You just can't win playing that kind of football. The pressure that puts on your offense is incredible. The offense knows they have to score every time they get the ball. 

The biggest weakness on the Eagles right now is the linebacker corps. They gave up 183 yards to George Kittle on 15 catches. They've got to get better linebacker play and they need it soon. Alex Singleton may be the answer. He came in after an injury and played very well, so he may slide into a starting job soon. We've got a couple of kids we drafted who frankly can't be much worse than the starters, so you're apt to see some movement there roster-wise.

I'm getting more confident that the Eagles will win the NFC East. They're a better balanced team than the Cowboys. Fix the linebacker issues and the defense will be rock solid. The offense somehow manages to survive everyone getting injured and replaced with practice squad guys.