2004 NFL Draft

By Tom Waterman

Now almost six years removed from the now infamous 2004 NFL Draft that featured one of the most prominent Quarterback classes of all-time. We are all now faced with the question of which one of those quarterbacks is the best. Here is a quick recap of the players.

Drafted with the first pick overall was Eli Manning out of the University of Mississippi. As we all remember, Manning was subsequently traded to the New York Giants mere hours after being selected by the San Diego Chargers. So far in his career, Manning has led the New York Giants to two NFC East titles, a Super Bowl victory over the previously unbeaten New England Patriots, and to four consecutive (possibly soon to be five) playoff appearances.

Along with the success of his team, Manning has continued to improve each year in the league and now regarded by most as one of the top quarterbacks in the league.

Eli Manning Career Stats:

124 Touchdowns

85 Interceptions

56.7% completion percentage

79.3 QB rating

50-35 as a starter

Drafted with the fourth pick that year was Philip Rivers out of North Carolina State University. Rivers, who was originally drafted by the New York Giants, was ultimately traded to the Chargers for Eli Manning and is now in his fourth season as the starter for the San Diego Chargers. He has led his team to two AFC championship appearances, and has also had four consecutive seasons with at least 20 touchdowns and 3,000 yards passing.

Philip Rivers Career Stats:

103 Touchdowns

45 Interceptions

62.9% completion percentage

95.3 QB rating

44-18 as a starter

Not to be forgotten, also drafted with the tenth pick that year was Ben Roethlisberger out of the University of Miami Ohio. Roethlisberger has two Super Bowl Rings with Steelers and quarterbacked the first playoff team to win three consecutive road playoff games in route to winning the Super Bowl.

Ben Roethlisberger Career Stats:

123 Touchdowns

80 Interceptions

63.4% completion percentage

91.6 QB rating

Regardless of what you value more, team success or individual statistics. People all are of a differing opinion of which quarterback is better. Either way, this QB class of 2004 will certainly go down as one of the best of all time. So which quarterback would you want on your team?

NFL MVP Poll Question

NFL Poll Question

NFL: Predictions This Week

By Matt Curry, WSOE Sports

With one of the most exciting weekends of football in the near past, I have been thinking about what will be coming up in the last few weeks of the regular season. If you think about it, this is the first season for a lot of things. We have two undefeated teams after eleven games, Johnson has had three rushes of over 85 yards for touchdowns, and we have such a huge gap from the good to bad teams unlike any year in recent memory. To top it all off, we watched the destruction of a Bill Belichick team unlike any other before.

Lets begin with the last Monday night game between the Patriots and the undefeated Saints. This is probably one of the most impressive victories I have seen in quite a long time, mostly because it was a trouncing of the almighty Patriots. The defense of the pats could not stop the Saint’s offense led by the greatest quarterback, statistically of course, over the last few years. With another 300+ passing game in the books for Brees, it looks like the Saints will continue to dominate until possibly the game against Dallas late in the season. For now though, it will be interesting to see what happens to the Patriots, because they are 0-4 on the road, which is you’re wondering, doesn’t normally spell out a championship caliber team.          

One more team’s performance really stuck out to me over the weekend, and that was the Colts. We all know that the Colts should not have won that game against the Patriots, but they pulled yet another improbable win out of nowhere by defeating the Texans after being down seventeen points. I also give credit to the ever-patronized Peyton Manning, who might be the greatest clutch quarterback of all time. I think the Colts will struggle this weekend though at the Titans, who under the leadership of Vince Young have won their last five. I look for the Titans to continue this streak and maybe win seven or eight in a row before they lose. Why do I make so a bold prediction? When you have Johnson as your running back, who can bet against you? He has given us many highlights this year and almost single handedly kept his team in the game against the cardinals so Vince Young could win it on the last play of the game.

How about them chargers? Well they have looked great over the last few weeks, and look for it to continue for at least one more as they face yet another mediocre division team. I do think that the Chargers will continue to play strong and maybe have only one more loss by the end of the season, which will mean they win their division and get into the playoffs. Look for Tomlinson to maybe make a late push to try and get himself ready for the playoffs. On the other hand, the Broncos started out on fire, and have cooled down quite a bit. The win over the Giants on Thanksgiving doesn’t mean a thing because they are not the same team as the last few years. The Broncos will most likely fail to make the playoffs, which is no big deal because they are overachieving at this point.

UPSET ALERT!  Look for the Giants to make one final stand for their season against the Cowboys this weekend. I think they will beat the Cowboys, but it will be a one-week thing, as they will continue to struggle and not make the playoffs. The Cowboys will bounce back, and probably lose in the first round of the playoffs, as they seem to do every year.

Anyways here are some final predictions for the rest of the season. The saints will win the rest of their games and go undefeated into the playoffs. The Vikings will not lose either and have the greatest season that a team did not secure home field advantage. Look for the Bengals and Titans to finish out the season strong, and look for a final week clinch by the Patriots as they will struggle for the remainder of the season. Indy will do their thing until the playoffs, and look for the Chargers to have a major push before the playoffs. Well that’s enough for now, I’ll be back in a couple weeks with some final playoff predictions along with my superbowl champion.

Contact Information:
Matt Curry
WSOE Sports
mcurry3@elon.edu

NFL: Two Receivers Find New Homes

By Christian Binder, WSOE Sports

On Tuesday, October 7, two huge moves went down in the NFL that, honestly, were quite surprising. The New York Jets acquired troubled wideout Braylon Edwards from the Cleveland Browns and the San Francisco 49ers signed holdout Michael Crabtree to a six-year deal. Edwards brings the Jets a legitimate number-one receiver, something they have lacked for the better part of this decade. The 49ers got the assurance that they will not lose their number-one pick and, hopefully, he will provide QB Shaun Hill a downfield threat in the passing game. 

 

Braylon Edwards, Courtesy of: media.nj.com

The most shocking part of the Edwards deal was how relatively little the Jets gave up for him. WR Chansi Stuckey and special teamer Jason Trusnik were both shipped to the Browns in addition to two draft picks, believed to be 3rd- and 5th-rounders. Stuckey has been inconsistent in his two years in the league and has failed to live up to his expectations as a viable slot receiver this year. He will be replaced by David Clowney, who is also in his third year in the league. The key for Edwards’ success in New York is attitude. The Jets already have good chemistry in the locker room, thanks in large part to head coach Rex Ryan, and Edwards will have to become a part of that and avoid being a distraction. Presumably, Edwards will have to prove himself as the team’s number-one receiver by performing extremely well in practice, as Jerricho Cotchery went into the season as the number-one option for rookie QB Mark Sanchez. It will be interesting to see how Edwards’ presence affects a game because Jets receivers have been unable to get separation from defensive backs this season. Edwards is a threat to go deep, which should loosen up the secondary and allow players like tight end Dustin Keller to catch balls across the middle. While all of this sounds well and good, the Jets will have to wait and see if Edwards has any punishment awaiting him, since he allegedly punched a club promoter in Cleveland, who happened to be a friend of LeBron James, several days ago. As for now, the Jets will proceed like he will be a part of the team come Sunday. 

 

Michael Crabtree, Courtesy of: americansportsblog.files.wordpress.com

Michael Crabtree finally ended all of his drama with the 49ers and agreed to a six-year deal, the terms of which have not yet been disclosed. This is great news for the 49ers, who are already off to a 3-1 start, but not so much because of their offense. The defense, led by linebacker Patrick Willis, has only allowed 53 points through 4 games and has the team looking for its first division title since 2002. Shaun Hill has played great, completing 62.3% of his passes with 5 touchdowns to only 1 interception. Crabtree should instantly open up the passing game, which will make opposing defenses stop focusing on running back Frank Gore so much. However, Crabtree is a work in progress, so it could be a few weeks before he starts making plays. Crabtree made the best move for both himself and his team and it will be interesting to see how the rest of the season plays out.

 

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Contact Information:
Christian Binder
WSOE Sports
cbinder@elon.edu

NFL: Crabtree end holdout, signs with Niners

By Eli Kaufman, WSOE Sports

The San Francisco 49ers and 1^st round draft pick Michael Crabtree have finally agreed to a contract.  After holding out for the whole preseason and part of the regular season, the rookie receiver decided to accept the clubs’ six year offer early Wednesday that was similar to what was on the table in July.

Crabtree adds a lot of firepower to a pretty explosive team.  Quarterback Shaun Hill will have another weapon to utilize, on top of halfback Frank Gore, tight end Vernon Davis, and emerging halfback Glen Coffee.  This move also gives San Francisco a balanced offensive attack, as it has relied heavily on the run so far this year.

I’d expect Crabtree to get playing time in the coming weeks, and make an immediate difference.  Whether he’s making catches or not, a receiver of his caliber warrants so much attention from defenses that he’ll allow other receivers to get open.  He adds some major star power to a San Francisco team whose stock is quickly rising.

Contact Information:
Eli Kaufman
WSOE Sports
ekaufman@elon.edu

NFL: A pair of miracle endings in week three

By Matt Curry, WSOE Sports

It has only been a day since the first week three games have finished and I am still in shock at the results of two particular games: San Francisco at Minnesota, and Washington at Detroit.

 

Courtesy of: static.nfl.com

I wasn’t surprised at the final outcome of the Vikings game because I expected them to win, it was more along the lines of how they accomplished the win that shocked me and probably most of the football world. Who would have thought that the Vikings with their experienced defensive line, and outstanding offence led by the one and only Brett Favre would be down by four with two minutes left. The game came down to one final play with twelve seconds left in the fourth quarter. Favre pulled a miracle out of dirt as he usually does, scrambling around the breaking pocket and heaving a throw as the defense clobbers him, left only to watch as the ball flies towards the end zone. The ball would find the most unlikely of spots in the back of the end zone, exactly where the leaping Greg Lewis was. The touchdown was signaled and for what its worth, it was probably the closest catch ever made in relation to the back of the end zone. I think that this might possibly be Favre’s greatest finish in years because of the sheer dimensions of what happened.

 

Matthew Stafford, Courtesy of: static.nfl.com

On the other hand we have the Detroit Lions, who have lost their last nineteen games, and were looking at their best chance to finally put up a win for the next five or six weeks. Rookie Matt Stafford took his opportunity and did exactly that: provide Detroit with a win. It finally happened and to me it shouldn’t have even had a chance. Campbell cost his team the game with a shaky performance which has been known to happen throughout his career as he threw yet another interception. The real key to this game was that Stafford went his first full game without throwing an interception. Welcome to the NFL Matthew Stafford! While that may sound like praise, I believe it is something that we should expect from NFL quarterbacks, especially first round picks.

As for upcoming games, I look for the Vikings to bounce back strong against  Green Bay on Monday Night, which OH BY THE WAY means Favre will finally get revenge against the Packers. I expect this to be a great game to watch, and we all know the Metrodome will be rocking, as it is a division rival game. As for the lions, look to get back on the losing streak as they start a tough next three games against the bears. Look for Stafford to struggle again as he faces a tough bears defense, and then the Steelers.

One final note, the new team with the longest losing streak is the St. Louis Rams. Who knows if they will be the last year’s lions? We will just have to wait and see.

Contact Information:
Matt Curry
WSOE Sports
mcurry3@elon.edu

NFL: Brady’s return a dramatic one

By Matt Curry, WSOE Sports

What a way to kickoff Monday Night Football. Two division rivals in the New England Patriots and the Buffalo Bills. The main story was not the rivalry, but rather who was back to lead the Patriots: none other than Tom Brady.

Tom Brady wants to go for a two-point conversion after his go-ahead touchdown pass. Courtesy of espn.com

The iconic figure in the New England area missed most of last season with a torn knee ligament. This season he was ready to start with a bang, and for the first three quarters it looked like he was going to fall short of a win. Things, unknowingly to the bills were about to change very soon and very quickly.

In the final 2:06 of the fourth quarter, Brady threw two touchdowns to Ben Watson to take a 25-24 lead, which would turn out to be the final score. Of course, scoring twice in that short of a time is due largely to mistakes by the Bills special teams on the kickoff return in which Leodis McKelvin fumbled the ball deep in Bills territory. This gave the Patriots the chance they needed, and when a superstar like Tom Brady is put under the spotlight late, there is no doubt that he will seal the deal and win the game.

As for Brady’s stats, he went 39/53 with 378 yards. He threw two touchdowns and only one interception (the only mistake he really made all night). The last two drives of the game Brady went 12-14 with 112 of his yards. Clutch would be the understatement of the night, and this game just goes to show that with Tom Brady at the head of the New England offence, the game is never over till the clock hits zero.

The Patriots (1-0) will head down and play the division rival Jets (1-0) next week. It will be interesting to see if Sanchez can maintain pace with his QB counterpart, one of the best of all time: Tom Brady.

Contact Information:
Matt Curry
WSOE Sports
mcurry3@elon.edu

NFL: A Division-by-Division Look at the 2009-2010 Season, Part 8: NFC West

By Christian Binder, WSOE Sports 

 

 Arizona Cardinals (2008 Record: 9-7)
-Key Additions: RB Chris “Beanie” Wells, CB Bryant McFadden, FB Dan Kreider
-Key Losses: CB Rod Hood, RB Edgerrin James, DE/LB Travis Laboy, RB J.J. Arrington, LB Monty Beisel 

Larry Fitzgerald, Courtesy of: zimbio.com

The Cinderella story was nearly completed last year during the Cardinals’ improbable run to the Super Bowl. However, the Cardinals came just short of defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Cardinals return this season with the same offense led by Kurt Warner and all-pro receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. Chris Wells should help in the running game, but he has already struggled with injuries in the preseason. On defense, the Cardinals lost several starters, but were able to retain LB Karlos Dansby, a key piece of last year’s defense. If Kurt Warner can stay healthy for all 16 games (something he has never done in consecutive seasons), the Cardinals will have a shot at winning their division again. However, the defense will need to improve greatly with the parts it has and that seems unlikely since Clancy Pendergast is no longer the defensive coordinator. Head coach Ken Whisenhunt took over the offensive play-calling duties after former offensive coordinator Todd Haley left to become the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. Look for the Cardinals to air it out this season to try to win high-scoring affairs.

 

San Francisco 49ers (2008 Record: 7-9)
-Key Additions: DE Demetric Evans, OT Marvel Smith, CB Dre Bly
-Key Losses: LB Tully Banta-Cain, QB J.T. O’Sullivan, CB Donald Strickland

Frank Gore, Courtesy of: everyjoe.com

After a midseason coaching change last year, the 49ers began to show some heart. QB Shaun Hill stepped up as a real leader for the team and it looked like the 49ers might be making strides towards their former glory. However, there are still many holes on this team. The team addressed its need at wide receiver in the draft by selecting Michael Crabtree number ten overall, but he has held out all preseason and is unlikely to be signed at all. RB Frank Gore will most likely see a lot of action in both the passing and running game as he is the team’s most viable offensive weapon. The defense will also look to improve under the direction of head coach Mike Singletary, a hall-of-fame linebacker. If the 49ers can solve their problems on defense, they have a good chance to win some close games, but if not, they will wind up in the same place as they have in recent years – on the outside looking in.

 

Seattle Seahawks (2008 Record: 4-12)
-Key Additions: DT Colin Cole, LB Aaron Curry, WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, CB Ken Lucas, RB Edgerrin James, S Lawyer Milloy
-Key Losses: WR Bobby Engram, RB Maurice Morris, DT Rocky Bernard, LB Julian Peterson, RB T.J. Duckett

T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Courtesy of: blog.oregonlive.com

 The Seahawks had a rough season last year largely due to injury. It seemed like almost everybody was getting hurt. Starting QB Matt Hasselbeck was out for a long time with a back injury and week to week, almost every running back on the roster had some injury. The Seahawks addressed the need at wide receiver by signing free agent T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who gives Matt Hasselbeck a legitimate number-one option at receiver. If WR Deion Branch can remain healthy, the Seahawks could have a very dangerous passing game, especially since TE John Carlson is poised for a breakout season. The defense got better with rookie Aaron Curry stepping in to fill the hole left by the departed Julian Peterson and defensive backs Ken Lucas and Lawyer Milloy shoring up what was a weak pass defense. The Seahwaks seem to be the darling team this year and could surprise many people.

St. Louis Rams (2008 Record: 2-14)
-Key Additions: QB Kyle Boller, OT Jason Smith, LB James Laurinaitas
-Key Losses: WR Torry Holt, OT Orlando Pace, LB Pisa Tinoisamoa\

Chris Long (left), Courtesy of: static.nfl.com

 The Rams had a disastrous season last year and really have nowhere to go but up. However, that is easier said than done. New head coach Steve Spagnuolo will look to build up the defense like he did with the New York Giants, but he has to worry about how his team plays on both sides of the ball. RB Steven Jackson is solid, but he has yet to put up anything like the numbers he did in 2006. QB Marc Bulger will have to try to stay healthy for a full season, but that is unlikely since the offensive line is very shaky and he will likely take a lot of hits. The team is also without a number-one option at wide receiver since Torry Holt was released. The defense has a couple of stars on it and DE Chris Long will try to live up to the play of his father, but it could be quite some time before the Rams play a meaningful game.

 

Contact Information:
Christian Binder
WSOE Sports
cbinder@elon.edu

 

 

 

 

NFL: A Division-by-Division Look at the 2009-2010 Season, Part 7: AFC West

By Christian Binder, WSOE Sports

Denver Broncos (2008 Record: 8-8)
-Key Additions: QB Kyle Orton, RB Knowshon Moreno, S Brian Dawkins, WR Jabar Gaffney, RB Correll Buckhalter, LB Andra Davis, RB LaMont Jordan, QB Chris Simms, RB J.J. Arrington, DE Robert Ayers
-Key Losses: QB Jay Cutler, DT Dewayne Robertson, CB Dre Bly

Kyle Orton, Courtesy of: extras.mnginteractive.com

It’s not a good time to be a Broncos fan. Exit Mike Shanahan, the man who brought two titles to the team with John Elway and enter 33-year-old Bill Belichick product Josh McDaniels. When McDaniels arrived in town, everything was rosy. Not too long after, there was a big controversy as word was leaked that McDaniels wanted to bring in former New England Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel to run his offense in Denver. Incumbent quarterback Jay Cutler was offended and immediately requested a trade. After a lot of bickering, his request was granted and he was traded to the Chicago Bears in exchange for Kyle Orton and several draft picks. Now, all-pro receiver Brandon Marshall is upset with the team and has also requested a trade. The positive for this team is that it is greatly improved on defense, an area that the team was absolutely horrific in last year. If the ship can get righted in Denver, this could be a very dangerous team.

Kansas City Chiefs (2008 Record: 2-14)
-Key Additions: QB Matt Cassel, DE Tyson Jackson, WR Bobby Engram, LB Mike Vrabel
-Key Losses: TE Tony Gonzalez, DE Jason Babin, LB Donnie Edwards, QB Damon Huard, CB Patrick Surtain The Chiefs are clearly in a rebuilding phase.

Matt Cassel, Courtesy of: zimbio.com

New head coach Todd Haley, the offensive mastermind of the Arizona Cardinals, is looking to build a similar offense in Kansas City. The acquisition of Matt Cassel is certainly an upgrade over Brodie Croyle and Tyler Thigpen, but this team still has a lot of glaring holes. Running back Larry Johnson is openly unhappy about playing for the Chiefs and the wide receiving corps is very weak. The team’s best offensive weapon, tight end Tony Gonzalez, now plays for the Atlanta Falcons. There are a few good players on the defensive side of the ball, but for the most part, the defense is not very good at all. There will probably not be much improvement for the team this year, though they will almost certainly garner more wins.

Oakland Raiders (2008 Record: 5-11)
-Key Additions: WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, DE Richard Seymour, LB Greg Ellis
-Key Losses: LB Napoleon Harris, LB Morlon Greenwood, CB/KR Justin Miller

Darrius Heyward-Bey, Courtesy of: imgs.sfgate.com

Everyone was shocked when the Raiders selected Darrius Heyward-Bey with the seventh overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft while other big-name receivers Michael Crabtree, Jeremy Maclin, Percy Harvin, and Hakeem Nicks were all still available. It’s no secret that owner Al Davis loves speedy receivers and that’s exactly what Heyward-Bey is, but there were clearly better options available. QB JaMarcus Russell has been handed the keys to the offense after veteran QB Jeff Garcia was cut. The Raiders seemingly have talent, but they are unable to put it all together. They have three talented running backs and several defensive stars, most notably cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, but the holes on the team overshadow all of the talent. Not much is expected of the team this year, but it looks like if JaMarcus Russell is given some time, he could mature and become a league-average quarterback or better. The Raiders may see a little improvement this year, but they are not expected to take any great leaps or strides to returning to their former glory.

San Diego Chargers (2008 Record: 8-8)
-Key Additions: LB Larry English
-Key Losses: DE Igor Olshansky

Darren Spoles (center), Courtesy of: cdn2.sbnation.com

The Chargers underperformed greatly last year, especially since they are in a week division. The Chargers do have a lot of talent, especially on the offensive side of the ball, but have not been able to put it all together. Last year, running back LaDainian Tomlinson was not 100% healthy all season. However, his injuries opened up the door for backup Darren Sproles to showcase his talent. Though he stands only 5′6″, Sproles proved that he has the talent to be a viable weapon in a two-back system. Philip Rivers will look to have another great season since he was rewarded with a large contract extension in the offseason. The defense is a little shaky and it could give up a lot of points this year. Shawne Merriman is returning from knee surgery, though, and will bring stability back to the front seven. The Chargers were the highest scoring team in the NFL last year, but if they plan to live up to their Super Bowl potential, they’ll have to put it together on defense.

Contact Information:
Christian Binder
WSOE Sports
cbinder@elon.edu