Posted by Mike Wendt on September 2, 2010
I know this is a Packers blog, but when both teams in the great state of Wisconsin could be hoisting hardware at the end of the season, we need to devote some time to each team, so let’s look at the big news affecting the Badgers this week. Besides, if you root for someone in the NFC North, than you more than likely have a favorite Big Ten school.
1st thing on the docket is to evaluate the conference re-alignment that will take place once Nebraska joins the Big Ten in 2011-2012. Although the divisions have yet to be named we know which teams will be in which divisions. For simplicities sake, I’m going to refer to the divisions as the Beer Division and the Bratwurst Division. The Beer Division boasts Illinois, Indiana, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, and Wisconsin, while the Bratwurst Division is home to Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Northwestern. On paper, the Beer Division looks like the division with the most power. In college football, Ohio State, Penn State, and Wisconsin have all been forces to reckon with in the past ten years. Michigan has been struggling lately, and besides Iowa the rest of the Bratwurst Division looks weak.
The New Big Ten Divisions
Things I like about the re-alignment.
1. This means that the Big Ten will get a championship game. No more three way ties for the league title, no more stupid tiebreakers deciding who goes to the Rose Bowl. Finally we get one game to decide it all.
2. The committee did their best to keep rivalry games alive. I’ll get to Ohio State and Michigan in a second, but the committee ensured the longest running rivalry in college football happened every year when Wisconsin and Minnesota hook up in an annual crossover game. Other schools got to keep their rivalry games too, like Michigan vs Michigan State, Northwestern vs. Illinois (crossover game), Indiana vs. Purdue, and Purdue vs. Illinois.
The one problem I have with the realignment
1. Ohio State and Michigan aren’t in the same division. Listen, I’ve heard the arguments saying that it’s better that they play in different divisions and I just don’t buy it. Some people are saying that since “The Game” will be the last game on each teams’ schedules, the game could turn into a preview of the conference championship if they have both clinched their respective divisions at that time. That’s BS to me, because nobody is going to care if you win “The Game” but lose the conference championship and the automatic BCS bid the following week. To me it would be much more exciting if they were in the same division AND playing on the last week of the regular season. Could you imagine the hysteria in Ann Arbor if 4-1 Michigan was hosting 5-0 Ohio State at the Big House, with “The Game” bragging rights and a trip to the conference championship on the line. I don’t care who you root for, you’re watching that game. Sure it wouldn’t happen every year, but when it did, it would be epic.
All in all the Big Ten directors did their best and for the most part, they got it right. I think Wisconsin is a shoe-in to win the Beer Division in college basketball, but that’s for another column. Yours truly is off to Vegas in the morning to get a firsthand look at the 2010 Badgers, so I’ll put out column on the Badgers and my first Vegas trip next week before the NFL season kicks off.
I want to thank everyone who wrote in last week telling me about their first Packer game, it was pretty cool to read those stories. Think the Big Ten committee got the divisions right or wrong? What would you have done? Got better division names than Beer and Bratwurst? I doubt it, but drop me a line at wendt@brentfave.com
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Posted by Danny Goldin on September 2, 2010
You know the drill by now. I ran through the Top-10 fantasy RBs last week and followed with my Top-10 fantasy QBs. Now we move onto the Top-10 fantasy receivers.
1) Andre Johnson – Really the only possible question mark I can come up with here is the fact that Matt Schaub is a bit injury prone, and AJ’s value would take a hit if Dan Orlovsky was called into duty. Still, as it stands, Johnson is money in the bank and the clear-cut cream of the crop at wideout.
Randy Moss isn't as dynamic anymore as he was in purple, but he's still darn good at catching footballs.
2) Randy Moss – He’s past his prime, but his prime was “Top-2 receiver of all time”, and thus the fact that he’s past that doesn’t mean that he isn’t still elite. He’s hauled in 47 touchdowns the past three seasons, which is downright silly.
3) Reggie Wayne – His floor – the absolute worst numbers he could potentially put up – is higher than any wideout, and there’s value in avoiding risk. As Peyton’s No. 1 target, he’ll continue to put up big numbers. He’s one of only two wideouts with six straight 1,000-yard campaigns. The other: Donald Driver.
4) Calvin Johnson – I’m high on the Lions’ Big 3 this year: Matt Stafford, Jahvid Best and Megatron. CJ is at full health, Stafford will make strides in his sophomore campaign, and I see Johnson posting numbers similar to 2008 (1,331 yards, 12 TDs).
5) Roddy White – Nothing not to like here. He’s the only legitimate wideout on what should be a solid offensive unit with a QB on the rise.
6) Larry Fitzgerald – Fitz is still probably one of the two best real-life wideouts, along with AJ, but the fact that Derek Anderson is expected to be Zona’s starter at least somewhat hurts his value. I don’t care that Anderson has a decent deep ball… he flat out stinks. I’d feel better with Fitz is Leinart were under center, but it sounds like that won’t be the case.
Jennings will return to his Lambeau-leaping ways this year.
7) Greg Jennings – I’m expecting a bounce-back year for Jennings after a slightly disappointing 2009. He’s entering his prime, as is Rodgers, and the results should be sexy.
8] DeSean Jackson – I do not expect the Eagles’ offense to miss a beat despite the quarterback change. D-Jax’s numbers improved greatly from his rookie year to sophomore campaign. His numbers will be at least as good this season as they were in 2010, though I wouldn’t be surprised to see another slight improvement.
9) Brandon Marshall – I’m a little bit more down on him than others, as most have him ranked at No. 5 or 6. His talent is undeniable, it’s just that I have a lot of questions about Chad Henne, who’s proven nothing at this level. Also, the Dolphins run a conservative offensive attack.
10) Marques Colston – He’s annoying to own at times given that Brees spreads the ball around to so many targets, but Colston will still be on the field more often than not. He’s also clearly the top red zone target on what should be a Top-3 offensive unit.
Overrated
Vincent Jackson – People don’t realize that he truly may not play a snap this season. Let someone else draft him.
Braylon Edwards – He’s the third best receiver on a run-first team.
Hakeem Nicks – His upside is high, but I don’t know how consistent he’ll be. He’s still just the No. 2 or 3 receiver at best on the Giants.
Underrated
Percy Harvin – I have him just outside my Top-10. The man is a gamer who will be putting up stats before and after Sidney Rice comes back. It sounds like his migraine problems are more under control now than they were a few weeks ago.
Dwayne Bowe – Another guy right outside my Top-10. He’s as talented as just about anyone in the league and apparently is finally putting in the necessary work to become a star.
Laurent Robinson / Louis Murphy / Mohamed Massaquoi – Each guy is the unquestioned No. 1 receiver for teams that should all have an improved passing attacks this year.
Feel free to contact Danny at dgoldin@brentfavre.com.
Comments:
Posted by Tim Cigelske on August 30, 2010
Photo courtesy Packers.com
Throughout his short career so far, Aaron Rodgers has had an on-again, off-again relationship with personal grooming.
Lately he’s been sporting a full lumberjack style beard, despite the fact that he’s practicing in 90-some degrees and full humidity. This either reveals rugged resolve or stupidity, depending on where you fall in the Rodgers/Favre divide.
So which is it? I asked a simple question on Twitter and Facebook…
…and, wow, did I get opinions.
, 
Final verdict: Mostly thumbs down, unless he throws touchdowns, goes to the playoffs, continues to be a good guy, and/or doesn’t grow a mustache.
What do you think?
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Posted by Jayme Joers on August 27, 2010
So last night the Packers won. Wait, let me rephrase that…Last night the Packers crushed the Indianapolis Colts! Okay, so its preseason and scores really don’t count, but there were a lot of positive things to be taken from the game. 1. all three QBs looked solid. 2. Our number two defense stopped the Colts number one offense and 3. Special teams made more good plays than bad ones. 4. Our defense stopped playing Vanilla and started playing Chocolate chip (still vanilla based, but random nuggets of goodness thrown in). Anyone who watched the ESPN coverage of the game also probably came away with the following. 1. Jon Gruden loves the sound of his own voice. He also loves everyone else, even people who aren’t playing football anymore. 2. The NFL changed the rule as to where the ref should stand and this is driving Peyton Manning crazy.
Oh rule changes. Here’s a refresher for anyone who either missed last night’s game or started ignoring the constant chatter about it and didn’t hear the full explanation. Since the beginning of time (okay, since the beginning of football, but in my world there was no time before football), the umpire has stood behind the defensive line, usually lining up as a linebacker. This sometimes caused a problem, as basically the guy was a tree, stuck back there and the play had to revolve around him. So for years the poor defenseless men stood in the middle of a bloody battlefield attempting to dodge passes, tacklers, and runners all while keeping two eyes on the look out for holding. Obviously some of these brave souls didn’t make it through unscathed. So the NFL decided to make a change. Now these umps will line up behind the offense. However it is still their job to place the ball. They will now place the ball and jog back to their new spot before the offense is allowed to snap the ball.
Last night’s MNF crew had massive problems with this. To a point, I get it, some offenses, like Indy’s move quickly, the goal being to keep the defense on its heels and not allow for subs. If they have to wait for an ump before each snap, it’s a blow to their rhythm. Personally I see this as a minor problem. One that as time goes on, teams and umps will fall into their own pattern and the exchange should be much smoother. If a team wants to run a no-huddle type offense then they are going to have to practice and find a way to do it under the new rule. The ump will move back to his original spot during the last two minutes of every half so that he can spot the ball easier. I’m also sure that the NFL will tweak this rule if it really begins to hinder games.
Yet, the MNF crew wasn’t so much concerned with the pace of the offense as it was worried about Manning’s ability to check where the ump is before he calls for the snap. It felt like Gruden went on for ever about how a quarterback has learned to do things one way his entire life and that can not be changed. I snorted. Excuse me? Peyton Manning lacks the mental and physical ability to find a way to ensure he is allowed to snap the ball, but Tim Tebow has the ability to completely restructure and retool his entire throwing motion? I’m puzzled. I will admit that Manning did seem annoyed at the rule, twice getting called for illegal snap, but I think that was more of his pissy-ness than a lack of his mental and physical capabilities. The ump was lined up behind the Packers offense as well, obviously, and the Rodgers didn’t seem to have any trouble turning around, or looking at the line ref to make sure he could snap the ball. Therefore I’m assuming the Rodgers has both superior mental and physical ability than Peyton Manning.
Tirico, Jaws and Gruden were obsessed with the rule change, comparing it to moving the ump behind home plate to third base in baseball and stating that the only real solution is to move the ump back and “throw a helmet on him.” (pretty sure if an ump gets tackled by a 300 pound man, he might need more than a helmet)… Anyways, I think the whole thing is stupid. Just a talking point to fill space. If the Colts can’t figure out how to run their offense with this rule change, that’s their problem and perhaps they should have worked on it before. I don’t know if the ump move will work or stay but if it makes Peyton Manning frustrated like an 8 year old girl, I’m all for it!
You can email Jayme at Jayme@brentfavre.com or find her on twitter @jaymelee1 or at Random Musings on the world of sports
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Posted by Holly Phelps on August 26, 2010
Due to technical difficulties, I wasn’t able to present this myself on last night’s CheeseheadRadio show…but here it is, in its glorious entirety:
In addition to being "Sheriff" of the Colts offense, Peyton Manning is an advertiser's dream.
Tonight’s game is a dress rehearsal for the regular season, with starters expected to play for at least a half. When you look at the matchup, you may feel a touch of déjà vu. Like the Packers, the Colts have a field marshal at quarterback who throws to some of the best wideouts in the biz…not to mention a tight end who’s a mismatch no matter where he lines up. Each defense is looking to tighten and increase creativity in the second year of a new scheme. Each team is bringing back nearly all of its starters, on offense AND defense.
With so many veterans, there really aren’t many roster battles. One to watch is between rookie Brody Eldridge and Gijon Robinson for the backup tight end spot. In Indy, the 3rd TE is a chameleon, stepping in to block, run, catch, and tackle. The Colts are known for finding late-round gems like Pierre Garcon and Antoine Bethea, and many fans think Eldridge will be the next. With All-Pro Dallas Clark out with a leg injury, keep your eyes peeled for #81.
Also, the Colts (like the Packers), are still looking for a solid kick and punt returner. Indy was 18th in kick returns and 28th in punt returns in 2009, and with their top returners no longer on the team, there is a rare opening for a new face.
Both teams have plans that extend into February, but only the Colts (ALL of the Colts) have Super Bowl experience. Both teams are confident coming into the season…tonight should be fun to watch…for a half, anyway. It is still preseason, after all.
Want to read more about this game before kickoff? Head over to CheeseheadTV’s The Other 31 for my full Opposition Research post, which includes a rant about Reggie Wayne. Enjoy the game!
Got a question about the Colts or any of the Packers opponents? Shoot me an email at holly@brentfavre.com. You can also find me on Twitter at @htphelps and at CheeseheadTV’s The Other 31.
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Posted by Danny Goldin on August 26, 2010
I rolled through my Top-10 fantasy running backs the other day, and now it’s time to rank the gunslingers. Following are the Top-10 quarterbacks you should be targeting, along with a few additional men that are either going too high or too low in most drafts.
1) Drew Brees – Brees led the NFL in touchdowns last year, was tied with Philip Rivers for the league lead in 2008, and has the most yards over that span. You’re completely safe with any of the Top-4 guys, but Brees is definitely No. 1; he has the reliability of Peyton Manning and the ridiculous upside of Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady.
Rodgers is a darn good real-life QB, and he's even better in the fantasy realm.
2) Aaron Rodgers – A few months back, I argued that Rodgers was the fourth-best real-life quarterback in the league, behind only Brees, Manning and Brady. In fantasy football, he’s even better. In standard scoring formats, Rodgers led all players in fantasy points last year, and that didn’t even count his five-score, 400-yard playoff game. His ability to rush is an added bonus, as he led all quarterbacks with five rushing touchdowns last year and was second with 316 yards. While I’d prefer Brees, it certainly would not be ludicrous to nab A-Rod as the first QB off the board, and to snatch him as high as No. 5 or 6 overall.
3) Peyton Manning – While Manning may not typically be the top-producing fantasy quarterback over a given year, you sure as heck know that he’ll finish in the Top-5. In his 12-year career, he’s never tossed for fewer than 26 touchdowns, and he’s failed to reach 4,000 passing yards just twice (his rookie season and in 2005, though he still topped 3,700 yards both of those years). He’s also never missed a game, and that type of reliability is invaluable.
4) Tom Brady – Let’s get this one out of the way: he’s not going to pass for 50 touchdowns in 2010, or ever again. I do, however, believe that 30 is well within reach. He’s another year removed from knee surgery and will continue to have the green light from Bill Belichick to sling it early and often.
5) Matt Schaub – Schaub led the league in yardage last year, and it was no fluke. He was consistent, topping 200 yards every week after Week 1, and only one of those games failing to throw for at least one score. As the anchor of a wide-open Houston offense and with the best wideout in the league at his disposal, Schaub will be great yet again. Keep in mind, however, that he does have a history of injuries, so think about taking your backup a tad bit earlier than you might like.
Romo sucks a lot of blond celebrities' faces and usually sucks in the playoffs, but he still puts up big-time regular season stats.
6) Tony Romo – Give me Romo over Rivers, as Romo gained a fine receiver this year in Dez Bryant, while Rivers has presumably lost one, assuming Vincent Jackson doesn’t end his holdout anytime soon. For all the heat that Romo takes, he’s still an excellent regular-season quarterback, and that’s all that matters in fantasy.
7) Philip Rivers – The likely loss of V-Jax hurts Rivers, but it’s still tough to ignore a guy that’s topped 4,000 yards each of the past to years to go along with 62 passing TDs and just 20 interceptions. The man is still a weekly plug-in for your lineup, with or without Jackson.
8] Jay Cutler – Interceptions aren’t as harmful in fantasy as they are in real life, and when you take them out of the equation, Cutler still had a decent season last year. The 3,666 passing yards were a bit low, but he still tossed for 27 scores while adding 173 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground. I think Mike Martz’s pass-heavy offense will ensure that Cutler tops the 4,000-yard plateau this season.
9) Kevin Kolb – I know this is higher than most will rank him, but I’m a believer. He topped 300 yards in each of his two starts last season, and I foresee many more of those games this season. He has the perfect set of weapons to run Andy Reid’s offense, and I’ve been impressed with his demeanor after watching both of his preseason games thus far.
10) Carson Palmer – This is less about Palmer, and more about the fact that I’d personally only feel comfortable going into the season with any of those previous nine as my starting fantasy quarterback. Most people have Favre and/or Joe Flacco in their Top-10, but I’m not high on either one (I’ll get to Favre in a second). I think Palmer will be pretty solid this season, though I’d have no problem placing Matt Ryan or Eli Manning in this spot, either.
Overrated
Brett Favre – No, I did not do this because of the site that it’s posted on, I promise you that. I simply think that the Vikings’ offense will be a lot more conservative and run-heavy this season, and the loss of Sidney Rice for half the season certainly doesn’t help.
Woah! Hard Knocks' Sanchez looks exactly like fellow HBO star Vinny Chase.
Mark Sanchez – The Jets will be good, but not because of Sanchez. He’ll continue to be more of a game manager than game changer, and that will not cater well to his numbers.
Chad Henne – I don’t get what the buzz over Henne is about. He wasn’t too good in college, completing under 60 percent of his passes both his senior year and overall career at Michigan. He tossed for just 12 touchdowns to go along with 14 interceptions in 13 starts (and 14 games) with the Dolphins last year. The expectations for both him and the Dolphins are too high.
Underrated
Vince Young – He’s confident for the first time in a while. He’ll lead all signal callers in rushing yards, and will have plenty of room to pass while opposing defenses focus on Chris Johnson.
Matthew Stafford – Stafford had at least one touchdown in each of his last five games, and 10 overall, before getting hurt last season. He’s fully healthy and should make great strides in his sophomore campaign. The Lions figure to be respectable, at least on the offensive side of the ball.
You can e-mail Danny at dgoldin@brentfavre.com.
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Posted by Danny Goldin on August 24, 2010
It’s fantasy football draft time, which just so happens to be one of the best four times of the year, along with fantasy baseball draft time, fantasy basketball draft time, and Casimir Pulaski Day. What’s that? You’ve never heard of Casimir Pulaski Day? Well, as a resident of Illinois, it just so happens to be the day that I got off from preschool through high school, while everyone else in the world was on their usual grind. Booyah! Anyway, enough of the late cavalry officer, and onto my Top-10 running backs heading into this season:
2,500 rushing yards? That clearly ain't gunna happen, but CJ is still the best fantasy back in all the land.
1) Chris Johnson – The man says he’ll rush for 2,500 yards this season, which he obviously won’t, but he still deserves to be the No. 1 pick. He’s good for an average of 100 rushing yards per game, which would put him at 1,600, and will top 2,000 total yards yet again.
2) Adrian Peterson –Sure, he has his issues coughing up the rock, but the man is still a freakin’ specimen. This particular specimen still possesses the best combination of power and speed in the league (and maybe ever? Alright, since Jim Brown?) and should score over one touchdown per game.
3) Ray Rice – Just take my word for it, you don’t want to be the owner that passed on this guy at the three. He’ll be good for around 2,000 total yards yet again, and I see him significantly increasing upon those eight total scores from last season, possibly to 12 or 13. Willis McGahee will still be used from time to time to keep Rice fresh, but it’s in the Ravens’ best interest to get Rice as many touches as possible.
4) Frank Gore – There’s nothing not to like here. Gore is a big back without any competition for goal-line carries. He’s also a good pass catcher and should benefit from the 49ers’ style of play, with an offense that will feature him every game and a strong defense to keep San Francisco in every game. He also faces a soft schedule.
5) Maurice Jones-Drew – I’m a bit more down on MJD than most, but let’s be real here, he’s still a stud and a Top-5 pick. Still, I’m nervous about his supporting cast. I think the Jags could be very bad this season and forced to play from behind much more than they’d like, which means less carries for their only great player.
6) Steven Jackson – Most of what was just said about MJD can be played right back, with Jackson’s name swapped in. Still, the Rams should at least be better than last year. Jackson and Thomas Jones are the only two backs in the league with five-straight 1,000-yard seasons entering this year, and after 2010, Jackson will be the only man with six in a row.
Benson is no longer a troublemaker. Instead, he's a legitimate first-round fantasy pick.
7) Cedric Benson – Last season must have been pretty sweet for a man that had previously been labeled as a team cancer and a bust. There’s no reason to think Benson won’t put up similar numbers again this year. He has little to no competition for carries and plays for a very well-balanced offense. He still has at least a few more good seasons left in him at 27 years of age with under 1,000 career carries on his plate.
8] Rashard Mendenhall – The man is built like Ronnie of Jersey Shore fame, though Mendenhall is also pretty darn fast. Last year he broke out from irrelevant to legitimate starter, and 2010 will be the season he breaks through from legitimate starter to possible Pro Bowl back. The Steelers will lean on him until Roethlisberger gets back, and the fact that the Steelers’ D should be better this season will help him as well.
9) Michael Turner – He’ll be better than he was last year as long as he stays healthy, and he’s apparently feeling great in training camp so far. Still, don’t expect him to return to his 2009 stats, as the Falcons have two capable backups in Jason Snelling and Jerious Norwood to give Turner a breather. That will help keep The Burner healthy, but will also limit his upside.
10) DeAngelo Williams – I really wanted to put Ryan Grant here, and he really is my 11, but I give DeAngelo an ever-so-slight edge. The presence of Jonathan Stewart is obviously an annoyance, but Williams has proven for two years in a row now that he can coexist with J-Stew and still put up big-time stats.
Overrated
Ryan Mathews – He’s being drafted too early. Sproles will be used more than people realize.
Justin Forsett – I like him as a player, but Seattle’s offense won’t be very good, and there’s just not enough carries to go around between him, Julius Jones and Leon Washington.
Underrated
Matt Forte – The Bears’ offense will be way more dynamic under Martz’s rule, and Forte’s skill set should be perfect for the new scheme. Expect numbers in between the ones he put up in 2008 and 2009.
Clinton Portis – I realize there are some red flags, but c’mon. He’s being drafted outside the Top-30, which is crazy for a proven starter in an improved offense.
You can e-mail Danny Goldin at dgoldin@brentfavre.com.
Comments:
Posted by Mike Wendt on August 23, 2010
Not many people are lucky enough to attend the Super Bowl and watch their favorite football team bring home the Lombardi Trophy in person. In my lifetime, the Packers have only gone to the Super Bowl twice, and they brought back football’s ultimate prize one of those times. I was lucky enough to watch the Packers win the Super Bowl in person when I attended Lambeau Field for my first Packers game on an early August night in 1996. I know most of you think the Green and Gold hoisted the trophy on January 26th, 1997 down in New Orleans, but let me explain myself.
I was seven years old when I attended my first Packers game. I loved the Packers, but I was also a big Pittsburgh Steelers fan because I liked their helmets and because my older cousin was into the Steelers. So when my father scored Packers tickets to the Steelers vs. Packers game in Lambeau, I was pretty excited. I didn’t care if it was a preseason game, I was going to get four quarters of Packers and Steelers football at Lambeau. My uncle and cousin also got tickets, so when that Sunday rolled around we loaded up the van and drove up to Green Bay. It was surprisingly cold for an August game, but my Packers jacket and hat kept me warm while my cousin donned a hat bearing the hypocycloids of Pittsburgh.
We watched Favre and Kordell Stewart lead their teams up and down the field for a while, but by halftime most of the players I knew had been taken out of the game. I didn’t care that Favre was out of the game, we were staying until the final whistle blew, and we’re lucky we did because that’s when the magic happened. As the third quarter was coming to a close, Pittsburgh punter Shayne Edge lofted a punt into Packers territory that came down into the hands of Desmond Howard at the Packers 23-yard line, and after a few quick cuts Howard was racing down the sidelines with only the punter to beat. Needless to say, Edge didn’t catch Howard, and that punt return gave the Packers a 21-14 lead. More importantly the punt return gave Howard a spot on the Packers final roster, and if the Packers didn’t have Howard there is a good chance that the Lombardi Trophy would not have returned home in 1997. I couldn’t find the clip of the kick return anywhere on Youtube, but if you watch the America’s Game: The 1996 Green Bay Packers video on Hulu, you’ll see the preseason punt return.
Howard takes it to the house in Super Bowl XXXI
After being selected by the Redskins with the fourth overall pick in the 1992 NFL draft, Howard struggled to make an impact in Washington like he did as a Heisman Trophy winner at Michigan. Howard couldn’t make his mark in D.C., so the Skins allowed him to be claimed by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 1995 expansion draft. He again put up lackluster numbers, and looked to be on his way out of the league in 1996 if he couldn’t find a spot on the Packers roster, but that punt return against Pittsburgh gave Howard one last chance to make an impact in the NFL, and he never looked back.
In the 1996-1997 season Desmond Howard put together the greatest kick returning season of any player in the history of the NFL. He led the NFL in punt returns (58), punt return yards (870), punt return average (15.1), and punt return touchdowns (3), while also gaining 460 kickoff return yards. His 870 punt return yards were an NFL record, easily surpassing the old record of 692 yards set by Fulton Walker in 1985. Howard also made his mark in the playoffs, returning a punt for a touchdown against the 49ers, and he singlehandedly swung the momentum in Super Bowl XXXI when he returned a 99-yard kickoff for a touchdown after the Patriots had narrowed the gap to six points in the third quarter. Howard was named MVP of the Super Bowl, as he totaled a Super Bowl record 90 punt return yards and 154 kickoff return yards with one touchdown; his 244 all-purpose yards also tied a Super Bowl record. To this date he is the only Super Bowl MVP who won the award on Special Teams play alone.
So if you think Preseason games mean diddily squat, think again. It takes 53 men working towards a single goal in order to win the Super Bowl, and some of those men earn their roster spots late in the Preseason games. Our Super Bowl MVP came out of one of those Preseason games, and I was lucky enough to watch the Packers find the final piece of the puzzle way back on that cold August night in 1996. Like the Desmond Howard Story? Have a preseason story of your own? Drop me a line at wendt@brentfavre.com
Comments:
Posted by Tim Cigelske on August 22, 2010
10) “It was really about the team.” - August 18, 2010
9) “I don’t know how I’ll feel a year from now, five years from now, but I didn’t want to say what if.” – August 18, 2009
8 ) “If they were willing to take that chance, I was, too.” – August 18, 2009
7) “I got the itch.” – summer 2008
6) “I’m no fool. It’s a lot of money.” – August 23, 2010, on the $28 million he could make this year
5) “It makes perfect sense as far as coming back because I ran that offense for 16 years. I can teach the offense.” – June 2009
4) “Let’s make a bet. If you guys go back to the College World Series this year — I will come back and play. How about that? You go back and I go back.” – May 2010, to the Southern Miss baseball team
3) “There’s no guarantees I come back and I play as well as I did last year, but if you’re a betting man and you said, ’OK, who gives us the best chance to win right now?’ and this is not bragging, but I would think I would.” – August 2008
2) “All I could think about this offseason was what I could have done better in that last game.” – August 23, 2010
1) “It’s not like, ‘Oh, he’s over and done with.’ You can change your mind the next day.” – April 2008
Email tim@brentfavre.com or follow him on Twitter @teecycletim
Posted by Holly Phelps on August 17, 2010
There are a lot of different football fans in my office. Heck, just in my little section of hallway, there are fans of the Steelers, Ravens, Eagles, 49ers, Jets, Vikings, Broncos, Cowboys, Patriots, and yes, even the Redskins. During the season, it’s great fun to talk trash and make bets with coworkers. I already have lunch wagered for the Eagles and Jets games. I’d make a bet with the Vikes fan, but her abject hatred of Brent Favre and her wish that he suffer makes me feel like she’s got enough issues.
But the Broncos fan…I just want to give him a hug.
“Tom” doesn’t like the Packers (has an upside-down Packers magnet in his office to prove it), and loves to remind me about f’in Terrell Davis in Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII. He’s had reason to be excited about the direction of the Broncos under McDaniels, with sack-king Elvis Dumervil and a surprisingly competent offense led by ex-Bears QB Kyle Orton.
Things have taken a turn for the worse for Tom and his team. Beginning the first day of training camp, Broncos started dropping like flies. Starting RB Knowshon Moreno tore his right hamstring and was carted off. Moments later, RB Correll Buckhalter left the field with a back injury. Four days later, after signing an extension with $40 million in guaranteed money, Dumervil tore his pectoral muscle and will be out for the season. In sheer “Murphy’s Law” fashion, Dumervil’s primary backup, Jarvis Moss, broke his hand the very next day. All-Pro RT Ryan Clady, who ripped up his knee playing basketball in April, still isn’t back, and the offensive line is a big question mark after the only remaining member of last year’s starting offensive line sprained his ankle.
All Denver's rookies get fresh haircuts, and Friar Tebow here is no exception. (h/t LenDale White)
15 Broncos players, including Pro Bowl safety Brian Dawkins, have missed time at camp so far for medical reasons and two players have suffered season-ending injuries. To make matters even worse, the Patriots claimed safety Josh Barrett during the 24-hr waiver period before he could be placed on Denver’s IR list.
But this, while devastating, isn’t why I want to give Tom a hug today. Sure, it looks like the Broncos are getting particularly hammered by freak accidents, but the team will find ways to shore up its injury-ravaged roster.
No, I want to give Tom a hug because of Tim Tebow.
Ever since Saint Tebow was drafted and the circus arrived in Denver, Tom’s second-hand embarrassment has been palpable. He’s been embarrassed that the team spent such a high pick on a guy who may not last in the league. He’s been embarrassed by the legions of fans who are scooping up his jerseys faster than they can be printed. Mostly, he’s been embarrassed because it’s becoming clear that the circus knows no bounds. As Fox Sports’ Alex Marvez tweeted after the Broncos’ first preseason game (and wrote about it later):
2 media members asked tebow for autographs in locker room. No, I wasn’t one of them. Yes, he signed.
Um…one of the biggest no-nos ever. (Both members were promptly booted from the locker room.) The reactions have been swift.
From Football Outsiders’ Doug Farrar:
There are so many things wrong with this concept, I don’t even know where to begin. First, that accredited members of the media would ask for autographs from a player … that’s just one step from hitting the press box wearing your home team’s jersey and cheering through the entire game.
We know good and well that if someone from the blog universe had asked Tebow for an autograph in the locker room, his or her name would be all over the Internet right now, and his or her mistake would be used as the newest in seemingly infinite referendums on professionalism in sports media.
Doug’s point about how a blogger would be publically eviscerated in a similar situation is spot on, but I think it just emphasizes the power that this kid has over people. It’s scary (and kind of weird) that more people have the jersey of a third-string rookie QB who will more than likely NEVER see the field during any meaningful game time…than the jersey of ANY OTHER MEMBER OF THE TEAM.
It’s also extremely embarrassing to Broncos fans like my friend Tom, who is already suffering from the injuries that are killing his team’s postseason chances before the season even begins.
So if you’ve got a friend who cheers for the Broncos, maybe give them a hug today. If they’re anything like Tom, they could probably use one right about now.
Need help comforting the Broncos fans in your life? Shoot me an email at holly@brentfavre.com. You can also find me on Twitter at @htphelps and at CheeseheadTV’s The Other 31.
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