These are not in any particular order.
1. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts
Peyton is just an all around amazing quarterback. He's got every thing that you would want in a pocket QB. Many people don't like him because he doesn't have much speed at all, which of course means he can't get a first down by rushing for it, unless the defense isn’t playing the run at all.
His passing skills are absolutely amazing. Field vision is an absolutely amazing quality that he has almost perfected. Colts fans always know that Manning will find a way to get a pass downfield for the right ammount of yardage without turning the ball over.
Manning has been playing most of his career with wide receiver Marvin Harrison making a lot of catches for him, but this offseason, the Colts decided to shake some things up and release Marvin and let him go to the free agent market. However, many people thought it was a mistake and that the Colts wouldn't have good enough receivers but Peyton has been able to get both of his rookie WR's to have confidence and step up and play very well.
Overall where I place Peyton is probably number one although there are very many QB's who could very arguably be right there with him.
2. Tom Brady, New England Patriots
The New England Patriots had a good year last sesaon even without Brady, but still last year they could have been even better if Brady had been around.
Early in the season Tom Brady tore ligaments in his knee while stepping into a deep throw to Randy Moss, and was sidelined for the rest of the season. Matt Cassell stepped in as the Patriots quarterback, and did a very good job, but looking at the sesaon before last, the Pats probably could have done better with Brady as their QB.
All that being said, Brady is back for the 2009 season, and has been performing decently, but still having problems it appears. In their first regular season game vs. the Buffalo Bills, it was fairly obvious that he wasn't the same Tom Brady as he was in their perfect regular season run two years ago.
This year he's been playing good football so far, but he still hasn't been able to repeat the type of numbers that he had two years ago. He's throwing the ball a lot more than he probably should and the only thing that could be bad is the fact that he could get injured by throwing to much, but so far he's doing a fairly good job, and has shown some good signs and is still making some good passes as well.
3. Aaron Rodgers. Green Bay Packers
Rodgers has had a very hard task of following after Green Bay legend Brett Favre. The situation that Aaron Rodgers is the exact same type of thing that Steve Young had to go through with Joe Montana, and unfortunately for the Packers as a team the result the first time the two QB's came back and played together ended up the same way as well.
So far Rodgers has been very solid in his second season as the Packers starting quarterback. He made it through the first 3 games of the season without throwing an interception then finally against his former mentor Brett Favre's team the Minnesota Vikings he threw his first to Antoine Winfield.
Over the first two years so far he's definitely been more than what most had thought he would turn out to be. Rodgers doesn't just have great passing ability but he has some very good mobility in the pocket as well.
4. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
Drew Brees has played exceptionally well this season, although may not be able to set the record that looked very possible after his first game. During that first game, he was able to throw for six touchdown passes, which made a lot of people think that he may be able to knock off Tom Brady’s record 49 TD passes in a single season.
Brees doesn’t have much speed, but because of the arm that he has, he doesn’t really have to run all that much. He’s obviously more of a pocket passer, and he loves to take shots downfield to his targets like Jeremy Shockey, Lance Moore, and the rest of the receiving corps that the Saints have assembled for him.
The overlooked part of Brees’ game is the fact that he’s such a leader on and off the field. Not only is he the Saints franchise QB, but he also has the leadership that winning teams have to have out of their star quarterbacks. Something to think about is what if Brees had the receivers that Tom Brady had a couple years ago when he set the record? Randy Moss instead of Lance Moore, adding Wes Welker, and the rest of the Pats WR’s would be amazing and I think Brees could have had an even better season, but unfortunately we’ll just never know.
5.Eli Manning, New York Giants
Eli has really progressed so far in his tenure with the Giants. Originally drafted by the San Diego Chargers, he was traded to the Giants in return for fellow QB Philip Rivers, and over the first two years of both of those QB’s careers, Eli was not turning out to be what the Giants had expected at all.
Looking back at those years, I’ve finally figured out the reason for his struggles. It wasn’t that he couldn’t handle the New York media, it was the fact that the Giants were to comfortable with the weapons that they had for Manning. Guys like Amani Toomer, Ike Hilliard, and Jeremy Shockey just weren’t getting the job done. Finally, the Giants made a move and picked up Plaxico Burress for Eli and I think if you take a look at his numbers before and after the Burress acquisition, you will see Eli’s numbers went up.
This season, Manning has had two young, unproven wideouts make amazing strides to fill the role left by Plaxico who is now serving a sentence in jail and is no longer a member of the New York Giants. Steve Smith and Mario Manningham have come up big, and even their rookie WR Nicks, has had a big impact.
Manning has decent leadership as well, but we’ll just have to wait and see how this plantar facciitis will affect his playing performance.
6. Carson Palmer, Cincinnati Bengals
Finally, Carson Palmer has come back and is completely healthy for a change, and it’s showing. I’ve been very impressed by the 4-2 Bengals, especially when it comes down to those times in the game where they have to make a play and they do make the play, and so far this year, it’s been a lot of highlites from Carson Palmer.
Not only has he made my top ten list because of his passing, but I’ve noticed that Palmer has great speed, and is making the right decisions to run for the clutch first downs, which is something a lot of quarterbacks can’t do.
Some people might not have Palmer on this list, but another thing to look at is the record that Cincinnati has. Last year they were one of the worst teams in the entire NFL, but now, they have one of the better records 4-2 and only have two losses because of that tipped pass touchdown pass vs. the Broncos in the final seconds, so honestly they should be 5-1.
7. Brett Favre, Minnesota Vikings
Favre has made lasting impression on, and off the field as well. Brett was a long-time member of the Green Bay Packers before getting traded to the New York Jets, but then after one year with the Jets, he decided to head back to the NFC North, as a last attempt to go back and beat his former team, and not only beat them, but beat them with their arch-rivals the Minnesota Vikings.
Aside from the drama of all the reasons for signing in Minny, Favre has been extremely good football for Minnesota. If he had played like this all his career, he probably would have just about the same kind of numbers, except fewer interceptions. Some reasons that he’s playing so good this year are because teams have to respect the running game of Adrian Peterson, so that opens Brett up for something he hasn’t been used to in the past, less coverage.
Many thought that the Vikings receivers wouldn’t be enough for Brett, but so far he’s been fine with what they’ve given him. Percy Harvin, Bernard Berrian, Vishante Shianco (bad spelling), Sidney Rice, and even Adrian Peterson out of the backfield have really stepped up for him, and not to mention Bobby Wade who made a spectacular game winning touchdown pass vs. the 49ers.
Overall Brett wasn’t expected to be anywhere close to this list, but because of his patience, and desire to win, he’s still a top ten QB in my opinion.
8. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
The defending Super Bowl Champions have started out kind of slow this season but that has nothing to do with what Big Ben has been doing out there on the field.
Roethlisberger is still making great decisions, and completing passes, it’s just that they don’t have their running game going at all with Willie Parker injured. Big Ben has been putting up big numbers, with great passing yard games, touchdowns, and even some rushing yards and TD’s as well, which is something he can do because he is such a big guy.
Over the course of this season, I’ve seen some great things from Roethlisberger. He seems to have developed into even more of a leader for the Steelers, and I’ve noticed him explaining things to the younger guys on the team, and really being a leader for them, which is something I always thought he needed to do more of.
Basically what it comes down to for this spot going to Ben, is the fact that he may not put up the best numbers from week to week, but he still definitely puts up solid numbers every single week, and as far as I know, has never lost a game for his team, especially not this year.
9. Matt Schaub, Houston Texans
This is an obvious top ten pick in my opinion. While Schaub isn’t the biggest name, and probably one of the smaller quarterback names in the NFL, he still has an amazing talent.
Many people believe that the only reason that Matt Schaub has any kind of decent games, is because of the fact that he has top 3 WR Andre Johnson catching passes from him, although that is very incorrect. If you go back and watch some of the Texans’ games from this season, many of his passes go to either his TE Owen Daniels, or his other WR, Jacoby Jones.
While Johnson is a big play threat, and you will see Schaub get some big numbers from throwing to him, you have to take a look at the way he spreads the ball around. There are more players that he throws to for good yards than just the two that I mentioned above, so in order to see what I mean, go take a look at his WR, TE, and even RB receiving stats, and I think you’ll be surprised what you see.
10. Shaun Hill, San Francisco 49ers
To be honest, I never thought that Shaun Hill would break my top ten QB’s list heading into this season. The 49ers looked like a train wreck waiting to happen, but they have come out on fire so far this year. Sure, they’ve suffered two disappointing losses, but Shaun Hill has still played amazing football this year.
Now I will admit that one big factor of Hill’s success is in the backfield with Frank Gore, who is probably the most underrated running back in the NFL, but he still makes some big plays without Gore’s help.
Over the last few weeks, not this past one though because they were on a bye, I’ve seen Hill make some amazing downfield passes to his favorite two targets, Vernon Davis, and Josh Morgan. Those two receivers/tight ends are not the best in the NFL, which makes what he’s doing even more impressive.
Quite a few people may not agree with my choice of Hill to be the last part of my top ten quarterbacks this season, but then again, they don’t have to do they?
Monday, October 19, 2009
NCAA Women's Soccer: Michigans' Sarah Stanczyk is a Horrible Player
I was watching the Indiana University vs. Michigan game, and one of Indiana's defenders was sprinting after a ball that was about to go out of bounds, and crazy name up there decided it would be fun to push her into a walking path of gravel. Horrible player, horrible attitude, and I don't think she should be considered any kind of player/person at all. Look up the video, it's just absolutely disgusting to see a person do that.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
The Chicago Cubs: The MLB's Dallas Cowboys
I think it's pretty obvious that the Chicago Cubs are Major League Baseball's version of the Dallas Cowboys? Why do they remind me of the 'Boys? Well I'll give my reasoning right now.
First off, I would like to draw your attention to the Dallas Cowboys. Last season, they had a great shot at winning the Super Bowl, or so everyone though. As the season grew on people saw that they were horribly mistaken. With the Terrell Owens and Tony Romo romance going on, it was obvious that it wasn't going to end well.
Let me draw your attention to something that happened about halfway through the season. The situation was that the opposing defense had started to clamp down on T.O.'s ability to make easy catches and gain yards after the catch, and of course that meant that the ball wasn't going to go to Owens as much. This of course made Owens very angry and he started sensing that Cowboys tight end Jason Witten was getting favored and gaining receptions because of a close friendship between Romo and Witten. Knowing T.O. we all know he went to the reporters about his concerns of the Cowboys intentionally leaving him out of the game plan because of this friendship between quarterback and tight end. The press in turn blew the situation up and made a huge deal about it.
Another thing that made the Cowboys season a little rocky was the trade they made mid-season. They acquired WR Roy Williams from the Detroit Lions for draft picks, which they thought was going to help free T.O. from the defenders with a double threat. That didn't happen and both receivers were shut down. Williams' failure to create a better passing attack angered the fans, and they let the 'Boys know about it. This of course caused unrest in the lockerroom.
Tempers on the team were the downfall of Dallas. With the players being divided with the Romo vs. Owens situation, and the fans letting them know they weren't happy, it made the Cowboys situation very bad and they fell short of the standards everyone had set for them.
Now, I would like to draw your attention to the Chicago Cubs. They remind me of the Cowboys for the exact same reasons I've just stated. With unrest in the club-house, and fighting between players, and some fans letting players know they aren't happy with them, it makes for a very bad combination.
I look back at the Milton Bradley signing, and while he is a very solid player, he has a horrible attitude. Now, at the beginning, I was all for giving him a chance, but as the season has worn on, I'm starting to get away from Bradley's hype, and I'm not liking him as a player or person.
About a month ago, Bradley lost his temper and started beating up a water cooler as well as other dugout items. This of course did not make manager Lou Piniella happy, and there was a confrontation which resulted in Milton heading to the showers early. Another incident was when Bradley got suspended earlier in the season for, yet again, showing his unhappiness with a call that the umpires made.
It isn't just Milton Bradley, it also has to do with Carlos Zambrano. While Z is such a great pitcher and probably the consensus face of the Cubs franchise, he just needs to learn to calm himself down, and take the calls the way they come. Over his career with the Cubs, and especially in the last few years, he's gone from having arguments with the umps, to his teammates, to the manager, and quite often it results in him getting ejected from a game, benched, or even suspended for more games.
This season the Cubs have been falling apart and not living up to their expectations because of all the anger they are showing. The fans don't like it, the umpires don't mind it, because they get to throw people out, and it really creates a rift between the team.
Those are the reasons that the Dallas Cowboys and the Chicago Cubs are the teams that I think represent the drama queens of the NFL and MLB respectively.
First off, I would like to draw your attention to the Dallas Cowboys. Last season, they had a great shot at winning the Super Bowl, or so everyone though. As the season grew on people saw that they were horribly mistaken. With the Terrell Owens and Tony Romo romance going on, it was obvious that it wasn't going to end well.
Let me draw your attention to something that happened about halfway through the season. The situation was that the opposing defense had started to clamp down on T.O.'s ability to make easy catches and gain yards after the catch, and of course that meant that the ball wasn't going to go to Owens as much. This of course made Owens very angry and he started sensing that Cowboys tight end Jason Witten was getting favored and gaining receptions because of a close friendship between Romo and Witten. Knowing T.O. we all know he went to the reporters about his concerns of the Cowboys intentionally leaving him out of the game plan because of this friendship between quarterback and tight end. The press in turn blew the situation up and made a huge deal about it.
Another thing that made the Cowboys season a little rocky was the trade they made mid-season. They acquired WR Roy Williams from the Detroit Lions for draft picks, which they thought was going to help free T.O. from the defenders with a double threat. That didn't happen and both receivers were shut down. Williams' failure to create a better passing attack angered the fans, and they let the 'Boys know about it. This of course caused unrest in the lockerroom.
Tempers on the team were the downfall of Dallas. With the players being divided with the Romo vs. Owens situation, and the fans letting them know they weren't happy, it made the Cowboys situation very bad and they fell short of the standards everyone had set for them.
Now, I would like to draw your attention to the Chicago Cubs. They remind me of the Cowboys for the exact same reasons I've just stated. With unrest in the club-house, and fighting between players, and some fans letting players know they aren't happy with them, it makes for a very bad combination.
I look back at the Milton Bradley signing, and while he is a very solid player, he has a horrible attitude. Now, at the beginning, I was all for giving him a chance, but as the season has worn on, I'm starting to get away from Bradley's hype, and I'm not liking him as a player or person.
About a month ago, Bradley lost his temper and started beating up a water cooler as well as other dugout items. This of course did not make manager Lou Piniella happy, and there was a confrontation which resulted in Milton heading to the showers early. Another incident was when Bradley got suspended earlier in the season for, yet again, showing his unhappiness with a call that the umpires made.
It isn't just Milton Bradley, it also has to do with Carlos Zambrano. While Z is such a great pitcher and probably the consensus face of the Cubs franchise, he just needs to learn to calm himself down, and take the calls the way they come. Over his career with the Cubs, and especially in the last few years, he's gone from having arguments with the umps, to his teammates, to the manager, and quite often it results in him getting ejected from a game, benched, or even suspended for more games.
This season the Cubs have been falling apart and not living up to their expectations because of all the anger they are showing. The fans don't like it, the umpires don't mind it, because they get to throw people out, and it really creates a rift between the team.
Those are the reasons that the Dallas Cowboys and the Chicago Cubs are the teams that I think represent the drama queens of the NFL and MLB respectively.
Packers 2009 Wide Receiver Core
Greg Jennings
Jennings is an amazing athlete, who is quickly turning into one of the best WR's in the NFL. He brings all the things that you would want in your best wideout, bringing speed, excellent hands, great route-running, and very good leadership.
Looking back at the Packers when they drafted Jennings, almost every single Packers fan was upset with the move. The reason? Most people had grown really happy with the production of Javon Walker, who was traded to the Denver Broncos in return for the pick that they drafted Jennings with, as well as a couple other later round picks.
After a few years, when everyone looks back at that trade, the Packers look like absolute geniuses. While Greg Jennings has turned into a pro-bowl caliber receiver, Javon Walker has turned into a player that is struggling to keep his spot on the Raiders roster, which definitely isn't saying much.
Donald Driver
Driver has been with the Packers for as long as I can remember. His best years started with Brett Favre, but he has completely surprised many people by continuing his on-field dominance even this late in his career with Aaron Rodgers.
Lots of people ask how he can continue playing at the level he's playing at this late in his career, and the answer is very simple, he works harder than anyone else on the team. His offseason workouts include route running, sprinting, as well as a ton of weight lifting.
So far this year he hasn't been what everyone had expected, but he's still been very good. There's always the possibility that age really is starting to catch up to him, but I really don't think that it is. My guess is that Aaron Rodgers hasn't been able to work the ball to him as much because the offensive line is allowing to much pressure to get to him.
James Jones
This kid is very talented, but just never seems to be able to stay healthy long enough to make an impact. So far in the first two games, he's made some nice catches, and has been a very solid WR for 2nd year starting QB Aaron Rodgers.
Jones brings a very interesting skill set, and also something that doesn't seem like it would work to much in the NFL, but he finds a way to use it. He has a bigger build than most WR's, and he also isn't all that fast. What he does is he uses the height to allow the quarterback to throw the ball a little long, and he can go get it with his height.
What's Up Guys?
Hey I'm a sports fan, mainly of the Indianapolis Colts, Indiana Pacers, Green Bay Packers, and Chicago Cubs, but honestly I like any sport. So if you have any questions you can email me at masseyevan@yahoo.com, or get me on facebook, http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1044205389&ref=profile, and contact me about my twitter if you want. Your very welcome to follow this blog, and/or reply to the topics. Thanks!
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