Pittsburgh Steelers

What's new: Running back Willie Parker was not re-signed and leading receiver Santonio Holmes was traded to the Jets. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will be suspended for the start of the season, handing the quarterback reigns to untested Dennis Dixon. The Steelers added receivers Arnaz Battle and Antwaan Randle El.

The cheap Pittsburgh Steelers jerseys drafted receiver Emmanuel Sanders, who could make an impact, but running back Jonathan Dwyer is the key addition. The Steelers struggled inside the red zone and Dwyer is the kind of short-yardage, power-running back the wholesale Pittsburgh Steelers jerseys need.

What's the same: Running back Rashard Mendenhall and Mewelde Moore will get the bulk of the carries and the aging Hines Ward will provide leadership at receiver. Heath Miller has developed into a solid tight end.

The Steelers placed the franchise tag on placekicker Jeff Reed. The oft-injured strong safety Troy Polamalu is the one player who seems to determine whether this team wins or loses. When the safety plays, the Steelers play at another level. Even the offense seems to be motivated by his presence.

Carroll constantly 'on' in 1st Seattle offseason

The Seahawks coach has done more in his first 5 1/2 months back in the NFL than some coaches do in an entire year.

Carroll has made status quo a no-go in Seattle, taking full advantage of the executive vice president power the Seahawks have also given him on personnel moves.

According to a team count, the Seahawks have made 40 transactions involving 95 players since Jan. 11, the day they hired Carroll. Nearly half (18) of those moves have come in the past eight weeks, approximately since the draft.

The Seahawks made just seven transactions from May 1, 2009, until this point last June.

Even the city's constant rain and chill got him going this spring.

"It's been really fun," Carroll said this week at Seattle's final minicamp before training camp begins in five weeks.

Then the Los Angeles transplant and former USC coach looked up into a rare, clear sky.

"It's always sunny here, you know. This is awesome," he joked. "I don't know why everybody's griping all the time."

The Seahawks haven't had time to gripe. They are too busy learning everybody's names, and their own, new jobs.

Roughly half of Seattle's roster is new from the one which finished last season 5-11 and got coach Jim Mora fired.

"We talked back in the beginning that we were going to compete to find as many ways we could to improve and to challenge the depth of the roster," Carroll said. "If you'd have asked me, I would have thought we might have half (the roster) turned over."

Carroll has hired an almost entirely new coaching staff, with many of the assistants coming with him from Southern California.

He and coordinator Jeremy Bates have installed a new offense with more reliance on zone blocking and running. He and coordinator Gus Bradley have installed a new defense with some variations of a 3-4 scheme to spice up the Seahawks' perennial — and recently failed — 4-3.

He's traded backup quarterback Seneca Wallace. He's told three-time Pro Bowl passer  cheap Matt Hasselbeck jersey he must compete for his job and is in the final year of his contract. Carroll sent that clear message in March by trading with the San Diego Chargers to get the unproven Charlie Whitehurst, a move that cost Seattle draft picks and a new $8 million contract for Hasselbeck's heir. Then he pushed Whitehurst by signing J.P. Losman, the former starter and No. 1 pick with the Buffalo Bills.

He's drafted a new fixture at left tackle, Russell Okung, sixth overall to replace the retired Walter Jones. Carroll made Okung a starter on the first snap of his first minicamp in April.

He's drafted a new starting safety in Earl Thomas out of Texas. He's brought back Lawyer Milloy, whom he coached a decade ago in New England. At 36 Milloy is the second-oldest Seahawk behind kicker Olindo Mare, upon whom Carroll slapped his franchise tag to keep him for 2010. Milloy is poised to start next to Thomas at safety.

That's if Kevin Ellison doesn't. Carroll signed another one of his former stars at USC on Tuesday, a day after the Chargers waived the safety.

Carroll has signed guys from all over the place on the basis of needing competition — or simply for having coached them at USC.

Former Trojans star Mike Williams, a former top 10 overall pick, ballooned his way out of the league. Carroll invited him for a three-day tryout. Now, he's in shape and primed at 6-feet-5, 240 pounds to give the Seahawks the huge outside receiving threat Carroll loves and Seattle has lacked.

Carroll has also cut guys weeks or even days after signing them, such as former Trojans rushing star LenDale White. That sent a message throughout a curious locker room that anybody — even a former favorite of his — is expendable.

It's been a constant carousel of competition. And Carroll is still months from coaching in his first NFL jerseys  game since 1999.

"We just want to get a new look and build off the strengths of what we have and let's see if we can keep pushing it," he said. "The main theme is the competition thing. And we want these guys to feel it so it keeps the fires burning and they've got to keep battling."

Carroll says he and new general manger John Schneider aren't done. This roster churn may last through August — and beyond.

"Our approach, between John and I, we're going to keep bringing guys in and keep making moves and keep pushing the envelope as much as we can to keep getting faster and keep getting guys with special qualities is what we're looking for all the time," he said, talking as fast as he moves. "We're not done yet in that regard, and we won't be done until we're competing.

"I'm pumped up about it."

2010 Fantasy Football: Will the Henne-Marshall Marriage Pay Dividends?

We all know the story of Brandon Marshall. 

Despite a tumultuous relationship with head coach Josh McDaniels, and a less than stellar QB throwing him the ball, he managed to exceed 100 catches for the third straight season.  He also set a career high in touchdown catches, proving that he is among the elite receivers in the game.

While Kyle Orton put up solid numbers (3,802 yards, 21 TD), one could easily argue that it was Marshall’s presence that allowed Orton to take such a large step forward. 

Now, with Marshall being jettisoned to Miami, he’ll be playing with his third quarterback in three years.

Chad Henne stepped into the starting job once Chad Pennington went down with injury and did an admirable job. 

Davone Bess is a nice receiver, but he’s certainly not an elite option.  He led the team with 76 catches and 758 yards. Only one Miami receiver had as many as three TDs, and only two receivers had as many as 50 catches.  No one outside of Davone Bess  had more than 552 yards.

Let’s look at Henne’s numbers last season compared to that of Orton in 2008 with the Bears.

• Henne - 2,878 yards, 12 TD
• Orton - 2,972 yards, 18 TD

They weren’t all that different, meaning the presence of Marshall in Miami could mean huge things for the 2008 second round draft pick. 

Just look at some of the quotes that have been said about the 6′4″, 230 lb. receiver.

“Brandon Marshall is a defensive lineman playing wide receiver. He wants to inflict punishment on you. He wants you to try to tackle him so he can shove you off of him and get more yards.”—Brandon Flowers, Kansas City Chiefs on ESPN

“… my mind, I think Brandon’s the toughest guy to bring down, one-on-one.”—Nnamdi Asomougha, Oakland Raiders, in the Denver Post

Last season, Marshall produced 527 yards after the catch, a number that goes a long way to helping a quarterback’s numbers.  As long as Henne can stay on his feet and get the ball in Marshall’s area, the results are going to be there.

I know I considered Orton an afterthought heading into 2009, but with Marshall at his disposal, he proved me wrong. 

I’m not going to make the same mistake with Henne in 2010. 

Marshall has proven that he can produce no matter who the QB is, and that ability just increases the value of the man throwing him the ball.

While I wouldn’t consider Henne a No. 1 QB, he's an option worth considering for those in two quarterback formats.  He’s currently the 18th quarterback coming off the board, so he’s no longer a steal, but a solid option in all formats.

What are your thoughts on the Marshall-Henne marriage?  How big of an effect will it have on Henne? 

Is he worth using as a No. 2 QB?

NFL: Fantasy Football's Unsung Heroes

The key to fantasy success, as in professional football, is consistency. Arguably the biggest key for NFL teams to remain consistently competitive and achieve success lies in the trenches, the dirty work of the team's true unsung heroes, the offensive line.

Over the past few years the offensive line has been given more credit in the media as greats such as Peyton Manning and Tom Brady constantly credit them for their success. Most fantasy players tend to overlook the importance of a powerful and superior offensive line when evaluating the success of a running back in the past, present and future.

The top fantasy running backs in 2009 ran behind the best offensive lines in the NFL. Chris Johnson, Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson and Thomas Jones top the list of top running backs of 2009 for their ability to generate fantasy points each week.

Since the Tennessee Titans signed Kevin Mawae in 2006, long considered one of the top blocking centers in the NFL, their rushing attack has remained one of the most efficient in the league. Chris Johnson may be the fastest player in the league, with arguably the quickest step, but his offensive line created gaping rushing lanes for Johnson to maximize his abilities. Johnson set an NFL record with 2,509 yards from scrimmage and rushed for over 2000 yards in 2009.

Many were unsure of Chris Johnson heading into 2009 fantasy drafts because of touchdown vulture LenDale White, but it is evident that run first teams with powerful offensive lines have the ability to produce for multiple backs on the same team. Since 2006, the Titans have averaged 2278.5 yards rushing while only giving up 21.5 sacks per year. While Vince Young's ability to scramble may inflate their rushing total, he should take pressure off Chris Johnson and the offensive line in 2010 to assist the rushing attack.

Michael Oher instantly improved the Baltimore Ravens offense when they stole him with the 23^rd overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. They also added center Matt Birk, a six-time pro bowler during his ten years with the Minnesota Vikings. Birk provided stability and experience to a young offense and was a key contributor to Ray Rice's 2009 fantasy season. Rice rushed for over 1300 yards and seven touchdowns.

The Ravens rushing attack increased from 4.0 yards per rush play in 2008 to 4.5 in 2009 and will likely continue the pace in 2010 as the team gains experience. Ray Rice instantly vaulted into the top five on many offseason big boards and has already displayed great patience and solid footwork to go along with great hands for his growing superstar QB Joe Flacco. He should remain a top fantasy running back for the next few years as long as his offensive line stays intact.

Most fantasy players look for the 'sexy' pick in their draft and overlook steady performance.

Thomas Jones entered the 2009 season at 31 years old. However, he has displayed durability, missing just three games in six years. He was also running better than ever and behind arguably the best offensive line in the AFC.

It is certain that Thomas Jones went on to outperform wherever he was drafted in 2009 fantasy drafts. Those who drafted potential "boom" picks such as Darren McFadden, Knowshon Moreno or Reggie Bush ahead of the "safe" pick Thomas Jones were kicking themselves by the end of the fantasy season.

Backed by a run first coach, Jones set career highs in carries (331), yards (1402) and touchdowns (14).  More importantly, Jones ran behind two-time pro bowl center Nick Mangold, nine-time pro bowler Alan Faneca and D'Brickashaw Ferguson, a 2010 pro bowl alternate. Although Thomas Jones and Alan Faneca will not be back with the Jets organization in 2010, Shonn Green, LaDainian Tomlinson and Joe McKnight should all see great success running behind an offensive line that has averaged 4.6 yards per rushing play over the past two seasons and will likely improve.

Maurice Jones-Drew was among the top backs in fantasy points scored by the end of the season. However, Jones-Drew did not epitomize the consistency most fantasy players are looking for week in week out as they strive to make the fantasy playoffs. Fantasy players search for dependability in their first round picks, which is unfortunately where Jones-Drew failed. 429 of 1391 rushing yards and 8 of his 15 rushing touchdowns came in three weeks of the season, all before Week 9.

After Week 10, often considered crunch time in fantasy circles, Jones-Drew rushed for over 100 yards just once. He tallied a meager three touchdowns over the final seven games of the regular season. With more help from his offensive line, Jones-Drew undoubtedly could have given more to his fantasy owners each week. Jones-Drew may have had a great fantasy season looking at the final numbers, but fantasy players need the consistency to compete week in and week out. Jones-Drew however was not the only fantasy stud subdued by a subpar offensive line.

Despite running behind one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL, Steven Jackson managed to produce on ability alone. Similar to Maurice Jones-Drew, Jackson fell short of his first round fantasy value throughout the 2009 season as he could not produce on a weekly basis. With his offensive line's inability to provide open holes for Jackson and time for the passing attack to achieve success, Jackson finished the season with only four total touchdowns.

Jackson, however, is an exception for succeeding with a poor offensive line.

Renowned as one of the best football players in the NFL, Jackson somehow managed to rush for over 1400 yards. Despite inferior blocking from his teammates, Jackson boasted seven games with 100 or more rushing yards.

Steven Jackson has accumulated several injuries in past seasons and recently had minor neck surgery. One has to wonder the toll the past few years has taken on Jackson's body as he has needed to make plays for himself due to his line's inability to create running lanes and take pressure off of Jackson.

Considering Jackson's first round price tag, the St. Louis Rams' inexperience at the quarterback position and lack of talent on the offensive line, Jackson and his fantasy owners will more than likely face an uphill battle throughout the 2010 fantasy season.

Prime examples of former fantasy studs plagued by ineffective offensive lines are LaDainian Tomlinson and Brandon Jacobs.

Tomlinson clearly lost a step in 2009. However, from game one of the San Diego Chargers' preseason, the offensive line looked sluggish. They could not provide the same holes and assistance Tomlinson was accustomed to running behind in previous seasons.

The New York Giants' offensive line entered the 2009 season as arguably the best in all of football. In 2008, the Giants rushed for 2518 yards, averaging 5.0 yards per rush play as a team. The Giants rushing attack fell to just 1837 yards with an average of 4.1 yards per rushing play in 2009.

Jacobs must be held partially accountable for the immense decrease in production. He continuously looked lost running behind the line. The Giants' line appeared to have lost a step as a whole. They constantly failed to create enough push for their bruiser to run behind. The New York Giants' rushing attack is a prime example of how quickly things can change from year to year in the NFL, Many will look at the possibility of the 2010 Tennessee Titans regressing similarly to the 2009 New York Giants.

Looking ahead to 2010, several teams have bolstered their offensive lines, which should vault their respective running backs into the next echelon.

The loss of Kurt Warner to retirement and the trade of Anquan Boldin to the Ravens are sure signs that the Arizona Cardinals will be relying heavily on their rushing attack as they turn to the unproven Matt Leinart. Alan Faneca reunites with Russ Grimm and Ken Whisenhunt to continue his tough nosed, hard working and winning mentality with an offensive line that has improved over the past two seasons. They have averaged 3.8 yards per rushing play compared to 3.4 in the previous two years.

With Faneca stepping in, a recommitment to the ground game and boasting their best runner in years with Chris 'Beanie' Wells, the Cardinals rushing game should continue its improvement and success. Wells rushed for 793 yards and seven touchdowns on 176 carries in his rookie season. Wells should build on his impressive rookie season, and could even see similar sophomore success in 2010 as Ray Rice did in 2009.

If there is one sure thing about fantasy football and the NFL in general, it is that there is no sure thing. However, fantasy players need to maximize their picks throughout their drafts and cannot afford to overlook any aspect of the game.

Fantasy players should take into account each team's offensive line. Without the dirty work in the trenches, it is too difficult for teams and players to remain competitive. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, such as Rashard Mendenhall and Jamaal Charles. Even studs such as Steven Jackson and Maurice Jones-Drew have success running behind subpar offensive lines, but it compromises their value.

First round picks need to be dependable. Fantasy players cannot afford to have their superstars perform well only a handful of weeks throughout the season. Though a team's fortune can quickly change from year to year, fantasy owners need to pay attention to the unsung heroes of the NFL, the offensive lineman who create holes for running backs and keep quarterbacks on the field.

Bills defensive end Aaron Schobel says he's learning toward not playing

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Stopping short of announcing his retirement, Buffalo Bills top pass-rusher Aaron Schobel wanted to inform the team to start moving on without him

"I'm leaning toward not playing, but I don't want to make a decision and then change my mind," the defensive end told The Associated Press in a phone interview from his home in Texas on Thursday. "For the Bills, I'd just tell them to go on without me."

Schobel said he has not spoken with the Buffalo Bills  in about two months and added he has no intention of attending the team's mandatory minicamp, which opens in less than two weeks. He has spent his entire nine-year NFL career in Buffalo and, with 78 sacks, ranks rank second on the Bills behind only Hall of Famer Bruce Smith.

Bills general manager Buddy Nix on Thursday said the team's position regarding Schobel has not changed, and referred to comments he made in March.

"The ball is in his court," Nix said then. "If he wants to play, we certainly want him back. If he wants to retire, we wish him the best."

Though the 32-year-old Schobel stressed he's not formally announcing his retirement, he did begin reflecting on a career that featured two Pro Bowl selections. The downside was he played on a Bills team that failed to make the playoffs and enjoyed only one winning season, a 9-7 finish in 2004.

"I've had a decent career. I know the wins and losses weren't all that fine, but looking back, I wouldn't change anything I've done," he said.

Selected by Buffalo in the second round of the 2001 draft out of TCU, Schobel and punter Brian Moorman entered this off-season as the team's longest-tenured players. Schobel has four years left on a US$50.5 million contract extension he signed before the 2007 season.

Schobel's contract includes a $2 million roster bonus he was due in March. That payment is on hold until Schobel reports to the team and passes a physical because he had minor surgery to repair an elbow injury shortly after the season ended. In March, Schobel said he was in no rush to take a physical because he hadn't made up his mind on whether to play this season.

Because Schobel is still under contract, the Bills have the option to fine the player if he misses mandatory minicamp practices, which open June 23, and training camp, which opens July 29.

After missing 11 games with a foot injury in 2008, Schobel bounced back last year to lead the Buffalo Bills  with 10 sacks — the most he's had since registering a career-best 14 in 2006.

He's spent the entire off-season away from Buffalo, and has missed all 12 of the team's spring voluntary minicamp sessions.

Schobel first broached the prospect of retirement at the end of last season, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family, which he has permanently relocated from Buffalo to his home in Texas this off-season. He has also sold his Buffalo-area home, and was intending to rent in the event he played this season.

There are other reasons keeping Schobel from playing. He has grown tired of having to prove himself to another coach. Hired in January, Chan Gailey becomes the Bills' fourth head coach since 2001.

This season, Schobel would also have to make the switch to outside linebacker as the Bills are making the switch to a 3-4 scheme.

TheBuffalo Bills have already begun making plans in the event Schobel doesn't return. This past week, they signed six-year veteran linebacker Reggie Torbor to a two-year contract.

In his last talks with the team, Schobel had expressed hope to work out a deal that would allow him to get certain days off to travel home to be with his family.

"There would be a couple of things to change my mind," Schobel said. "It ain't over yet, but we'll see what happens."

Schobel then joked that he plans to return to Buffalo at some point because he can't resist the city's chicken wings.

Longtime friend and teammate Chris Kelsay wasn't entirely surprised by Schobel's comments about his future.

"To be completely honest, without him ever telling me one way or another, I kind of got that impression," Kelsay said, following practice. He added the he and the team will miss Schobel if he does not return.

"His play speaks for itself," Kelsay said. "You turn the game film on Monday mornings, and that's a guy that plays his heart out on the field."

Moorman agreed that losing Schobel would be a big blow to the Buffalo Bills .

"I know he's at the end of his career and probably doesn't want to go through another building thing," Moorman said. "But I still think we have the talent to win this year, and I think he would help us win games."

Five Best NFL Teams of the Energy Crisis Era: 1976-1981

In my first two or three years of college (beer and poker...I think I lost a semester), I studied psychology, hoping someday to become a counselor. 

Yeah, right.

After seriously evaluating my life, I determined I should be on the weird side of that desk.

Seeing a counselor was the route to go after I decided drop out of psych (easy) and become an engineer (masochistic).  Engineering jobs were not difficult to find then, but to get that job I would have to subject my brain and body to the most difficult four-year course of study at any university.

Considering that I had trouble with simpler courses of study, this engineering thing was crazy.

Crazy, but maybe good crazy.  In the Energy Crisis Era of 1976-1981 the prospects for engineering careers grew exponentially as the price of gasoline jumped up.  I couldn't pay to fill up my ride in 1979, but by May 1981, I would be looking for a solution to the crisis.  That's a couple of years of supreme sacrifice, then I get to save the world.

Speaking of sacrifice, President Jimmy Carter (pictured, looking solemn, as always) tried to convince us we were in a state of malaise (his word for "I'm whining") that had warped our lives.  To urge us to move on, he told us to fight a "moral equivalent of war" against high crude oil prices.

Say what?

Iranians and Soviets and the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow flummoxed him enough, so what's with this war thing?  With his brand of paranoia, Carter was just about as Nixonian as any president can get. 

No way he should have been in the job.

It's not healthy for one's political future to demand sacrifice from Americans.  This is the land of plenty, we said to the peanut farmer, and you, sir, not us, but you fix the buck fifty we're paying for a gallon of gasoline ($4 in 2010 dollars).  Fixing things, that's why you told us you ran for president.

While you're at it, stop using phrases like "crisis of confidence."  You're frightening us.

So, there you go again, Mr. President, and there you go out of the White House because you've grossly mismanaged energy and the hostages in Iran, especially the doomed-from-the-start hostage rescue.  That's not to mention the boycott of the peaceful summer Olympics.  Tell me in 20 words or less why that made sense. 

You've been replaced by a Hollywood actor who can't even spell malaise.  He urged us to be confident, and enjoy life.  Everything will be fine.  We're winners, the actor said, and winners win.

It's morning in America, said Ronald Reagan, and if you don't believe him, go up to his shining city on the hill and you'll see it.

*****

Dealing with these mixed messages required more entertainment and much more catharsis.  In the years 1976 through 1981, I gave the NFL the best Sundays of my life.  I enjoyed the Steelers and the Raiders and the Cowboys and the 49ers, transforming from just a dude making late night beer runs to a magna cum laude dude making late night beer runs.

I got married in that energy crisis with a lot of confidence.   I was good at school after all.  And there I was, convincing my new bride that we will be more than comfortable since I was going to make engineering buku US dollars.  It most certainly was morning in my America.

The five best NFL teams in the Energy Crisis Era are:

 

5. 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers - 11-5

It is Pittsburgh Steelers franchise lore, backed up by a couple of Internet articles I've read on the Steelers' web site and by word of mouth, that the 1976 Steelers are among many fans', as well as the Rooney family's, favorite Steelers teams in the over 75 year history.

On the surface, that has to be difficult to say because:

The '76 team began the season at 1-4.

They were pummeled by the Oakland Raiders in the AFC Championship game.

The 1976 Steelers thereby did not play in the Super Bowl as seven Pittsburgh teams have.

The '76 squad failed at their mission to become the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowls. 

Most Americans think the objective of the game is to win.  That's the way I always heard it should be, and...

The 1976 Steelers lost five games.  Doesn't that suck?

Well, losing five games does suck, if your team is just an ordinary 11-5 NFL team trying to play NFL championship football.  But, the '76 Steelers lost five games in a very special way.

First, there was that 1-4 start.  That's a big hole to dig yourself into.  Additionally, the fifth game was against the evil Browns in Cleveland Municipal Stadium.  Tough room, especially when Browns' defensive lineman Joe "Turkey" Jones breaks free, grabs Terry Bradshaw like a spear, and impales the turf with his head. 

That's not your ordinary sack, considering Bradshaw laid on the ground twitching uncontrollably.  Those who watched it live, including me, feared for the damage Turkey did to the quarterback's head, brain, neck, and spine.

Bradshaw was out six weeks recovering as backup QB Mike Kruczek filled in admirably.  The rookie led the Steelers to a 6-0 record working a conservative passing attack behind the strong running of Rocky Bleier and Franco Harris.

In 14 games, Bleier and Harris both rushed for over 1,000 yards, the second pair of backs from the same team in history to hit that number, with Larry Csonka and Mercury Morris of the 1972 Miami Dolphins doing it first.

A bruising ground game has always been and always will be the backbone of Pittsburgh Steelers football.  So is a crushing defense.  That passion for big D could be the reason '76 Pittsburgh is held in high esteem.

The 1976 Steelers defense is best judged by looking at points allowed.  Over that season, Pittsburgh held their opponents to less than 10 points per game.  Now, that's awesome by itself, but when you look at the opening 1-4 stretch during which the Steelers were playing like really bad, Pittsburgh gave up 22 points per game.

The significance of that is in the remaining nine games, Jack Lambert, Jack Ham, Joe Greene, and company throttled their opponents for an amazing total of 28 points, just over three points per game.

It doesn't get much more incredible than that, but you also must consider how these really frightening men did it. 

Like this: during the 9-0 run Pittsburgh pulled off, the defense laid down 22 consecutive quarters in which they did not allow a touchdown.

But, wait. It gets better.  Within that no-TDs-allowed streak, the 1976 Steelers defense played 15 straight quarters of shutout ball. 

Five games of the nine were shutouts.  In three others, no Steelers' foe crossed the goal line. I know the league offices prefer points, but give me Steel Curtain defense any day.

Rocky Bleier and Franco Harris were injured in the Divisional Playoff victory against the Baltimore Colts.  With that very important aspect of the Steeler gameplan taken away, 1976 Pittsburgh didn't have a prayer against the 14-1 Oakland Raiders.

They fought with determination and grit and helmet-cracking hard hitting.  In the end, the 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers couldn't overcome injuries and just didn't make it happen.

Maybe now we can see that in the Bicentennial year, the Rooneys fielded a Steelers team that honored the soldiers of the American Revolution.  

It is difficult not to like the 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers.

 

4. 1981 San Francisco 49ers - 16-3

They're the 49ers team that began the calendar year 1981 precariously by losing two on the road out of the first three games.  Then the second game of calendar year 1982 the Niners finished of the NFC famously with a fourth-quarter winning drive for the history books at Candlestick...against the mighty Dallas Cowboys. 

It was the drive that ended with The Catch.  The Catch, a six-yarder from first-year starting quarterback Joe Montana to receiver Dwight Clark, wasn't a catch quite like those made by acrobats Lynn Swann or Paul Warfield.  But, the use here of the phrase The Catch is definitely not a misnomer and is most appropriate.

The Catch was a jumping grab with fingertip control, as Clark found a way to stop a Montana pass the quarterback threw off his back foot, looking as if it had been just pitched through the end zone. 

I'd say Joe Montana would never throw a third down pass anywhere near through the end zone. Doesn't matter.  The Catch will forever be The Catch.   

That's the technical discussion of The Catch.

The real significance of The Catch is that it signified The Changing of The Guard.  It was like John F. Kennedy getting elected, Vatican II, Neil Armstrong on the moon, the Beatles splitting up, and US ice hockey beating the Soviet Union team at Lake Placid.

Okay.  Maybe The Catch was not as important as all those events, unless you're a diehard Bay Area 49ers fan.  At least call it US ice hockey and possibly as earthshaking as the Pope telling you it is no longer necessary to fast before the sacrament of communion.

Regardless, this Changing was out with the old—America's Team, the Dallas Cowboys—that during the 1970s ruled the NFL and the hearts of the football fans from sea to shining sea.  Ten Super Bowls were played in that decade. Dallas played tight in three losses, and winning two by a large margin.

The Changing also was in with the new—the Niners, the San Francisco 49ers—with the handsome, magical quarterback Joe Montana, receivers such as the possession artist Dwight Clark and downfield specialist Freddie Solomon, and a hard-nosed defense with linebacker "Hacksaw" Reynolds, sack man Fred Dean, and two rookie defensive backs, hitman Ronnie Lott and coverman Eric Wright.

Niners head coach Bill Walsh showed up in the very hip city of San Francisco a couple years earlier with an offense that would soon be given the cool moniker West Coast Offense.  As hip and cool as anything called West Coast sounds, it's rather rich irony that Walsh developed the philosophy in a most dullsville Midwestern town called Cincinnati.

Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson was the first laboratory animal on whom Walsh tried the system.  It is interesting that a QB who honed his skills at the evangelical Augustana College in Illinois was the prototype for the West Coast Offense. 

I mean, Walsh should have taken one look at Joe Montana and said, "Son, let's get together and make the West Coast Offense!"

That's what the world thinks happened, and a Walsh/Montana "ah-ha!" moment makes for better Hollywood, so…well…

The West Coast Offense as Bill Walsh applied it is a ball control offense.  As you well know, traditional professional football ball control thought uses the run between the ends to set up the pass. 

Walsh passed to obtain ball control, using high-probability outs, a la Kansas City in Super Bowl IV, and other horizontal plays to spread the defense, making that unit defend all 54 yards of width. 

From there, the West Coast Offense can run and pass vertically.  If that West Coast Offense has Joe Montana as the triggerman, it can do anything horizontally and vertically and really piss off the 49ers hater in you.

In Super Bowl XVI, San Francisco met the Cincinnati Bengals, a 12-4 team that like the 49ers in 1980 launched from last place in their division.  The game was played in Pontiac, Michigan, which like the football teams of the 49ers and the Bengals was also trying to find its way back from last place as an automobile town in the 1981 recession.

Pontiac, a suburb of Detroit and a town that harbors snow most of the winter, was the first cold weather location to host the NFL's big showcase.  Those attending got their frozen money's worth.

Joe Montana put the Niners in the lead 20-0 at the half, running for one TD, passing to fullback Earl Cooper for another, and setting kicker Ray Wersching up for two chip shots.

Cincinnati quarterback Ken Anderson, Bill Walsh's West Coast Offense protégé, ran a touchdown in from the five in the third quarter and threw two touchdown passes to tight end Dan Ross to match two Wersching field goals in the fourth.

Forget all the running and passing.  Here's what was significant.  At 20-7 San Francisco late in the third, the 49ers held on to its lead as the defense stopped the Bengals offense four times on the San Francisco goal line.  That goal line stand spelled the difference between Lombardi and no Lombardi for San Francisco.

As the Super Bowl is often offense-dominated, the 49ers matched the 1971 VI Cowboys, the 1972 VII Dolphins and the 1968 III Jets in their ability to force turnovers (five total takeaways against Cincinnati) as well as build the wall when it counted.

One can only look back to when a dynasty was created after the dynasty has been going for some time.  With the win in XIX over Miami, the victory in XXIII again against Cincinnati, and XXIV's demolition of Denver, one would think The Catch got the 49ers going.

It did, in part.  But, I'm the defense guy.  Offense sells tickets.  Defense wins championships. San Francisco—even with all the vital contributions from Joe Montana, Dwight Clark, Freddie Solomon, and Randy Cross and the o-line—has a 49er dynasty that was also built by the goal line stand in XVI.

 

3. 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers - 17-2

 

After the injury-plagued almosts of the 1976 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers redoubled their efforts in 1977. They finished with a barely acceptable 9-5 record, albeit falling on the road to eventual Super Bowl loser Denver. The Broncos beat the Steelers decisively, then got spanked by an outstanding Dallas Cowboys team.

That's not a good way to end the season, for either AFC team. The men in gold and black were longing for the halcyon days before the Bicentennial. That nectar of winning Pittsburgh tasted in 1974 and 1975 still lined their pallets. After the disappointments of '76 and '77, the year 1978 was the season to get it back.

And did they ever.

It was the first year in which the NFL lengthened the season to 16 games. The 1978 Steelers took full advantage of that by winning 14 games, losing only two. The deeply hated division rival Houston Oilers won by a touchdown 24-17 at Three Rivers and the Los Angeles Rams pulled it out in a 10-7 low scoring affair at the Coliseum.

In the season including the playoffs, '78 Pittsburgh put together two impressive winning streaks. They took off on the slate with a 7-0 record before losing on Monday night to Houston. Coming back after dropping the road game to the Rams, the Steelers won five straight, then two in the playoffs and the Super Bowl to finish with an 8-0 rally.

One has to give much credit to the Steel Curtain defense for the 17 wins. Linebacker Jack Ham was named First Team All-Pro by the Associated Press . Mel Blount on the corner was an AP Second Team selection.

In addition, the Steelers defense was represented in the Pro Bowl by d-linemen "Mean" Joe Greene and LC Greenwood, linebacker Jack Lambert (what complete badass beat him out for All-Pro?), and safety Donnie Shell.

Pittsburgh's 1978 defense allowed only 12.2 points per game. They registered four games during the season in which the opponent was denied a touchdown. In the two playoff games, the Steel Curtain allowed only one TD and 15 total points.

The only offenses to really run up the tally on The Curtain were Bum Phillip's Houston Oilers (24 points in the Steelers loss), the following week in Pittsburgh with the Kansas City Chiefs (24 points in a Steelers win), and Pittsburgh's Super Bowl opponent, the Dallas Cowboys (24 offensive points).

The 1978 season's Super Bowl, designated Super Bowl XIII, is considered by some football writers and maybe more fans as the first Super Bowl Sunday that was a national holiday. For the first time, the game had the feel of a battle of Roman gladiators.

Very few football fans didn't have an opinion (thumbs up or thumbs down), as even the most casual sports fan was attracted to the game.

Certainly, sports bookmakers watched this Super Bowl with great interest. The line for the game opened up at Pittsburgh minus 3-1/2, then moved to Pittsburgh minus 4-1/2. That means if the Steelers were to win by four, which of course is now dramatic irony, the bookies would have to dig deep (read: lose a lot of money) to pay all the winners.

When you include all that plus the fact that both Pittsburgh and Dallas are two-time Super Bowl winners, NBC could count on a lot of folks tuning in sure to get a good one.

They did. Terry Bradshaw opened up with a 28 yard touchdown pass to wideout John Stallworth. The Cowboys' Roger Staubach struck back with a 39 yarder to receiver Tony Hill.

At 7-7 in the second, Bradshaw uncharacteristically lost the handle on the ball while dropping back to pass. He seemed lucky as he but picked it up and continued to backpedal while looking for the open man. Steelers' fans least favorite Cowboy, Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson, rushed in to strip the ball from Bradshaw. Dallas' Mike Hegman, then Pittsburgh's second least favorite Cowboy, scooped it up and ran it back 37 yards for a TD.

Bradshaw's troubles were mollified somewhat by two touchdown passes before the half, a 75 yard catch and run by Stallworth and a seven yarder to fullback Rocky Bleier.

It was 21-14 at intermission, but Pittsburgh did not feel like they had the lead, any comfort, or any advantage.

Nor did Dallas.

Defenses took over in the third, forcing the respective offenses to trade punts a couple of times. At 7:31 remaining in the third on the Steelers 42 , Staubach began a drive through Pittsburgh territory.

Staubach overthrew tight end Billy Joe DuPree on first down at the Steelers 17. Tony Dorsett burst through the middle to the 10, setting up one of the most infamous, heartwrenching plays in Super Bowl history.

Tight end Jackie Smith, a former St. Louis Cardinal and a future Hall of Famer, was coaxed out of retirement by Dallas for the playoffs to alleviate injury issues. On third down, Smith ran his route and was wide, wide open over the middle in the end zone.

Staubach hummed the pass, to Smith, somewhat low.

Smith had it, and had it, and then he didn't have it, a touchdown reception dropped. The Cowboys had to settle for a 27-yard field goal and a four-point deficit that could have been a tie with a different tone.

Jackie Smith was vilified and ridiculed, but true football fans have to say that Roger Staubach's pass was probably too low for comfort.

Franco Harris dashed with an angry touchdown run over "Hollywood" Henderson to start off the fourth, and Lynn Swann performed one of his levitating leaps for a TD catch, making it 35-17 Steelers with 6:57 left in the fourth. Pittsburgh looked entirely too strong to stop or score upon.

The celebrations began in South Florida…too early.

Dallas, led by Staubach, showed why the Cowboys will be called "America's Team" in the highlight film for that 1978 season. At around 6:30 in the fourth, Staubach marched his Cowboys to a touchdown, taking only four minutes off the clock.

Dallas then recovered an onsides kick and drove to score a TD with under a minute left. However, the second onsides kick and the comeback failed as the ball fell into the hands of Rocky Bleier.

1978 Pittsburgh resembled the 1975 unit in level of outstanding talent, tendency to command a game, and resiliency after a stretch of bad play.

They were both dangerous and frustrating, with the ability to crush the spirit of the team that thinks they can always hold a lead and come back when they don't.

The years 1975, 1976, and 1978…disco was very, very good to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

 

2.  1977 Dallas Cowboys - 15-2

 

It seems the Dallas Cowboys have been "America's Team" since the inception of football.  That's just about right.  Although NFL Films didn't use the nickname until the production of its 1978 Cowboys highlight film, the concept was cast in stone after the team's 24-3 Super Bowl VI victory over the Miami Dolphins after the 1971 season.

I went to a mid-sized high school in West Virginia.  As a sophomore attending my school's All Sports Banquet in the spring of 1972, I, the Dolphins fan, had to endure the honored guest for the event.  A Dallas Cowboys assistant coach was a native of an equally small town maybe an hour up the road.  He had accepted an invitation to speak to us that day.

The coach's talk was most interesting, as for an hour that seemed like minutes he shared with us the ins and outs of NFL football.  After that, he wowed us further by cuing up, hot from the video room, the official NFL 30 minute highlight film for Super Bowl VI.

After making us privy to such a film, he closed by giving us big, shiny Cowboy stickers.

Every athlete in attendance had applied the sticker on a notebook or a locker door, except my friend and fellow Miami fan Dirk Cline, who affixed his to the inside of a trash can.

Not all of us have fallen for the "America's Team" tripe, but enough have and that makes it true.

Allow me to put some numbers behind Dallas' claim.  Take the eight seasons since the 1970 season.  Look at the five best teams with regard to regular season victories in that eight year period.  Victories only; ties are counted as losses.  Those teams are:

Minnesota  84 wins

Miami  83 wins

Dallas  82 wins

Oakland  82 wins

Los Angeles  77 wins

The Cowboys are tied for third.  Now, factoring in Super Bowls, consider games played and games won:

Dallas  4 Super Bowls, 2 championships

Miami  3 Super Bowls, 2 championships

Minnesota  3 Super Bowls, no championships

Oakland   1 Super Bowl, 1 championship

Los Angeles  no Super Bowls

The Cowboys are ahead in the Super Bowl category since they played the most games and are tied with the Dolphins with two wins.  Now, finally, look at the number of 10-win seasons in the eight years of 1970-1977:

Dallas  7

Miami   7

Minnesota  6

Oakland  5

Los Angeles  5

When you run the numbers from the first eight years of the post-merger NFL, it looks like the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins are going head-to-head for the right to use the "America's Team" mark.

Then, why is Dallas "America's Team" and Miami just the Dolphins?

Americans may visit Florida more often, but we identify with the rugged individualism of Texas.

We like stars on our helmets, more than a fish jumping through a hoop.

We would rather be a cowboy than own an aquarium.

In Texas, men make deals by a handshake.

Dealing with oil and cattle is manly.

In Texas, men are men and women are tough.

In Super Bowl VI, the Cowboys manhandled the Dolphins 24-3.

Finally, the Dallas Cowboys earned the moniker "America's Team" the same month and year the hit television series "Dallas" began its 14 year run.

The 1977 edition of the Dallas Cowboys ran through 12 wins in the final 14 game schedule before the league increased the number of games to 16.  After producing an 8-0 streak to open the season, the team's only losses were back-to-back defeats in Weeks Nine and 10 at the hands of the St. Louis Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Dallas finish the season 4-for-4 in wins, getting three of those victories on the road and defeating 14-6 the team with the best record in the AFC, the 12-1 Denver Broncos.  You of course know there was a rematch of this game.

The '77 Cowboys were led in all respects by the venerable quarterback, Roger Staubach.  In addition to providing direction for an entire state, Roger the Dodger threw for over 2,600 yards with 18 touchdowns versus a remarkable eight interceptions.

Staubach's favorite targets were wideout Drew Pearson and the tight end with the very Texas name, Billy Joe DuPree.  Also, rookie running back Tony Dorsett rushed for 1,000 yards despite not starting until the 10th game.  Dorsett was escorted by fullback Robert Newhouse and an outstanding offensive line led by Rayfield Wright.

"Doomsday" was back.  Ed "Too Tall" Jones and a defensive lineman with another very Texas name, Jethro Pugh, built the wall up front.  In addition, d-linemen Harvey Martin and Randy White played such a remarkable game in Super Bowl XII that they were named co-MVPs.  "Hollywood" Henderson audaciously manned his position at linebacker and hitmen Charlie Waters and Cliff Harris patrolled as safeties.

In the playoffs and the Super Bowl, the "Doomsday Defense" allowed their opponents to cross the goal line only twice.  Denver's quarterback was Craig Morton, ex-signal caller of the Cowboys.  Morton's results in Super Bowl XII (four interceptions, three fumbles lost) were actually worse than those in his pathetic outing for Dallas in Super Bowl V. 

Surely Doomsday wreaked havoc on the aging QB's psyche.

So, take Dallas' Doomsday of that year.  Combine that complete defensive supremacy with the Staubach's domination and guidance at the helm.  Look at the way the Cowboys dismantled the 14-2 Broncos. 

The scores were 27-10 by 15-2 Dallas over 14-3 Denver and, if you don't mind the comparison to Super Bowl XIII, 35-31 by 17-2 Pittsburgh over a 14-5 Dallas.

Total domination defined by high scoring margins is why I rank the 1977 Cowboys No. 2 and the 1978 Steelers No. 3.

Total, complete domination.

 

1. 1976 Oakland Raiders - 16-1

A good deal of the time it has been exasperating to be a die-hard Oakland Raiders fan.

I'm talking the real, honest-to-God die-hards, represented by a) members of the Raider Nation spread around the globe, and b) those who dress the part at Oakland games home and on the road with spiked shoulder pads, silver and black face paint, and battleaxes on the end of truck chains.

Include the citizens of The Nation who would give their next 12 mortgage payments to carry the battleaxe, even in the local sports bar, and you have fans who don't really care how fat their quarterback is…just win, baby!

Let's go back to exasperating, especially the exasperation faced by fans following the Raiders in the John Madden era. Look particularly at Madden, one of the NFL's greatest coaches, during the eight seasons of years 1969 – 1976.

Raider Nation: you may want to avert your eyes.

Oakland team was eliminated in five of the six years between 1970 and 1976 they made the AFC playoffs (they lost the AFL championship in 1969).

In the years 1969, 1970, and 1973 through 1975, the Raiders lost the AFC championship game.

In 1972, it was an AFC divisional game.

They lost to:

1969 Kansas City

1970 Baltimore

1971 missed playoffs

1972 Pittsburgh – the Immaculate Reception game.

1973 Miami

1974 Pittsburgh

1975 Pittsburgh

Worse, Kansas City, Baltimore, Miami, and Pittsburgh '74 and '75 all won their respective Super Bowl.

So close…

However, it must be equally wonderful to be a Member. There are the overall 83 wins record between 1969 and 1976, the best in professional football during that time.

There are also the memories of the players: Defensive lineman Otis Sistrunk, whose college listed in the program as U.S. Mars (he actually came from the U.S. Marines; imagine being the enemy in that man-to-man combat).

Safety George Atkinson, the scourge of Joe Namath, Lynn Swann (twice), and New England tight end Russ Francis.

Safety Jack Tatum, dropping the hammer on Frenchy Fuqua (leading to the Immaculate Reception, a play of which Raiders' fans still say Frenchy's shoulder pad hit the ball) and Minnesota's Sammy White on a slant he'll remember only if he pulls up YouTube.

The Stork.

Cornerback Willie Wood and his 75 yard Super Bowl XI interception return.

Linebacker Phil Villapiano.

Wideout Cliff Branch and his world-class speed.

Wideout Fred Biletnikoff and The Glue Fingers (literally), and...

The Snake.

The Oakland Raiders won with a lot of characters, most of whom some say are without character.

I don't agree with that last interjection. The NFL jersey lined up men to play football on the professional level. It is a violent game like no other, a game that takes hombres with unusual personalities willing to risk physical health for fame, fortune, and the entertainment of the millions of us who like to see humans collide at relative high rates of velocity.

To most of those in the NFL jersey, every game is an automobile accident. Their bodies bend, contort, and get slammed around. Name a Super Bowl winning team and I can probably pick out a player on that team who would find it difficult to assimilate in American society.

My point is Oakland is getting a bad rap. The men of silver and black are generally no weirder than those of the rest of the NFL.

They are probably as a team more intimidating than others, but no more unusual. And, considering my status as a b/r correspondent for the Pittsburgh Steelers, this paragraph carries a curious message: it's okay to be a Raider.

With a 1976 season record of 13-1, the Oakland Raiders were at their most daunting. The defense was demoralizing.

Line, linebackers, and secondary, the Raiders could smack in '76.

Phil Villapiano said in his discussion of Jack Tatum, "Tatum's hits sounded different." Woody Hayes, Jack Tatum's head coach at Ohio State, once said, "Jack Tatum could hit a man so hard he'd lift both of that man's feet off the ground."

There was 6'0", 185 lb safety George Atkinson who specialized in hooking his arm around the receiver's head. He just wanted to let the man know how it was going to be that day.

Oakland lost big on the road at New England 48-17 in week Four. When hosting the Patriots early in the Divisional Playoffs at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Atkinson took a shot at tight end Russ Francis's face mask, breaking his nose. Francis bled all day, surely impeding his ability to catch.

Paybacks are a bitch.

Ted "The Stork" Hendricks was a big hitter and, also long armed at 6'7", blocked punts.

Phil Villapiano popped people. John "Tooz" Matuszak was huge and scary. Otis Sistrunk would crack you.

Then, the brutal D got the ball to The Snake. Ken Stabler carried a big time 103.4 quarterback rating that year. With a 66.7 completion percentage and 228 yards passing per game, Stabler's left arm was one with whipsaw speed and dart-like accuracy.

The "Outrageous Renegade" is not only the title of his autobiography but is also a great description of his leadership style. The Raiders responded to the swashbuckler in The Snake.

In fact, there are lots of different derivations of Stabler's nickname. My favorite?

At the University of Alabama, The Snake was so handsome and charming he'd woo away your girlfriend.

Oakland could run. Top rusher Clarence Davis rack up 137 yards in just 16 attempts.

Oakland could snare Stabler's passes. Fred Biletnikoff pulled in four catches for 79 yards, setting up three touchdowns. For those three TD assists, Biletnikoff won the game's Most Valuable Player.

Oakland could frustrate. Minnesota was 11-2-1 that year with a defense that gave up only 12.6 points per game, second only to Pittsburgh and its five shutouts.

The Raiders rang up 32 on the Vikings in Super Bowl XI.  Minnesota held their opponents to 262 yards per game.  Oakland ran amok for 429 yards.

The Raiders, however, were only four-point favorites in XI. Four points.

Speaking of four, the Vikings had lost in four Super Bowls.

Minnesota went down in flames against Oakland as well as Kansas City in IV, Miami in VIII, and Pittsburgh in IX.

Miami's offensive line dominated.  Kansas City's out-hit the Vikings at its most vulnerable.  Pittsburgh allowed them to be close in score.  I watched the game; Minnesota didn't have a prayer.

Of the four games of Minnesota Vikings futility, the Oakland Raiders put the biggest hurtin' on 'em.  I've spoken with an NFL running back.  "You always feel the NFL the next morning.  When you've played the Raiders, you really feel it the next morning.

Chicago Bears 2010 Fantasy Preview

By Steve Schwarz, Fantasy Sports Editor

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - In Part 11 of the 32-team series, we head back to the NFC Central and check out the struggling Chicago Bears. The Bears were 7-9 in 2009, finishing third in the division. They scored 20.4 ppg on offense (19th among 32 teams) while yielding 23.4 ppg on defense (21st).

Quarterback

Jay Cutler - Chicago and fantasy owners paid a high price for Cutler in 2009 and in his first season for the Bears he didn't deliver the goods. He did throw for 3,666 yards and 27 touchdowns, but with 26 interceptions. Most of the INTs were in the first 10 weeks (17 INTs), which had owners already sitting him on the bench or cutting him before he threw for eight of his TD passes in Weeks 16 and 17. There is a ray of hope - it's offensive coordinator Mike Martz. Martz loves to throw the ball and if he can straighten out Cutler he could be much better than last season. Fantasy owners must think so, because they haven't lowered expectations. He had an ADP of 79 in 2009 and so far in 2010 it's 75. With unknown Caleb Hanie and rookie Dan LeFevour as his backups, Cutler should not be challenged for the starting spot even if he gets off to another slow start.

Running Back

Matt Forte - On the other hand, Forte could very easily lose carries to Chester Taylor if he doesn't return to the form that made him one of the best fantasy bargains in 2008. Forte (2008 ADP 70) totaled 379 touches as a rookie for a combined 1,715 yards and 12 scores. Those numbers fell 1,400 yards and four touchdowns in 2009 and the consensus No.4 overall choice disappointed fantasy owners almost every week. In January, Forte explained his lackluster results by revealing that he had played with a sprained MCL since Week 3 and had a "procedure" to clean up the damage. Fantasy owners apparently aren't convinced as his current ADP is a modest 51 making him an early fifth-round selection. That might be a little too low, particularly in PPR leagues, as Martz's offense has always featured running backs catching the ball out of the backfield.

Chester Taylor - While Forte will be the starter, Taylor's large contract (four years, $12.7 million) tells you he's not just an "insurance policy." Taylor will probably see plenty of carries and is also adept at catching the ball out of the backfield. While I wouldn't call this a "50/50" shared backfield, Taylor should get enough opportunities to be borderline "fantasy-worthy." Neither Kahil Bell or Garrett Wolfe will likely get enough work to warrant any fantasy attention.

Wide Receiver

Devin Aromashodu - Aromashodu may have the most talent of the Bears' "mediocre" receiving corps, but he's been working out of the slot this spring which usually isn't a feature position in a Martz' offense (think Kevin Curtis with the Rams 'Greatest Show on Turf' which featured outside guys Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce). He's the first Bears receiver off the board, but not until around pick No.100, so there obviously isn't much confidence in any of the team's receivers "breaking out" this year.

Devin Hester - Hester will be one of the two outside receivers and could have a decent season in the Martz/Cutler offense. That's maybe a 65-catch, 750-yard, six touchdown type year which is barely "fantasy-worthy." It seems to me, the Bears were better off as a team when Hester played defense and was the most dangerous kick returner in football  jersey than as a mediocre wideout.

Johnny Knox - Knox should be the other outside receiver, unless he falters and lets Earl Bennett or Juaquin Iglesias steal the spot. Whomever wins the spot should get enough targets to be at least borderline "fantasy-worthy." Knox's current ADP is 157, well ahead of Bennett (ADP 248) and Iglesias (ADP 275).

Earl Bennett - Bennett (2009 ADP 119) was all the rage last year as fantasy owners, me included, thought his relationship at Vanderbilt with Cutler would translate into a big season. Unfortunately, 54 catches for 717 yards and two scores wasn't enough and owners aren't expecting much from the Commodores connection in 2010.

Tight End

Greg Olsen - Olsen is a very good receiving tight end in an offense which no longer uses them much, except to block. Though he's been saying all the right things, he'll soon get tired and frustrated at watching the receivers and running backs get all the action. He could be worth something on the trade market which is likely the only way Olsen will have fantasy value in 2010. He was the fifth tight end off the board last year, but is currently the 13th tight end selected in 2010 with an ADP of 135.

Brandon Manumaleuna - Manumaleuna knows the Martz offense, having played in St. Louis from 2001-2005. He won't have any fantasy value, but could end up as the Bears starting tight end before the season is over if Olsen is traded.

Kicker

Robbie Gould - Gould finished well down the scoring list, in part because many of Cutler's interceptions happened deep in opponents' territory and denied him a chance at a kick. He had just 28 attempts in 2009, hitting 24 of them. Gould's numbers should improve in 2010, but he's still likely going to be a "middle-of-the-pack" kicker.

Defense

The Bears usually formidable defense lost its "heart and soul" in Week 1 when middle linebacker Brian Urlacher went down with a season-ending wrist injury. Urlacher is confident he will be back to his "old self" but he's 32-years old and has taken a lot of hits over his career.

Without Urlacher, the normally highly-ranked Bears finished in a tie for 16th among D/ST at 110 points. They accumulated 34 sacks along with 28 turnovers and three touchdowns (two on kick returns). They are also thin in the secondary, but tried to address that in the draft with a third-round selection of safety Major Wright and a fifth-round pick of cornerback Joshua Moore.

Still, I'd be a lot more likely to choose the Bears defense on Draft Day if I knew Urlacher were 100% and Hester were concentrating more on punt and kickoff returns than receptions. Chicago currently has an ADP of 208, the 13th defense off the board.

Welker surprised by reaction to his return

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — For Wes Welker, his presence on the practice field was just another step in his comeback from a major knee injury.

Fans and reporters saw it differently. Might the New England Patriots star receiver defy forecasts and actually be able to return for the season opener?

Even Welker was surprised by the optimistic, almost giddy, reaction to last Wednesday's workout where he did agility drills, ran routes and caught passes from Tom Brady precisely four months after surgery for a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

"I didn't think it'd be that big a deal," Welker said after a similar session Monday during the Patriots organized team activities. "I've been pushing it and trying to get ready and get out there with my teammates, get a few reps and try and get better as much as we can."

Still, last week's appearance left an impression that what once seemed a huge long shot after he was hurt in the final regular season game suddenly appeared possible.

Callers to talk shows and media members speculated that Welker, whose 346 receptions are the most in the NFL over the past three seasons, might actually play on Sept. 12 when the Patriots start the season with a home game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Welker didn't speak to reporters that day. He did on Monday but sidestepped a question about whether he was aiming toward returning for that game.

"I want to get back as early as possible, and whenever that is, is when it is," he said. "My main goal is just working hard and getting back with my teammates as soon as possible."

He answered other questions just as cautiously and with a bland expression. Hinting at a timetable, he had said previously, would indicate a setback if he missed it.

So Welker goes about his work while being carefully monitored by team training and medical personnel.

"I feel pretty good out there," he said. "I still need to get back in the groove of playing ball and doing some things like that. But everything's feeling all right now."

He spent about 20 minutes Monday weaving through cones and running routes, some of them ending as so many of his regular season routes do — with a reception from Brady. He wore a brace on his left knee then went into the Patriots' indoor practice facility. He emerged later with a trainer and walked carefully down metal bleachers and onto the field where he watched from the sidelines as his teammates practiced.

Then the 5-foot-9 Welker was surrounded by a large group of reporters.

He's said he's "not really" surprised at his progress since his operation on Feb. 2. He's "been trying to do football-specific stuff from the get-go, and trying to do that as much as possible." And the brace "feels fine," but he doesn't know if he'll have to play games with it.

"I feel good," Welker said, "just trying to work hard and from day-to-day, just get better. That's been my plan from the get-go. I'm sticking to that plan."

Welker tore his ACL and damaged his medial collateral ligament, which didn't require surgery, without being touched when he planted his left leg after a short reception, his NFL-leading 123rd of the year, on the Patriots fourth offensive play of a 34-27 loss at Houston on Jan. 3.

The next day, coach Bill Belichick said, "Wes is a great competitor. And I'm sure that, whatever (the injury) is, he'll work hard as he always does to bounce back."

He apparently has.

"I've been trying to push it since Day 1 and get back as early as possible, back out there with my teammates," Welker said Monday. "I always feel confident. I wouldn't be out there if I didn't feel confident. I know the coaches and teammates have confidence in me, just like I do them. We're just going to move along as quickly as we can."

Titans hoping for big things from small linebacker, say nothing magic about size

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans are hoping for big things from a small linebacker.

The Titans are looking for 5-foot-11, 235-pound Rennie Curran, a rookie out of Georgia, to make an impact this season and are hoping the team's experience with others of similar size is a good omen.

Curran's new position coach, Dave McGinnis, who helped a smallish linebacker by the name of Mike Singletary to seven straight Pro Bowls while they were together with the Chicago Bears. Starting middle linebacker Stephen Tulloch, a 5-11, 235-pounder who piled up a career-best 132 tackles last season, is another source of inspiration.

Browns rookies to play if good enough

BEREA: It might sound like a stretch, but Browns coach Eric Mangini said Thursday that he would not be opposed to starting rookie safeties T.J. Ward and Larry Assante together if the two go on to out-perform the team's veterans in training camp.

The Browns traded up in the second round to nab Ward, a 5-foot-10, 211-pound free safety out of Oregon, with the 38th overall pick of the NFL Draft.

Then with their first pick on the third day of the draft, the Browns further bolstered their defensive secondary when they chose Assante (6-foot, 211-pounds from Nebraska) with the 160th overall selection.

''I'm definitely open to that,'' Mangini said of the possibility of starting the two rookies. ''In New York we started two rookie offensive linemen that first year with the center and left tackle. [Corners] Eugene Wilson [second-round pick] and Asante Samuel [fourth-round pick]played a lot their rookie seasons in New England.

''It just depends on where the [rookies] are. [Although] there's a lot of veteran guys who are going to work to not let that happen, that's what you'd expect. But if they're the best guys, you may take some lumps early because they are rookies. But typically, those guys tend to move up and excel as they play and gain experience.''

Harrison at work

Browns running back Jerome Harrison didn't grant a formal interview after the practice on Thursday, but he did say in passing he was glad to be back on the field.

''I'm just happy to be back,'' he said a week after the Browns extended one-year contract tenders to their five unsigned restricted free agents — Harrison, safety Abram Elam, linebackers D'Qwell Jackson and Matt Roth and fullback Lawrence Vickers.

If the five players don't sign their tenders by June 15, the club has the option to substitute a 10 percent raise over their 2009 base salaries. In all but one of the cases, that difference is more than $1 million less than what's already on the table.

Harrison, the only one of the group who has attended the voluntary, offseason workouts, signed an injury waiver before rejoining the team.

In passing the media, Harrison offered: ''Contracts aren't a problem,'' Harrison said. ''I'm blessed.''

Warfield retires

The Browns cut official ties last week with hall of fame running back Jim Brown, and Thursday, they did the same with Paul Warfield, who retired from the front office. That makes two hall of famers gone in a week as Warfield had served as a Browns senior adviser to the general manager since 2004. Brown's role was as executive assistant.

Brownies

The Browns signed wide receiver James Robinson on Thursday and waived receiver Dion Morton. . . . The team will open the gates at Cleveland Browns Stadium on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for a Select-A-Seat event for the 2010 season.

Philadelphia Eagles 2010 NFL Predictions, NFL Picks & 2011 Superbowl Odds

Philadelphia Eagles 2010 NFL Predictions, NFL Picks & 2011 Superbowl Odds: The Philadelphia Eagles have undergone a dramatic makeover heading into 2010 and only time will tell if all of the change will be for bettor or worse. Philly stalwarts like Donovan McNabb, Brian Westbrook, Brian Dawkins and coordinator Jim Johnson have all departed. The new look Eagles are a youthful team led by unproven 4th year starting QB Kevin Kolb who will be counted on to fill McNabb's big shoes. The Eagles are gifted but Andy Reid's team has more question marks than ever before. Below is a closer look at the 2010 Philadelphia Eagles from our NFL picks team of experts.
 
The Philadelphia Eagles 2011 Superbowl Odds have Philadelphia at +1800 at SPORTSBETTING.COM.

NFL Predictions Offense: Quarterback Kevin Kolb has only two starts under his belt in the NFL but he is a playmaker with a fleet of weapons to throw to. Kolb will be protected by strong O-line and he will be aided by plenty of explosive athletes that can torch defenses after the catch. The running game will be powered by RB LeSean McCoy who is still developing but could emerge as a Brian Westbrook type of talent. This is a new look offense but they could be very good if the injury-prone O-line can remain healthy. The Philadelphia Eagles NFC East NFL Odds have Philadelphia at +250.

NFL Predictions Defense: This year's Eagles defense is deep, fast, aggressive and undersized. The Eagles front seven boasts three impact players in DE Trent Cole, MLB Stewart Bradley and OLB Ernie Sims. The front seven wears down late in games however and the play-calling of coordinator Sean McDermott has been vanilla at best.  Philadelphia has lots of upside on this side of the ball but the secondary is very suspect with a weak set of tacklers. The Philadelphia Eagles NFC Championship NFL Odds is at +800.

Coaching/ Special Teams: Andy Reid is a winner but his decision to stick with defensive coordinator Sean McDermott could come back to haunt him. The special teams got an upgrade in coach Bobby April and are solid overall with game breaker in kick returner DeSean Jackson.

2010 NFL Picks Staff 2010 NFL Power Ratings 1-10 Scale

Coaching: 8 (x200%)
QB: 6.5 (x400%)
RB: 7
WR: 8
OL: 6
DL: 7  (x200%)
LB: 7 (x200%)
DB: 5 (x200%)
ST: 7 (x200%)

OVERALL: 115
 
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Baltimore Ravens crack down on Twitter use

What noise does a Raven make when it sounds off? We don't know, but in Baltimore it's definitely not a tweet.

The Baltimore Ravens have issued an edict restricting reporters from using Twitter pages to give updates during offseason practices. According to the Baltimore Sun, any reporter wishing to tweet can go to the media room and do so, but then can't return to the field to watch the rest of practice.

"There's never been cell phones allowed out at practice, so it's really no change in that sense," coach John Harbaugh said. "Just to be honest with you . . . I think it's two things: I think it's a little bit of a distraction, No. 1, for guys to be on phones, or phones to be ringing or anything while we're practicing and, also, we just don't want a running tally of what's going on at our practice. It's not something we're interested in. Now, training camp – when it's open to the public – that's a different thing, it's open. But now, it's closed to the public, it's open to the media, so it's just not something that we think helps us."

Or, as Edgar Allen Poe might have said, Twitter the Raven nevermore.