Rams

Several NFL QBs are in the frying pan.

by

Fryingpan Sports

Several NFL QBs are in the frying pan.

FryPan

By Bill Smith

Several NFL QBs are in the frying pan but some stoves are turned up hotter than others. From top to bottom, these are the QBs I see as having to produce this season or they will be somewhere else next year—maybe bagging groceries at Piggly Wiggly.

So hot they have to carry a fire extinguisher everywhere they go:

Minnesota – Tarvaris Jackson Jackson was the problem last year with the Vikes. When the league realized that he couldn’t hit water falling out of a boat, they played 39 guys on the line to stop the running game. Jackson’s 45 passer rating won’t get him a third year under center.

Oakland – JaMarcus Russell Granted that Russell doesn’t have a great offense to work with but if he doesn’t start making better reads somebody will wake up Al Davis long enough to sack him even if he was a top draft choice. The only thing saving him so far is that total lack of any viable alternative on the Raider roster.

St. Louis – Marc Bulger Bulger has been running on rep for a couple of years. With … Read more at FryingPanSports

Has Kurt Warner already punched his ticket to the Hall of Fame?

by

Fryingpan Sports

Has Kurt Warner already punched his ticket to the Hall of Fame?

t

By Bill Smith

Technorati Tags: Warner, Super Bowl, Cardinals, Giants, NFL, NFL DRAFT, Rams, Leinart, Manning, NFC, AFC, MVP, Whisenhunt, Green, Vermeil, Martz

Kurt Warner will be only the third QB in the history of the NFL to go to the Super Bowl with 2 different teams. But unlike Craig Morton (1970 Dallas & 1977 Denver when he had a passer rating of 0.0 in the Super Bowl vs. Dallas) or Earl Morrall (1968 Baltimore & 1972 Miami who was benched for a recovered Bob Griese) Kurt carried the entire franchise on his back all the way to Tampa Bay. Most of you probably know that.

Warner has also ranked right at the top since 2003 in NFL history for all time quarterback rating. He was #1 after the 2003 season, and is now #3 (as of the end of 07). Most of the other guys below him on that list are already in the Hall. But you probably never thought about the two teams that Kurt took to the Super Bowl.

1999 St. Louis Lambs—The lambs were perhaps the most dysfunctional team in the … Read more at FryingPanSports

Are teams better off with first time coaches?

by

Fryingpan Sports

Are teams better off with first time coaches

By Bill Smith

Up until a couple of years ago, NFL owners that were in need of a coach overwhelmingly chose older guys with previous head coaching experience. Then in 2007 things seemed to change. First time HCs seemed to be in vogue.

Mike Smith was the defensive coordinator of the Jaguars from 2003-07. He was not exactly a young first time HC but a first time HC none the less. He was 47 when he was selected as head coach for the Atlanta Falcons. In his first year he led the team which had been 4-12 to the playoffs in 08 and a 11-5 record. He and rookie QB Matt Ryan also helped erase the stain that Mike Vick had caused to the franchise.

In January of 2008, the 1-15 Miami Dolphins hired Tony Sparano as head coach. He had coached the O line for the Cowboys and had 3 years as assistant head coach. He led one of the most inept teams in NFL history to 11-5 and the AFC East championship. Sparano had help. Bill Parcells joined the team as the Executive Vice President of Football Operations … Read more at FryingPanSports

Kurt Warner is my 2008 MVP—Most Valuable Person

by

Frying Pan Sports

Kurt Warner is my 2008 MVP—Most Valuable Person

By Bill Smith

Technorati Tags: NFL,Kurt Warner,MVP,Football,Arizona,Terrorism,WW3,St. Louis,Rams,New York,Giants,Manning,Cardinals,Colts,Browns,Cleveland,Draft,First Things First

t

OK, I will admit, I am a Kurt Warner fan. I even included him in a novel I wrote Terrorism—Fighting WW3 about a conservative Arizona Governor that runs for President. So right up front, I admit my bias.

I was watching the 1999 expansion draft for Cleveland and dropped my coffee cup on the floor when I saw Warner’s name as available from the Rams. I had seen him play in NFL Europe and a little in college. I was heart-sick when the Cleveland Tans failed to pick him. Even then, at the very least I felt he could be a great backup that would develop into a starter. But the Tans brain trust in their infinite wisdom passed on Warner and used the first overall pick for Tim “I’m now on the” Couch. Bad move!

That same preseason, the Tans could have traded picks to Indy for RB Marshall Faulk and given the team an offensive combination that would have been special. Didn’t that same combo is St. Louis win a Super Bowl that year? … Read more at FryingPanSports