AJ Green and Andy Dalton: The Bengals Can’t Stop Winning

Posted on November 30, 2011 by wcornblatt

The Bengals surprised everybody. Nobody expected the 180 they turned. They lost their quarterback and wide receiver in the offseason, and replaced them with two improbable rookies. They were a mediocre 15^th in total defense and 20^th in total offense in the 2010 season. The immediate future looked bleak. They drafted AJ Green with the second pick in the draft, and then selected Andy Dalton with the 35^th selection in the second round. The expectations for Dalton and Green were that they could save the franchise from the misery it had wallowed in for so long now. The implication was that it was in the future. Instead, Cincinnati is a serious playoff contender, and legitimate power. Dalton and Green have meshed so miraculously, with such harmony, that they turned a 4-12 team from 2010 into a 7-4 year with a potential wildcard spot. Even though the rookies have far exceeded their expected ceilings, the true strength of the team is the defense. They rank 5^th in total defense through their 11 games this season. The Bengals truly are a microcosm for the unpredictability of the NFL. They’ve gone from the bottom of the totem pole to a player in one of the toughest divisions in football. You never know how a season is going to play out. Ask the Eagles.

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Cam Newton Performance: What’s the Bar?

Posted on November 27, 2011 by wcornblatt

Cam Newton has undoubtedly had a terrific rookie season. He’s set records and silenced disbelievers that refuse to embrace the mobile future of the quarterback. The Panthers surprisingly successful season appears to have established them as a promising, young team. But Newton’s ascent to rookie glory has raised the bar for his performance, and careless mistakes are setting back the Panthers in close games with very good teams. Sure, he’s a rookie. He gets some leeway to learn how to play in the toughest and most competitive league in sports. But in the same sense, in the NFL, there is no adjustment period. You don’t start and get the benefit of years to improve. Just last week, the Panthers blew a 17-point lead to the Lions. Newton played a fantastic game, and can in no way be blamed for the loss, but at some point he needs to win these games. It was supposed to be a rebuilding year, and has turned out to be much more, and Newton needs to grab wins while he can. Young teams can digress, just ask the Bucs. After a 9-7 year, the pathetic showing that’s been this season is raising questions about Josh Freeman. All I’m saying is that the Panthers made a decision not to coddle there quarterback for the future, and part of that decision was that they believed Newton could win in the immediate future for Carolina. Right now, he isn’t.

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Vince Young New Team and Still Winning Games

Posted on November 24, 2011 by wcornblatt

The feeling watching Sunday’s Giants Eagles matchup was that the Eagles were the villains. Maybe it was Desean Jackson’s Mario Batonelli-like celebration, or the Miami Heat-syndrome of hating the favorite. Whatever it may be, the Eagles appeared demonizing. With Vince Young starting though, should we have been rooting for the Eagles? Nobody deserves the mental and physical challenges Young endured. Young’s professional career has been plagued by injuries, inconsistencies, and instability. Yet, through all of the adversity, he managed to win a game for a team that couldn’t beat the Cardinals, who would welcome Kurt Warner back as there starter if they had the chance. He’s always had a knack for winning games in the closing minutes, in both college and the NFL. His Rose Bowl performance was heroic and tragic. The game and his effort was his defining moment, which also makes it tragic. When he won 6 straight games with the Titans, it appeared that winning attitude of Young would translate to the pro’s, but unfortunately his mind and body let him down. The sports world is as competitive as any business or industry, and Young won’t be the first promising employee to fail under the intense pressure of a ruthless workplace. He may never be a starting quarterback in the NFL anymore, but Vince Young must’ve felt happy and satisfied for the first time in a long time, and that transcends sports.

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Harbaugh Family: The Turkey Bowl

Posted on November 23, 2011 by wcornblatt

The Harbaugh brothers will get to spend Thanksgiving together. Instead of stuffing and cranberry sauce, X’s and O’s will be the cuisine of choice. The Ravens and 49ers square off in Thursday night’s game, with all of America and their in-laws watching. Already the bickering has begun. Jim (the 49ers head coach) recently stated his displeasure at the short week and travel distance for his team. The master of motivation is illuminating yet another reason for his team to continue with there us-against-the-world mentality. The two brothers are very similar. Both have an eccentric spirit that sometimes appears overly aggressive. You won’t hear any apologies from these two. The defining intensity of the Raven’s defense spawns from John’s manic-but-effective energy. Both teams emulate their respective coach’s enthusiasm, winning games with defense. The 49ers are most definitely a team on the rise, but the Ravens have devastating losses to the Seahawks, Jaguars, and Titans. If the Ravens play to the level of their competition, they’ll be putting on a show Thursday. One thing’s for sure, the handshake should be more cordial than usual for Jim.

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MVP Material

Posted on November 22, 2011 by wcornblatt

People, at least for a while, seemed to believe a pitcher couldn’t be the most valuable player. The talk during the season was that Verlander couldn’t win the award because he only played one of five games. I’m sure these same people are going to vote Peyton Manning MVP. This sarcastic, petty tone to award voting spawned from sports programming endlessly debating worthy recipients. Stop screaming the words most valuable player in my face like they’ll attain new meaning with a higher volume. I understand the award is for the player that’s most important to their team. Verlander still deserved the award. His team made it to the ALCS. He dominated nearly every game he started, and was almost always chalked in as a win. This makes him valuable.

The bar is pretty high for pitchers receiving the award. It must be a transcendent year. Verlander went 24-5 with a 2.40 ERA. For 24 games this season, he almost single-handedly won the game for his team. That is dominance. Dominance is Roger Clemens, the last starting pitcher before Verlander to win both the Cy Young and the MVP. He was 24-4 with a 2.48 ERA. Pedro Martinez deserved it in 1999, when he went 23-4 with a daunting 2.07 ERA. These are three of the great pitching seasons in the last 50 years, and those who stubbornly push back and claim they weren’t “valuable” enough to their team aren’t paying attention to how important 20 sure games are to a season.

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Monthly Archives: November 2011

AJ Green and Andy Dalton: The Bengals Can’t Stop Winning

Cam Newton Performance: What’s the Bar?

Vince Young New Team and Still Winning Games

Harbaugh Family: The Turkey Bowl

MVP Material