"NFL Football is Back!" 2011 Season Thread

[Al B. Sure!]

I was thinking more about emphasizing the offense, but that explanation kind of fits the data this year. If the rules are set up to favor high scoring passing offenses, then obviously stopping the pass becomes very difficult. So what else can you do? You can shift the focus away from yardage and toward forcing turnovers. It's much less reliable than a consistently tough defense, but playing tough defense is itself inconsistent now given the rules. If you focus on turnovers then you only need to get one play where there's no flags thrown and it completely ends the drive. Turnovers have always been a good predictor of success, and if you look at the teams on top this year they have all been good at forcing turnovers. They give up yards hand over fist, but they're still getting turnovers and stops in the red zone (where passing defense is easier anyway because of the compressed field).

Tubes, you're a genius! You've explained the 2011 bad-defenses-rule problem that has all the talking heads mystified!

The teams on top every year have been good at forcing turnovers.

But yes, this is the Arizona Cardinals type of defense. They're built to play with a lead and go after the ball. Unfortunately for them, they haven't had consistent leads since Warner retired.

[Al B. Sure!]

Oh my god... it's an act of god:

Steelers running backs coach Kirby Wilson was hospitalized on Friday after being severely burned during an early morning fire at his home in a Pittsburgh suburb.

[Koyaanisqatsi]

The teams on top every year have been good at forcing turnovers.

You know, that's an incredibly good point Alby. I only wish I had mentioned it myself.

[Demonbinder]

Bears promote Mike Tice to OC. So I suppose they don't have to worry about finding someone who thinks he might be gone next year if they get rid of Lovie. Not a real surprise.

Meanwhile, DeCosta from Ravens decides to stay there without interviewing anywhere and McKenzie from Green Bay goes to Oakland with no interview in Chicago. Those seem to have been the Bears top two choices.

[Sparrowhawk]

I wonder what the odds are of 3 AFC North teams making it to the next round? It doesn't seem at all inconceivable to me that Pittsburgh beats Denver, nor that Cincinatti beats Houston (though I am still predicting Houston to win that one). I am guessing the odds would better now that three of them have made the playoffs and don't play each other in the first round, but I bet the odds on 3 of them making the second round at the start of the year were pretty impressive (who among us really thought that the Bengals would have a shot at the playoffs at the start of the year?...I know I didn't)

/me

[SlowwHand]

I didn't. Dalton has been amazing. He's no Eli Manning yet, but give him time. A day or two should do it.
The mystery is why did Benson do so poorly in Chicago? I don't know that he did, but many seem to think so. Al, you're from Philly. Do you know why?

[H Tower]

The mystery is why did Benson do so poorly in Chicago? I don't know that he did, but many seem to think so. Al, you're from Philly. Do you know why?

Lack of imagination on the part of the OC's part, a quarterback that no one respected, and a receiving corps that everyone laughed at. He can't do everything himself, especially when he was the #2 running back for half of his time in Chicago.

[-Jrabbit]

He also had some pretty obvious work ethic issues here. He has definitely cleaned up his act.

[Al B. Sure!]

Lack of imagination on the part of the OC's part, a quarterback that no one respected, and a receiving corps that everyone laughed at. He can't do everything himself, especially when he was the #2 running back for half of his time in Chicago.

Thomas Jones balled out in Chicago in the same situation and yet Cedric Benson couldn't. He is a bummy Texas product. The man is still not good. He averaged 3.9 yards per carry this year and 3.5 the year before. He has a career average of 3.8. He can't catch, he's not agile, has a career long run of 46 yards, and a season high of 7 TD's. He also has 12 fumbles over the past two seasons, twice as many fumbles as 100 yard games in the same span.

Cedric Benson is the worst starting RB in the league. He's big and can take a pounding without getting injured much so they keep rolling him in there but dude is not good. He's the bare minimum.

This is from last week on CBS Sports:

Offensive coordinator Jay Gruden will play Benson, but the leash is short. “We're married to him right now,” Gruden said.

Not only is that not a vote of confidence, it tells you something about the philosophy in the Bengals organization where they stick with Benson because they've stuck with him. It might be related to how Marvin Lewis has been coaching there for nine seasons with a losing record.

[-Jrabbit]

There were also personality issues with Benson in Chicago. Basically, a lot of guys thought Thomas Jones was getting a raw deal -- giving the team a career year and having them draft his replacement in the first round. Multiple O-line guys were known to be pissed, especially when Benson showed up all "I'm #4 overall, screw your rookie hazing crap."

It was a classic waste of a first-rounder by Jerry Angelo. That 2005 draft class was supposed to be the best RB draft in decades. Miami took Ronnie Brown #2, then Angelo had his choice and grabbed Benson over Cadillac Williams. Other early RBs from that draft: JJ Arrington (44th), Eric Shelton (55), Frank Gore (65). If you were a bit more patient, you could have had Marion Barber (110), Brandon Jacobs (111) or Darren Sproles (130) in the 4th round.

Overall, it was a pretty crappy first round (Alex Smith went #1), except for linebackers. DeMarcus Ware, Shawne Merriman and Derrick Johnson went 11-12-14. That was also the draft where the Packers grabbed Aaron Rodgers at #24 overall...

[Al B. Sure!]

Some fine drafting by Chicago that year:

1. Cedric Benson
2. Mark Bradley
3. No pick (this pick and Marty Booker for Ogunleye)
4. Kyle Orton
5. Airese Currie (???)
6. Chris Harris
7. Rod Wilson (???)

Chris Harris was alright but they moved him after just two seasons. Actually, none of those guys remained Bears for long.

[Demonbinder]

Definitely, the worst draft by Angelo.

[Al B. Sure!]

Almost half-time and Benson is 5 for 9 yards. Dude is not good. I know I've been lambasting the guy for years but I don't have a personal agenda against him. I just don't understand how this man has remained a starter for so long.

[SlowwHand]

Benson was 12th in rushing this year.

Shonn Greene, 13th.
Chris Johnson tied Beanie Wells for 14th.
Matt Forte, 16th
Adrian Peterson, 18th.

28) Tim Tebow
29) Ahmad Bradshaw
40) Brandon Jacobs

[Imran Siddiqui]

He also had more rushing attempts than the other players you named .