The Final Drive: Week 17, 2011-12 posted by Joe Anello

The 2011 NFL regular season ended with a bang with some great finishes and superb drama on Sunday. Records were set by a back-up QB, a team captain was benched for “quitting” and a fat-handed QB lost missed out on the post-season. The Final Drive must begin!

This makes me beyond furious. Mike McCarthy takes out his MVP quarterback and starts a fourth year back-up with one career start in Matt Flynn, and f*cking records are broken. Six touchdowns? 480 yards? Who wouldn’t want to be Matt Flynn right now? That guy is about to make BANK as a free agent. Blow me Green Bay. Take your awesome quarterback development and blow me.

(6-10) Miami Dolphins 19
(8-8) New York Jets 17
Mark Sanchez: 3 interceptions. Santonio Holmes: benched and called out as a whiny quitter by his teammates.  (Seriously. Worst team captain ever.) Bart Scott: flips off a photographer and refuses to talk to the media (For once). Finally seeing theses loathsome Jets miss the playoffs is SO satisfying to me. Take it Rex Ryan. Take it hard.

I don’t give a crap about the result of this game. What I do care about is DeSean Jackson deciding to actually play like he means it and be remorseful for his completely idiotic actions this season in the last game of the year. I’d be surprised (not stunned though) if the Eagles kept Jackson around. Maybe franchise him and get him on a one-year deal, but you would have thought he’d have been on better behavior once he showed up to 2011.

Cleveland Browns posted by Edward Stefanyak

Taking the Browns to the Toilet Bowl...

Really? Really, Cleveland? You came back to the NFL, and you still haven't produced a professional football team! As a Browns' fan, it's embarrassing, truly embarrassing.

Year in and year out, I watch the Browns regress. I watch my beloved Browns get spanked by the Ravens and Steelers. If we actually beat those teams, made the playoffs, and won the Super Bowl, I wouldn't know how to act. I'm so numb to losing that I'm not sure how to react after a win. I just expect to lose-how pessimistic. It's difficult being a Browns' fan, so I feel your pain as a die-hard fan. I can't even accept the Steelers or Ravens as our rivals. You have to win some games against your opponents to consider them rivals.

So, what is the actual problem? Coaching, management, players, a combination of all three? Let's take a look.

Coaching: I like the defense. I think that Dick Jauron is doing a good job. Yes, we probably need another safety, cornerback, linebacker, and defensive end, but we have some solid players on defense. We have something to work with. The recent draft picks and free agent signings panned out for the most part. Unfortunately, our special teams and offense are lacking. Ever since Brad Seely left to for San Francisco, our special teams' unit looks ordinary. During the Eric Mangini era, Seely made us a top tier special teams' unit. Pat Shurmer's offense is also struggling. I don't know if it's the play calling, lack of OC, or lack of playmakers; I just know that our offense is sub par.

Management: It's hard to believe that Mike Holmgren allowed Pat Shurmer, a first year HC, to be the HC and OC. That seems like a lot of responsibility for a first year HC. Some people believe that Holmgren should have kept Mangini to be the HC and focus on the defense. However, Mangini would have little input on the offensive side. An experienced OC would have been brought in to install the WCO. Keep in mind; that plan was never in place. That was just the opinions of some of the fans. 

Joe's 2011 Thursday Night Preview: Browns at Steelers posted by Joe Anello

HAHAHAHAHAHA. I’m sorry, did you want analysis of this latest edition of Thursday Night Football? …Really? Okay, here it goes.

NFL Network is the place for an AFC North division match-up that will serve as a measuring stick for both teams involved. We can see how serious Pittsburgh really is about winning their division by how hard they play against a supposed soft opponent. Cleveland can gauge itself versus the rest of their Northern brethren by mounting a valiant effort tonight.

(4-8) Cleveland Browns at
(9-3) Pittsburgh Steelers

Okay Cleveland fans, let’s talk some Browns. You’ve got Colt McCoy struggling to impress management, who are almost assuredly need to take a good hard look at drafting another signal-caller come April. Tonight, he gets front-and-center with James Harrison, who has been wrecking quarterbacks with reckless abandon since coming back from injury. Cleveland doesn’t have enough talent on offense to hang with the Steelers at all, especially if Peyton Hills can’t get on the field consistently. They have solid parts on the defensive side of the ball, but they’re not cohesive enough to put up much resistance against Big Ben.

On the Steeler side of the ball, things should be smooth sailing tonight. Their offensive line has been problematic in 2011, but there’s not enough pass-rush coming from the lowly Browns. Ben’s wide receivers are going to blow by the opposing corners, but I’m expecting a big night from Heath Miller. Even without Polamalu, what’s there for the Steeler defense to worry about? Colt McCoy can’t complete passes more than ten yards down the field, so Mike Tomlin will stack the box against him and force him to beat their corners with quick, precision passing. (Which won’t happen.) This could get ugly y’all.

Joe's 2011 NFL Season Preview: The AFC North posted by Joe Anello

Likely the roughest division in the NFL, the AFC North has long been the stomping ground for Big Ben and the Steelers. Last season the Ravens fell short of dethroning the eventual AFC Champs and are looking to finally make it over that yellow and black speed-bump. Cincinnati  has overhauled key positions and look to rebuild while the Browns are slowly regaining traction in the division. The AFC North takes center stage!

Pittsburgh Steelers

After dropping a heartbreaker to the Packers, Ben Roethlisberger got himself married and refocused towards becoming a better quarterback. Early study of his footwork would even suggest he’s done so. At first thought during this offseason, I wasn’t sure the Steelers had the firepower to hold onto the North. Now that I’ve re-examined their roster, I’m sure that they’ll be just fine. Ben’s group of young receivers have plenty of explosion after you get past Hines Ward, whose production is sure to drop off. Antonio Brown, Mike Wallace and Emmanuel Sanders can rip the top off any defense. Rashard Mendenhall is always a tough runner, but he’ll need better cohesiveness from his offensive line. Maurkice Pouncey is a quality center, but left tackle Jonathan Scott has a lot to prove while protecting the franchise QB. Always at the top of the league, the Steeler defense should be no different this season, at least when it comes to defending the run. Aaron Smith, Casey Hampton, and Brett Keisel are heavy-hitters up front, but the Pittsburgh linebackers hit even harder. Between LaMarr Woodley, James Farrior, Lawrence Timmons and the sack-happy James Harrison, I’m not sure who’s more intimidating. I still get concerned with their corner depth and their ability to keep up with teams that like to spread to 4-wide though. Ryan Clark and Troy Polamalu are two safeties at the top of their game, each with the ability to lay the wood and defend in pass coverage. It’s an easy prediction to say they’ll get right back on top.

2011 Preseason Recap: Bears 24, Browns 14 posted by Joe Anello

And that’s a wrap folks! In their fourth and final preseason outing, the Bears took care of the Cleveland Browns 24-14. Taking their last looks at their roster before trimming it down, the Bear coaching staff has their work cut out for them. Here are my thoughts from tonight’s (still meaningless) win.

Associated Press

-Showing off Chester Taylor were we? It looks like we were showcasing Taylor for an impending trade. He got to take more handoffs in tonight’s game than any game I’ve seen him in before. (Probably not true, but it felt like it.) I can’t believe we’re going to keep him on the roster, unless Kahlil Bell or Marion Barber’s injuries are more serious than initially reported. We’ll milk a 6th round pick out of somebody.

- Tonight was the Dane Sanzenbacher show. He was on the field for all four quarters, and was targeted eight times, leading to four receptions. The coaching staff obviously wanted a long look at Dane before throwing him in against starting caliber-defenders. He made himself available and found the holes in Cleveland’s defense, but needs to develop better hands. Though that punt return at the end of the game (no matter the holding call) sorta made up for the muffed punt early.

- Caleb Hanie is definitively the back-up quarterback. I don’t care what flip-floppy tactic Martz/Smith tried earlier in camp. Nathan Enderle is NOT ready for primetime, despite his somewhat adept showings. Hanie isn’t as far along as I think he should be, but his pinpoint throw to Knox in the corner of the endzone proved his skill when he gets time to throw.

Joe's 2011 Preseason Gameday Preview: Browns at Bears posted by Joe Anello

With rosters being trimmed to 53 (down from 80) this week, there are quite a few Chicago Bears who will be fighting for their job on Thursday night. Let’s get to the storylines you should watch for as the Browns come into Solider Field for the last preseason game of 2011.

After the awkward release/non-release that happened/didn’t happen on Monday, the former Vikings running back is still in danger of being released. My thoughts are that Lovie will hold Matt Forte and Marion Barber out of tonight’s contest and didn’t want to give up the depth at RB yet. Whatever the case may be, there’s almost no way Taylor stays on this team for long. Look for a possible trade to alleviate the problem.

The competition at defensive tackle for D-Coordinator Rod Marinelli is shaping up to be a close race. Amobi Okoye has made enough big plays this preseason to make the cut, but former third round pick Marcus Harrison is trying to hang on as a sixth tackle. He’ll get plenty of playing time tonight to make his case.

Rookie WR Dane Sanzenbacher has impressed all camp and preseason, so it should come to no surprise if he’s already earned a spot on the 53-man roster. That being said, he won’t be sitting on the bench much tonight. I expect and nearly demand Dane to get as much playing time as possible in preparation for the regular season. Martz needs an extended look at Sanzenbacher so he can finalize his plans for the position.

The Best and Worst Classes of the 2011 NFL Draft posted by Joe Anello

Okay, now that we’ve had some time to digest the draft and some of the immediate ramifications, let’s delve into some of the teams I thought best took advantage of their selections. (Not winners and losers per se, since we can’t actually grade these drafts until three years or so elapse.) Still, what’s the NFL without some premature judging?

The Positive

Cincinnati Bengals

Chad Johnson won’t be back? No problem. Draft A.J. Green. Carson Palmer wants out? Who cares? Draft Andy Dalton. Done and done. The Bengals managed to find capable (on paper anyways) replacements for exiting superstars. Green was clearly the top receiver in this draft, so skipping him wasn’t an option for a team with two likely departing receivers. Getting Dalton in the second round was a surprise, seeing how QB’s practically flew off the shelves in round one. What I love about Cincy’s draft is that they prepared for any eventuality with Palmer without stretching their resources. They let Dalton fall to them and then they snapped him up.

Yes, he's a red-headed quarterback. Now let's move on.

I like how they drafted two linemen with their next picks, especially Dontay Moch, who will get in as a pass-rush specialist. They took another young wide-out in the sixth round with Ryan Whalen, and bookended that pick with two additions to their secondary/special teams unit. The Bengals may not recapture the AFC North in the 2011 season, but they’ll get the chance to in the near future.

How Much I Effed Up: The 2010 AFC Edition posted by Joe Anello

With a lock-out now imposed in the NFL, I decided to take a look back at the 2010-2011 season standings and see where I went right/wrong with my preseason picks. Starting with the AFC, here’s what I predicted… and then what really happened, along with a five-star scale of my correctitude.

The scale is measured thusly:

***** = Dead on. I’m a genius.

**** = 1-2 games off the mark. Not too shabby.

*** = 3 games off. At least I’m in the ballpark.

** = 4-5 games off. The team let me down. (Or I'm a 'tard.)

* = 6+ games off. I should get a pass for these picks because they’re so bad. (That and everyone else probably flubbed too.)

AFC East

New England Patriots

My prediction: 11-5
What actually happened: 14-2
My result: ***

So I didn’t think they’d be THAT good. I guess it’s the Patriot-hater in me. The early playoff exit brought his team back down to earth, but there’s no questioning the talent of Tom Brady, who was unanimously awarded the MVP, and rightly so. If that defense keeps getting better, look out.

New York Jets

My prediction: 9-7
What actually happened: 11-5
My result: ****

Mark Sanchez grew into his role in his second year, making for fewer lows and more highs as he came down the stretch. I’m not completely ready to take the training wheels off yet though. Now that defense needs to get younger.

Miami Dolphins

My prediction: 8-8
What actually happened: 7-9
My result: ****

Chad Henne was erratic at best, leading to his benching for Chad Pennington (for one play) while the losses caused ownership to flirt with Jim Harbaugh. Miami’s offense was a hindrance on the year, losing the games that their defense typically kept close.

Cleveland Browns: The Losing Continues posted by Edward Stefanyak

I was sitting in my living room yesterday, watching the Eagles-Packers game, and my Dad--out of nowhere--said, "Can you believe that it has been about 20 years since we had a good team? Earlier today I saw a stat about how Bernie Kosar took us to the playoffs in his first three years in the NFL."

I started to think about it, and he was right. Yes, Bill Belichick took us to the playoffs, but didn't the Steelers knock us out in the second round? Yes, Butch Davis took us to the playoffs, but didn't the Steelers knock us out in the first round? Yes, Romeo Crennel led us to a 10-6 record, but didn't we fail to reach the playoffs? If anything, we have been consistent-consistently bad.

How bad are we?

Our new team has been back in the league since 1999, and we are still the laughing stock of the AFC, possibly the NFL. It's truly debatable. For argument's sake, just look at the teams in front of us in the draft.

The Panthers stink, but they have been to a Super Bowl. Furthermore, they should have beaten us this year, but the potential winning FG hit the goal post. If we are better than Carolina, the game should not come down to a missed FG.

The Broncos stink, but they have won Super Bowls in the past.

The Bills stink, but they have won the AFC Conference four times--in a row! Furthermore, they beat us this year.

The Bengals stink, but they beat us this year. Furthermore, they won the AFC North last year.

The Cardinals stink, but they have been to a Super Bowl.

Do you see a pattern here?

Ok. That's being unfair. Let's look at some of the teams who draft after us.

Joe's 2010 NFL Opening Drive: Week 17 posted by Joe Anello

It’s the final week of the 2010 regular season and there are division match-ups everywhere you look! Who needs to win and who looks prime for a loss? Let’s get the Opening Drive going!

This game could not be more of a mismatch… but it still holds the fate of the NFC’s all-important number one seed. If the Falcons lay an egg, then the Bears or Saints can take the top spot. I don’t see the makings of an upset here at all. The Falcons are coming off a tough loss and will be looking to rebound against a team with all sorts of problems. There shouldn’t be any drama at the top today.

Now this game has the trappings of an upset to me. Cleveland has been competitive all year, getting huge wins over the Patriots and Saints in back-to-back weeks. They haven’t been able to mount enough points lately, which could prove troublesome against one of the league’s top defenses, which will have Troy Polamalu back at safety. Still, Ben Roethlisberger and the Steeler offense haven’t exactly lit it up as of late. Keep an eye on this one. It will be physical. (Don’t you hate when someone says that? I mean, it’s FOOTBALL! Of course it’s going to be physical!)

While getting to ten wins would be huge for Raheem Morris’ Bucs, there’s just not enough on the offensive front for Tampa to make this anything more than slightly interesting. I see the Saints jumping out early and doing their part in the fight for the NFC South.

Cal hires Chandler to coach WRs (AP)

California coach Jeff Tedford has hired former NFL standout Wes Chandler as wide receivers coach. Chandler, who played the last of his 11 NFL seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, has worked 26 years in professional football with stints as an assistant coach with the Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Browns add Cromwell as offensive asst. (AP)

The Cleveland Browns have added former St. Louis Rams assistant coach Nolan Cromwell to Pat Shurmur's staff. Cromwell will be a senior offensive assistant for the Browns. He replaces Keith Gilbertson, who has retired. Cromwell coached the Rams receivers for one season when Shurmur was St. Louis' offensive coordinator. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Mendenhall injury concern for Steelers (AP)

[read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Mendenhall injures knee in Steelers' win (AP)

[read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Big Ben says he'll be play vs. Browns

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger doesn't want hissprained left ankle to keep him out of Pittsburgh's regular-seasonfinale Sunday against the Cleveland Browns. [read full article]

From FOXSports.com News for NFL