RSS
On NFL Playoffs, Beilein's Contract, U-of-D And Lions' Special Teams
A couple things about the NFL playoffs:
- We have seen the end of the New England Patriots as we knew them. Their defense got old and is not nearly the same. Randy Moss is starting to show some of his age. There is no way that knee injury last season didn't take a lot out of Tom Brady. Not the same player. Think the Cowboys of the late 1990s. The Patriots about to go into the same stage. That's an average football team right now.
- I was dead wrong about the Eagles. Thought they would beat the Cowboys. Thought they'd represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. In retrospect, how could I have been so stupid not to consider they can't run the ball a lick.
- Kurt Warner is a better player now than he was at his very best with the Rams. Amazing. He made the Packers' defense, which is actually pretty good, feeble.
- How much further along would the Lions be if they had taken David Harris in the second round of the 2007 draft ahead of Drew Stanton, and Ray Rice in the second round of the 2008 draft ahead of Jordon Dizon?
Random Thoughts
- The timing of Michigan basketball coach John Beilein's contract extension is curious. Why not wait to see if he can deliver an NCAA tournament berth this year? Why not see what he brings to the table when Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims - players he didn't recruit - aren't there. Hmmmm. Wonder if David Brandon, who will replace Bill Martin as athletic director, approved the deal?
- Detroit totally got jobbed in its overtime loss to Butler Sunday. Should have been a no-call and a signature victory for a rapidly improving program under Ray McCallum. Brutal call. Awful.
- I don't have any issue with Stan Kwan being let go as Lions' special teams coach. He was a holdover from an 0-16 staff, and not brought in by head coach Jim Schwartz. The Lions' special teams' play was not good this season. But it is also understood the Lions' lack of depth hindered Kwan greatly. And it wasn't like the Lions' offense and defense were any better than their special teams.
My column in Monday's Oakland Press from the Michigan-Northwestern game http://tinyurl.com/yb3jws8
- We have seen the end of the New England Patriots as we knew them. Their defense got old and is not nearly the same. Randy Moss is starting to show some of his age. There is no way that knee injury last season didn't take a lot out of Tom Brady. Not the same player. Think the Cowboys of the late 1990s. The Patriots about to go into the same stage. That's an average football team right now.
- I was dead wrong about the Eagles. Thought they would beat the Cowboys. Thought they'd represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. In retrospect, how could I have been so stupid not to consider they can't run the ball a lick.
- Kurt Warner is a better player now than he was at his very best with the Rams. Amazing. He made the Packers' defense, which is actually pretty good, feeble.
- How much further along would the Lions be if they had taken David Harris in the second round of the 2007 draft ahead of Drew Stanton, and Ray Rice in the second round of the 2008 draft ahead of Jordon Dizon?
Random Thoughts
- The timing of Michigan basketball coach John Beilein's contract extension is curious. Why not wait to see if he can deliver an NCAA tournament berth this year? Why not see what he brings to the table when Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims - players he didn't recruit - aren't there. Hmmmm. Wonder if David Brandon, who will replace Bill Martin as athletic director, approved the deal?
- Detroit totally got jobbed in its overtime loss to Butler Sunday. Should have been a no-call and a signature victory for a rapidly improving program under Ray McCallum. Brutal call. Awful.
- I don't have any issue with Stan Kwan being let go as Lions' special teams coach. He was a holdover from an 0-16 staff, and not brought in by head coach Jim Schwartz. The Lions' special teams' play was not good this season. But it is also understood the Lions' lack of depth hindered Kwan greatly. And it wasn't like the Lions' offense and defense were any better than their special teams.
My column in Monday's Oakland Press from the Michigan-Northwestern game http://tinyurl.com/yb3jws8
posted by Pat Caputo at
11:49 AM
2 Comments:
Pat,
I remember the 2008 draft, and I wanted the Lions to draft Ray Rice more than anything. I thought he was the best RB in the draft and had a chance to be a true superstar. He just showed outstanding vision and quickness, as well as great running instincts in college. None of the other backs that year showed as much on film.
Of course, Ray Rice hasn't been quite that good, but he is definitely a good back. I have to say that he is the last college running back I saw that looked like he had the skills to be a star in the NFL.
-Marty
Marty,
Rice was a very productive back at Rutgers, but maybe a little undersized. He is not a jet, either, in terms of speed. It made him difficult to project in the NFL. He is quick and decisive, though, and does break tackles because he stout on his feet.
Caputo
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home