The biggest and best moves so far in the NFL free agent and trade frenzy

The Free Agent bonanza is finally reaching second gear as a flurry of signings and trades have changed the NFL landscape. It was just a matter of time since the new CBA agreement was agreed upon, that big deals would follow and boy have they ever. Teams now are flush with cash thanks to the new rookie wage scale and also after waving some big name players. Big money teams such as the Washington Redskins and the New York Jets are already flexing their muscles by signing resigning their own in-house major free agents. In contrast the Dallas Cowboys and the Baltimore Ravens have cut some of their most familiar and respected players such as Marion Barber, Todd Heap, Leonard Davis, Derrick Mason and many more to clear cap space and make a run at some of the prime time free agents. In this unique and one of a kind free for all, each team has its own dynamic that it is trying to conquer.

So here at the Sportaholic we have decided to list our biggest moves thus far this off-season. There are sure to be many more to follow including the impending signing of Nnamdi Asomugha, the most important of all the free agents. His signing will surely become the biggest of all player movement when it happens, but in the meantime here is our list of the best moves so far.

1. New England trades for Albert Haynesworth and Chad Ochocinco: I have to start off by saying the hoodie always finds a way to amaze me. Bill Belicheck has a way of getting the most out of disgruntled veterans (Corey Dillon and Randy Moss) and he addressed two major needs facing the Pats. They once vaunted New England front 7 only produced 36 sacks last year and that was only good enough for 14th in the league. They also just released their leading sack specialist Tully Banta-Cain who had a team high 8 sacks. To address that middle of the road pass rush, Belicheck swung a trade for the talented but mercurial Albert Haynesworth. He immediately bolsters that unit and if motivated could make the Pats defensive lines one of the better one in the league. Now the question becomes can the Pats way of business and commitment of excellence make Haynesworth return to form? That remains to be seen. Everyone saw what Haynesworth is worth when his mind is not in the game, after the Washington debacle. When add Haynesworth to Vince Wolfork and the returning Ty Warren, then you have major beef up front. It will definitely be hard to run on these guys. And if Haynesworth doesn’t want to act right, then Belicheck has no problem cutting his loses like he did Randy Moss last year.

New England also obtained Chad Ochocinco in a stunning turn of events. Ochocinco was a one man rock show in this summer as he tried his hand at alligator wrestling, bull riding and Nascar but now he has to curb his enthusiasm and join one of the more stricter locker rooms in football. New England has been searching for a big play receiver every since releasing Randy Moss. Adding OchoCinco to the likes of Wes Welker and Deion Branch gives them an impressive receiving core. Tom Brady now has one more weapon at his disposal and believe me he will get the most out of Ocho. New England has responded loud and clear to the threat of the New York Jets and seem to be placing all their chips on the table with these two moves.

2. Kevin Kolb traded for Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a 2nd round draft pick: This one was as a surprising as the Kat Von D and Jesse James breakup. Everyone saw it coming and now that the deal is done, it makes for one of the most sensible trades this off-season. Philadelphia has put all its faith in Michael Vick 2.0 and with his play from last year, it’s not hard to understand. Kolb became expendable and his play has shown he has the potential to become one of the better QBs in the league, especially in the QB ravaged NFC West. Enter Arizona team that tried its hand at Derek Anderson, John Skelton and Max Hall. Much to the joy of future free agent Larry Fitzgerald the cards have played their hand well and landed Kolb. The Cardinal knew that if they were to have any chance of signing the face of their franchise in Fitzgerald, then they had better get him a QB. The Eagles needed another DB to pair with pro bowler Asante Samuel as they had no one else to depend on at cornerback. Rodgers-Cromartie(Formally of Tennessee State University) is already one of the better corners in the league and only with get better with more experience. He is long and speedy which should suite him well facing the like he will in the NFC East. When you play in this receiver talented division then you really have no choice but to make sure you shore up your defensive secondary and that’s exactly what the Eagles did. But they didn’t stop there as they also were able to pry away a second round pick from the Cardinals. Some analysts are griping that Arizona over paid for an unproven QB but I say great trade for both teams due to the circumstances they faced. Arizona drafted another freakishly athletic corner in Patrick Patterson that will take DRC's place. You can’t have good football team without a good QB and Kolb will be an upgrade over anybody else the Cards could have trotted onto the field this year.

3. Reggie Bush traded to the Miami Dolphins: This trade was plain and simple a must for the New Orleans Saints. Reggie Bush’s deal would have been a cap hit of $16 million dollars and with the new salary cap being slashed along with Bush’s limited role in the Saints offense, there was no way to justify paying him so handsomely. The Dolphins on the other hand are about to lose their two leading rushers from last year in Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams. Bush will add a different dimension to their offense with his speed and elusiveness. He also gives the Dolphins a highlight reel star which is just what the people of Miami love to see. If the Dolphins are able to land Kyle Orton as expected, I think this move will pay even more dividends. Anytime you can throw Brandon Marashall and Reggie Bush on the field, then you have a chance for fireworks on offense. Now I don’t think the Dolphins are kidding themselves into thinking that Bush will carry the rock 25-30 times but they did draft Daniel Thomas out Kansas State so they will pair the two. Bush can make you jump out of your seat on one play and pull out your hair on the next so it will interesting to see the next phase of his career. The Saints needed to clear up their back field after drafting former Heisman winner Mark Ingram, who should solidify a solid rushing attack for the Saints. Sometimes deals are done out of necessity and this was one of them. As weird as it will feel seeing Bush in another jersey, this is deal that was necessary for both teams.

4. Donovan McNabb traded to the Minnesota Vikings: This is a deal that should have happened last year but of course there was that whole Brett Favre thing (I tried so hard to make it through this column without mentioning him). McNabb finally gets a chance to run a team with a legitimate running attack. His ouster from Washington was another inevitable move for the Redskins of course, but they did manage to get a few draft picks for him. Speaking of the Skins they have decided to go with John Beck as their starter, at least for the mean time. I question that move but hey Shanny has proved me wrong before. This is a coup for Minnesota as they now have the veteran mentor for first round pick Christian Ponder to bridge the gap before he becomes the starter. I do have to question McNabb’s performance after just a dismal display last year. Head Coach Mike Shanahan openly questioned McNabb’s work ethic and off-field preparations and eventually benched him for the great Rex Grossman. Anyone that gets replaced by Grossman has to be questioned. Overall however, I think McNabb has every reason to have a resurgent season as a Viking. Adrian Peterson will do the heavy lifting and all he has to do is make a few plays here and there. If McNabb can at least play half as good as his pre Washington Redskin days, then the Vikings become a dark horse in the loaded NFC North.

5. Jonathon Joseph signs with the Houston Texans: This deal actually happened as I was writing this column. Joseph was rated was the 2nd best corner on the market and the Texans couldn’t wait for Asomugha or didn’t feel they had the means to sign him. This may not be the big fish that Asomugha is, but Joseph will come in and start immediately for the porous Texans secondary. He should provide instant relief for the worst defensive back field in the league with his speed and range. A lot of people aren’t familiar with Joseph but hardcore football fans know that he is one the better defensive backs in the NFL. He was a former first round pick in 2006 and has 14 interceptions since being drafted so the five year $48.75 million dollar contract awarded to him is justified. If the Texans can get anything out of last year’s first round pick Kareem Jackson, then maybe the Texans have their two corner backs for the foreseeable future. The Joseph signing also drops one of the major pursuers of Asomugha off the market, making the Jets the favorite to land the all-pro cornerback.

5. The Wait for Nnamdi: Now I know what your saying, Asomugha hasn’t even been signed yet. But his signing will represent the biggest and most important deal of al the free agents. He will single handily shift power to which ever team he chooses rather it be Dallas, Detroit or the New York Jets. His deal will also be a domino effect for players as he is the biggest name on the board. Sources are saying that he prefers to play in New York and if that is true could you imagine him being paired with the best corner not named Nnamdi Asomugha? He and Darrelle Revis would be able to shut down any elite receiving core while letting the Rex Ryan defense attack in so many various ways. Ryan’s defense relies on corner’s being able to defend in press man coverage and they would have the best two players in the league at just that with Revis and Asomugha. As far as need, Houston was by far was the best fit until they signed Jonathon Joseph. Where ever and when ever his deal gets done it will affect the entire league and test the limits of the new collective bargaining agreement. He will get his money from someone and it appears the Jets are the front-runners for his talent at this point but don’t be surprised if the Cowboys are secretly plotting to make a late run at him, as their secondary floundered last year under Wade Phillips.

Honorable mentions:

Sidney Rice to Seattle Seahawks: This deal screams that Rice just wanted to get paid or some kind of way he was convinced by teammate Tarvaris Jackson to join in a bolt for the Northwest. I don’t see the logic in going to a Seahawks team that will feature either Charlie Whitehurst or Jackson starting. I also understand that if I was to receive a five year $41 million dollar deal, then I probably would go anywhere and play too. Pete Carroll does like big, physical, receivers but his numbers surely take a dip due to uncertainty facing the QB position.

Jason Babin signs with Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles have really impressed me with their wheeling and dealing as they added one of the leading pass rushers to their defensive line. Babin played well for Tennessee last year as he amassed 12 sacks and was one of pleasant surprises of the season last year. Now when you pair him with always consistent Trent Cole on the other side of the line, you have a pretty formidable defensive pass rush. Just another savvy move by a smart front office as they have added a franchise corner in Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, a second round draft pick and Babin who had 12 sacks last year so far in this shortened off-season. And the Eagles probably have a few more tricks up there sleeve. Vince Young is rumored to be on their radar.

Roy Williams to the Bears: The Bears needed to add depth and experience to their wide receiver unit and they got a decent player in Williams. Williams actually enjoyed his best years under current Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz so maybe this could work. Then again Williams could revert back to his Dallas ways and drop every 1 of every 4 passes thrown his way. He is the big strong receiver the Bears wanted but I would be scared to depend on him for anything. He has a chance to be Jay Cutler’s go to receiver and when you have speedsters like Devin Hester on the other side and Johnny Knox in the slot then you have a chance at being explosive at the receiver position. But this all depends on how Williams plays.

So that does it for the list so far and it’s safe to assume this will change as the free agent sweepstakes will continue. Big names such as Asomugha, Cullen Jenkins and Antonio Cromartie are still on the board. Most teams have the money and will have to make upgrades to their teams if they want to compete. A word of caution, as one source close to the free agents stated that “Sometimes the best move is the move you don’t make.”

Make sure to tune into Beatknockin.com online radio tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. as I will speak on all of the biggest free agent moves and trades in the NFL, plus much more. Special guest Don Merrimon of the Gridiron Press magazine joins me.

What do you you most look forward to in the upcoming NFL season?

This time of year we football fans are usually in frenzy as free agency is in full swing and training camps are on the horizon, as the beginning of the season would be less than a month and a half away. However, this year with the lockout being enforced since March 11th the only thing we can do as fans is wait, watch and hope that some type of agreement can be met before it interferes with the season. Most experts agree that in order for the season to go on as scheduled; a deal will have to be brokered sometime this week.

Barring a major letdown from the owners and players it looks as if an agreement should be reached soon. Both sides are now realizing the sense of urgency as the NFL Hall of Fame game between the St Louis Rams and the Chicago Bears is less than a month away. This entire summer of the NFL has been hijacked by the labor agreement but this article is not about the lockout. I found myself being asked this question this weekend that got the wheels turning in my head. The question was what do you most look forward to for the upcoming season? This is a question that of course assumes the season will goon but nevertheless it was a question I haven’t pondered so far this summer.

So I decided I would come up with a list of things I most anticipate going into this new season. There are so many players and scenarios that I look forward seeing to so lets just jump into the list starting with number 5:

5. How will the Pack attack after winning it all last year: The Packers went from a darkhorse in the NFC playoffs to the Super Bowl champs. They were led by Aaron Rodgers and a prolific passing game and a stingy defense led by Clay Matthews. Rodgers has received all the adulation of a Super Bowl MVP quarterback and deservedly so but will that affect his performance on the field this upcoming season? Will the team have any complacency issues as former Super Bowl winners have had in the recent past (2010 New Orleans Saints, 2008 New York Giants for example). It will also be great to see the Super Bowl champs at full strength as they had an astonishing 15 players on injured reserve. The Packers will get back starter and possible game breaker Jermichael Finley at tight end, starting running back Ryan Grant who was coming off a 1,200 yard season, linebacker Nick Barnett the franchises second all-time leader in tackles and many more on the field after a terrible year of injuries for Green Bay. Can Green Bay sustain the level of success it obtained last year? We shall see.

4. What kind of Free Agency Bonanza will we see: With the labor strife that has taken away most of the off-season, the NFL is set for an unprecedented and unforgiving free agency period. Teams with cash to spend will only have a limited amount of time to sign players like Nnamdi Asomugha, Matt Hasselbeck and Sidney Rice just to name a few. (For a complete list of the 2011 free agent class click here: http://www.footballsfuture.com/freeagents.html). Deep pocket teams like the Washington Redskins, Houston Texans and Dallas Cowboys will be ready and willing for some wheeling and dealing. You know GM’s are ready to make improvements to their respective rosters and have to be itching to sign players they think can help out. This should be the best part of the shortened off-season as the signings should be fast and furious.

3. Can the Michael Vick experince continue its epic resurgence: We all know the story on Vick but his spectacular play last year added a new chapter to his book. Vick was everything and more that the Eagles bargained for as he put up an MVP worth state line of: 3,018 yards passing, 21 touchdown passes, 6 interceptions, and a career high QB rating of 100.2. Vick should be more acclimated with the offense this year and he also will have the benefit of being coached by OC Marty Mornhinweg who Vick made great strides under last year. If Vick can avoid injury, which always is a worry with his sometimes reckless abandon for his body, than he should be able to build off of last season and have an even better season this year. If a guy can make that much progress in a new system in one year just think about what he can do in year 2. However due to the success of Vick I do look for teams to gameplan more for him as the last two victors did over the Eagles last season. The Vikings and Packers had tremendous success blitzing their cornerbacks on Philly. The Eagles tried to address their lack of depth on the offensive line by drafting Danny Watkins at number 23 in the draft. So with the addition of Watkins and Vick’s continued growth in Andy Reid’s system I expect a big year from him.

2. How will the Dallas Cowboys respond after a dismal 2010 year: America’s team was America’s wasteland in terms of football last year. After a bunch of Pomp and Circumstance due to the Super Bowl being held in Dallas and Jerry Jones going on record as saying this team will be the first host team to make it to the Super Bowl, the Cowboys got off an ugly 1-5 start before losing starting QB Tony Romo and it just went all down hill from there. The terrible start caused Head Coach Wade Phillips to be relieved of his duties in favor of Offensive Coordinator Jason Garrett. Garrett had a respectable 5-3 record down the stretch and was named head coach for good. Is this finally the year Romo and the ‘Boys can make it to the Super Bowl? A lot of things would have to fall in place for Dallas for that to happen. The Cowboys have an aging offensive line that could spell doom for their season as it did last year. Romo also has to prove that he can be a dependable clutch player something he has yet to do since taking over the reigns as the Cowboys starting QB. There are also questions in the defensive backfield as Dallas went from having one of the best DB units in 2009 to one of the worst in 2011. Dallas has all the talent in the world but they need to develop heart it takes to win a championship but they will be fun to watch as always and hopefully Roy Williams won’t mail it in on the field as he did in his proposal (Sorry Roy, but you made it easy for us writers)

1. How will the lockout affect players’ performance? Well we have come full circle as I mentioned at first that this column would not be about the lockout but in the end this is most burning question of them all and could not be avoided. All players have their off-season training regiments but they also haven’t had anyone around to force them to workout. The coaches and trainers are usually monitoring everything the players doing in the off-season including fitness, nutrition and a ton of other things. For those who can remember to back to NBA lockout of 1999 and the player most synonymous with lockout overeating is Shawn Kemp. The Reign Man had just signed a multi million dollar deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers before the lockout and when the season resumed for just 50 games, Kemp had ballooned to over 300 pounds. He was never the same high-flying above the rim dunk monster that led to him receiving that contract. Kemp’s story is the most cautionary tale about players not being supervised under the lockout. I guarantee you there will be players overweight and out of shape whenever the season does begin. I can think at least one guy that come to mind in Albert Haynesworth that more than likely hasn’t missed too many meals since the lockout started. Also another aspect is that players will be more susceptible to injury due to lack of preparation and inadequate time needed to fine tune their bodies. Yeah I know the players are holding their own “Camps” but do you really think they will push themselves as hard as a coach or trainer would? Yeah me neither.

So that does it for the things I most look forward to seeing this upcoming year. I know I missed on a few things so what are some of the things everyone else is anticipating going into the 2011 season? Feel free to drop comments and let’s get the ball rolling on this list.

Bummer of a Summer 2011 edition

                

I I posted my very first article last year entitled “Summer of Bummers” as I featured a summer full of scandals that were rampant this time last year. If you can remember way back when to 2010, we had the “luxury” of witnessing the annual Brett Favre watch, Lebron-a-thon, Albert Haynesworth’s fall from grace in DC, Ben Roethlisberger’s late night romp, and Tiger was still recovering from his own scandal from which he has seemingly never has fully recovered. To avoid confusion, I decided to call this issue, “Bummer of a Summer”. To be sure, this summer has seen it’s own share of scandals as well: as we have Frank McCourt running the once proud Los Angeles Dodgers organization into the ground; College Football is in shambles from its own self inflicted wounds; and Alberto Contador is looking to win his 4th tour de France with the biggest cloud of suspicion (yeah I watch a little cycling, don’t judge me) hovering over him. But worse than all of the scandals, are the crazy NBA and NFL lockouts, which make for a different set of circumstances of which most sport fans aren’t accustomed. The summer months of sports are usually dull in my humble opinion. Baseball, Tennis, and Golf just doesn’t stir up the same type of emotions for me as Football and Basketball. As bad as the summer of 2010 was, at least it was entertaining and we knew we could look forward to seeing Football and Basketball in the Fall.

As a matter of fact, looking back at last year’s summer to the summer of 2011 it makes one long for Big Al coming to camp overweight and uninspired in Washington, the annual Brett Favre watch, and even that stupid decision fracas Lebron and co put together. It at least gave us something to talk about until the season started. The NFL and now the NBA are in full-blown lockout mode and both have put their respective upcoming seasons in jeopardy. This is unprecedented as the two of top sports leagues in our country will be taking a hiatus for an unforeseen amount of time. On some levels I can definitely understand the owners of the NBA locking out their players. A report from SI.com stated that 22 of the leagues 30 teams are operating in the negative. The players’ salaries are bloated and the current model of the NBA is broken, there is just no way around it. But no one made the owners pay guys like Rahsard Lewis and Gilbert Arenas over 100 million dollars in the first place. The NFL’s situation is different as the owners and the players can’t figure out how split 9 billion dollars worth of revenue among the two parties. The NFL system is not broken but neither side seems to want to concede any type of concessions that could possibly push the sides closer.

As it is now, neither situation makes us fans happy. We want the business side of things to work themselves out so we can see our sports heroes do what they do best. We expect for Roger Goddell, David Stern, DeMaurice Smith, Billy Hunter and all of the lawyers involved to find a way to get deals in place, because quite frankly it’s their job to do so. The dialogue from both leagues is what scares me as a fan the most. You have Charles Barkley saying that the current labor situation in the NBA could possibly swallow up the entire year and Kevin Durant saying that the players are ready to go all the way until some concessions are made on the side of the owners. In other words, this one is going to be a dogfight just like the NFL’s and maybe even worse. The NFL has had its share of tough talk as players as prominent as Adrian Peterson have stuck their own foots in their mouths. DeMaruice Smith has made some statements that have made me think that this labor thing may never end.

The lockouts will destroy all the positive momentum both leagues had going for them. The NBA just had its best ratings since “His Airness” Michael Jordan roamed the court in 1998 (how awkward is it that he is now on the owners’ side of things instead of the players). Lebron’s decision last year, whether you liked it or not, has brought about a ratings boom for the league as it gave fans a team to hate and despise in Miami. The NFL just had one its flagship franchises in Green Bay win the Super Bowl. It’s the number one sport in America and still hasn’t reached its ceiling. Most fans understand that the owners and players will always have a certain level of distrust with one another. That is just the nature of these types of relationships. But to possibly take away an entire season from the fans in the name of greed for both sides is definitely a turn off to us fans. Real fans support their teams no matter what, when it comes to the product on the field or the hardwood. I am a Dallas Cowboys fan and last year, as everyone knows, was possibly the most painful season I have endured. But I still brought my Cowboy gear, watched the games, and if I could have given my right arm I would have just to travel to Jerry’s world in Dallas to watch and cover a game. I’m sure those who are reading this did mostly the same during the course of the NFL season. So when the league decides that it’s best for them to cancel everything until further notice it just doesn’t sit well with us. What would they do if we all decided to strike and refused to buy tickets and fill the stadiums?

This year’s “Bummer of a Summer” has taking on an entire different meaning from last years. The bummer is that two of top sports league’s in the world that feature some of the greatest athletes that have ever been produced, can’t come to an agreement, so that everyone in sports world can get on with their sports lives as usual. Writers and bloggers won’t have anything to write about, reporters won’t have anything to report about and fans won’t have anything to cheer about. And there is nothing that any of us can do about this but watch and wait. This summer has definitely become the the mother of all sports bummers.

Titans vs. Redskins game preview

Kickoff: Noon

TV: Fox

Radio: 104.5 The Zone

Weather: 54 and partly cloudy

Commentators: Dick Stockton, Jim Mora Jr., and Charles Davis

Tennessee finally gets back to friendly confide of LP field this Sunday, for their first game in nearly a month. The Titans look to rebound from a two-game losing steak. What a good time to have the reeling Washington Redskins to come to town. The Skins got flat out embarrassed by Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles. Vick was a one man show, accounting for 413 total yards and six touchdowns. The Redskins had trouble containing the mobile Vick and he was able to pretty much do as he pleased. This particularly bodes well for Vince Young, who is of course one of the more mobile QBs in the league.

Another interesting storyline going into this game is the return of former Titan Albert “Big Al” Haynesworth. He signed a $100 million deal with Washington after playing with the Titans his first seven years in the league. Haynesworth had an embarrassing play himself Monday night, when he stayed on the ground and didn’t get up as Michael Vick scrambled around (Big Al said “ I had, like a Charlie horse in my Thigh or whatever.”). This is just the latest in a number of incidents that have Redskins fans questioning his effort and Titans fans glad he isn’t with the team anymore. Mike Shanahan and Haynesworth have continuously bumped heads on his conditioning and work ethic. His rocky relationship with Shanahan led to speculation that Haynesworth could be traded back to the Titans and Jeff Fisher even confirmed the report that the Titans looked into the idea, but the deal never really got off the ground.

Haynesworth’s homecoming will definitely be something to see but the Titans are more worried about getting back into the win column. Vince Young gets the start after coming in as the second QB on the depth chart last week. Kerry Collins was initially ruled out for several weeks after injuring his calf against the Dolphins, but now coach Jeff Fisher said he will the number 3 QB. Young has to stay healthy now with the Collins injury as the Titans only have backup rookie Rusty Smith in case Young goes down. Young also has another chance to exploit one of the worst secondaries in the league. Washington is actually allowing an NFL worst 415.3 yards per game, with 286.6 of that through the air. The newly acquired Randy Moss again is pushed to the forefront in this game. After being targeted 4 times and only having one catch, Moss has yet another chance in his first home game to make his mark. He will be matched up with one of the better corners in the league in Deangelo Hall. Hall you may remember intercepted former Commodores QB and current Bears signal caller Jay Cutler four times in one game earlier this season. So that will be a key match-up in the game. As good as Hall is, he is very aggressive and has a tendency to either make the interception or get burned for a touchdown.



Now with the storylines out the way, let’s breakdown the three key factors in the game:

1. The Titans dominant defensive line vs. the porous Redskins offensive line: On paper this one is a mismatch. The Titans have accumulated 25 sacks which has them tied for 3rd in the league. Washington’s offensive line has allowed 25 sacks. The Titans should be able to pressure Donovan McNabb. McNabb has thrown 11 interceptions to 9 touchdowns and the line is to blame for some of that. If the Titans do what they do best, than they should be able to fluster McNabb out of the pocket and help the secondary out. McNabb does throw the deep ball well so you have to account for that.

2. McNabb’s Arm vs. Titans Secondary:  As I stated above, if there is one good thing McNabb still does, it’s taking a shot down field. The Redskins Anthony Armstrong is one of five players in the NFL averaging more than 20 yards per reception and his 22.6 average is the highest in team history since 1952. Tennessee allowed Miami and its three QBs to throw for 316 yards going 24 of 37 in the process. The Titans have allowed six TD passes of 20 yards or longer already this year and are ranked 25th in pass defense, so the secondary will need to step up to defend Armstrong’s big play ability. Cortland Finnegan and Alterrun Verner have to be sure in coverage and the Titans need to continue to get a good pass rush to thwart the McNabb and the Redskins passing game.

3. The Moss effect part 2.: A lot of attention was given to Moss for only catching one pass for 26 yards in last weeks game against the Dolphins. I won’t jump on the bad-mouthing bandwagon though. For one, he was only thrown to 4 times the whole game. For two, it’s hard to expect a guy to come in and make an immediate impact, especially when the QB situation changes on a dime at any moment with Young or Collins. And for three, his debut also came against Vontae Davis who seems to have his number this year. In two games against Davis, Moss has only that one catch he had last week. And just to be sure about my analysis, I made sure to pay extra close attention to how the Miami defended Moss. From my break down they rarely double-teamed Moss, allowing Davis to cover him for the most part. They did keep a safety in the vicinity of Moss though and didn’t have eight men in the box, except on a few plays. That allowed Chris Johnson to get those long gashing runs that he was getting all game. Johnson finished with 117 yards on 17 carries and a lot of it had to do with Moss’s presence on the field. Young and Moss got to have another week of practice under there belt, and also have one of the worst pass defenses coming to town. The Moss effect will show up even more in this game, I all but guarantee it.

Game notes and stats: The Titans enter the game with a 12-game winning steak versus the NFC. This will be only the second time the Redskins have ever visited LP field and the first time was in 2006. Donovan McNabb teams are 46-2 when he has a passer rating of 100 or higher including the playoffs. LB Brian Orapko has 5 ½ sacks in the past five games and 8 ½ in six games versus AFC opponents. Vince Young is 12-2 against the NFC and got his first NFL win against the Redskins in 2006. Chris Johnson ran for his 5th 100-yard rushing game and 21st of his career last Sunday. Randy Moss (949) needs just 3 catches to pass Andre Reed eight-most in NFL history.



Food Drive: The Titans are encouraging fans before the game to participate in the annual Second Harvest Food bank food drive. Fans can drop off non-perishable items at one of the several collection sites around LP field. The most reportedly needed items are canned tuna and chicken, canned vegetables and fruit, peanut butter, rice, chili, and macaroni and cheese.

Big Al might be coming back to the Titans

"If the Titans franchise me, I will never come back to play for Tennessee." Those are the words from Big Al in a local interview in Nashville. Well as you can see never is a long time, Reports are surfacing that Haynesworth may be back on his way to the Titans It would be so ironic. He always said you didn't always feel respected or loved in the volunteer state (coming from a guy that went to University of Tenn and the Titans) but looks like he ran his self out of D.C. I am from Nashville, so I know the story behind you leaving. Now I can understand Hayneworth wanting to come play in the system that he had his most success in however I do question his motivation for football now that he has that 100 million dollar contract. If I am Jeff Fisher, I definitely have to look into this because that D-line of the titans scares no one, but does Fisher really want this headache all over again? His most infamous moment arguably is his most memorable moment as a Titan, when he stepped on the face of Dallas Cowboys center Andre Gurode. Gurode would require stitches barely missing his eye and Haynesworth would be suspended. The more you look for insight from a 6"6 300 pound man, the more you find the enigma that is Big Al. When he performs the way he is capable of this guy is unstoppable (Every quarterback in the AFC South breathed a sigh of relief when he bolted for D.C) but there is the problem of when he wants to. Mike Shannahan is a man's man. No time for games, unless they are on the field and I give him the utmost respect for not putting up with Albert's mess. He clearly now has the respect of his locker room. Despite the comments made from Donnovan McNabb, I suspect that Redskins have long disapproved of Haynesworth antics. London Fletcher even called him out at one point this summer. What is best for all parties moving forward in D.C doesn't appear to involve Big Al. Now we will have to wait and see if Tennessee will take on round two of Big Al. Either way, most people in Tennessee could care less.