Jamalisms

hah

The good news is... I don't have to bump my own threads.

Polamalu's slower, thicker younger brother playing for Fresno State just did not know what to do.

Mr. Black!! These. Just. Keep. Getting. Better. Thank you, Jamal. How many more are you going to do, Mr. Black? I don't know, Jamal, at least Safety and Cornerback. I might not get to them all these week, or I might... we'll see. Ok, Mr. Black, sounds good. No problem Jamal, it's actually mildly interesting to try and write these.

The Titans’ big free agent acquisition in 2012 was a defensive end. Could their first round pick in 2013 come at the same position? The entire Titans defense was on the field too much in 2012 and a brief review of snap counts and percentages shows why (beyond the obvious) this is a major issue. Jason McCourty played 100% of defensive snaps in 2012, Michael Griffin played 99%, and Alterraun Verner played in 93% of the snaps. Those are high percentages, but it’s fairly common for defensive backs to play in nearly all of their teams’ respective defensive snaps. The next two highest players by defensive snap percentage are the starting defensive ends , both of whom played in 81% of defensive snaps. Those are relatively high percentages for defensive ends, though not astronomical. When coupled with the relatively high number of defensive snaps for the Titans as a whole, however, the picture grows more worrisome. Derrick Morgan played the eighth most regular season defensive snaps of any defensive end in the league, while Kamerion Wimbley played the tenth most. Derrick Morgan was considered a solid, consistent performer against both the pass and the rush before being drafted by the Titans in 2010. After two disappointing years affected by injuries, his third NFL season mirrored much of his draft expectations. These snap totals aren’t as concerning for a player like Morgan. More of a “tweener,” Wimbley has played both defensive end and linebacker in the NFL. In Tennessee he was a full-time defensive end. One of the reasons Wimbley has bounced around a bit in the NFL is due to inconsistent production. His move back to defensive end in 2012 provided no exception. As the NFL moves more and more towards a passing league bias, defensive ends are expected to rush the passer. Wimbley produced only six sacks for the Titans which is less than he did for Oakland in 2011, (though more than any Titans defensive end in 2011). He wasn’t flat out terrible against the pass, but he wasn’t as good as many had hoped. His performance against the run was more of an issue, as was his peek-a-boo ability to contribute week in and week out. Wimbley started and played significant chunks of time in all sixteen games this past year. Despite this, he had no tackles on three occasions while netting just a single tackle in five other games. That makes eight games – half the season – with one tackle or less. Make no mistake - Wimbley is one of the reasons the Titans have such a big need at defensive end, but it isn’t because he has no worth. He is simply miscast playing 81% of defensive snaps. The Titans are in need of a bigger body that can sub with Wimbley and play the run. If they can find that, there is potential that a more rested Wimbley can pin his ears back and have even more success rushing the passer. Snap totals for the top two defensive ends (especially Wimbley) must come down, will come down in 2013 if the Titans are to have more success on defense. Whether at the front end of the draft or the back end - potentially in free agency - the Titans will make efforts to shore up the run defense by way of defensive end improvements. The sweet spot for defensive ends drafted in the first round has historically been shortly after the Titans pick at tenth overall. Of the two hundred and twenty-one defensive ends drafted in the past ten years, forty-four of them were drafted in the first round. Only eight of the forty-four went in the top ten picks, but twenty-six more were taken between picks eleven and twenty. The final ten were selected at pick twenty-one or above. In 2008 Miami took a defensive end with the first pick of the second round, which was actually the thirty-second pick overall due to New England’s “Spygate” related pick forfeiture. The Titans’ starting defensive ends were drafted in this sweet spot. So were Demarcus Ware, J.J. Watt, Jason Pierre-Paul and others. Were the Titans to select a defensive end in the top ten, it would be the first since Aldon Smith went at eighth overall to San Francisco in 2011. In other words, it wouldn’t be a stretch in terms of recent trends and generic positional draft value. Beyond that, there are a number of defensive ends getting taken in the top ten of nearly every Mock Draft out there. In this one (from Gil Brandt) four defensive ends get selected even before the Titans pick. The quality of player exists for the Titans to take an end with the tenth pick, but there’s no guarantee that player will still be there. At just 241 pounds Barkevious Mingo, NFL.com’s top rated defensive end (92.8 rating) is likely not the body-type the Titans need most but talent may justify the pick anyway. Bjoern Werner (90.9 rating) and Ziggy Ansah (89.3 rating) are the next two highest rated defensive ends. Both could be taken before Mingo. Damontre Moore (89.2 rating) is the fourth best defensive end according to NFL.com. He was a big-time defensive end producer in 2012, but he spent time at linebacker in college before that. Dion Jordan (88.0 rating) is the fifth rated end. At 6’6” and just 248 pounds, Jordan is another tweener. For those curious - Titansreport.com’s maintained by @Cyrus, (@TR_Cyrus on twitter), lists Mingo and Jordan as linebackers. Moore is considered a first round defensive end prospect, after Werner and Ansah. Any or all of those three (listed at DE) could be gone before the Titans even pick, but each will be on the team’s short list if they are still available at number ten. Werner, has a very well rounded game, Ansah is a superb athlete with vast potential to improve and draws comparisons to Jason Pierre-Paul, while Moore draws comparisons to Aldon Smith. Twenty-eight defensive ends have been taken in the second round since 2003 (inclusive). Of those, only five were taken before the fortieth pick - where the Titans are currently slated. Most second round defensive ends were plucked from the second half of the round. Cyrus’ Big Board shows five defensive end prospects with second round grades (eight total in the first two rounds), while NFLDraftScout.com shows nine players (excluding Dion Jordan) with first or second round grades. Datone Jones (85.6 rating) and Alex Okafor (85.2 rating) seem to stand out to your author, (Jones could play DT in a pinch), but there are many to choose from and defensive end is definitely a position where the variety of skills involved in assessing players can lead to surprising draft-day choices. The past decade has seen twenty-six defensive ends drafted in the third round, thirty-one in the fourth, twenty-two in the fifth, twenty-eight in the sixth, and forty-two in the seventh. There is no grand pattern that develops after the second round, which is how essentially all positions fall. Early in the draft teams have preferences on what a position’s value is, but as the draft wears on it becomes more and more about finding sleepers and filling needs. If the Titans take a defensive end early, I wouldn’t expect another one late. If they don’t select one in the first two rounds then the rest of the draft comes into play and I would expect the Titans to wait until they see value, as opposed to reaching just to get a guy. This is a pretty good draft for defensive end. The Titans should be able to have success filling this need. According to ESPN positional listings, the Titans have taken nine defensive ends in the last ten years, good for second most (tied). Not all of those “defensive ends” actually played defensive end for the Titans, so the number is somewhat skewed in terms of investment. Additionally, three of the players listed were drafted in 2004. Recent picks at defensive end haven’t been as common as “second most” may lead one to believe. Derrick Morgan (pick 16, 2010) is the only first round pick, though current co-starter Wimbley was also drafted in the first round (pick 13) by Cleveland in 2006. Travis Laboy (pick 42, 2004), Jason Jones (pick 54, 2008), and Antwan Odom (pick 57, 2004) were all taken in the second round. Bo Schobel (pick 103, 2004), and William Hayes (pick 103, 2008) were both fourth round picks. The Titans’ current fourth round pick is slated at pick 104 (pre-compensatory picks), so it isn’t overly likely that they end up with pick 103 this year. If they do somehow end up at pick 103, I guess an end should be the expected pick. Fifth round pick, and current defensive tackle, Karl Klug (pick 142, 2011), sixth round pick Jacob Ford (pick 204, 2007), and last year’s seventh rounder Scott Solomon (pick 211, 2012) round out the Titans picks. Leading up to this draft history look-back exercise, I had been thinking that the Titans are most likely to draft a defensive end in the first round if they don’t opt to draft a guard, (as most draft gurus predict), or trade out of the ten spot all-together. I am slowly convincing myself that it won’t happen. It isn’t because I think Tennessee is more likely to look at another position, but because I am bitter cynic. It is far easier to convince me that something won’t happen than that it will – and I am fairly good at self-convincing. Just three ends have been drafted in the past four years. Of them, one was a drafted in the seventh round and another is a defensive tackle. Anyone drafted before 2009 has moved on. Either the Titans missed on long term answers with those picks or they watched as talent walked out the door. The reason defensive end is a position of need should come as no surprise, nor should an early pick. See RB Draft History here See OG Draft History here See DT Draft History here Click here to view the article

Me too, and even more exclusively... just the latter. That's why my posts go to the front page. I bet if you ever submitted something to the front page yours would qualify too.

As I said in one of the other many threads you felt compelled to post this comment in, mods can feel free to move these wherever, but front page content always posts to this forum. There is actually zero choice. With that said... There's also a 'Titans and NFL Talk' forum. Un-wad your panties.

All articles post to this forum. Mods can feel free to move these, though.

The Titans could draft a defensive tackle with the tenth overall pick, but it isn’t a position at the top of the needs list. The Titans have young, recently drafted talent at defensive tackle. What they generally lack is size and experience. Size can be addressed in the draft, experience cannot. With that said, defensive tackle is definitely a position which often gets drafted in or around the tenth pick. Over the last decade, there have been five defensive tackles taken in the top five picks, eleven drafted in the top ten and a total of nineteen defensive tackles have been selected in the first fifteen picks. If the right player is there, value could partially dictate that the Titans strongly consider the position. In 2012 alone, three defensive tackles were taken in the top fifteen and all three were taken pretty near (albeit after) the tenth pick. Dontari Poe went to Kansas City at number eleven, Fletcher Cox was selected by Philadelphia with the very next pick and St. Louis took Michael Brockers with the fourteenth overall pick. Certainly, the tenth pick is around the sweet spot for talented defensive tackles to get consideration. Two hundred and six defensive tackles have been taken in the past ten drafts. Thirty three of them went in the first round. Another twenty-five went in round two, while thirty-two, twenty-six, twenty-four, twenty-seven, and thirty-nine went in rounds three through seven, respectively. At more than three first round picks per year and almost six in the first two rounds on average, defensive tackles generally rank pretty highly on the value meter of NFL teams. Come draft day, the Titans will have plenty of options early. The 2013 crop of defensive tackles is a pretty good class. NFL.com DL prospect list shows three defensive tackles rated above 90. The Titans’ first pick is in the tenth slot. Star Lotulelei (92.0), Sheldon Richardson (90.7) and Sharrif Floyd (90.3) could all wind up being drafted in the top ten, though top rated Star Lotulelei’s health status is in question. The Titans’ are currently slated to pick in round two at fortieth overall. NFLDraftScout.com currently shows six defensive tackles with potential first round value and all six are ranked within the overall top forty prospects. There are plenty of defensive tackle options to be considered early in the draft, just don’t get sold on the Titans skipping other positions to take a defensive tackle when youth is already an issue and the position is of a lesser need than another consideration along the defensive line - defensive end. Another factor is the draft’s depth at defensive tackle. Not only are there plenty of early options, there will be quality options later in the draft as well. NFL.com’s DL prospect list, for instance, rates Purdue’s Kawann Short (this article’s author is a Purdue homer) as an 80.6 overall, seventh among defensive tackles. NFLDraftScout.com, however, shows him as a clear first round value. Draft buffs will disagree on specific rankings, but considering that only six defensive tackles are picked in the first two rounds on average, Short’s draft bio (maybe a first round talent, maybe the seventh best DT) suggests an abundance of potential starting-caliber tackles. (As an aside, within Short’s single-page draft profile NFL.com somewhat humorously advises that readers should look for him to go in both the top fifty and top sixty picks. Seventh best tackle, first round prospect, top fifty, top sixty... draft values, one gathers, are an inexact science prone to adjustment.) ESPN draft results by position show Tennessee as tied with Green Bay and Cincinnati, each having drafted the most (ten each) defensive tackles over the past decade. Interestingly, none of Tennessee’s tackles were taken in the first round. Current free agent Sen’Derrick Marks (pick 62, 2009), drafted in the second round, is the earliest investment made in ten years. Randy Starks (pick 71, 2004), Jurrell Casey (pick 77, 2011), and Mike Martin (pick 82, 2012) were all third round picks. Rien Long (pick 216, 2003) was drafted in the fourth round, while Antonio Johnson (pick 152, 2007) and Jesse Mahelona (pick 169, 2006) were drafted in the fifth round. Zach Clayton (pick 212, 2011), Jared Clauss (pick 230, 2004); and David Howard (pick 241, 2010) were all seventh round selections. As mentioned previously, I just don’t see a first round pick at defensive tackle unless someone is a clear value pick. The Titans’ current defensive tackle group is simply too young. Absent Sen’Derrick Marks, who may still be resigned, the three biggest contributors at defensive tackle last year were all draftees from 2011 and 2012 – including Karl Klug (pick 142, 2011) who ESPN has listed as a defensive end. The Titans will look to find some size either in the draft or free agency. The value will be there in the draft, but free agents will come with some experience. For more on the experience and size front, Tom Gower’s offseason DT positional analysis is pretty spot on. See RB Draft History here See OG Draft History here See DE Draft History here Click here to view the article

I have not bothered to look into Lattimore's recovery too much... so this is a general statement noting the ability of RBs to come back from knee injuries... but I'd generally only let a guy slip one round due to a knee injury, even one like that. I probably would not take him in the second based on other needs, but if I could get a guy with his talent in the third round... no hesitation. Zero.

Gallery was a failed tackle, yes... and drafted so highly because he was thought of as a tackle. Again, though, this is entirely by ESPN positional delineations. I'm not adjusting for any players since I can't adjust for all. I'm sure some guys listed as Guards may have played Center, and visa-versa.

Whether due to collective insight or ease of making mock drafts work, just about every body has the Titans taking Guard in the first round. Most Titans fans are aware of the team’s recent non-investment in the offensive line. This is one of the reasons the team is in need of new blood on the interior, a matter that has been of growing concern for a few years now. After the 2011 season, many fans were expecting at least one offensive lineman to be drafted, but none were. One injury-plagued year later and Titans coach Mike Munchak has recently acknowledged the potential of taking a guard in the first round. The Titans are currently sitting on the tenth overall pick. Players like Chance Warmack (Alabama) and Jonathan Cooper (North Carolina) are potential choices at that spot, but how early would taking a guard at number ten compare to other early guard picks over the last decade... and just how small has the Titans investment at guard really been, as compared to other NFL teams? According to ESPN positional draft history results, there have been one hundred and forty-two guards drafted over the last decade. As a general rule, guard is a position where being “elite” doesn’t necessarily translate to an early selection. The Titans are considering taking a guard in the first round, or at least they claim to be considering it. If they do, and assuming no guards are taken before their pick, whoever they select will be just the tenth guard taken in the first round since 2003 (inclusive). While only nine guards have been drafted in the first round over the last decade, six of them were selected in the past five years and four of those six occurred in 2011 and 2012. Recent trends seem to suggest guards are getting drafted earlier now than they were five years ago. With that said, not all picks in the first round are equal. The Titans have a top ten pick and there have been zero guards taken in the top ten over the last decade. In fact, the last time a guard was taken in the top ten was in 1997 when New Orleans selected Chris Naeole. 1997 is so long past that Naeole played twelve years and still essentially retired five years ago. A top ten pick on an offensive guard would be very early, even with recent trends considered. There have only been two guards taken in the top twenty over the past decade and only sixteen have been taken in the top forty. The Titans second round pick is fortieth overall, so they can still address a guard in round two and likely get good quality at that position based on recent history. The earliest pick over the past ten years was in 2008 when Branden Albert was taken at fifteen by Kansas City. Guards are simply not drafted as early as other positions. As an example, in the runningback draft history review from earlier this week we noted that seventeen rushers were drafted in the top forty picks over the past five years. For guards, only sixteen have been taken in the top forty going back a full decade. Ten year totals are as follows: Nine guards were selected in the first round, seventeen in the second, twenty-four in the third, twenty-two in the fourth, twenty-one in the fifth, twenty-two in the sixth and twenty-seven in the seventh round. The fewest guards drafted by any team over the last decade is two. Of the six teams to draft just two guards over that period, (Denver, Detroit, Minnesota, NY Giants, Oakland, and Tennessee), the Tennessee Titans averaged the lowest investment. If the Titans were to select a guard in the spot they’ve averaged over the last decade, it would be pick 188.5 or right in the middle of the sixth round (depending on the number of compensatory draft picks). The most recent guard drafted by the Titans was Ryan Durand (pick 239, 2009), a seventh round selection. The only other guard the Titans have taken in the past decade was Jacob Bell (pick 138, 2004), a fifth round selection. While the Titans recent history has been to ignore the position, that neglect has come full circle. A non-investment in the offensive line this year, similar to the 2012 draft, would be a complete shock. The coaching staff has said there are no positional restrictions on the first pick, they have said guard is their “No. 1 Need”, and the aforementioned Warmack is considered the single, best player in the entire draft by some scouts. It would appear a match made in heaven, but it’s by no means a sure-fire bet. As history shows, the top ten is early for a guard. Further, the 2013 draft is fairly well-loaded with good talent at guard. One option is to trade back from tenth to closer to that fifteenth spot, which aligns more with the value of the position in the draft and would allow them to pick up more draft selections as well. To do that, however you take the risk of missing out on someone you covet and to pull it off you’ll need a willing partner. Finding a trade partner and agreeing to a deal is easier said than done, especially in a draft where the marquee position of quarterback is considered somewhat weak. Yes, the Titans could invest early and get a projected transcending talent. They could also address the position a bit later and get a very good talent. The latter option may be more bang for the buck and, given other draft needs, it may also be a more efficient means of improving the team as a whole. I would expect a guard in the first three rounds, but there is no guarantee that it will happen with pick ten or forty. Instead of Warmack, I officially put my support behind the prospect of Brian Winters ending the draft in two-tone blue. It allows the Titans to fill some needs before addressing guard, but more importantly NFL.com's draft profile compares him to former Titans guard (and personal favorite) Jake Scott. The wild card in this is Free Agency. There is low likelihood that the Titans will completely ignore the offensive line issues in free agency. If they sign a quality veteran, especially if they sign multiple free agents – distinguished from bringing a rotating door of guys in for visits as they did in 2012 – then all this chatter about Warmack and Cooper may prove futile. See RB Draft History here See DT Draft History here See DE Draft History here Click here to view the article

Note the time posted. This is what trying too hard and the absence of creativity looks like. What could have been funny is reduced to sorry trolling. Shame.

i can appreciate that, but the problem is those types of guys exist for all teams. There's no way to account for "mis-listed" guys on all other teams... so it doesn't make to adjust just for the Titans. This is based on the position listed by ESPN's draft history.

I feel like he goes round 1 or 2.

With the struggles of starter Chris Johnson and pending unrestricted free agency of oft-injured backup Javon Ringer, one position Titans fans are paying close attention to at the Combine is Running Back. As Combine results are reported, each fan develops a favorite... but will favorite players be available by the time the Titans are on the board? Over the past ten years, two-hundred and twelve* runningbacks have been drafted. These selections were fairly evenly dispersed throughout the draft. In total, twenty-nine rushers were selected in the first round, twenty-four in the second round, twenty-three in the third, thirty-eight in the fourth, nineteen were taken in the fifth, thirty-five more in the sixth round and a final forty-four were selected in the seventh round. Eight runningbacks were drafted in the top ten, where the Titans currently hold a pick, which averages to less than one per year. An additional twenty-three runningbacks were selected between picks eleven and forty, where the Titans are currently slated to pick in round two. In all, that’s thirty-one rushers taken in the top forty, or 14.6% of all runningbacks drafted, an average of slightly more than three per year. Averages for the past five years are about the same. Over that time, one hundred runningbacks have been drafted. The number of backs selected for each round one through seven was fifteen, thirteen, ten, thirteen, ten, twenty-one and eighteen, respectively. Three rushers, (again less than one per year), were taken in the top ten, while seventeen total, (a bit more than three per year), were selected in the top forty during this time. It is unlikely that the Titans look to draft a runningback with the tenth overall pick, but if you are among the hoping to draft a guy like Eddie Lacy in the second round, averages would suggest that three running backs will have to come off the board before him. Typically, the run on these guys occurs in the twenties, so hold your breath as the bottom third of the first round hits. In the past decade, fourteen runners were taken between picks twenty-one and thirty, including the Titans’ current starter Chris Johnson. Six of seventeen rushers taken in the top forty picks over the past five years were selected in the same range. No other team has drafted more runningbacks over the past ten years than the Titans, who have averaged one rusher each year. The Titans have taken a running back in eight of the past ten drafts, doubling up in both 2004 and 2006 while skipping the position in 2010 and 2012. The average draft spot of drafted Titans runningbacks is 133.5, or the tail end of the fourth round (depending on compensatory picks). Current starter Chris Johnson is the only runningback drafted in the first round (pick 24, 2008). LenDale White (pick 45, 2006) and Chris Henry (pick 50, 2007) were both selected in the second round. Chris Brown (pick 93, 2003) is the only draftee in the third round. Jamie Harper (pick 130, 2011) was a fourth round selection and is still with the team. Damien Nash (pick 142, 2005) and unrestricted free agent Javon Ringer (pick 173, 2009), who is recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery, were both taken in the fifth round. Troy Fleming (pick 191, 2004) was taken in the sixth round. Sean McHugh (pick 241, 2004) and Quinton Ganther (pick 246, 2006) are the final two backs, both acquired in the seventh round of the draft. Based on Titans history, both average pick and recent history, I'm not expecting a top forty pick like Eddie Lacy. I would expecting a mid-round runningback to be taken - maybe in the third but more likely in the fourth or fifth round. Someone like Javon Ringer, only less injury prone. Someone like Jamie Harper, only more immediately impactful. *This excludes seventeen individuals listed at fullback who were drafted over the last decade. See OG Draft History here See DT Draft History here See DE Draft History here Click here to view the article

Thanks to @Justafan for the contribution to the front page.

For lack of a better place to put it, and absent wanting to start a new thread... this guy has no shot at ROY, but Trent Richardson played 9 games with two broken ribs. The pain of that... ridiculous.

Favorable for RG3 is just the nature of the offense as compared to Luck. Favorable for Wilson is the nature of the offense and also includes the defense... which is why if you just look at favorable situations I would lean towards RG3. I don't think it's a coincidence that Wilson looked better when the defense started killing the opponent over the last four - five games.

Wilson looked much better as the season progressed. I'm not sure the others did. His situation was far and away more favorable than the others.

If I was pressed, Wilson is the odd man out for me. He's much like RG3, except 2x as many interceptions on identical attempts and a way, way better defense. If it's what was asked, it's Luck. If it's doing well with favorable, it's RG3.

Robert Grffin III, Russell Wilson, or Andrew Luck. One of these guys is going to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.I don't think the winner is clear. It's not cut and dry by any means. In fact, I don't know who I think should win the ROY award... but what drives an offense and what a QB is asked (forced) to do matters. Greatly. I see this consideration mentioned often, but then I see people dismiss Andrew Luck from real contention. This leads me to think that many observers haven't stopped to look at the facts very closely. It's more than just the simplification of the offense which benefits RG3 and Wilson. Way more. In fact, let's just look at things quantitatively and ignore the complexity angle, (which is itself more important than people care to admit). RG3 and Wilson might as well still be playing in college in terms of what is asked of them compared to Andrew Luck. Let's start by looking at the counter-balance to their respective passing attacks. Rushing Offense Rank: 1 - 2,709 yards, Washington 3 - 2,579 yards, Seattle 22 - 1,671 yards, Indianapolis Yards Per Rush Rank: 2 - 5.2 ypc, Washington 5 - 4.8 ypc, Seattle 23 - 3.8 ypc, Indianapolis Alfred Morris? Second leading rusher in the league. Marshawn Lynch? Third leading rusher in the league. Vick Ballard? Come on. Passing Attempts: 5 - 627 attempts, Andrew Luck 25 - 393 attempts, Russell Wilson 25 - 393 attempts, Robert Griffin III It's not even in the same ballpark. RG3 and Wilson passed 62.6% as many times as Luck. The important thing to note here is that it's not just that Luck passed a lot. He did, but Wilson and RG3 have meager totals. In fact, no full-time starter had fewer passes than Wilson... and RG3 and Wilson ranked 39th and 40th in attempts per game, respectively. Even if you add in rushes it is only 487 instances for Wilson, 513 for RG3, and 689 for Luck. That's still not even remotely similar... and, yes, Luck's passing atempts are remarkable. He wasn't just forced to pass a lot. He was forced to pass more often than any rookie ever. He passed the old mark by 37 attempts (and still won games). That's just passing attempts, though. Andrew Luck completed a low percentage, so how about offensive rank passing the ball? Passing Offense Rank: 7 - 4,128 yards, Indianapolis 20 - 3,422 yards, Washington 27 - 3,031 yards, Seattle The fact of the matter is that Seattle and Washington were not passing offenses. They were rushing offenses. Both teams put their quarterbacks in solid position by moving the ball running, forcing defenses to focus elsewhere, and then asked their rookie QBs to capitalize on favorable situations as infrequently as possible. Credit to RG3 and Wilson, they did a lot of capitlizing. Indianapolis, on the other hand, was a passing offense by necessity. They flat out struggled to run and asked Luck to find a way to keep the offense moving. Credit to him, he often did. It came with far more mistakes but consider this: Despite the major disparity in rushing attacks wielded by all three teams... Indianapolis' offense ranked tenth in the NFL, just 21 yards per game behind fifth ranked Washington and 12 yards per game ahead of seventeenth ranked Seattle. Sure, look at what Wilson and RG3 did when asked to do something. You can't dent their success, and they did what was worthy of praise... especially later in the season in Wilson's case. Accomplishments matter. These two guys are deservedly in contention for the award. At the same time, don't doubt for a minute that running backs drove the offenses in Washington and Seattle. Don't doubt for a minute the effect that has on how a defense game plans. Don't doubt for a minute how much easier that makes the game for quarterbacks. Don't doubt how stark and overwhelming the difference is, either... this most importantly. Is that enough to give the award to Luck, who passed with far less efficiency? I don't know. I am glad that I don't have a vote. This year is a tough one. Note: When you consider defenses as well, Wilson's exploits take a notable hit. Seattle surrendered the fewest points in the NFL, 143 fewer than Washington and 142 fewer than Indianapolis. Wilson's situation was remarkable. Best defense, third best rushing attack, pass less than anyone else? What more could a young QB wish for? Click here to view the article

At the same time, the quality of improved defensive play is readily apparent.

Some fluff from Rex Ryan: (on if he’s noticed an improvement in the Titans defense) Yeah, statistically, I don’t know where they’re ranked or whatever, not that high statistically, but if you look at the weeks that I see on the tape, the last four weeks, they’ve been playing well. It’s a young, talented group. I’ve really been impressed with the kid from UCLA, (Akeem) Ayers, and that (Zach) Brown kid, he can really run. But Ayers in particular, he’s all over the place. He can play the pass, he’s got four or five sacks, can be a nickel rusher. He’s all over the place with tackles. He’s been impressive. I like both of their ends, (Derrick) Morgan and (Kamerion) Wimbley. Then the two tackles inside, (Jurrell) Casey and (Sen’Derrick) Marks, they’re disruptive guys inside. This is a talented, young group.

They gave up ten points in the second half. The rest was on the offense... again. Also, I think, the lowest yardage for Indy all year. In terms of net scoring impact, they scored a TD and have up 17... ten points overall. In Indy. That's a pretty damn good game. Should have been a blow out.