Denver Broncos take unorthodox approach with the unorthodox Tim Tebow

Posted on November 8, 2011 by vchnghk

Tim Tebow is not a prototypical NFL passer and may never become one. So, the Denver Broncos used an unorthodox approach with their unconventional quarterback.

The Broncos confounded the Oakland Raiders with the same system that Tebow operated so successfully at the University of Florida: the read-option run strategy.

The result was his second win in three starts despite another up-and-down passing performance and a firmer grip on the starting job that seemed headed Brady Quinn’s way.

By putting the ball in Willis McGahee’s belly and then deciding whether to hand it off or keep it and run it himself, Tebow looked like he was running the Gators’ offense once again. And the results were similar, too.

Tebow threw two TD passes and ran for 117 yards, Miami Dolphins Jerseys McGahee added 163 yards rushing and two more scores in the Broncos’ 38-24 win that shook up the middling AFC West, where Denver — yes, Denver — is just one game out of first place behind a pileup of three 4-4 teams.

“I was telling the guys it’s crazy because if we were in the AFC North, none of this would be going on and we wouldn’t be having a discussion about being one game out of it,” McGahee said. “The thing about it is, we’re in the AFC West, and the tables can turn either way.”

Especially with Tebow running around like he’s back in college.

“As I’ve said all along, we’re trying to put guys in positions where they can succeed. In his particular case, it’s something he’s more comfortable with, he has a lot of background in it, he’s got a lot of confidence in it,” coach John Fox said Monday. “We’re asking a lot, not just of Tim, but our entire offense, the coaching staff, everybody involved. We’ve kind of grown it as we’ve grown with Tim.”

Denver’s 298 yards on the ground were the fourth-highest total in team history and the most since 2000. Tebow became the 16th NFL quarterback since 1950 to rush for 100 yards and McGahee had his second-highest rushing total of his career.

But is this strategy sustainable?

“I mean, it can be something that can help us going forward, but we’ve got to do some other things like getting the ball to the receivers, we’ve got to get more passes,” McGahee said. “It’s good to run the ball. I’m a running back, I shouldn’t be saying this, but there’s going to be times where we need to pass.”

After all, Tebow was hit 17 times overall Sunday and sported a split lip afterward.

“I’ve spent a lot of time in the NFC South, and we competed against the Atlanta Falcons when they had Michael Vick,” Fox said. “Call it what you like, it was that quarterback having the ability to run that creates havoc on defenses because they don’t count that guy as a runner.

“Whether it’s taking off or not, they led the league in rushing for about four straight years, and Michael had a lot to do with that. He’s grown as a passer. He’s in the West Coast Offense now, but he’s made some things happen in the Philadelphia Eagle offense, and that’s just the nature of his abilities. It’s kind of been done, but maybe not to the exact level where we’re kind of at right now.”

Vick also has paid a heavy price for his running style, sustaining 2009 Pro Bowl Jerseys a broken leg early in his career and a concussion this season.

Just last week, Fox was talking about how the spread offenses so popular in college don’t translate well to the NFL, saying teams make a big investment at quarterback and are “leery of when he runs. It’s a bigger, stronger, faster league and the body types that play quarterback aren’t running back type builds and I think sometimes that’s hard to hold up for a season.”

Asked about his concern for Tebow’s health on Monday, Fox said: “Any time they cross that line, they are exposing themselves. It doesn’t matter what position. I have concern for all of them; obviously quarterback being one of them.”

Tebow has taken big hits in the pocket, too, with 15 sacks in his three starts. The Broncos figure they’ll play to his strengths as much as they can while seeing if he’s their quarterback of the future.

He had runs of 32, 28, 19, 12 and 12 yards while operating the read-option, where he would put the ball in McGahee’s belly and ride him for a step or two before deciding whether to let go for a run up the middle or pull the ball back and take the ball around the end himself.

“He’s reading the end man on the line of scrimmage whether it’s a D-end, a linebacker, a safety, whoever’s that free guy,” Raiders linebacker Aaron Curry said. “And the running back’s reading the linebackers. Whether he gets the ball or not, he knows where he’s going with it.

“I just feel like there’s some plays that just got out of our hands that we didn’t make the same read. We weren’t on the same page as Tebow was.”

McGahee acknowledged he wasn’t a fan of the run-option at first “until I figured out how to run it. .. When I realized it was working, I kind of got back in love with the read-option.”

Tebow also threw touchdown passes of 27 yards to Eric Decker and 26 yards to Eddie Royal, but he has yet to complete more than half of his passes.

In 3½ games, Tebow has completed 45 of 97 passes (46 percent) for 536 yards with six TDs and one interception.

“I think it was better,” Fox said of Tebow’s throwing. “I don’t know if it was light years better at this stage, but again, typically growth takes time. We’re in the process.”

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The Shutdown Corner Interview: Colin Kaepernick, Pt. 2

Posted on April 9, 2011 by vchnghk

In every draft class, there’s a name that starts to climb up the charts (and up the boards of draft analysts and teams) from the Senior Bowl through the week of the draft itself. This year, that name seems be Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who is drawing more and more interest in a quarterback class without a specific alpha dog. Teaming with head coach Chris Ault to run a modified run-action offense called the Pistol (read more about the Pistol here and here), the lightly-recruited former baseball pitcher eventually became one of the most productive quarterbacks in recent NCAA history, and the main man behind Nevada’s 13-1 record, BCS ranking of 11th, and upset win over Boise State.
We recently talked with Kaepernick about his trip up the ladder, why he’s climbing the charts of late, what he can bring to an NFL team. This is part two of the interview; part one can be found here. You can also read the recent Shutdown 40 scouting report on Kaepernick here.
Shutdown Corner: I was also curious what NFL teams have been telling you about it — you’ve had 13 total visits and workouts so far. I found it interesting that on the ESPN Sports Science feature you recently did, your release was timed as being ridiculously quick. Is that something NFL teams are worried about?
CK: None of the teams I’ve talked to thus far have had a problem with my motion; most of them say that it looks different, but that I still get the ball out quickly — I’m still completing passes and I’m accurate. So, that’s what it really comes down to.
SC: Right — and you don’t have that sort of “catapult” motion like a Byron Leftwich(notes) — you don’t have to adjust for that slower release.
CK: Yeah — I think that just goes to show that it’s not always what it seems — it’s not always what first meets the human eye.  And I think a lot of people look at my release, and it’s different, so they say it’s bad. Just because it looks a little bit different, it’s not the prototypical release of a quarterback, doesn’t mean it’s necessarily bad or inefficient.
SC: Despite the fact that Nevada broke through in a big way in 2010, the Senior Bowl seemed to be where some people got a first really good look at you. What was your take on the whole week, and how you did? You seemed to come off very well.
CK: I think a lot of the players there really didn’t know too much about me. I don’t think a lot of the scouts knew too much about me because we don’t have a primetime team, we’re not on TV every week. I think going to the Senior Bowl and having an opportunity to go side-by-side with other quarterbacks that are the big-name quarterbacks that are projected to go highly was huge for me to show them that I’m just as good as these quarterbacks, if not better, and I’m here to play football and perform. Just because I’m from a smaller school doesn’t mean I’m not capable.
SC: What was different about getting NFL coaching?
CK: I think the biggest thing is it’s your job to know what you’re doing, but if you don’t know what you’re doing, you’re going to get left behind. So you have to be in your playbook, you have to know what’s going on. If not, it’s going to show as soon as you step on the field…No, they really don’t give you anything. You just have to pick it up the first night you get the playbook, you have to go through it and you have to know most of it by the next day. They’re going to talk you through a few things, but for the most part, you’re on your own…From talking to the coaching staff, they said that was about 60% of their playbook … I don’t think it was a lot bigger (than Nevada’s playbook). I think we have fewer base plays, but we do a lot different motions, shifts, things like that in our offense, whereas they just have a lot of different plays with less motions and things like that.
SC: You’re the only quarterback in NCAA history to pass for over 10,000 yards and run for over 4,000 yards on your career, but it seems like your mobility is a bit underrated. Do you think that’s the case?
CK: I think it depends on who you talk to. There are people who think I’m the best runner ever, and there are people who think I’m not a very good runner at all. It’s really just a personal opinion on the style of running you like.
SC: Talk about your pre-draft training — where have you been training, with who, and what are you working in specifically?
CK: Chip Smith does all of our speed and agility training. Their quarterback coach down there was Roger Theder from, he lives in California now, but he goes down there every year. He’s been great. He teaches us a lot as far as routes vs. coverage, conversion routes, where you want to put the ball in certain coverages. Did a lot of chalk talk with us to make sure we’re ready for what was coming up.
SC: It seems like the momentum around your name has really picked up from the Senior Bowl until now — do you think that’s a product of the fact that a lot of people didn’t really see what you could do under the more national events came up?
CK: Definitely. I think I was very confident with everything I was doing from the Senior Bowl to the Combine to my pro day. The thing is, I really didn’t change too much from the time of the season ’til then. I think a lot of people just didn’t realize who I was or what I was capable of, and being on that national stage, side-by-side with these players, really kind of showed everybody who I was.
SC: I’m sure you’ve thought a lot about the next level and what it will take to succeed — what do you think is your best NFL attribute, and what’s the one thing you might need to work on the most?
CK: I think my best attribute is my mental side of the game. Knowing exactly where I want to go with the ball vs. certain defenses, what our checks and audibles are and what our offense is really trying to get done on this particular play. I think going forward to the NFL, the biggest thing for me is going to be picking up on NFL defenses. Because of the offense we ran we had a lot of base defenses versus us, and teams cut down their blitzing because we ran the option so much. Going forward that’s not going to be the case. There’s going to be a lot more disguises, a lot more spinning of coverages, a lot more movement in the defense and just picking up on keys and knowing what the defense is trying to get done on every play and every coverage is going to be crucial.
SC: Who are your favorite NFL quarterbacks, and which current NFL quarterback do you think you most resemble in playing style?
CK: I would say right now my two favorites would probably be Peyton Manning(notes) and Aaron Rodgers(notes). Both of them just seem to have a great mental grasp on the game as far as what they want to get done in an offense, and what they want to do versus certain defenses, and then just picking ‘em apart from there. I mean, to see a quarterback do that, and just go down the field play-by-play is—I mean, that’s exciting to me. As far as comparing myself to a quarterback, I don’t think there’s really one quarterback I match-up with. For me, I try to take bits and pieces from different quarterbacks’ games I like and make it my own style.
SC: Why should an NFL team draft you, and what kind of player will that team be getting when they hand the card in with your name on it?
CK: I think an NFL team should draft me because number one, they’re going to get a player that’s going to be prepared for everything that’s going to be coming. I don’t like to be unprepared for anything. I’m going to be prepared for whatever defense I’m going to see week-to-week, whatever offense we’re installing, whatever plays we’re getting ready to use that week. As well as being a great leader and having physical attributes that will allow me to perform on the field, you’re going to get a person that’s there to win. I’m not going to the NFL just to be another quarterback. I want to be successful. I want to win. When they hand that card in, I think the number one thing that an NFL knows they’re going to get is a hard-worker and someone that’s not going to let them down.
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San Diego State Star Stays Quiet on N.B.A.

Posted on March 26, 2011 by vchnghk
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Kawhi Leonard is not overly talkative when times are good.
So when his second-seeded San Diego State team lost to third-seeded Connecticut in an N.C.A.A. tournament Round of 16 game on Thursday, Leonard, a sophomore forward, was not about to start channeling his inner Bill Walton. As he sat despondent at his locker, he had to be prodded to remove the headphones that blared distraction into his frustrated head.
His answers to questions were brief and blunt, with Leonard, 19, showing little interest in reliving the raw experience he had just endured. Which was just fine, since all the talk about Leonard for the next few weeks will be focused on his future.
He is, by most accounts, projected to be a mid-first-round pick if he decides to enter the N.B.A. draft.
Aztecs Coach Steve Fisher, who has dealt with more than his share of pro prospects in 20-plus years at Michigan and San Diego State, said he would help gather information for Leonard before he makes a decision to leave college. Leonard must assess whether his stock could rise if he returns to San Diego State.
“I have and will do more fact finding, to give him what I think is the best information he can get, and then it will be a decision that he’ll have to make,” Fisher said. “It’s consultation with his family. And if I think it’s a no-brainer that he should go out, I’ll tell him that. If I truly feel it’s a no-brainer that he should stay, I’ll tell him that. And if it’s shades of gray, I’ll try to point out the advantages both ways.”
Fisher, who was as an assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings during the 1998-99 season, said he had no doubts that Leonard could make the jump.
“I think he can and will be a very, very good pro,” he said. “He truly is someone that has a fierce desire to get better. He is in the gym constantly. From Year 1 to Year 2, he worked very hard on his game, and it is a lot better. And he’s going to do that this summer.”
Fisher added: “He’s going to be one who will not come in and be satisfied to sign a contract, then get another contract, be messing with the money. He’s going to want to be very good.”
Leonard’s versatility could be a blessing and a curse, but his relentlessness and his ability to rebound, defend multiple positions and be a proficient scorer make him appealing to teams. It is unclear if he would be best used as a small forward or power forward as a pro, and Leonard even half-joked that he could run the point if needed.
The way he watches the N.B.A. speaks volumes about that element.
“I watch everybody closely,” Leonard said. “Noah, Durant is just incredible to me. LeBron, Kobe a lot, too, just learning some offensive moves and how he gets to his sweet spots so easy on the court. I watch point guards like Rondo to see how he passes. I watch multiple positions.”
Leonard’s list went on to include Ray Allen and Reggie Miller.
Of course, he could decide to continue to contribute for a very good college team at San Diego State while possibly moving up the draft board. The Aztecs, who had never won an N.C.A.A. tournament game until this season, have won consecutive Mountain West Conference tournament titles. They set a team record for wins this season, finishing 34-3.
And from now until Leonard makes his decision, the chatter about him will continue to outweigh the talk from him.
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As predicted, NFL experts can’t agree on Bears’ pick

Posted on March 16, 2011 by vchnghk
Trying to figure out what the Bears will do with the 29th pick in the draft on April 28 is a crapshoot for a number of reasons, but there are plenty of prognosticators willing to toss the dice.
The possibilities are infinite. No one knows who the first 28 picks will be, and the Bears have a few areas of need. This year it’s even more difficult because, unlike other years, there probably won’t be a free-agency period preceding the draft due to the work stoppage. Free agency usually begins early in March, and teams can start to shore up areas of weakness then. For now, the only help available is through the draft.
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A sampling of selections from cyberspace reveals somewhat of a consensus but a variety of opinions on whom the Bears will select.
Pro Football Weekly’s Nolan Nawrocki has the Bears taking Miami offensive lineman Orlando Franklin with their first-round pick.
The 6-foot-6, 315-pound Franklin was a three-year starter for the Hurricanes, and he played the all-important left tackle spot as a senior, after previously starting at guard.
At ProFootballWeekly.com, Nawrocki explained his pick, thusly: “Although G.M. Jerry Angelo might prefer to find a replacement for Tommie Harris with this pick, the board could be more favorably filled with OL talent. Franklin could be the most physical blocker in this year’s draft and perfectly fits the nasty disposition that OL coach Mike Tice seeks in the trenches.”
Rob Rang at NFLDraftScout.com has the Bears selecting Illinois defensive tackle Corey Liuget, filling another position that has become thin.
“Liuget has the talent to warrant consideration in the top 20, but could see a slip on draft day through no fault of his own,” Rang says. “The 6-2, 298-pounder is a classic three-technique defensive tackle for the 4-3 alignment, and with only half of the teams operating out of this scheme, he could take a tumble as clubs focus on bigger needs. His strength, surprising quickness and low center of gravity could make him an ideal fit for the Bears, especially with Chicago’s recent release of Tommie Harris.”
It’s expected that if the Bears don’t take an offensive lineman in the first round, they’ll go with a defensive tackle.
ESPN.com’s Mel Kiper has the Bears talking Colorado offensive tackle Nate Solder in his latest mock draft, dated March 9.
“Chicago should be thrilled if Solder is available here,” Kiper said. “He has added bulk to a 6-foot-8 frame, making him a guy who could help in a run game that really fell off in 2010. All the questions about his toughness aside, Chicago let Jay Cutler take far too many hits over the last two seasons, and Mike Martz isn’t reluctant to run the ball if he has an offensive line he can run behind with consistency.”
It’s doubtful that Solder will be available that late in the draft, but it would be great for the Bears. It should be pointed out, however, that the Bears’ run game really DIDN’T fall off in 2010. As a team, the Bears’ average gain per carry slipped a tiny bit from 4.0 in 2009 to 3.9 last year. But Matt Forte, who handled the bulk of the ground game, greatly improved his average from 3.6 yards per carry in ‘09 to 4.5 last season.
The bigger problem was protecting Cutler, who was sacked more than anyone in the NFL. At this stage in his development, Solder, a former tight end with excellent athleticism, is a better pass protector than run blocker.
NFL.com’s Steve Wyche thinks the Bears will wind up with Miami cornerback Brandon Harris, even though that is not considered one of the team’s top areas of need.
“An OT, DT and DE are needed,” Wyche said, “but Harris is a solid player who is coachable and loves to compete.”
Wyche’s colleague, Pat Kirwan, uses the same, probably faulty, logic in predicting that the Bears will go for Texas cornerback Aaron Williams.
“Williams ran a slow 40 at the Combine and needs to run faster at some point,” Kirwan says. “He’ll have a chance at Texas’ pro day on March 28.”
In Don Banks’ latest mock, at SI.com, he agrees with the consensus that the Bears will look for better protection for Cutler by going with Mississippi State offensive tackle Derek Sherrod. Banks has Boston College’s Anthony Castonzo, Wisconsin’s Gabe Carimi, USC’s Tyron Smith and Solder off the board by No. 29.
One of Sherrod’s greatest assets is his versatility and, as a three-year starter, he may be able to play right away. But he may not be athletic enough for left tackle, and he’ll need to get stronger if he plays right tackle.
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Way Bears have handled Cutler controversy raises questions

Posted on March 3, 2011 by vchnghk

This figured to be a fairly long offseason for Bears quarterback Jay Cutler.

Presumably, it wouldn’t seem a whole lot shorter for Bears coach Lovie Smith.

Cutler might be hearing persistent questions about his toughness, but for the time being, he isn’t the one answering them. That thankless task belongs to Smith.

It is thankless because no coach ever wants to be in a position to publicly address the worst sort of perception that anyone could have about one of his players, least of all his starting quarterback.

Is there any reason to doubt Cutler’s toughness? That was among the questions Smith faced during one of the several head-coaching news conferences held during the NFL Scouting Combine.

“No,” Smith said. “Just to kind of hit Jay one last time — no. There’s no question about Jay’s toughness or anything like that.”

That might have been a perfect place for the topic to be dropped, but it wasn’t.

Understandably, Smith isn’t happy that people are still picking at the scab that was Cutler, in full view of cameras, standing on the sideline with a knee injury through the second half of the NFC Championship Game. Cutler’s detached/disinterested facial expression did nothing to help garner any sympathy from numerous outraged fans, media, and even players around the league. With a trip to the Super Bowl on the line, Cutler, in the eyes of so many critics, needed to look, well, a lot more hurt or a lot more concerned. At the same time, he carried the burden of having done very little (completing only six of 14 passes for 80 yards, with an interception) against the Packers while third-stringer Caleb Hanie made a sudden name for himself by giving Chicago’s offense a much-needed spark.

It would make sense for Smith to still be stewing over the 21-14 loss and then watching Green Bay go on to win Super Bowl XLV. It would make even more sense for him to be tired of all of the negative discussion about Cutler since that day.

Maybe that was why he refused to let go of the subject and add the following: “For guys to even challenge that or question that don’t know what they’re talking about, don’t know him … he’s as tough as any quarterback in the league. Really, I’ve said enough about him.”

Or, perhaps, a little too much.

The fact Smith felt compelled to come to Cutler’s defense at all could easily be interpreted as something other than a head coach wanting to look out for the best interests of one of his players. Smith would have sounded more convincing about his support for Cutler if he quickly and abruptly brought the matter to a close, or treated it as if the mere issue had no merit and, therefore, didn’t justify anything more than, “There’s no question about Jay’s toughness.”

The same goes for Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz. He, too, was at the combine. And although he didn’t have a formal session with media (that’s only for head coaches and general managers who choose to make themselves available), Martz did tell the Chicago Tribune: “I don’t know why people want to dogpile this guy. I don’t get it. He’s a tough guy. He wants to do everything right.

“That last game, he didn’t play as well as he can. That happens. Why does Brett Favre throw five interceptions in a playoff game? It happens.

“We’re all going to have to learn to let it go. He’s a young player learning how to play. And he had never been in that environment before in his career, and he’ll deal with it right next time.”

For the time being, Cutler doesn’t have to deal with much of anything, at least where the public is concerned. As is the case with most players, he is able to make himself scarce in this traditionally quiet time of year for offseason team activity. If labor talks fail to produce a settlement any time soon and no offseason workouts are held, Cutler might very well avoid any sort of media exposure for weeks, if not months.

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Not so with Smith.

He will continue to be a primary face and voice of the Bears, who have given him a two-year contract extension that runs through 2013. Labor uncertainty notwithstanding, he is doing what you would expect a coach whose team finished on the doorstep of the Super Bowl to do: Talk up the mission of taking the next step.

Inevitably, that means addressing an offense that let the team down last season, ranking 30th in the league overall and 28th in passing, and came up woefully short in the NFC title game.

“I’m excited to get back out there for all of our guys being in the (Martz) system a second year,” Smith said. “Just like from the first game to the second game of the season, you see a lot of improvement. We’re expecting the same thing, and there’s no reason not to.

“There’s a couple of areas we need to improve, but I think the core is in place, starting with our quarterback, Jay Cutler, leading us. I wouldn’t want any other quarterback except for Jay. Excited about him going into that second year with Mike (Martz) and seeing those improvements on the offensive side.”

At this point, however, Smith might not have a great deal of company in that excitement.

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After Taylor’s suspension, character issues raised regarding No. 2 Kansas

Posted on February 22, 2011 by vchnghk

No coach wants the character of his team questioned. Yet that’s what Kansas coach Bill Self is facing in light of Monday’s announcement that starting point guard Tyshawn Taylor is suspended indefinitely for violating team rules.

“Violating team rules” is a vague phrase coaches often use when a player is suspended. It can mean a player was repeatedly late for practice, missed study table or, on a more condemning note, has issues with the law.

CAPTIONBy Ron Chenoy, US Presswire

It’s not known what Taylor did, but Kansas has had a handful of players in trouble the last two seasons, leading ESPN’s Doug Gottlieb to say this on the air:

“I think they have some character issues on this team. … That’s probably the only thing that can derail them. Immensely talented team but those character issues … this can be devastating news especially considering the amount of time and effort they put into Tyshawn Taylor.”

Self was not available for comment. Team spokesman Chris Theisen said the coach does not do interviews on game day. The second-ranked Jayhawks (25-2, 10-2 in Big 12) play host to Oklahoma State (16-10, 4-8) on Monday.

TOP 25 COACHES POLL: Kansas lands at No. 2

In a statement, Self said Taylor still will practice with the team. He averages 8.8 points and 4.7 assists.

Last season Taylor was involved in a fight between some basketball and football players and sustained a dislocated thumb. He posted comments about it on Facebook along with rap lyrics that made him seem boastful about it.

Also last season, guard Brady Morningstar was suspended from games the first semester after an arrest on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.

Earlier this season, senior Mario Little was suspended for six games after an arrest in a domestic disturbance case. He entered a diversion agreement on two misdemeanor battery charges.

On the court, twins Marcus and Markieff Morris are developing reputations for rough play. Gottlieb pointed to flagrant fouls by the brothers as a sign of character issues. Marcus was ejected for a flagrant foul in a December win against California. Markieff was called for an intentional foul against Kansas State.

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Hello world!

Posted on February 22, 2011 by vchnghk

Welcome to Blog.com.

This is your first post, produced automatically by Blog.com. You should edit or delete it, and then start blogging!

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