Schein 9: Quick fixes for Super Bowl teams
Another Colts comeback.
Another vintage Peyton performance.
A classic meltdown by the Minnesota coach and quarterback.
A classic celebration in new Orleans.
And stop whining about the overtime rules in the NFL.
Let's bring it, Schein 9 style ...
1. Fix itThe Colts and Saints are going to meet in Miami for a chance to claim supremacy in the NFL. It's the matchup everyone wanted, featuring the two teams that took undefeated records into December, an unprecedented event.
The fans are going nuts. the performances on championship Sunday were epic. but there are a few things that must be cleaned up over the next 12 days.
The Vikings had 475 total yards. the Saints had 257. That's the largest negative yard differential for a winning team in playoff history.
If the Saints want a chance in the Super Bowl, that has to improve.
I loved Gregg Williams' aggressiveness Sunday. It was the right play. but study the film from the Colts' win against the Jets. Manning got hot as the offensive line picked up the Jets' blitz, which was so successful early, getting Peyton totally out of whack over the first quarter and 13 minutes. Just like Manning picked apart the Jets secondary on the final drive of the first half for a key touchdown, he can do the same to new Orleans.
And I've used the word "opportunistic" all year to describe the Saints defense. but the Colts won't make the same mistakes that Minnesota made. Indy doesn't implode. EVER. This season, they've saved their best for when it matters the most.
Additionally, Jeremy Shockey is clearly not 100 percent and needs to be a factor. And then there's the running attack. I believed the Saints would outrush the Vikings. It wasn't even close. Adrian Peterson had his best game in over two months. Reggie Bush caught a touchdown but had a poor game. after a statement performance, he did absolutely nothing on championship Sunday. new Orleans needs to do a much better job of running the ball against the Colts.
From a Colts standpoint, I think they need to start fast. Jim Caldwell took exception with my word choice that Peyton was "rattled" early on during the Jets game, but he was. And the Saints defense can get you off rhythm. the Saints can score in bunches with Drew Brees. Indy has a knack for falling behind in games. While it sounds like a nitpick, it can't happen against the Saints.
Joseph Addai and the Colts running game proved to be stunningly successful against new York. but all season, it has been stuck in the mud, ranked dead last in the NFL. a key to the Colts' win was balance. They need to establish it against the Saints in order to win.
The Colts also gave up two sacks early against the Jets. the offensive line needs to play four quarters of football against an end like Will Smith and the pressure Williams will put on Manning.
2. Rise and Schein"The Saints are going to the Super Bowl!!!"
These are words Saints fans never thought they would hear. Enjoy it, new Orleans.
There has been such a special attachment between the players and the community in new Orleans, strengthened through the adversity and devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Mickey Loomis, Sean Payton and Drew Brees will always, beautifully, be attached at the hip for their efforts to rebuild new Orleans and run to the Super Bowl.
It was special watching Payton get choked up on FOX when he was talking to the crowd.
Loomis was so excited for the city of new Orleans when we talked after the game.
And Loomis' pickup of Brees will go down as the best offensive free-agent pickup in NFL history.
3. Hide the women, children and Matt MillenVikings fans will never forget the final two minutes of regulation in new Orleans. a trip to the Super Bowl inexplicably slipped away.
Brad Childress' clock management and game management were pathetic. And there's a reason we took the coach to task for issues like this all season, even when the Vikes were winning. you knew it would catch up, and it did.
There was no sense of urgency to the final drive. the use of timeouts was poor. the play selection was worse. How in the world do you get called for 12 men in the huddle after a timeout! And why did Brett Favre think he could call a timeout after a timeout! And how does Favre scramble and then throw across his body on a third-and-15 after the penalty? Just run, Brett! Ryan Longwell will make the kick! the Vikings fans got "Farved."
Childress and Favre will forever kick themselves for these legendary gaffes.
4. Backseat coachingRex Ryan is getting unfairly criticized for two things that happened this weekend.
I love how pundits, and even Peyton Manning, wondered why Lito Sheppard didn't start. On a special edition of Jets Game Plan on SNY Saturday night, when asked for final thoughts, I said: "Lito Sheppard scares me and is a matchup nightmare for the Jets."
Now, Dwight Lowery and Donald Strickland are not great players either, but let's not make Sheppard into a Darrelle Revis clone.
And I had no problem with Rex trying a 52-yard field goal with Jay Feely. the Jets needed points and weather wasn't a factor. the snap was bad, Feely missed Manning took over with a short field and scored to give Indy the lead and the Colts wouldn't look back. but that wasn't a bad decision.
5. So over the overtime argumentPeople, please pipe down.
Where, oh where, were the critics and the haters of the NFL's overtime rules when Michael Adams plastered Aaron Rodgers and Karlos Dansby picked up the ball and scored the game-winning touchdown for the Cards on defense!!!
Imagine that concept.
This just in: FOXSports.com has learned there are three phases of football -- offense, defense and special teams.
You play all three to win. Deal with a coin flip. And move the hell on.
College overtime is a joke and a gimmick. It's not football. Again, pipe down.
6. Weekly Hot Seat"Ladies and gentleman, introducing David Garrard and the AFC Pro Bowlers!!"
Are we kidding here? David freaking Garrard is in the Pro Bowl. Who's next, Curtis Painter?
And that's no knock on my guy Garrard, who is solid. but this is officially embarrassing. the Pro Bowl is for the players. put it in Hawaii. Let them celebrate with their families. And get the best players to go.
The NFL is on the hot seat with this sham.
7. my guysPeyton Manning: as Jim Caldwell told us on Monday: "When Peyton gets a feel and gets on a roll, it's impressive to watch." well said. He's the best in the business, and it's a pleasure to watch his greatness. the four-play drive at the end of the first half, resulting in a touchdown to Austin Collie, changed the game. the fade to Pierre Garcon to make it 20-17 sealed it. Manning was breathtaking, throwing for 377 yards, three touchdowns and no picks against a great defense, making all the proper adjustments after a rocky start.
Jon Vilma: he is the Drew Brees of the defense and was in the middle of everything positive for the Saints.
Austin Collie: How's this for dedication? Caldwell told us Collie spent his Saturday improving his hand-eye coordination by catching tennis balls from a Jugs machine. I think it paid off on game day!
Mark Sanchez: the rookie quarterback earned his stripes in the playoffs, and he played a tough and great game against the Colts.
Paul Allen: the outstanding voice of the Vikings was appropriately critical of Brad Childress and Brett Favre down the stretch of the game. we aired his calls during Monday's Sirius Blitz. amazing stuff, Paul.
8. my goatsBraylon Edwards: Way to pull a Roy Williams and make it all about yourself after a loss. Edwards is going to blame Rex Ryan and Brian Schottenheimer and Mark Sanchez for the loss, with commentary that the Jets "played to maintain" and "we got up and got comfortable." That's pathetic. Edwards' teammates didn't blame him when he couldn't catch a cold. Sanchez, Schotty and Rex are the main reasons the Jets made the championship game. Braylon showed this weak act in Cleveland, proving once again he doesn't get it.
Brett Favre: Truth be told, the 40-year-old was a warrior on Sunday, getting clobbered repeatedly and getting back up over and over. It was amazing to watch. but that pick will stay with Favre forever. you can't make that throw!
Drew Coleman/Dwight Lowery: Manning beat Coleman in the aforementioned drive in the first half and bested Lowery in the third quarter. is it too early to talk about the Jets drafting a corner to play opposite Darrelle Revis?
Brad Childress: he needs a game management coach. Paging the legendary Dick Curl.
Thomas Jones: all season, I gushed about how Jones was performing like an All-Pro back. a huge turning point in the Jets' loss was when Shonn Greene got hurt. you thought Jones could step in and keep the chains moving with the Jets keeping the lead. Jones didn't get it done, and Greene's injury loomed large.
9. three and out1. Colts unsung heroes? How about unknowns Daniel Muir and Antonio "Mookie" Johnson. (Full disclosure: I had no idea his nickname was Mookie until Caldwell dropped that during an interview. I will now only call him Mookie.) the Colts run defense was great, and the beefy, no-name defensive tackles get credit.
2. the Jets are going to be in the mix for the Super Bowl next season. Rex and Sanchez grew up. Cornerstones like Sanchez, Darrelle Revis, David Harris, Nick Mangold, D'Brickashaw Ferguson, and Dustin Keller are young. Kris Jenkins and Leon Washington will return from injury.
3. Seattle made an excellent hire when they plucked John Schneider from Green Bay to be its general manager. Schneider is bright and is comfortable with Pete Carroll getting final say. I believe the relationship will be excellent.
You can watch Schein and Chris Carlin on Loud Mouths, weeknights at 6 ET on SNY (DIRECT-TV 639).
You can listen to Schein and Rich Gannon on the Sirius Blitz, weekdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET on Sirius NFL Radio 124.
Join Schein on NFL Sundays for the Sirius NFL Tailgate show from 9 a.m. to noon ET on Sirius NFL Radio and immediately after the Jets games on SNY for Jets Postgame Live.
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Saints win doesn’t overshadow Farve’s legacy
That doesn't feel right, does it? I mean, come on ... it's the Saints. It's a franchise so despicable that its fans once felt the need to wear bags over their heads when attending games, and the team became commonly referred to as the Ain'ts.
It is the perfect setup for another overdone sports film.
A city is devastated by a natural disaster, but the ever-dismal sports team turns things around and picks up the city's morale in the process. this bunch of misfits, led by a new quarterback or coach (in new Orleans' case, both), gets all the way to the big game and beats the team with the hall-of-famer.
But what if the hall-of-famer's story was better than that of the winning team?
At the end of his long career with the Green Bay Packers, Brett Favre found himself with perhaps his last chance to go to a Super Bowl in the 2008 NFC Championship game. Playing at home in the cold of Lambeau Field in front of his biggest supporters, he threw an interception in overtime that led to a new York Giants field goal, sending them to their eventual championship.
Almost everyone knows what happened next. Favre retired, but then changed his mind only to be told, "No, thank you," by Packers management. He was traded to the Jets only to have injuries hold him back the final months of 2008 season.
After the season he had surgery to repair his shoulder and once again was courted out of retirement by the Vikings, the bitter division rival that would allow him the chance to exact revenge on his former team.
Favre stormed through the regular season amassing a career best (impressive since it spans 19 seasons) 107.2 quarterback rating and a career low seven interceptions. the season included two wins over the Packers and a division title, the eighth of his career. at 40, Favre had one of the best statistical years of his life.
On Sunday in new Orleans, roughly 60 miles from the town he grew up in, he entered the Super Dome with a chance to rectify what made him decide to come out of retirement in the first place: the opportunity to get back to a Super Bowl.
It was almost fitting that the Vikings were in white as Favre was playing the part of the lone ranger, an old gunslinger out for his last chance at glory. Battered and beaten by a blitzing Saints defense the entire game, a crushing hit by Bobby McCray placed Favre on the trainers table with an injured ankle. even with his obvious pain, he never missed a play and even led a game-tying touchdown drive with under five minutes left in the 4th quarter.
Whether you wanted to or not, you just had to root for the guy. there he was, a 40-year-old man getting knocked down time and time again, but he just kept getting up. his team fumbled the ball six times, but did he scold Adrian Peterson, the cause for three of the drops? no. instead, he put his hand on his shoulder and encouraged him.
The lasting memory from the game, however, will be the final offensive play for the Vikings, an interception that removed any chance Minnesota had at a field goal attempt to win the game. the image of Favre, helmet lifted halfway, head down as he walked off the field for maybe the last time in his career.
Favre was quoted as saying, "I was disappointed the last pass I threw was intercepted," following the loss to the Giants in the 2008 Playoffs. Sunday he could have said the same thing, but instead told reporters, "I can't print anything for you guys, but I know I'm going out on top one way or the other."
And you know what? He's right.
Uncertainty Looms for Improving Jets
INDIANAPOLIS as devastated as Rex Ryan felt Sunday night, he had already started to look forward. The Colts were celebrating their 30-17 victory over the Jets in the American Football Conference championship game, but Ryan was detailing the talent in his locker room.
He talked about building a mentality and about what this team had started.
"We don't need a whole lot," Ryan, the Jets' coach, said in referring to next season on the day this season ended.
He was right. In the most important ways, the Jets are well positioned for another run. The core of the team will return intact. The roster gained valuable postseason experience.
Players like wide receiver Braylon Edwards and running back Leon Washington will be restricted, not unrestricted, free agents, if, as expected, next season is played without a salary cap. Washington and nose tackle Kris Jenkins will probably return from season-ending injuries.
Jets fans should feel secure about the direction their franchise is headed. But they should also be aware that the prospect of a capless season presents its own problems. Most notable, should the owners and the players' association fail to agree on a new collective bargaining agreement, the Jets will be hamstrung in part by their own success.
The Jets' surprising postseason run ties their hands considerably heading into this off-season. In recent years, the Jets have spent wildly in free agency, acquiring players like Bart Scott, Calvin Pace, Jim Leonhard, Damien Woody and Alan Faneca, five starters signed in the past two off-seasons.
But because the Jets finished among the final eight teams this season, they essentially cannot sign a free agent unless they lose one. This rule was put in to protect the N.F.L.'s cherished parity in a season without a salary cap.
So the Jets would enter an uncapped season with few pressing needs cornerback depth is the obvious one, as Colts quarterback Peyton Manning demonstrated Sunday but a restricted ability to address them. The draft in April is considered deep in talent, good news for most teams, but hardly a consolation for the Jets, who will pick near the bottom.
In a bizarre twist, the Jets' most bitter rival, new England, is better positioned heading into this off-season. The Patriots won the American Football Conference East over the Jets but lost in the first round of the playoffs. By finishing out of the top eight, the division champion Patriots could spend like crazy in free agency, while the Jets, a wild-card team, are limited. (Not that the Patriots are expected to go all Washington Redskins, but still.)
Most teams are expected to reduce payroll in anticipation of a lockout the next season. But the Jets will not have that choice. their choice is to build through the draft and a handful of key free-agent signings. Obvious needs are cornerback depth, offensive line depth, a punter and potentially a backup quarterback.
Despite the restrictions in a season without a salary cap, the Jets think they are built to contend now. This season's run was only the third time in franchise history the Jets won two games in a postseason. they set or tied eight postseason game franchise records in the process.
"We do have a lot of things to look forward to," wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery said. "We have a great young quarterback, our offensive line is going to be together for a while, and there are a lot of young players on this team."
Few players oozed optimism the way that quarterback Mark Sanchez did over the final five weeks of his rookie season. In three playoff games, Sanchez threw for 539 yards, with 4 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, good for a 92.7 quarterback rating.
Sanchez played perhaps his best game this season against the Colts, given its importance. his only interception came on a tipped ball, and his 80-yard touchdown strike to Edwards was the longest pass in Jets postseason history.
Beyond that, Sanchez also saw Manning take over Sunday. That is the quarterback Sanchez wants to be, the way he wants to play.
"I've started becoming the quarterback this team needs," Sanchez said. "I've started making the decisions that the quarterback who makes it to the a.F.C. championship game makes. I've still got a long way to go, a long way to go. I haven't arrived. I haven't figured it out. I haven't made it."
Questions loom. Rather than lose Edwards for no compensation, the Jets are expected to tender him a contract that would provide them with first- and third-round draft choices if he were to sign elsewhere. The Jets would like to re-sign Edwards, a talented receiver with a penchant for dropping passes, but not for $9 million each season.
Expect the Jets to pay the $3 million roster bonus that running back Thomas Jones is due in March, but not the $10 million bonus due to cornerback Lito Sheppard. Jones's production dipped in the playoffs, but with the uncertainty surrounding Washington's recovery, it makes sense for the Jets to keep Jones, who set a career high with 1,402 rushing yards this season.
That said, the Jets need depth in their offensive line; the starters Woody, Faneca and guard Brandon Moore will be at least 30 next season. Manning exposed the secondary, which could also use some help. Then there is uncertainty surrounding safety Kerry Rhodes, who was benched this season but played well after returning to the lineup, and linebacker Vernon Gholston, a colossal first-round disappointment.
Mostly, though, the Jets will make their run next season with largely the same roster. at least on Sunday, they seemed comfortable with that prospect.
"We'll be back," Edwards said.
How do you clean out the jets in a jetted tub?
Moved into a new home with a jetted tub. first time it was used was very interesting. Brown and black pieces of filth were floating all over from the jets. What is the best and safest way to clean these out and maintain them that way?
