Football

During the dark, low points of Tennessee's season many fans asked expected head coach Mike Munchak to lose his job when the season was finally over. When the Titans fell to the Bears at home Bud Adams sent the team a message putting the entire roster on notice, and it looked like they had regained their 9-7 form from 2011. However a devastating defeat at the hands of the Packers in the tundra quickly gave fans the familiar combination of fear, anger, resentment, and confusion in the collective pits of their stomachs. However, a new day has dawned and with it comes the hopes of something better for Titans fans. The team seems to be running smoothly which has provoked to write this piece filled with what Mike Munchak has done correctly. This is the greatest strength of the Titans current head coach. He is in in sync with the front office. Munch and Webster seem to have an outstanding relationship and instead of staying out of each others way, they have made joint decisions that look like they will really help the Titans, especially this offseason. Munch identified where he needed help and he and Webster went out and added two players each at the key positions of need: guard and tackle. Not only did they address the problem, but they turned it into a strength. Suddenly a team that couldn't run consistently last year has the inside track on the title of best offensive line in the league. Adding players who should both be named the Pro Bowl in the next two years in young standout Andy Levitre and the Chance Warmack, possibly the best overall player in the 2013 draft. A secondary that seemed to be too far removed from the action on nearly every play last year has now added two of the best strong safeties in the league. George Wilson was quietly outstanding in his time in Buffalo, and was a very savvy player that helped his defense hold their own against the likes of Tom Brady. There is no need to sing Bernard Pollard's praises because everybody knows just how great he is, but I should just in case he reads this and puts me on his list. Pollard is not "a thumper", he is "The Thumper", Pollard has redefined what it means to be physical and clean in a game full of personal fouls and dirty players. When he comes down hill and finds the ball carrier the entire nation feels his impact. And without Munchak pushing and lobbying for a huge free agency period who knows if the Titans would have gotten those guys. A new coach wouldn't make his first big free agency signing a guard, that is too risky. He wouldn't have tried to take on someone with the locker room presence of a Bernard Pollard, the new coach might have been afraid of being out-shined. A new coach doesn't draft Chance Warmack in round one, he takes the flashy player. However, a coach and front office perfectly in sync make all those moves because they KNOW how they want to build a team and this fits their mold. They KNOW how these pieces are going to be used on the field and they trust that the best moves will get made no matter what the media says about the spending or how outrageous it is for two guards to go in the top 10. Mike Munchak has a vision for this team, and his relationship with the front office could pay off in a big way this year. An improved defense and an offense ready to grind out the yards on the ground is the "Titans Way" and his greatest strength has put the pieces in place for the Titans to get back to their identity. Poll Are you optimistic about the changes the Titans have made? Yes No 1 votes | Results

By Jeremy Hritz What can we expect from Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders in the 2013 season? After being courted by the New England Patriots, Sanders signed an offer sheet that many believed the Steelers would not match. However, by the end of the matching deadline, Sanders had been retained, and the Steelers did not acquire an additional third round draft pick, to the chagrin of many in Steelers Nation. The detrimental effects of Mike Wallace and his egocentrism are still fresh in the minds of his former teammates, coaches, and fans, and a repeat experience with Sanders has Read more [...]

One of the neat parts about Twitter is that it can provide a glimpse inside the world of the professional athlete, and at times, link one generation of player to a new generation. Such was the case Saturday morning, when Patriots Hall of Famer Troy Brown -- one of the most popular players in the history of the franchise -- tweeted the following to @DannyAmendola: "Welcome my man to The Patriot Way. I'll see you at the Big Razor & best of luck!

To be fair, Sam Bradford hasn’t played three full seasons. In 2011, he played in only 10 games as a result of injury. That doesn't really have any bearing on what’s about to be covered, though. The question that arises is whether or not Bradford’s ability to convert in the red zone is truly success, or a bi-product of the offense’s inability to make big plays that go the distance. Bradford has thrown 45 TD’s since being drafted in 2010. His best season-long performance came last season, when he threw for scores on 21 of his passes - 18 of the remaining 24 [TD’s] were thrown during his rookie campaign. The intriguing thing about his 45 scores isn't where they rank among other NFL QB’s or who they were thrown to. It’s in how deep the Rams needed to move into their opponents side of the field in order to strike. As mentioned, nearly 80% were scored in the red zone. It shouldn't come as much of a surprise. The Rams’ offense has lacked much explosion for several years; specifically in the aerial attack. Coupled with the fact that inconsistencies along the offensive line have made it difficult to punch it in on the first - sometimes second - attempt. Let’s have a look at how Sam has dispersed his 45 TD’s, specifically in regards to the Rams location on the football field. 2012 Field Position Att Comp’s Comp % TD’s Rating Opp’s 19-1 yd line 60 33 55.0 13 81.2 Opp’s 49-20 yd line 147 84 57.1 5 75.0 Own 1-20 yd line 112 72 64.3 1 85.8 Own 21-50 yd line 232 139 59.9 2 77.7 2011 Opp’s 19-1 yd line 32 8 25.0 4 66.1 Opp’s 49-20 yd line 93 49 52.7 2 70.8 Own 1-20 yd line 64 35 54.7 - 62.9 Own 21-50 yd line 168 99 58.9 - 75.1 2010 Opp’s 19-1 yd line 87 42 48.3 12 75.2 Opp’s 49-20 yd line 167 98 58.7 6 80.4 Own 1-20 yd line 66 50 75.8 - 84.3 Own 21-50 yd line 270 164 60.7 - 70.5 Field Position & Attempts At the conclusion of the 2012 season, Bradford has thrown 1,498 career passes. 179 [11.9%] of his attempts came at a time when the Rams were in the red zone. 407 [27.2%] were thrown after the Sam lead the team past the 50-yard line, yet not quite into the red zone. On the Rams half of the field, 242 [16.2%] passes were thrown inside their own 20, and 670 [44.7%] between their own 21 and midfield. I find that putting stats like this into fancy bar chart format make it easier at a glance… In breaking it down by halves of the field in which Sam targeted his receiver[s], 586 of his 1,498 pass attempts [39.1%] came on the Rams half. This is certainly a statistic the Rams would benefit from nudging closer to a 50/50 split. The 2012 season - in Sam’s best year statistically - the number of attempts by half actually displayed a downward trend. Only 207 of his passes came after eclipsing the 50-yard line, accounting for 37.6% of all his attempts on the year. No need to sweat it, though. Last year’s rookie phenoms Andrew Luck [37.0%] and Robert Griffin III [36.9%] didn’t fair any better. So don’t throw in that towel just yet. Completion Percentage It’s pretty clear to see - looking at completion percentage in the chart above - that Bradford struggles to find his receiver in the oppon

Jim O’Connor-USA TODAY Sports The New York Giants began their organized team activities (OTAs) this week, and the first piece of bad news is that Henry Hynoski injured his knee on Wednesday. He had surgery this Friday to repair his MCL and a bone chip after he was “rolled up on.” The absence of the Giants’ rock-steady blocker may cause problems for the Giants’ unsteady backfield, but how does his injury affect the 53-man roster that will take the field week one in Dallas? First, Giants’ running back Michael Cox could take on a new responsibility at full back temporarily, in addition to his kickoff return duties, which he may win over from Wilson. Cox has the size and ability to be an effective substitute for Hynoski. Likewise, Ryan Torain may also make the roster due to his size and circumstances. Torain is a big back with experience with the Washington Redskins. At 26, 6-foot-1 and 212 pounds, Torain still must have some gas in the tank after a very productive 2010 season with the Redskins. Look for him to also make the team if he can show Giants’ head coach Tom Coughlin versatility. Tight end Bear Pascoe’s name has been floated around as a temporary replacement to the vacated fullback position. With the free agent signing of Brandon Myers, the Giants have added a legit play making tight end to their potent offense. Last year, Myers had a breakout season with 79 receptions for 806 yards and four touchdowns in 16 games. The Giants’ are hoping for better blocking from the free agent acquisition as he was managing a left shoulder injury all of last year for the Oakland Raiders. Pascoe will continue his yeoman tight end blocking duties for this season after having been re-signed to a one-year contract, possibly filling in for the injured fullback in Week 1. Second-year Adrien Robinson will continue to develop as a blocking tight end, but may also see some action as a playmaker. At 6-foot-5, 280 pounds, Robinson has the look of a Jerry Reese development project as he will continued to be groomed under tutelage of Giants’ tight end coach Mike Pope under the play of Myers and Pascoe. Hynoski’s injury has already created an opportunity for one of these players to step up.  If they can’t find an effective run blocker to fill the Hynocerous’ role in Week 1, the Giants’ season will get off to a rocky start in Dallas. Joseph Alario is a New York Giants writer for RantSports.com. Like him on Facebook or add him to your network on google+

The Kansas City Chiefs have toyed with the pistol formation during offseason team activities, but that's not all. Reports out of practice suggest the Chiefs' pass-catching tight ends are in for a big year.

Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports As the San Francisco 49ers made their run to the Super Bowl last season, one player — who had been a key contributor through the early part of the season — was not on the field of play at during the Super Bowl. That player would be running back Kendall Hunter. Hunter’s season would end during the Week 12 game against the New Orleans Saints as he sustained a tear of his Achilles tendon. With Micahel Crabtree being lost for most of — if not the entire — 2013 season, questions have been asked about how the 49ers will replace the numbers and step up to fill the void he will leave behind. Remember that Kendall Hunter will be back and has proven to be valuable contributor in his first two seasons. Before having gone down for the season, Hunter was averaging 5.2 yards per carry as the backup to Frank Gore. If Gore was the thunder, then Hunter was the lightning as he served as a great change-of-pace running back for the 49ers. In addition, Hunter was a capable pass catcher as well, having caught 25 passes in his first two seasons. With the emergence of LaMichael James late in the season for the 49ers, many might have assumed that Hunter’s role would or could be diminished for the 2013 season. But with Crabtree’s injury, Hunter has value. Despite the 49ers throwing more ever since Colin Kaepernick became the starting quarterback, let’s remember that at its core, Jim Harbaugh is a coach who likes to run the ball and establish the running game. While many try and figure out which wide receivers are going to step up in the absence of Michael Crabtree, the emphasis might be to run the ball more with Crabtree’s absence. If that happens, Hunter will have the opportunity to be the value contributor that he has been in his first two seasons. Hunter has done more than enough to demonstrate to Harbaugh and the offensive coaching staff that he can be counted on to produce. With Greg Roman as the Offensive Coordinator, one can bet we could see sets where Hunter is on the field at the same time as Gore and James. While many will focus on which wide receivers will help make up for the loss of Crabtree, keep in mind that it could be the running game that fills the void. As a result, Kendall Hunter and his 5.2-yards-per-carry average will have a role and a valuable one at that. Lucas Carreras is a contributing San Francisco 49ers writer for RantSports.com. You can follow Lucas on Twitter by following @maldini3fan and you can add him to your contacts and connect with him on Google+.

Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports Ever since QB Michael Vick burst onto the scene as the first-overall pick of the 2001 NFL Draft, he has been largely regarded as the fastest, and most athletic, quarterback in professional football. Well, when the Washington Redskins decided to snatch up Robert Griffin III (RGIII) with the second-overall pick of last year’s 2012 NFL Draft, the previously stagnant conversation of the NFL’s single most athletic signal-caller began to heat up. This debate is even more intriguing because it deals with fierce NFC East rivals, with RGIII on the ‘Skins and Vick currently the Philadelphia Eagles’ starting QB. Vick’s speed has been the topic of conversation as of late after he allegedly burned teammate LeSean McCoy in a 40-yard dash earlier this month. McCoy has since claimed that Vick cheated, but witnesses of the race assert that it was a fair-fight, and that Vick won by a significant margin. Perhaps this victory is what prompted Vick to state earlier this week that he is still the all-around fastest quarterback in the entire league. “I really don’t feel like there’s a quarterback in the league who can beat me in a 40-yard dash,” said Vick. He went on to say that he is willing to accept a challenge from anybody, even RGIII or San Francisco 49ers burner-of-a QB Colin Kaepernick, if they wish to take on the ole vet. Vick gave both of these QBs a vote of confidence, referring to them as “fast” and “fast as well.” So who is the fastest quarterback in the NFL? Vick? RGIII? Or even Kaepernick? While some might believe that RGIII has quickly taken over as the league’s speediest QB, it is incredibly hard to compare raw game speed when two quarterbacks are never on the field at the same time. And it goes without saying that Vick still shows incredible explosiveness in his running, and Kaepernick also displays mind-blowing acceleration and escapability. So until these three sultans of speed meet up off-the-clock and test their wheels head-to-head, there is no credible answer to the question of the NFL’s fastest quarterback. You can follow Joe on Twitter @EaglesRant for all Philadelphia Eagles/NFL insight.

We break down the film of Chicago's wide receivers from organized team activities, focusing on second-year wideout Alshon Jeffery, seventh rounder Marquess Wilson and more.

Hey Vikings Fans! Here is a batch of Vikings articles from around the web that you might be interested in. Adrian Peterson is Against Gay Marriage Adrian Peterson has at last chimed in on the gay marriage debate. In Peterson’s own words he is not “with that.” Meaning he is against marriage equality. Peterson voiced his opinion during an interview on Sirius/XM radio, saying: To each his… Is Jared Allen Really a Top 100 Player? Another Viking defender has landed on the NFL Network’s Top 100 Players Countdown. Last week Chad Greenway came in at #70 and this week Jared Allen shows up at #60. Allen’s production dipped in 2012, thanks in part to some physical issues, but… What’s The Story Behind Your Screen Name? (EDIT: My apologies to “FelBanana,” as I totally missed his FanPost on this subject from a few days back. But we’re underway in this one, so we’ll just r… Minnesota Vikings News And Links, 5/24 It’s Friday, everybody! We’ve made it through another week, and we’ve nearly made it through another month, even. A lo… How Does Adrian Peterson Compare to the Top 10 Rushers of All Time? Adrian Peterson currently ranks No. 33 among the… Jared Allen Comes In At #60 On NFL Network Top 100 We talked earlier about how Jared… Tweet This Post