Brady Quinn got the start against the Titans in the third preseason game and did not disappoint. Quinn who went eleven for fifteen with 128 yards and led the team to two field goals and a touchdown. Quinn showed great pocket awareness, great accuracy, and has showed great mobility against the Titans.
Derek Anderson performed well to but failed to throw a touchdown pass. Anderson who went seven for eleven for 77 yards showed great arm strength but did not show great pocket awareness.
Now the question remains who will start and why. Here are ten things that you need to look at the quarterback position and my feelings on who should start at the quarterback position.
Pocket Awareness: Quinn
Arm Strength: Anderson
Accuracy: Quinn
Mobility: Quinn
Size: Anderson
Ability to make plays happen: Quinn
Two Minute Warning: Quinn
Ability to throw the deep ball: Anderson
Leadership: Quinn
Red Zone Offense: Quinn
Answer: Quinn
To solidify the starting position, Quinn has to perform this well in the last preseason game. If Quinn can play this well, come September 13 he will be the starter against the Vikings.
To keep the job, Quinn has to get into the red zone more often and punch it into the end zone more. One touchdown pass every three games is not going to get it done during the regular season.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
WZIP High School Football Game of the Week Is BACK!!!!
Tune into the years first installment of the WZIP High School Football Game of the Week, as we will be coming to you live from Wadsworth High School for a non-conference match up between the visiting Stow Bulldogs and the hometown Wadsworth Grizzlies.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7p.m. with "The Big Chief" Ian Tayek and Brooks Wagler calling the game.
The game can be heard on 88.1 WZIP-FM and online at www.wzip.fm
Kickoff is scheduled for 7p.m. with "The Big Chief" Ian Tayek and Brooks Wagler calling the game.
The game can be heard on 88.1 WZIP-FM and online at www.wzip.fm
USC to Start Southpaw Freshman Phenom
After a spring, summer and a cracked fibula (to sophomore Aaron Corp), Pete Carroll has decided to go with the number one rated quarterback recruit to start the season opener on Sept. 5 at home against San Jose State. Remember the name folks, Matt Barkley.
The 6'3, 218 pound left handed quarterback will be only the second USC quarterback to start as a true freshman. Ranked number five overall and the number one quarterback in the nation, the time comes now for the young freshman.
To me it's kind of weird that you would start a freshman at USC when you already have Aaron Corp and Mitch Mustain on the roster. Aaron Corp provides experience and has more mobility while Mitch Mustain started for Arkansas just a few years back, but I see Coach Carroll's reasons.
What Matt Barkley does give you is a Matt Leinart type of quarterback. A guy that will stay in the pocket, a leader, a strong and accurate arm, and an NFL-type size. Getting him on the field against San Jose State makes perfect sense to me because it's a lower ranked game and it can get him ready for the first real test at the horseshoe on Sept. 12.
Remember the name Matt Barkley, a future Heisman Trophy winner.
The 6'3, 218 pound left handed quarterback will be only the second USC quarterback to start as a true freshman. Ranked number five overall and the number one quarterback in the nation, the time comes now for the young freshman.
To me it's kind of weird that you would start a freshman at USC when you already have Aaron Corp and Mitch Mustain on the roster. Aaron Corp provides experience and has more mobility while Mitch Mustain started for Arkansas just a few years back, but I see Coach Carroll's reasons.
What Matt Barkley does give you is a Matt Leinart type of quarterback. A guy that will stay in the pocket, a leader, a strong and accurate arm, and an NFL-type size. Getting him on the field against San Jose State makes perfect sense to me because it's a lower ranked game and it can get him ready for the first real test at the horseshoe on Sept. 12.
Remember the name Matt Barkley, a future Heisman Trophy winner.
Favre Knows What He's Been Doing and Needs to Stop It
So, I was watching Preseason Football on Fox the other day when this came on at halftime...
I'll admit, it is funny. Not "Ha-Ha funny," more like "I feel the need to punch someone now funny."
Not to say that having this ad is a bad idea or that Farve is a sell-out to star in it. We've seen those Wrangler ads a million times and athletes can make great product spokesmen (Look at what Jeter and Tiger have done for Gatorade and Gillette). The problem I have with it is the whole timing of it.
We've been following the Brett Favre Retirement Circus since the end of the regular season. Is he going to retire? Is he going to keep playing? Will he stay in New York? Will he go to the Vikings? Day after day this went on. We all thought it was finally over when he said he was going to stay retired. Three weeks later, he changed his mind... again.
That brings me to why this ad makes me angry. It's not that Favre is making fun of himself in it, realizing the chaos he helped to create in the football world, it's that it started airing mere days after signing with Minnesota.
Not to start a conspiracy theory here, but doesn't it almost seem like Farve planned this?
Think about it. Think about how long it can take to make something like this. The filming, editing, finalizing, buying TV time, and giving it to the networks. He had to of made this ad sometime after (if not right before) he said he was going to stay retired. The fact that this starts playing during NFL Preseason games the same week he comes back to play with the Vikings leads me to believe that Brett Farve is just jerking us around. He wants this chaos to continue. He wants to bring attention to himself.
Look, I love Brett Favre. One of my earliest sports memories is watching him lead the Packers to winning Super Bowl XXXI. I've always understood why he came back the first time with the Jets and I'll even give him credit for making fun at himself in this ad, but now, I'm getting just as angered as everyone else about this.
Brett, if you are reading this: enough! We get that your stints in Green Bay and New York didn't end the way you planned and that you feel you still have something left in the tank, but this circus needs to end. Either stay retired (for a change) or shut up and let your play on the field do the talking for you. That's what you've been know for throughout your career. The fact you were poking fun at yourself in this ad shows that you realize what you've been doing. Now, show us you understand by ending the chaos once a for all. No more ads. No more retiring just to unretire again. Just go gracefully once you finally do decide to call it a career.
I promise, five years after you do finally retire, I'll be in Canton to hear your Hall of Fame induction speech in person.
...Just as long as you don't try and sell me anything.
I'll admit, it is funny. Not "Ha-Ha funny," more like "I feel the need to punch someone now funny."
Not to say that having this ad is a bad idea or that Farve is a sell-out to star in it. We've seen those Wrangler ads a million times and athletes can make great product spokesmen (Look at what Jeter and Tiger have done for Gatorade and Gillette). The problem I have with it is the whole timing of it.
We've been following the Brett Favre Retirement Circus since the end of the regular season. Is he going to retire? Is he going to keep playing? Will he stay in New York? Will he go to the Vikings? Day after day this went on. We all thought it was finally over when he said he was going to stay retired. Three weeks later, he changed his mind... again.
That brings me to why this ad makes me angry. It's not that Favre is making fun of himself in it, realizing the chaos he helped to create in the football world, it's that it started airing mere days after signing with Minnesota.
Not to start a conspiracy theory here, but doesn't it almost seem like Farve planned this?
Think about it. Think about how long it can take to make something like this. The filming, editing, finalizing, buying TV time, and giving it to the networks. He had to of made this ad sometime after (if not right before) he said he was going to stay retired. The fact that this starts playing during NFL Preseason games the same week he comes back to play with the Vikings leads me to believe that Brett Farve is just jerking us around. He wants this chaos to continue. He wants to bring attention to himself.
Look, I love Brett Favre. One of my earliest sports memories is watching him lead the Packers to winning Super Bowl XXXI. I've always understood why he came back the first time with the Jets and I'll even give him credit for making fun at himself in this ad, but now, I'm getting just as angered as everyone else about this.
Brett, if you are reading this: enough! We get that your stints in Green Bay and New York didn't end the way you planned and that you feel you still have something left in the tank, but this circus needs to end. Either stay retired (for a change) or shut up and let your play on the field do the talking for you. That's what you've been know for throughout your career. The fact you were poking fun at yourself in this ad shows that you realize what you've been doing. Now, show us you understand by ending the chaos once a for all. No more ads. No more retiring just to unretire again. Just go gracefully once you finally do decide to call it a career.
I promise, five years after you do finally retire, I'll be in Canton to hear your Hall of Fame induction speech in person.
...Just as long as you don't try and sell me anything.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Vikings Locker Room Not in Favre's Corner
Apparently not every player in the Vikings locker room is standing in Brett Farve's corner. Sources state that some players believe Tavaris Jackson is their ticket to winning football games and others believe that Sage Rosenfels is that guy.
What that leaves are a select few members of the locker room, who have confidence in Favre's ability.
Isn't it funny, that when Brad Childress first started courting Brett Farve back in July, that Vikings players were in favor of bringing in the 40 year ol' gunslinger to lead them to the promise land, and now there not so sure?
This change in the locker room is not a result of Farve deciding well after the deadline that he would be coming out of retirement, after Childress promised Jackson and Rosenfels a chance to compete for the starting QB job.
No, this change was the result of Brett Favre's poor performance in his first preseason game with the Vikings.
Now, I know he only had two days to prepare for the game and he's with a new team, but what the poor performance did do, was create a feeling of uncertainty in the minds of the Vikings player's about what Favre has left in the tank.
The only thing Farvre can do now, is to erase this uncertainty by proving on the field that his surgically repaired shoulder is 100%, by returning to the ol' gunslinger we saw in his final year with the Packers or for that matter the first 11 games of his New York Jet career.
Yeah, when Brett Farve signed with the Vikings, it suddenly made them look like a heck of a football team on paper, but football games are won on the field, not on paper.
In order for this Vikings team to live up to the hype created by the Farve signing, everyone needs to be in the corner of Farve, otherwise this team will be a major disappointment.
Maybe...just maybe...the media, including myself, may have jumped on the Farve/Vikings Super Bowl bandwagon a little too soon.
What that leaves are a select few members of the locker room, who have confidence in Favre's ability.
Isn't it funny, that when Brad Childress first started courting Brett Farve back in July, that Vikings players were in favor of bringing in the 40 year ol' gunslinger to lead them to the promise land, and now there not so sure?
This change in the locker room is not a result of Farve deciding well after the deadline that he would be coming out of retirement, after Childress promised Jackson and Rosenfels a chance to compete for the starting QB job.
No, this change was the result of Brett Favre's poor performance in his first preseason game with the Vikings.
Now, I know he only had two days to prepare for the game and he's with a new team, but what the poor performance did do, was create a feeling of uncertainty in the minds of the Vikings player's about what Favre has left in the tank.
The only thing Farvre can do now, is to erase this uncertainty by proving on the field that his surgically repaired shoulder is 100%, by returning to the ol' gunslinger we saw in his final year with the Packers or for that matter the first 11 games of his New York Jet career.
Yeah, when Brett Farve signed with the Vikings, it suddenly made them look like a heck of a football team on paper, but football games are won on the field, not on paper.
In order for this Vikings team to live up to the hype created by the Farve signing, everyone needs to be in the corner of Farve, otherwise this team will be a major disappointment.
Maybe...just maybe...the media, including myself, may have jumped on the Farve/Vikings Super Bowl bandwagon a little too soon.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Play Someone!!
With the college football season starting next Thursday I have a little food for thought. Out of conference scheduling for major football programs might be one of my biggest concerns with the sport.
Now sure there are the Oklahoma State's, Virginia Tech's, Ohio State's, and others that have gone out of their way to schedule a couple tough games before conference play begins. But for the majority of the major football programs their out of conference schedule is a laughapallooza.
Florida and Penn State seem to be the guiltiest. Penn State's out of conference schedule consists of the all mighty Eastern Illinois Panthers, Temple, Syracuse, and yes our very own Akron Zips.
Why doesn't PSU just schedule division II and III teams? Why does Joe Pa and the rest of his staff think it's necessary to have three warm up games before the "Almighty Big 10" rigorous schedule? The Big 10 has two good teams, a bunch of average teams, and several bottom feeders but that's for another day.
We move to "The Swamp" and Gatoradeville. The Florida Gators, quite possibly one of the greatest NCAA Football teams ever to grace the sport (yes I said it, I hate the Gators but they are THAT good) and their out of conference schedule are teams you can find in the bottom 10% every year.
Florida scheduled Troy, Florida International, and the powerhouse Charleston Southern. When I saw Charleston Southern was on their schedule my immediate reaction was "CHARLESTON SOUTHERN HAS A FOOTBALL TEAM?!?!"
Memo to Urban Meyer and Joe Pa take after Pete Carroll, Jim Tressel, Nick Saban and the other coaches that have the pride to schedule a top 15 team out of conference.
Honestly if it comes down to a three team race for the BCS title and you are tied with an Ohio State, Alabama, or Virginia Tech they better get the nod over your teams. Especially if their one loss is to a USC, Virginia Tech, or a Boise State and you lost to an Indiana, or a Mississippi State.
They deserve it for not playing three or four warm up games that the final score was 61-3. And they actually played teams that understand the game they are playing is football and not running around like a bunch of children on recess.
Now sure there are the Oklahoma State's, Virginia Tech's, Ohio State's, and others that have gone out of their way to schedule a couple tough games before conference play begins. But for the majority of the major football programs their out of conference schedule is a laughapallooza.
Florida and Penn State seem to be the guiltiest. Penn State's out of conference schedule consists of the all mighty Eastern Illinois Panthers, Temple, Syracuse, and yes our very own Akron Zips.
Why doesn't PSU just schedule division II and III teams? Why does Joe Pa and the rest of his staff think it's necessary to have three warm up games before the "Almighty Big 10" rigorous schedule? The Big 10 has two good teams, a bunch of average teams, and several bottom feeders but that's for another day.
We move to "The Swamp" and Gatoradeville. The Florida Gators, quite possibly one of the greatest NCAA Football teams ever to grace the sport (yes I said it, I hate the Gators but they are THAT good) and their out of conference schedule are teams you can find in the bottom 10% every year.
Florida scheduled Troy, Florida International, and the powerhouse Charleston Southern. When I saw Charleston Southern was on their schedule my immediate reaction was "CHARLESTON SOUTHERN HAS A FOOTBALL TEAM?!?!"
Memo to Urban Meyer and Joe Pa take after Pete Carroll, Jim Tressel, Nick Saban and the other coaches that have the pride to schedule a top 15 team out of conference.
Honestly if it comes down to a three team race for the BCS title and you are tied with an Ohio State, Alabama, or Virginia Tech they better get the nod over your teams. Especially if their one loss is to a USC, Virginia Tech, or a Boise State and you lost to an Indiana, or a Mississippi State.
They deserve it for not playing three or four warm up games that the final score was 61-3. And they actually played teams that understand the game they are playing is football and not running around like a bunch of children on recess.
Monday, August 24, 2009
MLB Power Rankings 8-24-09: The Top 10 Teams
The New York Yankees come into the week ranked number one in the power rankings after solidifying thier recent dominance this weekend againt the rival Boston Red Sox by taking two out of three games at Fenway Park.
The Bronx Bombers have the best record in Major League Baseball and went 7-3 on their latest road trip, which included a trip to the West Coast.
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have the second best record in baseball and, therefore, recieve the second best spot in the power rankings.
The red hot Philadelphia Phillies slot into the third spot in the rankings with the St. Louis Cardinals a close fourth.
The struggling Los Angeles Dodgers round out the top five.
Here is how the entire top 10 rounds out:
1. New York Yankees (78-46): The Yankees paid CC Sabathia the big bucks to beat the other team's ace and beat the Boston Red Sox. He did both in his last start Sunday against Josh Beckett and the Sox. The Yankees hold a 7 1/2 game lead in the American League East and have clearly been the Major's best team since the All-Star Break.
2. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (74-48): Despite dropping two of three in Toronto, The Angels had another good week and have been playing great baseball in the second half of the season. The have the Majors second best record and deserve their number two ranking.
3. Philadelphia Phillies (71-50): Through five starts with his new team, Cliff Lee's 5-0 record and 0.68 ERA ranks him in the top five all time for pitchers in their first five starts with a team. He and Cole Hamels should make a dangerous one-two-punch in a short postseason series.
4. St. Louis Cardinals (72-54): John Smoltz' strong debut was a good sign for the Red Birds already potent pitching staff. The Cards have three pitchers with 10-plus wins in their starting rotation and a good closer in Ryan Franklin. Oh, and it doesn't hurt to have Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday in the middle of a lineup.
5. Los Angeles Dodgers (74-51): The Dodgers recent struggles have brought the club back down to earth and to the rest of the top teams in the National League. The team is very talented but seems to have more question marks at this point of the season than the aforementioned Phillies and Cardinals.
6. Boston Red Sox (70-53): The Red Sox just missed cracking the top five after a week which saw the squad go 4-2. The Sox offense looked much better this week, but the pitching did not look good, especially Josh Beckett. He lost both of his starts this week and looked less than average.
7. Colorado Rockies (70-54): The Rockies have opened a three game lead over the San Francisco Giants in the National League Wild Card race. They have a very dangerous one-two-punch in Jason Marquis and Ubaldo Jimenez, and a lineup to back it up. Don't be surprised if the Rockies overtake the Dodgers in the Nationnal League West.
8. Texas Rangers (69-54): The Rangers took a step back this weekend by losing a series to the Tampa Bay Rays. The pitching has been a pleasent surprise, but can the young arms hold up? A three game set against the potent Yankee offense this week will be a big test for the young hurlers.
9. Tampa Bay Rays (67-56): The Rays have hung around all season, but still haven't made a strong push at the American League Wild Card. The team is loaded with talent in the rotation and in the lineup, and that push may be about to come.
10. San Francisco Giants (67-57): The Giants need the final game of a four game set against the Rockies badly; if they lose, they will fall to four games back in the National League Wild Card. Tim Lincecum is winless in his last four starts, and, although he needs to turn things around, the offense should shoulder some of the blame.
The Bronx Bombers have the best record in Major League Baseball and went 7-3 on their latest road trip, which included a trip to the West Coast.
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have the second best record in baseball and, therefore, recieve the second best spot in the power rankings.
The red hot Philadelphia Phillies slot into the third spot in the rankings with the St. Louis Cardinals a close fourth.
The struggling Los Angeles Dodgers round out the top five.
Here is how the entire top 10 rounds out:
1. New York Yankees (78-46): The Yankees paid CC Sabathia the big bucks to beat the other team's ace and beat the Boston Red Sox. He did both in his last start Sunday against Josh Beckett and the Sox. The Yankees hold a 7 1/2 game lead in the American League East and have clearly been the Major's best team since the All-Star Break.
2. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (74-48): Despite dropping two of three in Toronto, The Angels had another good week and have been playing great baseball in the second half of the season. The have the Majors second best record and deserve their number two ranking.
3. Philadelphia Phillies (71-50): Through five starts with his new team, Cliff Lee's 5-0 record and 0.68 ERA ranks him in the top five all time for pitchers in their first five starts with a team. He and Cole Hamels should make a dangerous one-two-punch in a short postseason series.
4. St. Louis Cardinals (72-54): John Smoltz' strong debut was a good sign for the Red Birds already potent pitching staff. The Cards have three pitchers with 10-plus wins in their starting rotation and a good closer in Ryan Franklin. Oh, and it doesn't hurt to have Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday in the middle of a lineup.
5. Los Angeles Dodgers (74-51): The Dodgers recent struggles have brought the club back down to earth and to the rest of the top teams in the National League. The team is very talented but seems to have more question marks at this point of the season than the aforementioned Phillies and Cardinals.
6. Boston Red Sox (70-53): The Red Sox just missed cracking the top five after a week which saw the squad go 4-2. The Sox offense looked much better this week, but the pitching did not look good, especially Josh Beckett. He lost both of his starts this week and looked less than average.
7. Colorado Rockies (70-54): The Rockies have opened a three game lead over the San Francisco Giants in the National League Wild Card race. They have a very dangerous one-two-punch in Jason Marquis and Ubaldo Jimenez, and a lineup to back it up. Don't be surprised if the Rockies overtake the Dodgers in the Nationnal League West.
8. Texas Rangers (69-54): The Rangers took a step back this weekend by losing a series to the Tampa Bay Rays. The pitching has been a pleasent surprise, but can the young arms hold up? A three game set against the potent Yankee offense this week will be a big test for the young hurlers.
9. Tampa Bay Rays (67-56): The Rays have hung around all season, but still haven't made a strong push at the American League Wild Card. The team is loaded with talent in the rotation and in the lineup, and that push may be about to come.
10. San Francisco Giants (67-57): The Giants need the final game of a four game set against the Rockies badly; if they lose, they will fall to four games back in the National League Wild Card. Tim Lincecum is winless in his last four starts, and, although he needs to turn things around, the offense should shoulder some of the blame.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Browns Look Impressive Against Lions
After an embarrassing preseason opener in Green Bay last Saturday head coach Eric Mangini was furious about the Browns poor performance. The Browns looked like the team we have come to know and love. You know the one with an offense that can't score a touchdown, the defense that can't stop the run or prevent the deep ball, and the one that commits costly penalties.
But this past Saturday night we saw a completely different Cleveland Browns football team. Besides the fact that the Browns won the game 27-10 over the pathetic excuse for a football team known as the Detroit Lions. I like many other people was very pleased with what I witnessed last night.
Josh Cribbs continued to show that he is one of the most exciting players in all the NFL by returning a punt 84 yards for the TD.
The Browns offense finally scored their first offensive touchdown since November 17th!!! Something all Browns fans should give rejoice for.
6th round draft pick RB James Davis out of Clemson showed signs of greatness with his 81 yard touchdown run and maybe...maybe a potential running back tandem that the Browns can rely on in the smash mouth football division known as the AFC North.
Derek Anderson was also impressive in the game leading the Browns on three scoring drives in their first three possessions, making the Browns ongoing QB battle even more complicated. Even though Brady Quinn still seams to be the clear favorite for the job, but you can never rule anything out with this team.
And finally, Rob Ryan's defense was able to put pressure on young Matt Stafford and prevent the Lions running attack from racking up mass quantities of yards.
But, as we all know the final score of preseason games are irrelevant, we can however hang our hats and be impressed with how the Manginous version of the Cleveland Browns were. And how they were able to bounce back, by show serious signs of improvement after an embarrassing performance in Green Bay just one week ago.
But this past Saturday night we saw a completely different Cleveland Browns football team. Besides the fact that the Browns won the game 27-10 over the pathetic excuse for a football team known as the Detroit Lions. I like many other people was very pleased with what I witnessed last night.
Josh Cribbs continued to show that he is one of the most exciting players in all the NFL by returning a punt 84 yards for the TD.
The Browns offense finally scored their first offensive touchdown since November 17th!!! Something all Browns fans should give rejoice for.
6th round draft pick RB James Davis out of Clemson showed signs of greatness with his 81 yard touchdown run and maybe...maybe a potential running back tandem that the Browns can rely on in the smash mouth football division known as the AFC North.
Derek Anderson was also impressive in the game leading the Browns on three scoring drives in their first three possessions, making the Browns ongoing QB battle even more complicated. Even though Brady Quinn still seams to be the clear favorite for the job, but you can never rule anything out with this team.
And finally, Rob Ryan's defense was able to put pressure on young Matt Stafford and prevent the Lions running attack from racking up mass quantities of yards.
But, as we all know the final score of preseason games are irrelevant, we can however hang our hats and be impressed with how the Manginous version of the Cleveland Browns were. And how they were able to bounce back, by show serious signs of improvement after an embarrassing performance in Green Bay just one week ago.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Welcome
Thank you for visiting the official blog of Sports Power Talk. The WZIP Sports Team; including "The Big Chief" Ian Tayek, Dave Lubich, and myself Brooks Wagler will provide you with expert opinions about all the major happenings in the world of sports. Not only can you enjoy the radio show on Sundays from 4-7 p.m. on the Z88 Sports Network, but you can now here from the entire team 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Stay tuned for more posts!!!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)