Yardbarker: Bart Scott

One More Time - There’s A Flag on the Play

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:58:55 -0500

"There's a flag on the play!" It's a sentence in football that can bring cheers of joy or expletives aplenty depending on your point of view. But, for Baltimore Ravens fans and players it seems that the zebras aren't the most popular people in town these days. Coming off of two close losses in the span of seven days can make people a little irritable. Especially when your team's expectations have changed drastically in the last five weeks and you had a legitimate chance to be 4-0. So there are people looking for answers and naturally there are many directions you can take your frustrations, a rookie coach, the play calling, the lack of production by the offense or the most popular the officials. Since the Ravens became contenders they have been defined by their aggressive defense and brash attitude. With that aggression you have the potential to bit overzealous at times, since 2001 the Ravens have been penalized in the triple digits almost every year. Is this a result of undisciplined play or of being unfairly targeted by the referees? One of the main knocks on Brian Billick's tenure as coach was that "the inmates ran the asylum". There was little accountability and veterans seemed to get favorable treatment. False starts and Delay of Game penalties were fairly common throughout the years as well as the dreaded unsportsmanlike conduct. Anyone who watched the Ravens last season on National TV manhandle the Patriots didn't remember how incredible the team played but rather how far Bart Scott threw the little yellow flag into the stands on his way to being ejected. The hope was that things would change with a new regime. The season is still young and the jury is still deliberating but, Jarret Johnson's penalty in the Pittsburgh game didn't help matters nor did 11 other penalties help the cause against the Titans. It could be one of the main reasons that separate why this team is .500 instead of undefeated. So far, Coach Harbaugh has been publicly diplomatic and fans have only seen one instance (Johnson's penalty) when he admonished poor play. That doesn't mean he doesn't do it but you would have never seen that with Brian Billick at the helm. It begs the question of accountability. Terrell Suggs recently stated in an interview , "We are the bad boys of football. They (officials)are always going to look at us like that. They are always going to have a close eye on us." So is the perception that the Ravens are targeted truly the reality? During a game against the Lions a few years back when the Baltimore was flagged for 21 penalties, Suggs was ejected by official Mike Carey. His explanation was that he had "malice in his heart". Apparently Carey is really in touch with the feelings of others. During the game last Sunday, Albert Haynesworth slammed Joe Flacco to the turf after the whistle blew for a false start penalty. The same type of play that Suggs was found guilty of head contact with Kerry Collins received a 15 yard penalty and impacted the game, only Suggs touched his shoulder pad. I know the conspiracy theorists will have you think all kinds of reasons why the officials throw the flag on the purple and black but here's my opinion. You have an aggressive team that at times does things to intimidate the opposition. I have seen plenty of games where the penalties they received were warranted. This season in 4 games they have been flagged 33 times and their opponents have been flagged 29, so there isn't much discrepancy. But what concerns me more is that it becomes an excuse and many players are once again blaming their failures on someone else. The call on Suggs Sunday was a bad call. It was a call that could have sealed the game if it wasn't called. But, they had other chances to get stops. They had other chances to make plays. They didn't get to a very immobile Kerry Collins ONE time. That being said there has been a lot discussed recently about the NFL officials as a whole and if your name is Ed Hoculi. There is an overall perception that the officials aren't doing a good job but to me that's an issue that needs to be addressed by Roger Goodell. Players need to look at themselves because once you start pointing the blame elsewhere it often doesn't stop there.

Key Match-ups: Ravens-Titans

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:22:01 -0500

If there's one positive about playing on Monday Night Football, it's that the next game comes that much sooner. It's Thursday already? Sweet. I'm sure the Ravens, however, are feeling slightly less excited. The team could probably use the extra day - or two or three - of rest. Like it or not, however, the Ravens [...]

Hey Rashard - Keep Your Text Messages to Yourself!

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 21:21:27 -0500

Well, if the Steelers do somehow lose to the Ravens on Monday night - you may just have to put some of the blame on firing the Ravens up on Steelers rookie RB Rashard Mendenhall. Story is that Mendenhall, who will be the feature back for the injured Willie Parker Monday night, did a [...]

Write One Preston Article, May As Well Write 1,000

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 10:48:39 -0500

Not 10 minutes after finishing the last post on Mike Preston and his Raven's writing, he gives me fodder for yet another. This blog will not be an anti-Preston ranting ground, but today he just seems to be asking for it. In his just-posted Q&A column (hmmma?? another 'bullet point' piece?), Preston has a lot of [...]

Steelers Edge Ravens in OT on Strength of Reed's FG 23-20

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 09:45:56 -0500

Well, I'm spent and I didn't play a down or make a tackle. I expected the Baltimore Ravens to play their AFC North rival tough but ultimately I thought that in the end the Steelers at home would be too much to overcome. Sometimes I hate being right. The Raven defense was spectacular for three quarters of the game, stifling the Pittsburgh offense at every turn and sending offensive players to the sidelines. Rookie Joe Flacco outplayed Ben Roethlisberger most of the game with two plays standing out. A fake that set up a beautiful fade touchdown strike to Daniel Wilcox and an almost Farvesque reversal of field to hit Derrick Mason for a big gain. The Ravens appeared in control 13-3 heading into the half and every Raven fan had to be feeling that the Monday night streak would be broken. The strange thing about football is that you have to play to the end and you never know what can happen next. The Steelers needed only fifteen seconds to retake the lead. First a poor punt by the usually reliable Sam Koch set up decent field position. But, the turning point was Jarret Johnson's stupid unsportsmanlike penalty that gave Pittsburgh its best field position of the night. Roethlisberger took advantage and after a missed hold on Trevor Pryce his TD flip to Santonio Holmes had his team back in business. After the kickoff Flacco made one of his few mistakes and couldn't sense the rush or protect the ball that led to a strip that LaMarr Woodley and another Steeler touchdown to make it too make it 20-13 Steelers. But, Joe Cool answered the call with a nice drive of his own going 6 for 6 capped off by Le'Ron McClain rumbling over defenders for a 2 yard touchdown. The Baltimore defense held fast and we go to overtime. I am still not sure if I agreed with the Ravens decision to sit on the ball on their own 15 with a little over a minute left. To me it's playing not to lose and when you do that you often do so. Flacco had made nice decisions all game long even though he only had one live body (Derrick Mason a?"8 catches-137 yards) to throw to all night. Todd Heap was a non-factor. Mark Clayton it seems can only run a reverse. Demetrius Williams should retire that Mohawk back to the 80's and catch a ball or two. But, even with that they get the favorable coin toss and then just implode. Penalties sabotage the drive and they have to punt it away deep in from their own backyard. In the end when it's time to make a play Bart Scott whiffs on the sack and Mewelde Moore scoots to daylight to set up the winner. Overall even though the Ravens dropped to 2-1, I think it's clear they can contend in the division and in my eyes passed the test against a better opponent. I think they have a tough task coming back home to face a team that is almost a mirror image of themselves in Tennessee. Points to Ponder I love Mike Tirico and Ron Jaworski in the broadcast booth but hate that balding white guy next to them. I started counting how many stupid things Kornhieser said on both hands and then had to remove my shoes. He almost makes me pine for the days of Dennis Miller. It's very clear that the Ravens MUST get a top-flight receiver. Something they haven't had since Michael Jackson in 1996. All night they could get little separation and don't have any speed burners to make defenses pay long. Ray Lewis played an inspirational game, batting down passes and leading the team with 9 tackles and making clutch plays. Please, can anyone name a better MLB? Yamon Figurs hurt Special teams today. He looked tentative and muffed a few returns. I was surprised not to see Jim Leohnard inserted into a punt return or two. Composure hurt the Ravens tonight. Johnson's penalty was costly but the team had 8 for the game. They need focus and accountability. It was refreshing to see Harbaugh chew out Johnson on the sidelines for his boneheaded gaffe.

Monday Night Football Week Four Live-Blog: Ravens-Steelers Pregame

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:13:32 -0500

Who: Ravens at Steelers
Where: Heinz Field
Why: So Ron Jaworski can compare Ray Lewis to Lawrence Taylor
Spreads: Chargers -6, O/U 34.5
Announcers: Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Tony Kornheiser

MNF Links:

Flacco to get road test (Baltimore Sun)
Text From Steelers' Rookie To Ravens Friend Fuels Monday Night Fire (WPXI)
Behind Enemy Lines: Steelers-Ravens (Mondesi's House)
Remember Last Year? (Blogimore Ravens)
Time To Apply Those Lessons Learned (DC Steelers Nation)
Steelers vs. Ravens Open Thread: Time To Find Out What The Steelers Are Made Of (Behind The Steel Curtain)
Steelers ready for Ravens D (MASN)

Monday Night Countdown Segments:

"Unmasked:" Ray Lewis
Known for his on-the-field fiery personality in addition to his play, Countdown takes viewers under the helmet with Baltimore's star linebacker in "Unmasked."

"Soundtracks:" Mike Tomlin
In his first season as the Steelers head coach, Mike Tomlin won a division title in Pittsburgh and became a fan favorite after replacing Bill Cowher. This week, "Soundtracks" captures what it sounds like to play for Tomlin.

ESPN the Magazine's "For Love or The Game:" Derrick Mason
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Derrick Mason will be the subject of Monday's "For Love or The Game". Mason's wife, Marci, and his teammate Bart Scott battle to see who really knows Mason better.

EA Sports Virtual Playbook: Protecting Big Ben
Countdown's Tom Jackson takes viewers on the field to show why the Steelers are having problems protecting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

Weekly Monday Night Countdown Segments: Field Pass, Quarterback Conundrum (Steve Young and Trent Dilfer offer their views on topical issues), Teams at 20

AA's Prediction:

I know the Steelers are banged up offensively, and the Ravens defense is looking like their defenses of old, buuuuuuut I just don't see a rookie QB taking Baltimore to a hostile Heinz Field and coming out victorious. The Ravens will keep it close but a late score by Hines Ward will seal it for Pittsburgh.

Steelers 24 - Ravens 13
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FYI- I put this post up a bit early because I'm going to be making an appearance on 1560 The Game around 5pm EST with friends of the site, Sean and John. We'll be talking College Football and Baseball, so click on the link below to listen if you've got a second....

1560 The Game: Listen

Hey Rashard - Keep Your Text Messages to Yourself!

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 23:49:08 -0500

Imagine having a disease that only a few people in the world know about, and even fewer people have. 13-Year Old Champion, Josh Rusnock -- Needs your help.

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 11:33:33 -0500

Dean, Here is the story I wrote about 13 year-old Josh Rusnock of Freeland, Pennsylvania for an edition of the Standard Speaker newspaper. I'm so sorry about that missed attachment. Here it is. And everything you said is fine. I will be more than happy to pass the news on to Josh's mom. Please let me know if you need anything further and I would be more than happy to assist you. Josh is such a good kid and it's become part of my mission as well to find every avenue of help for him and his family. Like I said, please let me know if there's anything more you need. Thanks So Much And Take Care- Imagine having a disease that only a few people in the world know about, and even fewer people have. By BOBBY MASO Staff Writer Imagine being at a crossroads in life, preparing for the transition from boy to young man, yet not being able to do common things like spending time with friends, playing football in the backyard or even riding a bike. That is the life 13-year-old Josh Rusnock of Freeland lives every day. On the surface, Josh looks like an average teenager. He loves most sports, and watching some of his favorite teams, the Houston Rockets of the NBA, the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles and the Boston Red Sox. He also enjoys spending time on his uncle's fishing boat where the two like to talk about, what else? fishing. But under his smile and quiet demeanor is a world hard for most to fathom. Josh's condition, a degenerative nervous system disease known as leukodystrophy, often makes it hard for him to go to the bathroom unassisted or climb the steps inside his home. His hands shake so hard sometimes that if he were holding a glass of soda, the drink probably would spill all over his lap. As hard as it is to imagine, it's even harder for Josh, his mom, Rachael, and their family to live through day after day. Rachael has taken Josh to numerous doctors. Some of them are in awe of the rare condition, while others, including a doctor from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, have traveled the world, to places like Amsterdam, where the majority of cases exist, just to learn more about leukodystrophy. Now, Rachael, along with her friends at the Tresckow Fire Co., are preparing for a benefit dart tournament, silent auction and bake sale to be held Sept. 13. They're hoping to raise enough money so that she can purchase a vehicle large enough to accommodate a power chair that Josh will receive next month, something he needs just to get around. His mother is hoping that the community can help by donating money or items that can be sold at the auction. "Right now, all this is for is to raise enough money for Josh so that I can get a van or a vehicle big enough for his chair. And what we're really looking for are food donations, like buns or pierogies, or items for the auction. Whatever anybody can give would be so appreciated, you have no idea," Rachael said. She explained that the disease has taken a lot out of Josh, whose life "used to revolve around the Freeland YMCA. Now he's forced to stay inside and can pretty much just play video games." Leukodystrophy comes in many forms and closely resembling multiple sclerosis, thus causing many victims to be misdiagnosed. The disease is a rare genetic disorder that affects the central nervous system by disrupting the growth or maintenance of the myelin, a fatty "white matter" that protects and insulates the body's nerve fibers. It's a progressive disease that usually gets worse as time goes on. There are about 70 documented cases of leukodystrophy worldwide, and as of now, there is no cure. "There are 34 different types of leukodystrophy, but Josh displays symptoms of all of them, so it's hard to pinpoint exactly which one he has," Rachael said. Josh began showing signs of the disease at age 4 but was not officially diagnosed until he was 10. All the while, Rachael has been taking Josh to doctors and specialists all over, causing the medical bills to mount and making it impossible to buy the van. "It's gotten so bad that we've actually moved in with my mother in Weatherly because she has a bathroom on the first floor, so Josh won't have to go upstairs. Sometimes, he has to crawl on his hands and knees if he has to go to the bathroom, it's been so bad lately. It's just very difficult," Rachael said. To help ease the family's financial burden, a special account has been set up at Bank of America, where anyone can make a monetary donation to the Joshua Michael Rusnock Medical Fund. Donations can be made at any Bank of America branch, and Rachael said all are appreciated. Josh's mom and other siblings, brother John, 15, and twin stepbrothers Trevor and Derek Remak, and his other relatives hope that spreading the word about leukodystrophy will help others who might be experiencing similar health issues but do not know they have the disease. "I just want to help spread the word because it's very possible that someone else might have this and not know it," Rachael said. "Like I said, it took Josh's doctors a long time to figure out what it was and I'm thinking that there might be others out there who are suffering the same way Josh is, and might be diagnosed with something else because a doctor is unfamiliar with leukodystrophy. I just don't want anyone to have to go through this." Anyone interested in donating toward the Sept. 13 benefit can contact Jennifer Coxe at 570-427-3329 or by e-mail at jen3329@verizon.net. Donations can also be made by calling the Tresckow Fire Hall at 570- 455-5701. bmaso@standradspeaker.com Bobby Maso Standard Speaker Newspaper 21 North Wyoming Street, Hazleton, Pa. 18201 570-455-3636 Ext. 3588 bmaso@standardspeaker.com Click here for more information on Leukodystrophy >>> http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/leukodystrophy/leukodystrophy.htm Events coming up for Josh; CHINESE AUCTION & BAKE SALE 9:00 am to 5:00 pm To make a donation contact Jennifer Coxe @ 570-427-3329 DART TOURNAMENT Teams are still needed Registration at 11:00 Contact Rich Contrady 570-455-5701 To benefit Joshua Rusnock Saturday, September 13th, 2008 Treskow Fire Hall 26 East Oak Street, Treskow A variety of food will be available for purchase.

Ocho Cinco’s Conference Call

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 07:11:20 -0500

Chad Johnson, or Chad Ocho Cinco if you believe published reports that he hasn't yet confirmed, is known for his hilarious conference calls leading up to game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Baltimore Ravens. So it should come as no surprise that the Ravens' season-opener with the Bengals has

Taking a Look at the Breakdown of the Ravens Roster

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 22:24:42 -0500

The Ravens cut down to the 75-man limit is relatively painless since only five players are dismissed from the 80-man active roster. It is the next roster cut by this Saturday that involves twenty-two players that is very painful. The following is one man's opinion on the final makeup of the 53-man squad: QUARTERBACKS (3) John Beck, Joe Flacco, Troy Smith (with Kyle Boller on injured reserve) RUNNING BACKS (6) Le'Ron McClain, Willis McGahee, Lorenzo Neal, Allen Patrick, Ray Rice, Corey Ivy (with PJ Daniels on injured reserve) WIDE RECEIVERS (5) Mark Clayton, Yamon Figurs, Derrick Mason, Marcus Smith, Demetrius Williams OFFENSIVE LINEMAN (8) Jason Brown, Chris Chester, Oniel Cousins, Jared Gaither, Ben Grubbs, Mike Kracalik, Adam Terry, Marshal Yanda TIGHT ENDS (3) Adam Bergen, Todd Heap, Daniel Wilcox (with Quinn Sypniewski on injured reserve) DEFENSIVE LINEMAN (6) Justin Bannan, Marques Douglas, Amon Gordon, Kelly Gregg, Haloti Ngata, Trevor Price (with Dwan Edwards on injured reserve) LINEBACKERS (9) Brendon Ayanbadejo, Antwan Barnes, Tavares Gooden, Nick Greisen, Jarret Johnson, Ray Lewis, Bart Scott, Gary Stills, Terrell Suggs (with Prescott Burgess on injured reserve) DEFENSIVE BACKS (10) Corey Ivy, Dawan Landry, Jim Leonhard, Derrick Martin, Chris McAlister, Haruki Nakamura, Ed Reed, Samari Rolle, Fabian Washington, Tom Zbikowski KICKING TEAM (3) Matt Katula, Sam Koch, Matt Stover

Ravens v. Patriots Recap - Preseason Week 1

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:19:59 -0500

The Ravens and Patriots met in Foxboro tonight for a preseason matchup, and it was not pretty. The Ravens technically won 16-15.

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For the Patriots, Brady and Moss sat, along with other starters. The Ravens sat McGahee and others. Kyle Boller got the start for the Ravens, followed by Troy Smith and finally a brief appearance by first-round draft pick Joe Flacco.

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Boller, the Eternal Rookie, started brilliantly, hitting Derrick Mason a few times and threading some beautiful passes. Then the Pats got to him. He fumbled the first time he was hit, as is his habit. He later threw an interception where the only doubt was whether the two Patriots defenders blanketing the intended receiver could decide which one of them was going to take it. Stop me if you've heard this one before.

Troy Smith played the middle 30-35 minutes of the game, and generally made great decisions with the ball. His biggest failing was in making accurate throws, which shouldn't be surprising since Cam Cameron has tried to tweak his mechanics to allow him to throw the ball more quickly. On some throws he confidently strode and hit his receivers. On others he missed by yards.

Joe Flacco made a pretty good case for worst professional debut of all time. His first snap and pass should have been picked off. His second snap resulted in a lost fumble. He ended the game 0 for 3 with a lost fumble, and none of the three passes were close to complete.

bblahlahblah The Skins are so good at LB they gave up on Robert McCune

There were highlights for the Ravens though. New free agent acquisition Fabian Washington, a CB and former Raiders first round pick, had two interceptions. Free agent acquisition Brendon Ayanbadejo (the second Ayanbadejo in Ravens history) knocked down a two-point conversion attempt that would have given the Pats the lead in the 4th quarter. Ray Rice looked serviceable, though with a weak two yards per carry.

The Ravens defense was, of course, excellent. Ronnie Prude is trying to keep his spot on the team, after his excellent campaign two years ago was tempered quite a bit by his disappearing act last season. The Ravens have a glut of linebackers, with Ray Lewis, Bart Scott and Brandon Ayanbadejo solidly entrenched. Last year's draft pick Prescott Burgess would seem safe, as would Ray Lewis' backup Nick Griesen. Gary Stills is a Pro Bowler on special teams. That leaves quite a backlog for Antwan Barnes (also a 2007 draft pick), oft-injured Dan Cody, Edgar Jones, and my personal favorite, Robert McCune. McCune appeared to be everywhere tonight.

Yamon Figurs, though, stole the show for the Ravens. He had a 52-yard punt return that ended when he carelessly stepped out of bounds at the two. Later he had a 48-yard kick return. He looks like a totally different returner than the rookie who ended his season with a broken leg last year. Special teams were good all-around for the Ravens, who got two field goals from Stover and a third from potential kickoff specialist Piotr Czech. Coverage was excellent, as returners were stopped inside the 20 on at least three occasions.

The Patriots hardly seemed as though they were trying. QB Matt Cassel looked absolutely putrid. His replacement, Matt Guittierez, was better. He took a few sacks though and threw one of the Fabian Washington picks. The last QB, UFA rookie Kevin O'Connell from San Diego State, made poor throws but looked good scrambling.

The bright spots for the Pats (other than the fact they trotted out almost entire backups) were running back and Maryland alum Lamont Jordan and rookie LB out of Michigan Shawn Crable. Crable had an interception. Jordan had some excellent runs and looked quite shifty. His size makes him a great change of pace to Maroney.

I guess the story of the night were the Raiders' cast-offs, Jordan and Washington. Well, them and the fact that the Ravens probably really wanted to win and the Pats are just biding time til they can start the divisional round of the playoffs in January 2009.

Preseason Game #1 a?" Baltimore Ravens @ New England Patriots 8/7/08

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 23:09:28 -0500

Over the weekend I was talking football as I usually do with my family and the eldest of the clan wanted me to answer this question. Why should I watch preseason football? It is hard to get anything meaningful watching the first team play about a quarter or two and then spending the rest of the game sifting through athletes who will end up either on special teams or the practice squad. Most of the vets, if they are even playing, are simply hoping not to get hurt. It's not as if the teams are really playing to win anyway. I guess that's why it's also called an Exhibition game. Valid points. But, I guess for me it signals a few things. An end to summer, which means that baseball no longer matters, a return to the classroom, and it means that football will be on television again. It has uniforms and everything. There is nothing more exciting than going to a football game and I can only remember when I took my brother to his first game in 1996. You see he had been deprived since the Colts snuck out of town. We sat at PJ's pub about 9:30 in the morning and got warmed up before the walk over to Memorial Stadium to see the new team take on the Bengals. He just looked at me and couldn't stop saying, "This is awesome!" Football is special. The men, who play it, make it so. So here are a few things to look for to help you enjoy your experience as our Blackbirds matchup against the Videotapers. 1. QB Competition: The battle between the three will be at the top of every fan's list. Kyle Boller gets the nod to lead the first squad, which makes perfect sense since he does have the most NFL experience of the three. Troy Smith should follow with Joe Flacco finishing it out. I have my own feeling about how things will finish in this but, I will be looking to see who leads the team in the huddle and on the field. 2. Offensive Line: Most fans will play close attention to the line with the retirements and injuries that have affected it. Chris Chester needs a good game as he has been slow to grasp things in camp. The interior of the line with Jason Brown, Ben Grubbs, and Marshall Yanda will need to establish themselves as the situation with the tackles still needs to be straightened out. 3. Offensive threats: Ray Rice, a second round pick that many people questioned has really opened eyes in camp. He's been drawing also sorts of praise and with Willis McGahee shelved for this one he will get a chance to run with the first group. The receiving corps will also need to show what they can do, Mark Clayton needs to get going in Coach Cameron's offense, while Marcus Smith and Yamon Figurs will be getting some looks as well. Demetrius Williams is still on the injured list. 4. Young and Hungry Defense: Nothing gets the vets in gear like a hungry rookie that wants playing time. Some names to get acquainted with are Tavares Gooden, who some are already saying will replace Bart Scott if he leaves next season. Haruki Nakamura who coaches have said exhibits Reed-like instincts has sparkled, as well as Antwan Barnes who has shown speed to spare and an ability to cover. 5. The Harbaugh Era: There will be a few firsts as the new coaching staff makes it's way through the season; this is the first pre-season game. It will seem odd not seeing Billick pace the sidelines. Will Harbaugh's team show a bit more attention to detail and shy away from costly penalties that have been the club's forte for years? A new offense is sure to have kinks that will need to be worked out. The club has needed a new message how will they respond on the field when they are hitting players not in purple.

Boller to Start Thursday

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 18:03:55 -0500

Kyle Boller (who literally missed a barn with a pass in practice today) will be starting under center for the Ravens in their first preseason game.

Fantasy Insider: How to Spot A Fantasy Football Sleeper

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 07:24:12 -0500

How to Spot A Fantasy Football Sleeper is a knack that could make or break your fantasy team. Daniel Kalles gives all you fantasy owners a "How To" locate and find fantasy sleepers and plenty of time to exam the players you feel could be sleepers this season. Best of luck this season. As Daniel Kalles, The first thing you need to know about finding a "sleeper" is figuring out what a sleeper is. Many people will have many different explanations as to what a sleeper really is, where to find them and how important they are, but they will pretty much agree that a sleeper is someone who doesn't have a big name, probably doesn't start, hasn't put up big numbers in the past, who now might have a chance to have a breakout season and be a difference maker on your team. Sleepers are usually either late round draft picks or waiver-wire pick-ups who went undrafted. Now how to spot sleepers, when to draft them, and how long you wait until you believe they are actually worth putting in your lineup are all a little different. Having one of the few sleepers who pan out and be a worthy starter can make the difference in winning your league or not winning. No one starts off the season knowing which sleeper will for sure breakout; all you can do is try and draft one or two and hope that a couple of things fall your way and your sleeper goes from nobody to somebody just like that. It's very hard to go into the draft focused on the guys who will be drafted in the later rounds, but the truth is many drafts are won in the later rounds. If you can have a good draft from top to bottom, it will help you down the line; having a deep team will help you in the event of an injury or to make trades. It's not very difficult to draft players in the first bunch of rounds, guys like Alexander, Tomlinson, Owens, Moss, these players have a history, they have done it before, we can look at their numbers and see where they should be drafted, but a sleeper is different. Most sleepers haven't played enough to accumulate enough stats to make decisions on, so you have to take a small sample (if one exists) to figure out who might be the sleepers of this year's draft. There are many different places and ways to find sleepers. One way is to look for 2nd or 3rd year players who had a chance to play near the end of the year before. At the end of most seasons, the teams out of the playoff hunt will look at some young players, giving them starts and letting veterans sit out. Watching these players can sometimes give you a hint into who might be a good sleeper the next season, if they play a good game or two. Look at Willie Parker who was undrafted out of college and was sitting on the bench in 2004 when the Steelers went 15-1. In the last game of the season, once they had already clinched home field advantage, they decided to rest veteran running back Jerome Bettis, and see what Parker could do. He went into Buffalo, on a cold January Sunday, to face the hottest team in football. The Bills were looking to get a victory and a spot in the playoffs. Well, Parker gained 102 yards on only 19 carries, to help the Steelers win the game, and give anyone who was actually paying attention to this Steelers backup a 1200 yards rusher out of nowhere in 2005. Now this doesn't mean things will always work out for you, but it's a good way of finding a sleeper. Another way of finding a sleeper is to watch the player and coach movement in the off-season, and see which players have been put in situations where they might be able to break out, with the help of certain coaches and their philosophies. A player who might have been going downhill in his career, or hasn't been able to find his way yet might be able to change that by being on a team whose system better suits their abilities. Koren Robinson is a good example. He's a former 1st round pick of the Seahawks, and while he had a couple of solid seasons with them (78 for 1240 yards and 5 TD's in 2002), he was let go at the end of 2004 because of off-field and poor behavior issues. He latched on to the Vikings as their top return man and part time WR. During the off-season they hired new head coach Brad Childress, who brings with him his West Coast offense, and they traded Nate Burleson, leaving the spot of #1 WR open. With those and many other changes the Vikings made on offense, they go into the season looking for players to step up and be leaders. Robinson has a good chance of doing that because he is a step ahead of most of the other WR's because he played in the West Coast offense while in Seattle. He could be in for a very big season. While all this looks good and could very well happen, many times it doesn't, and guys like Robinson will always be picked up for his potential, but might never realize it, because he can't control his other issues. These are just a couple of the many ways to find a sleeper. So, make sure to always pay attention to injury situations, and follow closely what players are doing at training camp. Doing this can help you find many sleepers. Lastly, don't forget that you can still find sleepers after the draft in the first couple of weeks of the season. If you see a player break out and do better then expected, don't sit on the sidelines and watch - make an effort to pick them up and see if they can sustain that output. Or if you know that a starting player has any injury at all, make sure you're the one to get anyone who might back that player up, because once a player goes down, whoever takes over can be a real steal.

Welcome Back, Bart Scott

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 15:22:58 -0500

Apparently, Bart Scott is looking to transform back into his old self. His injuries are healed, and the defense has a new outlook on how to approach defensive possessions this season, according today's article by Mike "Purple Envy" Preston of the Baltimore Sun. "We became too predictable. In a self-scouting report, Cam [Cameron, the new offensive coordinator] alerted us to the fact that every time I lined up at middle linebacker, I was going to blitz. At one point, I was used as a decoy because everyone knew that if we were going to blitz, it was going to be me." If Cam Cameron has picked that up in just a few weeks of voluntary mini-camp, imagine how th rest of the league lit up when the Ravens popped up on the schedule. Injuries have been the buzz word around Ravens camp for much of 2008 as the determining factor in last year's 5-11 campaign. But if Bart's happy, chances are everyone else is too. Because none of us wants to go back to this.