At what point does parity become mediocrity? And what role does chance play in determining a winner and loser?
Those questions lingered as I walked somberly out of Soldier Field two weeks ago. For the previous three hours, I sat steadfast in the rain — donning my Hines Ward jersey — amidst throngs of motley Bears fans (of which I’m usually one when the Steelers aren’t in town).
Like so many games I’ve watched at Soldier Field, it was an up/down/sideways affair. Outside of Favre’s last trip to Chicago as a Packer (when the entire Green Bay team basically said fuck it halfway through a snow-laden game), you don’t see too many one-sided games at Soldier Field. Last season, all Bears home games were won or lost by seven points or less. If you’re a glass-half-full person, it always makes things interesting. If you’re the glass-half-empty type, it leaves you a nervous, irritated wreck. Booze helps either way.
Once Jeff Reed missed his second field goal, I knew what was coming. Not only did my friends and family boo me the entire game, but the beer vendor was scoring on me at will (at one point, he literally blocked the walkway up to my seats . . . on purpose). It’s not a good sign when the man you’re paying $7 a beer starts openly talking shit to you.
In any event, the Steelers lost. And the next week. Which was basically the same game. Missed field goals, missed TD catches, a deflated defense that doesn’t have any margin for error, a running game lacking a Bettis finisher.
And the questions remain. Is there so much parity in the league that luck plays such a significant factor? You can’t tell me Favre’s throw yesterday was skill. Sure, it took skill in the pocket and natural arm strength to even attempt that throw. But to complete it against two defenders, to a newly-signed Greg Lewis on a broken route? There’s luck involved.
Big players make big plays, or better yet, big players put themselves in the position to make big plays. But the ball doesn’t always go your way, even with the most herculean of efforts. I like the idea that every team has a chance to win. But I don’t like the growing notion that most games hinge on 2-3 plays.
I guess the answer is the little things. I heard a quote this week, I forget from which broadcast, but it was a famous coach saying ‘if you do the little things well, the big things will take care of themselves.’ A bit esoteric but the best answer to the questions.
Now on to the Players, the Tweaners and the Pretenders through three weeks.
THE PLAYERS
New Orleans Saints: Pick your poison. Shut down Brees and you face an underrated running game. Pierre Thomas is back, and once Lance Moore is healthy, this offense is the most dynamic in the NFL.
Baltimore Ravens: Is anyone else scared that the Ravens have the second-highest scoring offense in the league? Ray Lewis and company owe Flacco, Mason, Rice, Oher and McGahee a few pairs of Isotoners.
The New York Football Giants: I hate to put the Giants on this list given their opponents (Redskins, Cowboys, Bucs a combined 2-6) but this team is built for a full NFL season. That’s largely because of their d-line rotation, strong running game, growing stable of WRs and post-season experience.
Philadelphia Eagles: I hate the Vick experiment. He’s not the same player he used to be, and Kolb and Garcia are both better game managers if McNabb goes out. That being said, this team’s as loaded offensively as any team in the league. DeSean Jackson is the NFL’s next premier receiver. Westbrook and McCoy are interchangeablely good, Celek is coming into his own, and the defense is more than capable (sans facing the Saints).
THE TWEANERS
Minnesota Vikings: Tough to argue with the logic. When AP isn’t dominanting, give it to the gunslinger. But the defense is more suspect than people projected, and they’ve faced perenial doormats in Cleveland, Detroit and San Fran. We’ll know more in a few weeks when they face the Packers, Ravens and Steelers.
New York Jets: If you read Matt Berry’s fantasy column (scroll down to the Jets preview), you know he quoted a fellow ESPN anchor as calling Mark Sanchez ‘Sex on a Stick.’ He didn’t give away the name or gender, but my money’s on Stu Scott. Rex Ryan is turning this team into the Ravens Part Deux, and it’s working. But don’t expect Sanchez to fly underneath opponents radar for much longer.
Indianapolis Colts: It’s tough to put Peyton Manning in this category. But that’s the point. He can’t do it all. No Colts RB has more than 63 yards in a single game. The offensive line is under-sized and aging. His second and third options catching the ball are suspect, although promising. Freeney is banged up, and the defense gave up 230 rushing yards against Miami.
Denver Broncos: I always thought Kyle Orton got a bad shake in Chicago (of course, I would never admit that DURING a Bears game). I truly believe he’s a winner, and has been since challenging most of Drew Brees’ passing records at Purdue. He plays every game with courage, and with a burgeoning running game in Buckhalter and Moreno, and a newly-committed Brandon Marshall, we may just see his true pedigree this year.
Green Bay Packers: Aaron Rodgers is a gamer, and his wideouts pack a terrific 1-2 punch. Ryan Grant has been a bit disappointing, and their defense has yet to find an identity. Check back after their three game stretch in the second half with the Ravens, Bears and Steelers.
New England Patriots: This isn’t the same team we saw two years ago. Check out Simmons’ column for a good breakdown of their team erosion. I don’t buy into everything he says, and they beat a solid Falcons team this week. They are a different team with Welker, and Fred Taylor is the new Corey Dillon. Defense is this team’s shortcoming.
Pittsburgh Steelers: I finished this column without adding the Steelers. There’s a good chance this is the 2007 team. Have you ever gotten wasted, eaten a ton before going to bed and the next day wondered what was coming out? You either take the world’s biggest dump and get it out of your system, or you’re constantly shitting all day, wiping your ass to bloody oblivion. That’s this year’s Steelers team. Let’s hope we got it out of the way early.
THE PRETENDERS
Cincinnati Bengals: This has nothing to do with the Steelers game (okay, maybe a little). But Carson Palmer isn’t the same post surgery, and relying on Cedric Benson to carry your offense is a proven fallacy (see: Chicago Bears). Ochocinco isn’t a gamebreaker anymore, especially without Whosyourmomma going across the middle, and the defense is opportunistic at best. Talk to me after Week 10 when they’ve played a majority of their division games.
Houston Texans: The sexy ‘darkhorse’ each of the last two seasons can’t get over the top. Brutal division? Check. Porous defense? Check. Vastly over-rated quarterback that doesn’t make big plays in big games? Check. A running game that did a 180 after last season? Check. Yes, I own Steve Slaton in my fantasy league.
San Diego Chargers: Darren Sproles isn’t the answer, unfortunately (one of my favorite players in the league). God bless em, they tried (37 carries for 90 yards on the season, although 187 receiving yards). I don’t know what to make of this team. Philip Rivers has his moments, good and bad. The defense gave up 370 yards to the Raiders. I’ll just put this out there — the AFC West is meaningless in the grand scheme.
NFC West: I love Singletary (1:23, and don’t miss the Fridge at 4:41), and I’m happy for Vernon Davis becoming a team captain and having a huge game this week. But that’s the extent of this division. An 8-8 or 9-7 team will win this division by default, and perhaps give berth to another pretender running the table. My money is still on the Cardinals, but who really cares.
One Shotted Interview: Dakota Indians Offensive Coordinator
BK is the offensive coordinator for one of the most successful 1A football squads in Illinois — the Dakota Indians. Over the last four years, the Indians have logged a 44-5 record, winning two state championships and claiming dozens of all-conference players. The Indians are 5-0 this year with lighthouse wins over Lena-Winslow, Pearl City-Eastland and Monmouth-Roseville (a 3A school).
A few weeks ago, I had a chance to catch up with Kauffman, the Indians’ first-year offensive coordinator.
OS: Welcome to the very first interview on One Shotted. You’ve been, ahem, one-shotted.
BK: Thanks for having me.
OS: My pleasure. Let’s go back a few weeks and talk about the start of two-a-days. What were your biggest needs heading into the 2009 season?
BK: Our biggest need was and is to stay healthy. We have nine returning starters from a team that went 9-0 during the regular season last year, including seven all-conference players. But our depth will be limited. But in my opinion, we’ll be putting the best 1A team on the field, barring injuries.
OS: That’s a good place to be considering Dakota’s recent success. Are those offensive starters or the entire team?
BK: Both, actually. We have an amazing number of athletes going both ways. Nine starters on both sides of the ball. Last year, we only had two seniors starting. Unfortunately, we were upset in the first round of the playoffs and got sent home early. That won’t happen this year.
We have a nice mix of power and finesse on offense, and defensively, we like to hit . . . a lot. We had a great offseason in the weight room, and very good success in our 7-on-7 passing tournaments, winning all three we were in. We can throw, but stick to the Dakota philosophy — three yards and a cloud of dust. That’s why we can be a scary team to face.
OS: How do you motivate a group that dominated the regular season last year, and many of the last four years? Do you worry about your kids getting over-confident? How do you combat that?
BK: There’s definitely a fine line between cockiness and confidence. This group is confident, but they understand there’s a lot of expectations on their shoulders. We’re stressing perfection this season, not just in execution, but how everyone approaches practice and games. With this many starters returning, they remember last season, and they’re hungry. They know we’re the team to beat.
You win the October and November games in the 90-degree heat of two-a-days.
OS: This is your first year as offensive coordinator for the varsity squad after being head coach for the fresh/soph team the last two years. You’ve put up some pretty amazing numbers so far. What changes have you made during the transition?
BK: Very few actually. As you know, we lost our offensive coordinator last year to a battle with skin cancer. Not only was he my high school coach, he was a great friend. He taught me everything I know about calling the offense, and hopefully I can do half the job he did. When it comes to X’s and O’s, he was the best, and I’m taking his philosophy into this season.
But being an old high school quarterback, it will be hard to not open it up a little!
OS: Speaking of which, we both played for pretty successful Dakota squads in the late 90′s. How has Dakota moved from a challenging matchup to nearly unbeatable during the regular season?
BK: We’ve definitely had success of late. In the past four seasons, we’re a combined 44-5, which is pretty amazing. We have a reputation that you like to have, as the team to beat. It’s nice to have the recognition, but it puts a bulls eye on your back. Everyone is gunning for you.
Interestingly enough, Coach Lano hasn’t changed his philosophy whatsoever in the past years that we had success. We just got better at conveying success to the players. Three of the five coaches on our staff are former players, so we understand what he wants done.
Small changes have happened over the years, but a strong commitment to the weight room is big. Coach also talks a lot about the “Dakota Football Family.” It’s not easy to make it through two-a-days, and if you do, you’re part of a dedicated, close-knit group of guys, and girls — we have one girl on the team this year.
Coach Lano tells an interesting story of his playing days in which him and his buddies were involved in a fight, where they were backed up into a corner and outnumbered. He preaches to his players how football is like life….you can either come out swinging, or stay back in that corner and never come out.
OS: We talk a lot about football, and one thing that always gets in the way are the differences between H.S. schemes and the NFL. What offensive and defensive sets do you see the most during the year?
BK: The one interesting thing to see over the years that we have had success, is that neighboring schools seem to pick up more of our stuff each year. You go with what works. The majority of the schools in our conference seem to run some sort of version of the Wing-T. We have one team that runs the spread, and one that runs the stretch play.
We try to concentrate on ourselves and how we get better, and let the other teams adjust to what we are doing. Besides the week we see the spread, we are in a 4-4 defense and run the wing-T or some version of it. We are seeing a lot of teams going to a version of the 4-4, but with the OLB rolled up almost like ends. They are trying to stop our buck sweep. We let them keeping changing their stuff, and we just keep running ours better.
We would rather do a handful of things perfectly than do everything just okay.
One Shotted will catch up with Coach Kauffman next week to get his mid-season thoughts on the Indians.
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Tagged Dakota Indians, High School Football, Illinois, Northwest Upstate Illini - Northwest