Battling for the Bubble

With the Phillies holding off the Nationals last night to clinch the NL East, the Mets, Brewers, White Sox, and Twins are the four remaining teams hoping to secure a playoff spot.

AL Central: 

White Sox vs. Twins

It's either politeness or incompetence. Assuming firey managers Ozzie Guillen and Ron Gardenhire haven't been brainwashed, The Report is inclined to believe the latter. Given a division that just begs to be won, it is a miracle that one of these teams hasn't surfaced as the frontrunner. The White Sox held the pole position for the majority of the season, but thanks to a September stumble they are now a half game back with two games to go. The Twins appeared ready to seize the lead, but after losing 5 of 7 in the third week of September they were forced to battle till the 162nd and final game.

Key Matchup: White Sox offense vs. Indians' SP Brian Bullington

With two games remaining to the Twins' one, the Sox control their ability to advance, whether into a one game playoff with the Twins or in the event of a Twins loss, the divisional series.

Bullington, the first overall pick in the 2002 draft, has had a Jekyll/Hyde type showing in 2008. He allowed 6 ER in his first start against the anemic Royals, but shut out the Red Sox in five innings in Boston in his second start. The struggling Sox offense (28th in th

e majors at .243 in September) better hope that the 6-run Bullington shows today, or Ozzie and co.'s bubble may burst at the hands of the phenom.

NL Wild Card:

Brewers vs. Mets

It wasn't too long ago that the Brewers were considered a lock for the Wild Card spot. CC Sabathia was spinning masterpieces every

five days, the Mets were left for dead after firing manager Willie Randolph, and all signs pointed to Wild Card. Just weeks later it was the Brewers who fired their manager, Ned Yost, and the Mets were suddenly surging under interim manager Jerry Manuel.

Key Matchup: C.C. Sabathia vs. Fatigue

First it was the Mets who sent their ace out on three days' rest. Johan Santana responded by throwing a three-hit shutout against the Marlins. Now it's the Brewers' turn. Sabathia is no stranger to short rest, as he struck out 11 Pirates on three days rest in his last outing. Two starts in five days could prove to be too much, but the late-inning master has proved his ability to deal with fatigue in the past.

Week 3 Quick Picks

Atlanta 27, Kansas City 13- Chiefs QB Tyler Thigpen, the pride of Coastal Carolina, will have to pull a rabbit out of a hat to outscore the Falcons. Herm Edwards' defense have given up an average of 213 yards on the ground, leaving Michael Turner licking his chops.

Chicago 23, Tampa Bay 20- The Buccaneers don't have stability at quarterback, but with Earnest Graham and Warrick Dunn carrying the ball it really doesn't matter. Likewise with the Bears and rookie Matt Forte. Turnovers are paramount to Bears defensive coordinator Bob Babich's scheme, so look for Brian Urlacher and Mike Brown to blitz Buccaneers QB Brian Griese early and often.

New England 24, Miami 13- Matt Cassell has been average at best, but the Pats defense has picked up the slack. Pats will still have control throughout despite the lack of scoring, Sammy Morris could have a big day out of the backfield.

Houston 24, Tennessee 17- LB Keith Bulluck has been big for the Titans, scoring a touchdown last week on a blocked punt, but fill in QB Kerry Collins hasn't, and Justin Gage could be out for the game.

San Francisco 31, Detroit 24- QB J.T. O'Sullivan will torch the Lions as Aaron Rodgers did last week. Breakout game puts the Niners at 2-1, on track for a possible playoff spot pending RB Frank Gore finally plays to his ability.

Denver 28, New Orleans 18- QB Jay Cutler (above) has finally broken out into the player the Broncos envisioned, and WR Brandon Marshall hasn't skipped a beat from his one game suspension, hauling in 18 receptions in Week 2. Broncos will eventually will be humbled by a stellar defense, but New Orleans isn't the one.

Indianapolis 24, Jacksonville 14- Jaguars QB David Garrard was effective last year because he simply did not make mistakes. After a shaky first two games he has already thrown as many INTs (3) as he did in all 12 games he played in last year. Return of Colts C Jeff Saturday and T Tony Ugoh would be a huge boon for the offense.

Dallas 34, Green Bay 18- (SNF, 8:15 ET) Cowboys haven't been slowed down yet and the Packers' pedestrian pass defense doesn't seem capable of stopping QB Tony Romo and his favorite targets Terrell Owens and Jason Witten.

Buffalo 24, Oakland 17- Week 2 was an anomaly for the Raiders offense. Despite a trio of talented backs in Darren McFadden, Justin Fargas, and Michael Bush, QB JaMarcus Russell hasn't shown he can lead the offense consistently with his arm. Bills move to a surprising 3-0 with solid defense and strong home play.

Minnesota 23, Carolina 20- The Vikings showed flashes of the Purple People Eaters defense last week in holding the Colts to 25 rushing yards for the game. Carolina seemed shaky against Chicago's blitzing scheme, but RB Jonathan Stewart rushed for 77 yards and 2TDs. Hard to believe Minnesota is the 0-2 team here.

New York Giants 21, Cincinnati 16- The Bengals offense managed a meager 7 points last week against the Titans, while the Giants continue to shine with a heavy helping of Manning to Burress. Bengals pass defense has been 3rd in the league thus far, so don't expect Eli to put up 400 yards.

Washington 29, Arizona 27- Cardinals QB Kurt Warner and bros. looked good last week at home against the Dolphins, but on the road at FedEx Field is a different story. Three Warner TDs shrinks to one and the Redskins put the Cardinals at 2-1.

Seattle 20, St. Louis 17- The Seahawks' signing of Julius Jones continues to look like a great decision. The Rams have fallen the furthest of any team in the league from last year's preseason to now, and things have gotten so bad that a team with RB Steven Jackson and all-world OT Orlando Pace can't even get it done on the ground. 12th man proves the difference in Seattle.

Pittsburgh 30, Philadelphia 27- Two excellent teams with a shot at the Super Bowl collide, and the Steelers Defense comes out as the tipping point. Donovan McNabb has another solid game, but Ben Roethlisberger and Hines Ward/Santonio Holmes connect nearly 200 yards.

Baltimore 29, Cleveland 16- Ravens smother Browns' struggling offense and are fresh after a Hurricane Ike-induced bye week. Ravens' rushing show dominates Browns' D.

San Diego 31, New York Jets 18- Chargers finally bust into the win column on Monday Night after two freak losses to Carolina and Denver. No LT? No problem for RB Darren Sproles, who picks up 100+ yards combined receiving and rushing. Jets RB Thomas Jones has an off day on the ground.

5 Things We Learned from Week 2

1) The Dolphins' pass defense is helpless against quarterbacks of advanced age

In just two weeks the group lead by standout corner Will Allen has already come into question after allowing an average of 285 yards a game to 37-year old Kurt Warner and 38-year old Brett Favre. The unit that ranked fourth in the league in 2007 with 188.7 yards per game has gave up five touchdown passes to the geriatric duo. Part of the problem has been an inability to stop the big play. They have allowed six completions of 20 yards or more, including a 75-yard bomb to Larry Fitzgerald and touchdowns of 79 yards to Anquan Boldin and 56 yards to the Jets' Jerricho Cotchery.

2) Aaron Rodgers is not another Jeff Tedford flop

Tedford, who coached Rodgers at California, is known for producing first-round busts in stints with Fresno State, Oregon, and currently Rodgers' alma mater. You've heard the list ad nauseum (Trent Dilfer, Akili Smith, Joey Harrington, Kyle Boller, etc.) but what is most important is the fact that Rodgers may have proven this week that he is ready to buck the trend.

In the Packers' fireworks display in Detriot on Sunday, Rodgers connected on 24 of 38 passes and threw for a total of 328 yards and three touchdowns. Skeptics may point at the weak Lions D but let the record show that Rodgers is under the most pressure of any player in the league this year, and the fact that he has performed as such despite it all is a testament to his ability to be a consistent starter in the NFL.

3) The clock has struck midnight for the Browns. Already.

The sexy preseason pick to breakout is in need of a 2007 Giants-type comeback after sputtering to an 0-2 start on the season. Just when things couldn't get any worse for the city of Cleveland (see: Lebron James rooting for the Yankees/Cowboys, the Indians' 2008 flop, citywide manufacturing plant layoffs) coach Romeo Crennel's group that was bolstered by the Free Agent signings of guard Eric Steinbach and defensive tackle Shaun Rogers seems to have officially fallen apart. Just as all signs pointed to a promising season, star receiver Braylon Edwards, cohort Donte Stallworth, running back Jamal Lewis, and veteran linebacker Willie McGinest have all been hampered by various injuries, while 2007 breakout signal caller Derek Anderson has thrown for a mere 280 yards combined in losses to the Cowboys and Steelers.

4) Weather Matters

The Steelers game against the Browns this week was one of completely different proportions given the weather in Cleveland at the time. Because of the torrential rain and 60mph gusts of wind, the Steelers' heavy advantage in nearly every offensive and defensive category was nearly 

irrelevant. A game that should have been "off to the races" became a slow, plodding ordeal full of miscues and 16 combined points for both teams. Had the game been played in the controlled confines of a Ford Field or Lucas Oil Stadium, the Steelers would have likely put the Browns away much earlier.

Fans often forget that games are played by humans just like themselves, only instead of a beer gut they have Herculean abdominal muscles. Nevertheless, moving itself is difficult at -10 degrees, imagine trying to throw a football 50 yards to a streaking receiver downfield. Weather is one of the most overlooked factors in outdoor professional sports, especially football. People often pay homage to the "It's great football weather" sound byte, but the reality is that the game becomes very difficult to play with 60mph gusts of wind, blizzards, and fog.

Sure, it may provide for some thrilling circumstances, such as the 2002 AFC Championship Game, where Adam Vinatieri kicked the upstart Patriots to victory in a virtual blizzard, but in reality it is almost unfair to the better team, as the conditions do not allow a regular football game to be player. Or there is the infamous Fog Bowl of 1988 that saw the Eagles lose to the Bears in the NFC Divisional round of the playoffs at Soldier Field. An enormous cloud of fog famously came off Lake Michigan in the second quarter and descended onto the playing field, rendering the game invisible to most fans in attendance. 

5) Darren McFadden is the real deal. In small spurts.

He provided home runs against the Chiefs, but at what cost to the Raiders' offensive continuity? Especially given the fact that the offense is having difficulty gaining yardage on first and second downs, getting a 50-yard scamper every so often doesn't make up for McFadden struggling through eight- and nine-carry series in which he gains negative or menial yardage. His outstanding l64 yards is all you see on the ESPN stat ticker, but what it doesn't tell you is that he rushed nine times for for 23 yards and fumbled in the first half, and also fumbled on his 50-yard run up the middle. 

The Raiders should be careful not to give McFadden the brunt of carries until he proves he can be a consistent chain-mover. Until then they would be wise to split the time between Justin Fargas, McFadden, and even the 245-pound "redshirt freshman" Michael Bush, who spend his rookie season of 2007 on the Physically Unable to Perform list while recovering from a leg injury he sustained at Louisville. 

Week 2 NFL Preview

All puns aside, the NFL's opening round of games was no stranger to the blowout (apologies to Tom Brady), with six teams prevailing by 16 or more points, many with even greater a margin.

Week two figures to be a much less lopsided slate of games. Five of the six teams that won big now face a spread of -3.5 or fewer (With the lone exception of Pittsburgh, who will play a beat up Browns team Sunday night on NBC). The game that has NFL pundits talking is the Monday night matchup between a rejuvenated Donovan McNabb's Eagles and the NFC favorite Dallas Cowboys. Both teams blew past their week one opponents without blinking but will now square off against each other in Dallas.

Indianapolis at Minnesota

Vikings defense looked helpless against Aaron Rodgers. Not a single turnover was forced by the allegedly much improved unit lead by newcomer Jared Allen, nor were they able to muster a single sack. The result allowed the Favre fill-in to complete 82% of his passes en route to his first win as a starter.

Peyton Manning might have had a rough outing against Lovie Smith's Bears but don't count on him to falter in back to back weeks. IND 31, MIN 19

Atlanta at Tampa Bay

Matt Ryan and Michael Turner give the Falcons a whole new look, but can they sustain their success? Tampa put up good rushing numbers in week one between Earnest Graham and Warrick Dunn, and Jeff Garcia was back to his old self, completing 24 passes for 221 yards. Ironically, it was the defense that crippled them in their loss to the Saints.

Tampa Bay faced a man of Turner's size in practice for years when Mike Alstott was bruising goal line defenses for John Gruden and predecessor Tony Dungy. Problem is, Alstott didn't run a 4.49 40 yard dash. Turner romps and Ryan has a blip but stays solid. ATL 24, TB 21

Chicago at Carolina

Both teams are coming off surprising week one victories. Jake Delhomme looked to be fully recovered from Tommy John surgery in a come from behind victory in San Diego, and the Bears pulled off the upset Sunday night in Indianapolis.

Bears D carried them against the Colts but it was the running game's recovery from Benson-itis that helped the Bears hold on to the win. Panthers held LaDanian Tomlinson to 97 yards on the ground, which could give the Bears cause for concern by the fact that Carolina will be able to put more men in the box against the Bears' weak passing offense. Forte manages only 70-80 yards on the ground but Bears forced turnovers put them at 2-0. CHI 23, CAR 17  

Green Bay at Detroit

The Aaron Rodgers Efficiency Show puts on a display against the anemic Lions defense. Rod Marinelli was hired to bring toughness to the Motor City, but one sack and 318 rushing yards allowed against the Falcons doesn't cut it. Ryan Grant runs over, through, and around the Packers' NFC North cohorts. GB 31, DET 20

NY Giants at St. Louis

Chorus: Eli is unstable. Plaxico is frail. The Giants' hopes went out the window with Strahan and Umenyiora.

Giants: Says who?

The Giants' win on Thursday may not have been pretty, but losing your top three Defensive ends isn't either. If there's one team that can handle the doubters it's the Giants. NYG 34, STL 16 

New Orleans at Washington

The Redskins let Plaxico Burress run wild in the secondary on Thursday. What does that mean for the Saints? Eve

n without number one option Marques Colston, Drew Brees will carve up the paper thin 'Skins D. Washington QB Jason Campbell will hook up with his young but talented receiving corps early and often but it won't be enough as he continues to get acclimated to coach Jim Zorn's offense. NO 28, WAS 18

San Francisco at Seattle

The Niners offense was supposed to be one of the most improved units after hiring the ringleader of the Greatest Show on Turf, Mike Martz, but 13 points at home against the Cardinals isn't a good sign. Seattle, now without Maurice Morris in their already depleted offense, looks like a long shot to make the playoffs, even in the laughable NFC West. Chalk this win up to the 12th man. 

SEA 19, SF 17

San Diego at Denver

Jay Cutler looked phenomenal Monday night in Oakland, throwing for 300 yards, 2 TD, and 0 INT. Emergance of rookie Eddie Royal plus the return of the suspended Brandon Marshall could be too much for the Chargers secondary to handle.

Chargers have the competitive edge after the Panthers game was snatched from their hands on a last second TD, whereas the Broncos cruised to a 41-14 win. Defense will be the tie breaker, especially given Antonio Gates' toe injury. DEN 24, SD 18

New England at NY Jets

This game was all media hype until two things happened. 1) Tom Brady's injury thrusted ex-USC backup Matt Cassell into the starting spot and 2) The Jets signed Brett Favre. It's odd how two players can completely change the outcome of a game, but then again Brady and Favre were 1-2 in MVP voting last year for a reason. 

Thomas Jones hopes to put back-to-back 100 yard games together after a 101 yard performance in Miami. Pats team that had a chance to go 19-0 starts off season 1-1 after struggling to put points on the board in the Meadowlands. NYJ 24, NE 21

Philadelphia at Dallas (9/15)

GVR Game of the Week

Both teams beat up on punching bags in week one but now that they face each other, the sparks will fly. Both feature balanced passing attacks, with Terrell Owens and Jason Witten leading

 way for the Cowboys, and the trifecta of unlikely 100-yard heroes Hank Baskett, Greg Lewis, and rookie DeSean Jackson headlining for the Eagles, along with the wily Brian Westbrook coming out of the backfield. 

The front five will need to contain Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware in order to prevent Donovan McNabb from having to drift out of the pocket into injury territory. The Eagles have the potential to win, but they would need to play as close to their best as possible to hang around past halftime. Throwing into the Rams' Tye Hill and Ron Bartell is a lot different than throwing into Terrance Newman and Roy Williams at Cowboys Stadium. DAL 24, PHI 13

A letter from the editor

Dear readers,

After a lengthy HQ relocation process, The Report is back. We are excited to once more bring you the refreshing news and opinions content that has characterized the blog's young history. Thank you for your patience and continued support as we return to our normal publication schedule. Please write The Report at gvoit@msn.com with questions or comments.

G. Voit

Editor in chief, The G. Voit Report

Bears announce final 53 man roster

The Bears announced their final 53 man roster to the media earlier this week after six months of minicamps, tryouts, and training camp. It sounds like an easy task; just choose the best players and move forward. But aside from the obvious 35 or so selections, choosing the right players on the bubble of the roster can be just the break an unheralded player needs to shed his cocoon, so to speak. Likewise, it can cause much embarrassment for a GM if he releases a future star.

This is a difficult process because of the diamonds in the rough that have been unearthed. Players like Antonio Gates and Kurt Warner have repeatedly reminded GMs across the league of the value of granting roster spots to players with unheralded backgrounds.

Just look at the Bears' roster. Three of the team's 24 starters entered the league as undrafted

free agents, and are now playing key roles for coach Lovie Smith's squad. Safety Brandon McGowan (out of Maine), Fullback Jason McKie (Temple), and Pro Bowler Robbie Gould (Penn State) have all made contributions to the Bears, each on a different side of the ball.

So the question is posed to the front office: Who to cut, and who to retain? No team wants to cut the next Gates or Warner, so the decision is much more difficult than it seems. This year is no exception, as teams across the league make their final roster adjustments heading into Week 1.

A line must be drawn somewhere, but did Angelo make the right decisions this time around? The Report has all the answers.

The Departed

(Notable cuts made in week of 8/31-8/6)

Dan Bazuin, DE

Michael Okwo, LB

Brandon Rideau, WR*

Mike Hass, WR

Zackary Bowman, CB*

Anthony Oakley, OL

Tyler Reed, OL*

Chester Adams, G

Fontel Mines, TE*

Lousaka Polite, FB

(*denotes signed to practice squad)

The Maurice Clarett Award: 

Dan Bazuin, DE

2007 second round pick out of Central Michigan was a curious pick from the start. He suffered a season-ending knee injury during last year's Training Camp and only continued to fall behind. Losing explosion in his first step after recovering from the injury didn't help his chances either. The string of failed early round picks continues for GM Angelo and the Bears' draft committee.

Bottom line: The release of Bazuin and consequent release of 3rd rounder Michael Okwo calls Angelo's drafting judgement into further question.

Least Deserving Cut: 

Mike Hass (right), WR

Hass may be the most undervalued receiver in the league. The 2005 Biletnikoff Award Winner from Oregon State was cut once again after another impressive training camp.

Speed isn't his forte, but his highlight reel catches in Bourbonnais seemed to make the news every day. Despite not producing in recent years, the Bears' group of six receivers had virtually cemented their spot on the team from the start, whether by virtue of Free Agent contract or rookie/star status, and it would've taken an injury or major flop of one of the six for Hass to earn a spot. 

Bottom line: Could land with another team in need of steady production from their receiving corps.

Most likely to star:

Zackary Bowman, CB

5th round selection out of Nebraska was a value in the eyes of the media and the coaching staff on Draft Day. Knee injuries proved too much for the early round talent to overcome, and he was released by the Bears after drawing praise often in Training Camp. The Bears will go into Sunday's game against Peyton Manning and the Colts' vaunted passing offense with four cornerbacks. Bowman will start the season on the practice squad, but could be signed away by another team, who may be interested in his ability and willingness to play special teams. 

Bottom line: If he stays healthy, Bowman could become a regular for a team willing to take a chance on him.

Most curious decision:

Cutting four offensive linemen

With first round pick Chris Williams out for a potential total of 10 weeks, the Bears plans were significantly altered on the offensive line. They will face the Colts with a front five of Olin Kreutz at center, Roberto Garza and Josh Beekman at guard, and John Tait and John St. Clair at tackle. A serviceable group at best, this O-line is even more vulnerable given the fact that the Bears only have three healthy reserve linemen in rookie 7th round draft pick Kirk Barton, veteran Terrence Metcalf, and new acquisition Dan Buenning from the Buccaneers. For those keeping score at home, that equates to a field day for Colts DE Dwight Freeney. Guard Tyler Reed drew rave reviews of improvement from coaches in Bourbonnais, but was signed to the practice squad. Veteran tackle Anthony Oakley could also see time at some point during the season. Offensive line should be the focal point yet again for the Bears in the 2009 draft, even with a healthy Williams at left tackle. 

Bottom line: A weak group got weaker with the four cuts, and the Colts defensive line knows it. Offensive line should be the focal point yet again for the Bears in the 2009 draft, even with a full Williams recovery.