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Just The Sports: I'm Out of Peter King-Themed Headlines

Just The Sports

Monday, September 04, 2006

I'm Out of Peter King-Themed Headlines

No intro today. Let's just get straight to the idiocy of Peter King.

2. * New York Giants, 10-6: Everything's on Eli Manning's shoulders. Agreed. But the awful way he finished '05, in the playoff embarrassment to Carolina, should not make moot how he started it. One of the most amazing stats of last seasons was that Eli threw for 15 more yards than his brother.


Even more amazing is that it only took Eli 104 more passing attempts to get those 15 more yards. Way to go, Eli.

1. Detroit, 10-6


This is ludicrous only because he thinks Detroit will actually win 10 games. There's no reason to think Chicago won't win the NFC North division for the second year in a row. The whole division will have ridiculously easy schedules, but Chicago's will still be the easiest.

I believe Adam Vinatieri will be OK and will win a game or two the Colts would have lost in the past, and I believe they'll make up for the loss of outside 'backer David Thornton, a Tony Dungy favorite, with Gilbert Gardner, who had an impressive and stout preseason.


Vinatieri will only help the Colts win a game or two they would have lost if he is given the opportunity to do so. Maybe none of the Colts games this year will even come down to a last-second field goal and Vinatieri will turn out to be no less valuable than any other kicker in the league.

2. * San Diego, 10-6. I really loved the defense -- until Steve Foley got shot three times after being chased by a cop Saturday night. Foley's a physical, 265-pound pass- and run-stopping fiend who was perfect in Marty Schottenheimer's heavy defense, and now we don't know if he'll play this year.


For someone Peter claims to be a pass and run-stopping fiend, Steve Foley was involved in very few of San Diego's defensive plays. According to the game charters at Pro Football Prospectus 2006, Foley was involved in 5.2% of San Diego's plays, ranking him 101 of all the NFL's defensive players. Foley probably would not have had much of an impact this year, either, given how deep the Chargers are at linebacker.

Branch wants to be paid like a No. 1 receiver, which is his right. But he hasn't performed like one -- other than in two magnificent Super Bowls -- in his four years. His average season: 54 catches, 686 yards, 3.5 touchdowns.


Slow down, Peter. Those seemingly low numbers are not entirely Branch's fault. In 2002, Branch was but a rookie receiver and the Patriots were not yet ready to treat him like a #1 wide receiver. This is evidenced by David Patten being throw the ball 120 times and Branch only being thrown the ball 68 times. To his credit, Branch had a much higher catch percentage than Patten (63% to 51%).

His second year in the NFL, 2003, was his first year of being the #1 receiver for the Patriots and he did not let them down, ranking 14th in DPAR (19.3) and 18th in DVOA (23.4%) even though his catch percentage went down.

For 2004, Branch only appeared in 9 games so of course he was not going to see or catch many passes that year. He still had fifth best value per play over average of wide receivers who were thrown at least fifty passes.

Last year, Branch was fully healthy and was 12th in DPAR (27.9) and 13th in DVOA (19.5%), which says to me, #1 receiver. His catch percentage was also high while being thrown the ball a lot, something he struggled with in 2003.

6. I think it's nice to see that Denzel Washington will have a team to root for this fall. His son, John David Washington, a small-college running back, has made the Rams' practice squad.


Thank goodness for that. I hate to think what Denzel Washington would have done this NFL season had his son not made the squad for a team. He probably would have worried so much about not having a team to root for that he would have wasted away to Carson Daly-manorexic levels.

1 Comments:

  • I keep alternating on who I hate more, King or Dr Z. King just pulled into the lead again.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:54 AM  

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