Previously on “What We Learned”

First let me say that I am not the type of writer to hide from my mistakes.  So, lets begin Week 2 by looking back at Week 1.  First off:

1.  Jay Cutler has a lot of work to do.

Its difficult to say I got this one wrong.  He did some work, cut down on the mistakes and gave his team the position to win the game against the defending Super Bowl champs.  So I’ll chalk that one up as a correct assumption.

2. The Patriots are not going 16-0

Patriots- 9, Jets 16

3. The Titans are in it for the Long Haul.

While divisional games are always wonky, its two weeks in a row that the Titans defense has underperformed when it mattered most.  And after watching the Texans get battered by the Jets, I had no reason to assume they would bounce back against a ferocious Titans defense.  And so I benched Matt Schaub in my fantasy league.  Yeah, not so much.  The Titans could be in for trouble if they dont shape up.

4.  The Browns are not as bad as they were a year ago.

They are worse :S

5. Philadelphia is the best team in the National Football Conference

I maintain that with a healthy McNabb, this team is the team to beat.  But given that McNabb can’t stay healthy, it looks like that mantle has fallen to the Saints.

Record: 2-3 (Not a bad kickoff to the season)

Upsets: Obviously I did not expect all 4 upset picks to be accurate, but 2 came true (Baltimore, hardly an upset and New England).  Upsets I missed: Houston over Tennessee and Chicago over Pittsburgh.

Lock: No Surprises there, got that one right.

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Now on to What We Learned From Week 2:

5 Things We Learned

1. The Giants are Not Going to Miss Plax

Despite their poor performance at the end of last season, the Giants do not lose their top dog spot due to the recent incarceration of their previous #1 receiver Plaxico Burress.  Despite having no run game (3.7 ypc) and a defense like a sive but for big plays (251 yards rushing by the Boys), Eli Manning won a football game.  Eli has, for years, lived in the shadow of New York’s vaunted run game and defense.  Tiki Barber and Michael Strahan loomed over him like the Empire State Building, eclipsing any achievement.  But it appears that Eli has finally arrived.

With a slew of under-experienced receivers, Eli orchestrated a late drive to win against a wild Dallas squad playing in the Palace of Football.  Mario Manningham and Steve Smith the Younger combined for 20 receptions, 284 yards and 2 Touchdowns.  All of this without a “big play” receiver to take away the safety coverage over top.  Now, this is perhaps a quality of playing a rapidly questionable Dallas defense, but still, with no run game and a victory on the line, Eli took his team and won the game.  That is the sign of a Franchise Quarterback.

2. The Ravens are the Best Team in the NFL.

With the Colts looking sluggish at times (despite their heroics in Miami), the Steelers getting punched in the mouth by the Bears, the Saints giving up 22 points to Kevin Kolb and the Vikings not playing anybody, the Ravens are the top of the pack.  As much as it pains me to say it, I was wrong about Joe Flacco and his receiving corp.  I thought the sophmore slump was inevitable, but thus far the Ravens look unstoppable.  With their defense and that offense, this team is the presumptive (way way too early) Super Bowl favorite from the AFC.

Flacco is currently on pace for 4o touchdowns (not happening), 16 interceptions (probably not having) and nearly 4,000 yards (not likely).  However, does 3,400 yards, 28 touchdowns, 12 interceptions sound too unreasonable?  And with a refreshed Willis McGahee and a rejuvinated (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldY2pInMyR4) Ray Lewis, who can honestly stop this team?    Now, i’m not going to crown them 16-0 yet, but with a Steelers O-line like that, and the Ravens defense flying around as it is, it seems to be a big time point in the Baltimore camp.  The only point to worry about, the Ravens have allowed the 23rd most points of any team through two weeks.  Although most of that has been in special teams, its still a worrysome number.

3. The Packers defense is not elite.

at least, not yet.  The Packers came out hot in week one, taking the ball away from the Bears a lot.  But hidden behind that defensive performance was a lot of yards given up on the ground and through the air.  Then against a team which struggled to score against a confusing Denver defense, the Pack let up 31 points.  Carson Palmer scored 4 touchdowns on his own and Cedric Benson put up a buck 41 on the ground.  Benson has a career average of 3.7 yards per carry, but put up a 4.9 ypc average against the Pack.  Green Bay sits at mediocre in the defensive rankings, not where they wanted to be when they made the 3-4 switch.

  Many people thought that the struggling Packers defense would be boosted by the presence of Dom Capers and the 3-4.  I was not, and am still not, one of those people.  The 4-3 to 3-4 transition is a difficult one, and with aging corners and safeties battling injuries, it becomes even more difficult.  And if not for the offensive collapse of Jay Cutler, we could be talking about the 0-2 Packers right now.  With Adrian Peterson in Minnesota, Jay Cutler in Chicago and Megatron in Detroit, the Packers are in an offensively loaded division.  If the defense continues to be shaky, don’t expect the Packers to be playing in January.

4. The Denver Broncos are unknown, and fraudulent.

  The Broncos won week 1 by the grace of immaculate receptions, a tipped pass into the hands of Brandon Stockley running into the endzone untouched.  Without that play, Orton is throwing for 156 yards and a 72.9 rating.  One accident and it goes up to 100.7.  Beyond that, it was all Cincinnati, who managed a bucket load of points on Green Bay.  However, the win gave McDaniels some breathing room going into the home opener despite a poor showing of offensive firepower and the virtual dissapearance of Denver’s best weapon in Brandon Marshall.  Then, in week 2 the Broncos (aided by the bad snap of first round center Alex Mack) put up a meager 10 points in the first half against the Browns before blowing the doors open in the second.  So, is Denver back?

  The answer is no.  They may end up 3-0 to start the season (due to the inconsistent Bengals, the terrible Browns and the out of sync Raiders) but with 8 straight games against .500+ teams over the next 9 weeks and games against Indy and Phily to round out the last 4 weeks, the Broncos are going to get destroyed.  They may end the season at 8-8 but they will limp to it.  The defense is still a big question mark, and the offense has not yet been challenged.  Their cheif playmaker is non-existent and their offensive line is not as sturdy as it has been in the past.  With all of that in mind, does anyone really think the Broncos go 10-6 or better against the likes of Dallas, new England, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and San Diego?

5. The Saints are the 2005 Bengals.

  Remember back in 2005 when Cincinnati finally climbed the mountain and reached the playoffs?  They had a semi-decent run defense and scoring defense and a pretty bad pass defense that managed a lot of turnovers.  And if not for the Steelers knocking Carson Palmer out of the post-season who knows how far they could have gone.  Well right now the Saints have an unstoppable offense based soley upon their Quarterback, a semi-decent run and scoring defense and a pass d that can create turnovers but little else.  Now, if Drew Brees stays healthy, who knows how long they’ll run.  The Saints will continue to be a dominant force and baring injury will win the AFC South.

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The Big 5 and the Little 5

1. Baltimore (2-0): Best combo of offense and defense thus far.

2. Minnesota (2-0): With perfect games like Favre just had, its hard to pick against Minnesota.

3. New Orleans (2-0): Nigh unstoppable on offense, mediocre on defense.

4. Philadelphia (1-1): I maintain that a healthy McNabb beats New Orleans

5. Atlanta (2-0)/New England (1-1): The winner of this game proves a lot next week.

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5. Jacksonville (0-2): After blowing the Indy game, they laid an egg against a fitful Arizona.

4. Kansas City (0-2): Down 2 in division with a pathetic performance against Oakland.

3. Cleveland (0-2): Cleveland has the best first half defense in the league, worst in the 2nd.

2. St. Louis (0-2): Against a sloppy Washington, the Rams looked sloppier.

1. Detroit (0-18)

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Upset Alert

1. New York Giants (2-0) @ Tampa Bay (0-2)

  The Giants are rolling into Tampa Bay well aware that they are the better team.  Eli is coming off a huge performance aganinst the Big D, while Tampa is coming off a failed performance in their first ever trip to Buffalo.  However, there is more to this game than that.  Tampa is a 9 win team from a year ago who has some offensive fire power.  Against good defenses in Buffalo (held New England for 3 quarters and Dallas which shut down New York’s run game.  The Buccs have compiled over 500 yards passing and Leftwhich has more touchdowns than picks thus far.  And if Cadillac can explode againt the Giants, New York could be in for a serious suprise on the road in Tampa.

2. Cleveland (0-2) @ Baltimore (2-0)

   Unlikely, but nutty things happen in rivalry games.  Baltimore is supremely confident and may be caught looking forward to a big game against the Patriots in week 4.  With the Browns against a wall, desperate for a win and Brady Quinn in serious need of a good game, Cleveland could be a prototypical “Trap Game” for Baltimore.  The Ravens’ weakness is their special teams, so a big game from Josh Cribbs and Phil Dawson (of the “Bounce” fame) would be a necessity if the Browns want to sneak one in on the Ravens at home.

3. Denver (2-0) at Oakland (0-2)

  The Raiders are another team, like Cleveland, playing against a divisional rival with nothing to lose.  The Broncos seemingly have nothing to lose.  McDaniels is now assured after two wins that his way is the correct way, and that all the moves he has thus far made will pan out.  Meanwhile Tom Cable is under seige.  Failures at Quarterback, defensive collapses and mistakes are going to haunt him all season if he doesn’t shape up soon.  Starting 0-3 could end the Cable Era before it really begins, and he can’t allow that to happen.  After nearly doing it to the Chargers and the Chiefs, I think the Raiders could very well get their first divisional win this weekend.

4. Washington (1-1) at Detroit (0-2)

 The “sexy” pick for an upset.  But given Washington’s offensive performance and Detroit’s, who can be surprised.  It could come down to a shootout in the Motor City, winner being the team who gets the ball with 2 minutes left.

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Stone Cold Lock

  Jacksonville at Houston- The Texans right now are rolling off a huge confidence building victory over their rivals in Tennessee last week.  The Jags meanwhile are on the ropes, and while they are a desperate team (and therefore dangerous to pick against) they just don’t have the defense to keep Andre Johnson in check.  Derrelle Revis did it, but he also kept Randy Moss contained.  As good as Mathis is, he is not going to be able to shut down Andre Johnson by himself, meaning that already suspect defensive line will be left on an island.  I expect big things out of Steve Slaton this week as the Texans handle the Jaguars at home for a big win to go 2-1, with two division wins.

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Matchups to Watch

1. Jim Zorn vs Jim Schwartz- One coach who has been an epic failure in the redzone against a defensive guru looking for his first stand.  This one could decide the fate of Jim Zorn in Washington.

2. Peyton Manning vs. Kurt Warner- Two old dog QB’s battling it out through the air to overcome their pathetic defenses.  Winner will be the man who audibles at the line the most.

3. Tennesse Running Game vs. New York Jets Defense- The premier matchup of the week in my book, watching the Titans batter themselves against the Jets wall of defense will be an exciting matchup and could well determine if the Titans have any shot at the playoff this year.

4. Jay Cutler vs. Ken Lucas- With their starting corner out, the Seahawks will call upon Ken Lucas to keep Jay Cutler from unloading on them.  If I’m Seattle I am very very worried about this matchup. 

5. Pittsburgh v. Cincinnati- Are the Bengals for real? We’ll found out.

At the end of the Super Bowl, as the confetti rains down and the champions celebrate.  And for two men the moment means very different things.  One player knows tht all the money, all the work and all the fame have finally come to result in something, a Championship ring.  For the other, fate is unknown.  With the news that Sexy Rexy Grossman has signed with the Houston Texans as their third string quarterback we may have seen one of the hardest falls for a Super Bowl starting quarterback in the history of the NFL (and certainly within the last decade).  From Conference Crown to obscurity, the fate of many a starting Super Bowl Quarterback has been less than steller.

  There are four tiers of Super Bowl losing Quarterbacks in my mind: The Over-The-Hillers, the Repeat Offenders, the Winners and the Losers.  Each category has some famous names and no doubt each group has its own range of success and failure.  Starting with the loser of Super Bowl I (Len Dawson) to the loser of Super Bowl XLIII (and Super Bowl XXXVI) Kurt Warner, I have ranked the history of the NFL from those who fell from grace.

* Represents an active player

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The Winners

  Obviously any list of Super Bowl Losers as to start with the Super Bowl winners.  Players like Brett Favre, Roger Staubach, and most famously John Elway all lost Super Bowls, some of them lost as many (or more) than they won.  But one day each player got over the hump, and for that they get to top our list.

1. Roger Staubach- Captain Comeback lost Super Bowl 10 to the Pittsburgh Steelers.  However, he already had one ring on his finger, and would win a second one only two years later.  Staubach became the symbol of the Dallas Cowboys, and took a pretty mediocre franchise and turned it into a Power House, and in the process created the aura of America’s Team.

2. Tom Brady*- As winner of Super Bowls 36, 38 and 39, Tom Brady became one of the all time great winning quarterbacks.  But unlike Joe Montana, Bart Starr, Troy Aikman or Terry Bradshaw, Tom Brady has a loss on his record.  After leading the ho-hum offenses of the New England Patriots to breathtaking wins over the Rams, Panthers and Eagles, Brady managed a measly 14 points as the Spy-Gate-less Patriots lost to the New York Giants.

3. John Elway- After the drama of the Drive, and the excitement of the Fumble, came the failurs of Super Bowls 21 and 22.  In Super Bowl 21, Elway led his team in Rushing (27 yards) and Passing (304 yards).  But against Bil Parcells, Lawrence Taylor and Phil Simms (who played the greatest game of his life), he had no chance.  Two Super Bowl losses later, John Elway finally reached the mountain top, winning two Super Bowls.

4. Brett Favre- New York and (maybe) Minnesota aside, Brett Favre will always be remembered as one of the greatest Quarterbacks to ever play the game.  And unlike the man who owned all the great records that Favre broke, Brett won a Super Bowl (#31).  With a great defense and superb special teams, Brett piloted the Green Bay Packers and head coach Mike Holmgren to a Super Bowl win.  And while Favre played a superb game in the very next year, he was unable to beat TD, Sharpe and Elway in Super Bowl 32.

5. Bob Griese- Another two time winner, and the Quarterback of the Undefeated Miami Dolphins, Bob Griese overcame a loss in Super Bowl VI only to go on and win two back to back Super Bowls, three trips and two wins in a row for the Dolphins as Bob Griese helped establish Don Shula as one of the all time great coaches. 

6. Len Dawson- The Greatest Quarterback you never remeber, Len Dawson was the very first man to quarterback a losing team in the Super Bowl.  Dawson had the unfortunate luck of running into Bart Starr and the Lombardi-led Packers dynasty which brought us Title Town, USA.  3 years later however, Dawson would win his own Super Bowl over the Minnesota Vikings and land up in the Hall of Fame as the greatest Quarterback the Kansas City Chiefs ever had (not counting those on rent from San Fran).

7. Kurt Warner*- Bag-Boy made good, Kurt Warner filled in for the injured Trent Green and took the St. Louis Rams to the Super Bowl over the Tennesee Titans (by one inch).  And he followed it up with a back to back MVP performance, taking the Rams to the Super Bowl again only to lose #36 to the above mentioned Tom Brady.  Warner now has a shot at the Hall of Fame, despite having lost twice in the biggest game of his life.  Warner took the Arizona Cardinals to their first ever Super Bowl 8 years later, only to watch his defense let him down when it mattered most.

6. Joe Theisman- Before his infamous injury, Joe Theisman was a back-to-back Super Bowl Quarterback as well as a league MVP.  Leading the Redskins to victory in Super Bowl XVII, and then to a loss in XVIII, Theisman joins Favre as a Quarterback who only went to two big games, and split them down the middle (Until 2008 Warner was also on this list), who knows what could have been for Theisman, whose career was cut short by the gruesome injury on Monday Night Football.

The Repeat Offenders

  The second group of Quarterbacks on our list were the guys who never won a Super Bowl but made a darn good showing of it in their careers.  From Dan Marino’s record breaking numbers to Fran Tarkenton’s back breaking interception, the following QB’s could never be called losers, despite never winning.

7. Dan Marino- The greatest Quarterback to never win one, poor Dan Marino is constantly reminded by his on-air cohosts of his lack of a ring.  Dan Marino was, and still remains the greatest Quarterback I’ve ever seen play.  Despite never having the great teams of the 49′ers or Cowboys, Marino put up unheard of numbers.  He was the youngest QB to reach 100, 200 and 300 touchdowns, and was involved in the two highest passing yardage games in history.  Despite all of this, he only reached the Super Bowl once, and lost it to Brett Favre.

8. Jim Kelly- Jim Kelly and the K-Gun Bills of Thomas and Reed went to an unheard of 4 Super Bowls in a row.  Unfortunately for fans of the Great White North, the Bills lost all four.  Never has a great QB come so close to being one of the all time greats only to fall 4 games short.  Unfortunately for Kelly, he had some pretty bad games in the Super Bowl (Against Washington for example) and perhaps if he had upped his game just a bit, he’d be in the top bracket.

9. Fran Tarkenton- Another repeat performer who made 3 trips to the Super Bowl and won an MVP award in the process.  Fran was the Quarterback for the Purple People Eaters, the great Minnesota Vikings teams who couldn’t get over the hump and in the end, despite being a 9 time Pro Bowler and Hall of Famer, never won a ring.  Super Bowls 9, 10 and 12 will forever haunt Minnesota fans, as will a fate sealing interception thrown to the Oakland Raiders.

10. Daryle Lamonica- The Mad Bomber of Oakland led his upstart Raiders to an AFL title and was one of the great gunslingers of all time.  Later overshadowed by Ken Stabler, Lamonica can certainly make a case for the 2nd greatest QB in Oakland history.  Lamonica went to two Pro Bowls and holds the 2nd greatest winning percentage amoung Quarterbacks (behind Otto Graam), but forever he will be associated with coming up just a little short in Super Bowl 2.

11. Craig Morton- Before Kurt Warner, Craig Morton was the only QB to start in the Super Bowl for two different teams, but unfortunately for Morton, he never won one.  Morton lost Super Bowl 5 with the Cowboys, and then Super Bowl 12 against his old team (and replacement Roger Staubach).  Morton started for the Cowboys and Broncos for well over a Decade and was one of the great players of his era, overshadowed however by even better field generals.  Unfortunately Morton had a tendancy to turn the ball over too much and that contributed to his place on this list.

12. Donovan McNabb*- In my opinion, McNabb has secured his place as the greatest Quarterback in Philadelphia’s history.  Sinc his arrival in Phily, the Eagles have been to the playoffs 7 times, and reached 5 conference title games and a Super Bowl.  All that is keeping him from the all time great status (and likely a ticket to Canton) is that ellusive ring.  But imagine, McNabb has been to all these title games and won all these matches without ever having a franchise WR to stretch the field (except for the T.O. experiment, which got the Eagles to the Big Game).  And with another 3-5 years left, McNabb could move his way up this list in no time.

13/14. Ken Anderson/Boomer Esiason- Another set of players who took their teams to unprecedented heights before falling in the face of one of the all time greats, Anderson and Esiason took the Cincinnati Bengles away from the days of the Bungles and into the limelight.  Anderson did it in 1981, and Esiason in 88, and while both put up a fight neither could overcome the Montana led 49′ers and their two teams lost the Super Bowl by a score each.  But beyond their one trip to the Big Game, neither quarterback was ever able to win big and have become lost in the era of the Quarterback.

15. Steve McNair- Steve McNar and the Tennessee Titans came 1 yard short of taking theSuper Bowl into overtime, and spent years with the Oilers/Titans making plays with almost no one around him.  With McNair and running back Eddie George, the Titans went 96-80 and had two 13 win seasons.  But unfortunately the Titans were only able to climb to the top once, and there they met one of the greatest offenses the NFL has ever seen in the Greatest Show on Turf.  McNair went on to pilot the Ravens to the playoffs before injuries brought his physical career to an early end.

The Over the Hillers

  These guys never really had a chance to prove what they could do after losing the big one.

  16. Rich Gannon- Injuries struk Gannon at the end of his career which ended with statistical success despite the woeful nature of the post-Super Bowl Raiders.

 17. David Woodley- Not a great quarterback, but solid enough to take his team to the Super Bowl before being benched in favor of the young stud from Pitt, Dan Marino.  Woodley would play in Pittsburgh, but by the time of his Super Bowl his career was on its last legs.

 18. Billy Kilmer- Continued to head the Redskins after their loss, but his career climaxed in the Super Bowl and peetered away shortly afterwords.

The Losers

 Although some of these guys still have years left, its clear that their best is behind them, and with only a Super Bow loss on their records, many of these players will be forgotten heroes of flash in the pan teams who never made it past the door at the Super Bowl.

19. Jake Delhomme*- Delhomme has had an up and down caree to match his up and down franchise.  While he has had moments of amazing play, he has also had terrible and inexcusable moments in his career.  And unfortunately for Delhomme, Tommy John Surgery does little to help rebuild your career.  Still, with Steve Smith and a two headed running back comittee on the field, its entirely possible that Delhomme will break into the “Repeat Offender” categories, despte his kicker’s best attempts at ruining his big game.

20. Matt Hasselbeck*- Matt Hasselbeck has long been one of the best and most fun guys to watch on the field, and a fiery competitor who brought his all whenever he could.  But because of the teams he faced in the division, his Seahawks will always be looked at as an unexciting and sub-par Super Bowl losing squad.  Yes, Hasselbeck did what no other Seahawks QB had done before, but with injuries and age piling up, its unlikely that he will continue to produce at a high level, especially with 5th string receivers starting.

21. Chris Chandler- Best kown for who relaced him, Chandler was a very good quarterback for a few years in Atlana, but was unfortunately never going to be given the chance to be a franchise defining figure.  He helped pull an overachieving Falcons team into the Super Bowl, but just two seasons later he saw himself taded in favor of the playmaker Michael Vick, and the rest as they say is history.

22. Stan Humphries- Stan Humphries did something Dan Fouts never could, he started a Super Bowl.  And while he was a very good quarterback for a few years, he was never anything more than good.  He put together numerous resectable seasons following his loss in Super Bowl 29, but he never really broke out again, and the Chargers have never been back to the big dance.

23. Ron Jaworski- Jaws, like Humpries, Hasselbeck and Delhomme took a good career and had one great season that took him to the Super Bowl where he lost to a superior team.  He like many on this list will be remembered as one of the good ones, but never as one of the great ones.

24/25. Kerry Collins*/Tony Eisen- When ok Quarterbacks meet all-time defense (85 Bears, 00 Ravens), bad things happen.

26. Vincent Ferragamo- Vince took a promosing career to Canada for money, and ended up washing out in only a matter of years (and was terrible in the Canadian football league).  All of his failuers came following his dash to gold after the loss by the Raiders in Super Bowl 14.

27. Drew Bledsoe- Another good Quarterback who will be overshadowed forever by his successor, Bledsoe benefited from great coaching and solid teammates and managed to bring the Patriots within a game of a World Championship before Tom Brady and Bill Belichick took them over the top.  Despite all his other games, he will always be remembered for his injury.

28. Earl Morrell- Morrell was never supposed to start for the Colts in Super Bowl 3, and he never really started after it either.  He followed Don Shula to Miami but never performed to the level of his lead, Johnny Unitas.

29. Neil O’Donnell- A pretty good QB who played his worst game on the biggest stage and tore the heart out of thousands of Steelers fans who curse his name to this day.

30. Rex Grossman*- Piloted a surprise team to the playoffs and into the Super Bowl (on the brain of Brian Urlacher and the speed of Devin Hester), and was named the Bears starting quarterback a year later. But injuries and poor play left him on the bench and now he’s battling for a back up role against a quarterback who ran out of the endzone for a safety without being pressured last season.

27. Joe Kapp- After his loss in Super Bowl 4, Joe Kapp went to the Boston Patriots and had 3 touchdowns to 17 interceptions and ended his career.  And that performance ends out list of infamy.

The Steal of the Panthers 2005 draft

  Many media outlets like to give out grades in the days following the draft, associating the selected players with the designated needs of each team.  Teams like New England and Philadelphia have been given their A’s andA-’s, while the Oakland Raiders helped set the curve by bringing up the rear with an F.  But go back and look at the draft grades foor 2005, where the Carolina Panthers were praised, despite the fact that the only playmakerleft from 2005 is Thomas Davis, their first round pick.   And so, we are reminded of the futility of grading a draft the week it happens.  We are not alone in this understanding, but for TSS’s blog I’ve decided to approach grading the draft based upon the success and failure of 5 years ago.  The great drafts have gone to the Super Bowl, won MVP’s andbeen resigned to long term deals.  The poor drafts have flared out, been cut, or washed up on some other team’s depth chart.  My grades are based upon the level of production compared to where they were drafted.  For example: A Top 10 pick should be a pro bowler, while a 6thround draft pick can be judged a success if they are even in the league.  So, without further audeu, the Grades for the 2004 NFL Draft, five years later.

Grade: A+ to A-

  The San Diego Chargers: Grade- A+

   The Chargers came into the 2004 NFL Draft with the knowledge that the #1 overall pick, Eli Manning, would not sign with them.  Andthey also knew that the New York Giants desperately wanted Peyton’s baby brother.  With that knowledge in mind, the Chargers went to work.  They got their franchise Quarterback (Phillip Rivers), a very good 3-4 Defensive End (Igor Olshansky), their kicker (Nate Kaeding), their starting OLB (Shaun Phillips) and Center (Nick Hardwick).  The Chargers also picked up some key players on the second day with Michael Turner and Shane Olivea in the 5th and 7th.  The Chargers easily came away with the best class in the 2004 season.

  Arizona Cardinals: Grade- A+

   The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl run of 2008 was completely based upon the success of their draft in 2004.  Larry Fitzgerald was selected 3rd overall after the Rivers-Manning Fiasco, and has become one of the best receivers in the game (and put together the best post season by a receiver ever).  At 33 in the 2ndround the Cards selected Karlos Dansby.  Their eventual defensive surge was completed with the 3rd and 5thround picks (Darnell Dockett andAntonio Smith).  Alex Stepanovich, Nick Leckey and John Navarre all failed to land starting roles in Arizona for long, and none are with the Cardinals.  But with 4 key starters coming from the draft, it is clear that the 2004 class was a key building block to the new heights Arizona reached in 2009.

New York Giants: A-

  With Eli Manning, a Super Bowl MVP, Chris Snee, a key member to the Super Bowl offensive line, and Gibril Wilson in the 5thround, the New York Giants made key additions to their team in 2004 which led to the Super Bowl ring in 2007.  The Giants take a bit of a hit because they traded a lot to get Eli, but he has since proven the trade to be worthwhile.  The rest of the draft ended up being nothing but depth and practice squad fodder, but the three starters were key members to a Super Bowl run, and that gives you an A regardless of the cost.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Grade- A-

  The Steelers picked up their franchise QB at 11 with Big Ben coming out of Miami (of Ohio).  But after Roethlisberger, the rest of the 2004 draft was a huge dissapointment.  Still, credit where credit is due, a franchise Quarterback is worthy of an A Grade all on his own.  Ricardo Colclough washed out at Corner, and Max Starks (despite his huge pay day) has been a mediocre at best offensive tackle.  The rest of the draft is gone with the wind, unknown depth and practice squad players who never really made an impact on the two Super Bowl runs the Steelers have made since.

Indianapolis Colts: Grade B+

  The Colts used their first pick on a small safety out of Iowa named Bob Sanders.  Now a defensive player of the year

That's Right... Jim Sorgi on the field

and a contributer to the 2006 Super Bowl, Bob Sanders at 44 was a steal.  Ben Hartsock a TE was a contributor but never really came out as a top tier receiving weapon.  Gilbert Gardner and KendyllPope came next. both OLB’s are gone and neither really made an impact.  In the 4th, the Colts selected Jason David, who was a contributing Corner but never a play maker, while in the 5thround the Colts drafted Jake Scott.  Von Hutchins and Jim Sorgiare both backups who, drafted where they were in the 6thround, were very good picks.

Chicago Bears: Grade- B+

  The Bears made some key pick ups, and selected some members of their 2006 Super Bowl run who are still on the squad today.  Tommie Harris is the marquis player of the draft, going at 14 overall.  Their 2ndroundpick, Terry Johnson, was a waste, but 3rd round receiver Bernard Berrian continues to be a very viable #2 receiver for the Vikings.  Craig Krenzel performed adequately for a late 5thround pick, but the rest of the 2nd day went without notice.

St. Louis: Grade- B

  Steven Jackson at 24 was a huge steal, and was the first running back taken in the draft.  Jackson teamed up with Marc Bulger in the last Playoff run before the two coaching changes since.  After Jackson, the draft becomes unimpressive with Tony Hargrove out of the league and most of the 2nd day being long gone.  Brandon Chillar was selected in the 4thround, and has been another key element to a dissapointing St. Louis squad.  But with Jackson at the front (much like the Pittsburgh draft), you can’t discredit this class.

New England: Grade- B

  The Pats draft class began with a Bang and ended with a Wimper.  Vince Wilfork, the Rock upon which Bill Belichick’s church of defense has been constructed, was selected 21st overall.  But after Wilfork, the bottom fell out.  Ben Watsonwas serviceable, but never great.  Marquise Hill could have helped turn the class aroundbefore his tragic death.  The rest of the class, forgotten about including such highs as Guss Scott, P.K. Sam and Christian Morton.

New York Jets: Grade- B

  The Jets had a draft full of mediocre talent, andwhen half your players are decent, your grade is a B in my book.  At the top of the draft came 4-3 MLB Johnathan Vilma, who would still be in New York if not for the Eric Mangini era.  Jerricho Cotchery and Adrian Jones in the 4thwere both solid picks, with Erik Coleman in the 5th becoming a great selection, and in the 7thround, future New York Giants running back Derrick Ward was selected out of Ottawa.

Washington: Grade- B-

  The Redskins selected two key starters out of 4 picks.  Sean Taylor was on his way to becoming one of the best safeties in the league before his murder, and Chris Cooley has been a reliable target for Jason Campbell, and will contibue to be an important element to the Washington West Coast Offense.  The other two picks, Mark Wilson and Jim Molinero (in the 5th and 6th) are relative nobodies who did not contribute to this class much at all.

 Oakland Raiders: Grade- B-

  Yes, there was a time whent he Oakland Raiders had more than 5 draft picks and actually used some of them for solid players.  Robert Gallery was a great pick, if waaaay to high and then used in the wrong position.  At Guard, Gallery is solid.  Jake Grove out of Virginia Tech is a solid center, andStuart Schweigert in the 3rd round was a decent pick up, who if not for injuries and poor coaching could have developed into a solid starting safety.  The rest of the draft was unimpressive, but with two solid offensive linemen at the top of the draft, a better coached team could have turned this into one of the better classes.

New Orleans: Grade- C+

  Will Smith was selected 18th overall, and has become a key member of a problematic defensive unit in New Orleans. and Devery Henderson has been a very solid #2 receiver for years.  Now that the Saints have re-stabalized from the Jim Haslett era, we can really see the impact of the 2004 Draft.  These two picks help left a mediocre draft into a solid one, with Mike Karney bringing up the rear in the 5thround and providing another contributing special teamer.  Courney Watson and Rodney Leisle have not been usefull picks, and Watson in particular in the 2ndround was a bit of a dissapointment.

Cincinnati Bengals: Grade- C+

 Chris Perry was a bust among busts, but after him there were a series of great picks.  MadieuWilliams in the secondround, Landon Johnson in the 3rd, Robert Geathers and Stacy Andrews in the 4th were all huge selections.  Without Perry bringing down this class, the Bengals could have had one of the better classes of the draft.  Keiwan Ratliff, the 49th overall pick at Corner Back, failed to make an impact in the league as well, but the sheer success of the 2nd day makes this a tolerable draft in the long run.

Carolina Panthers: Grade- C

  The Panthers selected Chris Gamble in the first, and he made this class.  Michael Gaines, Drew Carter and Keary Colbert (7th, 5th and 2nd round picks) all contributed to the Panthers and other teams, but none really developed into top tier players.  Still, the selection of a very solid corner at the tail end of the draft makes the 2004 class for the Panthers at least a feasible one.

Tampa Bay: Grade- C

 The Buccsselected Michael Clayton in the first round, andhas produced far below the level most would have wanted.  But he still plays for the team which drafted him, a feat of note in this first round.  Marquis Cooper has been a journeyman backup for half the league, andWill Allen has shown flashes of being a very good 3rd round pick.  However the rest of the Tampa Class were non-entities who wafled around and never contributed, bringing about an average year for the Buccs.

Cleveland: Grade- C

  Kellen Winslow, when healthy, was the best young Tight End in the game.  Unfortuantely he injured his knee in the first pre-season game of his career, then crashed his motorcycle in year 2.  But years 3 and 4 were solid, and Winslow earned himself a trip to a Pro Bowl in 2007.  Sean Jones was a solid safety for 4 years before being allowed to walk by the Manginiregime.  Beyond the two at the top, the rest of the draft was fillers anddepth who never made it in Luke McCown (now in Tampa with Winslow), and Joe Echemandu being the more bizarre highlights of the class.

Seattle: Grade- C-

  The Seahawks picked up a solid wall of flesh in Marcus Tubbsin the first round, as well as vastly under-achieving players in the 2nd and 5th (Michael Boulware and D.J. Hackett).  Sean Locklearwas a very good 3rd round pick, but the draft itself is less than thrilling.  Neither Tubbs nor Locklearhave really become the tops of their positions, even on the team itself.  But bothare solid depth players, just like D.J. Hackett has been in his journeyman career throughout the league.

Tennesee: Grade C-

 The Titans drafted a starting defensive lineman for Cincinnati, a starting defensive lineman for Carolina, a starting defensive lineman for Miami and a series of scrubs.  If Travis Laboy, Antwan Odom, randy Starks and the rest of them would have stayed in Tennessee, this would be an A.  But with all that decent talent leaving for other teams, andthe failure of first round Tight End Ben Troupe, this is a particularlly underwhelming draft class for the usually spot on Tennessee Titans.

Miami: Grade C-

  Will Poole, Rex Hadnot and Vernon Carey highlighted a very successfull backup class for the Miami Dolphins.  Bubt none turned into stars or big name playmakers.  Derrick Pope in the 7th, Tony Pape in the 6th and Tony Bua in the 5th never really made it onto the field, and help give the Dolphins a slighlty below average class in 2004.

Buffalo: Grade C-

  JP Losman highlighted this class at pick 22, and now he can’t even buy his way into a QB competition.  Lee Evans has  been an amazing pick up, but he was the only thing that saved this otherwise empty squad from obscurity.  also int he line up, Tim Anderson, Tim Euhus, Dylan McFarland andJonathan Smith.  Names unfamiliar to anyone outside of the city of Buffalo, and probably unknown to most inside the city as well.

 Houston: Grade- C-

  The Texans selected franchsie Corner Back Dunta Robinson, who has been an on and off star in the defensive secondary.  Jason Babin had potential but never lived up to it, the same with Vontex Duff andGlenn Earl.  Beyond those first four selections (including Babinin the first round 17 spots after Robinson) the draft was forgettable.  The key here has been inconsistency, with Dunta being its posterchild.  If Robinson can continue in form and play like the Franchise Player he is, this could bump up to a solid C.

Philadelphia: Grade- D+

  Shawn Andrews was selected 16th overall and has been a very good offensive lineman.  None of the other players did anything in this league.  Including 2 fourthround picks, 2 sixes and a wopping 3 7thround picks.  Not a one of them every ammounted to much in their NFL careers.

Detroit: Grade- D+

  Roy Williams was never the Wide Receiver the Lions hoped for, but he was productive.  Kevin Jones couldn’t stay healthy, and Teddy Lehman in the 2nd was an “ok” linebacker.  But he’s the only player from the 2004 class still on the squad.

Atlanta: Grade- D

  DeAngello Hall was a special talent, but his attitude and talent never allowed him to reach his potential withthe Falcons.  Then he was paid a lot of money for 6 months of work in Oakland before traveling to Washington to replace Shawn Springs.  Michael Jenkins has been a consistent dissapoinment, with the rest of the class being cut or lost to practice squads anddepth charts.

Dallas: Grade- D

  Julius Jones started this draft at pick 43, a solid running back for the Cowboys who was sent abroad due to the deep group of runners the Cowboys now have (Barber being the new leader).  Patrick Crayton, usefull and talented but never great, came out of the 7thround and was clearly one of the best picks of the 2004 draft.  Unfortunately for the Cowboys, everyone between 43 and 216 was a wasted pick, and none of them contributed.  OT Jacob Rogers was cut in 2006, and was an epic failure as a 2ndround pick.

San Francisco: Grade D

  Rashaun Woods was a huge bust at 31, but Justin Smiley, Shawntae Spencer and Isaac Sopoagaall contributed to depth and as backups.  Andy Lee was a great punter, but for a draft which included 10 picks, this San Fran draft was greatly dissapointing, Derrick Hamilton andWoods, both supposed studs at receiver, ended up flopping horribly and hurt the San Francisco receiving corp for the better part of the last 5 years.

Green Bay: Grade- D-

  Ahmad Carroll was a potentially amazing pick, who got totally burned like a bad peice of toast.  He busted, and took the rest of the class with him.  The only thing that saved this group was Corey Williams, who’s 6thround selection was eventually turned into a 2ndroundpick from the Cleveland Browns.

Baltimore: Grade- D-

  Dwan Edwards, the Defensive Tackle out of Oregon State, is still a solid member of this great defense, but Devard Darlin?  Josh Harris?  Clarence Moore?  None of these guys ever did anything in the league, and it is unquestionable that the offensive failures of the 2004 (and other) drafts eventually cost Brian Billick his job in Baltimore.

Minnesota: Grade- D-

  Kenechi Udezewas their first round pick, and he contributed to a level, but has never been the real force the Vikings hoped for.  Mewelde Moore was perhaps the best pick of the draft, that should tell you just how poor the 2004 year was for Minneosta.

Kansas City: Grade- D-

  Jared Allen saves this from an F, as he netted them a slew of picks and has become the best young defensive End  in the league.  Every other pick of the draft was terrible.

Denver: Grade- F

D. J. Williams, Tatem bell, Darius Watts, Jeff Shoate, Matt Mauck, Bradlee Van Pelt.  All names on the Denver Draft Board in 2004.  Yeah, maybe we shouldn’t be surprised that Shanny got fired.