Life in the NFL goes by at the blink of an eye, and the knee injury suffered by the Colts starting CB Marlin  Jackson yesterday illustrates that principle to a tee.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Jackson was injured on the final play of the team’s practice on Wednesday, and was later diagnosed with a torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) in his knee. The remainder of his season will be finalized in the near future, as Indianapolis is almost certain to place Jackson on the injured reserve list.

Jackson is likely to have surgery to repair the tear sometime next week, but his future with the Colts is somewhat murky at this point, given his status as a free agent next spring. Suffering an injury like this is definitely not a good way to convince a club to extend a better contract offer, so  Indianapolis will probably be able to re-sign him at a much lower cost than initially projected.

After losing two straight games to conference rivals in Arizona and Philadelphia, the Giants have a lot to account for, especially given their proximity to the ever voracious New York City media.

But instead of accepting responsibility for their poor play on the field, several Giants defenders have taken it upon themselves to insinuate the mistakes were made thanks to poor communication from the coaching staff during the games, according to Mike Garafalo of the New Jersey Star-Ledger. The players cited in the story as being part of the complaint include DEs Matthias Kiwanuka, Justin Tuck, and LB Antonio Pierce.

“You have to ask them. I don’t know what they’re talking about. They haven’t come to me regarding that.”

- New York defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan

Obviously the team isn’t likely to give any sort of credence to the notion that the defensive signals were relayed incorrectly or were poorly called in the first place, but given the Giants new found propensity to give up big yardage plays, one does have to question whether or not the defense is in the right sets to eliminate those mistakes from happening.

That said, blaming poor individual play on a coaching error is an excuse, nothing more and nothing less. And as a team that been there and done that in the playoffs the past two seasons, there’s really no reason to delve into that kind of petty squabbling, as it is unproductive at best and destructive at its worst.

With the Chargers set to roll into the Big Apple this weekend, the Giants can ill afford to have the same kind of mental lapses that plagued them in their losses to both the Cardinals and the Eagles in successive weeks, and while a win is certainly not guaranteed, I’d be surprised if New York shows the same signs of weakness, as this week is definitely a must win.

At NFLNR, we’re always trying to bring you new and improved content, and our latest endeavor is no different. Today marks the beginning of our NFL Mock Draft Database, and we’re hoping things will really take off over there.

For now, we’re starting off with a few of our favorites for your viewing pleasure, but if you have your own mock and it’s not listed here, don’t hesitate to give us a shout and let us know where it’s at. As soon as we get that message, you’ll be on board for good, garnering your site a fair amount of hits in the progress.

You can contact us via email at nflnr102@gmail.com or by using the contact form at the top of the page.

Thanks and enjoy the mocks!

With the NFL season already at its halfway point, it’s a perfect time to begin a discussion on next year’s free agent class. Today we’re breaking down the quarterbacks, giving you our thoughts on who’s likely to cash in with a nice payday next spring.

Feel free to leave any thoughts in the comments section, as we’d love to hear who you think is deserving of a big contract or not. And be sure to check back tomorrow for our thoughts on the potential RB free agent class for next year.

Top Free Agent Quarterbacks

1. Jason Campbell – Washington (UFA)

I really like what Jason Campbell brings to the table, but he’s struggled to put last off-season’s turmoil behind him, and it’s been pretty evident thus far this season. That said, I think he could definitely blossom if given an opportunity to play on a team without a megalomaniac for an owner, and at the very least, he’d be a solid game manager for a playoff contender in need of a competent QB.

Likely destinations: Buffalo, San Francisco, Minnesota, Carolina, Denver, Oakland

2. Kyle Orton – Denver (UFA)

Orton received the best gift possible when he was traded from Chicago to Denver last off-season in the Jay Cutler extravaganza, and he’s made the most of it thus far, guiding the Broncos to a 4-0 start. I don’t envision him becoming a premier NFL starter anytime soon, but to be sure, some team is going to overpay for his services next spring, especially if he can continue to play like he has in his first four games. Then again, he could stay put in Denver, depending on what Josh McDaniels and Co. decide to do at the end of the year.

Likely destinations: Denver, Buffalo, Carolina, Washington, Oakland

3. Tavaris Jackson – Minnesota (UFA)

Given the fact that he’s only 26 years old, Jackson is probably going to be a hot commodity when he hits the market next March, unless of course, the Vikings sign him first. He hasn’t done much to show he can be a legit starter in this league, but then again, half the QBS playing right now were in the same boat at one time or another, so I’m sure a team would go after him if possible. Skill wise, I like what he offers, but his game intelligence definitely leaves a lot to wish for, and that’s as important as anything else when you pick your franchise QB.

Likely destinations: Minnesota, Washington, Buffalo, Oakland

4. Chad Pennington – Miami (UFA)

It’s too bad that he suffered a season ending injury this year because Pennington was poised to take home one more big contract next spring, especially after leading the Dolphins to the playoffs like he did last season. As it stands now, he’ll probably get offered a middle of the road contract with no guarantees of playing time, but at this point in his career, he’d be hard pressed to get much else I think.

Likely destinations: Minnesota, San Francisco, Carolina, Buffalo, Denver, Seattle, Kansas City

5. Kellen Clemens – New York Jets (UFA)

Once Mark Sanchez arrived on the scene, Clemens’ chances at earning the starting job became slim to none, even though he has the ability to be successful with the Jets. If he’s able to leave town next March, I suspect that he’ll put up solid numbers, especially if he’s on a team with enough talent around him to not require him to win the game on his own. That said, New York may do their part to keep him in the fold, as he’s a nice insurance policy to have in case Sanchez runs into trouble.

Likely destinations: New York Jets, Minnesota, Buffalo, Denver, Seattle

Other UFAs

• Charlie Batch – Pittsburgh
• Kyle Boller – St. Louis
• David Carr – New York Giants
• Dante Culpepper – Detroit
• Jeff Garcia – Oakland
  
• Rex Grossman – Houston
  
• Joey Harrington – New Orleans
  
• Jon Kitna – Dallas
  
• Patrick Ramsey – Tennessee
  

Other RFAs

• Matt Moore – Carolina
• Brett Ratliff – Cleveland
• Troy Smith – Baltimore

Here’s how I see the league breaking down, heading into week nine of the season.

Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section!

* Home games are capitalized

Top Shelf Contenders

1. New Orleans (7-0)

Once again the Saints found a way to get it done when it mattered, and if they can keep it up, home field advantage will be within their grasp fairly soon.

Next week: CAROLINA (3-4)

2. Indianapolis (7-0)

Tough wins are the mark of tough teams, and the Colts are just that. They’ll need their A-game this week though against a Texans team that is ready to finally win on the road.

Next week: HOUSTON (5-3)

3. Minnesota (7-1)

The Vikings dominated right from the start in Green Bay, but they’ll need to learn how to put a team away if they want to go deep into the postseason this year.

Next week: BYE

4. Denver (6-1)

Losing to the Ravens as bad as they did will definitely sting, but the real test is whether they can rebound this week at home against the Steelers.

Next week: PITTSBURGH (5-2)

5. New England (5-2)

The high flying Patriots offense is seemingly on cruise control these days, but a tough game at home against the Dolphins is looming this week. Time to see if they can keep it up against a decent team.

Next week: MIAMI (3-4)

6. Cincinnati (5-2)

The Bengals don’t have an easy path to the division crown this season, but so far they’ve been more than up to the task. A win this week over the Ravens would go a long way towards achieving that goal.

Next week: BALTIMORE (4-3)

7. Philadelphia (5-2)

The Eagles couldn’t have asked for a better performance at home against the Giants, but they need to stay just as focused this week to take out the Cowboys in a huge game on Sunday night.

Next week: DALLAS (5-2)

8. Pittsburgh (5-2)

Having a BYE week to rest up and get healthy should be a big help to the Steelers, especially in light of a big time road game coming up this week in Denver.

Next week: @ Denver (6-1)

9. Dallas  (5-2)

They haven’t been all that dominant in doing so, but winning cures all ills last I checked. That said, their game against the Eagles this week won’t be the walk in the park that the their past few games have been.

Next week: @ Philadelphia (5-2)

10. Houston (5-3)

The Texans have played extremely well in recent weeks, but they still have to beat the Colts if they want to take the next step towards legitimacy this season.

Next week: @ Indianapolis (7-0)

Continue reading Power Rankings – Week 9

When a kicker misses two field goals in a single game, bad things usually happen, and in the case of Falcons K Jason Elam, it’s not likely to be much different.

In his regular press conference earlier today, Atlanta’s head coach Mike Smith stopped short of announcing a move on that front, but he did leave the door open to finding a potential replacement for Elam, especially on long range opportunities.

“Jason did not kick the ball like we’re accustom to seeing him kick the ball. That’s something we’ll always be evaluating. We always have a backup plan in place already in terms of who would be our backup kicker. (Punter) Michael (Koenen) has done that in the past, but that’s something we’re always evaluating.”

– Atlanta head coach Mike Smith

With the kind of offensive firepower Atlanta has displayed this season, having a kicker that hits consistently in the 30 to 40 yard ranges is imperative. Elam has been as reliable as they come throughout most of his career, but given his recent string of missed kicks, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Falcons go in a different direction in the near future.

In what will likely turn out to be the beginning of the end for RB Edgerrin James‘ career, the Seahawks have decided to part ways, releasing the former superstar runner this afternoon, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Seattle had high expectations for James this season, given his track record of success and the resurgence he showed late last year during the Cardinals run to the Super Bowl. But happy feelings and potential only carry a player so far in the NFL, and after watching James struggle all season long, the Seahawks finally pulled the plug so to speak.

The 11 year veteran is past his prime in both age and skill, and as such, it’s doubtful that James will find much work at this point in the season, although several teams may have an interest in bringing him in for situational purposes only.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter), Kansas City has claimed WR Chris Chambers off of waivers from the Chargers, in a move designed to give the Chiefs more depth and experience in their receiving corps.

San Diego released Chambers yesterday, after the nine year veteran showed signs of struggle in getting open consistently, and while the Chiefs are currently on the hook for the $2.4 million he’s still owed this season, the move shows a continued effort by KC to upgrade their team talent wise at every opportunity.

It’s doubtful that Chambers will make much of an impact on the field any time soon, but that won’t stop Chiefs head coach Todd Haley from using him as early as next Sunday in Jacksonville. For their part, the Chiefs have yet to make any comment on their acquisition of Chambers, and likely won’t have much to say for the mean time, given their penchant for keeping things vague these days.

Vikings CB Antoine Winfield is universally regarded as one of the league’s top defenders, so having him miss a second week of action thanks to a foot injury he suffered earlier in the season isn’t what Minnesota wants to see, especially headed into a big showdown on Sunday against their arch-rivals in Green Bay.

While the Vikings played fairly well defensively last week in Pittsburgh, the outstanding play of Winfield is a major factor behind their success on that side of the ball in recent years, and not having him available against the Packers, who feature several explosive receivers, could cause some difficulty for Minnesota this week. Apparently, Winfield has looked good in practice all week, but the team decided to give him another week off, in light of the Vikings BYE coming up after this contest.

Bills WR Terrell Owens has never been one to shy away from the limelight. Yesterday he did his best to get back into it, calling his 2009 stats “pathetic.”

According to the Associated Press, Owens still believes in his ability as a receiver, despite not having a single game this season where he has totalled more than 60 yards. He also feels strongly that his early-spring guarantee of a 10 touchdown season will come to pass, saying “I’ve got to hold up my end of the bargain.”

For his critics, this season has been perfect, proving (at least in their minds) that T.O. is a nonfactor, and is deserving of being relegated to the NFL’s basement. But Owens certainly isn’t going down without a fight, and love him or hate him, you have to respect that he’s willing to stand up like a man and take his medicine.

“They’re pathetic to be honest. Definitely, for myself, it’s very, very frustrating. I hear a lot of people saying I’ve hit the wall, I can’t play any more, this and that. I mean, I know I can play. I’m frustrated, but I mean, what can I do? I just continue to try to work hard, continue to try to do the best I can.”

– Buffalo WR Terrell Owens, on his 2009 stats.

Much of the blame for Owens’ poor start this season can be laid at the feet of his offensive line, who have given up 21 sacks on the season, forcing the Bills’ QBs to scramble for their lives instead of standing tall and throwing downfield to T.O. It also hasn’t helped that Buffalo has had little continuity in the offensive gameplan from week to week, with offensive coordinator Turk Schonert being dismissed early in the season.

But whatever the cause of his decline, Owens is still the proud (and sometimes arrogant) receiver we’ve known for years, and is not likely to go away with the wind anytime soon. His production may never reach what it once was in San Francisco, Philadelphia, or Dallas but you can bet your last dollar bill on him continuing to fight each week.

That’s the T.O. we expect to see, and like it or not, he’s still on everyone’s radar screen, albeit as a much smaller blip in the corner.