The Browns' Peanut Gallery

It's better for some people to remain silent, and be suspected of dumbassitude, than to post stuff and confirm it.

Once again, Greg Little caught almost everything thrown to him after game five last season, and the other guys, while not perfect, were pretty sure-handed as well.  All of them dropped fewer than ten percent of the passes thrown to them.

Every time the subject of Weeden and the quarterbacks comes up, people talk about how the whole offense will depend on how well Weeden performs.  I won't belabor the fact that Jason Campbell in his last stint as a starter did a great job, getting a bad team into playoff contention, and how utterly ignorant it is to ignore that.

Anyway it's true.  If everything else is great but the quarterback is mediocre, it's gonna be a long season.  Now that I'm done restating the obvious for the millionth time, I'll zero in on that one clown that keeps showing up in the comments talking about how no quarterback can be good if his recievers drop the ball.

Will you just shut up, please?

As I posted earlier, Weeden held the ball, refusing to throw to open recievers.  He had poor footwork when he moved, and was inaccurate at these times.  He otherwise showed some good stuff, and the surprise would be if he isn't a whole lot better in his second season with better coaches in a friendlier system with more experienced recievers DUH.

Speaking of Gordon and the others, I now have decided to like the Devone Bess move a whole lot.  Between him and Danny Amendola, it's no contest.  For once the Browns out-Belichicked Bill.

While in reality there isn't much he can teach second and third year recievers, he should influence them to try to match him catching the ball.  A sure-handed guy like this sets a standard for the other guys.  None of them will want to look Bess in the eye after a drop.

Maybe he'll stand there and shake his head at them.  "Ooo, you're so big and fast--look at those oven mitts you've got growing out of your wrists!  I sure wish I had big hands like that!  Then maybe I could catch as well as you!"

This guy is probably the most important offensive upgrade of the off-season.  Fans tend to get fixated on the big plays, but the game is about first downs.  On most pass plays, Gordon or Little will be the primary reciever; sometimes Cameron.  If the QB has some time, he can check down twice, or even three times.  But if he doesn't, he can immediately look for Bess.

Ok sorry--everybody knows that--sort of.  But not in detail:

In this offense, the two bigger outside recievers will almost always run deep, even against umbrella coverage.  They'll break it off into a slant or cross underneath that, but not until they've run vertically for at least 8-12 yards.

This takes the top two corners downfield, and keeps them outside.

The tight end in this scheme will usually remain between the hashmarks, but he, too, will run more or less vertically for at least eight yards before making any moves.  Often he won't even make a hard cut, but will just keep going even if there's a guy right with him.

Some teams will try to cover him with a small linebacker, or a big safety, but he'll have a size and reach advantage on any of them, and an accurate pass with the right touch is unstoppable.  (Except they can still try to knock or pry it loose, of course--or to get away with interference). 

Anyway, the 2.5-headed deep threat makes keeping a coverage safety deep almost mandatory, so that four of the quickest/fastest defenders are over ten yards downfield, and moving away from scrimmage--about two seconds after the snap.

The best way for any defense to stop this attack is to get to the quarterback fast and often. Against this Browns' offensive line, that means sending at least five guys--and that generally won't be enough, because their best passrusher must more often than not try to get by Joe Thomas.

Also, because TRich is such a dangerous run/catch reciever that they probably need to send a sixth guy just to force him to block instead.

This leaves one cornerback on Devone Bess.

The outside cornerbacks can use the sidelines as help in man, getting inside leverage and trying to prevent an inside cut.  The recievers have limited space to the outside, and a quarterback in the pocket now has to throw "through" the defender to get it to him, and to be a lot more accurate.

But the slot corner can't do that.  The slot reciever always has a two-way "go", and could go anyhere.  It's almost impossible to jam him, because he can simply go the other way and lose you.  Most slot corners try to stay close, but backed off a little to keep the reciever in front of him, and try to track the quarterback's eyes to anticipate a throw.

Because of this, the slot guy is always open.  Because he remains near the line of scrimmage, the ball can get to him in a hurry and before the cornerback can put on a burst and try to stop it.

In other offenses, there is some help for the slot cornerback, as offenses seek to flood zones, run picks, cross underneath, etc.  Other guys can peel off their recievers and at least stop the slot guy after a catch; one less passrusher means one more cover guy, too.

In this offense, Bess should get more YAC yards than he did in Miami, because the underneath zones will be cleared and the balance of the defense will be chasing Weeden.

Now, here's another thing for some clowns to shut up about: Fullback.  I said it weeks ago, and in a recent interview with Norv Turner, he pretty much confirmed it: It's NOT MANDATORY.  So quit bashing the front office for not (neccessarily) getting one!  Or do you now know Turner's system better than Turner does?

Norv basically yawned and sighed.  Well, there are some guys we can use like that sometimes, some H-back types, and the tight ends can run around some too (yawn) next question?

He didn't say this either, but I will: The most likely reason they re-signed Brandon Jackson to an already crowded backfield is that they don't intend to use a true fullback.  A two-back will be a two-back, and one back will sometimes block for another.

I repeat: Earnest Byner was not a big guy.  

You've got to understand that for once the Browns have three coaches who are creative and adaptable.  You keep trying to stuff them into boxes, and they'll Keep escaping and confusing you.  That's the idea.  They like confusing other coaches, too.

In an earlier post, I guessed at what Ray Horton had in mind for Mingo.  That will surprise you too, despite the fact that he said he wants his eleven best players on the field as much as possible.  And you still can't fathom that this could include Sheard, Kruger and Mingo sometimes.

No, because outside linebackers are incapable of rushing between the tackles, or something, right?  You got your outside linebacker box and your inside linebacker box...then there's your coverage linebacker box...and you stick each player in one of the boxes and seal it up with tape.

Then Horton will take the box-cutters, and he lets them out.

I'm telling you right now, you will see Mingo in tight ends' faces, running around with them.   You'll see Kruger next to Jackson.  You'll see them all over the place.

And you won't see any boxes.

And Bademosi is not trying to be a backup.  He could beat out Gipson.  And I don't care--between the two, I think we'll have a decent free safety.

Remember, When you ass ume, you make an ass of yourself (feel free to use that) YOU STAND CORRECTED.

Browns Training Camp Forum

My guests today will be Judge Thaddeus T Mental (JM) and Connie Klusionleaper (CK).

I'll stand back and let Judge Mental open the festivities.

JM: Another 4-12 season.  Same old crap out of Berea.

Me: Whoa!  I'm not sure Chud, Turner, and Horton ever really met Pat Shurmer.  Haslam bought the team, but I doubt he even had a beer with Lerner.  Banner ran a pretty good team for a long time.  You think dumbass is in the water or something?

JM: Maybe that's it-I don't know.  I just know they choked on two of their draft picks, punting them to next year, and the Steelers got a safety with one of them!

CK: That's right, and the Browns needed a safety!  And the Steelers never miss!

Me: The Browns might need a free safety.  This guy's a box safety like Ward, except not as good--

JM: But it's the same old BS.  They didn't bother getting a cornerback in free agency--

Me: They tried, but one piker wanted a one year deal so he could get back on the open market next season, and the other--

JM: Doesn't matter, they blew it.

CK: Banner is obviously incompetant.  

JM: Like I said, same old crap.  And they still don't have a quarterback!

Me: For cryin' out loud, Shrumer took a shotgun spread gunslinger and jammed him into a complex dink-and-dunk West coast--

JM: More excuses!  He sucked!  He was the second-worst starter in the NFL!

CK: They should have replaced him after the third game.  He obviously can't play the position.

Me: He was a rookie in a hostile system with a bad coach, and--

JM: More whining from the shill!  You can't accept reality!  RG3, Luck, and Wilson were rookies too, and they lit it up.

CK: Case closed!

Me: I'm reopening it, dammit!  They had strong teams with coaches who adapted to their skill-sets.  Square-Peg Shurmer made zero--

JM: No!  They were just good, and Weeden just sucked!

Joe Twelvepack: And anyway, he doesn't have any recievers!

Me: Hey who invited--

CK: That's right!  Banner and Lombardi don't want Weeden either, which is why they're setting him up to fail so they can blame Heckert

Me: Enough with the black helicopters dammit!  Gordon Little TRich--

JM: They all suck!  How much is Haslam paying you, shill?

This is out of hand.  Forum terminated.  

JM: YOU SU--

Got him just in time.  Anyway, this is why I have trouble arguing with people.  I just can't handle dumbassitude.  I mean, Joe Twelvepack isn't alone.  There are people out there who really are saying that the Browns don't have any recievers.  That they failed to address this glaring need.

And others who say that Lombardi and Banner are conspiring to make sure Weeden fails because...well just because he's not their guy, and they can't stand the thought of anybody else getting any credit for anything.  

Trying to reason with people like this is a profound waste of time.

Today I met a Steelers fan and tried to pick a fight but couldn't.  She admitted that Big Ben was getting beat up too much and wasn't as good as he used to be.  That Harrison was vicious, dirty, and washed up.  That Polumalu was fading.  I couldn't believe it.

Of course she said "but they'll be allright."  That's ok--they've got one of the best front offices in the business.  I keep predicting their demise and they keep not demising.  And anyway, she just meant they wouldn't suck.

I can talk to people like that.  I just can't talk to a lot of so-called Browns fans.

Hell, MK Cabot writes an article about Weeden.  They tear her up for titling it "Weeden Surprised".  Then they tear her up for printing what he said.  Then they tear him up, and some goober even slips in to talk about the conspiracy and the crappy wide recievers!

Then they gang up on Joe Banner.  Why not?  They're a bunch of pirahnnas in a feeding frenzy and Banner's toes are in the water with Lombardi's!  

Lombardi-bashing I get.  What TF did Banner do, besides fire Heckert and not land a FA cornerback?

Come to that, I was ticked off about the Heckert thing.  Heckert was great!  But Banner ran the Eagles successfully for a long time.  You know that the coaches liked the players they got; that they had a lot of say in the picks and signings.  You see them smiling and talking the players up.

Oh that's right: Banner told them to pretend to like them or he'd fire them, right?

It doesn't even matter that a lot of these clowns are burning Heckert in effigy too--makes no difference to the permabashers.  He works for the Browns so I say we haing 'im!  It's assenine.

Judge Mental, I'll let you have the last word.

JM: Weeden sucks!  Banner sucks!  3-13!  Same old BS and you're a shill!

Grading Browns Draft Grades

Some national guy who actually gets paid to write about the AFC North gave the Browns a C-.  He gave everybody else in the division A's.  

That's fair enough-this is subjective, and it is true that the other teams did well.  My problem with this came when I read how he came up with the C-.

He mentions the acquisition of Devone Bess, and the fact that Gordon was really the second-round pick.  In re Bess, he mentions a Browns WR corps which was woefully lacking in talent.

Clearly, he already regards Gordon as a bust, Greg Little as a bum, and Wilson as a non-entity.  And I guess Norwood and Benjamin are just some guys who don't matter.  And he doesn't notice that Bess came almost for free.

This guy's really not that dumb.  He just didn't bother with research.  After all, it's just the Cleveland Browns!  

He says the Browns "had only five picks".  He didn't seem to notice that two picks were traded for higher 2014 picks, so this wasn't any part of his analysis.

On Mingo, he regurgitates the myth that he can't get off blocks and lacks moves.

He sees McFadden as a third cornerback to cover slot recievers.

He says Gilkey is strictly a project right tackle and won't matter this season.  I can't really fault him for this ass umtion, which was exclusively based on his height and draft position.  But Gilkey will have every opportunity to win a starting job at guard.  Odds are against that, but not against his sticking around to back up more than one position as a rookie.

In his summary, he says that the Browns didn't get any impact players, which means that he doesn't think Mingo will accomplish anything, and Gordon isn't anything special either.  He's almost alone on these estimates.  I am embarrassed for him.

Meanwhile, he loves how the Steelers got Jenkins later in the round, saying that he might just be the best passrusher in this draft.  Excuse me while I do a Mayock eye-roll. The guy sees a ton of sacks for Jenkins and four for Mingo: Case closed!  Yeah I know, it's so hard to consider level of competition, the positions and systems they played in, athleticism, etc.

In fact, I think all this guy did was glance at statistics, which is partly why he bashed the extant reciever corps.  He counted the receptions each guy had last season, and ignored the fact that he was looking at rookies and second year players in 2012...in a new West Coast system with a NOT West Coast rookie quarterback.

Even so, if you catch over 50 passes, you can't suck.  I guess even nationally, if you play for the Browns you need like 75 receptions to be average "at best" dammit I'm confiscating that phrase again...

This analysis really just plain sucked.  It was lazy and downright dumb.  He sounded almost as bad as some of the permabashing posters I read locally.  Almost as bad as Judge Mental.

I grade this draft grade as an F.

I also have to mention here another pundit bemoaning the Browns situation at tight end.  He's already got Cameron's headstone in place.  He says Wilson and Bess will be Weeden's best friend, since Cameron is such a loser.

I just can't fathom how you can look at a guy who mostly played basketball and a little wide reciever until his senior year in college, then basicly redshirts behind Watson and Smith as a rookie, then bumps Smith back in his second season, during which he played well in the limited time he had on the field---and assume he sucks!

I'm sorry, but that's just ignorant.  This is the classic developmental pattern for even most players who don't start out as raw and inexperienced as Cameron did.  It's so obvious that he'll be better--there is a glaring need for common sense here.

He might get injured.  He might not reach the Pro Bowl (?).  But he won't suck, and he's already proven that.

Here's another guy who thinks McFadden will cover slot recievers.  He's got Skrine starting opposite Haden.  

He has trouble understanding why they would draft Mingo at six when they already had Sheard and Kruger and "so many" other needs.

Where do they come up with "so many"?  Oh yeah he adds tight end to cornerback and safety.  Oh--and no doubt he counts inside linebacker as a need.  Maybe wide reciever too--what the hell you need ten right?

Nor do good teams draft exclusively for need.  While I would have traded down in their place, I do understand that in their estimation, Mingo was a significantly superior player who would make more of an impact than any two other players, period.

He gets an F too.

Ok I can't write any more.  I'm getting sick here.

Browns Offseason Stuff

1: The offseason was free agency and the draft.  The combination of the two delivered two starting and one rotational outside linebacker, making this a deep position.  That depth could enable Horton to use any of these guys inside (sometimes).
They got and are looking at a bunch of cornerbacks (some of whom can play safety), but McFadden is the frontrunner for the number two slot.  No such thing as a sure thing, but educated consensus says he's pretty damn good.
Bademosi will challenge at free safety, and the new coaches and I seem to like Gipson a lot more than many fans.
These guys will have the same opportunity as Slaughter, who might be pretty good (?)
The defensive line started out strong, and is now incredibly deep.  Even if one or two of these guys makes the practice squad, they'll be forced to release good players.
The Browns seem to have gone a little nuts with offensive linemen, and most of those they brought in won't make it.  While none of these candidates is a big upgrade athleticly (pulling guard), most of them are talented with upside.  Two or even three incumbants could be released.  The offensive line was already pretty good.
They went nuts on running backs, as well.  Hardesty is not guaranteed to make the final cut.
They now have too many wide recievers.  That's ok with me.
Barnridge is really underrated.  While they believe that Cameron will emerge in his third season (duh!), Barnridge can still be effective in his role should he get injured.  

2: Based on the current offensive personnel, Turner/Chud shouldn't be expected to duplicate their offenses of the past.  It could be a Mack/Byner style two-back (Byner was a tad over 200 lbs., yet a very effective lead-blocker).  Cameron/Barnridge might not split out as often, and may be in motion more often, and block more.  

These coaches are adaptable and creative, and it's a mistake to expect Turner to insist on a blocking fullback if he doesn't happen to have one (or even to try very hard to get one).

3: After seeing Mingo running through his drills, it was easy to see why they wanted him so much.  Dion Jordan can't move like that.  He uses his hands like a kung fu master, and changes directions like a cornerback.  

I'm glad to hear Chud hedge about the guy's weight, because he's plenty strong at 240.  

4: Gilkey is kind of a freak.  Most offensive linemen have spare tires.  Gilkey is as big as these guys WITHOUT the bodyfat.  He said he was "pear-shaped" as a teenager, so he's clearly added a LOT of muscle to his upper body.  I've seen him listed at 308 and 320, and don't know which is current/accurate.

He does have those gator-arms.  Those who say that doesn't matter are clueless, because reach means a lot to an offensive lineman.  If he can get his hands on a defender, he can control him.  If the defender gets his hands on Gilkey's pads first, that makes it hard.

However, many don't get that guys with shorter arms have faster hands, and can generate more power more quickly.  Gilkey is also 6'5", so while his arms might be too short to play tackle vs. 6'5"-6'6" DE's, or those who can bend outside beyond his range, he probably has enough reach to be effective inside at guard.

This guy could surprise a lot of people, and I mean right now.  He plays mean and nasty, and he's very smart.

5: One commenter said that the division rivals had a superior draft to the Browns, and on the surface that seems to be true.  But this is an oversimplification.  Gordon was part of this draft (and I don't care who gets the credit.)

None of the rivals got anybody like Mingo.

And the draft was one part of the offseason.  Along with the veteran free agents signed, the Brown beat out several teams to get several "hot" UFA's who were expected to be drafted.

Overall, the Cleveland Browns upgraded themselves more than the Ravens, Steelers, or Bengals.  Net-net, the Steelers may not have even stayed even, and the Ravens about broke even.

The sky isn't falling.

Browns Draft Grade

I have to give them an Incomplete.  Sorry.  I would be a massively huge psychotic egomaniac to grade anybody's draft as soon as it ends.  I'll get back to you in three years.

Dave Kolonich did write an article about Browns draft myths which, as usual, was deep.  When he gets to "If the Browns had traded down (to 16), Mingo wouldn't have been there", he presents a plausible counter.  He based this on the needs of the teams drafting between the two slots.

Point taken, but it's hard for me to imagine that none of those teams would bite the bullet and draft for talent instead.  And at any rate, the Browns simply didn't want to take any chances.

I feel that Dave was kind of unfair in attributing "fourth and fifth rounders don't produce starters" to the Browns.  I could be wrong, but I don't think they said that.

Even if they did, it was just a dumb statement, and not what they meant to say.  To me, this stuff seems obvious, since obviously every year sleepers and gems turn up out of those rounds who become big stars.  But MOST 4th and 5th rounders don't become starters, and those who do don't start as rookies.

Dave points out that trading the 4th and 5th rounders for future picks a round higher (he said 4th and 5th rounders, but I know what he meant see) wasn't a big upgrade, as the Colts will probably draft near the bottom of the round.  I disagree with him that so will the Stoolers.  This is getting to be a superstition around here.  The Stoolers made more shrewd draft picks, as usual, but they're losing ground while their rivals are all coming on strong.

I also think that their top pick, Janoris Jenkins, is a terrific player, but not in coverage, and not compared to Mingo.

But I digress: The article ignores something:

The front office feels that the Browns have a lot more talent than the general public does, and literally didn't see anybody there that they wouldn't have to think about cutting.

If you've read any of my other blogs, you didn't just fall off your chair.  They didn't need a running back or wide reciever.  They didn't need a defensive lineman or OLB.  The "need" for a guard is typicly overstated.  There weren't any tight ends who were better than any on the roster, they'd already drafted a cornerback, and they didn't see a better FS than Gipson.

If you don't see anything you need to buy today, you put your money in a CD or savings bond or something, and that's all they did.

Dave talks about the 2014 quarterbacks: The extra lower round picks won't help the Browns move up to get the top one if the Browns draft near the middle of the round.  That's true.  It would probably take at least a second and a third--and that's a cheap estimate. 

But does that make the extra picks worthless?  Huh?  If you don't have a second or third anymore, wouldn't an extra third and fourth take the sting out?  Couldn't you maybe use them to get back into the second round after you have the quarterback?

Just a couple paragraphs earlier, didn't you point out that stars can be born in the 4th and 5th rounds?

And who says the top quarterback must be the target?  Might there not be more like two or three or more, as early analysts assert?

Dave points out that they don't know for sure that the 2014 class will have more talent than the 2013 crop.  

I don't think Dave would be very good at poker or trading.  He'd need to be sure that the other guy didn't have his full house beat before he'd bet.  Maybe he'd be like that General who said they don't send Rapid Response special forces teams into hot zones without knowing every last detail so they can prevent all casualties.

It's a BET, ok?  Right now it looks like the 2014 class will have a lot of talent (with several quarterbacks) so they're betting on it.

Dave points out that a good pass rush negates a bad secondary is a myth.  He's right, in absolute terms.  But they got McFadden, they like Gipson and another guy so far, Mingo has the tools to cover, and the pass rush really helps a whole freaking lot.

A strong pass rush doesn't negate a bad secondary.  It negates and average secondary.  

My work here is done.

Conclusion-Leaping Barkevious Mingo

Background: There are two trends which influenced the selection of Mingo at number six.

1: The prevalence of 3 wide-reciever and 2-tight end sets (with TE/WR hybrids).  Tony Grossi said that, at least at first, Mingo might not be on the field on first down.  This assumes an offensive grouping best matched by the base defense.  This is wrong, because for the majority of teams, the first down offense features extra recievers.  I'll get to how this affects Mingo later.

2: The zone-read offense (which CHUDZINSKI WAS THE FIRST TO USE CONSISTANTLY IN THE NFL),  Ray Horton and other defensive coordinators have already come up with tactical ways to stop it, but personnel-wise, the best way is to have faster players.

Mingo and Dion Jordan were unique among all the DE/OLB candidates.  Jordan was a converted wide reciever with speed and coverage skills.  Mingo is quicker and faster, and changes direction more quickly.  He hasn't been in coverage much, and will need more practice and experience, but his upside in this area is almost unprecedented.

I simply can't remember this guy's name...Lavernius something? (This just in: Adaleus Thomas.)  Anyway, he nominally played OLB for the Ravens around a decade ago, until he moved on to finish his carreer in New England.  This guy was one of the reasons why to this day, the Ravens defense is more a hybrid than a true 3-4.

This guy sometimes actually played strong safety.  He could man cover bigger recievers, tight ends, and running backs, and cover everybody in zone.  He forced and got turnovers, along with sacks.

I have never seen a player like that before or since, until now--and that includes Jordan.  Mingo can do everything that guy did.

If Barkevious Mingo hadn't been drafted by a 3-4 team, he could as well have been drafted by a 4-3 team to play weakside linebacker.  He could start at that position for any team.  He was wasted as a defensive end.  Linebacker is his best position.

So why wouldn't he be on the field on first down?  Well, against a conventional offense with two backs, two wide recievers, and one tight end, okay.  Sheard is bigger, and can take on linemen and stuff, but...even then, which of the Browns remaining linebackers is faster, quicker, or even much heavier?

OK.  Horton wants to attack.  His response to a pass is to blitze.  With the extra reciever or pass-catching tight end, the response is normally to replace one of the linebackers with a safety or cornerback.  

In this defense, Bryant and the other DE would move to the B-gap between guard and tackle and seek penetration, while Taylor would choose an A-gap between center and guard to do the same.  Jackson (or his proxy) would mind the other A-gap, and possibly blitze.  Sheard and Kruger would be de facto DE's.

The outside rush is built in, whether Sheard/Kruger stand up or have their hands in the dirt.  While one might drop into coverage just to screw things up sometimes, by far the strongest tendancy is for these guys to come, and the center and quarterback know it and allow for it.

Let's see, that's three down linemen, Sheard and Kruger, then an inside 'backer makes six.  There's your front.

But what if Sheard, Kruger, or even Jackson were Mingo instead?  Well, the quarterback and center have to find out where he is, but they still won't know what he'll do, since he can cover so well.

Mingo has much to learn about coverage, and as of game one might not be all that YET.  Then he'll have one main position, and then a second.  But eventually, he'll line up all over the place as a true joker.  Initially he won't be on the field in obvious run situations, but on neutral and passing downs the only reason he won't be there is the rotation.

He's not strictly a passrusher.  He WILL cover, like a strong safety.  When he does blitze, he'll come MUCH faster than Sheard or Kruger, and this will screw up the linemen.

And I wish Tony Grossi and others knew this: Sometimes "setting the edge" requires a defensive end to MEET a pulling guard or motion tight end or whatever in the backfield to prevent him from lumbering upfield to go pick on his little buddies.

Ideally, he can sort of "chip" him with his hands to put him off-balance, and still make the play, or at least force it wide, making the back retreat and take extra steps without opening a cutback lane, but often the lead blocker makes the most of it and latches onto him.  This is a realisticly acceptable outcome, even though somebody else makes the tackle.

In one game, a scout wrote up Mingo for diving at a pulling guard's legs on one play.  If this was a real scout, working for a real NFL team, ok.  But if this was some guy out of journalism school...

The point is, if a guy outweighs me by 70 lbs and my #1 job is to keep him off my linebackers and safeties, I'm going to hit him low.  It's really embarrassing when you bounce off something that big and lay there unconscious, ya know?

In the admittedly limited films I was able to see, I saw Mingo attack the pulling guard.  He used his quick start and speed to nail the big guy before he'd even taken two steps; before he had any momentum going.  Mingo was already at full speed, and used it.

SMART!

Correction: Jason Campbell never proved he was a backup.  This is an idiotic statement.  Jason Campbell ranked among the best quarterbacks in the NFL and had the crappy Raiders on pace to reach the playoffs when he was injured.

I need somebody to tell me how he proved he was a backup.  

Hey, Rich Gannon:  What do you think?