A Giant Upset

The game was a snoozer until the 4th quarter... then it was Eli and the G-Men that looked like the perennial champs, and knocked off the Pats and their bid for a perfect season.


Also, smooth move starting that copyright for "19-0" Patriots. Not tempting fate there at all. Maybe you can use Mark Cuban's parade route to get to the lawyer's office for that trademark paperwork.

Also, here is Coach Bellicheck's new hoodie.

To my old friend Mr. Kraft (someone I met in person, and truly a nice man and philanthropic individual): Pick us a winner, big guy, k?

Will A Blue Hen Become a Dolphin?

This from the Palm Beach Post writer Tim Graham

"Who knows Joe Flacco?

A select group of draft-eligible quarterbacks have generated a vast majority of the attention this winter. Matt Ryan, Brian Brohm, Andre Woodson, Colt Brennan and even John David Booty get mentioned most often when discussing this year’s draft class.

But because Flacco hails from the I-AA Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens, he’s largely unfamiliar to anybody other than college football savants and draftniks.

Those days are over. Flacco’s stock is soaring, and the Dolphins are interested in the 6-foot-6, 232-pound accounting major. He certainly fits the classic quarterback mold Dolphins football operations exec Bill Parcells covets so much.

Although Parcells wasn’t at the Senior Bowl last week, the Dolphins interviewed Flacco there and came away highly impressed — maybe enough to take him in the second round.

The Dolphins also are high on Ryan. Who isn’t? But it’s debatable whether they should use their No. 1 overall pick to acquire Ryan or use it on a greater need and grab Flacco later.

Earlier today, fans had a chance to see Flacco’s skills on display in the College Football All-Star Challenge on ESPN. The annual exhibition, taped Tuesday at Arizona State, showcases players about to enter the draft in a skills competition.

Flacco cleaned up among the quarterbacks who participated: top-rated passer Ryan (Boston College), Brennan (Hawaii), Booty (USC) and Chad Henne (Michigan).

Flacco easily won the long ball competition. His throws of 74 and 71 yards were the best two tries. He said he would have hit 80 yards with a tighter spiral.

He also won the quarterback scramble, an obstacle course of sorts. He runs the 40-yard dash in about 4.9 seconds but looked surprisingly nimble for someone his size. Flacco also finished third in the accuracy competition.

Without question, Flacco will be popular at the NFL combine later this month in Indianapolis.

But he’s already high on the Dolphins’ watch list."

Below is the Flacco highlite reel. My favorite line? "You can't DO THAT any better than that, Scott Zolak!"

Ocho Cinco in Miami?

Check out this video of Miami native Chad Johnson -- the Cincy media asked him if he will be wearing Orange and Black next year, and he replies "maybe aqua and orange" - and ends it with "Parcells! Call me, man!".
I'd take him any day of the week and twice on Sunday. I'd give up the 2nd round pick the Fins got from San Diego.


It would be essentially a straight up trade for Chambers for Chad, and who wouldn't do that?

Fins Might Not Have Their Man at OC

Over the weekend, the Sun-Sentinel had an article, saying the Dolphins were trying to get the Saints' QB coach, Pete Carmichael to become the new offensive coordinator. Ethan Skolnick blogged here that this would be a good hire for John Beck's progress. Carmichael has been Drew Brees' position coach since Brees' second year in the league; the Saints QB is the player most often Beck draws comparisons to from people in the know. Prior to working with Brees, Carmichael coached at Louisiana Tech under Gary Crowton, who recruited and coached Beck at BYU. (shout out to my favorite La Tech alum, PJ Brown, whose textbook gutwrench suplex of Charlie Ward is my favorite Heat play of all time.)


Profootballtalk.com is reporting that the Saints are not going to release Carmichael (they are not under any obligation to) and that the Fins are interviewing ex Falcons offensive coordinator Hue Jackson today.

Kind of disappointing if this turns out to be accurate, as I was eager to see a young offensive mind like Carmichael come in and lead the type of offense the Saints had, and with the Fins having similar personnel, albeit unproven (Deuce: Ronnie, Reggie: Booker, Brees:Beck).

If it's not Carmichael, I'd bet the OC will end up being Chris Palmer- the Giants QB coach, Tony Sparano's mentor since college, and a Parcells guy, but he can't be interviewed until the Super Bowl is over. Palmer's claim to fame? Being the expansion coach of the Browns and picking Tim Couch #1 overall to lead your franchise. Not exactly something you want bolded on the old curriculum vitae if you're noted as a QB guru.

Dolphins Thoughts - PFT: Two #1s and Marion Barber III for the Fins Overall #1?

as per the guys at Profootballtalk.com:

"BOYS TO MAKE A DEAL WITH THE FINS?
Posted by Mike Florio on January 27,
2008, 12:53 p.m.
ESPN’s Chris Mortensen suggested during a special edition
of Sunday NFL Countdown that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is eyeing the possibility
of swinging a trade with the Dolphins for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008
draft.
Such a deal would allow the ‘Boys to bag running back Darren
McFadden, who played college football at Jones’ alma mater of Arkansas.
Per Mort, any such deal would have to include the rights to Cowboys running
back Marion Barber, who is slated to be a restricted free agent. To make it
happen, the Cowboys would have to work out a sign-and-trade deal before Barber
gets a chance to ink an offer sheet that would force the Cowboys to match the
terms or let him go in exchange for compensation. Thus, the safest bet for the
‘Boys would be to tender Barber at the highest possible level, which would force
any team that signs him to give up a first-round pick and a third-round pick.
Those extra picks then could be used to sweeten the pot for the top spot in the
draft.
And it’s clear that the Cowboys are going to have to find a way to
enhance the two first-rounders that they can offer up for the No. 1 pick. Under
the revised draft
order, the Cowboys pick at No. 22 (from Cleveland) and at No. 28. Under the trade chart, the
No. 22 overall pick is worth 780 points and the No. 28 selection is worth 660
points. The No. 1 selection has a value of 3,000 points; thus, the Cowboys would
be a whopping 1,560 points short.
Though the trade chart arguably needs to
be adjusted to reflect the fact that the enormous financial investment that is
now required when using the top pick makes the prospects of a move up even more
fraught with risk, the Fins could justify the 1,560-point gap by placing that
value on Barber, who coupled with Ronnie Brown could give Miami a deadly one-two
punch in the backfield.
Some readers think that the framework for a deal is
already in place, and was part of the unspoken understanding that allowed the
Dolphins to have their way with the Dallas front office. If that’s true it
wouldn’t surprise us. Jones surely covets McFadden, and our guess is that he is
willing to do whatever is necessary to get him."

My gut tells me this is not the deal the Fins would or should make, but who knows. Running back is arguably the deepest and best position on the entire team. Sure, Ronnie Brown is coming off a torn ACL but he was looking Pro Bowl bound before his unfortunate injury. Ricky Williams is a very cheap contract, Jesse Chatman could probably return inexpensively and Lorenzo Booker showed promise as a scat back/3rd down back.

I love MB3, and no one knows the Cowboys personnel better than the Tuna and Ireland. Parcells also mentioned that the #1 overall pick is scary because of the financial commitment one has to give. Guaranteed $30+ million to a rookie without 1 game of pro experience is scary, especially when there is no clear cut #1 ala Peyton Manning, Orlando Pace, Carson Palmer type. Perhaps the Cowboys could trade their two #1s to some other team in the top 10, and package that with a player and more picks for the right to get McFadden. Talent-wise the drop from #1 overall to #22 & 28 could be sharp. I favor dropping out of the top spot, I think they should try and do better than this rumor suggests.