NFL

NFL blog featuring scores, standings, interviews with players and coaches, schedules, and lists of NFL teams. Original content, commentary, opinions, recaps of NFL games, Super Bowl, old school flashbacks.

Packers David Bakhtiari And Corey Linsley On Holding, Shaving, Loving – Well, Not Loving

The only time an NFL offensive lineman gets noticed is during a mistake. I asked Packers offensive linemen David Bakhtiari and Corey Linsley to describe the feeling of being public enemy #1 after a holding penalty negates a big play for the Packers.

PE – The offense just made a 40 yard gain that gets called back because you got flagged for holding. Describe that feeling in the ensuing 10-15 seconds when the crowd groans, and the camera is directly at YOU.

David Bakhtiari: I’ll take this one, Corey (in jest). I’ve gotten a fair amount of holding penalties. At times I would definitely tend to disagree. But at the end of the day, I don’t want to make the ref any angrier than he needs to be. It sucks. You definitely don’t want to be a hindrance to your team, but at the end of the day the number one thing is, we want to keep our quarterback clean. So we’re going to do that by any means possible. Because protecting him is our number one priority.

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Trevor Siemian Gave Skittles Dispensing Jacket To Lineman For Christmas – Video

Trevor Siemian Gave His O-Linemen A Skittles Dispensing Jacket

“A gift that keeps on giving…Skittles.” – Trevor Siemian

Broncos’ quarterback Trevor Siemian set the bar high this holiday season. Knowing the longstanding tradition of QB’s gifting their O-line with extravagant gifts, Trevor partnered with his favorite colorful candies and presented his offensive linemen with custom Skittles-dispensing parkas. Check out this video of the parka in action: 

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Matt Ryan On Defining His Career And Getting The Weeknd Stuck In His Head

I asked Matt Ryan aka Matty Ice what it feels like to get chased around by a beast like Julius Peppers, his defining NFL moment, and if doing press at the Super Bowl without playing in the game (like he did last year) felt like going to prom without a date.

Who’s the best defender you’ve ever faced?

You have to go by positions – defensive line, linebackers, secondary and defensive backs. There’s so many good ones. I think of a guy early in my career that we went against a couple times every year in Carolina, Julius Peppers, around 2008. He was about as good as there is. Basically unblockable. In the secondary, early on in my career, seeing Ed Reed and the way he could go sideline to sideline, or Troy Polamalu. I remember I threw an interception against the Steelers my second or third year, and he just made an unbelievable play. Those three guys are three of the guys who jump in my head right off the bat.

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Matt Forte Interview: Did Bears Give The Office Space Treatment?

This offseason, two-time Pro Bowl running back Matt Forte signed a three-year $12-million-dollar free agent contract with the New York Jets. Bears fans were, and still are, upset about it.

And why wouldn’t they be?

After eight years in Chicago, Forte ranks second, behind only Hall of Famer Walter Payton, on the Bears’ all-time lists for rushing yards, yards from scrimmage (12,718), receptions (487) and 100-yard games (24). He’s also third in total touchdowns and sixth in receiving yards (4,116).

This offseason, the Bears front office didn’t even attempt to re-sign the second most productive player in the history of the franchise.

Didn’t even attempt.

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Randall Cunningham’s 1990 Season: Greatest NFL Season Ever

Randall Cunningham’s 1990 season is the greatest single season an NFL quarterback has ever had – and no one remembers or acknowledges it.

3,466 passing yards. 942 rushing yards. 35 total TDs. His stats read like a season straight out of Tecmo Super Bowl, a season too ridiculous to have ever actually occurred in the NFL.

Why does this season not get any recognition? Footballperspective.com has ranked the 10 best passing seasons in NFL history and Randall Cunningham doesn’t even get a sniff. But he did a lot more than just throw the ball.

Sure, it happened 25+ years ago, but what he was doing at the time was unprecedented in the history of the NFL. The only season close to that type of production in the years since was Michael Vick’s 2010. Vick bested Cunningham’s rushing total (which was an NFL record for a QB) in ’06, but he also threw for 1,000 less yards and scored only 22 total tuds compared to Randall’s 35.

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Bears Icon Charles Tillman on Peanut Punch, Deion Sanders, Defending Randy Moss

Charles Tillman

Charles Tillman is so good, you take him for granted. Even during an 11-year career as a member of some of the fiercest defenses in NFL history, his consistent production and greatness are rarely recognized outside of Chicago.

“Peanut” owns the Bears’ career records for defensive touchdowns (9), interceptions returned for touchdowns (8) and forced fumbles (39). Thanks to his signature move the “Peanut Punch,” his 10 forced fumbles last year set an NFL single-season record, and the four fumbles he forced in a game against the Titans a year ago is the all-time single game record. His 36 career interceptions are just two away from tying Gary Fencik for the Bears‘ franchise record.

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Product Review: 800Razors.com Chiefs vs Raiders BLOODBATH

As I stood in Arrowhead Stadium — section 125, row 33 — rocking the #83 jersey of Raiders legend Ted Hendricks, the last thing on my mind was the shave I enjoyed that morning courtesy of a razor from 800razors.com.

There I was, getting my sexuality questioned by endless Chiefs fans, in front of endless Chiefs fans in an assault befitting of Kansas City’s league leading defense. But one thing that wasn’t getting questioned was the closeness of the shave delivered via the five-blade men’s razor from 800razors.com.

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Robert Griffin III Haircut

RG3 Haircut Is Carved Into The Back Of His Head

Feeling bad about relying on former Redskins/Browns/Ravens quarterback RGIII in fantasy this season? Don’t worry, there’s someone worse off than you.

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Wes Welker On Getting CUT By Schottenheimer And What A Stinger ACTUALLY Feels Like

 

Wes Welker Told Me What It Was Like To Get Cut By Marty Schottenheimer

Wes Welker is a player that any fan can relate to, which is what makes him such a great pitch-man for Old Spice and the new “Unnecessary Freshness” campaign. But when you look at Welker’s career and laundry list of  accomplishments, it becomes apparent that you are looking at the body of work befitting a future NFL Hall of Famer.

Two Super Bowl appearances as a cog in the most productive offense in NFL history. Five Pro Bowls. League leader in receptions three times.  Most seasons with 100+ receptions in NFL history (5). Most receptions in Patriots history.

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Chicago Bears Receivers Prior To Brandon Marshall Were Sad AF

Every Bears fan knows the team needed a No. 1 WR for essentially the life of the franchise. Chicago Bears receivers have historically been terrible.

Even to this day, Walter Payton has the 4th most receiving yards in franchise history.

But what everyone may not know is just how long and how bad the Chicago Bears receivers were prior to Brandon Marshall.

A brief glance at the Bears’ receiving leaders, and their statistics, from 1987 to 2012 may as well have been from 1888 to 1912 – truly pathetic.

In that 25 year span, you could also argue the QBs were terrible as well.

Talk about a list of also rans (Kordell Stewart), never wases (Steve Walsh), and straight up suck bags (Cade McNown). Since Sid Luckman, the best QBs in franchise history were Erik Kramer, Jim McMahon, and Jim Miller (lol).

Love him or hate him, Jay Cutler is the best QB in Bears‘ franchise history.

As Muhsin Muhammad famously stated, Chicago is “where receivers go to die.”

Take a look at this list of Chicago Bears receivers prior to Marshall. It is sad, how did they win anything!?

1987: Willie Gault

Stats: 35 Rec, 705 yards, seven TDs

One of the fastest players in NFL history, and still one of the fastest humans on the planet.

Never had a 1,000-yard season.

1988: Dennis McKinnon

Stats: 45 Rec, 704 yards, three TDs

Basically the prototypical Bears WR: not great at any one thing, not particularly fast; just good enough.

Never had 1,000-yard season.

1989: Ron Morris

Stats: 31 Rec, 486 yards, one TD

486 yards receiving in a season is OK…for a running back.

Never had 1,000-yard season.

1990-1992: Wendell Davis

1990 stats: 39 Rec, 572, three TDs

1991 stats: 61 Rec, 945 yards, six TDs

1992 stats: 54 Rec, 734 yards, two TDs

Davis was the most consistent WR the Bears had since Willie Gault. Unfortunately, he was known as much for his gruesome double knee injury in the Astrodome as his receiving exploits.

Never had 1,000-yard season.

1993: Tom Waddle

Stats: 44 Rec, 552 yards, one TD

Some of the youngsters may not know that Waddle, a frequent NFL Network contributor, was one of the Bears’ most consistent receivers for a three-year period.

Never had a 1,000-yard season.

1994, 1995: Jeff Graham

1994 Stats: 68 Rec, 944 yards, four TDs

1995 Stats: 82 Rec, 1,301 yards, four TDs

The sneaky-fast Graham was a technician at WR, making the most of his lack of speed to outwit defenders. He was a major contributor for the Bears’ 1994 playoff team and to Erik Kramer’s 1995 season, which is still the most productive season for a QB in franchise history (3,838 yards, 29 TD).

His lone 1,000-yard season in 1995 was the first since Dick Gordon in 1970.

1996: Curtis Conway

Stats: 81 Rec, 1,049 yards, seven TDs

Conway was the most exciting Bears WR since Willie Gault. His back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in ’95 and ’96 made him the first Bears player to accomplish the feat.

These days, he’s married to boxer Laila Ali.

Conway had two 1,000-yard seasons.

1997: Ricky Proehl

Stats: 58 Rec, 753 yards, seven TDs

Back to reality. Proehl’s ’97 season was a successful one, considering the Bears didn’t plan to rely on him that much entering the season and that he only started 10 games.

Never had 1,000-yard season.

1998: Bobby Engram

Stats: 64 Rec, 987 yards, five TDs

The Bears drafted and developed Engram into a prototypical possession WR.

Never had 1,000-yard season.

1999, 2000: Marcus Robinson

1999 Stats: 84 Rec, 1,400 yards, nine TDs

2000 Stats: 55 Rec, 738 yards, five TDs

Robinson’s ’99 season came out of nowhere, setting a team record in single-season receiving yards, but was never duplicated again in his career. It took him the next four seasons to accumulate 1,400-plus receiving yards total.

An injury during the 2000 season limited him to 11 games and unfortunately, limited the rest of his career.

Robinson had one 1,000-yard season.

2001-2003: Marty Booker

2001 Stats: 100 Rec, 1,071 yards, eight TDs

2002 Stats: 97 Rec, 1,189 yards, six TDs

2003 Stats: 52 Rec, 715 yards, four TDs

In 1999, Booker became the first Bears WR to post a 100-plus-yard receiving game since Willie Gault in 1983—18 years. His 100 catches in ’01 is a franchise record and he made the Pro Bowl in 2002.

Booker had two 1,000-yard seasons.

2004: David Terrell

Stats: 42 Rec, 699 yards, one TD

Man, did Terrell have some serious potential. He could never live up to it. He was out of Chicago the following year and never played in the NFL again.

Never had 1,000-yard season.

2005, 2006: Muhsin Muhammad

2005 Stats: 64 Rec, 750 yards, four TDs

2006 Stats: 60 Rec, 863 yards, five TDs

After a monster 2004 season and a Super Bowl appearance in 2003, the Bears gave Muhammad a six-year contract worth $30 million, with $12 million guaranteed.

Personally, I think this contract is exactly why the Bears have shied away from the free-agent market ever since, with the exception being two years under Jerry Angelo.

Never had 1,000-yard season.

2007: Bernard Berrian

Stats: 71 Rec, 951 yards, five TDs

Berrian developed in to a solid WR in Chicago, primarily as a deep threat, thanks to his speed. Angelo’s decision to not re-sign him in 2008 was one moves he deserved credit for as GM.

Never had 1,000-yard season.

2008, 2009: Devin Hester

2008 Stats: 51 Rec, 665 yards, three TDs

2009 Stats: 57 Rec, 757 yards, three TDs

Remember that one time the Bears FORCED D Hess to play WR? He told me about it at the Super Bowl here:

Devin Hester – The Bears MADE Me Play Wide Receiver

Never had 1,000-yard season.

2010, 2011: Johnny Knox

2010 Stats: 51 Rec, 960 yards, five TDs

2011 Stats: 37 Rec, 727 yards, two TD

After the neck injury he suffered last season, I wouldn’t blame him if he retired. Brutal.

Never had 1,000-yard season.

In 25 years, the average stat line for the Chicago Bears receivers No. 1 was: 59 Rec, 848 yards, four TDs.

In 3 years leading Chicago Bears receivers, Brandon Marshall averaged 93 Rec, 1,175 yards, 10 TUDs.

Related NFL Content:

Matt Forte Interview: Did Bears Give The Office Space Treatment?
Bears Icon Charles Tillman on Peanut Punch, Deion Sanders, Defending Randy Moss

JimJay

As I watched the Bears maul the Dallas Cowboys last night (October 1st, 2012), I couldn’t help but to feel that I’ve been here before. …

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Sports Dynasty Denied: 00’s Rams Vs. 90’s Braves- Starring Lindsay Lohan, John Riggins, John Waters’ Moustache

Mike Martz Screwed Up The Rams Sports Dynasty
Mike Martz Screwed Up The Rams Sports Dynasty With Help From Marc Bulger

The concept of a sports dynasty is a largely subjective thing. If a given team wins enough titles in an allotted period of time, it is a “Dynasty.” 100 years from now, people will look at the New York Giants’ recent Super Bowl run and potentially refer to it as a Dynasty. In fact — somewhere in a dingy Secaucus, New Jersey bar — this is undoubtedly happening right now.

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Jeremy Lin Is Victor Cruz

The rise of Jeremy Lin over the last two weeks is amazing and largely unprecedented in NBA history. But in NFL history, and even in …

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Joseph Addai Isn’t Dead Yet

Yes, Addai burned many of us last season. A consensus top 10 pick he failed to live up to the lofty expectations of being a #1 running back who didn’t have to share carries for the first time in his career. But getting him in the fourth round or beyond as I have seen in numerous mock drafts has “steal” written all over it.

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2009 NFL Draft Interview with Indianapolis Colts Running Back Donald Brown

Donald+Brown+Indianapolis+Colts+Interview

Pssst! Want to know a secret with less than 72 hours before the NFL Draft? Donald Brown is the best running back available.

Chris Wells and Knowshon Moreno, who have thus far been pegged as the two “can’t miss” RB’s in this draft and are considered by most to be #1 and #2 running backs available, benefit from coming out of two of the “power conferences”. But hasn’t history indicated time and time again that this is at the very least a false assumption?

The running back position, especially in terms of the NFL Draft is a fickle mistress. For every first rounder like Adrian Peterson, there are five Kijana Carters, Curtis Enis’, Rashaan Salaam’s, Lawrence Phillips’ or “insert your favorite teams notable draft bust RB here” who also came from “power conferences.”

But somewhere on the eastern seaboard, Donald Brown sits and doesn’t read too much into anything he hears.

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Kurt Warner: NFL Hall of Fame Inductee?

Kurt Warner waves to the 50,000 in attendance at the NFL Pro Bowl
Kurt Warner waves to the 50,000 in attendance at the NFL Pro Bowl.

“Make Love, Not Warner”

With the specter of the Cardinals making it to the Super Bowl looming as a real possibility, this question has begun to be asked in ever increasing frequency; Does Kurt Warner deserve to be in the NFL Hall of Fame if the Cardinals win the Super Bowl? If he wins, absolutely, hands down, no doubt about it.

But if he doesn’t? That’s where it gets really interesting.

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Most Versatile Defender in the NFL – An Interview with Terrell Suggs

Terrell Suggs and Paul Eide - Watch Out Ladies

Terrell Suggs is a freak. And not just because his 6-3, 270 lbs frame has played all 11 defensive positions in his career with the Baltimore Ravens, but also because he entered the NFL at the tender age of 20 years old. Think about that for a second; what were you doing when you were 20? I’ll tell you what I damn sure wasn’t doing; taking on full grown men in hand to hand physical combat on a national stage every Sunday.

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Know Your Beef – Defensive Coordinator Demetrius Ross

Demetrius Ross is in his first season as defensive coordinator for the Omaha Beef, but his football background is extensive.

After a successful career at Boise State as an All-American defensive back, Ross played with the Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL before making the transition to indoor football.

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