14 comments MMQB Review: Welcome Back Cutler Edition

I am not going to turn this into a Fantasy recruiting site or anything, but I have a College Football Pick 'Em league that I am running also and for whatever reason I haven't been able to get people from some of my other leagues to play, so I thought I would see if anyone here wanted to play. It's more fun when there are a lot of people playing. The College Football Pick 'Em is probably my second favorite fantasy sport because it is like gambling but without any real money. If you like college football, or even if you don't, I encourage you to sign up. Basically what you do is use the gambling line of the week to pick the winner of each game for the Top 25 teams. It's a lot of fun in my opinion and makes the college football weekend a little more fun for me because I have a semi-stake in the Top 25 games played, so sign up if you would like. The first games are this weekend and it only takes a few minutes to make your choices, plus there is no limit on how many people can join. The ID is 2980 and the password is "asu." I sent an invitation to everyone in the Yahoo Football League already in case anyone from there wanted to join.

Monday morning brings us another edition of Peter King and his MMQB, where he enthralls us all with menial conversations he has with players and coaches and then spouts off incredibly wrong opinions about baseball. I don't know if Peter can top last week's proclamation that Derek Jeter was the best baseball player he has seen in his lifetime, (which he said began somewhere in the 1970's for some reason)...but I am sure he will try.

For those that weren't able to attend the fantasy draft this weekend and ended up with shitty defensive players, don't worry about it, you can raid the waiver wire and get guys who are good. It's a lot different than choosing offensive players because there are tons of defensive players in the league...so I would just hit the waiver wire hard and not worry about it too much.

We'll get to everything in the league pre-8 p.m. Sunday in a minute. And there's a lot to get to. But first, there's the exhibition game that was no exhibition game. I wasn't in Denver, but I watched Bears-Broncos on TV.

Yes friends, our crack NFL reporter has never experienced such a highly competitive game and he is reporting on it first hand..........in his living room. So basically, any of the millions of people who watched the game could report on the tenacity and competitiveness of the game just like Peter, because we watched it on television just like Peter.

It was a tale of two teams. Chicago, the team on the rise with the petulant franchise quarterback, Jay Cutler, who forced a trade from the Broncos. Denver, the team on the stumble that let the franchise quarterback go and dealt for Chicago's retread Kyle Orton. Chicago rising. Denver on the ropes.

Ok, I realize the Bears got Cutler and the Broncos lost Cutler, but how do we know the Bears are on the rise and the Broncos are on the decline? There have been no regular season games played yet. I realize it looks like on paper that is the case for each respective franchise but until there are actual freaking games played, its a bit premature to start making proclamations such as this.

Uh-oh. Now there's something new for the Broncos: Storm clouds, the kind that roll in over the Rockies many afternoons and drench the plains.

What the hell he is writing about when he talks about "storm clouds" and "drench the plains?" Does he think he is writing for National Geographic?

Bowlen shows no signs of wavering on McDaniels, no matter how many things keep going maddeningly wrong,

Is there anyone in the world, except for Peter King, that thinks Pat Bowlen may end up wavering on Josh McDaniels before an entire regular season game has begun? I know there has been some crazy shit going on out there in Denver but it is THE THIRD PRESEASON GAME. As much as I love a good panic, it's a bit early to start judging McDaniels for his on the field coaching ability.

I mentioned to him that Cris Collinsworth made a good point on the telecast, saying he felt sorry for Orton, because Orton had nothing to do with this Cutler/Denver/McDaniels war and yet would probably be identified with it for the rest of his career.

"Well, I can tell you that certainly I don't feel sorry for Kyle Orton,'' said McDaniels, his voice rising an octave or two. "Kyle Orton is one tough son of a bitch. Kyle Orton doesn't feel sorry for himself, and no one feels sorry for him in our locker room. What he has here, both with the coaching staff and in the locker room, is a tremendous amount of respect.''

"So quit asking me stupid questions about Kyle Orton's legacy and start asking me questions about the football game that was just played or hang up the phone and get back to eating your jelly donut and watching Gran Torino for the 9th time. Hey Peter look, it's Brett Favre over there!"

Ask Chicago GM Jerry Angelo this morning, and he'll tell you that two first-rounders, a third- and Orton was pretty cheap for the guy he saw Sunday night.

Anytime a player can play well against a beast of a defense like the Broncos for a little over a half in a preseason game, I guess you really have to say immediately after that game it was officially worth the price they paid for him. I think this pretty much means the Bears are going to win the Super Bowl. Like last season never happened because Tom Brady got injured in the first week, this season is already over. Crown the Bears Super Bowl champs now.

Tedy Bruschi retires. Does anybody realize Bruschi has been around through the regimes of Bill Parcells (1996), Pete Carroll (1997-99) and Bill Belichick (2000-present)? Amazing that a battering-ram inside 'backer always battling the too-small prejudice could last that long with so many different coaches.

It's not amazing he made it through those regimes and didn't get cut. Bill Parcells drafted Bruschi in the 3rd round and since Bill Belichick is the mastermind behind many of Parcells' defenses and was on the Parcells staff when Bruschi was drafted, I am assuming when he took over as coach he understood the type of player Bruschi was. There is the three year period when Pete Carroll was coaching that Bruschi really "survived" but other than that, it's not so amazing. Besides Bruschi is a great player, so I am sure that helps.

We know you like him Peter personally, don't go too overboard.

Bruschi was the defensive guy who never hesitated to get in mates' grills

What is up with Peter today? First the National Geographic sounding sentence about Denver and now Peter is talking like an Australian gangsta rapper?

The league ruled Friday that despite a punt hitting the video board 90 feet above the field in a preseason game 10 days ago, it would not authorize the board to be raised 15 or 20 feet higher to make sure it is not struck again during a game. Instead, if the board is struck again, the play will be re-played and time put back on the clock.

I know Rulebook explained the Cowboys punter couldn't hit the scoreboard in practice in the comments to MMQB last week but I am with Peter on not agreeing with this decision. I can't help but feel like this is going to come into play at some point this year...whether it be intentionally or unintentionally. I felt like the NFL should have made the Cowboys raise it.

It's wrong to think it's going to be one and done. In today's game, every NFL punter can boot a ball 90 feet into the air.

Well, now Peter undermines his point. I don't know if every punter can do that in a game situation and hit the scoreboard, which is the issue. I wish he would have just left it at the idea the good punters will be able to hit it. Basically the NFL screwed up by agreeing to the height, and rather than admit they made a mistake, they will just change the rules.

Cassel, meanwhile, told a friend he'd suffered a grade-two sprain of the medial collateral ligament Saturday night against Seattle. It's a two-week injury, so it's unknown if he'll face the Ravens at Baltimore in the season opener. Then again, it's probably best if he doesn't face the Ravens. Give that one to Brodie Croyle or Tyler Thigpen, then have Cassel ready to beat the Raiders in a winnable game in Week 2.

Not Matty Iceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee2! He can't get hurt...and right when he was going to start his assault on many NFL single season records for a quarterback.

It's always a good thing when a sports columnist talks about it being a good thing a team's starting quarterback is injured so he doesn't have to face a good defense. It sure seems like a smart person to spend $60 million dollars on, I will tell you that. It's best to keep Cassel out of the game against the Ravens no matter what, we don't want to hurt his confidence by making him earn the massive amount of money he is making by playing well against a good defense.

Cassel's agent should get an "agent of the year" award for turning one year of starting, going 11-5 with a team that went 16-0 the year before, into a $60 million dollar contract. That's magic. Even Scott Boras was impressed.

Regarding the Packers, their first unit has had 12 possessions this summer and hasn't punted. Sixty-six points in 12 possessions ... just sick.

What makes Mike McCarthy happy is that a year after L'Affair Favre, Rodgers seems to have the team in his hands. "It's clearly Aaron's team,'' McCarthy said Sunday.

Oh, how Green Bay has struggled without Lord Favre around. I am not sure how they will recover from this.....

Just think if Favre had his way, and he was successful in bullying the Packers last summer into giving him the starting job back, the team would have been starting him at quarterback this year. Peter should be giving Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy credit for sticking to their guns AND making the team better at the same time. Of course he will never do that.

Enjoyable/Aggravating Travel Note of the Week

You Know You Live In Boston Sign of the Times Dept: Across from each other in Terminal A at Logan International Airport are a Dunkin Donuts and a Starbucks. Last Monday at 5:55 a.m., 17 people were in line at Dunkin Donuts and two at Starbucks.

Boston: The only city in the world that has a Dunkin Donuts and a Starbucks near to each other.

I think this may say something about the quality of Dunkin Donuts coffee more than it says anything about the fact people in Boston like to eat donuts. Starbucks coffee is critically overrated and Dunkin Donuts serves coffee AND donuts, so it actually seems like an easy decision to make. I don't get the big deal here.

Tweets of the Week

"Just got a call back from Tom Brady, says he's fine and there's nothing to worry about ... I'm the insider now.''
--@OGOchoCinco, Chad Ochocinco of the Bengals, just after midnight Friday.

Somewhere in the New England area Bill Belichick is plotting the "accidental" death of Chad Ochocinco. He doesn't take too kindly to anyone releasing information on the health of his players.

c. If I know Detroit coach Jim Schwartz, I'd bet he'll flip a coin at quarterback because he's confident in both Daunte Culpepper and Matthew Stafford. He wanted Stafford to win the competition this summer, but it's been a downright draw.

If it is really a draw, go with Matthew Stafford. If you don't, then you are an idiot. Of course the Lions have a tendency to be idiots in the past so it wouldn't shock me if they went with Culpepper for the same reasons the Yankees are still "saving" Joba Chamberlain by having him start games but only pitch 3 innings...they are idiots too.

d. No Reggie Bush. No Pierre Thomas. New Orleans rushers at Oakland: 46 carries, 232 yards.

(A) It's preseason and (B) It's the Raiders. Don't get too excited Peter, Drew Brees will not be your next white quarterback crush.

e. ESPN must be really excited about that San Diego-Oakland season opener two weeks from tonight. All I can say is [Mike]Greenberg and Co. better get their second-half filler material stocked up before kickoff.

See ESPN, this is why Peter only pays attention to East Coast teams in the Northeast, they are much more exciting.

h. Can't imagine what Turk Schonert is thinking today. The Buffalo offensive coordinator watched Trent Edwards, Marshawn Lynch and Dominic Rhodes combine for 52 yards in seven drives. I mean, even without T.O., that's grim.

Am I the only one excited for the first T.O. blowup?

i. Just from the highlights, Brady Quinn looked less frenetic than he did a year ago against Tennessee on Saturday.

Thanks Peter, you moron. I am glad you watched those highlights and were able to make this great analysis. I watched some highlights of Mark Buerhle's perfect game a few weeks ago and damn if Dwayne Wise doesn't deserve a Gold Glove...you know, based on a 2 minute highlight shown.

2. I think, if I had to guess, that Kevin O'Connell will be claimed by the Broncos. Stunning news Sunday that the Patriots cut their third-round pick of a year ago, the man I assumed would be the backup to Tom Brady. It's surprising that New England gives up on the 94th pick in the draft after just 16 months. Three quick thoughts:

a. Maybe if Josh McDaniels were still in the building, he'd have championed the cause for keeping O'Connell.

b. Scott Pioli, now the Chiefs' GM, was never afraid of going at it with Belichick if he thought the coach was making a mistake. Now there's no one in the building in Foxboro with the same juice as Pioli, so when Belichick is of the mind to cut O'Connell and no one's there asking him if he's nuts, he's more inclined to do it.

c. Maybe O'Connell just can't do it. And if that's the case, Belichick is doing the smart thing to cut the cord now and go with either Andrew Walter or someone the team will pick up or deal for in the next couple of weeks.

I get why many readers accuse Peter of favoring the New England Patriots, like you get the distinct impression he watches every game, he analyzed the Matt Cassel situation in his MMQB nearly every week in the offseason and he idolizes Bill Belichick. He just did four (relatively short) paragraphs on the New England Patriots cutting their backup quarterback, the reasoning behind it, where he may end up, and whether it was a smart move or not. He doesn't do this for every team, so it does look a little bit suspiciously like Peter loves his hometown team.

I don't care if Peter likes them honestly, but if he wants to stop the insinuation of his readers that he is a closet Patriots fan he should stop analyzing the team's moves so carefully when he doesn't do this for even his other "favorite" teams.

4. I think Donovan McNabb can't have it both ways. He can't advocate for Michael Vick to be signed, as he did, and then complain about the offense being out of rhythm, in part because of the insertion of Vick with the regular offense.

Maybe, like I have suggested previously, McNabb really wasn't advocating the signing of Mike Vick and that was just a line the Eagles fed the gullible and child-like Peter King. Has Peter ever thought about that? Probably not. I still say I can't see McNabb signing off on the signing of Vick and I especially mean that after the game this week when he complained a little bit about the offense's rhythm.

If only there was an NFL Insider who get access to the real story concerning Vick and the Eagles...maybe Jay Glazer can do it.

Watching JaMarcus Russell, I think the thing that worries me is his lack of pocket awareness.

How about his weight management issues, his lack of commitment becoming a better QB, and the fact his backup is a better quarterback than Russell now and better than he will ever be? Oh yeah, throw in the fact he plays for a completely dysfunctional organization...I don't think it is too early to call him a bust.

It's going to be an interesting vote. Remember when John Madden got in three years ago? He was first eligible in 1984, and his resume (10 coaching seasons only, but very good ones, and two Super Bowl titles) hadn't changed since his retirement after the 1978 season. What did change, however, is that he became the best football colorman of all time, and his video game got millions of kids into the game when otherwise they might have skipped over football and gone to Grand Theft Auto or some other thing.

Not to sound like a blogger/dork, but the first Madden NFL game came out way before Grand Theft Auto came out. Want to know something else? Fine, you got it out of me. I always enjoyed the ESPN football games more than Madden. There I said it. I was pissed off when ESPN discontinued the game in 2005 or 2006. I have Madden but much prefer the ESPN football game. The one with T.O. on the cover in an Eagles uniform is the best one of that series too.

9. I think Ron Jaworski, advancing tonight's Minnesota-Houston game on ESPN, came away very impressed from watching Brett Favre throw the ball over the weekend.

Come on, you really thought we could go an entire MMQB without a mention of Favre by Peter King? And a positive mention that props Favre up as a good QB? We know Peter better than that. How many other times has Peter talked about who the ESPN crew thinks looks good? I am going to go with zero for the answer to that question. Some things change, but Peter King will always defend and be a Brett Favre supporter/apologist. Brett Favre doesn't need a publicist because of the existence of Peter King.

c. Saw Billy Wagner's first American League appearance after 15 years in the National League on Sunday at Fenway. Not bad: strikeout, double, strikeout, strikeout. When you get a guy who throws 95 with five weeks left in the season, and he doesn't have to close, it's a pretty big bonus for your team.

I guess he is not a NL-only pitcher like that bum John Smoltz.

d. I hate that Tampa Bay traded Scott Kazmir to the Angels. It's bad for baseball. The Rays were one of the feel-good stories of any baseball season last year, and to think they're going to start to get ripped apart because of finances -- in the middle of a pennant race -- is a crime.

Really Peter? This doesn't mean a whole hell of a lot coming from a guy who cheers for the team that has the second highest payroll in baseball. If you don't want finances to rip baseball apart then maybe you shouldn't cheer for a team that is financially capable of taking chances on players like Brad Penny and John Smoltz and get rid of them when they don't perform and can add payroll to get Billy Wagner anytime they want.

I know Peter nor the Red Sox are not personally responsible for the finances of baseball and the Red Sox should be able to sign who the hell they want to sign, it just sounds odd to hear a fan of a large market team complaining about this. Kazmir was a little overpaid anyway and it was probably a smart long term move to get rid of him at this point since they have guys who can put up similar numbers for less.

I don't think it is unfair, it just sounds really stupid for Peter to be complaining the Rays couldn't keep Kazmir since he cheers for a team that can afford to make financial risks and not have it screw up the direction of the franchise for the year. I'm not going to bash the Red Sox for being able to do this

e. Coffeenerdness: I continue to be amazed at the lack of attention paid to coffee at hotels and restaurants. Do the people who run these hotels -- these Marriotts, these Days Inns, these Comfort Inns -- even taste the coffee they put out? This is not snobbery, but reality: Most of American coffee is swill.

It's a hotel, not a fucking coffee shop. If you don't like the FREE coffee, don't drink it and quit bitching...and yes it is snobbery. Peter's reality consists primarily of snobbery...and framed pictures of Brett Favre.