Monday, January 4, 2010

16 comments MMQB Review: Peter Does Some Playoff Handicapping Edition

Yesterday was perhaps one of the most boring last weeks of the regular season that I can remember in the NFL. I imagine if the NFL went to a 18 game schedule the last week would have been more exciting because there would have been 2 more games to play, but I also believe we would have ended up with possibly even more separation in the good and bad teams in the NFL, so Week 19 of the fictional 18 week season would still be boring. That's another strike against an 18 game NFL schedule in my mind. Nothing gets me less pumped up than to see 3 of the 4 playoff games that are going to be played next week match up the same teams that played this week. This doesn't excite me too much.

Today Peter decides rather than doing some handicapped football analysis he is going to do some playoff handicapping. It's about as good as it sounds.

Now that was a weird day. Sad with the devastating knee injury to one of the real poster children for everything that is good about the NFL, Wes Welker.

Everything good about the NFL in Peter's world: being white, being gritty, and playing for New England.

What are the odds of the same defender being at the epicenter of the temporary demise of two true New England heroes?

That was pretty creepy. Someone get Dan Shaughnessy on the phone to write a book about the curse of Pollard. He could sell millions of copies of this book. Then Bill Simmons can mock those people that believe in the curse of Pollard, but write a book capitalizing on the ending of the curse of Pollard to make himself a few bucks.

(Quick summation of Shaughnessy's book) "We're so cursed! No other team in the NFL is as cursed as we are. We have had 2 major injuries in the past 2 years! We are the only team to have lost two important players in a span of two years. Please buy this book in hardcover and paperback."

Other quickies from the day, and from very early this morning: When the Redskins' charter returned from San Diego after another dispiriting loss in the dispiriting two-year tenure of Jim Zorn, the team put him out of his misery, firing him with a year left on his contract. There's little doubt the team wants to hire Mike Shanahan. Owner Dan Snyder wasted no time in laying the groundwork.

Hey, maybe Snyder should hire Joe Gibbs again!

I said on NBC last night that this isn't going to be Black Monday (black because so many coaches usually lose their jobs on the day after the season), but rather Charcoal Gray Monday ...

Ba-da-(stabs self in eye with pencil)

I have some picks sure to rival my Stewart Bradley middle linebacker choice last year, and sure to make you nail me with some outraged Tweets.

Peter wants us to nail him with some outraged Tweets. 5 years ago this would have sounded like a sexual move you try on a freshman, but now I know exactly what he is talking about.

Dallas (NFC 3 seed). Cowboys are classic hot team at the right time, with a mature quarterback, Romo, and a bookend pass-rush team, Anthony Spencer and DeMarcus Ware, that's bordering on Freeney/Mathis in its impact this season.

I am telling you, this is the year Dallas wins their 1st playoff game since 1996. Normally I would be outraged and taking cheap shots at Dallas because I traditionally don't like them, but this year for some reason I actually wouldn't mind seeing them win a few playoff games. Maybe if they made the Super Bowl my retro-mid-90's hatred of the Cowboys would come back to visit. That would be the same time the annoying Cowboys fans in my area call up talk radio to taunt the entire state of North Carolina on how awesome the Cowboys are.

I want to see Jared Allen come out and dominate a game, which he hasn't done since a three-sack day at Green Bay Nov. 1.

Let me do a quick summation of Jared Allen's "Pro Bowl season" that wasn't a Pro Bowl season.

Sacks against Green Bay: 7.5 sacks (2 games)

Sacks against the rest of the NFL: 7 sacks (14 games)

Sacks before November 1 (not including Green Bay games): 3 sacks (6 games)

Sacks since November 1: 4 sacks (8 games)

Sorry, but simply because Jared Allen had 2 good games against Green Bay doesn't mean he is a Pro Bowler. He's should not be at least, so I don't know how he made it.

New Orleans (NFC 1 seed).

We'll see. This team's a total X factor.

You mean the #1 seed in the NFC is an X factor? I wouldn't think this could be true at all! How would the best team in the NFC by record, and how they perform in the playoffs, be considered the team that could alter the playoff landscape? This is an amazing, yet fairly obvious statement.

They'll fill his spot with Julian Edelman, who is a Welker clone -- the same body type, the same frenetic quickness after the catch.

He had like 10 catches for 103 yards yesterday. He's not Wes Welker but this is exactly why you have backups. Welker went down and the Patriots were smart enough to have a backup who can do a reasonable Welker impersonation. This is what good teams do.

Coaches don't want to hear about this ... except one from the AFC who I spoke with late Sunday night and who shall remain anonymous. He was concerned that even though the Jets could well have been one of the best six teams in the AFC at season's end, they got an unfair advantage by playing two teams in the last two weeks that already had playoff spots secured and weren't playing the way they'd play a regular game.

I am the type of person that thinks a team should play all of its starters during a playoff run to keep the team on its toes and make sure the momentum the team has built up can be kept in the playoffs. There's something to be said for a team like the Giants of 2007 who barely make it in the playoffs and were sharp because nearly every game has been a playoff game for them down the stretch. I think playing the starters regularly even after clinching a division helps the continuity and momentum of a team.

(I have changed my mind on this issue at times and sometimes my opinion differs when it comes to the makeup of each team. For example, I think a team like the Colts need to keep momentum, while a team like the Vikings may not. Or I could be rambling right now.)

Regardless, the NFL can never make everything fair. Is it fair that San Diego gets to play in a shitty division? Is it fair that Arizona is in the same division as two teams that are in a rebuilding mode? I don't think we can make everything fair in the NFL. Is it fair that New Orleans who went 8-8 last year got to play a 4th place schedule and played the likes of Detroit and St. Louis in their two games they play against 4th place teams in other divisions?

The NFL is never going to be completely fair, I don't think the NFL should force a coach to play his starters in any game. I think the coach should play his starters but it should be a team decision, not an NFL decision.

Fans would be buying a 10-game season-ticket (eight regular-season games, two exhibitions), and four of them, under my scenario, would be games the Colts were playing to keep guys healthy, not to win. Fans already detest paying for the preseason. Paying for more games like the preseason is absurd.

I think it's a good idea to have each team intending to sit starting players for some or all of the game have to make that announcement on Friday, as a show of good will to the fans who pay good money to watch the games.

This doesn't really help season ticket holders because they have already paid for the tickets and will have no chance at recouping the money they put out since it will be nearly impossible to sell the tickets to a game where the starters aren't playing.

I realize the Welker injury is going to affect this debate. It should. It's a valid concern, losing valuable players to injury in games you don't have to win.

Those people who think the Colts did the right thing by sitting Manning last week are going to use the Welker injury as the reason for a team to sit its starters, and that is valid, but that's also not the point. The point is that injuries can occur at any point and obviously preventing injuries is always a good thing, but many times you can't prevent an injury. It's like Brian Billick said yesterday when he was calling the Carolina-New Orleans game, teams can't play scared in the NFL. Injuries happen, you just have to hope your team has been built to withstand that injury. Playing scared is the best lose your momentum and edge before the playoffs begin...at least in my mind.

I had respect for the Oakland punter before Sunday's game; I already thought he was the best punter in Raider history before Sunday, and that's not to slight Ray Guy.

Yet by saying Lechler is the best punter in Raiders history, Peter is giving him this title over Ray Guy, who is generally agreed to be the best punter in the history of the NFL. That is actually slighting Ray Guy by making this statement.

2. Indianapolis (14-2). Watching Curtis Painter, you can see why everyone in the Indy organization is so paranoid about Peyton Manning getting hurt.

I would say no matter who the backup to Peyton Manning is, unless that was Drew Brees or Tom Brady, the Colts are going to be paranoid about Peyton Manning getting hurt. Wouldn't this just give more ammunition to the belief that Manning is the MVP?

4. Green Bay (11-5).
5. Minnesota (12-4).
6. Philadelphia (11-5).
7. New Orleans (13-3).

I don't know how Peter can rank the Saints below these three other teams simply because these other teams played their starters for the entire season, while the Saints didn't play their starters yesterday...especially when the Saints have already beaten one of these teams handily. It's nitpicky, but this is why power rankings are useless. They teach us nothing.

Quote of the Week I

"We're dangerous. You have to be able to run the football this time of year, and you have to be able to play defense, and we can do that better than any team in the league. That gives us a chance in every game, no matter who we play.''

-- Jets coach Rex Ryan after the 37-0 shutout of the Bengals that sent New York into the playoffs.

I don't recall who said it last week, but a sportswriter suggested a team would want to play the Jets in the 1st round of the playoffs. I disagreed. The Jets are #1 in the NFL in rushing and #1 in defense. I know they have a rookie quarterback but this isn't a team I would want to play in the playoffs.

"Master Lock Revis has put a lot of great receivers on him this season. That will not happen this upcoming [week]. Darrelle Revis couldn't cover me in a brown paper bag on a corner of a Manhattan street in a phone booth. It's impossible.''
-- Cincinnati receiver Chad Ochocinco, five days before being held to no catches against the Jets' corner Sunday night at the Meadowlands.

Chad told Bob Costas he'd change his name back to Chad Johnson if Revis shut him down Sunday night. Your move, Chad. Asked by a reporter after the game if he still planned to change his last name back to "Johnson,'' OchoCinco said, "Child, please.''

I couldn't help but think that Chad Johnson was hedging just a bit when he started limping in warm-ups and then he left the game with an injury. I know he was hurt, but I think it is pretty convenient he got hurt during a game when he wasn't backing up his talk. Yeah, he was hurt, but do I think he may have limped a little more to give himself an out? Yes, I do.

Coach of the Week

John Fox, head coach, Carolina.

With nothing to play for the past three weeks, Fox's team went 3-0 against teams that finished a combined 33-15 (Vikings, Giants, Saints). Though the Saints didn't come to play Sunday in Charlotte, Carolina beating three teams 90-26 when the games meant only pride is a sign Fox has the attention of every player in his locker room. A superb end-of-season run by one of the game's best coaches.

I am glad Peter recognized this. On a personal note, I am not a huge John Fox fan for reasons I could write 10,000 words about, but if Carolina doesn't at least extend him one more year (he has one year left on his contract) they are idiots. The players play for him and they are rarely ever out of a game. Reward him for this.

MVP Watch

I don't like putting five quarterbacks on my final list of the year, but I had to put the five most indispensable guys here ... and if I had to put a sixth, I'd likely put Romo ahead of Darrelle Revis and Chris Johnson.


I like how Peter acts as if he doesn't have a choice to put 5 quarterbacks in his MVP Watch. It is his list which he makes by giving his opinion. He can put whoever he wants in the MVP Watch. I don't see how Chris Johnson isn't as valuable to the Titans as Brett Favre is to the Vikings. The Titans started playing well this year when Johnson started playing well, while the Vikings struggled generally when the run game was stopped (which would indicate Adrian Peterson is as valuable as Favre or at least a running game is as valuable as Favre)...for the last time this year, THE VIKINGS MADE THE PLAYOFFS WITHOUT FAVRE LAST YEAR!!

4. (tie) Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay. Poetic justice, isn't it, that Rodgers pulls even with Favre in the final week of the year. Don't know if anyone else will do it today, but I think it's due: Eighteen months ago, Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy got roundly taken to the cleaners in the court of public opinion, but now that Rodgers has turned into a top-flight quarterback, I just think it's time to say those guys knew what they were doing.

I don't know where this "court of public opinion" is located, but it's not located at this blog. Last year it was pretty clear choosing Aaron Rodgers over Brett Favre was a smart long term move for the Packers. I think I only wrote about this everyday. The only ones who didn't want to recognize Rodgers over Favre was a good move weren't Packers fans, but Favre fans, or were so hung up on Brett Favre being in a Packers uniform there is no way they could be rationally convinced.

PlayerYearsW-LPct.YardsTDInt.SacksRush Yds-TDRating
Favre1995-9624-8.6158,312772673317-597.7
Rodgers2008-0917-15.6428,237582084523-998.5

They're about equally efficient. Favre was more explosive and won more. Rodgers ran better and was slightly more accurate. If you compared apples to apples -- Favre's first two starting seasons (not his first two MVP seasons, but his first two shaky starting seasons) and Rodgers' same two -- the one thing that would stick out is Rodgers' plus-37 TD-to-interception differential and Favre's plus-0.

I am not saying Aaron Rodgers is going to be as good as Brett Favre when his career is over, but he is off to a good start in my mind. And no, the Aaron Rodgers Fan Club doesn't charge dues and I am not officially a member yet, but I am thinking of signing up.

A cheap travel note. It involves only walking -- 25 minutes on New Year's Day from my apartment in Boston's South End to Fenway Park. But that was the walk each way to the NHL Winter Classic, Bruins versus Flyers, and it was a great day. First, the best thing was standing on the field while the teams walked out for warmups. Everybody smiling. Tim Thomas, the Bruins' goalie, smiling. The Bruins coaches smiling. NHL brass smiling.Jon Miller, the NBC exec whose brainchild this great idea was, pulled out his phone and asked me to take a picture of him, smiling, by the side of the rink.

There's something to be said for a sports event where everyone's happy, even the fans of the losing team. And I must have seen 10 Flyers fans taking photos outside Fenway after the game. Just a cool, feel-good event that was a gas to attend.

Someone mentioned in the comments a few weeks ago that Peter King was going to talk about the Flyers-Bruins game at Fenway Park. Well here we go, it happened. I am jaded though and would say if most hockey games were played outside not everyone would be smiling the entire time. I think the fact it was a once-a-year thing made this event more fun to attend.

h. How in the world are we going to get people fired up about the the Jets-Bengals rematch Saturday on NBC?

Exactly. As I mentioned earlier in this post, 3 of the 4 games are rematches of games this past Sunday. How the hell is that supposed to get people fired up for the playoffs? I know there is very little the NFL can do about this, but it does kind of stink.

3. I think we could argue about this for a while -- particularly at outside linebacker, wide receiver and the offensive line -- but here's the All-Pro team and awards I submitted to the Associated Press this morning: Peter King's 2009 All-Pro Team, Awards.

Let's look at Peter's All-Pro team and argue:

One other note: When important, I name players to their directional positions. Left tackle, right guard, for instance.

16 comments:

Kevin said...

Peter King last week:


The guy I feel for is Curtis Painter. Talk about a baptism by fire. The only time the Lucas Oil crowd got loud Sunday was to boo the poor kid in his first extended playing time in the NFL. A shame.


Peter King this week:


b. What a disgraceful last two weeks by the Giants.

c. Actually, I'm not sure which is worse in the last two weeks: the Giants or Curtis Painter.

Bengoodfella said...

Great catch Kevin. I missed that. I find it interesting Peter felt bad for Painter while he was playing his 1st game at home, but in his 2nd game on the road he thinks he played terribly.

Peter completely ignores the fact the guy was a 3rd string QB all season until Sorgi got hurt.

See, I just want a little consistency. This is not an example of consistency.

brandon knight said...

Favre and Brees were the two best players in the NFL all season. You can hate on Favre all you want, but a 107 qb rating with 33 touchdowns and 7 interceptions are hard to deny. Favre had the same number of touchdowns as Manning, but Manning has 16 interception ( 9 more than Favre).

Bengoodfella said...

Favre and Brees can be the two best players in the NFL all year, that's fine, but there is a difference in the "best" player and the most "valuable" player. If you want to compare the three players Manning had the 32nd ranked running game, while Brees had the 6th ranked running game and Favre had the 13th ranked running game.

I am not hating on Brett Favre and I didn't say he had a bad year. 2 of Adrian Peterson's worst 3 rushing performances were in Vikings losses, that's all I am saying. Favre needs a running game for his team to win, which in my mind makes him less valuable than Peyton Manning who hasn't had an individual rusher go over 80 yards in a game this year. I am not arguing against Favre being a good QB, I am saying he isn't as valuable as Manning.

If we based MVP on interceptions thrown Favre may not have gotten the MVP in 1997 because he was 3rd in the NFL in interceptions. Manning may have more interceptions but I don't know if that makes him less valuable than Favre.

FormerPhD said...

PK has fun with math again:

I think it’s 60-40 that Mangini will get fired. But that’s a legit 40 percent.

A legit 40% as opposed to the other 40%? I mean is he taking into account rounding error? Like is Tom Cable 39.6% likely to get fired, but is an illegitimate 40%? This is really strong evidence that PK just sits down and writes whatever he thinks up, stream of consciousness style.

As for Mannings interceptions, Manning had no running game to keep defenses honest, so he had to, at times, make much riskier throws. Since defense had to play a possible run by AP or even a screen to Harvin, Favre (theoretically and in the games I watched) had much more open field than Manning did.

Favre had a good season, but as Bengoodfella points out often, almost the same team went 10-6 last year, so it's not like the Vikings would be an atrocious team without Favre. The last game and a half showed everyone what the Colts have if Manning doesn't play.

Bengoodfella said...

Rich, I can't believe I didn't pay attention to that "legit 40%" part of Peter's MMQB. What would a illegitimate 40% consist of I wonder? I am almost curious enough to find out what an "illegitimate" 40% would consist of.

I think Peter does write stuff down stream of consciousness style. Maybe he meant it was a 40% chance Mangini doesn't get fired, but it's actually more than that, so 40% is legit in that it won't get any worse than that, only better? If I am going to dissect Peter's brain, I will go crazy.

Manning has thrown some INTs, I don't want to make excuses for him, but not having a running game can't help. Also, I do believe in a big difference in the "best" player and the most "valuable" player. Minnesota wasn't a bad team without Brett Favre. I don't think having another QB would hurt them as much as having Sorgi/Painter be the QB of the Colts would hurt them.

KentAllard said...

I love Joe Montana for obviously homerish reasons, but the reason he slipped in the draft was because he was terribly inconsistent in college and there were rumors his work ethic was suspect. Joe was always the kind of QB who was capable of looking ordinary for three and a half quarters, then become invincible with the game on the line.

One of the things I miss about Dr. Z was how he used to criticize Ray Lewis, who Z felt had been living off his reputation and his mouth for years. He did an analysis once, based on numbers that showed the tackle stats are awarded as a semi-judgment call. Z claimed that Drive-by Ray got a lot of tackles by jumping on to the pile at the end of the play, then celebrating after it was over like he'd made the tackle.

FormerPhD said...

I was terribly disappointed by PK's description of the hockey game. I was really expecting him to say something stupid, but then again he didn't really say much about the game, probably b/c he didn't watch any of it (He got a Kindle for Xmas don't you know).

For example, you'd think the fact that the Flyers' only goal came when Tim Thomas was busy trying to cross check Scott Hartnell (the puck went b/w Thomas' legs as he lunged forward) would've been noteworthy, but PK was too engrossed with all the smiling.

My observations:

1. 10 Flyers fans taking pictures of the stadium of the ten thousand (rough estimate)... not really indicative of anything. Being a Flyers fan, I can say I was incredibly pissed off by how the game ended (nothing to do with the officiating or anything like that).

2. If any Flyers fans took pictures of Fenway it was to identify the ballpark's weak spots to more easily demolish the stadium in case the Phillies play Sawx in the WS.

KentAllard said...

Rich is onto something. Given the terrific antipathy that hockey fans in general (and probably Flyer fans in particular) have for opposing clubs, it is doubtful the Philadelphia fans floated out of Fenway on clouds of pure love for their hosts after the game. Peter probably thought they were so grateful for being allowed in hallowed Fenway they didn't mind that they lost.

brent daniels said...

His all-pro team is a joke to mean. Andre Johnson is a no brainer over both of his receivers. I'm glad Welker catches lots of passes but he doesn't do anything in the red zone, and he is only the second best reciever on his team. Without Moss stretching the field and taking double teams all the time Welker would be just another receiver. Steve Smith of the Giants catchs alot of passes and scores more td's than Welker and he doesn't have Moss on the other side. Just cause he is white and a Patriot doesn't make him the best receiver in the game. I get so tired of every time a white guy is decent we constantly have to hear how classy, scrappy, and great he is. I'm white also, just can't stand this great white hope nonesense. He is a good player with a lot of athletic ability who is maybe the tenth best receiver in the NFL. Also Patrick Willis has better numbers in every way compared to almost any middle linebacker in football. I'm sure he doesn't do a pregame dance or do alot of really intense facial expressions.

brent daniels said...

Also comparing Rodgers first two years as a starter and Favre's two MVP years feels like cherry picking to me. Also he throws in the record thing which might have something to do with the loaded teams he was playing on at the time. Favre's first two years as a starter look bad in comparison so he picks his two MVP years. Then he tries to act like his love affair with Favre doesn't exist.

Bengoodfella said...

Kent, I will have to google the Drive-By Ray column by Dr. Z. I don't dislike Ray Lewis but I can see him jumping on the pile like he made the tackle and getting credit for it. I wouldn't doubt that tackles are calculated incorrectly.

I didn't think Joe Montana was drafted in the 3rd round because of his height. I didn't know it was because of his consistency though. I do remember Montana looked ordinary at times, but he could be magic at the end of the game.

Rich, yeah Peter didn't say much about the hockey game at all. I was a little disappointed, I wanted to see some other mentions of the game. I didn't watch the game so I can't comment on it too much, but I do find it odd the entire sum he got from the trip was that everyone was smiling. Come on these are Philly fans, they can't be smiling for no good reason. Their reputation would never allow them to do that.

I like your reasoning better Kent. I think Peter just thinks they were excited to play in Fenway, which may or may not have been true.

Brent, I am with you. There is no way Andre Johnson doesn't make the team. I am not against Wes Welker but the fact a guy like Julian Edelman can step in and put up 100 yards in replacing Welker doesn't make me think Welker is overrated or anything...just that in the Patriots offense and with Tom Brady throwing the ball the slot receiver can get open easily at times. New England has the offense set up well, there's no doubt that Moss is a big part of that.

The media loves to do the "white guy who is classy and gritty" dance no matter what sport. Because all white people who play sports are gritty and try hard while no minorities can be gritty because they are just naturally good at sports. That seems to be the inherent semi-racist take of much of the media. At least it feels that way to me.

For my money, Patrick Willis is the best middle linebacker in the NFL currently. He is much better than Ray Lewis is right now. Again, we have to remember Lewis has always played with good nose tackles who have kept defenders off of him. No offense to Lewis because he is/was a great player, but he hasn't had to deal with the mediocrity that some of the other middle linebackers in the NFL have had to.

Beason is not in Willis' class, I don't want to infer that. When the Pro Bowl teams came out, I got several text messages asking me why Beason wasn't a Pro Bowl player and I really think he should be. Especially this year when he has been surrounded by backups on the defensive line. Willis is much better than Beason though. I would include Aaron Curry at some point, if he could ever learn to sack the quarterback.

Peter clearly cherry picked those two years, but it shows that Rodgers has the potential to match Favre in the short term, if he never reaches the long term success that Favre had. I won't take away Favre's success, but in my mind getting rid of Favre while he was an A-/B+ quarterback for Aaron Rodgers to grow into a A-/A quarterback is worth it.

The record is inconsequential, or should be. The Packers defense stunk last year and Favre's Green Bay teams were better than Rodger's current Green Bay team. Peter can't deny his obsession with Brett Favre. You see people joking about it everywhere on the Internet.

Kevin said...

My favorite part of the column is when Peter calls it “poetic justice” that Favre and Rodgers tied for fourth place in Peter’s MVP rankings. As if Peter had crunched their numbers somehow, and they came out in a statistical dead heat. The only reason it’s “poetic justice” is that Peter thinks it makes a better story. He acts as if this tie is somehow beyond his control.

Not to mention it doesn’t burn any bridges with Packers’ management that Peter dare criticize their decision to jettison Favre or piss off Favre that Peter is calling Rodgers a better QB.

AJ said...

I laughed when I saw his All Pro team...and saw Welker on there. There is no way he had a better season then Fitz, A. Johnson, Austin, Wayne, Marshall, and even Moss on his own team...and you could make cases for Smith (NYG) and Ward. Just because you can catch a 2 yard pass doesn't make you a great WR...ask Mike Furrey. Ever heard of him? Check out his 2006 stats. I'm not saying Welker isn't a great WR, because he is, he just isn't in the same class of some other WR's.

And Vincent Jackson isn't even a top 10 WR...what a joke of an All Pro list.

To me there are only 3 choices for MVP this year...Manning, Brees, and Johnson.

Bengoodfella said...

Kevin, I have always enjoyed the fact Peter seems to indicate the MVP Watch is out of his control and he isn't the one determining where each of the players stands in it. You are right that Peter only says it is poetic justice because it makes for a better story to write. It's more interesting to say there was no advantage in the decision the Packers made last summer. It's so funny that he acts like it is out of his control.

I don't think it really pisses Packers management off that Peter criticized their decision, nor Favre if Peter says Rodgers is better. I really wouldn't doubt that Peter may worry Favre could get 10% upset if Peter compliments Rodgers too much. I could be wrong though.

Bengoodfella said...

AJ, I see Brees and Manning as the top 2 choices of MVP, but I don't think people realize how important Chris Johnson was to that Titans team.

That All-Pro team did need a little work at the WR position. I am not down on Welker, because I think he is a great receiver, but I don't know if he should be rewarded with an All-Pro position for what he does.

I may be close to putting Vincent Jackson in the top 10 of receivers, but I think a case can be made for most of those players you listed. I don't know if I have ever enjoyed an All-Decade or All-Pro list.