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**troll565** · 10-09-2004, 08:28 PM

Re: ESPN Insider NFL Plays

Originally posted by wayne1218
If anyone wants a particular write up let me know. It was much quicker this way.

DEN/CAR if you got it. Thanks.

**wayne1218** · 10-09-2004, 10:59 PM

Here you go.......................

Tuesday, our scouts filed their advance advance scouting report on this
week's matchup between the Panthers and Broncos. Now they're back with a
second look.

Carolina's run defense could have a small advantage, but it remains to be
seen if it can capitalize. Atlanta offensive line coach Alex Gibbs coached
in Denver for several seasons, and the Broncos' running game hasn't
changed much since he left to join the Falcons. While the Panthers
struggled to slow down Atlanta's running game last week, the game gave
them an opportunity to work against a blocking scheme similar to the one
in Denver. If Carolina's front seven can learn from its mistakes and play
with better discipline, it should have more success forcing the Broncos
into obvious passing situations.

Jenkins
BucknerExpect Panthers defensive coordinator Mike Trgovac to rotate backup
DT Kindal Moorehead into the game early and often. DTs Kris Jenkins and
Brentson Buckner are an excellent starting defensive tackle tandem, but
they could struggle with the thin air in Denver and wear down prematurely.
With the Broncos looking to exploit a struggling Carolina run defense with
a strong commitment to the running game, it will be the responsibility of
Moorehead to keep the starters fresh.
Denver defensive coordinator Larry Coyer is compensating for the loss of
RDE Trevor Pryce, out with back injury, by using backup MLB Patrick
Chukwurah, a pass-rush specialist in college, as a nickel pass rusher.
While he has yet to record a sack, Chukwurah explodes off the line and
shows good closing speed to the quarterback. If nothing else, he should
help draw attention away from the rest of the Broncos' defensive line.

DavisPanthers RB Stephen Davis returned to practice this week and is
expected to play, as long as his knee doesn't swell up over the course of
the week. It's clear Davis' powerful running style and ability to break
tackles will give the running game a boost, but don't overlook the
importance of his leadership. Davis gathered Carolina's offensive line,
which has been inconsistent, and made sure it understood the importance of
this game.
Denver also has some questions at running back, as Quentin Griffin's ankle
injury may be more serious than originally anticipated.He is listed as
questionable. While head coach Mike Shanahan still expects Griffin to
play, he has missed some practice time this week. If Griffin is
unavailable, expect backup Tatum Bell and FB Reuben Droughns to split
carries, with Garrison Hearst getting some touches in relief. Bell is more
explosive than Droughns, but Droughns runs with better power.

RuckerPanthers RDE Mike Rucker likes to line up wider than most ends on
obvious passing downs, and that should help him this week. The wide
alignment will help keep mobile Broncos QB Jake Plummer in the pocket,
where he is far less effective. It also will force LOT Matt Lepsis to get
out of his stance quickly, as the angle will give Rucker a clear path to
Plummer. If Lepsis starts to slide out too far, look for Carolina to blitz
a linebacker between Lepsis and the guard.
One of the biggest reasons Carolina's defense is struggling is players are
getting caught out of position trying to do too much. The unit must play
with much greater discipline. This will be especially true near the goal
line. Denver likes to run a play-action bootleg that has the entire
offense going in one direction except Plummer and an H-Back. To make the
play even more deceiving, the H-Back lines up to the side of the play fake
before cutting behind the offensive line and out into the flat in front of
Plummer.

LynchBroncos FS John Lynch's reluctance to hit Tampa Bay WR Michael
Clayton while he was on the ground last week is certainly understandable.
The league has been cracking down on what it has deemed illegal hits, and
defenders aren't supposed to hit a defenseless receiver. However, Denver
must get in a better position to wrap the receiver up in case the referee
doesn't call him down by contact.
Without Steve Smith in the lineup and with Broncos DC Champ Bailey
blanketing WR Muhsin Muhammad, the Panthers' complementary receivers will
have to step up. Last week rookie TE Michael Gaines bobbled a pass that
ended up getting intercepted. Carolina's receivers, tight ends and backs
don't have to make a lot of big plays, but they have to catch the ball
given the opportunity. This will help keep Denver off-balance and honest.

Special Teams
Two injuries could have a significant impact on the Panthers' special
teams units. KOR Rod Smart could miss this game with a knee injury, and WR
Karl Hankton could miss this game with a hamstring injury. Smart returned
a kickoff for a touchdown last year, and Hankton does an excellent job of
covering kicks. Both would be missed.
Denver PR Rod Smith and KOR Droughns aren't the most explosive return men
in the league, but they are productive. They read their blocks well and
waste little motion getting upfield.

Matchups

Denver LOT Matt Lepsis vs. Carolina RDE Mike Rucker
Carolina WR Muhsin Muhammad vs. Denver DC Champ Bailey
Denver TE Jeb Putzier vs. Carolina SS Mike Minter
Carolina RB Stephen Davis vs. Denver MLB Al Wilson
Denver WR Rod Smith vs. Carolina DC Chris Gamble

Prediction: Broncos 27, Panthers 14

**troll565** · 10-09-2004, 11:03 PM

**Cabomike** · 10-10-2004, 12:44 AM

NE/Mia, AZ/SF, Dal/NYG Please.

**wayne1218** · 10-10-2004, 12:49 AM

Scouts Inc. Previews
View all Week 5 games

Tuesday, our scouts filed their advance advance scouting report on this
week's matchup between the Dolphins and Patriots. Now they're back with a
second look.

Teams frequently chip Miami RDE Jason Taylor with a tight end or back, and
New England will take the same approach. One of the ways Dolphins
defensive coordinator Jim Bates is countering this technique is having
Taylor immediately shoot the inside gap. This makes it impossible for the
back or tight end to get a hand on him before releasing downfield. Bates
will use an outside linebacker to help insure the Patriots don't break
contain when Taylor does slant inside.
Bates doesn't blitz as much as some of the other coordinators in the
league, but he will bring additional pressure occasionally in an effort to
keep New England off balance. Look for Bates to use some three-man fronts
on third-and-long situations, giving the Patriots the impression he is
dropping eight men into coverage and then blitz up the middle. If the New
England offensive linemen commit to a block and they are unable to slide
off in time to pick up the blitz, Miami should have some success getting
to QB Tom Brady.
Dolphins QB Jay Fiedler will lock onto his "hot" receiver when he reads a
blitz, allowing the corner to get an excellent break on the ball. The
Patriots' secondary will be extremely aggressive in jumping routes when
defensive coordinator Romeo Crenell brings additional pressure. If Fiedler
doesn't do a better job of looking the corners off, the result could be
some more costly interceptions. Of course, Miami's receivers also have to
help Fiedler out by creating better separation and catching the ball when
it's thrown in their area. Last week FB Rob Konrad allowed a pass to
glance of his hands resulting in an interception.

McMichaelDolphins offensive coordinator Chris Foerster will run a
four-wide set out of the shotgun formation and it helps Fielder in three
ways. The first is protection. TE Randy McMichael and a back will line up
as the two inside receivers. Their alignment is tight enough to the
offensive line that they can help both tackles, and Fiedler can put either
one in motion if he needs to strengthen the protection inside. If New
England blitzes, either McMichael or the back should be able to pick it
up.
The second reason is McMichael and the back can release into routes if the
Patriots don't bring additional pressure. McMichael is a reliable safety
valve over the middle and is generally productive after the catch. The
third reason is the shotgun formation gives Fiedler a better view of where
New England's defense is lined and where the pressure may be coming from.
At this point it's unknown if ROT John St. Clair will be available because
of a knee injury he sustained last week. However, Miami's offensive
tackles have had problems holding up in pass protection even with a
healthy McClair in the lineup. That doesn't bode well for the Dolphins
because Patriots RDE Richard Seymour, ROLB Rosevelt Colvin and ROLB Willie
McGinest all have the burst to exploit this weakness. Miami will try to
help Fiedler by moving the pocket, running some max-protect schemes and
using more three-step drops.
New England offensive coordinator Charlie Weis does an outstanding job of
creating quality blocking angles for his offensive line. Expect him to
attack an interior Miami run defense that has been hindered by injuries
with some traps. It's called a trap because it's designed to fool the
play-side defensive tackle. The front-side offensive tackle will
immediately head up to the second level in an effort to reach Miami MLB
Zach Thomas.
Once he clears the play-side guard's face, that guard becomes responsible
for the defensive end. The back-side guard then pulls and blocks the
defensive tackle flying upfield. With the defensive tackle reading the
guard over his head, his natural reaction will be to head outside when
sees the guard pull. One he realizes the run is going between the tackles,
the back-side guard should already be in position to seal him off. It's
also important to note that Thomas won't be expecting the tackle to block
down on him.
Another way Weis will help his offensive line is running plenty of screens
and draws. If the Dolphins' defensive ends start flaying upfield in an
effort to get to Brady, the result could be some long gains. At the very
least it will keep Miami's explosive front four on its heels when Brady
does take a chance downfield.
Not to be outdone by his coordinator, Brady will also help his offensive
line. With this game at Gillette Stadium, Brady will use plenty of hard
counts to test the discipline of the Dolphins' front seven. Varying the
cadence could result in some off-sides penalties and it will help prevent
Miami from anticipating the snap count.
There is an excellent chance that New England WRs Deion Branch, Troy Brown
and Bethel Johnson all miss this game with injuries. Their absence would
be significant but it won't hurt the Patriots as much as it would other
teams. David Givens is playing extremely well and David Patten has the
speed to stretch the field vertically. If New England wants to go to a
three-receiver set, it can line TE Dan Graham on the outside. TE Christian
Fauria, RB Corey Dillon and RB Kevin Faulk, who could return from a knee
injury this week, can also line up at receiver. The Patriots' versatility
and depth will allow them to spread the Dolphins' defense despite the
injuries.

Special Teams

One of the best ways to help a struggling offense is to get a big play in
the return game. With that in mind, New England's kickoff team needs to
improve, as it allowed Buffalo KOR Terrence McGee to return a kickoff 98
yards for a touchdown last week. The cover unit needs to do a better job
of staying in rushing lanes and wrapping up upon contact.
Patriots PK Adam Vinatieri has connected on all six of his field goal
attempts thus far, including a 42-yarder last week. Miami PK Olindo Mare
connected on all three of his field goal attempts last week and his only
miss came in the season opener. With the defenses playing well, both
kickers need to take advantage of any opportunities they get to put points
on the board.
New England P Josh Miller has been solid, averaging 47.7 yards a kick, and
he has the powerful leg to kick the Patriots out of trouble. He has also
placed three of his 10 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard-line and will
look to put some pressure on the Dolphins' offense by pinning it deep.

Matchups

Miami TE Randy McMichael vs. New England SS Rodney Harrison

Miami LOT Damion McIntosh vs. New England RDE Richard Seymour

New England RB Corey Dillon vs. Miami MLB Zach Thomas

New England LOT Matt Light vs. Miami RDE Jason Taylor

Miami QB Jay Fiedler vs. New England FS Eugene Wilson

Prediction: Patriots 24, Dolphins 10

**wayne1218** · 10-10-2004, 12:50 AM

Scouts Inc. Previews
View all Week 5 games

Tuesday, our scouts filed their advance advance scouting report on this
week's matchup between the Cardinals and 49ers. Now they're back with a
second look.

Arizona CB Duane Starks dislocated a shoulder last Sunday and is expected
to miss the next four-to-six weeks. His absence will hurt. Starks, who
missed all of last year with a knee injury, had just started getting
comfortable in coordinator Clancy Pendergast's scheme. He is the
Cardinals' best cover corner when he is healthy and his versatility gives
them more options in coverage.
With Renaldo Hill figuring to step into the starting lineup, Pendergast
will have to protect his corners more. Although Hill is an intelligent
player with good awareness, he lacks ideal physical tools and will need
safety support over the top. The 49ers don't have great speed on the
perimeter, but without Starks, the Cardinals will have to be conservative
defensively. As a result, expect more cover-2 from Pendergast.

JohnsonThe cover-2 can mask some of the Cardinals' weaknesses at corner,
but it will also open some space in the middle of the field for TE Eric
Johnson. Johnson will be able to exploit the deep hole that this coverage
creates by simply splitting the safeties on a "skinny post." Johnson has
the speed to stretch the seam of Arizona's defense and he should prove to
be QB Tim Rattay's favorite target.
Expect an aggressive approach from San Francisco's defense. The Cardinals'
pass protection has been terrible and their run blocking mediocre.
Attacking Arizona's blocking schemes with a heavy blitz package could
force the Cardinals into some obvious passing downs and QB Josh McCown
into getting rid of the ball quickly. McCown has struggled in the face of
pressure this season and could easily make some poor decisions that lead
to takeaways for the 49ers.
Another reason San Francisco will blitz is the defensive line has been
unable to generate any kind of pressure. Sending linebackers LOLB Julian
Peterson and RILB Jamie Winborn represents the team's best chance of
getting to McCown. Both have the speed to turn the corner when San
Francisco goes into its 3-4-package and brings them off the edge.
In order to avoid putting McCown in obvious throwing situations, the
Cardinals must win the battle on first down. Attacking the edge with
35-year-old RB Emmitt Smith or powerback Troy Hambrick is somewhat of a
waste, as neither player has enough speed to turn the corner. However,
Arizona may be able to keep the 49ers' defense honest by mixing a strong
tackle-to-tackle running game with a quick three-step passing attack on
first downs.

BarlowSan Francisco offensive coordinator Ted Tollner must do a better job
of mixing up his personnel groupings and formations in an effort to open
up the running game. With the offensive line continuing to struggle,
Tollner can help clear some space for RB Kevan Barlow by spreading the
Cardinals out with some three- and four-receiver sets. Arizona has been
solid against the run and the 49er running game will be in a better
position to succeed if Tollner can force the Cardinals into their nickel
and dime packages.
Barlow is typically getting four or more yards on first down and the 49ers
can use the threat of the run to get the ball downfield in the passing
game. SS Adrian Wilson and FS Ifeanyi Ohalete have adequate range, but
both have been known to be overaggressive at times and they can be caught
out of position working against play action.
The 49er offense is not built to overcome large deficits, but that's
exactly the situation it's been in this season. Through four games San
Francisco has been outscored 48-3 in the first quarter and it will need to
avoid falling behind to the Cardinals. The key will be turnovers, as the
49ers rank 31st in the league with a -9 turnover margin. They must do a
better job of protecting the football if they hope to earn their first
win.
The 49ers are extremely thin at defensive end, and the situation will only
worsen if John Engelberger (abdomen) or Otis Leverette (ankle) pulls up
lame. With so few healthy defensive ends, San Francisco defensive
coordinator Willy Robinson will have to make some adjustments. LDT Tony
Brown and RDT Bryant Young both have the versatility to play end and they
could see some time there. San Francisco might also be forced to play more
3-4 schemes, but ILB Derek Smith is out indefinitely with an ankle injury,
which weakens the depth at linebacker.

Special Teams

Arizona PK Neil Rackers has become the team's best offensive weapon for
the worst possible reason, as the Cardinals haven't been able to score
touchdowns. Rackers has capitalized on his opportunities and has also done
his part to help the Arizona defense by getting excellent depth on his
kickoffs.
Last week the Saints started at or inside their own 20-yard line seven
times. Rackers' ability to swing the battle of field position in the
Cardinals' favor is among the reasons why the defense has not allowed a
touchdown in 10 quarters.

Matchups

Arizona WR Larry Fitzgerald vs. San Francisco CB Ahmed Plummer

San Francisco TE Eric Johnson vs. Arizona SS Adrian Wilson

San Francisco ROG Justin Smiley vs. Arizona UT Darnell Dockett

Arizona ROT Jeremy Bridges vs. San Francisco LOLB Julian Peterson

San Francisco RB Kevan Barlow vs. Arizona OLB Karlos Dansby

Prediction: 49ers 20, Cardinals 16

**wayne1218** · 10-10-2004, 12:51 AM

Scouts Inc. Previews
View all Week 5 games

Tuesday, our scouts filed their advance advance scouting report on this
week's matchup between the Giants and Cowboys. Now they're back with a
second look.

The injuries to SS Darren Woodson and RCB Pete Hunter have caused a
trickle-down effect for the Dallas defense. Defensive coordinator Mike
Zimmer won't be able to be as aggressive as he was last season when he had
the experienced Woodson playing next to Roy Williams and Mario Edwards
(Buccaneers) starting opposite LCB Terence Newman.

ReevesLast year's unit was so stifling because the man-to-man coverage it
got away with on the perimeter allowed Zimmer to frequently cheat one or
both of his safeties up into the box, which helped to protect the
undersized front seven and provided a lot more blitz opportunities for the
linebackers and cheated up safeties. Now that Zimmer can't trust his
starting right cornerback, rookie Jacques Reeves, in as many man-to-man
situations, Zimmer is forced to play a lot more conservatively with his
safeties. As a result, the undersized front is wearing down a lot quicker
versus the run and the team isn't able to blitz as much to generate pass
rush pressure.
Everyone is focusing on the Giants' running attack leading up to this game
because of RB Tiki Barber's recent success, but don't be surprised if the
Giants come out throwing more than usual early in this game in order to
set up the run. Unfortunately for the Giants, they don't have the depth at
wide receiver to exploit the hobbled Cowboy secondary. After WRs Amani
Toomer and Ike Hilliard the Giants really don't have a legitimate weapon
at the position.
To make up for it, TE Jeremy Shockey will likely spend a lot of time
"flexed" out as a slot receiver in order to make sure safety Williams is
out of the box. If the Giants can take advantage of the Cowboys'
injury-riddled secondary by hitting on some early throws downfield, Zimmer
will be even more hesitant to cheat Williams and SS Tony Dixon up closer
to the line of scrimmage. That ultimately could give the Giants the right
size and numbers advantage to control this game with Barber and Ron Dayne
on the ground in the second half.
The aforementioned matchup between Shockey and Williams could be critical.
Williams has quickly developed into one of the finest safeties in the NFL,
but don't be surprised if Shockey wins this matchup and gives his team a
big edge in doing so. As mentioned, the Giants will want to use Shockey
more as an H-back than a traditional tight end. Because the Cowboys know
that Williams is their most capable option of keeping Shockey in check, he
will likely follow Shockey out into the slot when he gets "flexed" out.
That will essentially limit Williams' role in run support because he won't
be able to line up in the box as much as he usually would. Shockey is
bigger than Williams and should be able to consistently keep him blocked
in the running game. Furthermore, while Williams is excellent in zone
coverage, he is not the most fluid defensive back when it comes to turning
and running, which is why it wouldn't surprise us if the speedy Shockey
provided a big play or two as a vertical receiver in this game.
The Dallas passing attack has been much stronger than anticipated. The
timing between QB Vinny Testaverde and his receivers has come quicker than
anticipated. The trio of WRs Keyshawn Johnson, Terry Glenn and Antonio
Bryant has given the Cowboys great depth and versatility. TE Jason Witten
continues to develop into a reliable target over the middle and FB Richie
Anderson is one of the best fullbacks in the business when it comes to
getting open underneath as a receiver. If the Cowboys are going to win
this game, they have to spread the field and really work the mismatches
that they possess over the Giants in the passing game.
The Cowboys need also to utilize their versatility in the passing game to
target a couple of weak spots in the Giants' defense. For starters, SS
Gibril Wilson should be a target. Wilson has good speed and is a powerful
hitter for his size, but he's a raw rookie. Wilson doesn't have great
size, which makes matching up against Witten a problem because Witten can
use his frame to box Wilson out.

WilsonWilson also takes a lot of false steps because of his inconsistent
recognition skills, so look for the Cowboys to target his zone when they
use play-action. The other defender the Cowboys can target is MLB Keith
Lewis, who has good speed but lacks great instincts and also will get
caught taking false steps versus the play-action. With an experienced and
reliable target like Anderson to utilize out of the backfield, Testaverde
should be able to exploit Lewis' inconsistency and overzealousness.
The biggest problem the Cowboys will face on offense, however, is their
lack of balance. With no legitimate starting running back to rely on, the
Cowboys are really struggling to establish a ground game. The team as a
whole is averaging just 82.3 yards per game on the ground, and aging RB
Eddie George is averaging just 2.9 yards per carry. Surprisingly, on the
other hand, the Giants have been stout against the run. They are getting
terrific play from LDT Norman Hand and the even bigger key has been the
play of backup defensive linemen William Joseph, Osi Umenyiora and Lance
Legree, which is allowing the Giants to stay fresh and active up front.
They Cowboys are strong on the left side of the offensive line, but the
mismatch between ROT Torrin Tucker and LDE Michael Strahan will help the
Giants negate that strength because the Cowboys will have to give Strahan
a lot of double-team attention. If the Giants' front seven can continue to
play as well versus the run in this game as it has in their first four
contests, they will make the Cowboy offense extremely one-dimensional.

Special Teams

The Giants need PK Steve Christie to bounce back after missing all three
of his field goal attempts last week. He's now just 5-for-10 on FGAs this
season. Outside of Christie's struggles, however, there isn't really a big
edge that goes to either team in the special teams' area.
Giants PT Jeff Feagles doesn't have a big average, but he is reliable. PR
Mark Jones and KOR Willie Ponder have provided very little explosiveness
for the Giants, and considering how strong the Cowboy coverage teams have
been, neither Jones nor Ponder promises to have a breakout game.
While the Cowboys have a little bit more potential in the return game with
Dedric Ward returning punts and ReShard Lee showing flashes as a kickoff
return specialist, their kicking game has been shaky at best. PT Mat
McBriar has a big leg and a bright future, but the rookie is struggling
with his consistency right now. PK Billy Cundiff, on the other hand, has
just been inconsistent, as he has connected on 2-of-3 field goal attempts
and has not done a great job on kickoffs.

Matchups

N.Y. Giants WR Amani Toomer vs. Dallas RCB Jacques Reeves

N.Y. Giants TE Jeremy Shockey vs. Dallas S Roy Williams

N.Y. Giants RB Tiki Barber vs. Dallas MLB Dat Nguyen and WLB Dexter
Coakley

Dallas WR Keyshawn Johnson vs. N.Y. Giants RCB Will Peterson

Dallas ROT Torrin Tucker vs. N.Y. Giants LDE Michael Strahan

Prediction: Giants 19, Cowboys 17

**troll565** · 10-10-2004, 11:21 AM

CLE/PIT

Thanks

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