Ravens Approach Marty Schottenheimer

It has been reported that the Baltimore Ravens recently spoke with NFL coach Marty Schottenheimer about joining their franchise as head coach. "There's been some discussion but nothing substantive," stated a representative for Schottenheimer. This is an excellent move made by Baltimore. He is definitely the best replacement available for Brian Billick, ex-coach for the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens need a strong coach to lead them. Veteran Schottenheimer fits the bill. He led the San Diego Chargers last season to a 14-2 record. They lost in their first playoff game against the New England Patriots thanks to multiple fumbles as well as other mistakes made on the field. If picked up by Baltimore, Schottenheimer will prove to be an invaluable asset. He has the experience and knowledge of building a team's offense around star running backs (LaDainian Tomlinson for the Chargers) which will prove to be an essential skill for the Ravens. The Ravens' lackluster offense has only one bright side, that being running back Willis McGahee. By applying the techniques and methods he used while at San Diego in making Tomlinson a fearsome weapon, Schottenheimer can similarly turn McGahee into Baltimore's own LT. As coach for the Ravens, Schottenheimer will prove to be the catalyst necessary for restoring a stagnant team and propelling them to the playoffs and beyond.

Terrell Owens Finally Speaks Up....At Keyshaun Johnson

Terrell Owens, unusually quiet this season, but never at a loss for words when the occasion required it, responded forcefully Wednesday to comments made last weekend by former Dallas Cowboys receiver Keyshawn Johnson now an analyst on ESPN's "Sunday NFL Countdown."

Before I continue any further let me address an issue right there. I loved Monday Night Football when John Madden and Al Michaels were commentating. Their is something grandfatherly and comforting about those guys. They were never bias and always tried to find good no matter how bad a team was playing. I'm pleased they are still on the air, even if its Sunday Night instead of Monday Night Football. Now, those on ESPN who bring us the Monday Night broadcast, aside from the entire show which has become more of a circus for entertainment other than solely for a football game, are extremely harsh and critical and they annoy me to listen to them. So, it wouldn't surprise me if members of ESPN said something controversial.

On the show, Johnson said he believed former Cowboys coach Bill Parcells -- now also an analyst with ESPN -- deserves credit for what the Dallas team looks like now, with a 12-1 record.

In Dallas, Owens sharply criticized Johnson for defending Parcells, saying, "I challenge him to come down here and take my job. ESPN producers, let him go."

Actually....Johnson is right. Parcells deserves every bit of credit for Dallas' season this year because he assembled the team that is the Dallas Cowboys today before he stepped out the door. Perhaps a different coach may have not saw the potential in Tony Romo or didn't want to waste their time with Terrell Owens, but Parcells did. So, I defend Keyshaun with that statement.

Asked in the locker room why Johnson would take the position he did Sunday, Owens said: "I'm probably the reason he's in the booth now. He's going to be a hater and throw me under the bus because he has to defend Bill. He won a Super Bowl and all, but you'd have to check the roster to know he was even on the team.

"We came out in the same year. He was a first-rounder and I was a third. Go compare our stats. He couldn't come down here now and be a third or fourth receiver on this team. Just compare our stats."

Owens swung between addressing the Cowboys-as-built-by-Parcells theory and responding to Johnson's comments.

"It's not a matter of me giving or not giving Bill credit," Owens said, according to The Dallas Morning News. "Everybody wants to make a big deal, that this is the team he built. It doesn't matter. ... My thing is give credit to Wade [Phillips]. The difference between Wade and Parcells is this: Parcells, he didn't use me as a playmaker; Wade, he got the staff, and that's what I'm being used as.

Now, I agree with Terrell Owens. Though Owens may not be the sole reason Keyshaun is in the booth, he is certainly a much better player this year than Keyshaun would ever be and Keyshaun knows and resents that. However, Keyshaun never meant to attack Terrell in the first place. His statements were made towards Parcells, not Owens. Therefore, Owens' comments about how Keyshaun resents him were unnecessary. Also, perhaps Parcells didn't use Owens as a playmaker last year because he led the league in dropped passes!

And then back to delivering a verbal barrage at Johnson:

"Those guys are probably talking about me, chopping it up, drinking coffee," Owens said. "They can have their little pity party and talk about me all day long. It doesn't bother me. There's a lot of people on the ESPN panel and across the country that has observed what has happened this year versus last year. And there's a lot of people that just don't want to give credit for what Wade has done and what wasn't done last year. That's it. I'm not trying to be negative."

You can obviously tell a radical difference in this year's Cowboys compared to last year's and such a difference can not come about unless the team changes coaching strategies. Look at the Chargers: They ran the ball all year with LT last year and it worked. This year, the Chargers brought in a new coach and for the first half of the season, LT didn't run for half the amount of time he did last year, and they were losing as a result of that. Therefore, I do give credit to Bill Parcells for assembling the Dallas Cowboys, but I give Wade Phillips the credit for different style of coaching and practice he has the players do.

Mid-Season Awards

Here is how I see the NFL at the midway point:

MVP - Tom Brady: Is there any doubt to this one? Other than teammate Randy Moss, who should even be considered in this discussion? We are watching a great QB in his prime, surrounded with talent. It is a beautiful thing to watch.

Rookie of the Year - Adrian Peterson: Yup, this was a hard one. He breaks the single game rushing record, leads the world in rushing, and scores a couple of touchdowns every game. How could I come to this decision.

Coach of the Year - Bill Belichick: Say what you want, the man is a genius. He has his team at undefeated at 9-0, and cruising right by everyone. Do they run up the score; yes, but this is the NFL not high school. Grow up, they play to win, period!

Defensive Player of the Year - Mike Vrabel: He is the best offensive, defensive player in the league. He also has 47 tackles, and is an emotional leader on the best team in the NFL. I know I have a lot of Patriots picked but they may be the best team ever assembled.

Biggest Surprise - Cleveland Browns: Does anyone realize the Browns could be tied for first after tonight in their division? They are 5-3 and no one expected them have 5 wins all year. They got beat horribly on opening weekend. They traded away their starting QB, and since then have looked like a real team. What a great story this is.

Biggest Disappointment - San Diego Chargers/LT: LT and the Chargers tie for the biggest disappointment of the year. After starting off slow, LT and the Chargers picked up their games recently. Then yesterday both looked terrible. LT can't get going, and the Chargers are falling out of the race. Think about last year, LT was considered the best RB in recent memory, and the Chargers were young and talented. Now they lost twice the amount of games they lost all of last season!