The World of Kuhlmad

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A Busy Time Right Now

Posted on: Tuesday, Nov 08, 2011 11:42am

I haven't had much time at all to post lately and it will probably remain that way for a while now. I just wanted to update you on what is going on. I have an increased workload at work now. I'm no longer brand new, although I am still learning, I have much more responsibility. I have taken on a primary role for some of my team's responsibilities.

Also, on a bigger note, I have just recently become engaged. My fiancee and I are going to be busy planning and such on what we are going to be doing when she graduates, as well as spend weekends together. I probably won't post much for now, but will be back eventually sometime in the next few months!

Stay tuned and I apologize!

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Cleveland Browns: Robiskie Out, Norwood In

Posted on: Wednesday, Nov 02, 2011 9:30am

Yesterday, the Cleveland Browns released Brian Robiskie, so that they could sign running back Thomas Clayton. If you ask me, Robiskie being cut happened at a great time. He hasn't been very productive in his career with the Browns.

If you look at his career statistics, you won't be very impressed. Sure the Browns haven't passed a lot over the past few years, but his stats are awful. He has had 39 catches for 441 yards and 3 touchdowns in three years. He has started in 14 games in his career and has played in 31 games total. That isn't even averaging 2 catches per game.

Browns fans expected a lot more out of Robiskie. When drafted in the second round in 2009, he was supposed to be the most polished and NFL ready wide receiver in that draft. In the 31 games that Robiskie played in, he only had 3 games with 4 catches or more.

Robiskie bounced around the offense many times. He was a number one receiver for a little while early, then bumped to the second receiver, and eventually to three and four. He never really performed well and never really made any impact on this offense. He ran out of time and I think many Browns fans can agree that it is a good move for the Browns. Right now they are far from out of it sitting at 3-4. This is a good time to dump him and get more playing time for the other receivers.

With Robiskie gone, that leaves the Browns with Little, Cribbs, Massaquoi and Norwood for the four receiver positions. Little is still learning what it takes to be successful, Cribbs seems to be making a few plays a game at wide receiver, Massaquoi has play fairly well when he was healthy and finally Norwood was one of the only bright spots for this offense against San Francisco.

I want to see what Norwood can do. Sure, he may not be a superstar by any means, but I do want to see what the kid can do. Any production from him is great for this offense, because the wide receivers in this offense produce very little and is considered the weakest position. All the kid has to do is be able to catch a few first down passes and that would be good enough. If he can do more, that would be great, but a few catches for first downs is all the Browns need out of him. It may be all this offense needs to be able to finish off drives.

Massaquoi is injured and may be out again Sunday against the Texans. If he is, then we may see a bigger role for Norwood. He has waited patiently for his opportunity, this week may be it. I hope he makes the most of it and shows us fans something special this week. Heck, if we get lucky Mitchell might play a little. He is still on this team for a reason, so I want to see what he can do as well.

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Best and Worst Performances of Week 8

Posted on: Tuesday, Nov 01, 2011 11:18am

I want to try to do this week in and week out. Best offensive performance of the week, best defensive performance of the week, worst performance on offense, worst performance on defense and then best rookie performances on offense and defense. Enjoy!

Best Offensive Performance of the Week: LeSean McCoy

There were a lot of great performances this week but, you have got to give it up for the Eagles' offensive line. The Eagles ran the ball at will against one of the best run defenses in the league. McCoy went several plays without being touched until he got to the linebackers and the safeties. He seemed like he was on a completely different level Cowboys this week. McCoy had 30 carries for 185 yards and two touchdowns. This kid is good, and when this offensive line is playing well, there is no stopping him.

Best Defensive Performance of the Week: DeMarcus Ware

This guy is just a beast. His team was getting spanked on Monday night football, yet he still plays his butt off right into this week's best defensive performance. Sure this defense looked awful, but Ware always seems to contribute a great game week in and week out. This week he had 4 sacks, 10 tackles and a fumble forced. Ware is widely known as one of, if not the best, pass rusher in the league.

Worst Offensive Performance of the Week: Chris Johnson

14 carries for 34 yards? Are you kidding me? Indy is easily the worst team in the league, their defense can't stop anything. How does Chris Johnson only get 34 yards rushing? The big contract he sat out for is looking to be a waste for the Titans. Maybe getting benched will get his head back into the game. I don't know what is wrong with this guy, especially after the career he has had to this point, but he needs to get it figured out fast. FYI: Chris Ogbonnaya had more rushing yards on three less carries, what a shame. Sorry Titans fans.
Chris Johnson

Worst Defensive Performance of the Week: The Dallas Cowboys' Defensive Line

This line had a horrible game. The Eagles' offensive line manhandled them all game long. LeSean McCoy had wide open running lanes all night long and Vick had plenty of time to throw (when Ware wasn't blitzing). This was the reason the Eagles were so successful on offense, their line got plenty of movement on this defensive line almost every play. The battle is won in the trenches and they got destroyed, and the scoreboard shows it. If this Cowboys defense wants to get back to where they were in stopping the run, then the defensive line must play better.

Offensive Rookie of the Week: Cam Newton

Hard to argue with this one. Cam played well he went 22 for 35 for 290 yards and 3 touchdowns. On top of that he had 6 rushes for 53 yards. He keeps making plays when his team needs him to. How about that 44 yard pass to LaFell on 4th and 15? Carolina lost this week because their kicker missed a chip shot. Cam had a few fumbles, and needs to take care of the football, but his numbers are still great and much better than any other offensive rookie this week.

Defensive Rookie of the Week: Marcell Dareus

Great week for the rookie defensive tackle. He had 2.5 sacks and is turning out to be a good pick for this Bills defense. He's a big body to plug up the middle of the line, but he also showed the he can get to the quarterback. I'm sure not too many people thought this defense would decent this year, but look at them now, being the first team to ever shut a Mike Shanahan offense out. That is a great accomplishment, the fans and team should both take much pride in this victory.

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Sunday Highlights: Week 8 in the NFL

Posted on: Monday, Oct 31, 2011 7:30pm

Here are just a few observations I made about week 8's Sunday games.
Lesean McCoy

The Philadelphia Eagles' offensive line played great

This is why this Eagles offense is so deadly, not only do they have several play makers, but their offensive line is very good. The holes they opened up for Lesean McCoy were huge. I don't mean to take anything away from McCoy, but if it wasn't for that offensive line, he wouldn't be seeing as much success. McCoy wasn't getting touched until he got to the linebackers or even safeties, that's always a good sign. McCoy is definitely a top 5 running back, but isn't the best.

Vick showed that he can be a great passer in the pocket last night. His line held up all night. Vick had tons of time to throw and looked unstoppable yesterday. The Eagles have finally reached the level everyone has expected them to play at. If they keep putting tons of points on the board, the may not need to stop the run on defense. DeMarcus Ware had four sacks, the only real bright spot for this Cowboys team.

A 62-7 win might have hurt the Saints more than help them

Everyone remembers last week, the Saints put up 62 points on the Colts without even trying. They got everything they wanted, whether it was a run or pass. They saw so much success last week, maybe too much success. The Saints had a huge let down this week against the Rams, and paid for it. They thought they were going to walk all over the Rams, but this is an NFL football team, nothing is guaranteed. Not to take anything away from the Rams, they played well.
Brandon Lloyd

The Saints couldn't run the ball at all, and had a few problems in the passing game. You can have all the yards you want, but if you don't score, they don't matter. St. Louis played great defense and ran the ball well. This is a great performance out of Steven Jackson. This is their strategy, run the ball often and run the ball successfully. They use the run to set up the pass, if they can't run, then the offense struggles.

Tebow and the Broncos take a beating

I'm sorry Tebow fans, but I'm sticking with my guns, Tebow is not an NFL quarterback. It is true and it showed yesterday. I'm tired of everyone saying he is something that he is not and I am tired of ESPN glorifying him as the best quarterback of all time. I'm not a hater, I'm truly not, but he hasn't given me a reason to think otherwise. His only win is against an awful Dolphins team. He was sacked seven times and you can only blame the offensive line and the receivers so much. It gets to a point where the blame is on the quarterback, and I think it is Tebow's fault that this offense took a beating.

Along with the seven sacks he took, he threw an interception and fumbled three times. He is not an NFL quarterback. People have to learn to deal with this, because it is the truth. The Lions played well and are turning into the bad boys of the league as the Lions defense mocked Tebow all game. Someone has to be the bad guys, and it seems like the Lions embrace that role.

Ponder gets his first win against fellow rookie quarterback Cam Newton

Both quarterbacks played well in this nail biter. Ponder knows who the play maker is on this offense and got him the ball early and often. Ponder completed 5 passes to Peterson for 76 yards. If Ponder can play mistake free football like he did on Sunday, this Minnesota Vikings team can be tough. There are a lot of games where he will not throw much, but when he does, he has to be smart with the ball.

This game was a heart breaker for Cam Newton and his Panthers. Cam played extremely well and probably should have won this game. He had a remarkable fourth down and 15 conversion with a 44 yard pass to LaFell. He put his team in an opportunity to tie and his kicker misses a 31 yard field goal. This team will be great if they can figure out how to play better defense.
Ben Roethlisberger

A few games came right down to the wire...

Eli led his Giants to a victory over the Miami Dolphins. He wasn't letting his team give Miami their first win of the year. The combination of Manning and Cruz is proving to be deadly as they both had another great game. Manning played mistake free, made great decisions and was able to sneak by with a win. Some times you have to play an absolute perfect game to win.

New England learned a tough lesson that you can't be successful without a decent defense. The Patriots faced a tough Steeler defense and just couldn't score enough points to win. These are the types of games that the Patriots need better play out of their defense. They need to stop the other team consistently. The times when this team is most vulnerable is when they play tough and stingy defenses, because their defense doesn't have the ability to come through and hold the opposing offenses under 21 points.

Jacksonville was a part of another winnable game, but their offense just couldn't come through and score enough points to win. This Texans team is very good and Jacksonville's defense played well enough. They forced three turnovers, but the offense simply couldn't take advantage. They lack weapons at this point and are struggling to put points up on the board. Story of their offense so far. Yet, this defense is playing well and giving the crowd something to cheer for.

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Grades for the Very Young Quarterbacks Around the NFL

Posted on: Thursday, Oct 27, 2011 11:11am

I just wanted to take a look at eleven of these very young quarterbacks that are starting for eleven teams around the league. I wanted to grade them on how I think they are doing so far in their careers. I tried sticking with quarterbacks that have been in the league three years or less. Some of these players are rookies, keep that in mind.
Matthew Stafford

Matthew Stafford

Man this guy is really coming around. Ever since he joined the Lions he has helped the team remain competitive every game that he plays in. He threw too many picks in his first season, but is really playing well this year. He has several young weapons around him. This offense will be successful for a long time.

Thus far in his career he has 4,700 passing yards with 35 touchdowns and 25 interceptions. He has thrown a few too many picks, especially his first season. That comes with the territory of a rookie NFL quarterback. He was very young and was bound to make mistakes, but look at him now. He is having a great year. He is only going to get better throughout his career. There is one problem with Stafford; he cannot stay healthy. He hasn't played a full season yet. This has to worry Lions fans, because they are on pace for the playoffs this year and you have to wonder if Stafford can play a whole season and lead them through the playoffs or a Super Bowl championship in the future.
Grade: A

Curtis Painter

The young quarterback from Purdue is finally seeing some significant playing time this year. Aside from the Colts being really bad in almost every aspect of the game, Painter has played well. Is it Peyton Manning production? No, but for as young as he is, without much experience, he is playing above expectations.

With 873 yards, 5 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, Painter is having a pretty good year this year. His play isn't spectacular, but he isn't hurting the team any more than they already are. If you find yourself watching the Colts for some reason; he at least gives you someone to watch and look out for. Having Peyton Manning as a mentor can't hurt, right?
Grade: C

Andy Dalton

What a great surprise Andy Dalton has been for the Bengals. At the start of the season no one expected the Bengals to be playing as well as they have been. They are sitting at 4-2 and a big reason they are seeing so much success is because of Dalton. He has put the Bengals in situations to win games week in and week out. He is showing tremendous poise so far and may even lead this Bengals team to the playoffs.

He has weapons around him and is looking like a quarterback who has been in the league 3 to 4 years. In his first season he has 1300 passing yards 7 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. As a rookie, so far, he has more touchdowns than interceptions, which is great to see. Given that the Bengals weren't expected to do anything this year, you have to show this guy some love.
Grade: B

Mark Sanchez

Sanchez could be the most inconsistent quarterback in the league. He is on a very good Jets team and several people are very high on him. After three years, I am simply not impressed. He is being outplayed by rookie quarterbacks around the league, most of which have less weapons than Sanchez. It seems like he has a fantastic game and everyone gets excited about the Jets and Sanchez. Then, right on cue, his next two games are just awful. These Jets have supposedly been Super Bowl contenders, but with Sanchez's erratic play, it won't happen. He has to improve and become more consistent.

After three seasons Sanchez has 7,300 yards with 41 touchdowns and 39 interceptions. These stats would be great if he didn't throw so many interceptions. Touchdowns are ideal for every single possession, and when quarterbacks throw touchdowns it puts their team in great position to win, but become pointless when you throw an interceptions. Especially if it is a pick six, it just erases that touchdown off the board.
Grade: C+

Cam Newton

At the beginning of the season many people felt that Newton was overrated. He is putting all those haters to rest this season. He is such a great athlete. He is 6'5 and 250 pounds. He's a very big quarterback who is very hard to bring down. The scary part about Cam is he is very agile and strong for his size. This guy is going to be great.

His only legit weapon is Steve Smith, yet he is putting up some really good numbers. Sure he does have too many interceptions, but he is a rookie and that is to be expected. I'm sure Carolina fans are looking past that, as he brings so much excitement to each game. That's something these fans haven't seen in a while. Not to mention, he has the ability to take over games and win them on his own. He has 2,100 passing yards with 8 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. He also has another 266 yards rushing with 7 more touchdowns on the ground. Give him a few more weapons and watch the magic happen.
Grade: A

Tim Tebow

Tim Tebow is definitely the most overrated quarterback in the NFL. All year it seemed like every time I turned on ESPN, they were ranting about his greatness. The guy has done nothing in the NFL. Hell, Colt McCoy won more in college than Tebow and they rarely talk about him. It is simply a different league and it takes much more talent and execution to be successful.

Tebow has the work ethic to be a great quarterback. If he works hard he could be a good quarterback in this league. I don't think he has the natural talent to be great. Look at his game against the Dolphins. He played great for 5 minutes. The rest of the game he looked horrible. He would have lost if it was any other team. He would have been behind by at least 3 scores and it would have been over. Don't reward someone for doing their job for 5 minutes out of 60. Right now he has 894 yard with 8 touchdowns and 3 interceptions in his career. He also has 323 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns on the ground.
Grade: C

Colt McCoy

Colt McCoy is the NCAA's all time winningest quarterback. This shows that he has the heart, determination and preparation to be a great quarterback. The guy is a winner, simple as that. Right now his offense is struggling, he is throwing much more than he should. Good quarterbacks adjust to situations. He simply doesn't have any weapons. He doesn't have a go to guy, or a deep threat. With this, he's a natural born leader and will figure it out.

Colt is sitting at 2,900 yards in his career with 14 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He has to cut out the interceptions, but as a sophomore quarterback he still going to make mistakes. He is still trying to learn another new system with a whole new coaching staff. This is the second time he has had to do this in two years. That is not easy on a very young quarterback.
Grade: C

Josh Freeman

What a break out year he had last year. He was on a Tampa Bay team who many didn't think would be able to achieve much last year. With only 3 wins the year before, Josh Freeman led this Tampa Bay team to 10 wins last year and just missed the playoffs. He played very well and ended the season leaving hope in Tampa Bay fans that they might have an elite quarterback on their hands.

This year he isn't seeing as much success. Freeman isn't playing well right now, and yet this Tampa Team is still 4-3. Freeman still has time to figure it out and turn the season around for himself. If he can manage to turn it around, this Tampa Bay team will be a tough team to beat. Great quarterbacks don't always play well, when they slump they pull themselves out of it. We will really see what kind of player his is at the end of the season. Right now he has 7,000 yards with 42 touchdowns and 34 interceptions in his career.
Grade: B

Sam Bradford

Bradford's rookie season wasn't bad. Like many young quarterbacks he threw too many interceptions, but it happens. Yet he helped lead this Rams team to a 7-9 record. A huge improvement over the year before. He really gave fans hope that this team might have finally turned a corner. Their hopes and dreams have shattered so far this season as the team is 0-6, one huge step backwards.

Bradford has no weapons at all thus far. The Rams have picked up Brandon Lloyd, which will be a huge improvement over what they have now, but this offense still needs more work. The passing offense has been absent so far, and the team simply won't win games with just their run game and Stephen Jackson. They simply aren't good enough for that. Bradford needs more weapons to help him learn the NFL game much quicker and easier. Right now he has 4,600 passing yards with 21 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.
Grade: C

Blaine Gabbert

Like Bradford, Gabbert really has no weapons around him at all. Yet, he is performing fairly well for this offense. He isn't turning the ball over much, which is great for a rookie quarterback. He isn't making many big plays either, which is why you don't hear to much about the guy. Their run game with Maurice Jones-Drew is great, but Gabbert needs a big receiver to throw to, he just has nothing to work with in the passing game.

If this team can get Gabbert a couple of decent receivers with a pretty good receiving tight end, you'll be able to really see what he is made of. Jacksonville needs to get a passing game to complement their rushing attack. If they can do this, then they will be able to put more points on the board. That will translate to more wins, because this defense is playing great. Gabbert has 800 yards with 4 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.
Grade: C-

Christian Ponder

Ponder has had a rough few games so far in Minnesota. His first two starts were against Chicago and Green Bay. Two teams with good defenses. He hasn't performed well. I don't think he has been given enough time to get a good grade yet, but I'll try to grade him as well as I can. He threw a few touchdowns against the Super Bowl champs. He also threw a few interceptions. It seems like his biggest problem right now is his accuracy.

His completion percentage is very low at 45 percent in two games. Once he gets more used to the system and the speed of the NFL I think he will get better and you'll see the numbers rise. He has a few good receivers and a good tight end to throw to, not to mention the best running back in the league, Adrian Peterson. Right now he has 318 yards in 2 games with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.
Grade: C-

There are several very young quarterbacks taking over the offenses around the league. A lot of them are seeing good amount of success, while others are struggling. It will be very interesting to see how these quarterbacks progress throughout the rest of the year.

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