New York Jets Have Nobody To Blame But Rex Ryan for Geno Smith Woes

By Michael Moraitis--Featured Columnist (@michaelmoraitis)

Geno Smith's days with the New York Jets as their starting quarterback may be in jeopardy and the organization has nobody to blame but head coach Rex Ryan for that.

Smith was pulled from the Jets' matchup versus the Miami Dolphins on Sunday after proving to be ineffective once again in what appears to be a regular occurrence nowadays. Of course, New York lost to Miami without incident.

Now that's not to say Smith didn't deserve it. After all, this was his fourth straight horrid performance and the Jets were actually in a good spot to make the playoffs before this run that has effectively ended all hopes of playoff football for Gang Green.

And, for those Jets fans thinking Matt Simms is the answer, please stop. He just isn't and this team has no better future with Simms behind center than with Smith at the same position.

Smith's benching may or may not be the end of his season because it just isn't clear who can get the job done behind him better for the time being.

This shouldn't have even happened, though. Smith was a raw rookie coming into a horrible situation that should have been handled by a veteran quarterback, namely Mark Sanchez.

But hopes of Sanchez taking the reigns to help ease Smith into the starting role down the road were vanquished when Ryan puzzlingly placed Sanchez into a tough spot late in a postseason game that resulted in the veteran signal-caller getting injured for the entire season in what was a meaningless contest.

Had Ryan simply kept Sanchez out of that game, he would likely be running things behind center for the Jets and there's no question he couldn't do any worse than what Smith has done. In fact, I would argue the Jets could be challenging for the division if they had a more competent quarterback.

Instead, Smith was unnecessarily thrust into the starting job before he was clearly ready to be and that isn't even the half of it. Smith was also set up to fail considering the Jets have zero weapons on offense aside from an injury-plagued receiver named Santonio Holmes.

Aside from him, New York had nothing to surround Smith with and that has made his job monumentally harder.

I mean, just think about it: it's hard enough for a rookie to get his feet wet in the NFL, and that's especially true at the quarterback position and even furthermore when you have zero targets who can make things happen offensively.

The Jets knew this and so did Ryan. However, the head coach put his clear-cut starter in harms way and ultimately forced a young quarterback into a spot for which he wasn't ready.

There's no doubt in this writer's mind that the Jets had their sights set on naming Geno the starter from the moment they drafted him. The organization thought it had a team that couldn't compete and figured the best way to create buzz around a throwaway season was to put a new QB at the helm.

But little did Rex and company know they would have a top-flight defense that would keep them in games despite Smith's struggles.

Little did they know that the quarterback they wanted nothing to do with, Sanchez, would be the best solution they could get for the time being and his experience could have won the Jets more games that Smith simply wasn't able to win.

So, what's left at this point for the rookie?

That is far from clear and this situation is far from over. Smith will still have an opportunity to show himself the rest of the season because there is nobody else good enough on the roster to steal the spotlight from him, which isn't exactly difficult to do.

At the very least, this team could have secured a veteran QB just in case Smith faltered, but they didn't. Oh yeah, they did have that but Ryan single-handedly destroyed it.

Sanchez is still under contract for next season and unless the Jets land a big-name quarterback in the NFL draft, you better believe the embattled QB will not only be on the team next season, but he'll be the Jets starter as well.

That's because, as Rex loves to say, he will give this team the best chance to win and if he's an upgrade over Geno, the Jets will be playoff bound in 2014.

But until next season, Jets fans and Geno Smith himself can thank Ryan for destroying his career before it even got started.

Auburn Win Over Alabama Throws BCS Into Utter Chaos

This fan's face explains how everyone is feeling. Unreal. #IronBowl pic.twitter.com/SgXZyybwmp

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 1, 2013

By Michael Moraitis--Featured Columnist

No. 4 Auburn's miraculous win over No. 1 Alabama after time expired on Saturday night will throw the BCS into utter chaos when the new rankings are officially released.

Head coach Nick Saban's squad had an opportunity to win the game with a 57-yard field goal that fell just short as time expired.

The Tigers took full advantage of the missed attempt by 'Bama kicker Adam Griffith and took the ball the length of the field and then some to score on the final play of regulation in a game that will no doubt go down in history as one of the best Iron Bowl matchups ever.

Second guessers will be all over Saban for the 57-yard attempt, which would be a daunting task for even the best NFL kickers, let alone a youngster like Griffith. Not to mention, the Crimson Tide had already missed a 33-yard attempt earlier in the game, so chances were they had no shot at success the next time around.

So, where does this leave the BCS National Championship picture?

No. 2 Florida State is already a lock to own at least the No. 2 spot in the rankings, but it is far more likely the Seminoles are the new No. 1 team in the nation after topping Florida in an effortless fashion, 37-7.

Choosing a new No. 2 isn't as clear at the moment.

No. 3 Ohio St. is the obvious choice and may almost certainly be the second-best team in the country, but a close contest that came down to the wire versus an unranked Michigan squad may change things and hurt the Buckeyes' chances.

And considering Auburn just knocked off the best team in the nation (or former best team) and the undisputed favorite to win a third-straight national title, you have to give the Tigers at least an outside chance of grabbing one of the top two spots.

After all, Auburn has now beaten four ranked teams with its only loss coming to former No. 6 LSU earlier in the season. As far as Ohio St. is concerned, they have beaten just two ranked teams all season and neither of those squads (Wisconsin and Northwestern) are of the quality as some teams that Auburn has already beaten this season.

Chances are the one loss on Auburn's record will doom them in this instance and keep them as the No.3 team. However, it must be said that Auburn has played a tougher schedule, thus that one loss shouldn't weigh as heavily on the Tigers.

Even if things don't go in Auburn's favor, there is still another shot to make their national title hopes come true and it will happen in the SEC Championship game.

Perhaps beating a team like No. 5 Missouri or No. 10 South Carolina for the SEC crown will be enough to take a top spot for the big Jan. 6 game despite what Ohio St. does, but it's more likely than not that the BCS will still favor the Buckeyes unless they lose to Michigan St. in the Big Ten title game next week.

Regardless of the outcome, this Auburn-Alabama result will spark an intense debate about who deserves it more, whether that's Ohio St. or Auburn. Both are certainly deserving, but only one can get the No. 2 spot.

Somewhere in a dark room, there is a computer in overload right now and this Auburn-Alabama game is the cause.

NFL Week 2 Picks: Must-See Matchups During Weekend Action

By Michael Moraitis--Featured Columnist (@michaelmoraitis)

After a solid Week 1 performance in the picks department, Week 2 is here and it's time to make some more choices on all the week's action.

A solid mark of 12-4 to start the season was pretty good on my end, however things could've been better had some of the favorites in games actually took care of business. The Washington Redskins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons and the Pittsburgh Steelers all let me down.

Let's take a look at where each of those teams stand heading into Week 2's games and if they will win, as well as the rest of the picks and some must-see matchups.


Complete Week 2 Picks

Game	Winner
New York Jets at New England	New England
St. Louis at Atlanta	St. Louis
Denver at New York Giants	Denver
Carolina at Buffalo	Carolina
Minnesota at Chicago	Chicago
Washington at Green Bay	Green Bay
Miami at Indianapolis	Miami
Dallas at Kansas City	Dallas
Cleveland at Baltimore	Baltimore
Tennessee at Houston	Houston
San Diego at Philadelphia	Philadelphia
Detroit at Arizona	Detroit
New Orleans at Tampa Bay	New Orleans
Jacksonville at Oakland	Oakland
San Francisco at Seattle	San Francisco
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati	Cincinnati

Must-See Matchups

Denver Broncos at New York Giants

This one is pretty obvious as the Manning brothers will face off in Manning Bowl 3 with the older brother, Peyton, owning a 2-0 advantage over his little brother, Eli.

The Giants were a mess in Week 1 after turning the ball over six times and discovering they have a huge issue at the running back position. That prompted the G-Men to bring back Brandon Jacobs to help fill the void, although it isn't known just how much he can actually help out.

Denver had a much different season-opener with its dominant win over the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Baltimore Ravens. Peyton threw for seven touchdowns to tie the all-time record in a single contest and it's clear the Broncos' signal-caller is still at the top of his game.

While both Peyton and Eli had impressive debuts to the 2013-14 campaign in their own right, it was Peyton that proved to be the better of the two and that will continue when the Broncos take care of business against the Giants.

Broncos 37, Giants 28


San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks

Let the battle for NFC West supremacy begin as the 49ers go into Seattle to take on the Seahawks in what will be a tough road game for the Niners to win.

Seattle started off the season a bit slow with a 12-7 win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 1, but it must be said that quarterback Russell Wilson still looked good in the unimpressive win. It'll be interesting to see how the rest of the Seahawks offense responds and if it can rebound in Week 2 against a much tougher San Fran defense.

Quarterback Colin Kaepernick torched the Green Bay Packers for over 400 yards through the air and didn't need to run in order to own them. Things will be a bit tougher this week as the Niners have to face one of the premier defenses in the NFL as they look to get their rushing attack going after a lousy Week 1 showing.

It remains to be seen if Seattle has enough weapons on offense to put points on the board against the stingy San Fran defense. Kaepernick has already proven he can put up big numbers and while he probably won't be throwing for as many yards this week, it will be his legs that not only keep him out of trouble but lead his team to victory over the Seahawks.

Niners 24, Seahawks 16


St. Louis Rams at Atlanta Falcons

This is a big game for the Falcons who were picked by many (yours truly) to win the NFC and get to the Super Bowl in 2014. While there's still a long way to go, Atlanta does not want to start the season 0-2 and throw itself into utter panic mode this early in the season after no-showing against a bad New Orleans Saints defense in Week 1.

St. Louis looked good on both sides of the ball in Week 1 after narrowly defeating the Arizona Cardinals in a comeback fashion. Granted, the Rams allowed 24 points to Arizona, but they were successful in blanking the Cardinals in the first and fourth quarters.

The Rams were down 24-13 going into the fourth quarter only to shut down the Cardinals offense and forge a comeback that ended up in victory. Clearly the Rams are much-improved on offense and with a solid defense to go along with it, this team is dangerous to say the least.

Things will be tough for the Falcons in Week 2 against the Rams. Not only are Julio Jones and Roddy White both banged up, but the Falcons won't have it any easier against a much tougher Rams defense. Expect Cortland Finnegan and Janorice Jenkins to shut down those top two receivers while the Rams do just enough offensively to win this game and spoil Steven Jackson's first game against his former mates.

Rams 21, Falcons 20

Washington Redskins vs. Philadelphia Eagles: Chip Kelly's Offense is Dangerous for Philly

By Michael Moraitis--Featured Columnist (@michaelmoraitis)

The Philadelphia Eagles will hit the road to take on the Washington Redskins on Monday Night Football in what will be a highly-anticipated game that features new Eagles head coach Chip Kelly's offense.

Kelly will be bringing his college system to the NFL as Philly's new lead man. The system is a spread offense that is frantically paced and was wildly successful during Kelly's days with the Oregon Ducks.

How will it translate to the pros? Nobody can be certain, but there are as many dangers to this system as there are positives.

For starters, no defense in the NFL has seen what Kelly and the Eagles are bringing. The idea is to have the offense run plays as quickly as possible with spread out formations in order to keep opposing defenses tired and on their heels.

Don't be surprised to see some Redskins hitting the field with "injuries" should things get out of control for their defense. This approach has become commonplace in the NFL nowadays and Kelly's offense may bring out the worst in what is a growing problem for the league.

On the flip side, there are some negatives to all of this.

Kelly will be expecting a ton from his players, namely winning a battle with fatigue. Granted, opposing defenses won't have an easy time catching a breather, but Kelly's players may also have to pay the price as a result of the pace.

With a veteran quarterback in Michael Vick who is oft-injured, there is a great threat that Kelly could run his signal-caller into trouble in multiple ways. On top of that, keeping up this pace for a 16-game season could produce more wear and tear on the team as a whole than what is normal.

But that is the risk Kelly has decided to take in implementing this scheme from college. He must be careful because if things go bad and players start dropping like flies from injuries or fatigue, it could create a scenario where a mutiny takes place and Kelly may lose his team if that happens.

The unpredictability of the Eagles offense may catch some teams off guard during the season, but it must be done responsibly or else Kelly may do more harm than good.

NFL Week 1 Picks: Must-See Matchups During Weekend Action

By Michael Moraitis--Featured Columnist (@michaelmoraitis)

Week 1 of the NFL season is upon us and after an exciting Thursday night showdown that saw the Denver Broncos topple the Baltimore Ravens, the rest of the games in the opening week are set to take place.

Like the Broncos, I too started off 1-0 after picking their game with the Ravens correctly. However, that was child's play and now it's time to get down to serious business. Let's take a look at each game the rest of the week and who will emerge victorious, as well as some of the must-see matchups.

Week 1 Picks

Game	Winner
Baltimore at Denver	Denver
Tampa Bay at New York Jets	Tampa Bay
Arizona at St. Louis	St. Louis
New York Giants at Dallas	Dallas
New England at Buffalo	New England
Cincinnati at Chicago	Chicago
Miami at Cleveland	Miami
Atlanta at New Orleans	Atlanta
Tennessee at Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh
Minnesota at Detroit	Detroit
Oakland at Indianapolis	Indianapolis
Seattle at Carolina	Seattle
Kansas City at Jacksonville	Kansas City
Green Bay at San Francisco	San Francisco
Philadelphia at Washington	Washington
Houston at San Diego	Houston

Must-See Matchups

Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints

This one definitely has the potential for an upset, so it's certainly worth taking a look at the Saints and Falcons this week.

New Orleans will welcome back head coach Sean Payton who will be back to running what should be a tremendous offense this season led by quarterback Drew Brees. Despite that, the Saints won't have much of a defense to work with and that will bring all sorts of issues.

The Falcons are on a different path this season with expectations that they can reach the Super Bowl after just barely missing out on the big game last season. Led by Matt Ryan and an elite receiving corps, the Falcons offense will welcome Steven Jackson into the mix in order to add some credibility to the rushing attack.

Conclusion: When comparing these two squads, it's abundantly clear the Falcons have the better defense, which should make the difference in this one considering both offenses are pretty evenly matched with Atlanta having an edge on the ground.

The Falcons should be able to do just about anything they want on the offensive side of the ball while the Saints won't be as fortunate. Still, I expect the Saints to put some points on the board but they won't come close to matching what the Falcons will bring.

Final Score: Atlanta 38, Saints 31

New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys

I'm not as high on the Giants as some people are and in fact, I think they are underdogs in the hunt for the NFC East. Sure, all the usual suspects will return with Eli Manning, Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz as the focal points on offense, but a new running back in David Wilson and a weak secondary has the Giants asking more questions than they would like.

The Cowboys are in no better shape. They did little to improve this offseason aside from some key coaching changes (Monte Kiffin), and their offensive line isn't anymore sure than it was last season. Offensively, the Cowboys should still be able to move the ball and the health running back of DeMarco Murray will be vital to keeping some semblance of balance.

Conclusion: The Cowboys defense looked solid during the preseason, so it looks as though the switch to a 4-3 defense might be paying off thus far. The bad thing for the Giants is that their secondary was already weak, but now adding into that is the fact that safety Stevie Brown will be out for the season, further weakening what was already a suspect secondary.

Look for Dallas to take full advantage of New York's major weakness. Romo will have his pickings of anywhere on the field to throw the ball and should pick apart the Giants defense as long as he has enough time to throw the ball.

Bottom line: No penetration for the G-Men will spell a long and nightmarish start to the 2013 campaign.

Final Score: Cowboys 24, Giants 17

Cincinnati Bengals at Chicago Bears

The Bears will be sporting a new-look offense this season with new head coach Marc Trestman at the helm. Chicago's offense has been looking to tailor itself more to the strengths of Jay Cutler, so expect the Bears quarterback to be rolling out more often, which is something he had success doing during his days in Denver. On defense, barring something unforeseen, the Bears should still have a top 10 defense in the NFL.

The Bengals have high expectations this season. With the weakening of the Baltimore Ravens and a Pittsburgh Steelers team that isn't expected to do much, the Bengals are being picks by many to win that division. Andy Dalton is another year older and wiser with one of the best receivers in the league, and the Bengals will have an excellent defense to go along with it.

Conclusion: I think this is a game that many people aren't taking too seriously in regards to its upset possibility. Many will pick the Bengals because of the expectations, but that's discounting what the Bears will do on offense.

Gone will be the days when the Bears don't score points and have to depend solely on defense. Granted, they still can, but the Bears will enjoy great success with all their weapons to utilize and rebuilt offensive line.

Expect to see a bit more defense in this one because of the circumstances of this particular matchup, but this game will be a jumping off point for the Bears resurrection on offense. Home-field advantage won't hurt, either.

Final Score: Bears 20, Bengals 16

NFL Prediction: Denver Broncos Will Beat Baltimore Ravens to Start Season

 

By Michael Moraitis--Featured Columnist

The 2013 NFL season will finally kick off on Thursday night and the Denver Broncos will emerge victorious over the Baltimore Ravens in the inaugural matchup of the new year.

It's been a long and frustrating offseason for the Ravens. You would think coming off a Super Bowl victory would have left this squad flying high, but that hasn't exactly been the case.

The price to pay for winning the big game has cost Baltimore dearly. A slew of players have jumped ship after teams around the league picked the Ravens' roster apart and now the champs are a shell of their former selves.

Defensively, they will be without former leaders Ed Reed and Ray Lewis, as well as more impactful players like Paul Kruger and Dannell Ellerbe, to name a few. Offensively, Baltimore will be missing wide receiver Anquan Boldin (traded) and tight end Dennis Pitta (season-ending injury).


In fact, the only great job the Ravens did in replacing lost talent was the signing of Elvis Dumervil, who will be facing his old squad in Denver after the Broncos botched the handling of him during the offseason.

For the Broncos, the low expectations for the Ravens this season is a dangerous thing to combat on opening night. It will be easy for such a talented team like Denver to overlook it's depleted counterparts, and that stands as the sole factor that could work against the Broncos.

If they can avoid that, the Broncos should have no problem taking down the reigning champs in Week 1.

Look for Denver to lean on its passing attack early and often in the hopes of opening things up for the run, which will be done by committee with guys like Ronnie Hillman, Montee Ball and Knowshon Moreno.

While it isn't known which back will dominate the carries on Thursday night, it is clear they will have plenty of room to operate once Peyton Manning starts throwing the ball to his incredibly deep receiving corps. That should make things a lot easier for Denver's inexperienced and unsure backfield.

Missing some of their biggest offensive threats, the Ravens will have a tough time finding their best players open. Denver will be able to key in on Ray Rice and Torrey Smith because there simply isn't a lot of weapons aside from them.

Once Denver can stop Joe Flacco and the Ravens passing attack, it should be a tough go of it for Rice. The Broncos would be wise to stack the box after accomplishing that feat in order to cut Rice off from having a big game.

Most importantly, Denver cannot allow Rice to get going early. If that happens, things will be wide open for Flacco and company through the air, and with Champ Bailey out for this game, that could present a dangerous scenario.

As long as Denver doesn't underestimate its opponent, look for the Broncos to take care of business en route to a Week 1 victory over the Ravens.

Final score: Broncos 27, Ravens 14

Pittsburgh Pirates Trade With New York Mets is Huge for Playoff Push

By Michael Moraitis--Featured Columnist (@michaelmoraitis)

The MLB trade deadline may have come and gone, but waiver wire trades are still an option and the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Mets have struck a deal.

According to ESPN.com and CBSSports.com, the Mets sent John Buck and Marlon Byrd to the Pirates in exchange for infielder Dilson Herrera and a player to be named later.

The move comes one day after the Mets discovered star pitcher Matt Harvey would be out for the season and potentially for next season with the possibility of needing Tommy John surgery.

The move makes sense for both sides.

For the Mets, both Buck and Byrd will be free agents next season and with the Mets moving forward at the catcher position with Travis d'Arnaud, Buck has become expendable. In 2013, Buck has had one of his best offensive seasons with 15 homers and 60 RBI, but he does sport a dreadful .215 average.

Not to mention, New York will be looking to add some serious beef to their outfield after this season and while Byrd has been excellent for the Mets this season with 21 homers, 71 RBI and a .285 average,  he is 35 and this career season he's having may be a flash in the pan.

For the Pirates, this is a great move with limited options on the table at this point in the season. Pittsburgh desperately needs some help on the offensive side as it's ranked No. 25 in the MLB in runs scored.

There's no doubt that the Pirates need more offense as they continue to make a run at October just .5 games behind NL Central leader, the St. Louis Cardinals. Going into Tuesday, the Pirates also own a comfortable lead in the Wild Card.

Recently, the Pirates took a big hit to their lineup after Starlin Marte was forced to the DL with a hand injury. The addition of Byrd and Buck should help pad that issue until he returns, although neither will be anywhere near the threat that Marte has been on the basepaths with 35 swipes this season.

Byrd will start in the outfield while Buck will add some depth behind starting catcher, Russell Martin.

After a quiet trade deadline for the Pirates, this squad looks to be serious players for the rest of the season and in October as well. No more are the days when the Pirates will sit still and let things go down the drain.

Now all that's left is for the Pirates to take care of business on the field.


Check out the SportsGuyMike show on AM 1300 The Animal every Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. CST.

Michael Moraitis' work can also be viewed on Bleacher Report: http://bleacherreport.com/users/624685-mike-moraitis

New NFL Study on Knee Hits Takes League One Step Closer to Touch Football

By Michael Moraitis--Featured Columnist (@michaelmoraitis)

After a devastating knee injury that knocked Miami Dolphins tight end Dustin Keller out for the season, the NFL is now looking at knee hits on defenseless players while contemplating more rule changes.

According to the Associated Press per ESPN.com, the NFL will take a closer look at low hits during the 2013 season after Keller's gruesome injury at the hands of Houston Texans rookie, D.J. Swearinger.

If this continues to be a problem or the league even perceives it to be a problem, players may have one less spot to aim for when tackling.

In reality, the NFL has made it so difficult for players to tackle up high that really there are few options left besides tackling low. So, in theory, the NFL can blame itself for a potential rash of knee injuries moving forward.

It's a nice thought that the NFL wants to protect its players, but the league must realize that this is one of the most violent sports on the planet. Continuously taking that out of the equation will not only hurt the game, it will destroy it.

Commissioner Roger Goodell and company simply can't take every precaution to protect players. Injuries are apart of the game and will happen no matter how many rules are put in place.

What's next? Are all NFL players going to wrap themselves in styrofoam for better protection? Or perhaps two-hand touch or flag football is the way to go in order to avoid injuries?

There is simply no concrete way to get this done and it is inevitable that the league will have to back off this one.

If the NFL really wants to protect its players' knees, the smart idea would be to open up the acceptable area to hit for defensive players in order to deter players from focusing on just low hits for fear they may be suspended otherwise.

The phrase less is more certainly holds true here.

Goodell must back away from this one regardless of the outcry from some players. The risk of injury is inherent to each and every player in the NFL the moment they start playing the sport, so if it's such a big problem, don't play the game anymore.

It's really that simple.

New York Jets: Rex Ryan's Blunder Could Doom Geno Smith's Career

By Michael Moraitis--Featured Columnist (@michaelmoraitis)

The New York Jets are no strangers to fumbling decisions within the team (or butt fumbling, if you prefer), so it came as no surprise that head coach Rex Ryan once again made a horrific blunder to further hurt his team and its future.

In the Jets' Week 3 preseason game against the New York Giants, Ryan put Mark Sanchez in during the fourth quarter of the team's win over their in-state rival, but Sanchez ended up hurting his shoulder after being taken down hard by the opposing defense.

In turn, Sanchez's health is now in question and it's quite possible he may not be ready for the start of the season, although that hasn't been confirmed just yet. At the very least, Sanchez will miss the last preseason game, which was confirmed by Eric Allen of NewYorkJets.com.

Sanchez has been listed as day-to-day and ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Sanchez has a bruised right shoulder joint.

Jets QB Mark Sanchez has a bruised right shoulder joint, per league source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 26, 2013

Sanchez's bizarre entry into the game goes beyond the description of puzzling. Ryan did give the "win at all costs" reason for doing so, but he has to understand the risk of throwing out a potential starting quarterback with a bunch of backups on both sides of the ball.

Quite simply, the move made no sense, no matter how much Ryan tries to defend it. Up until the point Sanchez got hurt, there was no doubt he was primed to be the starter because he has looked like the superior quarterback during the preseason.

Geno Smith started against the Giants on Saturday night and while he wasn't awful, he threw three interceptions in the contest and even ran out of bounds in the back of the end zone on one play.

It's pretty clear Smith still has some work to do and starting him right away could be an issue. If he falters, the Jets will be faced with the prospects of having to go back to Sanchez instead of handing the baton to Smith from Sanchez later on in the season.

Doing so could be devastating to the development of the rookie quarterback. Not to mention, the Jets will further embarrass themselves having seemingly moved on from the Sanchez era only to hand the ball back to the embattled signal caller.

New York doesn't even have any semblance of weapons for Smith to throw and that's hardly putting him in a good position to succeed. With all that being said, there should have never been a quarterback battle in the first place, whether in front of the cameras or behind them.

It's obvious (to everyone but the Jets at least) that the team is better off letting Sanchez take the ball to start the season while the team bides its time getting through what should be a lost season. And, in that time, the Jets can start figuring out how to add some credibility to its offense between this year and next.

All of that sounds great, but now the Jets may have no choice. If Sanchez is hurt and can't take the field for Week 1 of the regular season, New York will have no choice but to start Smith and see what he can do.

If that happens, the Jets will start the Geno Smith era far earlier than they should and that could be a major mistake on the part of the organization that was brought on by its head coach's desire to win what was otherwise a meaningless game.

The Jets, who are no strangers to choosing the big splash over common sense decisions, certainly want Smith to start in order to create some buzz in what otherwise would be a boring, frustrating season. That desire flies in the face of logic in every aspect and is so short-sighted it's sickening.

Good call, Rex. Winning a dumb Snoopy trophy was certainly worth potentially destroying the career of your rookie quarterback before he even gets it off the ground.

NOT!

The Jets should have never kept Ryan on board for this season because they now have a coach who is only concerned with himself and the present while the team is very much in transition for the future. Not surprising, the Jets management fumbled that one also.


Check out the SportsGuyMike show on AM 1300 The Animal every Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. CST.

Michael Moraitis' work can also be viewed on Bleacher Report: http://bleacherreport.com/users/624685-mike-moraitis

Denver Broncos: Ronnie Hillman's Struggles Show Battle for No. 1 Back Isn't Over

By Michael Moraitis--Featured Columist (@michaelmoraitis)

Ronnie Hillman figured to have the inside edge for the starting running back job with the Denver Broncos in 2013, but now it seems Montee Ball is getting first-team snaps in practice.

According to Mike Klis of the Denver Post, Ball was working with the starters on offense while Hillman was watching from the sidelines:

Yes, it was RB Montee Ball working with Peyton Manning's first-team offense. Ronnie Hillman was carrying around a football everywhere.
— Mike Klis (@MikeKlis) August 26, 2013

Head coach John Fox has been diplomatic in defense of Hillman and has stated he hasn't lost faith in the second-year back, per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. That vote of confidence (or whatever you want to call it) came after Hillman fumbled twice in the span of two weeks.

So, is it too early to worry about Hillman at this point before the season begins?

It's understandable for the Broncos to be hesitant to make him the starter. After all, Hillman fumbled two times in 85 carries last season and while that isn't something to panic about in and of itself, it does show Hillman may have a problem on the horizon.

So it makes sense that the Broncos are exploring their options with Ball and Knowshon Moreno. More specifically, the rookie back had 14 carries for 43 yards against the St. Louis Rams in the team's last preseason game, as well as two catches for 27 yards.

While Hillman has slightly more experience, Ball seems to have the potential to be a more explosive back who can catch the ball out of the backfield. Hillman had a great chance to wrap this job up last season, but he only averaged 3.9 yards per carry.

That opened the door for a running back battle during camp and the fact that Knowshon Moreno hasn't been completely healthy this preseason has helped propel Ball to the top of the running back ladder.

Moreno was once thought to be No. 3 on the depth chart as a result of his injury woes, but now he has reinstated himself as a potential starter, or at worst a No. 2 back. Moreno looked great in the matchup with the Rams last week, with five carries for 33 yards to the tune of 6.6 yards per carry.

However, Moreno doesn't have a stunning track record to go by in his past, so he also stands as a question mark as the season opener approaches.

Bottom line: the Broncos running back situation is far from decided and if nobody stands out above the rest in the next few weeks, Denver will have a running back carousel to deal with until someone does.

No matter what, Denver will rely on its elite passing attack to move the ball down the field and the running game will no doubt play a secondary role as a result. But still, Denver needs production from its backs so that it doesn't become a one-trick pony on offense.

Stay tuned, Broncos fans. This battle is far from over with just one game left to go in the preseason. Whoever gets the majority of the reps in Week 4 and does the best could very well win the job right then and there.


Check out the SportsGuyMike show on AM 1300 The Animal every Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. CST.

Michael Moraitis' work can also be viewed on Bleacher Report: http://bleacherreport.com/users/624685-mike-moraitis

Imagine Where New York Yankees Would Be if CC Sabathia Showed Up in 2013

By Michael Moraitis--Featured Columnist (@michaelmoraitis)

Despite all the injuries and overall distractions surrounding the New York Yankees this season, it's incredible to see them just 3.5 games behind the Oakland Athletics for the second and final wild-card spot.

Adding to their numerous problems this season, the Yankees have seen their "ace" CC Sabathia decline faster than a roller coaster in 2013. For the season, Sabathia is a dreadful 11-11 with a 4.81 ERA. That ERA is a full run higher than his career average, by the way.

While the team continues to search for the reasons why Sabathia has been awful, fellow starter Hiroki Kuroda has surpassed him as the team's ace and it isn't even close. Kuroda is 11-9 with a 2.71 ERA, and the case can certainly be made that he would have more wins if the Bombers were actually bombing this season.

The same can't be said for Sabathia, who has allowed four runs or more in 12 of his 27 starts this season. In those starts, the Yanks are 4-8. Just imagine where the Bombers would be if Sabathia had pitched well this season.

The case can easily be made that this squad would be a lot closer, if not owning the lead in the wild card at this point. And yes, that's even counting all the other things the Bombers had to deal with this season.

It's always easy for people to point to the injuries and say that's a big reason, but this team has had next to no problem overcoming those injuries to play good enough baseball to compete. The biggest thing for New York to have success was to have its pitchers throwing at the top of their games.

Granted, not everyone did just that, but for the most part the Yanks rotation and pitching staff overall has done a nice job. That is, with the exception of Sabathia, who is the single guy in the rotation you'd expect to come out and give you a chance to win every fifth day.

That thought process couldn't be further from reality this season. Instead, the Yanks are getting a $23 million piece of coal in their stocking.

However, all is not lost even after such a pathetic campaign for one of the highest-paid pitchers in baseball. There is still time to salvage what has been a lost season for Sabathia and the time to salvage starts right now at this very moment.

Sabathia looked better in the Yanks 4-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday, but even then the Bombers staked their former ace to a 2-0 lead which he blew. It was another microcosm of just how poor Sabathia has been at keeping leads this season.

Moving forward, Sabathia must finish this season strong if he wants to help his team to October. He will be one of the most important players from which the Bombers need contributions from down the stretch and if he can answer the bell, there's no question the Yanks have more than enough pitching and offense to successfully complete a run that nobody thought they were capable of just last month.

The ball is in your court, CC. Now take it or leave it.

New MLB Instant Replay Rules Are a Disaster for the Sport

By Michael Moraitis--Featured Columnist (@Michael Moraitis)

In an effort to get more calls correct during any given Major League Baseball game, the league is set to expand its instant replay for the 2014 season, which is a huge mistake.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports, MLB will hold a vote with the ownership of all 30 teams in November to finalize the proposal, but commissioner Bud Selig has already said the new version of instant replay has already been "widely accepted."

If passed, the managers of each team will be allowed three challenges per game, one of which will be allowed to be used in the first six innings, while the other two can be used in the seventh inning and beyond of the contest.

The only type of play that can't be looked at further will be balls and strikes. That will continue to be at the sole discretion of the umpires.

Should a manager successfully challenge a call on the field and win the review, he will not lose a challenge. If a manager uses all three of his challenges and there is a disputable call on the field, it will be up to the umpires to make the call whether to review or not, but that will only be allowed with home-run calls.

People with umpire experience will be making the final call on the manager-ordered reviews from the MLBAM offices in New York and not the crew chief.

It's nice to see MLB finally catching up with the times and going to expanded instant replay much like the other three major sports have, but MLB has a very specific problem that those other sports don't have: the games are nauseatingly long as it is.

Expanded instant replay will only serve to make these games longer and that has a fed-up baseball fan like myself expecting the worst to come out of this.

Granted, blown calls are a problem in the league and that does need to be changed, but the worst problem the league has is the length of its games. I would argue that a longer game would drive fans away faster than a blown call or two.

The league is essentially giving managers an unlimited amount of reviews per game. Think about it: if a manager successfully overturns a call on the field, he will be returned his challenge and therefore can use it again.

That means if the umpires are having a particularly bad night, managers can challenge plays to their heart's content as long as they keep winning until we all pass out from the exhaustion of watching a ridiculously long game.

Let's just say all six reviews are used in a game and each of those reviews take five minutes. That's another half hour tacked on to the length of the game and maybe more should multiple reviews be won. If it takes ten minutes for a play that's particularly tricky to review, the replay process could add an hour or more to the game.

The only hope MLB has in all this is that the replay process won't take that long and/or managers just won't use their challenges all that often.

Both of those scenarios are highly unlikely at best considering managers will always fight to get the calls right for their respective teams even if they aren't totally sure, and the people in charge of watching the actual replay footage will take their time in order to get the call right.

In those two cases, it's the human condition to behave in those manners and it's the human condition that got us to instant replay in the first place. Humans are prone to making mistakes or not doing things in the best way, so why are we to believe the expanded instant replay won't fall victim to the exact same thing?

At the very least, MLB could have given fewer reviews to each team per game or even allowed a one-and-done for each manager's review. Instead of replenishing after a successful review, the manager's challenge should still be taken away in order to avoid countless replays on countless bad calls.

I have always been a proponent of having an umpire or someone qualified as such to be watching the game from a booth in each stadium housing a game per day. That person could help correct bad calls umpires make on the fly instead of having to go through the formal challenge process as it is being set up now.

This would take far less time if these reviewers are paying attention to the game as their job entails and thus, the game won't be slowed down a lick or minimally at worst. In the event that the umpire upstairs catches a mistake, he should have direct communication with the crew chief on the field to quickly overturn the botched call.

Even though the process of calling balls and strikes is also a disaster in the sport, that can be left alone for now until the technology is there to have a computer call the balls and strikes based on the game's actual strike zone and not the opinion of the home plate ump.

There are several imperfections in baseball much like every other sport, but baseball's situation still stands as unique.

The sport may be cleaning up the mistakes its umpires make with expanded replay, but the cost of doing so may turn more fans away from the sport because we as fans don't have all day to watch games that may run four hours or more.

Albert Pujols Denial and Lawsuit is Same Old Song and Dance for Alleged PED Users

By Michael Moraitis--Featured Columnist (@MichaelMoraitis)

Albert Pujols is fighting back against former St. Louis Cardinal and now former radio personality, Jack Clark, after he made comments accusing Pujols of using PEDs in the past.

Of course, Pujols has denied such allegations and is now looking to file a lawsuit against Clark and his employer after his comments on the radio. Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times first reported Pujols' plans and why he intends to sue:

#Angels slugger Albert Pujols said he will take legal action vs. Jack Clark and his employer.
— Mike DiGiovanna (@MikeDiGiovanna) August 10, 2013

Pujols said it was "irresponsible and reckless for Jack Clark to falsely accuse me of using PEDs."
— Mike DiGiovanna (@MikeDiGiovanna) August 10, 2013

As a result of his accusations, Clark and his radio partner have been booted from the airwaves after just seven shows. Dan Caesar of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has the latest on Clark's fate with the station and what the company itself said about the Clark's job:

Former Cardinals icon Albert Pujols said late Friday that he plans to sue former Cardinal Jack Clark, as well as those connected with the St. Louis radio station on which he appears, for Clark’s on-air steroids allegations about Pujols.

Then shortly after midnight Saturday morning, the company that has put Clark and co-host Kevin Slaten on the air abruptly announced they will not be returning — after just seven shows.

Here is what the company had to say, per the same report:

Early Saturday, insideSTL announced it “has terminated its relationship with Jack Clark and Kevin Slaten. As independent contractors, we want to make it clear that the opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions of insideSTL. Also as independent contractors, insideSTL did not have editorial control over the show’s content.’’

It's no surprise that Clark is being alienated for his comments about Pujols. Granted, he didn't have any hard evidence pinning Pujols to his accusations, so it's only natural that people won't believe Clark in the matter.

But haven't we seen this before?

Didn't a man named Jose Canseco publish a book and accuse players both past and present of PED use only to be creamed by the national media and baseball fans as a whole for being a liar?

If I remember correctly looking back at that situation, despite his credibility issues, Canseco was spot-on about several players and Alex Rodriguez is now living proof that the former slugger was indeed telling the truth.

And like all alleged PED users before him who were eventually caught, Pujols has denied it up and down and now he has even brought God into the situation as if we believe his faith makes him incapable of cheating the game.

Pujols wouldn't be the first God-fearing man to cheat the sport (see: Andy Pettitte).

Now, I'm not sitting here and saying that Pujols is guilty by any stretch. It's just that we've seen this all before and most of the time the guy doing the accusing turns out to be right.

Am I to believe that Clark risked his radio career and credibility just to make up a fable about Pujols? Sure, he might have been looking for ratings, but was he willing to do it at the expense of his job and relationship with Pujols?

As far as we know, Clark considered Pujols a friend and had no vendetta against the Los Angeles Angels star, so that kind of motive isn't apparent just yet.

On top of that, Clark's incredible detail regarding his conversation with Pujols' former trainer, Chris Mihlfeld, doesn't sound like a guy who is making stuff up. At the very least, Clark's comments certainly warrant looking a bit deeper into Pujols' past of potential PED use.

Instead of just letting this go, Pujols plans on filing a lawsuit, which is a dangerous thing for him to do. Let's say for a second he did use PEDs. If he is to bring this to a court, there could be evidence out there that comes to light that further links Pujols to the banned substances.

It's a chance Pujols shouldn't take for his own sake. He's better off just letting it go and moving on. Most people who believe Clark likely won't ever change their minds anyway and Pujols' supporters will remain regardless of what he does.

With all the lying players do nowadays, Pujols' denials and lawsuits aren't going to make us believe him anymore. It may not be fair, but that's just the reality his colleagues have set up for him and the rest of the players in the MLB moving forward.

I contend Pujols won't file anything because if he knows deep down inside he's guilty, it's a risky bet to go to court for this. On the flip side, if he wants to put his money where his mouth is, Pujols will file the lawsuit and win it to shut a very small portion of the doubters up, if any at all.

No matter what he decides to do, Clark has already opened up pandora's box on Pujols and this could be just the beginning of a long inquiry and debate into the potential that the future Hall of Famer used PEDs in the past.

Jack Clark Accuses Albert Pujols and Justin Verlander of PED Use

By Michael Moraitis--Featured Columnist (@MichaelMoraitis)

The debate on performance-enhancing drugs in baseball couldn't be any hotter right now, but it appears former St. Louis Cardinal Jack Clark just threw gasoline on the fire after accusing Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers and Albert Pujols of the Los Angeles Angels of PED use.

Here is what Clark had to say about a conversation he had with Pujols' former trainer, Chris Mihlfeld, who has been connected with PEDs in the past, per Dan Caesar of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

Mihlfeld “had told me what he was doing with ‘Poolie’ — threw him batting practice, worked him out, shot him up, all that stuff,” Clark said on the air.

“I had asked him about conditioning and working me out, what he would do for me, and he asked me whether I had ever thought of taking some steroids,” Clark said. “... He just told me that he wanted me to get started on steroids and he had some other guys that were doing it. He told me that’s how he’s conditioning this guy that he met out of high school and college and he looked like he was going to be a star, keep an eye on him.’’

“He told me, ‘Well you couldn’t do what I do with Albert Pujols, he’s on this real strenuous workout deal.’ I said, ‘I wouldn’t want to try to do that.’ Every day he kind of came to me and says, ‘you ready to do it? I’m ready to do it.’ I said, ‘Well I’m just not a needle guy, I’ve had enough surgeries and injuries over the years. I don’t like needles ... I’m not going to do that ... I’m not a player anymore."

“He had told me he had done that with Pujols, with steroids, and I really never thought too much about it because steroids were really not on my radar screen at that time.”

“The fact is (Mihlfeld) told me,” Clark said. “I never saw him’’ inject Pujols.

To be fair, per ESPN.com, Mihlfeld has denied he ever told Clark about Pujols using PEDs:

"I haven't even talked to Jack Clark in close to 10 years. His statements are simply not true. I have known Albert Pujols since he was 18 years old, and he would never use illegal drugs in any way. I would bet my life on it and probably drop dead on the spot if I found out he has. As before, once again both Albert and myself have been accused of doing something we didn't do."

After talking about Pujols, Clark then went into why he believes Verlander is using the stuff, although to be fair again, his evidence in the matter is far less compelling than his evidence against Pujols:

“Verlander was like Nolan Ryan, he threw 97, 98, 100 miles an hour from the first inning to the ninth inning,” Clark said on the air. “He got that big contract, now he can barely reach 92, 93. What happened to it? He has no arm problems, nothing’s wrong. It’s just the signs are there."

To touch on Verlander first, I can see where the signs are that possibly Verlander was using in the past. His fastball velocity has been down this season and there's no question he hasn't been as effective in 2013 as in years past after getting that big deal.

But you can easily make the case that Verlander, who has thrown at least 200 innings every year since 2007 and is on pace to do the same this year, could be suffering from a tired arm. It happens to guys in baseball and Verlander could be the next victim.

 

I think the jury is still out in that case as far as Verlander being on some kind of decline, but it is certainly something to keep an eye on as it is plausible Verlander could have used up until he got his mega deal from Detroit.

Again, the evidence Clark has against Verlander is nowhere near that of the evidence against Pujols.

Apparently, Clark had these in-depth conversations with Mihlfeld, who in the past used to train Pujols before it was discovered that former MLB pitcher Jason Grimsley was trained by the same guy and was caught using PEDs.

While that connection certainly doesn't convict Pujols, it is a connection worth making note of.

On top of that, these intimate conversations Clark had with Mihlfeld are between the two of them specifically, so it would be one man's word against the other, which is never a recipe for success in any investigation without strong evidence for one side or the other.

Either you take Clark at his word or you don't.

Perhaps the most damning evidence against Pujols is the fact that his body has been breaking down in recent years and that is normally a sign of long-term PED use. Pujols has developed a set of bad wheels in recent years and may fail to play 100 games this season because of them.

Again, it's a small sample size so we'll have to wait and see how Pujols' health holds up the next few seasons, but right now his physical struggles aren't looking so good for the future of his enormous contract with the Los Angeles Angels.

At the end of the day, it's Clark's words against anyone else's that chooses to fight the allegations against Pujols, but ask yourself: does Clark have a reason to lie and risk his newly-found radio career?

You can certainly make the argument he does and is trying to grab some ratings for the show. But the incredible amount of specific detail in Clark's story certainly warrants some looking into as Pujols continues to approach Hall of Fame numbers that will enshrine him in Cooperstown one day.

Why New York Yankees Fans Won't Boo Alex Rodriguez

 

By Michael Moraitis--Featured Columnist (@MichaelMoraitis)

The question has been up in the air ever since Alex Rodriguez came back from injury and began fighting his 211-game suspension handed down from Major League Baseball: will New York Yankees fans cheer the embattled slugger?

After playing a single three-game set on the road against the Chicago White Sox, it's clear that Rodriguez won't be a fan favorite away from home no matter where he goes. While there were some cheers from the minority of fans in attendance that wore the pinstripes, the hometown fans in Chicago weren't so friendly.

But things should and will be different once A-Rod returns to the Bronx on Friday night.

The Yankees third baseman hasn't exactly earned support from many these days. His exploits in alleged performance-enhancing drug use have earned A-Rod the label of cheater, and all of the other things he's being accused of are just piling on top of an already negative persona.

However, this is still sports and above all else, fans want their players to help them win. Regardless of what A-Rod may have done on and off the field, he can still help this team and is by far the best third baseman the Yanks have sent out to the field this season.

Yankees fans also know that while the American League East title looks to be nearly impossible to reach this season, the Wild Card standings are a bit more realistic with the Bombers being just seven games back. A bat like A-Rod's could help New York make up that deficit with a little over a month and a half to go.

The Yanks need to score runs--which is a big reason for their struggles of late--and A-Rod could very well supply what the team needs. So, with A-Rod being so important to this team, Yankee fans will ultimately support him because it's in their best interests for him to do well.

Another reason Rodriguez will be cheered is because there are a sect of fans out there that view him as a sympathetic figure. It may be hard to imagine, but many feel Rodriguez has been unfairly targeted and that his 211-game suspension was more personal for commissioner Bud Selig than anything else.

After all, it is the longest suspension in MLB history aside from numerous lifetime bans handed out by the league in the past. It is also outside the guidelines of suspensions set in place by the league's drug agreement.

Not to mention, this is the same league that turned a blind eye to the widespread use of PEDS in the past and is now trying to clean up its own mess by trying to make an example out of Rodriguez, whether unjustly so or not.

A-Rod is just one man fighting an entire league, and in many cases an entire planet that thinks negatively of him because of several blunders he's made in his life. Yankee fans are used to and understand the "me against the world" attitude as fans of one of the most hated franchises on Earth.


This support will only last for a certain amount of time, though. If A-Rod starts to show the old, non-clutch version of himself and routinely doesn't come through in big spots, then we might hear the boo birds in the Bronx rear their ugly heads.

Until that happens, the Yankee fans will welcome A-Rod with open arms as he returns home.

Philadelphia Eagles Allow Riley Cooper to Return With Zero Rehabilitation

By Michael Moraitis--Featured Columnist (@MichaelMoraitis)

The Philadelphia Eagles made us all believe that Riley Cooper was going to pay the price for his comments caught on video a few months back, but it appears the money out of his pocket is all he will pay.

According to Phil Sheridan of Philly.com, Cooper did pay the fine the Eagles handed down to him but it looks as though he never went to sensitivity training at all and the Eagles had no plans for the controversial wide receiver after dropping the N-bomb on video.


Instead, four days later, Cooper made it back to practice and head coach Chip Kelly didn't even announce it was coming as he had originally promised. I guess, as many have joked, that Cooper found a four-day cure for racism.

Also thrown into Cooper's alleged image-recovery tour was a meeting with the African-American guard he used the slur against and apparently dealing with his use of alcohol and the potential that it may lead to his saying things like the N-word. It's doubtful those things were addressed in such a short time.

In fact, per the same Philly.com article, Cooper likely went home to Florida to see his parents.

So, in all this talk about rehabilitating Cooper and keeping him away from the team while he does so, it was all bogus. The Eagles knew they were going to keep him all along and all Cooper needed to weather the storm was a few days off with mommy and daddy.

No suspension. No sensitivity training. Just a fine and nothing else. As if the Eagles couldn't have handled this any worse, they just keep topping themselves.

It's bad enough Cooper is still on the team, but the fact that the organization sold us this line of garbage makes it even worse. There's no question that the Eagles don't even care about what Cooper said, they just wanted him back to make things easier on the field and were willing to lie to shut us all up.

That has got to be troubling to the players on the Eagles roster who were rightfully offended by Cooper's use of the racial slur. A head coach must know these things to be true, but clearly Kelly didn't get the memo of just how divisive this situation could become.

I highly doubt players on the team have much trust for their new coach.

For a team whose future is already up in the air, this isn't likely to make it any easier. Kelly has failed to make the conversation about the team's play on the field and has done everything in his power to seemingly make it about off-the-field issues instead.

I told SportsGuyMike last week that I believed the sensitivity training was just the first step in Cooper's comeback. However, I had no idea that the Eagles receiver would skip that altogether and present zero justification for his return or any evidence that he has changed his ways.

This is a puzzling move to say the least for a sports town that used to be considered one of the worst years back as far as being accepting of other races is concerned. Now, Philly has a team that supplies almost zero punishment for egregious racism and this issue will only add another black eye to the ugly history of race and sports in Philadelphia.

While coach Kelly has made many questionable decisions during his time as a college football coach, the new Eagles front man is quickly making even worse decisions at this level. The coach and the organization should be ashamed of itself for this behavior and their allowance of a bigot to remain on the team with no repercussions at all.

News and Notes from Denver Broncos Training Camp

By Michael Moraitis--Featured Columnist (@MichaelMoraitis)

The season is just one month away and much like all teams in the NFL, the Denver Broncos are hard at work in training camp trying to get things ready for the start of the 2013 campaign.

Let's take a look at some of the news and notes from Broncos camp.

Depth Chart Release: Running Backs

The Broncos released their first depth chart of the summer and there weren't any surprises really. Sure, the fact that Knowshon Moreno was listed as the No. 3 back might be surprising, but he has been battling a knee injury during camp that has bothered him since the playoffs last season.

So with Moreno's positioning on the chart taking a hit as a result of the injury, that left Ronnie Hillman as the No. 1 back for Denver, followed by rookie Montee Ball. Hillman is obviously the more experienced of the two having played in one season, and in that season he compiled 330 yards to the tune of 3.9 per carry.

If Moreno is healthy to start the season, that will likely push Ball back a spot on the depth chart, but Hillman figures to be apart of this offense no matter what barring something unforeseen.

However, judging from Moreno's injury history the past few seasons, it's almost a lock that Ball gets some serious carries during the year or at the least, gets a chance to get his feet wet with very little pressure on him thanks to a great supporting cast.

Wes Welker Comments

Welker is wasting little time making headlines in Broncos camp. One of the newest additions to the team recently spoke about his time with his former team, the New England Patriots, and even had an interesting comment about former head coach and evil genius, Bill Belichick.

The quote is courtesy of ESPNBoston.com:

"It was just kind of hard," Welker told the magazine in a story that appears in this week's edition, "one of those deals where you have to endure him, put up with him. ... But he does it to everybody. It's the way he is."

"When I'm answering questions from the Denver media, I'm not worried about what the Broncos' people are going to think," Welker told SI. "I'm worried about what Belichick will think. Isn't that crazy?"

Clearly, playing for a coach like Belichick is mentally taxing to say the least and Welker's comments clearly show that. I don't think many would argue with what Welker said, they just wouldn't say it aloud to the media while still playing for Belichick.

It couldn't have been that bad for Welker as he's compiled more catches than any other receiver the past six seasons (672). Moving forward, Welker shouldn't have a problem playing for or with anyone after such a "tough" ordeal in New England.

I personally can't wait for the first book that comes out detailing what it was like to play for the Belichick regime. Can you imagine the stories that are just waiting to be told?


Peyton Manning Getting his Recruiting on

Apparently Manning has some experience in the recruiting process and executive VP of football operations John Elway tapped him to use them.

After the team's centers were dropping like flies, Elway consulted in Manning to find a new center and Manning suggested former teammate, Ryan Lilja, per the Denver Post. Of course, Manning was successful in his attempt to bring Lilja out of retirement to play center for the team.

Lilja's role isn't certain as of yet, but if all goes well he has a huge edge over every other center candidate on the roster because of his experience playing with Manning. At this point in the summer, Manning and the Broncos would love to have someone familiar with the star QB snapping the ball.

Lilja fits the description, but don't count out a guy like Manny Ramirez, who has been working with Manning since Dan Koppen went down to injury. This will be a battle to the end of the summer, but if Lilja can get ready in time, he looks to be the team's No. 1 choice.



Broncos Make the Cover of Sports Illustrated

 

Normally, you wouldn't want the stigma of SI cover boys for your favorite football squad because of the added pressure and expectations it might bring, but come on, this is Peyton Manning we're talking about.

Manning, along with wide receivers Wes Welker, Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker, graced the cover of SI this week. It's well deserved in my humble opinion because Denver is set to have one of the most feared passing attacks in the NFL and is a favorite to win the Super Bowl.

The Broncos will be going airborne early and often this season and that could lead to a historic run numbers-wise during the 2013 season.

Carlos Gonzalez Injury: DL Stint is Nail in Coffin for Colorado Rockies Season



By Michael Moraitis--Featured Columnist (@MichaelMoraitis)

Carlos Gonzalez has done his best to play through a nagging finger injury for some time now, but the Colorado Rockies superstar slugger has finally succumb to the pain.

According to the official Twitter feed of the Rockies, CarGo will take some necessary time off via the disabled list:

The #Rockies announced today that the club has placed OF Carlos Gonzalez on the 15-day DL with a sprained joint of the right middle finger.
— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) August 7, 2013

The move isn't a surprising one at all. Gonzalez has been battling with this injury for about a month or so now and has even admitted it to the media recently. It was pretty obvious that when Gonzalez's numbers began to slip he was having difficulty playing hurt.

For the season, Gonzalez has bashed 26 homers and driven in 70 runs with a .302 average. All of those numbers are no doubt impressive, but a slow month of July that was likely the result of the injury greatly slowed down what was once a potential Triple Crown season.

While his average did rise 11 points in July, his run production was down to the tune of four homers and 10 RBI. That was his worst month of the season since April, when he hit five homers and 13 RBI.

Along with CarGo's decline, the Rockies themselves have struggled mightily offensively, and what was once just a three- or four-game deficit in the National League West has ballooned to 11 games heading into Wednesday's action.

Gonzalez's injury is just a microcosm of the issues Colorado has faced this season. The Rockies have sent many players to the DL on numerous occasions this season and Gonzalez is just the latest.



If it wasn't injuries, the Rockies simply couldn't put it altogether this season. If the pitching was solid, Colorado couldn't put the bat to the ball. If the bats were alive, Coors Field and any other National League park wasn't so friendly to the team's inconsistent pitching staff.

The trade deadline came and went and with the Rockies doing nothing, it was clear the players already on this talented roster were going to have to step it up in order to make October baseball happen.

That was the realistic goal of this team, but now the Rockies will start looking to next season barring a miraculous turn of events. It wouldn't be the first time a baseball miracle would happen in the Rocky Mountains, but the Los Angeles Dodgers are the hottest team in baseball and won't be caught.

Next season is still bright for the Rockies in most regards. The majority of their killer lineup will be returning and the team's younger pitchers will be looking to build off strong performances in 2013.

All that's left will be to get some help in both the bullpen and starting rotation if possible to add to the strong core the Rockies already have. If that can be accomplished, there's no reason why the Rockies shouldn't be atop the NL West in 2014.

New York Jets Must Start Mark Sanchez Over Geno Smith

By Michael Moraitis--Featured Columnist

The debate continues to rage about who the New York Jets should start behind center Week 1 of the 2013 NFL season, but it's obvious that the Jets should choose Mark Sanchez over Geno Smith.

This decision shouldn't be based on training camp performance alone. As of right now, however, Smith seems to be outplaying Sanchez for the right to the starting job, per Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com.

That's really no surprise quite honestly because there's no question Sanchez has totally lost whatever potential it is he had just a few years ago. Not to mention, Smith's athleticism and arm are superior to that of Sanchez's and the Jets horrid offense would no doubt benefit from a quarterback who can extend plays with his legs.

But that's where supporters of Smith should stop and really think about what's best for the young rookie quarterback. Granted, Smith would be my first choice if circumstances were different and having him on the field would give Jets fans something to watch and care about this season.

Still, it's just not a smart move considering New York has next to zero weapons for Smith to throw to and even less of a running game behind him. That problem is exacerbated by the fact that Santonio Holmes may not be ready to play this season after missing much of last year's campaign.

How on Earth could the Jets consider throwing Smith out there Week 1 without anything legit to work with?

Doing so will only set Smith up for disaster and in turn, that could stunt his growth before he even gets his career off the ground. To make matters worse, if the Jets feel the need to pull Smith during the season in favor of Sanchez, that would no doubt be a huge step back for the West Virginia product.

There is simply no harm in making Smith wait another season while the organization continues to put the personnel in place to give its new quarterback a chance to succeed in the future. After all, isn't that what Smith represents?

This team has no aspirations of winning now aside from the fact that the head coach, Rex Ryan, needs a miraculous season to save his job. Even with that being the case, let's hope Rex does what's best for Smith and not what potentially could be best for him while disregarding Smith's career.

It would be a typical Jets move if they were to throw Smith on the field as the starter for headline purposes and that's why that scenario can't be discounted in the least bit. Instead, New York needs to have some patience and give it until half the season or maybe more until they start the Geno Smith experiment.