It's Kinda Fantastic

JaMarcus: Damn, these teams are tougher than Louisiana-Lafayette.

Former No. 1 overall pick JaMarcus Russell will be benched for Bruce Gradkowski this week. Let’s review: A former No. 1 overall pick is being benched for BRUCE GRADKOWSKI!?!?!

Gradkowski’s career stats: 53.1 completion percentage, 9 TD, 15 INT, 58.7 QB rating in 22 games.

Gradkowski’s 2009 stats: 17-for-30, 163 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT.

Not exactly a guy who played his way into the starting lineup. Russell — despite his hefty paycheck and “franchise quarterback” status — played his way out.

Russell impressed scouts after out-performing Brady Quinn during the Sugar Bowl against Notre Dame in the finale of the 2006 season. But considering the ineptitude demonstrated by Charlie Weis’ Fighting Irish in big games since then, it’s no wonder Russell lit it up. He preyed on inferior competition all-season long, while top-tier programs made the LSU star look average.

Raiders owner Al Davis fell in love with Russell’s superior physique and arm strength and selected the former Tiger at the top of the 2007 draft class, while paying no attention to the fact that despite being physically gifted, he had a long way to go before being a legitimate NFL quarterback. Throw in Oakland’s revolving door at head coach and lack of stability at the offensive line — you’ve got the perfect recipe for a bust.

In Russell’s final season at LSU, he threw for 20 touchdowns and just one interception, leading the LSU offense to 40.6 points per game and an 8-0 record  – against teams that finished outside of the AP Top 25 (Louisiana-Lafayette, Arizona, Tulane, Mississippi State, Kentucky, Fresno State, Pre-Saban Alabama, and Ole Miss).

However, in the five games against solid competition, LSU went 3-2, while the “phenom” threw just eight scores, and tossed seven interceptions. Toss out the Sugar Bowl, and that puts the Tigers at 2-2, 15.8 ppg; and Russell at 6 TD and 6 INT against the likes of No. 1 Florida, No. 9 Auburn, No. 15 Arkansas and No. 25 Tennessee.

Russell was simply never that good. Al Davis just fell in love with the guy’s physical attributes, rather than his ability to play quarterback against the best competition — just another reason Oakland is among the saddest franchises in the NFL.

Maybe even worse than Detroit and Cleveland… maybe.

-Tidbit

Belichick's gamble will be widely criticized, but it is defensible.

 Call me crazy — but I don’t hate Bill Belichick’s call to go for it on fourth-and-2, on his own 28-yard line, up by six points. The percentages probably add up.

The chances of the New England offense picking up 2 yards on a play, was probably more likely than a wilting defense stopping the Indianapolis offense in two minutes. Two of the three previous drives by the Colts were quick scoring strikes: A five-play, 79-yard drive in 2:04; along with a six-play, 79-yard drive in 1:49.

The possession in between? An interception thanks to miscommunication between Peyton Manning and Reggie Wayne. Good luck if you’re counting on that to happen again.

Because Kevin Faulk momentarily bobbled the ball, Belichick looks like a bumbling fool. However, he had the stones to make that call, when nobody else in the league would have considered it — not because it didn’t make sense by the percentages — but because they’d be crucified by the media for going against the “safe” play. I can assure you there’s nothing “safe” about giving Manning the ball with average field position (at worst) with 2 minutes on the clock and I can promise you Belichick doesn’t give a damn what Trent Dilfer and Mark Schlereth think of his decision making. He’s going to do what he thinks gives the Patriots the best opportunity to win. In this case, he lost, by a half yard.

Belichick did mismanage his timeouts, but that gets swept under the rug if the Pats come up with a first down on third or fourth down. The Colts defense stepped up and made plays — that’s what great teams do — it’s the same reason Belichick expected his team to convert on fourth down.

-Tidbit

Side note: Tom Brady actually outplayed Peyton Manning tonight. I’ll still take Manning in my huddle over Brady any day of the week, but it’s a good example of how teams win games — not quarterbacks.

Problems in Cleveland are thiiisssss big

George Kokinis is out as general manager of the Cleveland Browns after less than one year on the job. The manner in which he will make his official exit was in dispute Monday, according to team and league sources.

Kokinis refused to resign when pressed by owner Randy Lerner, who then persisted in seeking a dismissal “for cause,” citing Kokinis for failing to meet the specific standards as dictated by his contract, the sources said. The team’s security and legal department were reviewing phone records to build its case against Kokinis, a team source said.

There also were discussions of whether the two sides could reach a financial settlement, sources said.

Multiple media reports initially reported Kokinis had been fired.

Television station WKYC and the Cleveland Plain Dealer first reported Monday night that Kokinis was ushered out of the Berea facility by security around lunchtime Monday.

Do the Browns really suck so much that they can’t even fire someone correctly?

The reason this Kokinis chump was hired in the first place was because head coach Eric Mangini hand-picked him. Eric Mangini has also started Derek Anderson at quarterback for the better part of this season. Anderson’s 36.2 quarterback rating says more than I ever could about Mangini’s decision-making ability.

The only way you can even defend Anderson at QB would be pointing out that the club won’t have to pay Brady Quinn (sparkling 62.1 QB rating) the bonus money he would earn with increased playing time.

However, as much as I’d like to bash Anderson (he’s become my least favorite quarterback since Scott Mitchell), my beef is with the Cleveland Browns organization in general. The Browns fired Romeo Crennel because they needed a new vision. Here’s an idea: Let’s hire a former-Bill Belichick assistant (like Crennel), who “specializes” in defense (supposedly like Crennel), who has no personality (even Coors Light had trouble making a commercial with Crennel) — and let’s give him the authority to choose our general manager.

Kokinis got the axe today. Mangini will get the axe in January — if not sooner.

Neither should have been hired in the first place.

-Tidbit