Titans Update

Yes, this blog gets very Notre Dame heavy during the fall. Work gets busy, and with the Irish dominating my thoughts, its easy for my 2 posts per week to be on Notre Dame football. Neglected only on my blog (and not by me), the Titans impressive start has not been missed. The Tennessee Titans are 5-0 for the first time in franchise history, dating back to when the team was the Houston Oilers. How has this good team from 2007 become a good to great team in 2008? Simple.

• Even better defense   >>  Is that possible? While the Titans are still in the top 5 in the league in defensive scoring, yards allowed, rushing yards, passing yards, and turnovers (same as last year), this year the Titans are getting even more pressure on the QB while maintaining the other aspects of the defense. The Titans 3 sacks per game average is better than the 2.5 sacks per game from last year, and it has not been at the expense of extra defenders via the blitz. I have not seen an update, but through week 4 the Titans were also the 2nd least blitzing defense in the league. Getting to the opponent's quarterback using only the front 4 gives your defense so many more options in defending the pass. Defensive tackles Albert Haynesworth and Tony Brown (from the University of Memphis!, pictured), have commanded extra attention, as have Kyle Vandenbosch and Jevon Kearse at defensive end. Vandenbosch and Haynesworth certainly steal the headlines, but Brown and Kearse are good enough to make teams pay for leaving them alone.
• Chris Johnson   >>   The Titans finished top 5 in rushing last year, but currently sit just outside the top 10 with 120ypg. Lendale runs between the tackles just as before, but now the Titans have a home run threat that forces the defense to pay attention to, in Chris Johnson. Screen passes, swing passes, outside tosses, misdirection tosses, end arounds  -  these are all now major parts of the Titans offense. These plays have been effective at times, ineffective at others, but one thing is for certain  - Chris Johnson gives the Titans quick strike capability unlike they have had in years, and he forces the defense's hand a bit more to the quarterback. No surprise our QB play has improved this year . . .
• Better QB play  >>  Kerry Collins has provided just good enough QB play to keep defenses honest, pickup timely first downs, and protect the football. While the Titans are ranked 16th in the league in interceptions with 5, 2 of those came from Vince Young in the first game. Collins has played 17 quarters of football on only thrown 3 nterceptions, which is plenty good enough to win. I will comment more about Vince Young (my boy) vs Kerry Collins, the injury, the mental illness, etc, when the time is right. But know this - Vince Young will play meaningful snaps at Quarterback for the Titans this season, and the 25 year old's career is far from over.
• Fantastic Offensive Line  >>  The young, very underrated offensive line has only given up 2 sacks all season, tops in the NFL. And that's all with a statue of a quarterback in Kerry Collins, not known for being mobile. 26 year olds Michael Roos and David Stewart have been awesome Tackle signings, both guys signed this past offseason at the end of their rookie deals, locking up the line for years to come. In addition, the Titans have veteran center Kevin Mawae, as well as guard free agent signing from last year, Jake Scott (formerly of the Colts). These guys are steady, and a top 5 unit in the league.

Of course there is the one thing that has been the same with the Tennessee Titans for the past 14 years  -  Jeff Fisher. Coaching has been steady, and the team has been built the way he has wanted - starting from the front back, with top emphasis on the defensive and offensive lines. Defense and running the ball come next, with the passing game and wideouts a lower priority. Fisher believes that if you defend the run, rush the football, and protect the football, passing will come naturally as a by product. He truly is old school, looking to out physical the opponent and will them into doing what he wants  -  trying to pass the ball against us. What a pleasure to have this west coast USC softie turned tough guy as our football coach.

 

With the Chiefs on the road, the Colts at home, and then the Packers at home in the next three weeks, the Titans should certainly win 1 and likely 2 of those 3 games. I don't see any team in the league, in the entire NFL, that I would pick the Titans to lose soundly to. Hopefully they can stay healthy, stay hungry, and stay to the course of Jeff Fisher's gameplan.

Tough Loss

The Irish lost a tough, close game at #22 North Carolina, falling 28-24 on Saturday afternoon. Despite nearly 500 yards total offense, and out gaining the Tar Heels by nearly 160 yards, the rapidly improving Irish could not outscore 5 turnovers. North Carolina capitalized on 2 interceptions and 3 fumbles to score 14 of their 28 points, enough for the 4 point victory. Before I get to my predictions, here are the Vatican's points from this game:

• The Irish were the more talented team on Saturday  -  I'm not writing out of sour grapes, but out of simple observation. I don't think there was a big talent edge, but just a slight lean to the Irish. North Carolina had relative difficulty with nearly everything the Irish did on offense and defense, except with our turnovers. Talent does not always equal production, and that's where maturity and coaching will have to bridge the gap to winning.
• The Irish lack of muturity was the factor in the game   -  Obviously the turnover ratio  -  5 to 0  -  was the key. The Irish youth contributed heavily if not fully to the turnovers. Miscommunication on a pass, staring down a receiver, not feeling the pocket collapsing, and holding on the ball too long are all mistakes by Jimmy Clausen that reflect his age (20). This team is good enough to win at home, but needs to learn and experience how to win on the road, a very different and more difficult task.
• The Irish defense continues to play surprisingly well  -  Bend but not break. The Irish defense only gave up 21 points, and only 14 on non-turnover drives (7 pts scored by UNC's defense, 7 pts scored on a very short field after a fumble). The pass defense has been superior  -  top 20 in the country is about where I guess they will be once all the stats are tabulated from this weekend. Rush defense is a weakness, but the Irish are still giving the offense and very reasonable chance to win, as they have not given up more than 23 points all season long to an offense.
• Our passing game is darn good  -  really good. Jimmy is a young sophomore, throwing the ball to freshman and sophomores, and throwing it all over the yard. 380yards passing, on the road, is impressive. Yes, the turnovers were a big negative, but don't discount how well Jimmy handled the offense and how well we passed the ball on a solid pass defense. The turnovers will decrease with time, and the offense will only get better. Gonna be a fun few more years watching these guys.
• The 1st Quarter was an offensive passing clinic by the Irish  -  didn't use a running back on any offensive play (I believe). 150 yards passing, Jimmy throwing with precision and accuracy all over the field. 5 WR formations really through the Tar Heels for a loop, and they eventually had to adjust. Then the Irish ran the ball once the extra defensive backs came onto the field. A great first half really, and definitely brought back memories of 2005 and 2006 offenses. The offense of the 1st qtr could compete against any defense, anywhere. A major fault was not scoring more points in the first half than the 17 we did. Lotsa production but only 17 points was not enough.

Now for my predictions grading:

 

Prediction #1  -  Jimmy passes for 250 with 2 tds and 1 int  -  I was way off on the passing yards, as Jimmy threw for 380 yards. I was right on the 2tds, but one short on the interceptions he threw (2). He also had a very critical fumble lost that hurt the Irish. Overall, a solid day for Jimmy save a few plays. You must see the positive in his play, not just the turnovers. He is young and will get better.

 

Prediction #2  -  Armando Allen would rush for 125 yards and catch 5 passes   -  Armando only rushed for 60 yards, although 5yards per carry. He did catch 5 passes, fastly becoming a great outlet for Jimmy. Those outlet passes are an extension of the running game, and working very well.

 

Prediction #3  -  The Irish defense would force 3 turnovers from UNC QB Cam Sexton. I was wrong here. Sexton managed the game very well, as the Irish were not able to capitalize on his few errant passes. He passed for 200 yards, with no TDs, but more importantly no INTs. If Sexton threw an INT or two, the Irish win this football game. Kudos to him for not penalizing his team with his mediocrity.

 

Score Prediction  -  I predicted the Irish would win 28-20, and was obviously wrong. This was the first game all season that I was wrong in picking the winner, finishing the first half 5-1 on my pick the winners and 4-2 against the spread (the Irish covered against the Tar Heels).

 

All in all, we are still progressing as a team. Many will point to the turnovers and other negatives, but I now see a team that is light years better than 2007, and even significantly better than when we played Michigan St. a month ago. Our offense is moving the ball, playmakers are growing, and the defense is holding. Special teams (save the kicking game) has been fantastic all year. The turnovers and "closing ability" of our team in road games will both improve, and we will learn a lot from this close loss. Clearly we had a chance and should have won that game, and for this team and this season (in light of last year), that means something. Now I won't accept this type of loss as easily next year, but we have to keep everything in perspective.

 

There is much to be excited about in the Notre Dame program. I honestly believe, particularly after this game, that this program will win 8 games or more as long as Weis is there. Put that in your pipe and smoke it, mark it down, all that. As for this season, earlier this year I expected us to go 7-5. Now, after Saturday in particular, I think 8-4 is as reasonable as my initial prediction, with 9-3 not out of the realm of possibility. The Irish are 4-2 at the midway point  -  certainly we should win 3 more games (Washington, Syracuse, and Navy - yes Navy beat us last year, but barely and in triple OT). So thats 7 wins. We lose to USC. So that's 7-3, with two swing games left on the board  -  Pittsburgh at home, and @ Boston College. Split those games, you go 8-4. Win both, you finish 9-3. 7 wins puts us in the Brut Sun Bowl or possibly the Meineke Car Care Bowl (my initial preseason prediction). 8 or 9 wins and we are in the Gator or Cotton bowl, both on New Years day. Pretty simple scenarios.

 

Bye week at the midway point is nice. Especially after this tough, emotional loss. Hopefully we can regroup and go out to Washington and beat up on them, although being on the road you never know what can happen.

Tar Heel Country

The Irish head to Chapel Hill, NC to take on the improving North Carolina Tar Heels, Saturday at 2:30pm. The Tar Heels are ranked #23 in one poll, unranked in the other, and both teams are 4-1 and improving quickly from last season's subpar efforts.

 

When the Irish have the ball . . . watch the North Carolina defensive line. While the UNC secondary leads all of college football with 12 interceptions in 5 games (!), its because they rarely ever blitz, dropping 7 men into coverage on most all pass plays. If UNC can get pressure with their front 4, then the Irish will be in trouble, as Jimmy will be trying to pass into a lot of coverage. Another key is the Irish running game, which is the obvious way to make a pass defense minded team pay. Play action will help, as well Jimmy hitting his check down TE and RB pass routes, which worked well last week. Specifically watch former 5 star DT Marvin Austin, an Irish target nabbed by Butch Davis. He is playing really well, so hopefully our OLine can keep Jimmy standing, which they have done superbly all year.

 

When North Carolina has the ball . . . watch the Irish run defense. The Irish run defense stiffened up tremendously in the second half against Stanford, and this must continue. I am not a believer in UNC's QB Cam Sexton's ability to consistently throw an accurate ball. With our strength being in our secondary, we need to make them pass and force a few turnovers. Stopping the run, then forcing quick and shorter passes (via the Blitz) has got to be the game plan for the Irish defense. This is not rocket science, but stopping the run can also mean scoring enough points on offense to where UNC has to pass to catch up. That's where we must make them pay. Unlike Michigan St., UNC does not have an overpowering running game, but is actually balanced on offense. Unfortunately, they have 2 major playmakers at WR that burned the Irish in 2006 (Brandon Tate and Hakeem Nicks). Both are fast and average about 20 yards per catch. That's about like Golden Tate's numbers, so defending these guys while keeping the damage minimal will be huge.

 

Prediction time . . .

 

Prediction 1  -  Jimmy Clausen will pass for a tough 250 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception.

 

Prediction 2  -  Armando Allen burst onto the scene with 5 catches out of the backfield; more importantly, his 125 yards on the ground propel the Irish offense

 

Prediction 3  -  Notre Dame defense forces 3 turnovers, including 2 INTs and 1 fumble, all by QB Cam Sextion.

 

I hate to bust on Cam Sexton, who is a good QB. Its more about the blitzing Jon Tenuta defense finally figuring out how to get to the Quarterback, which they did for 5 sacks last weekend against Stanford. I think the pressure gets to Sexton, who is geeked up with all the rest of North Carolina for their biggest home game in quite some time.

 

A close, good football game, which the Irish win largely due to turnovers. The pundits continue to doubt Notre Dame, saying the defense is benefiting from a large amount of turnovers. The Irish don't care, as they celebrate their most respectable win in two years . . .

 

IRISH  28   UNC 20

 

(Vatican Smoke's record on picking Notre Dame's games this season  =  5-0    vs the point spread 2-3)

Tree Removal

A great win by the Irish over the Cardinal, 28-21. The game was actually not as close as the score indicated, largely due to the mishaps in the Irish kicking game. Brandon Walker missed from 40, 42, and then in the 2nd to last play of the game, the Irish chose not to kick a 30 yard field goal, opting to go for it on 4th down instead.

The story of the game is the rapid and astonishing development of Jimmy Clausen. Hyperbole and exaggeration have not been uncommon to Clausen, a high school phenom that came with much hype when he entered college. The hype is starting to make sense, as Clausen has thrown for 600 yards and 6 TDs against no INTs in his last two games. 350 yards and 3 TD performance against Stanford was a clinic, hitting check down RBs and later going deep, with some rockets over the middle to the Tight End. This kid is not going to be good, he is good. At this pace, every Irish QB record (I'm looking at you Brady) will be broken. Now if we can just get a running game . . .

Our friend Chris Marinelli, from the post below, had a tough game, as the Irish "200 blitzes with 1 sack" defense that he predicted would be "mashed", got to the Stanford QB for 3 interceptions, a fumble recovery, and 5 sacks. 5 sacks, a number worth repeating. Tough day for this loose mouthed offensive lineman that apparently was an Irish hopeful in high school, yet did not receive a scholarship offer. Good luck the rest of the season.

The defense again played well enough to win, holding every opponent this season to under 24 points. The defensive pressure didn't yield sacks until this game, but there is no doubt that teams are passing the ball a bit earlier than they would like against the Irish, taking many 3 step drops. The rushing defense is still sub par though, and eventually this will catch up with the Irish. Lets hope not.

A recap of this game cannot be complete without mention of the classless and temper-tantrum prone coach, Jim Harbough. This classless guy says that he "wears his emotions on his sleeve", which I guess means that he acts like a baby and a moron, but uses his emotions as his excuse. After the game, Clausen walked up to Harbough and extended his hand saying "Good game coach", in front of numerous reporters. Harbough just kept walking, even when Jimmy then exclaimed, "Coach - are you just gonna walk away from me like that?". Harbough later said he didn't see Clausen, to which Clausen responded, "Uh, yeh. Right", smiling.

Stanford and ND are more alike than I would like to admit, but it feels good to have another victory over them. A good developing rivalry here as Stanford continues to improve. Now, here are some YouTube highlights of the game. Enjoy

Cut Down the Tree(s)

Stanford. Trees, Cardinal(s), whatever. I have never particularly disliked or even cared about them, so long as ND beat them in football. Now that I have reflected and researched the upcoming game this weekend, ND vs Stanford, at Notre Dame Stadium (1:30pm Central on NBC), I have two reasons for disliking Stanford, as of about 5 minutes ago:

 

1. They made Tyrone Willingham a good enough candidate to win our coaching job. He continued Davie's rotting of the program, and hopefully Weis can save us from what would have been certain death had we let Willingham stay any longer (ie. see the Washington program now and the next 5 years). I blame Stanford for building up his fake legend.

 

2. Trash talk from Offensive Lineman Chris Marinelli. Who is that? Exactly. No one has ever heard of the guy, yet he is talking trash this week in the press, about a team (ND) that easily beat his team last year at Stanford. Here are some snippets of what Yung Chris said (and I stress Yung):

 

"But on the same token it's going to go bad for them at one point and we are going to gash the (expletive) out of them, I promise you that. So keep bringing it, keep bringing it. They have one sack all year on 200 blitzes."

"They can keep bringing all the stuff they want", Marinelli added. "We can pick up blitzes. Our defense, blitzes more than anyone in the country, too. So we are ready for that. That's no big deal.

Marinelli is not impressed with the Notre Dame field and stadium. He saw action as a redshirt freshman late in the 2006 game that the Irish won 31-10 in South Bend.

"I hate it, playing up there," Marinelli said. "The field, excuse my language, the field sucks. The stadium sucks. I think the area sucks."

The 6'7, 297 pound tackle from Boston, Massachusetts didn't stop there.

"I grew up with a bunch of Irish and Italian Catholic people back home. And all the Irish Catholic people, all they talk about is Notre Dame this, Notre Dame that. And they've never even been there, ya know. So I hate those guys, I hate that school.

"We are going out there to mash them up and that's all there is to it."

Clown. Complete clown. Granted, Chris is from Boston, which means he speaks through exaggerations and talks without thinking, like most other TeaTowners. Seriously Chris Marinelli, I cannot wait to see you and the Tree MASH us up on our own shitty field, in our shitty stadium, and in our shitty town. I really hope you personally get picked on all game, and then your flight home gets delayed so you have more time to make excuses about how much everything sucks, all while having more time to visit our shitty airport.

 

Ok, I have vented and feel better. Stanford won 4 games last year, and lost 21-14 to the Irish at home, despite two touchdowns scored by the Irish being called back. I know that we should win this game by two touchdowns, but I am not sure if this young team can put together back to back solid efforts. Stanford is well coached, on the field at least (not with media relations, however). I expect a close game that the Irish win late with a big turnover or a big play. A scare, but a win.

 

Prediction #1   -   Irish  27    Stanford  24

 

Prediction #2   -  Irish have 3 sacks, with the final sack forcing a turnover late in the game that scores the winning touchdown, while trailing 24-20.

 

Prediction #3   -  Chris Marinelli does not speak to the press the rest of the week, nor after the game.

 

Have a great weekend everyone. And GO IRISH!!