Don Banks is typically pretty good, but his most recent article is an example of a "journalist" writing a story and making selective facts fit within its confines rather than looking at the facts and then writing the story. Banks' recent work makes the statement that the struggles for Seattle, Indianapolis, and Dallas are the result of the owners of those teams naming successors to the current head coaches. Banks interviews two anonymous NFL general mangers, and they give their opinions on how naming a successor to a current head coach could result in losing. Here is Banks quoting an unnamed AFC general manager on the subject:

"In any organization, in- or outside of football, where there's a lack of the true lines of authority, it's going to be a problem. Even if it's a situation in the NFL where there's a team that has a coach and a general manager, without either one of them truly being in charge of the decision-making. The players need to know that the line of authority is clean and clear.''

However, what Banks and this moron AFC General Manager (I'm assuming Phil Savage of the Browns) leave out of the equation are all the other variables that come into play here, namely injuries. I'll go team-by-team here, but if you want a clear, accurate reason why Seattle, Dallas, and Indy are not leading their respective divisions the answer is injuries.

Now, that answer is not an "NFL correct" answer. Injuries are never supposed to be an excuse for losing. For players and coaches, they aren't and can't be. But when you step back and look at the big picture, logic (and basic common friggin sense) says that Seattle losing their entire WR corps and their starting QB to injury might have a bit more to do with their 2-6 record than the status of Mike Holmgren and his designated successor, assistant coach Jim Mora Jr. Sadly, writing an article about that is not as sexy as one suggesting naming successors is the reason these teams have disappointed of late.

Crap articles like this reinforce my feeling that sports journalism is dead; that informing fans about the sport is less important than writing a "sexy" story full of unsupported facts and bad, BAD logic. If you really want to know why Seattle, Dallas, and Indy are struggling, here is why:

Seattle

Since Week One their WR corps has been decimated. Deion Branch has been out most of the year with a foot injury, and Bobby Engram was lost back in August. Add to this the injury to QB Matt Hasselback (which has kept him out for many weeks), and you have a recipe for disaster that most clubs cannot recover from. Compounding the issue is the injury to DE Patrick Kerney, who is Seattle's sack master. Kerney is out indefinitely. So, to put this into terms many can understand, imagine the Giants losing Osi Umenyiora (which they did), but also Eli Manning and his entire starting WR corps. If you still think the Giants would have a winning record now (let alone a 7-1 record), you're out of your friggin mind.

Dallas

The only people shocked that the Cowboys stink right now are Cowboys fans and moron journalists. Even without the injuries, Dallas was a mess from the outset. Wade Phillips was always a short term puppet; a man with no authority over the roster. Even if he did have authority, Phillips has never proven himself a quality head coach in this league, especially when things go south. And when you stock your team with players like Terrell Owens and Tony Romo, you are invited disaster. These are not people who are known to keep their composure when things go wrong. They panic, point fingers, and do not inspire others to rise up to a challenge.

And then, there is Jerry Jones, one of the most incompetent football men in the sport. As a business man, he is outstanding. As an evaluator of talent, he is a complete boob. Terry could draft better for Dallas than Jones, and he'd probably sign better free agents. Anyone shocked by Dallas' mid-season collapse was blind to the obvious. This is not a high character team, and it starts with their owner.

Indianapolis

Like Seattle, injuries are a big reason why the Colts are at .500 at Week Nine for the first time since 2002. Pro Bowlers Jeff Saturday and Peyton Manning started the season hurt. Bob Sanders was knocked out in Week Two, and just came back last week against the Patriots. DT Ed Johnson was kicked off the team in Week Two, and his back-up (Quinn Pitcock) quit football prior to training camp. Starting LBer Tyjuan Hagler started the season on PUP, as did starting OG Ryan Lilja. Dallas Clark has missed several games with injury, and Joseph Addai just returned from missing three games with a hamstring tear. Starting CBs Marlin Jackson (out for year) and Kelvin Hayden (out since Week Four) have missed significant time. And, recently, WILL backer Freddie Keiaho has been out. 

Pile all that up boys and girls, and you have 4-4. If you have been around the Colts, you'd know that Dungy is still the man in charge, and this team certainly has not quit on him. Games like the comeback wins over Minnesota and Houston prove that. For the last three years, pretty much everyone knew that Jim Caldwell would succeed Tony Dungy. They just announced what everyone already knew this past off-season. From 2003-2007, the Colts did not have to contend with the kind of injuries they have sustained this season.

If Don Banks had done his job, he'd have written that, and not the crap he printed recently.

I got an email yesterday from NFL.com writer Jason Feller regarding my critique of his free agency article, where he ranked the Cowboys OG Leonard Davis as one of the best free agent acquisitions of the last 15 years. Here's the email:

It was profoundly entertaining for everyone because I actually grew up in the Washington DC metro area as a Redskins fan and am the farthest thing from a Cowboys fan you could find. That said, you made some very good points in your critique and that’s what these pieces are for -- to remind people about the history of free agency and get people thinking.

I stand by my choice of Leonard Davis as he was the only addition on an offense that was the second best in the NFL and had a breakout season after struggling much of his career. Kerney would have also been a fine choice as would have Garcia. I felt that while Kerney played great individually, the Seahawks as a team had a nearly identical record with him (10-6) as they had without him the year before (9-7) and advanced to the second round, the same stage they advanced to in 2006. Garcia I did not include, because projecting out I see Garcia as a relatively short-term solution for the Buccaneers, while Davis stands a chance to contribute for most, if not all, of his seven year contract. Again any of those players could be argued as the correct choice, but I’ll stick with Davis.

Many thanks to Jason for two things: 1) Reading the site, and 2) Offering a good response and a kind email. I also apologize to him profusely for suggesting he (a Redskins fan) was a Cowboys fan. I might as well have shown up at his home, slapped his wife, and spit on his kids. My apologizes, Jason.

Despite his thoughtful response, Jason is still wrong in picking Davis as one of the best free agent acquisitions in recent memory. I know he decided to pick one for each year, but the numbers and the production still clearly favor Tampa Bay QB Jeff Garcia or Seattle DE Patrick Kerney. Yes, I know Seattle's record with Kerney in 2007 is the same as Seattle's record without him in 2006, but come on. Circumstances and  players change from year to year. Without Kerney, the Seahawks don't make the playoffs in 2007.

In the comment thread in the last Feller post, shake n bake posted Seattle's d-line ratings in 2006 and 2007:

2006 10th vs the run, 11th vs the pass
2007 4th vs the run, 7th vs the pass

That's a damn significant jump, and with all the struggles and injuries Seattle has faced on offense since their Super Bowl appearance, it was their defense (in particular their pass rush) that guided them through the year. Their pass rush also helped them win a playoff game against Jason's beloved Redskins, a game where Kerney went bonkers.

Garcia had a similar impact on Tampa Bay:

Jeff Garcia: 11th in total value, 7th in per play value
Tampa’s overall offense improved from 30th to 10th
Passing offense up from 31st to 14th

The Bucs also won the NFC South and hosted a playoff game, losing to the eventual Super Bowl Champion NY Giants. So, knowing all this, the question lingers: How did Leonard Davis help the Cowboys improve? If you look at the numbers, they didn't improve much:

2006 8th in run blocking 23rd in pass pro

2007 14th in run blocking 7th in pass pro

So while the Cowboys improved in pass protection (do in part to having the mobile Tony Romo start an entire season) their running got worse. This is a team with Marion Barber III folks. He could run through a brick wall. And while Dallas' record improved from 2007 to 2008, the numbers clearly show that it had very little to do with Leonard Davis.

And really, did the Cowboys really improve from 2006 to 2007? They lost another playoff game. They haven't won one in almost 15 years. In the grand scheme of a season, your regular season record means nothing. The Giants are the best team from 2007. No one cares who won the NFC East. No one cares who went 13-3 or 10-6. No one.

All that matters is winning in the playoffs. If you get there and win, people will remember your team more so than the division winner who showed up and lost. Trust me, as Colts fans, we all know. And if your supposed key free agent acquisition cannot help his team win in the playoffs, he isn't very "key."

NFL.com has an article up celebrating 15 years of free agency. I have a vague memory of the NFL prior to free agency, and I remember when it happened (allowing players like Keith Jackson to leave the team they were drafted to and sign with another). NFL.com's Jason Feeler pays tribute to free agency by picking the top 15 best free agent moves in the last 15 years, with one selection per year. Feller's selection seem a bit inconsistent because the selections by year don't necessarily reflect that the free agent in question had an immediate impact that specific year. Some selections did, and many of them are obvious: Reggie White to the Packers in 1993, Deion Sanders to the 49ers in 1994, and Rich Gannon to the Raiders in 1999.

And some of the others are just down right dumb. Take Feller's pick for best free agent signing of 2007:

2007: Leonard Davis, Cowboys

Former team: Cardinals
Position: Guard
Reported terms: Seven years, $50 million

The second overall pick of the 2001 draft was once considered a disappointment as he started out at the tackle position. Upon moving to guard his career began to take a turn for the better and he enjoyed a career year for the Cowboys last season. He earned his first Pro Bowl invitation and was a key cog for the NFC's best offense last year, manhandling defensive tackles with his impressive strength. Honorable mention: RB Jamal Lewis

Um, I'm sorry Jason, but either you don't watch the football product that your website helps promote, or you are a raging Cowboys homer. There's just no other reason I can think of to explain why you would pick Leonard Davis as the best free agent pick-up of 2007. Players like QB Jeff Garcia took a lowly Tampa Bay team into the playoffs in 2007. Others, like Seattle DE Patrick Kerney, resurrected the Seahawks pass rush, generating 14.5 sacks and 5 forced fumbles. And unlike Davis, Kerney's team actually won a playoff game.

Maybe Feller is using Davis' Pro Bowl nod as justification, but that doesn't hold up because we all know the Pro Bowl is bunk. Roy Williams has been to 5 of them, and everyone and their grandmother knows he STINKS. Even his own teammates are finally saying it.

So, I literally have no logical answer for why Feller thinks Davis is such a free agent stud; unless, of course, Fellers comes from the Ed Werder School of Journalism and simply laps up everything the Dallas Cowboys dump on him. Guys like Garcia and Kerney made more of an impact on their teams as free agents than Davis did. It's obvious.

Feller also screwed up his 2006 free agent selection. I agree that Drew Brees is, without question, the best free agent pickup of 2006. However, the Honorable Mentions do not list Adam Vinatieri. They list Terrell Owens (another Cowboys who can't help his team win a playoff game), and Charles Woodson (who was injured most of 2006 and couldn't get the Packers in the playoffs). All Vinatieri did was help the Colts win a Super Bowl by making numerous big kicks both during the regular season and the playoffs, in particular at Baltimore.

I guess Feller doesn't think kickers are sexy enough to list as great free agents, but underachieving, overpaid offensive guards are.