Chris Mortensen: Good morning. got working on a little news: Ricky Williams is being reinstated by the NFL...interesting development. Let's talk some football.
Dan (PA): Mort? PGH-NYJ has the makings of your typical letdown game. PGH is coming off 3 consecutive, hard-fought division games. Any concern PGH overlooks the 1-8 Jets & gets picked off?
Chris Mortensen: I think the road losses at Arizona and Denver has the Steelers pretty much guarded against a letdown. You never know but I believe the Steelers will win this one.
Justin (Ohio): Mort, Any chance the Browns try to deal Brady Quinn in the off season assuming Derek Anderson continues to play at this level?
Chris Mortensen: It's probably too early to trade Quinn even if Anderson continues at this pace - unless somebody blows you away with an offer. Quinn is not a financial burden to Cleveland and it's a pretty good idea to have two quarterbacks if you're in a "playoff team" mode.
Matt (New York, NY): Breaking down the Giants losses I have noticed one consistancy. An inability to make the necessary adjustments at the half. In there three loses at the half they were, (Dal 17 NYG 16), (NYG 10 GB 7), (NYG 17 DAL 17). As you can see in all these games they were right there only to be outscored a combind 70-25 in the second half. What would you attribute this to?
Chris Mortensen: Good point. Maybe Tom Coughlin went to soft and the team isn't tough enough to finish. No, I don't know the answer but obviously those games were very close at halftime. This past week, I though penalties undid them.
Marc (Bethlehem, PA): Do you think Mike Shanahan will stick with Travis Henry if he's not suspended, or turn to rookie RB Selvin Young who proved he can carry the full load successfully last week?
Chris Mortensen: I think he will stick with a healthy Travis Henry but I'm not sure anybody with the Broncos is optimistic about his chances of escaping this suspension.
wayne, binghamton,ny: Chris, the press in Buffalo have turned against JP Losman as the QB of the Bills' future. Can he be a top rung player at that position?
Chris Mortensen: Losman's first full season in 2006 was pretty impressive so I don't get where the animosity is toward him. Hard worker, good athlete, strong arm. I don't know if he can be an "elite" quarterback but I think he can be in that next group and when you consider the state of quarterbacks in the NFL, I'd be careful about not appreciating his abilities. Trent Edwards is a promising young QB but those who were skeptical wondered about his durability and whether he could throw downfield consistently. Those are still question marks and Marshawn Lynch was more productive with Losman because of that threat.
Scott (Philadelphia, PA): Dolphin fan here in Philly. Going to game Sunday and rumor is that John Beck is getting the nod at QB. Can you confirm through your sources? Tough defense to get first start against, followed by an even tougher Pittsburgh defense.
Chris Mortensen: I expect Beck to get the nod. Yes, those are tough starts for a young quarterback.
Steve(Washington DC): Even with his baggage, do you think Miami will cut Ricky after paying so much to get him? It seems we should play him, see what he has and try to trade him or keep him if he still has it. What do you think?
Chris Mortensen: I would play him even though Jesse Chatman has established himself as good lead runner. Then see if you can trade him for a second-day pick. He won't bring much value because of obvious reasons (age and substance abuse).
Matt(boulder): Can Rice really help the Colts or was it a desperate move? With all these injuries can the Colts still make it AFC champ game?
Chris Mortensen: Simoen Rice did have one year with Tony Dungy in Tampa. He has a 123 career sacks but the Broncos needed pass rushers and let him go. So how effective will he be? I don't know. As for the injuries, they are significant but I'm assuming they will get the majority back and I would still expect them to win. The Steelers are a major hurdle ...conceding that the Patriots will get there.
Justin (Tempe, AZ): Do you think with the easier upcoming schedule that Edge can start to put up some better numbers? I thought Whiz/Grimm was going to turn the ground game around.
Chris Mortensen: The O-line injury may not have helped but I think you see why the Colts were willing to part ways with James (with money being a factor, too). He wasn't doing much once he got to the second level (past the line of scrimmage). Their ground game is better but maybe you're expecting the old Edge James and that's not going to happen on a consistent basis.
Paul (Westerly, RI): Any chance the Bills beat the Pats this week, or at least give them a game. There defense is not that bad and their tough at home. They should really could be a 7-2 team because of two losses against Denver and Dallas on the last play of the game.
Chris Mortensen: I give the Bills a chance but not much against a rested Patriots team that will not fall into a trap. I also don't think Marshawn Lynch will be available because of injury and, if he is, not very effective.
Tommy(TheStatPack): Tank Johnson looked pretty good on Sunday. With Him now in the mix and Henry, Newman & Ellis healthy can we expect the Cowboys defense to really step it up?
Chris Mortensen: Well, it's a better defense but there will always be some pass coverage deficiencies. That's OK. The Patriots have some of those problems, too.
chris (saratoga, ny): with Ricky Williams apparently being reinstated and Adam Jones' appeal for reinstatement denied, do you think the commish is showing a hypocritical side or do you think these two players circumstances are that different to warrant the differing rulings?
Chris Mortensen: Different circumstances. Ricky Williams falls under the substance abuse policy and the commissioner almost always follows the doctors' recommendation. Jones is a personal conduct case. Williams did miss 18 months.
Mike(Buffalo): Which of these QB's do you think will end up being traded in the off-season? Chad Pennington, JP Losman, Derek Anderson, or Donovan McNabb?
Chris Mortensen: I could see all but Anderson on the block. But a lot will depend on how McNabb and Losman finish the season.
Anthony (Nashville, TN): Chris, is it time Vince Young is benched in favor of Kerry Collins for a little while?
Chris Mortensen: No, Vince Young is actually coming off one of his better games. Threw for well over 200 yards, rushed for more than 50...he has made mistakes but the Titans need Albert Haynesworth back more than anything else.
Mike(Utica,NY): What do you think of Ryan Grant, is he another Dorsey Levens in the making with the Packers?
Chris Mortensen: He's been impressive but the true test is durability so it's premature to make any comparisons. But give Packers GM Ted Thompson credit for getting Grant in a trade with the Giants before the season started.
John (Portland, ME): True or False - Josh McDaniels will be a head coach next season.
Chris Mortensen: I'd say false. I think people undersstand that this is a Bill Belichick offense - he coaches it all. But McDaniels is young and likely will get a chance down the road.
Nolan(Huntsville, AL): How do you think Brodie Croyle will do as the starter for the Chiefs? As a Bama fan I've seen his ability, but I have also seen him get shaken up sometimes.
Chris Mortensen: The biggest concern on Croyle coming out of Alabama was whether he would hold up to the beating an NFL QB takes. He needed to get physically stronger. Maybe he's closer to that point. But he has a lot of positives, too.
SprungOnSports (Long Island): Who are the big head coaching candidates for next season? Martz, Cowher, McDaniels, Garrett, who else?
Chris Mortensen: It's early and even difficult to tell whether there will be many (if any) coaching changes. Cowher is an obvious one, as is Marty Schottenheimer.
I don't think Jason Garrett is going anywhere. Jim Mora Jr. could get another shot. Jags defensive coordinator Mike Smith and Miss. State coach Sylvester Croom - who was a very good NFL assistant for 17 years - may get a look, too. That's just off the top of my head.
Martha, (tustin, ca): A lot of talk about Big Ben and his performance and the numbers he is putting up. Is this largely in part to Coach Arians and Tomlin or is he just that darn good?
Chris Mortensen: I think he's that good. Mike Martz does a great job evaluating quarterbacks and he has only put an "elite" stamp on three guys in the past 10 years coming out of college - Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger and Jay Cutler. I would say that Arians is doing a good job with the offense. But Ben has a lot of physical skills.
Dwayne (Youngstown,OH): Do you expect Romeo Crennel to get an extension(If so, how long) or should he be held more responsible for the horrendous defense(genius in N.E.)?
Chris Mortensen: I expect and would hope Crennel gets an extension. They actually are very well coached on defense - they clearly have personneel isses they intend to fix, especially along the D-line and front 7.
Aaron (Eugene): What team could use a QB like Dennis Dixon next year? Is he a thinner version of VYoung?
Chris Mortensen: That's who Keyshawn Johnson compares him to - a skinner Vince Young. He's going to be a very interesting draft prospect. He has better throwing mechanics than Vince.
Mikey(Lackawanna,NY): Mort,Please tell Chris Berman and Tom Jackson that they need to bring back NFL Primetime back on full-time basis?Myself and others really miss when they did Primetime for that full hour? Dont you miss it?
Chris Mortensen: Yes, I miss it! But call the NFL...well, I guess nothing can be done about it. NBC got the exclusivity for that hour leading up to the Sunday night game so that's why Primetime was knocked off the air. I thought it was a horrible mistake by the league.
kriston ((cincinnati): PLEASE ANSWER THIS QUESTION...i LOVE your work...why wasn't odell thurman reinstated and koren robinson was? Did it have to do with all the bengals arrests last year?
Chris Mortensen: Again, all substance abuse cases such as Robinson, Williams and Thurman are pretty much decided by the doctors, who clearly didn't feel Thurman was ready to return.
Richard (New Haven, CT): Speaking of Primetime, what happened to the "Jacked Up" Segment??
Chris Mortensen: Out of respect for the injury Kevin Everett suffered in the first week, there wasn't a comfort level with doing "Jacked Up" even though Tom Jackson never included plays when a player was hurt.
Will (New York, NY): Just read about the personal trainer who is under investigation & has apparently named names of current players. How likely is a suspension, absent a positive test?
Chris Mortensen: More important would be documentation that any drugs were illegally purchased. That's what happened with Rodney Harrison.
Peter (Temecula, CA): Mike Shanahan has stated that he believes Travis Henry has a good chance of winning his appeal against the NFL. What do you see happening with this situation?
Chris Mortensen: Mike believes Travis because Henry voluntarily provided hair samples, which can be very effective in identifying recent and longterm drug use...he also passed a lie detector test twice...but because this case got public (via Henry's own attorney), I think he has a poor chance of winning his appeal. And I think Shanahan knows that but he's holding out hope because he believes Henry.
Willie (Portland, OR): Mort is there a sleeper in this upcoming draft that isn't getting much publicity?
Chris Mortensen: Too early to wake up those sleeper but Jaws is high on the Delaware quarterback (I forget his name).
Shawn(dallas, TX): Whats the latest on Terry Glenn? Also, do you see any reason the Cowboys would be interested in Ricky Williams?
Chris Mortensen: I wouldn't be optimistic about Glenn coming back. I don't know why the Cowboys would be interested in Ricky Williams because they're pretty set but Jason Garrett certainly is aware that Ricky has gotten good reviews from his last stint in Miami.
Tommy(TheStatPack): I know he wouldn't say it on Camera. But how proud of Tony Romo is Parcells?
Chris Mortensen: Very proud. And as we have talked about all the team wanting to press young QBs into action, I know Parcells is proud that he didn't rush Romo, that he let him learn the league, simmer and develop.
jeremy(ohio): Joe Flacco is the delaware QB, do you think the browns will re sign jamal lewis
Chris Mortensen: Thanks on the name. I don't think the Browns will offer Lewis a boat-load of money. They may offer him on a similar deal but they will get a younger, dynamic back, I think.
Howard, Princeton NJ: Do you see the Saints trying to upgrade their running back position by trading the Dolfins for Ricky Williams?
Chris Mortensen: The trade deadline has passed. Williams will only be available the rest of this season if the Dolphins cut him.
PaulieP (Scottsdale): Is the the substance abuse policy based on urin tests as well? not hair samples?
Chris Mortensen: Just urine tests. The hair samples are not allowed - I don't think the union was for it because some experts believe it's very invasive. That's the irony of this case - the hair samples probably won't be considered in this appeal.
John.C(Beth Park,NY): Do you think Dick Jauron is doing a good job here in Buffalo?
Chris Mortensen: Yes! I like their coordinators, too: Perry Fewell on defense and Steve Fairchild on offense. I think Fewell will be a head coach candidate.
Matt (Farmington,CT): Do you think that this is the end of the road for Mike Nolan? And if so, who do you think they may look at?
Chris Mortensen: I don't know on Nolan. I believe the late loss of offensive coordinator Norv Turner had a substantial negative impact on the team. They didn't have the opportunity to hire an experienced coordinator. Alex Smith has regressed. They've had injuries. I think he should get at least another year.
Mike (Boca Raton): has talk of a nfl franchise going to los angeles subsided?
Chris Mortensen: Subsided but league officals were in L.A. last week surveying different stadium sites.
Jon (Grand Rapids, MI): Do you agree with me in thinking the Niner's performance this past Monday was the worse display of football I have ever seen and it isn't even close.
Chris Mortensen: Oh, I think there have been a lot of unwatchable games and teams this year.
Andy (MI): As a fantasy owner does Ricky williams have any upside or is his reinstatement nothing to get excited about?
Chris Mortensen: I just don't know how much opportunity Ricky will get this year. I'm waiting to see if the Dolphins will take him back.
Chris (Seattle, WA): Do you think the Bills-Patriots game getting moved to Sunday night had more to do with the Bills' current winning streak and Buffalo's boisterous fans, or is it all about the Patriots' attempt at an undefeated season?
Chris Mortensen: First, it's about the Patriots' win streak but the great atmosphere in Buffalo and the drama of the
Cowboys game didn't hurt.
Pat(Chicago): How does ESPN's contract with the NFL work when it comes to choosing the Monday night game? No offense, but MNF has had more then it's fair share of dogs these last couple of years.
Chris Mortensen: The NFL picks the games with no flexibility. Contact the NFL and let them know you're not happy.
Matt (Ohio): I just read that John Beck will be starting for Miami, do you think that he is an upgrade and that he is the answer at quarterback?
Chris Mortensen: Some people (evaluators) I really respect have a lot of good things to say about Beck. But he is still a rookie.
Chris Mortensen: I have some other thing I have to get done. Let's do it again next week. Give us a listen on ESPN Radio Primetime on Friday nights 7-9 ET with Parcells and Keyshawn...NFL Sunday Countdown at 11 ET. Thanks and God Bless!
