Carucci's Corner
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM ETVic Carucci
25 comments
Welcome back to Carucci's Corner, where NFL.com senior writer Vic Carucci takes your questions during a live chat on Friday, November 20 at Noon ET.
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Vic Carucci, Senior Columnist, NFL.com
Hello, everyone, and welcome to this week's chat as we get ready for Week 11. Let's get started. -
Shelby, Frankfort, IN
12:02 PM ET
Which team will be most likely to go 16-0? Colts, Saints or both?
Vic Carucci, Senior Columnist, NFL.com
I'm having my doubts about both them going 16-0, because it remains an extremely difficult thing to do even though the Patriots pulled it off in 2007. Of the two, I think the Saints have a slightly better chance, even though they have looked pretty vulnerable of late, mainly because of injuries in their secondary. The Colts have similar injury problems, and I'm afraid their health issues will catch up to them sooner than the Saints' have. I also think the Colts have been extremely fortunate in getting to 9-0, winning a lot of close games and beating mostly ordinary opponents. -
Mike, Boston
12:05 PM ET
Vic ,Do you think the Patriots will bounce back against the Jets?
Vic Carucci, Senior Columnist, NFL.com
They should. They're the better team, by far, and I think they have the additional motivation/anger from what happened to them at Indy. -
Dragan, Split,Croatia
12:05 PM ET
Hello Vic.Since Boller or Bulger have not made team go on top,what do you think of giving Keith Null some playing time?Afterall what do they have to lose?
Vic Carucci, Senior Columnist, NFL.com
At 1-8, they have nothing to lose. I have no problem with a QB audition at this point. -
Devin, Harrisburg, PA
12:06 PM ET
Do you think Rickey Williams can step up and lead the dolphins to a wild card spot?
Vic Carucci, Senior Columnist, NFL.com
I do. He showed me quite a bit last night. Very impressive picking up the slack for Ronnie Brown. I think he's more than a complement to Ronnie. He's dropped some weight and looks faster and as strong as ever. -
John , Buffalo
12:12 PM ET
What do you see the as far as the Bills moving forward with Brian Brohm now? Do you think he will start before the end of the season? Do you think he is the future, or do you think they will look at one of the top prospects in the draft?
Vic Carucci, Senior Columnist, NFL.com
I think it's far too early to call him the "future." This was an intriguing acquisition, for sure, but let's keep it in perspective. Brian was a second-round pick who hasn't made any sort of splash in Green Bay, didn't have any real future there, and was on the Packers' practice squad. The Bills released a third-string quarterback to make room for him, a guy who was unlikely to ever see the field. So now they can take a look at Brian, although you aren't really going to go through any sort of training-camp/offseason-style development for a guy through the balance of the regular season. The practice routine just isn't set up for that. I think he'll probably get a chance to audition in some games, perhaps, if Ryan Fitzpatrick shows absolutely nothing (which is possible). The other, question, of course, is who is he auditioning for? The next coach/GM for the Bills has/have yet to be hired. -
Zachary, Georgetown, OH
12:16 PM ET
Vic, what do you think has attributed so much to the Bengals success this season? Also, what do you think about the Larry Johnson signing, and what do you think is going to happen as far as the rest of the season plays out for them?
Vic Carucci, Senior Columnist, NFL.com
The first reason for the Bengals' success is that they're finally playing the sort of dominant defense that had been expected from the moment Marvin Lewis became their coach. They are generating a strong pass rush and playing very well in the secondary. Another major factor is the performance of their offensive line, which has been a highly cohesive group that is physical and does a very nice job in opening holes for the run. Finally, and this is a huge factor, Carson Palmer is healthy. He no longer is bothered by elbow issues, and is free to do what his considerable talent allows him to do. As for Larry Johnson, he's in a good situation because the Bengals aren't likely to rely heavily on him the rest of the way, even with Cedric Benson hurting but not seriously. Behind that line, Johnson should be solid, although I'm not expecting great things from him at 30 years old when his skills are clearly declining. -
Glenn, California
12:18 PM ET
Hi Vic I was wondering.Who do you think will win the AFC West? Chargers or Broncos? And will LT reach the 1,000 yards mark?
Vic Carucci, Senior Columnist, NFL.com
I can better answer this after Sunday's game in Denver, although the Chargers certainly look as if they're the better club right now. It's hard to imagine they'll end up being swept by the Broncos, especially with Denver's struggles of the past few weeks and the fact Kyle Orton is likely out or, at the very least, is going to be limited physically. By the way, I'll be at Denver for NFL.com. Check out by column after the game. -
Murray, Canada
12:24 PM ET
Hi Vic, do you think the Raiders are regretting cutting Jeff Garcia? I know he's getting up there in age but I have to believe he'd be better than a few QB's out there right now. What do you think?
Vic Carucci, Senior Columnist, NFL.com
The fact Garcia isn't playing elsewhere in a league that has some teams with serious QB holes is telling. But given the disaster that the Raiders' QB situation has been, sure, they must be having some regrets. Anyone is better than what they had in JaMarcus Russell, and that's a mistake I'm afraid the Raiders will pay for for a long time. -
nick, London, Uk
12:27 PM ET
Can Matt Ryan and Atlanta take down the Giants or have they fixed their pass rush issue in the bye week?
Vic Carucci, Senior Columnist, NFL.com
I won't believe the Giants have fixed anything, especially their pass-rushing woes, until I see it. Sure, they've had extra time to work on the many shortcomings they've demonstrated the past four weeks, but the proof must come on the field. Will a better rush help vs. Ryan? Of course. But I think Ryan and the Falcons have a few issues of their own to work out. Mainly, it looks as if defenses have caught up with Ryan and he's experiencing the dreaded sophomore slump. I think he's good enough to snap out of it, but it won't be easy, especially down the stretch. -
jim wild, pa
12:29 PM ET
how worried should i be about the future of my bears
Vic Carucci, Senior Columnist, NFL.com
I'd be worried. I don't like anything I've seen of late, and I don't see any reason to believe that improvement is around the corner. If they've missed on Jay Cutler (and I'm not saying he is the only problem, but he's a big one right now), then you're looking at some serious tough times ahead. -
Matt, New York
12:31 PM ET
Hey Vic, One of the many big stories is how Mark Sanchez has not been playing well! Though when you look at the stats they've been fine for a rookie (except in buffalo). What do you think?
Vic Carucci, Senior Columnist, NFL.com
I'm not ready to give up on him at all. I think he has a great deal of talent, but we're seeing what a lot of football people expected to see from a player who had a very limited collegiate career. There is so much about the game that he has to learn, and it was clear from the very start of the season that his greatest chance for success was a strong performance by his supporting cast -- especially on defense. With Kris Jenkins gone and other defensive issues cropping up, the Jets aren't the same team they were at the beginning of the year, obviously. And Sanchez is not equipped to pull them out of it. He needs more time and development, and I'm afraid he has many more lumps to take along the way. -
Khess, Worcester, MA
12:37 PM ET
The Decision from the Pats/Colts game was the right one, but the wrong playcall. Spread them out with shotgun 5-wides, then run a QB draw up the middle. With Freeney and Mathis coming hard off the edges, and nobody expecting it, first down with ease.
Vic Carucci, Senior Columnist, NFL.com
I don't agree. Although Bill Belichick has a long history of going for it on fourth down vs. all opponents and especially vs. the Colts, it shouldn't have been entirely surprising. But fourth-and-two was a hard one to pick up, and if your concern was your defense's inability to stop Peyton Manning and Company, then risking the possibility of having to do so over 29 yards makes little sense. The better call was to force them to go 75 yards. By the way, the Colts haven't gotten nearly enough credit for being ready to defend the three things the Pats would likely do: Hard count to draw them offside, quick count-QB sneak, or a pick-pass, which is what they tried to do and the Colts covered it well. -
Jerome, Philadelphia
12:40 PM ET
Vic, Please Answer. Granted he hasnt won a ring yet, but Donovan McNabb is,in my mind, a future HOFer. His numbers are verycomparable to current HOFers. If he plays for 4-6 more years, he will be even surpass the Jim Kelly, Troy Aikman, and Steve Youngs of yesteryear. Your thoughts.....
Vic Carucci, Senior Columnist, NFL.com
I think Donovan is a rock-solid Hall of Famer. The number support it, and he has been a part of one of the most consistent runs of success that an NFL team has had, even if he doesn't have a Super Bowl ring to show for it. He would have my vote. -
Jay, Toronto
12:42 PM ET
Hey Vic, All things being equal who's better: Chris Johnson or A. Peterson?
Vic Carucci, Senior Columnist, NFL.com
This a tough one. You're talking about two incredibly talent backs, as good as the NFL has seen in a long time. It's really a matter of splitting hairs to pick one, but you've asked me to do so, and I'd probably take Johnson. I think he's just so explosive every time he touches the ball. His open-field speed is downright amazing. Again, I say that haven't witnessed numerous incredible runs by Peterson, so whatever praise I give Johnson is not intended to be a slight toward Peterson. I just see Johnson more in the mode of someone who can literally hit the end zone whenever the ball touches his hands. -
Mark, Rochester
12:45 PM ET
With all the talk of Shanahan and Cowher to the Bills... Who do you believe the Bills will really hire? History tells us it will be either an OC or DC, as that is all they have really ever hired. Will Ralph finally open the wallet and hire someone with real experience??
Vic Carucci, Senior Columnist, NFL.com
I do firmly believe that Ralph Wilson is at a place where he is willing to spend the necessary money and give the necessary power to attract a high-end candidate. This is a departure from the way he has done things for most of his 50 years of ownership, but he is ready to compete with anyone for the best coaching/GM talent available rather than going the coordinator route. Whether the Bills are able to get a Mike Shanahan or a Bill Cowher will depend on what those men think of their chances to succeed in Buffalo, with the talent here, etc., versus another place. Money and power won't be an issue, and you could argue that, given the history of ownership interference in other places, the Bills have a more attractive working environment. -
Mike, Buffalo
12:48 PM ET
Vic, with all the termoil in Buffalo right now what are the chances of T.O. staying or the Bills wanting to keep him?
Vic Carucci, Senior Columnist, NFL.com
I think Terrell Owens is gone after this season, mainly because he has done nothing with his performance to make the team better. His only contribution was helping to generate ticket and merchandise sales, and that's been it. He looks like a guy who wants to be elsewhere, although, frankly, I don't know that any other team would see much more than a broken-down, 14-year veteran receiver who is ready for retirement. -
Dane, Springfield, MO
12:51 PM ET
Hey Vic, Do you think the Kansas City Chiefs are headed in the right direction? Cutting Larry Johnson should help, but do you see them becoming a strong team in the next few years?
Vic Carucci, Senior Columnist, NFL.com
I think they have an excellent person to lead them in the right direction in Scott Pioli. I also think Clark Hunt is providing the necessary resources to allow Pioli to make the necessary moves to turn things around. But I also think that this is going to be a long, difficult process because the Chiefs were a complete mess when Pioli and Todd Haley arrived. -
Jarel, WI
12:53 PM ET
Do you see Slaton taking back his starting role in Houston this season or do you think he will continue to lose the bulk of the touches to moats? I have to say, it seems Slaton is a more talented back than moats and moats has proven that he isn't impervious to fumbles either. The fumble at Indy was very costly.
Vic Carucci, Senior Columnist, NFL.com
Slaton is talented, but his fumbling problem is serious and the Texans' coaches are doing what they can to help correct it. Being a good, explosive runner is fine, but if you cannot hold onto the ball, it doesn't mean very much. -
ROBERT, LA,CA
12:54 PM ET
San Diego looks like the bolts we were all expecting this year. If they don't clinch the division, do you think they can battle out for the wild card spot or are their other teams that could already have that slot?
Vic Carucci, Senior Columnist, NFL.com
Either way, I do think the Chargers land a playoff spot this season. There is competition for a wild-card berth, yes, but I think they're capable of holding their own with any of the other teams vying for a wild-card entry. -
Scott, Syracuse
12:56 PM ET
You say Ralph is willing to pay for a big name coach but what about big name players next year
Vic Carucci, Senior Columnist, NFL.com
That, too. I don't think he is going to put any limitations on what is needed to win. You don't hire someone of the caliber of Shanahan or Cowher, etc., and hold back on paying for talent. Believe me, such hires won't be made if that isn't well established up front. -
Daniel, Richmond, VA
12:57 PM ET
Why is it that when I look at Jay Cutler, I see Jeff George?
Vic Carucci, Senior Columnist, NFL.com
That's a good comparison. Poor throws followed by lots of pouting and -- at least based on body language and what he says and how he says it -- a general sense of apathy. -
Matt Mellon, Leicester, UK
12:59 PM ET
Earlier on in the week (monday I think) NFL.com posted an article saying Orton would play on sunday despite his injury. But now articles are suggesting he won't play. Do you have a definite answer on wether Orton will or won't play? Cheers.
Vic Carucci, Senior Columnist, NFL.com
No definite answer, but it's not looking good for him, given the fact Chris Simms has taken the majority of practice reps. The Bronco players with whom I've spoken seem to be expecting Simms to start, but we'll find out for sure fairly soon, I'm guessing. -
Sean, Rhode Island
1:01 PM ET
whos a greater threat to NE....MIA or NYJ?
Vic Carucci, Senior Columnist, NFL.com
Dolphins. They're a scrappier team and, although they, too, have a very young quarterback, I think he's a little better prepared to handle the stretch crunch than his Jets counterpart. -
Vic Carucci, Senior Columnist, NFL.com
That's going to do it for this week. Thanks so much for your questions, which were outstanding as always. A reminder that I will be in Denver for Sunday's AFC West showdown between the Chargers and Broncos, so check out my column afterward on NFL.com. Enjoy Week 11 and Happy Thanksgiving!!!
