Pushing the Envelope: NFL Mailbag, Week 6

You've got questions. I've got answers. If not, I'll make them up. Each Thursday, I answer your queries on all things related to the NFL. If you have a question, send it over to NFLMailbag@gmail.com. Don't forget to include your name and location. Click here for the archives. Rock'n'roll.

I don't understand. The Saints let fan favorite John Carney go because he was "losing his leg." With Martin Gramatica cut, Taylor Mehlhaff will be their third kicker in 21 games. Please explain the logic?
- Roy H., Jackson, MS

I have to admit: I've held a longtime grudge against Carney for botching the River City Relay, and was glad that he was let go before the 2007 season. But that turned out to be a colossal mistake. He's been 24-of-26 in various stops since leaving New Orleans, while Olindo Mare and Gramatica went a combined 21-of-32 as Saints. It's been so bad I was even hoping for the team to re-sign Carney with his release from the Giants looming. Alas, they went with their 2008 sixth-round pick, who lost his job in the summer to Gramatica. So I'm not sure how much confidence that inspires, but the Saints drafted Mehlhaff originally to solidify the kicking game for a long time, and he'll have another chance at that.

What happens to Vince Young if Kerry Collins continues to game-manage the Titans to wins? Should Tennessee re-sign Collins and make VY earn the job in 2009?
- Kerry Collins' Sponsor, The Nash

Well Collins is making it clear that he's not looking to be a backup again, and he's making a case. His stats as a starter this year aren't mind-blowing, but neither were Young's, so at least you're getting mediocrity without suicidal tendencies. The team seems to trust Collins, and that's making a difference more than his numbers are. Either way, I don't think you can hand Young the starting job back. They'll have to wait another year or two before the salary situation enables them to let him loose (unless they decide it's worth the cost to just get rid of him), but they should sign Collins and declare it an open competition between him, Young, and Chris Simms, who should have had enough time with the team and offense by then to at least deserve a shot, when training camp rolls around next summer.

Can the Colts make the playoffs without a defense? Peyton Manning looks old, the o-line is a huge question mark and without Bob Sanders the defense looks like it should be in Denver.
- Royal Blue, Terra Haute, IN

Luckily for them, the AFC is suddenly the weaker conference this season, and I'm never counting out Manning. He looks old because his offensive line is in shambles, but I refuse to believe he and Tom Moore can't figure out a way around this. That being said, the Colts' defense is one of the weakest that Manning's had to play with recently, so he's got his work cut out for him. The rush defense in particular, never really a strong point with these Colts, is suffering without Sanders, which probably means that any patchwork job done to get the team in the playoffs likely won't last when those playoffs arrive Don't get me wrong, I don't think this team belongs to the AFC elite anymore, and I don't see them earning a bye (or even home field advantage possibly), but they should still be a playoff team. There's a group of talented AFC underacheivers, and one of them has to come around eventually.

How is Jeff Garcia going to respond now that he's starting again?
- James T., Daytona, FL

Garcia's a professional, and if he's not playing to keep his starting job in Tampa (I don't see that happening no matter what given his relationship with Jon Gruden), he's fighting for eyes around the league, because when his contract is up after the year it's safe to say he's not going to be a Buc. Going out this week with the wrong mindset could severely damage Garcia's chances of finding a starting job next year. Even if all he really wants to do is give Gruden a taste of his own expletive-y medicine, he has no choice but to go out there, cooperate with his coach (even if it's an act), and play football to the best of his ability. (Though, during his last stint in free agency, the Bucs were the only team giving him a serious sniff, so he may be out of luck regardless.)

That being said, the situation in Tampa is messy, and it doesn't help anyone to have Garcia on the roster, period, let alone coming in and out of the starting lineup. The truth is, Garcia gives the team its best chance to win, but Gruden has put his own emotion in the way of the team's ultimate goal, and there's never a good ending to that.

Is it just me or are there way more fines for hits this year than in the past?
- DaHawks, Spokane, WA

It does certainly seem that there are more fines this year. Part of that, I think, is due to the simple fact that fines aren't announced by the league. They're kept under wraps until Scoop or a beat writer or someone unearths it. So we've never really had a clear idea of how many fines are actually assessed in a season; for all we know this could be a down year.

But the league has also emphasized that they won't be tolerating things endangering the safety of its players (like, you know, playing football), and so that has probably led to an increase in fines thus far (though the extent of which we don't know). Personally, I think it's getting to be a little ridiculous, but that's just me. I'm not the one getting mauled on a weekly basis.

Though if the league is really concerned about player safety, they'd put as much effort into treatment for retired players as they're currently doing with prevention for current players. But that's for another mailbag ...

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