Week 4 Reaction

So many things to get to at the outset of the conclusion of week 4. You have plenty of teams moving up and down the list. The return of “bad” Romo. The emergence of bad Sanchez. The scare in New York. That game in Minnesota and of course the talk of the Patriots regressing going up in flames. All that and more in my week 4 edition but before all that, the Power Rankings with a Giant twist after a very busy Week 4. It’s the good, the bad, and the “are you serious?”:

THE BILL PARCELLS DIVISION:
1. (2) Giants- Sure, it was the Chiefs but to their credit, all you can go is down from here and the Giants continued their string of dominating football.
2. (4) Saints- At first glance when you hear Saints you think Drew Brees. But if you’ve been watching them lately you could make a pretty good case for Darren Sharper.
3. (5) Vikings- As much as I hate giving him credit, the emotion of the game elevated his performance and the guy always manages to dial it up a notch when he has something to prove which all the great ones do to remind us of why they are great.
4. (6.) Patriots- When you beat the number one team in my power rankings it certainly merits a bump up in the standings but not too far.
5. (1) Ravens- I would not be surprised if several Ravens players don’t get envelopes with fines inside them for their comments after the game against the Patriots. But their anger is completely justified.

THE TOM COUGHLIN DIVISION:
6. (7) Colts- Seriously, Peyton is just so unbelievable that we take him for granted and talk more highly of his acting in those commercials than his actual playing which is warranting some well deserved early MVP consideration. (See below for details).
7. (10) 49ers- I’m convinced that no LB is playing better right now than Patrick Willis. No one.
8. (8) Eagles- Bye.
9. (13) Broncos- We will all know more when the Broncos play the Patriots, but you can’t ignore their defense or Elvis Dumervil.
10. (3) Jets- Yes, they have a rookie QB, but this game was coming. Games after the one that Sanchez played against the Saints are the true tell sign of whether a young QB is the real deal.

THE JIM FASSEL DIVISION:
11. (16) Bears- Beating the Lions is not such a yawn anymore, and that helicopter dive was probably the greatest thing Cutler could’ve ever done so I give him extra props for pulling that off.
12. (12) Falcons- Bye.
13. (9) Bengals- Despite that pathetic showing against the Browns, I’m still a believer in the Sticky Icky Shuffle bunch.
14. (17) Steelers- Hello Pittsburgh running game, its been a while since we’ve seen each other.
15. (14) Chargers- Putting up 20 points in garbage time after a game has practically been decided does not allow one to gain points in the rankings. It of course prevents a very long plunge.
16. (15) Packers- Protection for Aaron Rodgers must be problem numero uno that the Packers must fix in order for them to have any shot of stopping the Vikings at Lambeau on November 1st.
17 (11) Cowboys- Anyone else shocked that Jerry hasn’t fired Wade yet? No one?
18 (19) Texans- Uh oh, are the media darling Texans putting together a semblance of a winning streak?
19 (21) Jaguars- These Jags are such an enigma. They are just going to keep dropping and rising all year long.
20. (18) Titans- I still think they are too talented to be this low on the list. But one more loss, and that is more than likely to happen next week against Indy, will warrant another drop
21. (21) Cardinals- Bye.
22. (20) Bills- Is it just me or should the Bills play every game like it’s the first game of the year.

THE RAY HANDLEY DIVISION:
23. (23) Dolphins- It wasn’t until week 3 when the Dolphins introduced the Wildcat and went on their improbable run to a division title. Will they do it again? No. Their next five weeks are as follows: Jets (Monday Night), Bye, Saints, Jets and then the Patriots. Doesn’t mean I wasn’t impressed with the pounding they put on the Bills.
24. (24) Seahawks- This is clearly a talented team but not when Seneca Wallace is playing QB. The question is how do you get Matt Hasselback back healthy and then keep him that way.
25. (28) Lions- Despite the loss, you have to be impressed with the way they were able to keep it score for score through the third quarter against the Bears. Jim Schwartz definitely has this team going in the right direction.
26. (26) Panthers- Bye.
27. (29) Redskins- I’m almost at odds with myself for putting them higher on this list but let’s be honest, this team is far too talented to be this low and as much as Redskin fans don’t like Jason Campbell, he’s never been in one system for more than a year as a pro which can always make it seem like he’s never going to be a good QB.
28. (25) Chiefs- Sure they got beat, and beat bad by the Giants, but Tamba Hali looks like a pretty good pass rusher. They’ve got a pretty good RB, WR, and good young TE. They also have a QB who can make plays with his feet which you will need with a young offensive line. They just need their young 1st rounders from LSU to make plays for them.
29. (27.) Rams- Getting blanked is never a good thing regardless of the caliber of opponent.
30. (32) Browns- This move is mostly based on their showing against the Bengals. Sure, it’s a divisional game and obviously teams get up for those games, but with all the criticism this team has been facing and inner turmoil as well, its impressive to see them play well against a very talented team in Cincinatti.
31. (31) Bucs- Its going to a very long year in Tampa.
32. (30) Raiders- Its fair to say that with the investigation into the Tom Cable fight incident being turned over to the DA, that the Raiders have more than just competition on the field to worry about and that is not a good thing for a team that can’t even handle that much.


MVP Watch:
1. Peyton Manning- Sometimes we force too many compliments on a player simply because of who they are. Sometimes, they are completely warranted. You guess which way I’m going with.
2. Drew Brees- Saints are winning without the flashy stat sheet from Brees, which is a scary proposition for the opposition.
3. Elvis Dumervil & Jared Allen- Elvis because he’s the best player on the number one defense and Jared Allen solely based on Monday night’s performance.


And now, the plays that made me go: Seriously?! SERIOUSLY?!?!

Seriously Mark Sanchez? I don’t know if you were staring down Dustin Keller or Darren Sharper on that 1st quarter interception.

Seriously Tony Romo? You throw it to the guy that Champ Bailey is covering on the final two plays? Wait, I forgot, you thought fourth down was third down.

Seriously Raiders? Two plays where you clearly whiffed and didn’t give it your all. Players go there to get over inflated contracts, but even then, players don’t want to stay.

Seriously NFL refs? Some of the calls are getting ridiculous. That Tom Brady rule call on Terrell Suggs was questionable to put it lightly.

Seriously Tennessee? 0-4? Really?

Seriously Washington? You only beat Tampa Bay by 3? A team that couldn’t register a first down till the third quarter just a week ago?

Seriously Cincy? I thought you were better than the Browns by a lot more than 3 points. Apparently the Mangini’s have a bit more fight than originally thought and I don’t just mean Braylon Edwards.

Seriously Coach Del Rio, I think David Garrard deserves to have his radio show back, don’t you?



Now to my thoughts about the Giants and Jets beginning with the Giants:

• Not surprisingly, Steve Smith with his break out day (11 receptions, 134 yards, 2 TD’s.) is now the league leader in receptions. His reputation is only growing and he’s clearly become the go-to receiver for Eli Manning. I’m not surprised at all, this was something that he had shown glimpses of during the Super Bowl run where Manning looked his way several times in big spots. That kind of comfort and confidence in a rookie back in 2007 has blossomed into something quite special for the Giants.
• This also goes back to the offseason for the Giants. Remember when everyone (including me), wondered aloud whether the Giants were making a mistake by not going after a big name WR in a trade when it seemed like so many were there for the taking? It speaks to a very underrated yet very important characteristic every GM needs and that’s understanding your personnel. Since Jerry Reese has a scout’s background, he trusted his staff’s instinct about both the receivers available in this past April’s draft and also the group he had in house which included Mario Manningham who he bragged was a steal in the 3rd round of the 2008 draft. Jerry’s understanding of the market place of wide receivers, his team’s current position and current stable of receivers and their strengths and deemed it wise to spend their cap space on more pressing needs like fortifying defensive line depth which with the injuries that have already sidelined Chris Canty for the first few weeks and put Jay Alford on the IR have proved to be savvy.
• One of the best plays of the game happened right before the half and you won’t see it on any highlight show. The Giants were driving down the field, when Eli hit Kevin Boss over the middle of the field setting themselves up with really good field position. Since they were out of timeouts, they had to hurry up to the line to spike the ball to stop the clock. On the play however, Kevin Boss was clearly injured possibly even hyper extending his knee. If the referees caught it, they could’ve enforced a ten second run off for an injury time out which would’ve ended the half. The O-Line, ran up to the line, picked up Boss and was able to get him up in time to line up at the line of scrimmage and spike the ball which set up a field goal and 3 more points to pad an already secure lead. This comes from situational coaching and coaching in general and how well prepared the Giants always are. Even in games against teams they are clearly better than, they prepare the same way and there is never a let up which of course is what every coach hopes for.
• Justin Tuck again, played in a meaningless game. I’m not a fan of this strategy. I’d rather see him sit but hey, they don’t ask me to make those decisions.
• Really nice to see Hakeem Nicks get in there and make an immediate impact. His catch and run shows the explosiveness that he offers. That nice cut that he used at the end to get into the endzone is very tough to defend, whether it was the Chiefs or not.
• Somebody remind me exactly why everyone is up in arms about Eli Manning quite possibly missing time? This is the same guy who with a separated shoulder played an entire season during the Super Bowl run. He’s not going to miss any time for some soreness on his heel.
• Seeing the game that he played and then finding out that he will be missing a month is a tough pill to swallow for not only Giant fans but for Michael Boley who had to sit out a game before playing and now will have to wait another month according to reports. The Giants will need Chase Blackburn to step up in his place.
• One of the major reasons Michael Boley seemed to be at the right place at the right time was because of the leadership of Antonio Pierce. Every week it seems as if one audible he makes at the line creates some kind of pressure that creates either a turnover or a big play for the defense. His intelligence and leadership are so underrated and a major reason why this Giants defense works.
• The worst part of these games is the ride back realizing players are going to miss time. Due to the physical nature of this game its difficult to keep everyone healthy and once again the Giants injury list seemingly grows. It won’t really matter next week since they face the most pathetic franchise in all of football but it bears watching after next week when their schedule gets difficult.
• The difference between the comfort level between Manning and Smith and Manning to Manningham is apparent in those back shoulder passes Eli threw to Manningham. He just doesn’t have an internal clock yet and can’t anticipate Manningham’s speed. Once he does, watch out. With Nicks speed and break out potential the Giants have the kind of receivers that give fits and then you also add Sinorice Moss’ speed, it will be difficult to keep up with everyone on this roster. The Giants will look to sling it more against the Raiders but must be careful. If there’s one facet of the Raiders that seems to have some sense of competence, its their defensive backs.

Now on to the Jets:
• This much we know: that game by Mark Sanchez was bound to happen. No matter how much the defense kept them in this game. No matter how good the offensive line is supposed to be (and they weren’t good, at all in this game). No matter how good they think they can be, it was bound to happen. Don’t ever assume for a second that growing pains don’t play into a quarterback’s eventual growth. He needs this game and it will be interesting to see how he rises up from this game next week. His body language was terrible during the final minutes of this game. It seemed like he was swallowed up by his thoughts and it was probably his most difficult ride back home. Losing in that fashion can never be good when its clearly going to be dropped onto your lap but I’m sure the Jets have confidence in this kid. He needs to bounce back immediately.
• The Jets faced a better team than they thought. The Saints are clearly one of the two best teams in the NFL. They have played better competition than the Giants but you can make the case that the Giants beating their opponents was more impressive but its tough. The Saints are better defensively and have playmakers on that side of the ball as well.
• Anyone else feel as though Darren Sharper has been playing for 200 years and seems to have a 90 yard INT return every year?
• The Jets defense was incredible especially in short yardage situations. Its difficult to fault them for not being a little pissed off at the offense for blowing this game but remember, one drive was extended thanks to Kris Jenkins false start on a 4th and 1. Ok, ok, I know I’m nit picking. This was completely on the offense, the defense did its part. Holding a team that was averaging 40+ points in the first 3 games to simply 10 this time was pretty impressive.
• Those two interceptions by Mark Sanchez were a small sampling of a larger problem for Sanchez: his turnover potential. He stared down Dustin Keller on that 99 yard interception return by Darren Sharper and he stared down Crotchery on the route when William Gay picked him off. That last interception was more Sharper playing a hunch and coming in at the last second but again, letting the DB know where he was going with the football. On many of his rollouts, you saw Sanchez hold out that ball with just one hand which of course probably made the coaches angry. Reports out of Jets practice facility was that they were working with Sanchez on protecting the ball more. That sack and forced fumble in the end zone to make it 17-0 was more a product of the O-Line unable to slow down that pass rush. Charles Grant played like a man possessed.
• I thought the Jets made a huge mistake in not trying to get Leon Washington into open space. Many times while watching plays where Sanchez had pressure, Washington was open just a few yards in front. Sure, he might have gotten stopped but there are a few plays where he could’ve caught it, turned around and made people miss.
• One thing good teams do, is make teams pay for mistakes and both the Saints and Jets did that in this game.
• The Jets deserve credit for staying in this game but again, that game by Sanchez was bound to happen. I’m sure Sanchez will play better next week, but it bears watching if this performance gets him down.

Now on to the rest of the league:

• Another week and another week to remind us of why Tony Romo is one of the most overrated players in the NFL. Again, throwing to the receiver that is covered by one of the 3 best CB’s in the game. Why? They have Martellus Bennet who is completely being under utilized. They have a running game that showed a lot of heart and strength. I realize they don’t have any time outs, but still, I’m sure they could’ve managed one running play. It all goes back to situational coaching. There is video that confirms that Romo did not know it was 4th down. He’s clearly motioning 3rd down before the 4th down play which of course will get eaten up in Dallas.
• Is it just me or are the Patriots quietly having one of their better seasons? Sure they got helped along their way to that win over the Ravens but it bears watching how this team continues to play well despite not having that great Brady game. Brady’s clearly not back to his old self but still has enough intelligence to make plays when it counts.
• The Braylon Edwards trade is obviously a good move for both sides. The Browns weren’t going anywhere and stockpiling draft picks by selling off their assets is a sound move. For the Jets I don’t really see them vaulting any higher. His production since his breakout season in 07 has been lackluster at best. His 6’5” frame is ideal in red zone situations and deep passes but again it comes back to Sanchez being able to hold on to the football long enough for routes to develop. I’m sure the Jets will work with Edwards on his receiving skills since they certainly need more work.
• One of the best stories of this early season has been the 49ers. Clearly Mike Singletary has played a major role in the reversal of this club’s fortunes. No player’s reversal in attitude is more apparent than Vernon Davis. Who could forget Vernon’s blowup and eventual ejection by coach Singletary? This year, he came in as a captain of the team which would signal that he has bought into the no-nonsense coach’s program. The thing that bears watching is what happens when this team begins to hit a rough patch. Will the team still respond the way they have been? It was difficult to stomach a loss like they suffered against the Vikings but to respond the way they did shows that Singletary has the ear of most of this team.
• Speaking of the 49ers, isn’t it wonderful to see Michael Crabtree forcibly entering a negotiating table? This start by the Niners left himself and his agent no choice but to talk to the team that drafted him before his stock can fall any more. Its clear that the Niners will be contending for a good part of the season and with every passing hour that window of opportunity to get a few extra dollars grows smaller and smaller. Crabtree made very few friends and very few people saw his side of this monetary squabble and I hate to say that this is a terrible time to be holding out over a few extra million when 9% of the American population is unemployed, but let’s be honest: there’s nothing that Crabtree could’ve said in that introductory press conference where he doesn’t look like a guy who crawled back into the room to make money. This goes back to competitive rookie scales. Its incomprehensible that there are guys twice as talented as these so-called can’t miss prospects and earn half as much.
• Is there a better linebacker in football than Patrick Willis? A young Ray Lewis comparison is not far fetched.
• Mark Clayton accepting blame for not catching the 4th down pass is nice and all but I’m sure Raven fans would’ve wanted to hear him talk about making that catch.
• No shame in your game Flacco, you came one makeable catch from completing a comeback that was going to happen had they converted that 1st down.
• Steve Slaton’s performance is beyond disappointing purely from a fantasy standpoint.
• San Diego’s continued up and down play makes it seem more than likely that the days of ol Norv Turner holding this talented team back limited.
• Speaking of a limited showing, Wade Phillips is one more embarrassing loss from the flame under his butt being put on high on the bunson burner. At some point Jerry Jones knows that in order for his team to ever reach its full potential he has to release some control of America’s team and hand the reins to a guy who is qualified to handle a team of the Cowboys stature. Clearly, that means that unless a can’t miss head coaching prospect emerges from either within the ranks or within the Cowboy family, it goes without saying that a big name head coach would be the only route to take here. Chances are, they go with Mike Shanahan. Given his offensive prowess it would make sense and keep an eye out for a possible reunion between him and Gary Kubiak who also sits on a very hot seat that could eventually be too hot to handle. Clearly work needs to be done to Tony Romo’s confidence after three consecutive underwhelming performances.
• Personally, the Steelers win over the Chargers was as un-entertaining as they come. Here are two teams that clearly are on the cusp of either being very middle of the pack or halfway decent. But these two teams don’t seem like contenders just yet. One is missing a defensive stalwart because of injury (Polamalu), the other is missing a defensive stalwart because of performance issues (Merriman).
• Isn’t Percy Harvin one of the most dangerous men with a football in open space?
• The Texans need to get the ball to Jacoby Jones in space more often. Guys who are great punt returners are there because of both their elusiveness, and speed. Guys like them are perfect for screen plays and the sort.
• Best games of next week: Patriots @ Broncos, Falcons @ 49ers and Cincy @ the Ravens.

Till then, Tata!