At some point I had to come back to the foundation and here I am again to reclaim my self respect and act like the last 7 weeks didn’t happen. Wait, I already did by not making the picks.
SAINTS (-10.5) over Falcons- In the 3 weeks that I was gone from America, I wasn’t surprised to find that the Saints had continued to reign as the NFL’s best team. But this season got serious “its destiny” luck last Sunday when it snatched victory from the strong grasp of defeat. It was a classic let down game and yet, the Saints had the good fortune of watching a kicker miss an extra point length field goal and also a strip recovery after an interception that could’ve given the Redskins an extra 3 points. Poor Jason Campbell. He’s actually playing well given the circumstances. Given all we know about how good the Saints have been, you expect a team without Michael Turner and Matt Ryan to beat the Saints? Yeah didn’t think so.
RAVENS (-13.5) over Lions- Dante Culpepper? against the Ravens defense? Usually it wouldn’t be a question but the Ravens defense has been an above average defense which would be an alright thing to describe a defense, but not a Ravens team that for the last decade has built a reputation for being a defensive minded team. Flacco’s regression has been alarming and was so apparent last Sunday when he made some puzzling decisions towards the end of that sloppy game against the Packers. Still, I like the Lions to begin to position themselves at the top of the draft board.
Packers (-3.5) over BEARS- Packers are getting serious Super Bowl buzz and justifiably so. They have one of those how the heck are they reputations about them. Like, how the heck are they the number one defense considering this is the first year in the 3-4. That kind of transition never goes as seamless as its happened. We just wish the Bears were as good as people tried to sell us on.
TEXANS (-7) over Seahawks- If this were in Seattle, it would be a different story. This is the classic get your hopes up about us next year game for the Texans that will make ESPN pick them next year, again, as the team to surprise everyone.
COLTS (-7) over Broncos- I think this will be a telling game for the next few weeks for the Colts. A lot of fuss made over the fact that the Colts will rest their players like they have been the last few years which has only resulted in one Super Bowl. I do think that the Colts will blow the Broncos out and totally shut down the running game.
Dolphins (+3) over JAGS- I love the Dolphins because they are built well (ahem Parcells). Their run game is good and their passing game is sneaky good as well (another Michigan QB in the AFC East ). Like the Jags but the Dolphins come out stronger with all the starters on defense missing on the Jags.
Bills (+1) over CHIEFS- Chiefs are just bad. Bills can cover receivers. Chiefs will foolishly throw the football and the Bills will shut that down quick. I’m sorry to keep it simple, but I don’t understand why teams like to throw overwhelmingly more against the Bills when its clear they can’t shut down a single running team.
Bengals (+6.5) over VIKINGS- Is it wrong for me to want the Bengals to win this game by a lot just for the chance to see Ocho Cinco come through on his promise to use the Viking mascot’s helmet as one of his props in his latest fine inducing TD celebration.
PATS (-13) over Panthers- Classic Patriots blowout game. A lot of pissed off Patriot players after a bizarre week of drama in New England.
Jets (-4.5) over BUCS- Front line of both sides of the ball will be dominant for the Jets.
TITANS (-13) over Rams- Big game for Chris Johnson. 200 yards rushing and 3 TD’s? Could be.
RAIDERS (+1) over Redskins- What about that win for the Raiders? I like Louis Murphy. Guys who come from stable programs in college seem to have a better understanding of how it is in the NFL. Finally Bruce Gradkowski will know his destiny to lead his team to meaningless victories in the NFL.
Chargers (+3) over COWBOYS- What’s great about this game is that on paper it should be a good game. Of course, I don’t expect anything less than an absolute blowout in Big D with the Chargers leaving a cloud of dust behind them and the Boys getting booed out of their own stadium.
Giants (pick) over Eagles- I’m staying mum on this one but I loved Coughlin’s idea to have the Giants practice outdoors despite having an indoor practice facility in the blistering cold earlier in the week.
Cardinals (-3.5) over NINERS- Classic let down game for the Cards but this will let us know if the Cards are going to be the enigma they were last year or a real legitimate scary team for the top two teams in the NFC and the NFL in general.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Week 7 picks
One of the problems of this NFL season has been the amount of truly terrible teams. I for one am not complaining. Why? While games like the Giants and Raiders are great from a Giant fan perspective, games like Eagles/Raiders are just as rewarding.
But I want to focus on the blow out games. They’re really great for entertainment purposes if you’re a fan of the team that’s blowing out the other team but there’s another reason: it’s the perfect co-ed get together/social situation. Say you have a girl who you are getting a good feeling about, you know, a girl you can see yourself with past the six month honeymoon period. You want to take her somewhere more your element because let’s face it, the first few dates are dinner, dinner and movies or some other adventure that you would feel comfortable taking her on where she won’t be staring off into space in ten minutes.
So you invite her over to watch the game with you and your friends and their significant others because let’s face it, the first question out of her mouth or the first thought in her head will be, please tell me there will be other females. The blow out game is perfect because you know exactly how this game will turn out so you can focus on more important things like making eye contact with her, and here’s the important part guys, while the game is going on. Trust me, women eat this kind of stuff up. They will think: wow, this guy loves this team but spent most of the time talking to me and actually looking at me while talking. The best part of it is: you can glance over to the game every once in a while and do the smile. You know the smile. The same smile you see on parents when you talk to them and their attention gravitates to their kid playing with the carpet on the floor. They aren’t doing anything extraordinary, but its your kid and they make you smile. It’s the same way.
Here’s the trick to picking a blow out game. Its tricky and doesn’t work everytime. Why? Easy. There are so many sucky coaches in the NFL that games like this don’t happen often and are even tougher to spot. So sometimes it works like in the case of the Raiders and Giants game and sometimes it won’t work as was the case in the Eagles and Raiders game. Its simple: if the coaches have shaky track records when it comes to having a team prepared, its not a good sign and it’s buyer beware. Because if the sure fire blow out game turns into a close game heading into the fourth quarter, the date becomes null and void and your primal instinct is to turn into fan mode. Which of course negates any good will you might have built up and then as the frustration level rises with each tick of the clock it only gets worse.
Ok, enough of the dating advice: let’s get to the games.
Chargers (-6) vs. CHIEFS- I wanted to pick the Chiefs. I really did. There’s a bit of a controversy brewing in San Diego. Norv Turner is losing his grip on the team (boy, that’s a stretch.). His inability to score in multiple goal line situations while having LDT in his line up is beyond me and is starting to get to the Chargers locker room. Here’s an important characteristic of a sucky head coach: they get cute in situations when they shouldn’t. Like throwing when all you need is a yard. Sometimes, you gotta strap up and find out if your offensive line can get you that one yard.
Colts (-14.5) over RAMS- This one needs no explanation. Peyton should have a field day.
Packers (-9) over BROWNS- A lot of healthy bodies in Green Bay coming back. I think Mangenious should start fining players for sucking while he’s fining for everything else and make it a fan voted poll. I’m sure he’ll win over the locals that way.
STEELERS (-6) over Vikings- This is the upset special of the week and I think everyone agrees. This is where all those mistakes that Brad Childress makes and gets away with because of his team’s overall talent, come back to haunt him. One question: with that headset does he have his own cult that worship him and are there live feeds every Sunday to whatever establishment they get together at and is he talking to them while the game is going on? I feel like that’s the reason he wanted that specialized head set over the usual headwear.
Patriots (-15.5) over Bucs- I know Tampa Bay is the home team here but let’s be real, the NFL is the home team. Boy that sounded like a company line. Sucking up aside, the NFL knowing what they know of both teams and predicting a blow out should’ve talked to officials in England and ask to have Big Ben ring every time the Patriots score.
TEXANS (-3) over 49ers-No doubt that the Texans are beginning to put it together (finally, right ESPN the Magazine?) and no doubt the Niners are coming off a bye where they had to get over the beat down they got served against the Falcons. Sure they have Frank Gore coming back, but I really like the Texans’ overall offense. If the Texans put a beatdown on the Niners, will Mike Singletary pull someone else’s pants down this time? That might serve the team some embarrassment that they need to feel.
Jets (-6) over RAIDERS- I’m actually hesitant about this pick but its Sanchize back in the California sun with Braylon deep and Clowney deep and the running game that should get a nice push going. Remember the questions that came from Jerry Jones making the claim that he got a huge offer this past week before the trade deadline? Well, NFL insider Michael Lombardi suggested that perhaps the Jets asked for Jay Ratliff which would garner a lot of picks and perhaps a player or two. At this point, what more could the Jets give another team without putting this season’s team at jeopardy and are they realistic in pushing this team’s chances at winning now? I think they are a really good team in two years, not this year but hey, that’s why I’m sitting here and they are sitting where they are.
PANTHERS (-7) over Bills- I really hope the Panthers play it smart and run the football since its clear that the Bills only real skill on defense is to stop the pass. Amazing stat of the day: The Bills defense has only allowed ONE passing TD. ONE. Amazing.
BENGALS (+1.5) over Bears- Six months ago, people who would’ve thought this was going to be the Cedric Benson revenge game might have numbered two: Benson and his momma. No matter what people may think, Benson’s resurgence is from the offensive line’s marked improvement and Benson running with purpose and being more prepared. Sometimes situations don’t match up and you can chalk up the Cedric Benson experiment in Chicago to that. Here in welcoming Cincinatti where either your wearing Bengal stripes or downtown stripes, all are welcome!
Saints (-6) over DOLPHINS- Interesting what if theories about Drew Brees and Miami. When Brees entered free agency, he wanted to be a Dolphin but after six hours of rigorous medical examining, the Dolphins decided to pass. Everything else is, as they say, history. The Saints have benefited from Brees and his abilities and the Dolphins were able to bring in a stable hierarchy that’s allowed the Dolphins to build something special. You can say it worked out for both teams. I think Brees still has more motivation to beat the Dolphins.
Falcons (+5) over COWBOYS- Until the Cowboys realize that their only chance of winning is to run the football down the throat of the competition, then I don’t trust them to win against respectable teams who know how to win by not over thinking the situation.
Giants (-7) over Cardinals- Last week’s lack of a pass rush destroyed the Giants chances of beating Drew Brees, don’t expect Kurt Warner to see that zone coverage.
Eagles (-7) over REDSKINS- On the one hand the Redskins are playing for jobs because we all know that Daniel Snyder is going to be like a teenager in front of Best Buy at midnight on Black Friday next year when there’s no salary cap. On the other hand the Eagles just got beat by the Raiders. DA RAIIIIDERS. I don’t know who has more to play for. The Eagles win this big because the Redskin situation is beyond repair at this point. Their offensive play caller this week is a guy who was reading off numbers at a bingo hall when the season began. Nuff said.
Enjoy!
But I want to focus on the blow out games. They’re really great for entertainment purposes if you’re a fan of the team that’s blowing out the other team but there’s another reason: it’s the perfect co-ed get together/social situation. Say you have a girl who you are getting a good feeling about, you know, a girl you can see yourself with past the six month honeymoon period. You want to take her somewhere more your element because let’s face it, the first few dates are dinner, dinner and movies or some other adventure that you would feel comfortable taking her on where she won’t be staring off into space in ten minutes.
So you invite her over to watch the game with you and your friends and their significant others because let’s face it, the first question out of her mouth or the first thought in her head will be, please tell me there will be other females. The blow out game is perfect because you know exactly how this game will turn out so you can focus on more important things like making eye contact with her, and here’s the important part guys, while the game is going on. Trust me, women eat this kind of stuff up. They will think: wow, this guy loves this team but spent most of the time talking to me and actually looking at me while talking. The best part of it is: you can glance over to the game every once in a while and do the smile. You know the smile. The same smile you see on parents when you talk to them and their attention gravitates to their kid playing with the carpet on the floor. They aren’t doing anything extraordinary, but its your kid and they make you smile. It’s the same way.
Here’s the trick to picking a blow out game. Its tricky and doesn’t work everytime. Why? Easy. There are so many sucky coaches in the NFL that games like this don’t happen often and are even tougher to spot. So sometimes it works like in the case of the Raiders and Giants game and sometimes it won’t work as was the case in the Eagles and Raiders game. Its simple: if the coaches have shaky track records when it comes to having a team prepared, its not a good sign and it’s buyer beware. Because if the sure fire blow out game turns into a close game heading into the fourth quarter, the date becomes null and void and your primal instinct is to turn into fan mode. Which of course negates any good will you might have built up and then as the frustration level rises with each tick of the clock it only gets worse.
Ok, enough of the dating advice: let’s get to the games.
Chargers (-6) vs. CHIEFS- I wanted to pick the Chiefs. I really did. There’s a bit of a controversy brewing in San Diego. Norv Turner is losing his grip on the team (boy, that’s a stretch.). His inability to score in multiple goal line situations while having LDT in his line up is beyond me and is starting to get to the Chargers locker room. Here’s an important characteristic of a sucky head coach: they get cute in situations when they shouldn’t. Like throwing when all you need is a yard. Sometimes, you gotta strap up and find out if your offensive line can get you that one yard.
Colts (-14.5) over RAMS- This one needs no explanation. Peyton should have a field day.
Packers (-9) over BROWNS- A lot of healthy bodies in Green Bay coming back. I think Mangenious should start fining players for sucking while he’s fining for everything else and make it a fan voted poll. I’m sure he’ll win over the locals that way.
STEELERS (-6) over Vikings- This is the upset special of the week and I think everyone agrees. This is where all those mistakes that Brad Childress makes and gets away with because of his team’s overall talent, come back to haunt him. One question: with that headset does he have his own cult that worship him and are there live feeds every Sunday to whatever establishment they get together at and is he talking to them while the game is going on? I feel like that’s the reason he wanted that specialized head set over the usual headwear.
Patriots (-15.5) over Bucs- I know Tampa Bay is the home team here but let’s be real, the NFL is the home team. Boy that sounded like a company line. Sucking up aside, the NFL knowing what they know of both teams and predicting a blow out should’ve talked to officials in England and ask to have Big Ben ring every time the Patriots score.
TEXANS (-3) over 49ers-No doubt that the Texans are beginning to put it together (finally, right ESPN the Magazine?) and no doubt the Niners are coming off a bye where they had to get over the beat down they got served against the Falcons. Sure they have Frank Gore coming back, but I really like the Texans’ overall offense. If the Texans put a beatdown on the Niners, will Mike Singletary pull someone else’s pants down this time? That might serve the team some embarrassment that they need to feel.
Jets (-6) over RAIDERS- I’m actually hesitant about this pick but its Sanchize back in the California sun with Braylon deep and Clowney deep and the running game that should get a nice push going. Remember the questions that came from Jerry Jones making the claim that he got a huge offer this past week before the trade deadline? Well, NFL insider Michael Lombardi suggested that perhaps the Jets asked for Jay Ratliff which would garner a lot of picks and perhaps a player or two. At this point, what more could the Jets give another team without putting this season’s team at jeopardy and are they realistic in pushing this team’s chances at winning now? I think they are a really good team in two years, not this year but hey, that’s why I’m sitting here and they are sitting where they are.
PANTHERS (-7) over Bills- I really hope the Panthers play it smart and run the football since its clear that the Bills only real skill on defense is to stop the pass. Amazing stat of the day: The Bills defense has only allowed ONE passing TD. ONE. Amazing.
BENGALS (+1.5) over Bears- Six months ago, people who would’ve thought this was going to be the Cedric Benson revenge game might have numbered two: Benson and his momma. No matter what people may think, Benson’s resurgence is from the offensive line’s marked improvement and Benson running with purpose and being more prepared. Sometimes situations don’t match up and you can chalk up the Cedric Benson experiment in Chicago to that. Here in welcoming Cincinatti where either your wearing Bengal stripes or downtown stripes, all are welcome!
Saints (-6) over DOLPHINS- Interesting what if theories about Drew Brees and Miami. When Brees entered free agency, he wanted to be a Dolphin but after six hours of rigorous medical examining, the Dolphins decided to pass. Everything else is, as they say, history. The Saints have benefited from Brees and his abilities and the Dolphins were able to bring in a stable hierarchy that’s allowed the Dolphins to build something special. You can say it worked out for both teams. I think Brees still has more motivation to beat the Dolphins.
Falcons (+5) over COWBOYS- Until the Cowboys realize that their only chance of winning is to run the football down the throat of the competition, then I don’t trust them to win against respectable teams who know how to win by not over thinking the situation.
Giants (-7) over Cardinals- Last week’s lack of a pass rush destroyed the Giants chances of beating Drew Brees, don’t expect Kurt Warner to see that zone coverage.
Eagles (-7) over REDSKINS- On the one hand the Redskins are playing for jobs because we all know that Daniel Snyder is going to be like a teenager in front of Best Buy at midnight on Black Friday next year when there’s no salary cap. On the other hand the Eagles just got beat by the Raiders. DA RAIIIIDERS. I don’t know who has more to play for. The Eagles win this big because the Redskin situation is beyond repair at this point. Their offensive play caller this week is a guy who was reading off numbers at a bingo hall when the season began. Nuff said.
Enjoy!
Friday, October 23, 2009
Week 6 reaction
After quite possibly the worst picks weekend in the history of anyone who puts his sporting knowledge out there like I do, I’m here to lick my wounds, say I’m sorry to anyone who had the gall to put any type of faith in me and to reclaim any semblance of knowledge and make sense of the beat down suffered by both New York teams (I don’t care what the score board says Jet fans, your team got beat down).
But before all that, let’s see how this week’s action affected the power poll. As always I’m going to try and add a little spice to the rankings by using this year’s baseball playoff teams.
THE NEW YORK YANKEE DIVISION:
1. (2) New Orleans Saints- Its tough to argue about who the best team in the NFL is. When seven different players can score touchdowns on offense and the defense can make a few stops, its tough to beat.
2. (3) Minnesota Vikings- They seem a bit more beatable than the Saints.
3. (5) Denver Broncos- Not giving up skill players like Brandon Marshall and acquiring proven leaders like Brian Dawkins seem to be two moves that have led to this impressive start.
4. (4) Indianapolis Colts- Bye.
5. (1) New York Giants- Ok, lesson learned. The Saints are better than the Raiders.
THE PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES DIVISION:
6. (8) New England Patriots- Ok, so the Patriots fully convinced me that the Titans are not a good team. Welcome back to the eff you game Patriot fans. These are the kind of games the 07 Pats used to play.
7. (10) Atlanta Falcons- Remember that humble pie they ate in New England? Yeah, neither do the Falcons.
8. (12) Pittsburgh Steelers- I realize they beat the Browns so they don’t really need that much of a jump, but you play the schedule you’re given. Add to the fact that Troy Polamalu comes back to anchor the pass defense of the Steelers and those Terrible Towel wavers can feel better.
9. (9) Baltimore Ravens- Forget the fact that the Ravens can’t seem to defend anybody’s receivers or that their Run D is no longer worthy of the vaunted title. I like Flacco and I’m really loving Ray Rice and after this past weekend’s game has entered the “must play” category in fantasy.
10. (7) Cincinatti Bengals- I’m not off the bandwagon yet, especially for losing to a team that easily could be in their position had a few calls gone their way too.
THE LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM DIVISION:
11. (6) Philadelphia Eagles- I don’t know where to begin with that Raider loss. One more like that, it could get bad in Philly.
12. (16) Green Bay Packers- Remember during the preseason when the Packers looked dominant? I think the Packers got back some of that swagger after that beatdown of the Lions. Expect a better team in Lambeau when you know who comes back in two weeks.
13. (13) Miami Dolphins- Bye.
14. (11) Chicago Bears- I’m still not sold on a team that really needs a playmaker on offense outside of Devin Hester. Or Devin Hester needs to develop quicker as a receiver. Not a good sign that the Browns don’t have a pick in the first two rounds in what many insiders are calling a very good draft.
15. (19) Arizona Cardinals- They head into a showdown against the Giants digesting game tape of the Saints beatdown and I’m sure the Cardinal receivers are smiling at each other.
THE LOS ANGELES DODGERS DIVISION:
16. (15) San Diego Chargers- Has one man benefited more from a reputation earned from a world championship team almost 20 years ago? Norv Turner you fantastic interviewer you.
17. (17) San Francisco 49ers- Bye.
18. (18) Dallas Cowboys- Bye.
19. (14) New York Jets- I know rookies are supposed to have bad games, but this one was a terrible, horrible game in the Sanchize era.
20. (21) Houston Texans- Only reason they aren’t higher than the Jets are that the Jets seem more like a known quantity than the Texans. The Texans are too much of an enigma week to week to put any higher than this.
THE BOSTON RED SOX DIVISION:
21. (22.) Carolina Panthers- Liked that they went back to a pretty simple formula: run the damn football. But it can’t be a good sign that your best player, Steve Smith, is complaining about not getting the ball enough.
22. (20) Seattle Seahawks- The positive feeling from the Seahawks I got is wearing very thin.
23. (25) Buffalo Bills- I’m strangely intrigued by a team that clearly has talent on offense, but are a virtual mystery on defense. The Bills always seem to have a good secondary so it wasn’t a surprise that they had a field day in tough weather conditions against a quarterback who admitted to not even practicing in weather like the weather the North East had this past weekend.
24. (23) Jacksonville Jaguars- How do you go down in the power rankings after a win? Barely beating the winless Rams does.
25. (24) Detroit Lions- I know, I know. But hey, if I had to put them against the next few teams, I’m sure Detroit would come away victorious (with Stafford and Calvin Johnson playing of course).
THE UMPIRES IN THE PLAYOFFS:
26. (27) K.C. Chiefs- Not that I’m overly impressed by it, but Sunday they met a team that perhaps is worse off than they are and the Chiefs are in complete rebuild mode.
27. (26) Tennessee Titans- At the end of the year, the Titans should have more wins than any other team in this bottom six, but its not without reason to think that loss was a knockout blow to a team that is solely looking to the future. Now comes the really exciting/most tense era in recent history: seeing what Vince Young has left.
28. (32) Oakland Raiders- Yeah, this is the most surprising jump in my book. After what I thought was a spirit crushing blow to any team’s psyche, the Raiders got off the mat and showed more fight than expected to beat the Eagles.
29. (29) Cleveland Browns- The Browns should’ve tried to trade Shaun Rogers for more draft picks and whoever they could give up not named Josh Cribbs.
30. (31) Tampa Bay Bucs- Based solely on the efforts of one Josh Johnson.
31. (28) Washington Redskins- This is a new low for a once proud franchise. Clearly they are trying to win the title of most dysfunctional franchise tag from the Raiders.
32. (29.) Rams- If there’s any team I’d pick to pull a Detroit this year, it would definitely be the Rams.
MVP Watch:
1. Peyton Manning- Even iduring his bye week, I’m sure he did something MVP worthy that only enhances his worthiness.
2. Drew Brees- He has a defense. That performance was scary.
3. Adrian Peterson- Impressive performance against a pretty good run D in Baltimore.
Head Coach Watch:
1. Jim Zorn- At level Def Com 5.
2. Wade Phillips- Who really thinks that Wade isn’t babysitting this team for Mike Shanahan?
3. Jeff Fisher- Interesting candidate here appearing for the first time. Especially after a 59-0 loss and the owner making comments that seemed eerily like a prelude to a firing.
• SERIOUSLY NFC East? The Giants get embarrassed in a match up of the undefeated teams in the Super Dome. The Redskins continuing their downward march to oblivion and of course the Eagles completing the weekend with an embarrassing showing against the Raiders. The Cowboys I’m sure would’ve added to the embarrassment this weekend but they were on bye. Suddenly the NFC East isn’t looking like the best division in all of football.
• SERIOUSLY Chargers? I mean, this is a good team that’s sorely lacking a coach capable of meshing it all into one good stew. All you had to do was stare at the opponent Broncos to know what a well tuned machine looks like.
• SERIOUSLY Tennessee? No need to tell you how badly a team feels after a 59-0 loss. But how can a team with a coach like Jeff Fisher and a defense that was that good last year play that poorly?
• Drew Brees SERIOUSLY had one of those Madden games where he looked like he was playing a video game.
• SERIOUSLY can’t believe I’m saying this but I agree Mr. Adam Schefter, maybe the Broncos should’ve given up 2 first round draft picks to get Kyle Orton.
Now here are my short but sweet sentiments on the Giants game:
• What more to say this week than this: The Giants got beat by a better team. Right now. What I mean to say is this: The Saints are clearly on a roll and if the Super Bowl were tomorrow I’m sure they could beat any team in the Super Bowl. But as it stands right now, half the season hasn’t been played yet, and the Saints are kind of peaking. This past week’s contest was a mix of poor game planning and overall play by the Giants and Drew Brees in the kind of zone you rarely see players in. Sometimes every throw feels like a TD throw and I’m sure Drew Brees would tell you he felt that way. Fact is, the Giants ran into a team coming off a bye, with a lot to prove to a country that still had yet to buy into them. I’m not discounting this performance because the better team won. But as we all know, its not how you start, its how you finish. The Giants got served a lesson here. What I like about this is, its early enough into the season where the Giants can learn from it, and move forward. Their cupcake schedule is over, and minus Carolina and Washington who are still capable of putting a good game together, the Giants don’t fact any team with a losing record. Like I said, things can change and some of those teams can have some killer injuries that force them to the back of the pack or just self combust like the Redskins seem prepared to do, but a shellacking like this can wake the Giants up from the auto-drive mode they’ve been in over the last month playing teams in the bottom of the power poll.
• The other clear truth confirmed here is this: the secondary is a weakness. A big one. But in all fairness let’s blame one other reason for the secondary being fed to the wolves: Bill Sheridan’s lack of blitz calls. They wanted a four man pass rush from the front four and I understand that the Saints were missing their one Pro-Bowl left tackle but they made up for that by leaving tight ends to block and bringing in extra tackles to fortify their line which made the pass rush almost impossible. Its easy to forget what we lost in Steve Spagnuolo, who left for the Rams head coaching job (although I wouldn’t exactly call that a promotion), and focus on how good the Giants had been in his absence. But let’s be real here. The fact is, the competition was pathetic and the Giants were able to not get too creative and fancy and beat them. That kind of scheming won’t work against the Eagles. Last Sunday’s pathetic showing aside, the Eagles are a formidable team and a nuisance in the Giants way of going back to the Super Bowl. This team is built to get there but clearly won’t if they are held back by a defensive coordinator unable to game plan against an opponent. The Jets laid the blueprint for teams to stop the Saints offense: pressure from all sides and all angles. Make sure Brees has no time to set his feet and throw. But for some unknown reason I didn’t see any of that pressure blitz that Giant fans are used to seeing. The Giants front four pressure wasn’t even getting to Brees until it was too late. There were times it seemed as though Brees was about to get hit, but even then, giving Brees four or five seconds to make his read and set his feet is asking for a completion everytime. That ensured the play would not be in danger of slipping.
• One thing I’m impressed with in Brees is not just his mechanics for a short guy without a gun of an arm, is his precision and his ability to move in the pocket. His footwork is amazing. By footwork I mean, the ability to shift his body while able to come to the ideal position to get as much juice on the ball. It starts all with the legs and when you can summon up the extra bit of energy from the lower regions it gives that ball the extra zip necessary to go through the hands of defenders and right into the receiver’s hands. More so than anything, Drew Brees is so sound fundamentally, it makes it impossible to stop him if you give him any kind of breathing room which the Giants did. Merely getting him off course is nothing, its about getting hands on him and blocking his lanes to throw. He’s short so putting hands up and blocking his vision forces him to move to a place where his vision is better which gives the defense an advantage because the rush can beat them at that point and then its about getting to the QB which is always a welcome challenge to any defensive end or tackle.
• And you thought only baseball umpires could get plays so egregiously wrong. Brandon Jacobs caught an amazing pass on a broken play where Eli Manning basically threw up a prayer. That play was nullified by a holding penalty that on further review was no where to be found. The reason the play was called: the ref saw Shaun O’Hara on top of Charles Grant’s leg. Terrible, terrible, terrible call. The kind of call that lets you as a fan know, nothing your team does, will work.
• For all those Pro-Bradshaw fans (like myself) who ache for Bradshaw to get more reps, I think we saw the primary reason why he doesn’t get more playing time: his blitz pick up is not anywhere near Brandon Jacobs. On a play where Manning was hurried into an interception, you saw the normally calm and stoic Eli Manning lose his cool verbally berating Bradshaw on not realizing where the blitz was coming from. It’s a critical error that forced yet another turnover that created yet another TD for Brees and the Saints. No matter how highly his running skills are regarded, in order to get more playing time, things like blitz pick up need to be corrected and handled. I’m sure coaches this week will be drilling the point home.
Now on to my Jet points which will really be brief:
• Jet fans had to see this performance coming. First game in the elements with the wind tunnel in the Meadowlands can never be understated. Mark Sanchez admitting that he had never even practiced in that kind of weather didn’t bode well for the game. No one can prepare you for Meadowlands when winter truly kicks in like it did this past weekend. What Jet fans are fortunate about is that these licks are being taken in. One interesting point that was brought to my attention this week is this: suddenly Sanchez’s large hand which was used as an advantage is now seen as affecting his velocity and other facets of his passing game. I don’t care about what they say, its just not true. Sanchez is just making poor decisions. Its as simple as that. Throwing 5 interceptions are not a result of misfortune whatsoever. I can understand two, but not five. Five is a result of poor reads and the QB just making mistake after mistake. On several interceptions, he was trying to fit it into windows and throwing it up for grabs. Those kinds of throws might have worked in USC when they were playing UC-Santa Barbara, but they won’t work even against a banged up Bills secondary.
• Losing Kris Jenkins for the year is the kind of devastating loss that can turn a season around. Jenkins was a flat out beast in the middle that took two guys which is the ideal match up that you want your nose tackle to have. The Jet blitzing worked well with him in the line up because he took up so much attention from the O-line, but I feel as though the run defense will take more of a plunge. He seemed to get through the line to stuff a run in the gut so many times every game which will be sorely missed. His presence in the middle forced teams to have at least two guys stop him in pass protection which made it difficult for other teams to protect everyone when Rex would send his all out blitzes. It will be interesting to see how the Jets enter next week’s match up and further down the road against other teams with their current line up. It will be difficult.
• I know everyone is piling on Rex Ryan right now. His style in the beginning when they were winning was about his bravado and his undying confidence of his guys. Now that they have hit a rough patch, its interesting to see his quotes. Remember, he wears his heart on his sleeve so at some point in the season if they continue to tank watch how he handles press conferences. It can turn ugly. I’m not saying he will let it but at some point, emotions can begin to bubble over and the New York media will get to him. Over the course of a lost year, the media here can wear a person down and he had better hope that doesn’t happen. He seems like a very well liked, players coach but the media’s love affair have kind of died out on him and the vultures are already approaching. If they lose to Oakland, there might be some fireworks after that game.
Now here are my thoughts on the rest of the league:
• Very optimistic of Richard Seymour to think that they will be in the playoffs but let’s be real here. On what planet would that ever happen? Their QB was still not that effective in that game and the only way they can make the playoffs is if the defense is that stout up front in every play on every down and that’s virtually impossible. The Raiders have the run game to keep teams off the field for chunks of time, which I would imagine, is their strategy: Make Russell throw it as less as possible and have the three headed monster just run the ball. But the fact of the matter is, I’m virtually certain that it will not be the case and that the Raiders will sink to the bottom as usual. I understand that Tom Cable’s case has gotten thrown out but this organization as a whole has a lot of questions surrounding it to be really functioning as a playoff team. Never say never but I’m 98% sure of this.
• Part two on the Raider situation: When Richard Seymour said what he said, I began to wonder whether it was a clever motivational ploy gained from his years in New England under Bill Belichiek. Belichiek of course was mentored by Bill Parcells who would famously use things like empty gas tanks sitting in a player’s locker to get across a subtle yet important message. Seymour may not have said something he believed in his heart if he were taking a lie detector, but he may have said something to build upon the confidence his team might have gained from Sunday’s victory over a very legitimate Eagle team. The Eagles came in sleep walking thinking they could play C- football and come away with a victory. By the time they realized that would not be the case, it was too late. One play that I loved: Louis Murphy’s blocking on Zach Miller’s TD reception. Murphy comes from Florida and its not a coincidence. On teams like Florida, you fight for playing time and in order to get a coach’s attention you do things like running out a very long pass play to help your teammate score. The kind of plays you earn with hustle and real effort, the kind of effort and winning attitude that has been lacking in Raider camp. Bringing in veterans who no longer have any reason to put in any effort, have caused the Raiders to slump. No coach has been around to get through to the players. Perhaps its time to start drafting from places like Florida, Alabama, Arkansas and legitimate programs that have legitimate head coaches who can get players to play at a high level and willing to walk through the burning fires of hell for you. Even if they come to the Raiders, some of those “take heed of what the coach says” lessons may begin to stick and spark a turnaround. Having a guy like Richard Seymour who is used to a winning environment and knowing what it looks like can also be a help to mentor some of those guys who might not know what it takes.
• Jeff Fisher’s Peyton Manning jersey wearing probably didn’t go over well with many people in the Titan family and fandom but I don’t think it was a coincidence. He might have agreed to do it long before this season but the comment after was probably fueled by recent comments by the owner of the Titans. Bud Adams after Sunday’s game said that the coaching staff would have to have a “serious looking into” which usually means there are some jobs that will be lost. Now is Fisher necessarily on the chopping block no, but let’s understand what’s working these wheels. Fisher has never been on board with the Vince Young experiment as much as Bud Adams has. He’s a Texas guy, was able to draft his stud Texas QB and everything worked out perfectly. Only problem here is: Vince’s ability to mature as a competent QB has been stunted by his own immaturity to accept a lesser role and his on going problems off the field which have clouded anyone’s confidence in him as a leader. The Titans needed a mature QB to lead them to a 13-3 record last year and Young would NOT have been that guy. This year, with everything headed the way they are and with a contract clause that could be or not picked up next year, its clear that the Titans in the midst of a lost season, should find out what they have in Young before making a decision. Only problem is, Jeff Fisher has not publicly stated that he is turning over the team to Vince Young which leads to a lot of head scratching. Giving Vince Young the reins is fueled by business as it is winning or finding out if you have a winner. Fisher is a realist and a coach who has had plenty of successful teams with veteran QB’s. His mind is made up about what Vince Young is already: he’s a bust. How can a coach who is fighting to win a game and trying to convince his team to play hard on every down, supposed to rationalize having a bust in at QB just for the sake of a contract situation. Perhaps the owner’s own personal feelings are mixed in here in this situation which of course makes it worse. Bud Adams was excited to say the least when they drafted Young as he saw it as their QB of the future. He was going to lead the team but with everything that has happened in Young’s career, it’s difficult to really say you have any confidence in him. Whatever happens, it will be interesting to see. Now, if it takes wearing a Peyton Manning jersey to remind him what it “feels like to be a winner”, then it might just end up costing him his job. I don’t think this team will go 0 for anything but if they tank the rest of the season, and Vince Young doesn’t get a majority of the snaps from here on out, yes I do believe we have seen the last of Jeff Fisher in Tennessee. That of course could make the coaching carousel a lot more interesting this offseason.
• That Jay Cutler extension was not a result of Chicago being dazzled by his head first dive into the end zone but more a smart move by his agent protecting his client from what could be a lost pay day come the 2011 season. As reported by Adam Schefter on Twitter, Cutler was supposed to get a roster bonus on Opening Day 2011 under the terms of his old contract. Only problem there is that there could be a work stoppage which would make that bonus null and void. By signing an extension to 2013, Cutler’s agent was able to work that bonus in a year early in 2010 where with the way things are going, will be played without a salary cap. Its easy to see why Chicago would try to keep him there. With a very deep draft coming up, the primary area for the Bears to look at might be receiver in the first round but oh wait, they gave up their first round draft pick and also their second. Picking in the 80’s make it difficult for the team to truly get a game breaking guy unless their scouting team workings wonders. This up-coming draft is set to be one of the best in recent memory with the amount of talent supposedly entering the field. Expect QB’s early (especially with the recent success of Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco), RB’s mid way and your spattering of run stoppers and OT’s throughout the first round. Receivers should only see love towards the end of the round which might have been where Chicago would’ve drafted but as it stands now, they won’t. The Cutler extension was a mandatory thing that had to happen considering they gave up so many first round picks for him and thus the ball was essentially in Chicago’s court to make him an offer that he couldn’t refuse thus giving Cutler and his agent all the leverage. Good job in making it work. Having all but 10 million of your contract guaranteed is a fantastic job.
• The Jets may have to increase their worry ten fold now: The Patriots look like they are back. After numerous glitches with Tom Brady, he didn’t seem to be bothered at all playing in the elements of FoxBoro in the shellacking of the Titans. Brady’s numbers were almost Madden-esque and if you hadn’t seen the game and someone told you the score and his final tally you might have thought it was a video game score. The defense did its share and they gained some huge IQ points with Junior Seau back. I love, and have always loved Shawn Springs because of his physicality and his ability to handle bigger receivers. The rest of the defense might have holes here and there but overall they are a good group, and with Adalius Thomas and Jerrod Mayo, they are pretty good up front. Uh-oh Jet fans.
• Anyone notice that Ben Roethlisberger has turned into a full fledged passer? He leads the league in passing yards and threw for over 300 yards for the third time this season. Amazingly people still associate the Steelers with a power running game but that is no longer the case. Bruce Arians has made it his mission to turn Roethliserberger into a passer and it seems as if it is working.
• Another big comeback for the Vikings. At some point that Favre guy will get challenged. One big red flag was the let down the Viking defense had when it allowed the Ravens to come back. This goes back to the sucky coach corollary. Anytime you have a well known sucky coach who you know can potentially sabotage a good team you can’t possibly expect any lead to last or any kind of false domination to really hold up. Take Andy Reid who is climbing up there. He’s always been surrounded by great minds which take the pressure off him to just eat away and nibble at any lead that his team might have. But his job this past Sunday was an absolutely atrocious job considering the level of talent they were playing and the level of talent that they have. After Brett Favre completed a long pass to Sidney Rice, the Vikings virtually played for a field goal when the play prior and their play in the first half as they were building up their lead suggested that they could pass all over the Ravens. They ran three times with the fans booing and stopped the clock at the 2 minute warning. They basically played to lose. Had the Ravens hit the field goal they would’ve won. They barely won that game and played to lose in the final quarter which will come back to haunt them when it comes to playing teams that know how to close. Give Peyton Manning two minutes to get a field goal at the least or even Tom Brady or even Roethlisberger, Rivers or even Eli, they will all get it done and there’s not a doubt in my mind that Flacco had done a good enough job to get it done. The Vikings are being held back in my mind by a coach who has no idea how to coach based on the situation and has no idea how to control the flow of a game. They barely won and with the talent they have, there’s no reason to not throw at the end. They were already in field goal range. First two downs you HAVE to throw it. HAVE TO. No excuses. This will come back to haunt them if they don’t fix it.
• Next week’s best: Minn @ Pitt (speak of the devil), ATL @ DAL, NO @ Mia, Ari @ NYG. Two games I’m looking forward to just for the fact that we might see something we’ve never seen:
Phi @ Was on Monday night. The fans might boo so loud that Dan Snyder stops his conversation with Tom Cruise to come down and ask Jim Zorn to basically sit out coaching too to let Sherm Lewis take over.
SF @ Hou in a battle of “we don’t know how we’ll play from week to week” teams.
NE @ TB- Watching Roger Goodell beg Bill Belichiek to stop running up the score for the sake of a possible future team in Europe.
ENJOY FOLKS!
But before all that, let’s see how this week’s action affected the power poll. As always I’m going to try and add a little spice to the rankings by using this year’s baseball playoff teams.
THE NEW YORK YANKEE DIVISION:
1. (2) New Orleans Saints- Its tough to argue about who the best team in the NFL is. When seven different players can score touchdowns on offense and the defense can make a few stops, its tough to beat.
2. (3) Minnesota Vikings- They seem a bit more beatable than the Saints.
3. (5) Denver Broncos- Not giving up skill players like Brandon Marshall and acquiring proven leaders like Brian Dawkins seem to be two moves that have led to this impressive start.
4. (4) Indianapolis Colts- Bye.
5. (1) New York Giants- Ok, lesson learned. The Saints are better than the Raiders.
THE PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES DIVISION:
6. (8) New England Patriots- Ok, so the Patriots fully convinced me that the Titans are not a good team. Welcome back to the eff you game Patriot fans. These are the kind of games the 07 Pats used to play.
7. (10) Atlanta Falcons- Remember that humble pie they ate in New England? Yeah, neither do the Falcons.
8. (12) Pittsburgh Steelers- I realize they beat the Browns so they don’t really need that much of a jump, but you play the schedule you’re given. Add to the fact that Troy Polamalu comes back to anchor the pass defense of the Steelers and those Terrible Towel wavers can feel better.
9. (9) Baltimore Ravens- Forget the fact that the Ravens can’t seem to defend anybody’s receivers or that their Run D is no longer worthy of the vaunted title. I like Flacco and I’m really loving Ray Rice and after this past weekend’s game has entered the “must play” category in fantasy.
10. (7) Cincinatti Bengals- I’m not off the bandwagon yet, especially for losing to a team that easily could be in their position had a few calls gone their way too.
THE LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM DIVISION:
11. (6) Philadelphia Eagles- I don’t know where to begin with that Raider loss. One more like that, it could get bad in Philly.
12. (16) Green Bay Packers- Remember during the preseason when the Packers looked dominant? I think the Packers got back some of that swagger after that beatdown of the Lions. Expect a better team in Lambeau when you know who comes back in two weeks.
13. (13) Miami Dolphins- Bye.
14. (11) Chicago Bears- I’m still not sold on a team that really needs a playmaker on offense outside of Devin Hester. Or Devin Hester needs to develop quicker as a receiver. Not a good sign that the Browns don’t have a pick in the first two rounds in what many insiders are calling a very good draft.
15. (19) Arizona Cardinals- They head into a showdown against the Giants digesting game tape of the Saints beatdown and I’m sure the Cardinal receivers are smiling at each other.
THE LOS ANGELES DODGERS DIVISION:
16. (15) San Diego Chargers- Has one man benefited more from a reputation earned from a world championship team almost 20 years ago? Norv Turner you fantastic interviewer you.
17. (17) San Francisco 49ers- Bye.
18. (18) Dallas Cowboys- Bye.
19. (14) New York Jets- I know rookies are supposed to have bad games, but this one was a terrible, horrible game in the Sanchize era.
20. (21) Houston Texans- Only reason they aren’t higher than the Jets are that the Jets seem more like a known quantity than the Texans. The Texans are too much of an enigma week to week to put any higher than this.
THE BOSTON RED SOX DIVISION:
21. (22.) Carolina Panthers- Liked that they went back to a pretty simple formula: run the damn football. But it can’t be a good sign that your best player, Steve Smith, is complaining about not getting the ball enough.
22. (20) Seattle Seahawks- The positive feeling from the Seahawks I got is wearing very thin.
23. (25) Buffalo Bills- I’m strangely intrigued by a team that clearly has talent on offense, but are a virtual mystery on defense. The Bills always seem to have a good secondary so it wasn’t a surprise that they had a field day in tough weather conditions against a quarterback who admitted to not even practicing in weather like the weather the North East had this past weekend.
24. (23) Jacksonville Jaguars- How do you go down in the power rankings after a win? Barely beating the winless Rams does.
25. (24) Detroit Lions- I know, I know. But hey, if I had to put them against the next few teams, I’m sure Detroit would come away victorious (with Stafford and Calvin Johnson playing of course).
THE UMPIRES IN THE PLAYOFFS:
26. (27) K.C. Chiefs- Not that I’m overly impressed by it, but Sunday they met a team that perhaps is worse off than they are and the Chiefs are in complete rebuild mode.
27. (26) Tennessee Titans- At the end of the year, the Titans should have more wins than any other team in this bottom six, but its not without reason to think that loss was a knockout blow to a team that is solely looking to the future. Now comes the really exciting/most tense era in recent history: seeing what Vince Young has left.
28. (32) Oakland Raiders- Yeah, this is the most surprising jump in my book. After what I thought was a spirit crushing blow to any team’s psyche, the Raiders got off the mat and showed more fight than expected to beat the Eagles.
29. (29) Cleveland Browns- The Browns should’ve tried to trade Shaun Rogers for more draft picks and whoever they could give up not named Josh Cribbs.
30. (31) Tampa Bay Bucs- Based solely on the efforts of one Josh Johnson.
31. (28) Washington Redskins- This is a new low for a once proud franchise. Clearly they are trying to win the title of most dysfunctional franchise tag from the Raiders.
32. (29.) Rams- If there’s any team I’d pick to pull a Detroit this year, it would definitely be the Rams.
MVP Watch:
1. Peyton Manning- Even iduring his bye week, I’m sure he did something MVP worthy that only enhances his worthiness.
2. Drew Brees- He has a defense. That performance was scary.
3. Adrian Peterson- Impressive performance against a pretty good run D in Baltimore.
Head Coach Watch:
1. Jim Zorn- At level Def Com 5.
2. Wade Phillips- Who really thinks that Wade isn’t babysitting this team for Mike Shanahan?
3. Jeff Fisher- Interesting candidate here appearing for the first time. Especially after a 59-0 loss and the owner making comments that seemed eerily like a prelude to a firing.
• SERIOUSLY NFC East? The Giants get embarrassed in a match up of the undefeated teams in the Super Dome. The Redskins continuing their downward march to oblivion and of course the Eagles completing the weekend with an embarrassing showing against the Raiders. The Cowboys I’m sure would’ve added to the embarrassment this weekend but they were on bye. Suddenly the NFC East isn’t looking like the best division in all of football.
• SERIOUSLY Chargers? I mean, this is a good team that’s sorely lacking a coach capable of meshing it all into one good stew. All you had to do was stare at the opponent Broncos to know what a well tuned machine looks like.
• SERIOUSLY Tennessee? No need to tell you how badly a team feels after a 59-0 loss. But how can a team with a coach like Jeff Fisher and a defense that was that good last year play that poorly?
• Drew Brees SERIOUSLY had one of those Madden games where he looked like he was playing a video game.
• SERIOUSLY can’t believe I’m saying this but I agree Mr. Adam Schefter, maybe the Broncos should’ve given up 2 first round draft picks to get Kyle Orton.
Now here are my short but sweet sentiments on the Giants game:
• What more to say this week than this: The Giants got beat by a better team. Right now. What I mean to say is this: The Saints are clearly on a roll and if the Super Bowl were tomorrow I’m sure they could beat any team in the Super Bowl. But as it stands right now, half the season hasn’t been played yet, and the Saints are kind of peaking. This past week’s contest was a mix of poor game planning and overall play by the Giants and Drew Brees in the kind of zone you rarely see players in. Sometimes every throw feels like a TD throw and I’m sure Drew Brees would tell you he felt that way. Fact is, the Giants ran into a team coming off a bye, with a lot to prove to a country that still had yet to buy into them. I’m not discounting this performance because the better team won. But as we all know, its not how you start, its how you finish. The Giants got served a lesson here. What I like about this is, its early enough into the season where the Giants can learn from it, and move forward. Their cupcake schedule is over, and minus Carolina and Washington who are still capable of putting a good game together, the Giants don’t fact any team with a losing record. Like I said, things can change and some of those teams can have some killer injuries that force them to the back of the pack or just self combust like the Redskins seem prepared to do, but a shellacking like this can wake the Giants up from the auto-drive mode they’ve been in over the last month playing teams in the bottom of the power poll.
• The other clear truth confirmed here is this: the secondary is a weakness. A big one. But in all fairness let’s blame one other reason for the secondary being fed to the wolves: Bill Sheridan’s lack of blitz calls. They wanted a four man pass rush from the front four and I understand that the Saints were missing their one Pro-Bowl left tackle but they made up for that by leaving tight ends to block and bringing in extra tackles to fortify their line which made the pass rush almost impossible. Its easy to forget what we lost in Steve Spagnuolo, who left for the Rams head coaching job (although I wouldn’t exactly call that a promotion), and focus on how good the Giants had been in his absence. But let’s be real here. The fact is, the competition was pathetic and the Giants were able to not get too creative and fancy and beat them. That kind of scheming won’t work against the Eagles. Last Sunday’s pathetic showing aside, the Eagles are a formidable team and a nuisance in the Giants way of going back to the Super Bowl. This team is built to get there but clearly won’t if they are held back by a defensive coordinator unable to game plan against an opponent. The Jets laid the blueprint for teams to stop the Saints offense: pressure from all sides and all angles. Make sure Brees has no time to set his feet and throw. But for some unknown reason I didn’t see any of that pressure blitz that Giant fans are used to seeing. The Giants front four pressure wasn’t even getting to Brees until it was too late. There were times it seemed as though Brees was about to get hit, but even then, giving Brees four or five seconds to make his read and set his feet is asking for a completion everytime. That ensured the play would not be in danger of slipping.
• One thing I’m impressed with in Brees is not just his mechanics for a short guy without a gun of an arm, is his precision and his ability to move in the pocket. His footwork is amazing. By footwork I mean, the ability to shift his body while able to come to the ideal position to get as much juice on the ball. It starts all with the legs and when you can summon up the extra bit of energy from the lower regions it gives that ball the extra zip necessary to go through the hands of defenders and right into the receiver’s hands. More so than anything, Drew Brees is so sound fundamentally, it makes it impossible to stop him if you give him any kind of breathing room which the Giants did. Merely getting him off course is nothing, its about getting hands on him and blocking his lanes to throw. He’s short so putting hands up and blocking his vision forces him to move to a place where his vision is better which gives the defense an advantage because the rush can beat them at that point and then its about getting to the QB which is always a welcome challenge to any defensive end or tackle.
• And you thought only baseball umpires could get plays so egregiously wrong. Brandon Jacobs caught an amazing pass on a broken play where Eli Manning basically threw up a prayer. That play was nullified by a holding penalty that on further review was no where to be found. The reason the play was called: the ref saw Shaun O’Hara on top of Charles Grant’s leg. Terrible, terrible, terrible call. The kind of call that lets you as a fan know, nothing your team does, will work.
• For all those Pro-Bradshaw fans (like myself) who ache for Bradshaw to get more reps, I think we saw the primary reason why he doesn’t get more playing time: his blitz pick up is not anywhere near Brandon Jacobs. On a play where Manning was hurried into an interception, you saw the normally calm and stoic Eli Manning lose his cool verbally berating Bradshaw on not realizing where the blitz was coming from. It’s a critical error that forced yet another turnover that created yet another TD for Brees and the Saints. No matter how highly his running skills are regarded, in order to get more playing time, things like blitz pick up need to be corrected and handled. I’m sure coaches this week will be drilling the point home.
Now on to my Jet points which will really be brief:
• Jet fans had to see this performance coming. First game in the elements with the wind tunnel in the Meadowlands can never be understated. Mark Sanchez admitting that he had never even practiced in that kind of weather didn’t bode well for the game. No one can prepare you for Meadowlands when winter truly kicks in like it did this past weekend. What Jet fans are fortunate about is that these licks are being taken in. One interesting point that was brought to my attention this week is this: suddenly Sanchez’s large hand which was used as an advantage is now seen as affecting his velocity and other facets of his passing game. I don’t care about what they say, its just not true. Sanchez is just making poor decisions. Its as simple as that. Throwing 5 interceptions are not a result of misfortune whatsoever. I can understand two, but not five. Five is a result of poor reads and the QB just making mistake after mistake. On several interceptions, he was trying to fit it into windows and throwing it up for grabs. Those kinds of throws might have worked in USC when they were playing UC-Santa Barbara, but they won’t work even against a banged up Bills secondary.
• Losing Kris Jenkins for the year is the kind of devastating loss that can turn a season around. Jenkins was a flat out beast in the middle that took two guys which is the ideal match up that you want your nose tackle to have. The Jet blitzing worked well with him in the line up because he took up so much attention from the O-line, but I feel as though the run defense will take more of a plunge. He seemed to get through the line to stuff a run in the gut so many times every game which will be sorely missed. His presence in the middle forced teams to have at least two guys stop him in pass protection which made it difficult for other teams to protect everyone when Rex would send his all out blitzes. It will be interesting to see how the Jets enter next week’s match up and further down the road against other teams with their current line up. It will be difficult.
• I know everyone is piling on Rex Ryan right now. His style in the beginning when they were winning was about his bravado and his undying confidence of his guys. Now that they have hit a rough patch, its interesting to see his quotes. Remember, he wears his heart on his sleeve so at some point in the season if they continue to tank watch how he handles press conferences. It can turn ugly. I’m not saying he will let it but at some point, emotions can begin to bubble over and the New York media will get to him. Over the course of a lost year, the media here can wear a person down and he had better hope that doesn’t happen. He seems like a very well liked, players coach but the media’s love affair have kind of died out on him and the vultures are already approaching. If they lose to Oakland, there might be some fireworks after that game.
Now here are my thoughts on the rest of the league:
• Very optimistic of Richard Seymour to think that they will be in the playoffs but let’s be real here. On what planet would that ever happen? Their QB was still not that effective in that game and the only way they can make the playoffs is if the defense is that stout up front in every play on every down and that’s virtually impossible. The Raiders have the run game to keep teams off the field for chunks of time, which I would imagine, is their strategy: Make Russell throw it as less as possible and have the three headed monster just run the ball. But the fact of the matter is, I’m virtually certain that it will not be the case and that the Raiders will sink to the bottom as usual. I understand that Tom Cable’s case has gotten thrown out but this organization as a whole has a lot of questions surrounding it to be really functioning as a playoff team. Never say never but I’m 98% sure of this.
• Part two on the Raider situation: When Richard Seymour said what he said, I began to wonder whether it was a clever motivational ploy gained from his years in New England under Bill Belichiek. Belichiek of course was mentored by Bill Parcells who would famously use things like empty gas tanks sitting in a player’s locker to get across a subtle yet important message. Seymour may not have said something he believed in his heart if he were taking a lie detector, but he may have said something to build upon the confidence his team might have gained from Sunday’s victory over a very legitimate Eagle team. The Eagles came in sleep walking thinking they could play C- football and come away with a victory. By the time they realized that would not be the case, it was too late. One play that I loved: Louis Murphy’s blocking on Zach Miller’s TD reception. Murphy comes from Florida and its not a coincidence. On teams like Florida, you fight for playing time and in order to get a coach’s attention you do things like running out a very long pass play to help your teammate score. The kind of plays you earn with hustle and real effort, the kind of effort and winning attitude that has been lacking in Raider camp. Bringing in veterans who no longer have any reason to put in any effort, have caused the Raiders to slump. No coach has been around to get through to the players. Perhaps its time to start drafting from places like Florida, Alabama, Arkansas and legitimate programs that have legitimate head coaches who can get players to play at a high level and willing to walk through the burning fires of hell for you. Even if they come to the Raiders, some of those “take heed of what the coach says” lessons may begin to stick and spark a turnaround. Having a guy like Richard Seymour who is used to a winning environment and knowing what it looks like can also be a help to mentor some of those guys who might not know what it takes.
• Jeff Fisher’s Peyton Manning jersey wearing probably didn’t go over well with many people in the Titan family and fandom but I don’t think it was a coincidence. He might have agreed to do it long before this season but the comment after was probably fueled by recent comments by the owner of the Titans. Bud Adams after Sunday’s game said that the coaching staff would have to have a “serious looking into” which usually means there are some jobs that will be lost. Now is Fisher necessarily on the chopping block no, but let’s understand what’s working these wheels. Fisher has never been on board with the Vince Young experiment as much as Bud Adams has. He’s a Texas guy, was able to draft his stud Texas QB and everything worked out perfectly. Only problem here is: Vince’s ability to mature as a competent QB has been stunted by his own immaturity to accept a lesser role and his on going problems off the field which have clouded anyone’s confidence in him as a leader. The Titans needed a mature QB to lead them to a 13-3 record last year and Young would NOT have been that guy. This year, with everything headed the way they are and with a contract clause that could be or not picked up next year, its clear that the Titans in the midst of a lost season, should find out what they have in Young before making a decision. Only problem is, Jeff Fisher has not publicly stated that he is turning over the team to Vince Young which leads to a lot of head scratching. Giving Vince Young the reins is fueled by business as it is winning or finding out if you have a winner. Fisher is a realist and a coach who has had plenty of successful teams with veteran QB’s. His mind is made up about what Vince Young is already: he’s a bust. How can a coach who is fighting to win a game and trying to convince his team to play hard on every down, supposed to rationalize having a bust in at QB just for the sake of a contract situation. Perhaps the owner’s own personal feelings are mixed in here in this situation which of course makes it worse. Bud Adams was excited to say the least when they drafted Young as he saw it as their QB of the future. He was going to lead the team but with everything that has happened in Young’s career, it’s difficult to really say you have any confidence in him. Whatever happens, it will be interesting to see. Now, if it takes wearing a Peyton Manning jersey to remind him what it “feels like to be a winner”, then it might just end up costing him his job. I don’t think this team will go 0 for anything but if they tank the rest of the season, and Vince Young doesn’t get a majority of the snaps from here on out, yes I do believe we have seen the last of Jeff Fisher in Tennessee. That of course could make the coaching carousel a lot more interesting this offseason.
• That Jay Cutler extension was not a result of Chicago being dazzled by his head first dive into the end zone but more a smart move by his agent protecting his client from what could be a lost pay day come the 2011 season. As reported by Adam Schefter on Twitter, Cutler was supposed to get a roster bonus on Opening Day 2011 under the terms of his old contract. Only problem there is that there could be a work stoppage which would make that bonus null and void. By signing an extension to 2013, Cutler’s agent was able to work that bonus in a year early in 2010 where with the way things are going, will be played without a salary cap. Its easy to see why Chicago would try to keep him there. With a very deep draft coming up, the primary area for the Bears to look at might be receiver in the first round but oh wait, they gave up their first round draft pick and also their second. Picking in the 80’s make it difficult for the team to truly get a game breaking guy unless their scouting team workings wonders. This up-coming draft is set to be one of the best in recent memory with the amount of talent supposedly entering the field. Expect QB’s early (especially with the recent success of Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco), RB’s mid way and your spattering of run stoppers and OT’s throughout the first round. Receivers should only see love towards the end of the round which might have been where Chicago would’ve drafted but as it stands now, they won’t. The Cutler extension was a mandatory thing that had to happen considering they gave up so many first round picks for him and thus the ball was essentially in Chicago’s court to make him an offer that he couldn’t refuse thus giving Cutler and his agent all the leverage. Good job in making it work. Having all but 10 million of your contract guaranteed is a fantastic job.
• The Jets may have to increase their worry ten fold now: The Patriots look like they are back. After numerous glitches with Tom Brady, he didn’t seem to be bothered at all playing in the elements of FoxBoro in the shellacking of the Titans. Brady’s numbers were almost Madden-esque and if you hadn’t seen the game and someone told you the score and his final tally you might have thought it was a video game score. The defense did its share and they gained some huge IQ points with Junior Seau back. I love, and have always loved Shawn Springs because of his physicality and his ability to handle bigger receivers. The rest of the defense might have holes here and there but overall they are a good group, and with Adalius Thomas and Jerrod Mayo, they are pretty good up front. Uh-oh Jet fans.
• Anyone notice that Ben Roethlisberger has turned into a full fledged passer? He leads the league in passing yards and threw for over 300 yards for the third time this season. Amazingly people still associate the Steelers with a power running game but that is no longer the case. Bruce Arians has made it his mission to turn Roethliserberger into a passer and it seems as if it is working.
• Another big comeback for the Vikings. At some point that Favre guy will get challenged. One big red flag was the let down the Viking defense had when it allowed the Ravens to come back. This goes back to the sucky coach corollary. Anytime you have a well known sucky coach who you know can potentially sabotage a good team you can’t possibly expect any lead to last or any kind of false domination to really hold up. Take Andy Reid who is climbing up there. He’s always been surrounded by great minds which take the pressure off him to just eat away and nibble at any lead that his team might have. But his job this past Sunday was an absolutely atrocious job considering the level of talent they were playing and the level of talent that they have. After Brett Favre completed a long pass to Sidney Rice, the Vikings virtually played for a field goal when the play prior and their play in the first half as they were building up their lead suggested that they could pass all over the Ravens. They ran three times with the fans booing and stopped the clock at the 2 minute warning. They basically played to lose. Had the Ravens hit the field goal they would’ve won. They barely won that game and played to lose in the final quarter which will come back to haunt them when it comes to playing teams that know how to close. Give Peyton Manning two minutes to get a field goal at the least or even Tom Brady or even Roethlisberger, Rivers or even Eli, they will all get it done and there’s not a doubt in my mind that Flacco had done a good enough job to get it done. The Vikings are being held back in my mind by a coach who has no idea how to coach based on the situation and has no idea how to control the flow of a game. They barely won and with the talent they have, there’s no reason to not throw at the end. They were already in field goal range. First two downs you HAVE to throw it. HAVE TO. No excuses. This will come back to haunt them if they don’t fix it.
• Next week’s best: Minn @ Pitt (speak of the devil), ATL @ DAL, NO @ Mia, Ari @ NYG. Two games I’m looking forward to just for the fact that we might see something we’ve never seen:
Phi @ Was on Monday night. The fans might boo so loud that Dan Snyder stops his conversation with Tom Cruise to come down and ask Jim Zorn to basically sit out coaching too to let Sherm Lewis take over.
SF @ Hou in a battle of “we don’t know how we’ll play from week to week” teams.
NE @ TB- Watching Roger Goodell beg Bill Belichiek to stop running up the score for the sake of a possible future team in Europe.
ENJOY FOLKS!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Week 6 Picks
Week 6 and honestly the discussion about the amount of terrible teams can get kind of old. I don’t want to talk about how the Redskins are falling apart all over. I don’t want to talk about the lack of talent in St Louis. I am tired about talking about how JaMarcus Russell couldn’t throw a 15 yard pass without bouncing it 10 yards or how he has no clock in his head or how he’s the only person that doesn’t understand he’s about 30 pounds overweight for his position.
I’d rather talk about how great this Saints Giants game is going to be. I’d rather think about how many times Brett Favre will have close up conversations with Haloti Ngata and Ray Lewis. I would rather talk about the cooky Jared Allen and how he will probably doing that detonating dance at least 4 times today. So let’s get to it.
Chiefs (+6) over REDSKINS- Seriously? How can the Redskins be giving any team other than the Rams 6 points? Its Vegas screaming at us to pick them and what Vegas still hasn’t understood is, that I’d take this line everytime. The Chiefs are talented enough to compete with the Redskins who are clearly way over their heads with just football in general. They need a group therapy session with their QB, owner, GM, Coach and somebody give John Riggins a hug. That Youtube clip looked like wherever he was, Elvis and Osama Bin Laden were also hiding out there.
BENGALS (-4.5) over Texans- I’ve watched that Andre Johnson play about fifteen times and I still can’t fathom how he got into that end zone. I then thought about how many wide receivers can make that happen and I realized it was only him. No other player is that big to bounce off tackles like that. Maybe Larry Fitz but Johnson is just so much bigger that he can do things that normal receivers can’t. One guy who can’t? Chad OchoCinco. That play where he got popped in his mouth by Ray Lewis which drew a fine was a result of him quitting on that play. He was high enough to catch that pass but he heard Ray Ray coming and he quit. I don’t care what you say. He quit. But I love Ocho purely based on his ability to eat McDonalds everyday and still perform at a high level. Everytime I eat McD’s I want to grab a pillow and sleep, not grab a football and run.
STEELERS (-14) over Browns- Its tough for me to take this many points but against a team who’s starting QB finished 2-for-17, I can’t excuse it. Sorry Browns fans, yet another loss to add to the belt. The GM is probably watching more college football than his own team seeing as how he’s going to have plenty of draft picks.
VIKINGS (-3) over Ravens- All week, I was talking myself into the Ravens, but I just can’t. Two weeks ago they lost their first game. A week ago they gave up their first 100 yard rusher in 40 games. This week, who knows? I see two things happening in this game: AP will rush for over a 100 yards in this game. Percy Harvin will have over a 100 yards over the air. But Ray Rice looks like a sleeper to me to have a huge game.
JAGS (-9) over Rams- MJD did the oh no he didn’t speech where he called out the team basically for their usage of him as a decoy. Not only that, he threw Reggie Bush under the bus too calling him the most expensive decoy in the NFL. But the Rams are bad. I mean really bad. The Jags should have a field day and enough ampage after being blown out 41-0 to take out their frustrations on the pathetic Rams.
Giants (+3) over SAINTS- This is not a pick where I’m using my heart. I just think the Jets blueprint of throwing exotic blitz packages in Drew Brees face was smart, but I think the Giants speed on defense and ability to rotate enough players will keep them fresh into the fourth quarter where I expect the game to be close and that’s where the Giants separate. Should be close but I do expect the G-Men to remain on top.
I realize the big storyline is Jeremy Shockey’s revenge game but let’s be honest. Jeremy doesn’t need our sympathy. He doesn’t deserve it. He allowed himself to get talked into the Giants not needing him and he allowed himself to believe all the backpage garbage. He could’ve been a part of this team but he left on his own. Let’s not go around blaming anyone else. I expect Shockey to talk the talk, but the Giants to walk the walk, especially with Kevin Boss back.
Panthers (-3) over BUCS- Why is this game not on the list to be blacked out? Sorry Carolina/Buc fans, but this is lamefest if I ever heard of one.
PACKERS (-14) over Lions- I think the Lions try really hard and its not without reason to think that they can come away with a close game here. But, with a bye, the Pack should be primed to stomp on the Lions and have a big day.
Philly (-14) over RAIDERS- The Raiders might need a security detail to get them out of the stadium after the Eagles put a hurting on them.
SEAHAWKS (-3) over Cardinals- I like the Seahawks. I think last week’s game is what they are capable of on a weekly basis. Their defense is their only question. Perhaps a good beating of the Cards could convince me a little more.
JETS (-9.5) over Bills- Its raining, its pouring, the Jets keep on blitzing. Did Braylon Edwards have a hands replacement surgery? Or did Andre Johnson give him the gloves from that Dick’s Sporting Goods commercials? Either way, could be a long day for the Bills.
Titans (+9) over PATRIOTS- I need to be convinced that Brady won’t hear footsteps and not throw out the ball a second early like he’s been doing all year. Matt Light is out this week and that’s a huge loss considering that the Titans get good pressure from their front four. Its time for the Titans to make a big statement here.
FALCONS (-3) over Bears- For the sake of the NFL trading deadline, I hope the Bears receivers drop a few passes so that the Bears feel pressured to make a move for TO and finally give Cutler a receiver he can depend on….to make a fuss over the ball and drop key passes. Imagine Cutler’s d-bag reputation mixed with TO’s ability to poison any locker room. I see a Hard Knocks Chicago Bears in their future.
Broncos (+3.5) over CHARGERS- The first question you may ask about Kyle Orton is this is the guy who couldn’t beat out Rex Grossman in Chicago? Well, different system, different leadership. The Broncos continue to be disrespected and Vegas loves the Chargers who still have the undisputed title of most overrated team in the NFL.
Last Week: 7-7
Season: 44-32
I’d rather talk about how great this Saints Giants game is going to be. I’d rather think about how many times Brett Favre will have close up conversations with Haloti Ngata and Ray Lewis. I would rather talk about the cooky Jared Allen and how he will probably doing that detonating dance at least 4 times today. So let’s get to it.
Chiefs (+6) over REDSKINS- Seriously? How can the Redskins be giving any team other than the Rams 6 points? Its Vegas screaming at us to pick them and what Vegas still hasn’t understood is, that I’d take this line everytime. The Chiefs are talented enough to compete with the Redskins who are clearly way over their heads with just football in general. They need a group therapy session with their QB, owner, GM, Coach and somebody give John Riggins a hug. That Youtube clip looked like wherever he was, Elvis and Osama Bin Laden were also hiding out there.
BENGALS (-4.5) over Texans- I’ve watched that Andre Johnson play about fifteen times and I still can’t fathom how he got into that end zone. I then thought about how many wide receivers can make that happen and I realized it was only him. No other player is that big to bounce off tackles like that. Maybe Larry Fitz but Johnson is just so much bigger that he can do things that normal receivers can’t. One guy who can’t? Chad OchoCinco. That play where he got popped in his mouth by Ray Lewis which drew a fine was a result of him quitting on that play. He was high enough to catch that pass but he heard Ray Ray coming and he quit. I don’t care what you say. He quit. But I love Ocho purely based on his ability to eat McDonalds everyday and still perform at a high level. Everytime I eat McD’s I want to grab a pillow and sleep, not grab a football and run.
STEELERS (-14) over Browns- Its tough for me to take this many points but against a team who’s starting QB finished 2-for-17, I can’t excuse it. Sorry Browns fans, yet another loss to add to the belt. The GM is probably watching more college football than his own team seeing as how he’s going to have plenty of draft picks.
VIKINGS (-3) over Ravens- All week, I was talking myself into the Ravens, but I just can’t. Two weeks ago they lost their first game. A week ago they gave up their first 100 yard rusher in 40 games. This week, who knows? I see two things happening in this game: AP will rush for over a 100 yards in this game. Percy Harvin will have over a 100 yards over the air. But Ray Rice looks like a sleeper to me to have a huge game.
JAGS (-9) over Rams- MJD did the oh no he didn’t speech where he called out the team basically for their usage of him as a decoy. Not only that, he threw Reggie Bush under the bus too calling him the most expensive decoy in the NFL. But the Rams are bad. I mean really bad. The Jags should have a field day and enough ampage after being blown out 41-0 to take out their frustrations on the pathetic Rams.
Giants (+3) over SAINTS- This is not a pick where I’m using my heart. I just think the Jets blueprint of throwing exotic blitz packages in Drew Brees face was smart, but I think the Giants speed on defense and ability to rotate enough players will keep them fresh into the fourth quarter where I expect the game to be close and that’s where the Giants separate. Should be close but I do expect the G-Men to remain on top.
I realize the big storyline is Jeremy Shockey’s revenge game but let’s be honest. Jeremy doesn’t need our sympathy. He doesn’t deserve it. He allowed himself to get talked into the Giants not needing him and he allowed himself to believe all the backpage garbage. He could’ve been a part of this team but he left on his own. Let’s not go around blaming anyone else. I expect Shockey to talk the talk, but the Giants to walk the walk, especially with Kevin Boss back.
Panthers (-3) over BUCS- Why is this game not on the list to be blacked out? Sorry Carolina/Buc fans, but this is lamefest if I ever heard of one.
PACKERS (-14) over Lions- I think the Lions try really hard and its not without reason to think that they can come away with a close game here. But, with a bye, the Pack should be primed to stomp on the Lions and have a big day.
Philly (-14) over RAIDERS- The Raiders might need a security detail to get them out of the stadium after the Eagles put a hurting on them.
SEAHAWKS (-3) over Cardinals- I like the Seahawks. I think last week’s game is what they are capable of on a weekly basis. Their defense is their only question. Perhaps a good beating of the Cards could convince me a little more.
JETS (-9.5) over Bills- Its raining, its pouring, the Jets keep on blitzing. Did Braylon Edwards have a hands replacement surgery? Or did Andre Johnson give him the gloves from that Dick’s Sporting Goods commercials? Either way, could be a long day for the Bills.
Titans (+9) over PATRIOTS- I need to be convinced that Brady won’t hear footsteps and not throw out the ball a second early like he’s been doing all year. Matt Light is out this week and that’s a huge loss considering that the Titans get good pressure from their front four. Its time for the Titans to make a big statement here.
FALCONS (-3) over Bears- For the sake of the NFL trading deadline, I hope the Bears receivers drop a few passes so that the Bears feel pressured to make a move for TO and finally give Cutler a receiver he can depend on….to make a fuss over the ball and drop key passes. Imagine Cutler’s d-bag reputation mixed with TO’s ability to poison any locker room. I see a Hard Knocks Chicago Bears in their future.
Broncos (+3.5) over CHARGERS- The first question you may ask about Kyle Orton is this is the guy who couldn’t beat out Rex Grossman in Chicago? Well, different system, different leadership. The Broncos continue to be disrespected and Vegas loves the Chargers who still have the undisputed title of most overrated team in the NFL.
Last Week: 7-7
Season: 44-32
Friday, October 16, 2009
WEEK 5 Reaction
Week 5 is finally over and its now time to start sending out apologies to the Denver Broncos for my continued disrespect, and a huge jump from a certain AFC East team. Last week I did a Giants themed Power Ranking category, so of course its only natural I do a Jets themed one this time:
THE WEEB EWBANK DIVISION
1. (1) Giants- Its one thing beating the teams the Giants have the last few weeks, it’s a completely different thing to completely demoralize the team by half time like the Giants have been. The cupcake schedule is over, its time for some statement victories.
2. (2) Saints- Bye.
3. (3) Vikings- The less I see Brett Favre throw, the better this team looks. The key is keeping Favre’s throws to a minimum while still remaining effective.
4. (6) Colts- I know Albert Pujols is known as the machine, but we should probably start coming up with a similar name for Peyton Manning considering the start to the season he’s had right?
5. (9) Broncos- I and the majority of the football world didn’t see this coming but every decision that McDaniels has made this season thus far have proven to be awesome.
THE BILL PARCELLS DIVISION
6. (8) Eagles- The Eagles are gaining steam and with Maclin’s emergence, the possibility that the Eagles shop Kevin Curtis before the trade deadline is likely.
7. (13) Bengals- Probably one of the best scenes you will ever see on a football field was Sunday when the Bengal players all huddled around defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer and hugged him after coaching despite his wife dying only a few days earlier.
8. (4) Patriots- From the perspective of an Anti-Boston sports fan, I liked the fact that the Patriots lost in overtime, but from the perspective of a sports fan in general, it’s a crime that both teams don’t get the opportunity to have the ball at least once in overtime.
9. (5) Ravens- I’m still sipping the kool-aid on the Ravens but lets just say I’m looking at the glass with a confused expression. Where did their pass defense go?
10. (12) Falcons- I really had no confidence in them last week. Then the Falcons went ahead and reminded me that they have a running game and Roddy White still plays there.
THE HERMAN EDWARDS DIVISION
11. (11) Bears- Bye.
12. (14) Steelers- I believe they found their replacement for Nate Washington in Mike Wallace. I’m really trying to stay away from the easy 60 minutes joke here. I really am.
13. (23) Dolphins- If that is what they can expect from Chad Henne, this will be a dangerous team and an exciting finish to the AFC East.
14. (10) Jets- Leaving two timeouts while the Dolphins were driving really takes a lot of luster off the Rex Ryan era already.
15. (15) Chargers- Bye.
THE ERIC MANGINI DIVISION
16. (16) Packers- Bye.
17. (7) 49ers- I know this is a tough drop for them but the Niners absolutely atrocious performance warrants a drop like this. Having Crabtree begin to practice and entering a bye, come at a welcome time.
18. (17) Cowboys- The only reason this team didn’t drop down any further is because Miles Austin displayed athleticism and brute force that Roy Williams never has. If anything Austin played himself into the conversation of being their number 1 and demoting Roy to number 2 where he likes being. What’s lost in that final TD throw was what a terrible pass Romo threw and what a fantastic play Austin made at the ball to wrestle it away and run it in. Yes, I still threw a shot at Romo despite the Cowboys winning in the clutch.
19. (21) Cardinals- Looks like they are making their push now.
20. (24) Seahawks- This is a far different team with Matt Hasselback at the QB position. Now you can run Seneca Wallace in the Wildcat formation and have TJ Houshmendzedeh catching passes and taking attention off of other receivers who look to pick up their production.
THE AL GROH DIVISION
21. (18) Texans- That Andre Johnson play is just absolutely beast-like.
22. (26) Panthers- They won, but barely, against a team that can barely stand each other.
23. (19) Jaguars- I don’t care who you are, when you lose 41-0, there’s no way you don’t drop in the rankings.
24. (25) Lions- I know that the Lions won’t have Stafford or Megatron this week but unlike most 1 win teams, this team has heart and plays with it.
25. (22) Bills- Can someone locate the corpse of Lee Evans?
THE RICH KOTITE DIVISION
26. (20) Titans- You drop when fans are vocally asking for Vince Young to come and save the team.
27. (28) Chiefs- I’m already putting them above the Redskins before they meet, so you know where I’m going with that.
28. (27) Redskins- Hey Skin fans, for 100 million, that Albert Haynesworth is a big guy that can hide well in the injury report.
29. (30) Browns- I guess winning a 6-3 game where your punter gets more love than any other player by analysts deserves a bump up in the standings.
30. (29) Rams- When a team’s biggest headline coming off an embarrassing loss is about Rush Limbaugh, score it a victory. Coach Spags, you’re more than welcome to return to the Giants.
31. (31) Bucs
32. (32) Raiders- Unlike the Bucs, the Raiders QB situation is a complete waste while the Bucs clearly have something with Josh Johnson. So naturally putting these two teams together would make a pretty good team wouldn’t it? Is that mean for me to think like that?
MVP WATCH:
1. Peyton Manning (QB) Colts- Simply put, having the best start to a season that he’s ever had and that’s saying something.
2. Drew Brees (QB) Saints- Will be put to test by number one ranked defense in the NFL.
3. Jared Allen (DE) Vikings- Love his cooky personality, mullet and overall never quit attitude.
Since this season has had so many coaches entering each week wondering if a pink slip is headed their way we’re also going to do a head coach watch for those whose jobs are a little less secure than they’d like.
HEAD COACH WATCH:
1. Jim Zorn- He’s already begun using excuses in press conferences and his owner is crazy enough to fire him at half time of a game much less week by week.
2. Tom Cable- Only reason he’s not number one is because he might be arrested before he even gets to be fired by the Raiders.
3. Wade Phillips- Had he lost that game to the Chiefs, I’m pretty sure he’d be flying commercial back to Dallas.
• SERIOUSLY Browns and Bills? 6-3? Was that even a football game? The Dodgers and Phillies scored more than you guys.
• SERIOUSLY JaMarcus Russell? There isn’t a word in the English dictionary to truly capture how bad you were last Sunday.
• SERIOUSLY Andre Johnson? That touchdown catch by you was ridiculous. Truly was a man among boys.
• SERIOUSLY MNF announcers? The moment they stopped praising Darrelle Revis, he got beat deep by Ted Ginn. What a jinx.
• SERIOUSLY Dallas? Had to go to overtime to beat the Chiefs?
• SERIOUSLY Jacksonville? 41-0? That was just beyond a ridiculous score.
• SERIOUSLY 49ers? Not only did your coach start fights with his own players, but Dre Bly’s Deion move in the beginning stages of his run back was not only stupid but it was in the midst of his team getting blown out. It not only makes no sense whatsoever, but Deion only started high stepping close to the end zone, he hadn’t even crossed his side of the field. What a dope.
• SERIOUSLY Bill Belichiek? Apparently he has a lot of affection for Josh McDaniels. When he was coming to congratulate him, Belichiek looked like he was searching for him in earnest but he was no where to be found. What we found out later was that Belichiek went to the locker room and found McDaniels and spoke to him there. Somewhere in Cleveland Eric Mangini is crying for daddy’s attention too.
Here are my thoughts on the Giants/(masque)Raiders Game:
• The first play was kind of a mission statement of the Giants: accept the challenge given to you by your critics and go about proving them wrong from jump street. When the season began, the worry was about the passing game, and everyone screamed for a top flight receiver. When the Giants drafted two young wideouts, many people scoffed that they could make any kind of noise on a Super Bowl ready team. Yet, here they are with the league’s best WR in most statistical categories. This week’s mission was to prove to the league that Eli was healthy. The very first offensive snap that he was under center, the play call was simple but to the point. Eli, with a play action, had to shuffle in the pocket, plant his back foot and fire a pass to get close to a first down. The first play told you everything you need to know about the Giants: meet the challenge, and beat the challenge.
• The last play of the first drive had to be troubling for Giant fans however. That last play had Ahmad Bradshaw line up behind Eli and get the hand off at the goal line for the first touchdown of the game. Why troubling? It was clearly a decision made based on Brandon Jacob’s lack of effectiveness in that area which has always been his bread and butter. Short yardage and goal line situations is where Jacobs earned his recently signed contract, but this season and going back to after the Plaxico situation, its been his biggest area of doubt. For the third week in a row, everyone was talking about Ahmad Bradshaw’s performance instead of discussing Jacob’s massive power running style opening things up for the rest of the team. If anything, Tom Coughlin needs to do something to wake up Jacob’s old style which was always no holds barred, in your face, smash mouth football that the Giants love to play. When Jacobs stalled at the goal line, I thought of the Giants running the exact same running play at the playoff game against the Eagles last year and it made me think about how the result still is the same. Something needs to be done to end this.
• It got so bad at one point that the Giants facing a 3rd and 24 after a stupid penalty by Kareem McKenzie, threw a screen play and Bradshaw was able to easily get a first down.
• I don’t want to sound like someone beating a dead horse with this JaMarcus Russell thing, but at some point, the Raiders this season will have to consider cutting ties with their number one draft pick. He’s so fundamentally bad that its not even funny. His internal clock, and peripheral vision are horrendous which of course make it so simple for teams to come in with varying looks and get to him before he even releases the football. I was downright shocked that he finished the game with 100 yards of passing. One should never watch a player in the NFL and honestly think: I could play better than him.
• The funny thing is, I see some real talent on this Oakland roster but a toxic environment makes it impossible for this team to actually be successful. At some point Al Davis’ corpse is going to have to be told to step aside and let someone else control the day to day affairs. Reports are that he still has a lot of say in player decisions which absolutely makes no sense since he looks like he can barely walk from one side of a room to the other without needing a break.
• The Raiders have a competent running game and a defense with enough playmakers (if led properly) can be a pretty decent team. The Raiders just need some sort of competent leadership to come in and cut Russell, get a good defensive coordinator and have a good head coach that will police the team and bring in a stable work environment. But who will be brave enough to accept the responsibility to come in and do that with the Raiders. Every big name head coach will likely avoid that which leaves only newcomers aching to get a chance at a NFL team. The Raiders will have to hope that whoever comes in, will not be afraid to do their job.
• One thing the Giants have been doing well is getting Hakeem Nicks comfortable in the offense. The schedule has given them an easy breeze through the first few weeks and it has allowed them to see what they have, not only with Nicks but with the rest of the receiving corps which to the surprise of many have come to be a strength. At some point the Giants running game will get going more than it has been because teams will have to respect the passing game. Right now, its not without reason that the Giants are considered the most complete team in all of football.
• Best play of the game had to be seeing David Carr running in the touchdown. Nothing better to see a battered former number one draft pick come to a good team and enjoy the benefits of playing again. His spike and jumping to high five the fans was a genuinely good moment.
• By the way the score for this game should’ve been 51-0. The Raiders got a gift from Sinorice Moss and then a blown call on a clear fumble that they overturned thanks to the blasted whistle being blown.
Now on to my thoughts on the Jets game:
• First off, great game and these two teams always seem to produce great games and especially on Monday Night. The game that still sticks out in my mind is the Marino fake spike game which was probably the greatest fake out ever in football and raised the legend of Dan Marino to another level. Of course the game from Monday Night that sticks out is the Jets coming back from a double digit deficit in the fourth quarter to win. Always good games when these two get together.
• It seemed as though the offensive line of the Dolphins had a much better game than the defensive line of the Jets. The Dolphins just seemed to be muscling the Jets front 4 all day. The Jets from the first drive on really had no answer for the WildCat but that was all because the front 5 did an awesome job blocking for Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams who seemed to be running through big holes all day.
• I underestimated this running attack of the WildCat. It’s a phenomenal system that puts so many different looks on defense and forces defenses to commit immediately to one player which of course is the beauty of it. If you guess wrong, these two backs can make you pay. They are both big enough to get the few extra yards after being wrapped up and fast enough to get to the edge and run through a lane. It’s a pretty special group.
• The one thing that struck me immediately is how good Chad Henne is for the Dolphins. Last year’s second round draft pick has really come through for the Dolphins and really looks like a stud at that position which is almost a luxury to the Dolphins since they don’t really run a base offense with a QB under center. Henne gets to go and get some rest and get some reps at receiver where he is merely a decoy but some of those throws he made especially at the 2 minute warning to get the first down to Greg Camarillo was such an excellent and clutch throw in the face of that Jet blitz that it was almost shocking to realize he only began playing in the NFL two weeks ago.
• The funniest tweet I heard was on Bill Simmons page where someone said that Rex Ryan physically ate the two timeouts. Which of course brings me to the boneheaded play of the game. I understand Rex’s explanation: he didn’t think they would score because of his confidence in the defense. But shouldn’t you try and conserve some time for your offense to get on the field to possibly get a deep throw or a chance at a field goal? The Jets scored pretty quickly during their last few drives and now have a deep threat in Braylon Edwards who can clearly make plays. I understand the Jets putting the game in the hands of their defense but the entire day the Jets defense had been outmuscled by the Dolphin front 5 and at the end of the day you have to play to your strengths on that day. That day, the Dolphins were doing well against the Jet D and the Jet blitz. The Dolphins ran a lot of screens and option routes to keep the Jets from coming through the A gap and forcing them to go sideline to sideline on almost every running play. Having them rush to the outside of course weakens the possibility of a loss of yardage or any pushback if the line blocks well. The Dolphins line did block well so they had plenty of yards on each play.
• The Jets running game had some success against a defense that was giving up only 69 rushing yards a game. They were already at over 100 at the half. Again, getting Leon Washington in open space must be a priority in the playbook. Getting him to come out on screens in clear blitzing situations is the easy play call and a play call that I believe will be successful more times than not.
• What a start for Braylon Edwards. A couple of fantastic grabs. Should’ve been two touchdowns but the other one (Which was his best catch) was overturned on a good call. One thing I didn’t agree with was the pass interference call that Miami had called on them. They had 3 that stick out but the last one with about six minutes left was really a terrible call. Will Allen barely had his arms on him and was struggling to keep up and his eyes were on the ball to make a play on it. Either way, Edwards’ hands seemed pretty good to me and made some catches that the Browns wished he would’ve made for them. He’s a pretty good target and Sanchez’s growing confidence in him is a good sign for the Jets.
• That pitch and catch with Chad Henne and Ted Ginn was a thing of beauty.
Here are my thoughts on the rest of the week’s games:
• How is Derek Anderson a better QB option than Brady Quinn? Maybe I’m not seeing how he stinks that bad, but completing only 2 passes against a beat up Bills secondary is just downright pathetic and I’m sure Quinn would’ve done better.
• Its amazing how many former all pro’s and team legends have come out and been outspoken about how badly the Redskins have played. First it was Sonny Jurgensen, now you have Jim Riggins on both Twitter and Youtube, talking about Zorn’s only real qualification being a high school football coach and not even worthy of being an offensive coordinator in the NFL. Its critical right now for the Redskins to not get swallowed up by all the negativity surrounding them. Its week 6 and this can be a rallying point for the team. If they can somehow get past everyone’s opinion about how much they stink and focus on football, they can possibly recover from everything. Its kind of sad to see beloved franchise figures come out in public and blast the organization but it speaks volumes to what Daniel Snyder has done to this franchise. He’s alienated fans and is too blinded to see what’s going on. Its clear that he has no intent on changing his behavior and doesn’t plan on changing how he behaves. Also, its important to note that even if there is an uncapped year next year, a lot of those guys who thought were going to be free agents are not so Snyder’s free spending ways won’t even be affective which then brings everything back to drafting. Next year, the Redskins are going to have to have a good draft and they’ve shown that they just are not that great in that department.
• People have wondered why there are so many bad teams out there and its simple. This season is a result of several years of terrible drafting and horrible management. Think about the Raiders who last hit on a first rounder in 2002 when they drafted Nnamdi Asomugha. Its been seven years since a rookie has produced something of actual value for the Raiders. No team can go that long without a first rounder producing. First rounders, no matter how they turn out, have to be game changing players. No matter what, I’ve always felt as though teams draft in the first round based on need and in all honesty I’ve always felt that it was wrong. Sometimes need and talent at that position of need come together hand in hand but most of the time the most talented player is the one you should take. If there’s an Adrian Peterson sitting on the board, you take him and then try and build talent around him. You don’t let him go down a few pegs just because. Talent is not something you can teach. Most guys get better because of effort, but if certain players are starting at a higher peak, then good coaching can make good players great. That’s what you pay them to do. Need is good, and that’s where you can still find good deals in round 2. Think about the Bengals this year. They got a great tackle (finally reported) and then in the second round was able to wait out all those teams that had need based draft picks and let Ray Malualuga slip to them in the beginning of the second round. Look at what he’s done to add toughness to that defense. Teams that let bad first round draft picks happen, usually slip so far down that its hard to just pick it up after a year. They need to have a Jerry Reese 7 for 7 kind of draft to get things moving in the right direction. But that also has to do with the right type of coaching in place and management ‘s ability to evaluate talent and understand what the team needs and how to fit pieces into place.
• I like most people were surprised by how badly the 49ers played. Remember a few weeks back when I said it would be interesting to see how the 49er players would respond when faced with adversity? We’re about to find out.
• Tough few losses for Baltimore. Back to back on final plays. It just seems as if the Ravens are relying too much on Flacco’s arm and forgetting that they are a power running team first.
• Best scene you will see on a football field: Mike Zimmer getting hugged by his players. Can’t be anything better than that. Honestly one of the most heartwarming scenes. The Bengals could quite easily be 0-5 and its not that far fetched to believe that either. But their defense has been markedly improved over the last few years and they have the best cornerback duo you don’t hear about on a weekly basis: Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph. It’s a tandem you should be paying attention to. Also, give credit to where credit is due: Carson Palmer is fulfilling some of that promise that people were raving about after that 2005 season.
• Denver’s victory just continues to show that good scheme and preparation can make any team a good one. The only quote I ever hear from Broncos are about how great McDaniels prepares them each week. It’s a testament to everything that he’s learned in the Belichiek system. Think about it, what other team are you happy got off to a 5-0 start? Here’s a team that was second guessed (even by me) for dissing a franchise QB to be traded off especially one who seemed to be a perfect fit for this system. Then, when the star WR grumbled about a new contract and wanted to be traded, he stuck to his guns. All the while he had a plan. He knew that the guy he traded for (Kyle Orton) would work. He knew that he could afford to give up Jay Cutler because of what it would mean in terms of draft picks. He hired a smart defensive mind. He installed the Patriot’s proven mantra of shutup and do your job. The kind of belief system that doesn’t put the power in the hands of players but in the hands of a team. An actual unit. As much as I hate the Patriots, the Patriot way is a proven system that actually works. Its about teaching the game and building up football IQ. All the while, he brought in guys like Brian Dawkins who had a work ethic and was a proven leader in the locker room to establish a player policing system. He laid the groundwork and prepared for success. That’s why this team is 5-0 and no other team deserves the good start than them.
• Don’t agree with MJD’s recent diatribe talking about how his team stinks. Those kind of comments need to be kept to himself. Its embarrassing to not only himself, but his teammates when he talks that negatively about being out coached.
• Best games next week: NYG @ NO, BAL @ MIN, and TEN @ NE. Yes, I’m eager to watch an 0-5 team play.
THE WEEB EWBANK DIVISION
1. (1) Giants- Its one thing beating the teams the Giants have the last few weeks, it’s a completely different thing to completely demoralize the team by half time like the Giants have been. The cupcake schedule is over, its time for some statement victories.
2. (2) Saints- Bye.
3. (3) Vikings- The less I see Brett Favre throw, the better this team looks. The key is keeping Favre’s throws to a minimum while still remaining effective.
4. (6) Colts- I know Albert Pujols is known as the machine, but we should probably start coming up with a similar name for Peyton Manning considering the start to the season he’s had right?
5. (9) Broncos- I and the majority of the football world didn’t see this coming but every decision that McDaniels has made this season thus far have proven to be awesome.
THE BILL PARCELLS DIVISION
6. (8) Eagles- The Eagles are gaining steam and with Maclin’s emergence, the possibility that the Eagles shop Kevin Curtis before the trade deadline is likely.
7. (13) Bengals- Probably one of the best scenes you will ever see on a football field was Sunday when the Bengal players all huddled around defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer and hugged him after coaching despite his wife dying only a few days earlier.
8. (4) Patriots- From the perspective of an Anti-Boston sports fan, I liked the fact that the Patriots lost in overtime, but from the perspective of a sports fan in general, it’s a crime that both teams don’t get the opportunity to have the ball at least once in overtime.
9. (5) Ravens- I’m still sipping the kool-aid on the Ravens but lets just say I’m looking at the glass with a confused expression. Where did their pass defense go?
10. (12) Falcons- I really had no confidence in them last week. Then the Falcons went ahead and reminded me that they have a running game and Roddy White still plays there.
THE HERMAN EDWARDS DIVISION
11. (11) Bears- Bye.
12. (14) Steelers- I believe they found their replacement for Nate Washington in Mike Wallace. I’m really trying to stay away from the easy 60 minutes joke here. I really am.
13. (23) Dolphins- If that is what they can expect from Chad Henne, this will be a dangerous team and an exciting finish to the AFC East.
14. (10) Jets- Leaving two timeouts while the Dolphins were driving really takes a lot of luster off the Rex Ryan era already.
15. (15) Chargers- Bye.
THE ERIC MANGINI DIVISION
16. (16) Packers- Bye.
17. (7) 49ers- I know this is a tough drop for them but the Niners absolutely atrocious performance warrants a drop like this. Having Crabtree begin to practice and entering a bye, come at a welcome time.
18. (17) Cowboys- The only reason this team didn’t drop down any further is because Miles Austin displayed athleticism and brute force that Roy Williams never has. If anything Austin played himself into the conversation of being their number 1 and demoting Roy to number 2 where he likes being. What’s lost in that final TD throw was what a terrible pass Romo threw and what a fantastic play Austin made at the ball to wrestle it away and run it in. Yes, I still threw a shot at Romo despite the Cowboys winning in the clutch.
19. (21) Cardinals- Looks like they are making their push now.
20. (24) Seahawks- This is a far different team with Matt Hasselback at the QB position. Now you can run Seneca Wallace in the Wildcat formation and have TJ Houshmendzedeh catching passes and taking attention off of other receivers who look to pick up their production.
THE AL GROH DIVISION
21. (18) Texans- That Andre Johnson play is just absolutely beast-like.
22. (26) Panthers- They won, but barely, against a team that can barely stand each other.
23. (19) Jaguars- I don’t care who you are, when you lose 41-0, there’s no way you don’t drop in the rankings.
24. (25) Lions- I know that the Lions won’t have Stafford or Megatron this week but unlike most 1 win teams, this team has heart and plays with it.
25. (22) Bills- Can someone locate the corpse of Lee Evans?
THE RICH KOTITE DIVISION
26. (20) Titans- You drop when fans are vocally asking for Vince Young to come and save the team.
27. (28) Chiefs- I’m already putting them above the Redskins before they meet, so you know where I’m going with that.
28. (27) Redskins- Hey Skin fans, for 100 million, that Albert Haynesworth is a big guy that can hide well in the injury report.
29. (30) Browns- I guess winning a 6-3 game where your punter gets more love than any other player by analysts deserves a bump up in the standings.
30. (29) Rams- When a team’s biggest headline coming off an embarrassing loss is about Rush Limbaugh, score it a victory. Coach Spags, you’re more than welcome to return to the Giants.
31. (31) Bucs
32. (32) Raiders- Unlike the Bucs, the Raiders QB situation is a complete waste while the Bucs clearly have something with Josh Johnson. So naturally putting these two teams together would make a pretty good team wouldn’t it? Is that mean for me to think like that?
MVP WATCH:
1. Peyton Manning (QB) Colts- Simply put, having the best start to a season that he’s ever had and that’s saying something.
2. Drew Brees (QB) Saints- Will be put to test by number one ranked defense in the NFL.
3. Jared Allen (DE) Vikings- Love his cooky personality, mullet and overall never quit attitude.
Since this season has had so many coaches entering each week wondering if a pink slip is headed their way we’re also going to do a head coach watch for those whose jobs are a little less secure than they’d like.
HEAD COACH WATCH:
1. Jim Zorn- He’s already begun using excuses in press conferences and his owner is crazy enough to fire him at half time of a game much less week by week.
2. Tom Cable- Only reason he’s not number one is because he might be arrested before he even gets to be fired by the Raiders.
3. Wade Phillips- Had he lost that game to the Chiefs, I’m pretty sure he’d be flying commercial back to Dallas.
• SERIOUSLY Browns and Bills? 6-3? Was that even a football game? The Dodgers and Phillies scored more than you guys.
• SERIOUSLY JaMarcus Russell? There isn’t a word in the English dictionary to truly capture how bad you were last Sunday.
• SERIOUSLY Andre Johnson? That touchdown catch by you was ridiculous. Truly was a man among boys.
• SERIOUSLY MNF announcers? The moment they stopped praising Darrelle Revis, he got beat deep by Ted Ginn. What a jinx.
• SERIOUSLY Dallas? Had to go to overtime to beat the Chiefs?
• SERIOUSLY Jacksonville? 41-0? That was just beyond a ridiculous score.
• SERIOUSLY 49ers? Not only did your coach start fights with his own players, but Dre Bly’s Deion move in the beginning stages of his run back was not only stupid but it was in the midst of his team getting blown out. It not only makes no sense whatsoever, but Deion only started high stepping close to the end zone, he hadn’t even crossed his side of the field. What a dope.
• SERIOUSLY Bill Belichiek? Apparently he has a lot of affection for Josh McDaniels. When he was coming to congratulate him, Belichiek looked like he was searching for him in earnest but he was no where to be found. What we found out later was that Belichiek went to the locker room and found McDaniels and spoke to him there. Somewhere in Cleveland Eric Mangini is crying for daddy’s attention too.
Here are my thoughts on the Giants/(masque)Raiders Game:
• The first play was kind of a mission statement of the Giants: accept the challenge given to you by your critics and go about proving them wrong from jump street. When the season began, the worry was about the passing game, and everyone screamed for a top flight receiver. When the Giants drafted two young wideouts, many people scoffed that they could make any kind of noise on a Super Bowl ready team. Yet, here they are with the league’s best WR in most statistical categories. This week’s mission was to prove to the league that Eli was healthy. The very first offensive snap that he was under center, the play call was simple but to the point. Eli, with a play action, had to shuffle in the pocket, plant his back foot and fire a pass to get close to a first down. The first play told you everything you need to know about the Giants: meet the challenge, and beat the challenge.
• The last play of the first drive had to be troubling for Giant fans however. That last play had Ahmad Bradshaw line up behind Eli and get the hand off at the goal line for the first touchdown of the game. Why troubling? It was clearly a decision made based on Brandon Jacob’s lack of effectiveness in that area which has always been his bread and butter. Short yardage and goal line situations is where Jacobs earned his recently signed contract, but this season and going back to after the Plaxico situation, its been his biggest area of doubt. For the third week in a row, everyone was talking about Ahmad Bradshaw’s performance instead of discussing Jacob’s massive power running style opening things up for the rest of the team. If anything, Tom Coughlin needs to do something to wake up Jacob’s old style which was always no holds barred, in your face, smash mouth football that the Giants love to play. When Jacobs stalled at the goal line, I thought of the Giants running the exact same running play at the playoff game against the Eagles last year and it made me think about how the result still is the same. Something needs to be done to end this.
• It got so bad at one point that the Giants facing a 3rd and 24 after a stupid penalty by Kareem McKenzie, threw a screen play and Bradshaw was able to easily get a first down.
• I don’t want to sound like someone beating a dead horse with this JaMarcus Russell thing, but at some point, the Raiders this season will have to consider cutting ties with their number one draft pick. He’s so fundamentally bad that its not even funny. His internal clock, and peripheral vision are horrendous which of course make it so simple for teams to come in with varying looks and get to him before he even releases the football. I was downright shocked that he finished the game with 100 yards of passing. One should never watch a player in the NFL and honestly think: I could play better than him.
• The funny thing is, I see some real talent on this Oakland roster but a toxic environment makes it impossible for this team to actually be successful. At some point Al Davis’ corpse is going to have to be told to step aside and let someone else control the day to day affairs. Reports are that he still has a lot of say in player decisions which absolutely makes no sense since he looks like he can barely walk from one side of a room to the other without needing a break.
• The Raiders have a competent running game and a defense with enough playmakers (if led properly) can be a pretty decent team. The Raiders just need some sort of competent leadership to come in and cut Russell, get a good defensive coordinator and have a good head coach that will police the team and bring in a stable work environment. But who will be brave enough to accept the responsibility to come in and do that with the Raiders. Every big name head coach will likely avoid that which leaves only newcomers aching to get a chance at a NFL team. The Raiders will have to hope that whoever comes in, will not be afraid to do their job.
• One thing the Giants have been doing well is getting Hakeem Nicks comfortable in the offense. The schedule has given them an easy breeze through the first few weeks and it has allowed them to see what they have, not only with Nicks but with the rest of the receiving corps which to the surprise of many have come to be a strength. At some point the Giants running game will get going more than it has been because teams will have to respect the passing game. Right now, its not without reason that the Giants are considered the most complete team in all of football.
• Best play of the game had to be seeing David Carr running in the touchdown. Nothing better to see a battered former number one draft pick come to a good team and enjoy the benefits of playing again. His spike and jumping to high five the fans was a genuinely good moment.
• By the way the score for this game should’ve been 51-0. The Raiders got a gift from Sinorice Moss and then a blown call on a clear fumble that they overturned thanks to the blasted whistle being blown.
Now on to my thoughts on the Jets game:
• First off, great game and these two teams always seem to produce great games and especially on Monday Night. The game that still sticks out in my mind is the Marino fake spike game which was probably the greatest fake out ever in football and raised the legend of Dan Marino to another level. Of course the game from Monday Night that sticks out is the Jets coming back from a double digit deficit in the fourth quarter to win. Always good games when these two get together.
• It seemed as though the offensive line of the Dolphins had a much better game than the defensive line of the Jets. The Dolphins just seemed to be muscling the Jets front 4 all day. The Jets from the first drive on really had no answer for the WildCat but that was all because the front 5 did an awesome job blocking for Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams who seemed to be running through big holes all day.
• I underestimated this running attack of the WildCat. It’s a phenomenal system that puts so many different looks on defense and forces defenses to commit immediately to one player which of course is the beauty of it. If you guess wrong, these two backs can make you pay. They are both big enough to get the few extra yards after being wrapped up and fast enough to get to the edge and run through a lane. It’s a pretty special group.
• The one thing that struck me immediately is how good Chad Henne is for the Dolphins. Last year’s second round draft pick has really come through for the Dolphins and really looks like a stud at that position which is almost a luxury to the Dolphins since they don’t really run a base offense with a QB under center. Henne gets to go and get some rest and get some reps at receiver where he is merely a decoy but some of those throws he made especially at the 2 minute warning to get the first down to Greg Camarillo was such an excellent and clutch throw in the face of that Jet blitz that it was almost shocking to realize he only began playing in the NFL two weeks ago.
• The funniest tweet I heard was on Bill Simmons page where someone said that Rex Ryan physically ate the two timeouts. Which of course brings me to the boneheaded play of the game. I understand Rex’s explanation: he didn’t think they would score because of his confidence in the defense. But shouldn’t you try and conserve some time for your offense to get on the field to possibly get a deep throw or a chance at a field goal? The Jets scored pretty quickly during their last few drives and now have a deep threat in Braylon Edwards who can clearly make plays. I understand the Jets putting the game in the hands of their defense but the entire day the Jets defense had been outmuscled by the Dolphin front 5 and at the end of the day you have to play to your strengths on that day. That day, the Dolphins were doing well against the Jet D and the Jet blitz. The Dolphins ran a lot of screens and option routes to keep the Jets from coming through the A gap and forcing them to go sideline to sideline on almost every running play. Having them rush to the outside of course weakens the possibility of a loss of yardage or any pushback if the line blocks well. The Dolphins line did block well so they had plenty of yards on each play.
• The Jets running game had some success against a defense that was giving up only 69 rushing yards a game. They were already at over 100 at the half. Again, getting Leon Washington in open space must be a priority in the playbook. Getting him to come out on screens in clear blitzing situations is the easy play call and a play call that I believe will be successful more times than not.
• What a start for Braylon Edwards. A couple of fantastic grabs. Should’ve been two touchdowns but the other one (Which was his best catch) was overturned on a good call. One thing I didn’t agree with was the pass interference call that Miami had called on them. They had 3 that stick out but the last one with about six minutes left was really a terrible call. Will Allen barely had his arms on him and was struggling to keep up and his eyes were on the ball to make a play on it. Either way, Edwards’ hands seemed pretty good to me and made some catches that the Browns wished he would’ve made for them. He’s a pretty good target and Sanchez’s growing confidence in him is a good sign for the Jets.
• That pitch and catch with Chad Henne and Ted Ginn was a thing of beauty.
Here are my thoughts on the rest of the week’s games:
• How is Derek Anderson a better QB option than Brady Quinn? Maybe I’m not seeing how he stinks that bad, but completing only 2 passes against a beat up Bills secondary is just downright pathetic and I’m sure Quinn would’ve done better.
• Its amazing how many former all pro’s and team legends have come out and been outspoken about how badly the Redskins have played. First it was Sonny Jurgensen, now you have Jim Riggins on both Twitter and Youtube, talking about Zorn’s only real qualification being a high school football coach and not even worthy of being an offensive coordinator in the NFL. Its critical right now for the Redskins to not get swallowed up by all the negativity surrounding them. Its week 6 and this can be a rallying point for the team. If they can somehow get past everyone’s opinion about how much they stink and focus on football, they can possibly recover from everything. Its kind of sad to see beloved franchise figures come out in public and blast the organization but it speaks volumes to what Daniel Snyder has done to this franchise. He’s alienated fans and is too blinded to see what’s going on. Its clear that he has no intent on changing his behavior and doesn’t plan on changing how he behaves. Also, its important to note that even if there is an uncapped year next year, a lot of those guys who thought were going to be free agents are not so Snyder’s free spending ways won’t even be affective which then brings everything back to drafting. Next year, the Redskins are going to have to have a good draft and they’ve shown that they just are not that great in that department.
• People have wondered why there are so many bad teams out there and its simple. This season is a result of several years of terrible drafting and horrible management. Think about the Raiders who last hit on a first rounder in 2002 when they drafted Nnamdi Asomugha. Its been seven years since a rookie has produced something of actual value for the Raiders. No team can go that long without a first rounder producing. First rounders, no matter how they turn out, have to be game changing players. No matter what, I’ve always felt as though teams draft in the first round based on need and in all honesty I’ve always felt that it was wrong. Sometimes need and talent at that position of need come together hand in hand but most of the time the most talented player is the one you should take. If there’s an Adrian Peterson sitting on the board, you take him and then try and build talent around him. You don’t let him go down a few pegs just because. Talent is not something you can teach. Most guys get better because of effort, but if certain players are starting at a higher peak, then good coaching can make good players great. That’s what you pay them to do. Need is good, and that’s where you can still find good deals in round 2. Think about the Bengals this year. They got a great tackle (finally reported) and then in the second round was able to wait out all those teams that had need based draft picks and let Ray Malualuga slip to them in the beginning of the second round. Look at what he’s done to add toughness to that defense. Teams that let bad first round draft picks happen, usually slip so far down that its hard to just pick it up after a year. They need to have a Jerry Reese 7 for 7 kind of draft to get things moving in the right direction. But that also has to do with the right type of coaching in place and management ‘s ability to evaluate talent and understand what the team needs and how to fit pieces into place.
• I like most people were surprised by how badly the 49ers played. Remember a few weeks back when I said it would be interesting to see how the 49er players would respond when faced with adversity? We’re about to find out.
• Tough few losses for Baltimore. Back to back on final plays. It just seems as if the Ravens are relying too much on Flacco’s arm and forgetting that they are a power running team first.
• Best scene you will see on a football field: Mike Zimmer getting hugged by his players. Can’t be anything better than that. Honestly one of the most heartwarming scenes. The Bengals could quite easily be 0-5 and its not that far fetched to believe that either. But their defense has been markedly improved over the last few years and they have the best cornerback duo you don’t hear about on a weekly basis: Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph. It’s a tandem you should be paying attention to. Also, give credit to where credit is due: Carson Palmer is fulfilling some of that promise that people were raving about after that 2005 season.
• Denver’s victory just continues to show that good scheme and preparation can make any team a good one. The only quote I ever hear from Broncos are about how great McDaniels prepares them each week. It’s a testament to everything that he’s learned in the Belichiek system. Think about it, what other team are you happy got off to a 5-0 start? Here’s a team that was second guessed (even by me) for dissing a franchise QB to be traded off especially one who seemed to be a perfect fit for this system. Then, when the star WR grumbled about a new contract and wanted to be traded, he stuck to his guns. All the while he had a plan. He knew that the guy he traded for (Kyle Orton) would work. He knew that he could afford to give up Jay Cutler because of what it would mean in terms of draft picks. He hired a smart defensive mind. He installed the Patriot’s proven mantra of shutup and do your job. The kind of belief system that doesn’t put the power in the hands of players but in the hands of a team. An actual unit. As much as I hate the Patriots, the Patriot way is a proven system that actually works. Its about teaching the game and building up football IQ. All the while, he brought in guys like Brian Dawkins who had a work ethic and was a proven leader in the locker room to establish a player policing system. He laid the groundwork and prepared for success. That’s why this team is 5-0 and no other team deserves the good start than them.
• Don’t agree with MJD’s recent diatribe talking about how his team stinks. Those kind of comments need to be kept to himself. Its embarrassing to not only himself, but his teammates when he talks that negatively about being out coached.
• Best games next week: NYG @ NO, BAL @ MIN, and TEN @ NE. Yes, I’m eager to watch an 0-5 team play.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Week 5 picks
Week 5 is here and after all the compromising, wheeling and dealing done, I can’t help but think about one thing I watched this week. The NFL Network’s America’s Game series is one of the best, and really well done docu-series of Super Bowl Champions every year. It does a good job in going inside a team’s season and the most compelling storylines ever year.
I only got the NFL Network when I switched from cable to Dish Network two years ago, just in time for the Giants to win the Super Bowl. I read all the local newspapers so I kind of knew every storyline that they would play up in the docu-series, but for people who weren’t involved, I’m sure the angle with the fued between Tiki and Eli during the beginning of the season and the defense being atrocious the first two weeks, and everything was eye opening to many who didn’t follow the Giants as closely and so gave the viewer a new perspective on how this underdog was building up to the upset in the Super Bowl over the heavily favored Patriots.
One thing every team has in common is that there is a turning point game with either a statement victory or a statement play that the team rides to a Super Bowl victory. The Giants two years ago had just given up 80 points in two games in Steve Spagnuolo’s first year as defensive coordinator and then came the Redskins game. They were finally winning one and had to make a defensive stand at the goal line. They did and the confidence gotten from that victory helped them for the rest of the season.
Since watching that series, I’ve begun to pay attention to storylines around teams that have the ability to go on a run that can propel them into the playoffs and eventually even win the Super Bowl.
The good thing about that is its not so laborious as you might think. The NFL is the only sport that talks about parity and actually sees it played out. In baseball, how many people actually thought that revenue sharing despite all its wonderful traits, was going to prevent a team like the $200 million payroll to get into the playoffs. Of course the counter to that argument are the Mets. Well, let’s not talk about the Mets season yet, I’m still recovering from the season and every time I think about it, it makes me get a sour taste on my mouth and I have to immediately drink a gallon of water just to get it out.
But this season, the disparity between the NFL’s best and NFL’s worst is so alarming. Last year we had 4 winless teams heading into week 5, this year its 6. In 2007 it was only 3. A majority of the franchises in 2007 had legitimate hope that despite their record, there was still a sliver of hope. Heck, last year, people in Detroit had hope despite going winless the entire year because they were losing very tight games so it told you that it had some kind of talent to work with, it just wasn’t going well.
This year, try and make a case for KC, Oakland, Cleveland St. Louis, and Tampa. They are a combined 1-19 and I’m sure their fan bases have already begun packing away their football stuff and go to football stadiums merely to watch the opposition play. Sad. You can even sense that the fans of Carolina and Tennessee are kind of in “uh-oh” mode as they look at their seasons going down the drain.
Despite all that, there’s one storyline that’s going so under the radar that it won’t hit us until Super Bowl Sunday when all we have to watch are those “how they got there” segments that make you go, “oh, I see.” Well it does for me.
Is it Michael Crabtree buckling under the overwhelming realization that he has no leverage and he better sign now or is it the Jets after Mark Sanchez’s first truly horrific performance sending a message to their team by trading for Braylon Edwards? Is it the Saints winning because of their defense instead of in spite it or the Giants putting to rest all those questions about who’s going to replace Plaxico Burress? Is it Tony Romo finally being able to utilize all that talent he has and beginning to realize…wait, what am I saying. That will NEVER happen.
Here are my picks of course picking against Vegas, with Vegas but most importantly FOR Vegas:
GIANTS (-16.5) Over Raiders- When I saw where this line opened at the beginning of the week, I was almost tempted to pick the Raiders. Their defense has been decent. They have a decent defensive line and have arguably the best corner not living on Revis Island. But then I realized that the Raiders continue to miserably trek through the JaMarcus Russell experiment and I came to my senses. JaMarcus Russell looks like QB’s who have long retired with all that extra baggage in the front tummy area. Just because the guy can throw a pretty pass does not mean he can operate an NFL offense and its clear both his conditioning and preparation are huge areas of concern to any person in the Raider organization and then I realize, wait, this is the Raiders we’re talking about here. The Giants defense should have a field day against this Raiders team playing without Darren McFadden but more importantly playing WITH JaMarcus Russell.
Vikings (8.5) Over RAMS- You can label this the classic let down game for Brett Favre. Just came off an adrenaline boosting victory over your former employer and basically destroyed your reputation with a fan base that worshipped you for 16 years. Walking into St Louis against a team that may or may not be owned partially by Rush Limbaugh. Favre now is playing for all liberals in America everywhere who just don’t like smug, overweight, racist know it alls who don’t really know anything at all.
Cowboys (8.5) over CHIEFS- I thought last week was the classic Tony Romo break out game where he takes advantage of a lesser talented team. What we know now is that Denver IS for real. What was great about that last drive for the Cowboys was even when Romo made that great play to get a first down (the classic Romo tease play), I had no doubt he would ruin it in the end and lose the game. There’s a certain limit to Romo’s skills we have seen and to unlock the remaining amount of potential is to change not just the coach (duh), but also to change the offensive coordinator. I may make fun of Tony Romo but the play calling in the red zone has been absolutely atrocious and its almost insulting sometimes. Just imagine if the Cowboys had switched the play call from “let’s keep challenging a top 3 cornerback on the game’s final two plays on the same play to the same receiver” to “let’s throw a jump ball to Martellus Bennett” like they did in Carolina. Not only do the Cowboys and Romo look unprepared for situational football its clear that the play calling sets them back even further. Either way, this game should be the game where Romo lovers get excited about because they are going to swear that Romo is regaining his confidence. Let’s hope so, because if there’s anything better than Romo looking bad, its watching Romo backers put him on a pedestal and watching the legs come out from underneath them.
Redskins (+3.5) over Panthers- Common sense says that if there’s one week to make a push its this week for the Panthers. Only, I think the Redskins D is playing pretty well for a team who’s offense makes them look anything but. I don’t know if anyone will want to show up for this game but if you do no one will fault you for wanting to not show up or just staying in the parking lot tailgating for the day.
EAGLES (-13.5) over Bucs- I feel bad for the Bucs. Raheem Morris is clearly over his head in trying to turn this thing around. What hurt more was that they let go of Derrick Brooks who was the emotional center of this team and would’ve been the undisputed leader in the clubhouse. You get the feeling that there is nothing close to that on this team. Their best option at QB is a guy who the coach already labeled as his best option at back up QB. This week’s game against Philly will not be good, nor close. One negative for Philly: Can they tell DeSean Jackson to stop trying to injure himself when he scores a TD? Everytime he scores, his celebrations aren’t the kind that get you pumped, more like, phew, ok DeSean, get to the sideline. When you have to think about whether it was a good TD dance then it wasn’t.
BILLS (-6.5) over Browns- I played into the whole mystique of playing in Buffalo against the Saints and I promised myself from here on out, I would use my head when making picks and not trusting in any kind of factor outside of what happens on the football field. But with the Browns coming in, I’m going to go into playing in Buffalo against a team that is going in transition who may or may not have quit on his coach a long time ago. There’s a growing movement of people who think Trent Edwards suck. I don’t think he sucks but he’s in that Tony Romo class: he shows enough for people to overvalue him but has enough sucky moments for people who think with their head to never be confused.
RAVENS (-8.5) over Bengals- I’ve been on the Bengal bandwagon since I first saw the Hard Knocks episode where OchoCinco introduced “child please” into the urban slang dictionary. But they are going against a team that’s pissed off that they lost a game and I like John Harbaugh. He knows what to say to his team to get them prepared and has a feel for what his team can do and always has them prepared. I like coaches who don’t overstate their importance and don’t think they need to do anything more than just be an overseer of how the game plan is implemented and capable of making tough decisions on the fly. I like a big day for our boy Flacco who continues to impress as the 9,000 page offensive playbook of Cam Cameron’s gets opened up even more every week.
Steelers (-10.5) over Lions- Last week was the first time there was any kind of pulse from the Steelers running game. It serves them well. The first few weeks you saw Santonio Holmes emerging as the go-to guy in an offense that has clearly become passer friendly. I love what Mike Tomlin did to Rashad Mendenhall and simple ploys and tricks always do well to drive home the simple point: if you don’t put forth the effort, you will never succeed.
49ERS (-2.5) over Falcons- The Niners coming off an impressive victory over the Rams and the Falcons coming off a bye after a decisive defeat at the hands of the Patriots. I like how the Niners are playing and how they are constructed and the general electricity of the Crabtree signing. I think this game will be close but nothing leads me to believe that the Niners won’t beat the Falcons by at least a touchdown.
BRONCOS (+3.5) over Patriots- Yes, I said it. Not because of any previously held bias. I just feel that the personnel on the Broncos match up well against the personnel on the Patriots. I know that everyone in America feel strongly in the Patriots and what they have accomplished but with a pass rusher like Elvis Dumervil (who’s lack of size actually helps him more than takes away from his game) and with receivers galore and a coach who’s building up the Patriot way in Denver, its tough. I know Kyle Orton is no Tom Brady but he doesn’t make mistakes (0 interceptions) and is content with throwing the football away than take sacks. I just don’t see the same confident Brady and that shaky Brady might show up in Denver where the Broncos have won the last 3 of 4.
CARDINALS (-5.5) over Texans- I love this match up. I love the Cardinals here coming off a bye where they were able to settle down and get timing with the receivers. Look for a big day for Kurt Warner.
Jaguars (-2.5) over SEAHAWKS- Remember when the Seahawks had a great home field advantage? Remember when this might have been the Super Bowl match up just a few years ago? Ugh.
Colts (-3.5) over TITANS- Its clear Vegas is not ready to give up on the Titans. This is the make it or break it week for Kerry Collins who clearly is the best QB option for this team but I understand why they are going to make that decision to try out Vince Young. What fan’s might not know is that with Vince Young’s contract comes up after this season and the Titans need to see what they have before they either commit to more of Young or let him loose. It’s the kind of organizational decision that might set them back for the rest of year but a necessary one that needs to be done. Peyton should have an easy time on Sunday night.
Jets (-1.5) over DOLPHINS- Not because they got Braylon Edwards this week, but more because they got Calvin Pace back. Adding him and returning Vernon Gholston to a reserve role suits the team better. That Channing Crowder/Leon Washington thing is pure comedy. Leon Washington’s response to Channing Crowder saying he hates Leon Washington: “tell Clam Chowder that I’m coming for him.” Hilarious.
Last week: 7-7
Season: 37-25
I only got the NFL Network when I switched from cable to Dish Network two years ago, just in time for the Giants to win the Super Bowl. I read all the local newspapers so I kind of knew every storyline that they would play up in the docu-series, but for people who weren’t involved, I’m sure the angle with the fued between Tiki and Eli during the beginning of the season and the defense being atrocious the first two weeks, and everything was eye opening to many who didn’t follow the Giants as closely and so gave the viewer a new perspective on how this underdog was building up to the upset in the Super Bowl over the heavily favored Patriots.
One thing every team has in common is that there is a turning point game with either a statement victory or a statement play that the team rides to a Super Bowl victory. The Giants two years ago had just given up 80 points in two games in Steve Spagnuolo’s first year as defensive coordinator and then came the Redskins game. They were finally winning one and had to make a defensive stand at the goal line. They did and the confidence gotten from that victory helped them for the rest of the season.
Since watching that series, I’ve begun to pay attention to storylines around teams that have the ability to go on a run that can propel them into the playoffs and eventually even win the Super Bowl.
The good thing about that is its not so laborious as you might think. The NFL is the only sport that talks about parity and actually sees it played out. In baseball, how many people actually thought that revenue sharing despite all its wonderful traits, was going to prevent a team like the $200 million payroll to get into the playoffs. Of course the counter to that argument are the Mets. Well, let’s not talk about the Mets season yet, I’m still recovering from the season and every time I think about it, it makes me get a sour taste on my mouth and I have to immediately drink a gallon of water just to get it out.
But this season, the disparity between the NFL’s best and NFL’s worst is so alarming. Last year we had 4 winless teams heading into week 5, this year its 6. In 2007 it was only 3. A majority of the franchises in 2007 had legitimate hope that despite their record, there was still a sliver of hope. Heck, last year, people in Detroit had hope despite going winless the entire year because they were losing very tight games so it told you that it had some kind of talent to work with, it just wasn’t going well.
This year, try and make a case for KC, Oakland, Cleveland St. Louis, and Tampa. They are a combined 1-19 and I’m sure their fan bases have already begun packing away their football stuff and go to football stadiums merely to watch the opposition play. Sad. You can even sense that the fans of Carolina and Tennessee are kind of in “uh-oh” mode as they look at their seasons going down the drain.
Despite all that, there’s one storyline that’s going so under the radar that it won’t hit us until Super Bowl Sunday when all we have to watch are those “how they got there” segments that make you go, “oh, I see.” Well it does for me.
Is it Michael Crabtree buckling under the overwhelming realization that he has no leverage and he better sign now or is it the Jets after Mark Sanchez’s first truly horrific performance sending a message to their team by trading for Braylon Edwards? Is it the Saints winning because of their defense instead of in spite it or the Giants putting to rest all those questions about who’s going to replace Plaxico Burress? Is it Tony Romo finally being able to utilize all that talent he has and beginning to realize…wait, what am I saying. That will NEVER happen.
Here are my picks of course picking against Vegas, with Vegas but most importantly FOR Vegas:
GIANTS (-16.5) Over Raiders- When I saw where this line opened at the beginning of the week, I was almost tempted to pick the Raiders. Their defense has been decent. They have a decent defensive line and have arguably the best corner not living on Revis Island. But then I realized that the Raiders continue to miserably trek through the JaMarcus Russell experiment and I came to my senses. JaMarcus Russell looks like QB’s who have long retired with all that extra baggage in the front tummy area. Just because the guy can throw a pretty pass does not mean he can operate an NFL offense and its clear both his conditioning and preparation are huge areas of concern to any person in the Raider organization and then I realize, wait, this is the Raiders we’re talking about here. The Giants defense should have a field day against this Raiders team playing without Darren McFadden but more importantly playing WITH JaMarcus Russell.
Vikings (8.5) Over RAMS- You can label this the classic let down game for Brett Favre. Just came off an adrenaline boosting victory over your former employer and basically destroyed your reputation with a fan base that worshipped you for 16 years. Walking into St Louis against a team that may or may not be owned partially by Rush Limbaugh. Favre now is playing for all liberals in America everywhere who just don’t like smug, overweight, racist know it alls who don’t really know anything at all.
Cowboys (8.5) over CHIEFS- I thought last week was the classic Tony Romo break out game where he takes advantage of a lesser talented team. What we know now is that Denver IS for real. What was great about that last drive for the Cowboys was even when Romo made that great play to get a first down (the classic Romo tease play), I had no doubt he would ruin it in the end and lose the game. There’s a certain limit to Romo’s skills we have seen and to unlock the remaining amount of potential is to change not just the coach (duh), but also to change the offensive coordinator. I may make fun of Tony Romo but the play calling in the red zone has been absolutely atrocious and its almost insulting sometimes. Just imagine if the Cowboys had switched the play call from “let’s keep challenging a top 3 cornerback on the game’s final two plays on the same play to the same receiver” to “let’s throw a jump ball to Martellus Bennett” like they did in Carolina. Not only do the Cowboys and Romo look unprepared for situational football its clear that the play calling sets them back even further. Either way, this game should be the game where Romo lovers get excited about because they are going to swear that Romo is regaining his confidence. Let’s hope so, because if there’s anything better than Romo looking bad, its watching Romo backers put him on a pedestal and watching the legs come out from underneath them.
Redskins (+3.5) over Panthers- Common sense says that if there’s one week to make a push its this week for the Panthers. Only, I think the Redskins D is playing pretty well for a team who’s offense makes them look anything but. I don’t know if anyone will want to show up for this game but if you do no one will fault you for wanting to not show up or just staying in the parking lot tailgating for the day.
EAGLES (-13.5) over Bucs- I feel bad for the Bucs. Raheem Morris is clearly over his head in trying to turn this thing around. What hurt more was that they let go of Derrick Brooks who was the emotional center of this team and would’ve been the undisputed leader in the clubhouse. You get the feeling that there is nothing close to that on this team. Their best option at QB is a guy who the coach already labeled as his best option at back up QB. This week’s game against Philly will not be good, nor close. One negative for Philly: Can they tell DeSean Jackson to stop trying to injure himself when he scores a TD? Everytime he scores, his celebrations aren’t the kind that get you pumped, more like, phew, ok DeSean, get to the sideline. When you have to think about whether it was a good TD dance then it wasn’t.
BILLS (-6.5) over Browns- I played into the whole mystique of playing in Buffalo against the Saints and I promised myself from here on out, I would use my head when making picks and not trusting in any kind of factor outside of what happens on the football field. But with the Browns coming in, I’m going to go into playing in Buffalo against a team that is going in transition who may or may not have quit on his coach a long time ago. There’s a growing movement of people who think Trent Edwards suck. I don’t think he sucks but he’s in that Tony Romo class: he shows enough for people to overvalue him but has enough sucky moments for people who think with their head to never be confused.
RAVENS (-8.5) over Bengals- I’ve been on the Bengal bandwagon since I first saw the Hard Knocks episode where OchoCinco introduced “child please” into the urban slang dictionary. But they are going against a team that’s pissed off that they lost a game and I like John Harbaugh. He knows what to say to his team to get them prepared and has a feel for what his team can do and always has them prepared. I like coaches who don’t overstate their importance and don’t think they need to do anything more than just be an overseer of how the game plan is implemented and capable of making tough decisions on the fly. I like a big day for our boy Flacco who continues to impress as the 9,000 page offensive playbook of Cam Cameron’s gets opened up even more every week.
Steelers (-10.5) over Lions- Last week was the first time there was any kind of pulse from the Steelers running game. It serves them well. The first few weeks you saw Santonio Holmes emerging as the go-to guy in an offense that has clearly become passer friendly. I love what Mike Tomlin did to Rashad Mendenhall and simple ploys and tricks always do well to drive home the simple point: if you don’t put forth the effort, you will never succeed.
49ERS (-2.5) over Falcons- The Niners coming off an impressive victory over the Rams and the Falcons coming off a bye after a decisive defeat at the hands of the Patriots. I like how the Niners are playing and how they are constructed and the general electricity of the Crabtree signing. I think this game will be close but nothing leads me to believe that the Niners won’t beat the Falcons by at least a touchdown.
BRONCOS (+3.5) over Patriots- Yes, I said it. Not because of any previously held bias. I just feel that the personnel on the Broncos match up well against the personnel on the Patriots. I know that everyone in America feel strongly in the Patriots and what they have accomplished but with a pass rusher like Elvis Dumervil (who’s lack of size actually helps him more than takes away from his game) and with receivers galore and a coach who’s building up the Patriot way in Denver, its tough. I know Kyle Orton is no Tom Brady but he doesn’t make mistakes (0 interceptions) and is content with throwing the football away than take sacks. I just don’t see the same confident Brady and that shaky Brady might show up in Denver where the Broncos have won the last 3 of 4.
CARDINALS (-5.5) over Texans- I love this match up. I love the Cardinals here coming off a bye where they were able to settle down and get timing with the receivers. Look for a big day for Kurt Warner.
Jaguars (-2.5) over SEAHAWKS- Remember when the Seahawks had a great home field advantage? Remember when this might have been the Super Bowl match up just a few years ago? Ugh.
Colts (-3.5) over TITANS- Its clear Vegas is not ready to give up on the Titans. This is the make it or break it week for Kerry Collins who clearly is the best QB option for this team but I understand why they are going to make that decision to try out Vince Young. What fan’s might not know is that with Vince Young’s contract comes up after this season and the Titans need to see what they have before they either commit to more of Young or let him loose. It’s the kind of organizational decision that might set them back for the rest of year but a necessary one that needs to be done. Peyton should have an easy time on Sunday night.
Jets (-1.5) over DOLPHINS- Not because they got Braylon Edwards this week, but more because they got Calvin Pace back. Adding him and returning Vernon Gholston to a reserve role suits the team better. That Channing Crowder/Leon Washington thing is pure comedy. Leon Washington’s response to Channing Crowder saying he hates Leon Washington: “tell Clam Chowder that I’m coming for him.” Hilarious.
Last week: 7-7
Season: 37-25
Thursday, October 8, 2009
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!
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!
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