Now here are the Quarterly Awards:
Quarter Grades
Arizona Cardinals
C
Atlanta Falcons
B
Baltimore Ravens
B+
Buffalo Bills
C-
Carolina Panthers
F
Chicago Bears
B+
Cincinnati Bengals
B+
Cleveland Browns
D
Dallas Cowboys
C
Denver Broncos
A+
Detroit Lions
C
Green Bay Packers
B-
Houston Texans
C
Indianapolis Colts
A
Jacksonville Jaguars
B-
Kansas City Chiefs
D
Miami Dolphins
C-
Minnesota Vikings
A
New England Patriots
B-
New Orleans Saints
A
New York Giants
A
New York Jets
B+
Oakland Raiders
D
Philadelphia Eagles
B
Pittsburgh Steelers
C
St. Louis Rams
D
San Diego Chargers
C-
San Francisco 49ers
B+
Seattle Seahawks
D
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
D-
Tennessee Titans
F
Washington Redskins
C-
MVP: Colts QB Peyton Manning. He is on pace to break Dan Marino's single-season record for passing yards. He is also tied with Saints quarterback Drew Brees for the NFL lead with nine touchdown passes. Manning has had four consecutive 300-yard games. Is anybody noticing this? Runners-up: Brees, Chargers QB Philip Rivers, Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger, Ravens QB Joe Flacco, Vikings RB Adrian Peterson.
Offensive player: Manning. Who else? Runners-up: Rivers, Colts WR Reggie Wayne, Giants WR Steve Smith, Flacco, Brees, Peterson.
Defensive player: Broncos OLB Elvis Dumervil. He plays on the top defense and is tied with Cincinnati's Antwan Odom for the league lead in sacks with eight. Dumervil is an explosive edge player who has made a smooth transition to outside rusher. Runners-up: Jets CB Darrelle Revis, Vikings DE Jared Allen, 49ers LB Patrick Willis, Broncos LB D.J. Williams, Saints S Darren Sharper, Colts DE Dwight Freeney.
Coach: Josh McDaniels, Broncos. He has his team 4-0. How? He's done a great job, even if I still don't think trading Jay Cutler was the right move. Runners-up: Tom Coughlin, Giants; Brad Childress, Vikings; Jim Caldwell, Colts; Sean Payton, Saints; Rex Ryan, Jets.
Assistant coach: Mike Nolan, Broncos defensive coordinator. His defense is giving up 6½ points a game. That's amazing for a unit that was a disaster last season. Nolan is a big reason why Denver is 4-0. Runners-up: Gregg Williams, Saints defensive coordinator; Bill Sheridan, Giants defensive coordinator; Tom Moore, Colts offensive coordinator; Cam Cameron, Ravens offensive coordinator.
Offensive rookie: Ravens tackle Michael Oher. Forget that he has a movie about his life coming out soon. This kid is a player. The Ravens front office is raving about his play. Runners-up: Jets QB Mark Sanchez, Lions QB Matthew Stafford, Bears WR Johnny Knox, Titans WR Kenny Britt, Steelers WR Mike Wallace, Vikings WR-returner Percy Harvin.
Defensive rookie: Lions safety Louis Delmas. He plays with a veteran presence. The Lions bragged on him before the season, and now we know why. He will be a Pro Bowl player in another year. Runners-up: Seahawks LB Aaron Curry, Jaguars CB Derek Cox, Jaguars NT Terrance Knighton, Rams LB James Laurinaitis; Texans LB Brian Cushing.
Best trend: More passing and fewer running backs with big games. Why? The league is geared to the throwing game now. And teams are using the passing game more. Runner-up: More blitzing on defense. Rex Ryan and Gregg Williams bring it.
Perplexing trend: Fewer sacks by the elite sack men. Where have DeMarcus Ware, Shawne Merriman, LaMarr Woodley and James Harrison been all season? Runner-up: Coaches who hide secrets like their starting quarterback and injuries. You fans have a right to know.
Best free-agent pickup: Vikings QB Brett Favre. After four games, you have to give him his props. He has played well. Can he hold up? Runners-up: Sharper, Broncos LB Andra Davis, Jets LB Bart Scott, Saints CB Jabari Greer, Broncos NT Ronald Fields, Falcons LB Mike Peterson, Broncos RB Correll Buckhalter.
Biggest disappointment (team): Titans. Hands down. It isn't even close. One more loss and they are done. After going 13-3 last season? Wow. Runners-up: Panthers, Seahawks, Bills, Dolphins.
Biggest disappointment (player): LaMarr Woodley. He doesn't have a sack and I picked him to be the Defensive Player of the Year. He isn't making an impact in other ways either. Runners-up: Merriman, Redskins DT Albert Haynesworth, Texans DE Antonio Smith, Texans RB Steve Slaton, Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell.
Most improved player: Giants WR Steve Smith. He leads the league in catches with 34 and has four touchdowns. Plaxico who? Runners-up: Chargers WR Vincent Jackson, Jaguars WR Mike Sims-Walker, Eagles QB Kevin Kolb, 49ers QB Shaun Hill, Steelers CB William Gay, Steelers T Max Starks.
Surprise team: Broncos. Anybody not from Denver who thought this team would be good, raise your hand. Just like I thought. Runners-up: Bengals, 49ers.
Surprise player: Smith. He has come on to spark the Giants passing game. It needed it without Burress. Runners-up: 49ers LB Manny Lawson, Sharper, Dumervil, Odom.
Best game: Indianapolis 27, Miami 23 (Week 2). The Dolphins controlled the football the entire game, but Manning went zip, zip, zip to the winning points in the final minute. Runners-up: Patriots 25, Bills 24 (Week 1); Giants 33, Cowboys 31 (Week 2); Vikings 27, 49ers 24 (Week 3); Vikings 30, Packers 23 (Week 4).
Best moment: Broncos WR Brandon Stokley plucking a deflected pass out of the air and racing 87 yards for the winning touchdown in the final seconds of a Week 1 victory over the Bengals.
Worst moment: Plaxico Burress going to prison, a sobering reminder to all players out there that they are not invincible.
Friday, October 9, 2009
No. 21 Nebraska rallies past No. 24 Mizzou with 27-point fourth quarter (Alex)
Facing a double-digit road deficit after three quarters on a cold and rainy night, No. 21 Nebraska could have packed it in.
Instead, the offense that had been anemic took advantage of two big interceptions to help spur a 20-point scoring flurry over a little more than 3 minutes early in the fourth quarter, leading to a 27-12 victory against No. 24 Missouri on Thursday.
Zac Lee threw three TD passes in the decisive fourth quarter for Nebraska (4-1, 1-0 Big 12), outplaying counterpart Blaine Gabbert. The Missouri quarterback entered the game ranked fourth nationally in passing efficiency and leading the Big 12.
"I was digging deep from the beginning," Lee said. "It just didn't show up until the end."
Missouri built a 12-0 lead after three quarters, its lone touchdown coming on Gabbert's 1-yard sneak on fourth down as time ran out in the first half. But Nebraska rallied with three touchdowns in a 3:22 span early in fourth quarter.
Lee hit Niles Paul with a 56-yard scoring pass to cut the lead to 12-7. On Missouri's next offensive play, Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh deflected and then intercepted a Gabbert pass. The Huskers scored quickly on a 13-yard pass from Lee to Paul to make it 13-12. A 2-point conversion attempt failed.
A 40-yard interception return by Nebraska's Dejon Gomes on Missouri's next possession left the ball on Missouri's 10. Nebraska made it 20-12 on Lee's third TD, an 8-yard pass to tight end Mike McNeill.
Looking to run out the clock, Nebraska added a final TD on Roy Helu Jr.'s 5-yard run with 56 seconds remaining.
A steady downpour fell throughout much of the game. In the first half alone, the teams combined for 11 punts, nine penalties and six fumbles -- including three muffed punts by Nebraska. For the game, Nebraska had 12 penalties and Missouri eight, with each losing more than 100 yards for those violations. Both teams punted eight times.
Missouri coach Gary Pinkel refused to target the sloppy conditions for his team's uneven performance.
"I'm not going to blame the weather on any of this," he said. "If you want to win a championship ... you have to play in any conditions. That's no excuse at all."
Columbia had more than 5 inches of rain and flash flooding throughout Thursday. A pregame campus power outage darkened all of Memorial Stadium for about 10 minutes before electricity was partially restored.
Passes routinely slipped through receivers' hands, and Missouri's lone score was aided by a 38-yard pass from Gabbert to Jared Perry after a Nebraska defender slipped and fell.
The Nebraska comeback kept Missouri from a third consecutive victory against its Big 12 North Division rival -- a streak the Tigers last accomplished in 1969. Until a 2003 home victory, Missouri had lost 24 straight to Nebraska.
Gabbert's two interceptions were his first of the season and the first of his career in 177 attempts. He had thrown 11 touchdowns this season but completed only 17 of 43 passes for 134 yards and no touchdowns. It was his first game this season without a TD pass.
Lee completed 14 of 33 passes for 158 yards and three TDs. Helu led the Huskers' running attack with 88 yards on 18 carries.
The Huskers' fourth-quarter outburst accounted for 160 yards of offense -- 57 more yards than they had for the entire game to that point.
"We just kept fighting," Nebraska coach Bo Pelini said. "In conditions like that, you have take advantage of your opportunities. They took advantage in the first half and we were able to get that done in the fourth quarter."
Missouri defensive lineman Jaron Baston suggested that the Tigers became unnerved after Nebraska's unexpected late-game surge.
"Some things went their way, and we just didn't react well," he said.
Missouri had only 225 yards of total offense, with running back Derrick Washington gaining 80 yards on 20 carries.
With power unavailable for a new, $3.5 million scoreboard in the north end zone, game officials resorted to hand signals instead of the play clock. Rules required officials to shut off the opposite play clock so one team would not have an advantage.
Instead, the offense that had been anemic took advantage of two big interceptions to help spur a 20-point scoring flurry over a little more than 3 minutes early in the fourth quarter, leading to a 27-12 victory against No. 24 Missouri on Thursday.
Zac Lee threw three TD passes in the decisive fourth quarter for Nebraska (4-1, 1-0 Big 12), outplaying counterpart Blaine Gabbert. The Missouri quarterback entered the game ranked fourth nationally in passing efficiency and leading the Big 12.
"I was digging deep from the beginning," Lee said. "It just didn't show up until the end."
Missouri built a 12-0 lead after three quarters, its lone touchdown coming on Gabbert's 1-yard sneak on fourth down as time ran out in the first half. But Nebraska rallied with three touchdowns in a 3:22 span early in fourth quarter.
Lee hit Niles Paul with a 56-yard scoring pass to cut the lead to 12-7. On Missouri's next offensive play, Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh deflected and then intercepted a Gabbert pass. The Huskers scored quickly on a 13-yard pass from Lee to Paul to make it 13-12. A 2-point conversion attempt failed.
A 40-yard interception return by Nebraska's Dejon Gomes on Missouri's next possession left the ball on Missouri's 10. Nebraska made it 20-12 on Lee's third TD, an 8-yard pass to tight end Mike McNeill.
Looking to run out the clock, Nebraska added a final TD on Roy Helu Jr.'s 5-yard run with 56 seconds remaining.
A steady downpour fell throughout much of the game. In the first half alone, the teams combined for 11 punts, nine penalties and six fumbles -- including three muffed punts by Nebraska. For the game, Nebraska had 12 penalties and Missouri eight, with each losing more than 100 yards for those violations. Both teams punted eight times.
Missouri coach Gary Pinkel refused to target the sloppy conditions for his team's uneven performance.
"I'm not going to blame the weather on any of this," he said. "If you want to win a championship ... you have to play in any conditions. That's no excuse at all."
Columbia had more than 5 inches of rain and flash flooding throughout Thursday. A pregame campus power outage darkened all of Memorial Stadium for about 10 minutes before electricity was partially restored.
Passes routinely slipped through receivers' hands, and Missouri's lone score was aided by a 38-yard pass from Gabbert to Jared Perry after a Nebraska defender slipped and fell.
The Nebraska comeback kept Missouri from a third consecutive victory against its Big 12 North Division rival -- a streak the Tigers last accomplished in 1969. Until a 2003 home victory, Missouri had lost 24 straight to Nebraska.
Gabbert's two interceptions were his first of the season and the first of his career in 177 attempts. He had thrown 11 touchdowns this season but completed only 17 of 43 passes for 134 yards and no touchdowns. It was his first game this season without a TD pass.
Lee completed 14 of 33 passes for 158 yards and three TDs. Helu led the Huskers' running attack with 88 yards on 18 carries.
The Huskers' fourth-quarter outburst accounted for 160 yards of offense -- 57 more yards than they had for the entire game to that point.
"We just kept fighting," Nebraska coach Bo Pelini said. "In conditions like that, you have take advantage of your opportunities. They took advantage in the first half and we were able to get that done in the fourth quarter."
Missouri defensive lineman Jaron Baston suggested that the Tigers became unnerved after Nebraska's unexpected late-game surge.
"Some things went their way, and we just didn't react well," he said.
Missouri had only 225 yards of total offense, with running back Derrick Washington gaining 80 yards on 20 carries.
With power unavailable for a new, $3.5 million scoreboard in the north end zone, game officials resorted to hand signals instead of the play clock. Rules required officials to shut off the opposite play clock so one team would not have an advantage.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
A Good Matchup in NCAAF This Week (Alex)
A great Matchup in College Football this week is #21 Nebraska vs #24 Missouri. Missouri is undefeated and Nebraska has one loss (they lost to #5 Virginia Tech 15-16).
Missouri's two biggest weapons are...
QB Blaine Gabbert and OLB Sean Witherspoon
Nebraska's Two biggest weapon's are...
RB Roy Helu and DT Ndamukong Suh (who is predicted to be the first pick of the 1st round)
Missouri's has a great offense and a ok defense. Nebraska dosen't have a good QB but they have a good RB so their offense isen't that good but their defense is great. overall mizzou has a better chance of winning.
Limbaugh Bids to buy the St. Louis Rams
The news has came out today that Conservitive Talk Show Host Rush Limbaugh (I love that guy) and Dave Checketts (owner of the NHL St. Louis Blues) have confirmed that they are bidding for the St. Louis Rams. Limbaugh Does have some connections to St. Louis as he was born just an hour south of St. Louis in Cape Girardeau, MO. He also worked for the Kansas City Royals earlier in his life and then was hired by ESPN to be on the Pregame show but resigned after being fed up with how they favored liberal person etc. After resigning he began a conseritive talk show and now it is known as the most popular conservitive talk in the US and Limbaugh is also known as by many as the voice of the Republican party. As for Checketts he and the rest of his investors bought the St. Louis Blues in 2007 and in just 2 seasons lead them to the Playoffs. So both have a little experience and both have said they want to (together) have a say in what the team does.
Now after the report here is my personal opinion. I am so happy about it especially since we live in Missouri. And now there are tons of people saying they will hate the Rams although they don't care if a liberal buys one. But one man posted that he though it was good for him because now he can show how the American dream can still be accomplished although now everyone is saying you need a government check to succeed.
GO RAMS
-Jonathan Rovirosa
Now after the report here is my personal opinion. I am so happy about it especially since we live in Missouri. And now there are tons of people saying they will hate the Rams although they don't care if a liberal buys one. But one man posted that he though it was good for him because now he can show how the American dream can still be accomplished although now everyone is saying you need a government check to succeed.
GO RAMS
-Jonathan Rovirosa
Monday, October 5, 2009
Clark Jugde from CBS
I don't necessarily agree with every thing he says but it is interesting.
CBS Sports
1. I'm sorry, Drew Brees fans, there is nobody playing quarterback better than Peyton Manning. The guy has nine touchdown passes, no losses and four consecutive 300-yard passing games for the first time in his career. I feel another MVP campaign getting started.
In a season where too many coaches play not to lose, Cincinnati's Marvin Lewis stands out for taking a chance -- and I mean spitting in the face of everything we're told about conventional coaching. Believe me, with fourth-and-11 at the Cleveland 41 and a minute left in OT, there are plenty of guys who would've punted and settled for the tie. Not Marvin. Maybe it's because he tied Philadelphia last season, or maybe it's because he just ran out of patience. All I know is that he and the Bengals are tied for first in the AFC North, with a win next week putting them alone at the top.
3. And that, Dallas, is what you deserve for going at Champ Bailey. Twice in a row, no less.
4. One season after Detroit ran the table, we could have a state that goes winless. Honest. Someone tell me where Kansas City or St. Louis gets a victory. The two not only are 0-4 this season, they have won four of their past 48 starts.
5. Here's a suggestion, Jim Zorn. Shake up your first-half routine and shuffle the playbook. Whatever you're doing now isn't working, so find something new. The Redskins have been outscored 40-13 in the first halves of four games, producing their only touchdown on a fake field goal. Bad? No, that's pathetic. In 18 series, they have three interceptions, three fumbles, two field goals and one touchdown. Maybe it's time Capitol Hill considered bailing out the home team.
6. So the Jets lost. They're not going away, and I'll tell you why: the schedule. The Jets won't play an opponent with a winning record until Nov. 15 when they go to New England. In the meantime, their next six weeks look like this: Miami, Buffalo, Oakland, Miami again, bye and Jacksonville. Then look what happens after the Patriots. It's Carolina, Buffalo and Tampa Bay. Yes, Fireman Ed, there is a Santa Claus, and he works at 280 Park Ave.
7. When Dallas rolled up a zillion yards rushing on them two weeks ago, the New York Giants wondered how they plug the holes Dallas exploited. Well, they did it, and here's their secret: drawing Tampa Bay and Kansas City in back-to-back weeks. In the first halves of their past two games, the Giants outgained their opponents 479-107, had 29 first downs to their three and outscored them 31-3. Check, please.
8. So New England caught a break, thanks to Mark Clayton's scissorhands. The Patriots wouldn't have made their last-second stand if rookie defensive back Darius Butler hadn't made two marvelous plays on Derrick Mason.
9. Somebody tell me what it means when a receiver has "three feet down," and when you find the answer, pass it on to referee Alberto Riveron. That was his call on a Mike Sims-Walker TD catch, and I'm still waiting for the interpretation.
10. Turk Schonert was wrong. That Pop Warner offense is in Oakland.
11. Congratulations, Derek Anderson. In one game, he produced one more offensive touchdown than the Browns had the previous nine starts.
12. When Brett Favre told reporters that Monday's game with Green Bay "is not about revenge," it reminded me of something George Young once said. "When they say it's not about the money," Young said, "it's definitely about the money." Sorry, Brett. I don't believe.
13. My nephews keep reminding me how wrong I am about Jay Cutler and how much better the Bears are with him in the lineup. Maybe. But I ask them ... and you ... to check out what Kyle Orton has done in Denver. He hasn't lost, he's 7-1 over his past eight starts, he has five TDs and hasn't been intercepted. Plus, his 97.7 passer rating is better than you know who. Trust me, Denver did not get short-changed in the deal.
14. The Baltimore Ravens literally can’t afford to keep playing New England. The last time these two met, three Ravens were fined $15,000 each for criticizing officials, while then-Baltimore linebacker Bart Scott was docked $25,000 for throwing an official’s flag. Now, it’s linebacker Ray Lewis' turn to start writing checks. Trust me, when you call the officiating "embarrassing" you’re going to pay.
15. Tell me again why special teams aren’t important. Two clubs fumbled the opening kickoff Sunday, and each lost. After Baltimore’s Chris Carr dropped the ball, New England converted the turnover into a field goal. When Kansas City’s Jamaal Charles fumbled, the Giants turned it into a touchdown … and Bryan Kehl, take a bow. It’s not often a linebacker winds up with the opening kickoff of each half, but he recovered Charles’ fumble and Kansas City’s onside kick to start the second half.
Five things I like
1. The Mannings. Peyton and Eli are among the league's top-ranked quarterbacks, with 17 touchdowns, five interceptions, 2,375 yards passing, four sacks and no losses.
2. Montreal clinching the East Division of the CFL with an easy victory against Toronto. The Alouettes, coached by former NFL assistant Marc Trestman, are a league-best 11-2 and haven't missed the playoffs since he took over. Memo to any NFL owner: Next time you're looking for a head coach, consider this guy.
3. That video tribute to Edgerrin James at Indianapolis. James is with the Seahawks now, but it was a class way of saluting one of the team's standouts. Of course, it didn't hurt that the Colts were up by 25 at the time.
4. Darrelle Revis and the Jets pass defense. Each week, Revis holds an elite receiver to season-low numbers, and this week it's Marques Colston who goes to the back of the class with two catches for 17 yards. All the Jets D has done is check opposing quarterbacks to one touchdown pass, four interceptions and a completion rate of 51 percent.
5. Anybody against JaMarcus Russell. As bad as he was against Houston, and he was dreadful (he hit 12 of 30), he hit a season high in passer rating. It was -- get this -- 48.5, and that, Raiders Nation, is what Jeff Garcia was talking about when he said this team had no pulse.
Five things I don't
1. Chuck Cecil's Q rating. The poor guy is getting a ton of heat after taking over the Titans defense from Jim Schwartz, but Tennessee lost more than Jim Schwartz. All-Pro defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth is gone, too, and that will handcuff any defensive coordinator.
2. The futures of Trent Edwards and Dick Jauron if the Bills lose to Cleveland next week.
3. The St. Louis Rams offense ... and I use that term loosely. The Rams were shut out for the second time in four weeks and have 24 points for the season -- or three fewer than Jacksonville had in the first half vs. Tennessee. I feel for Steven Jackson. He's the only playmaker in that huddle, and opponents know it.
4. Dallas taking its last two shots with ... Sam Hurd ? When you have one or two plays you must put the ball in the hands of your playmakers. So where was Jason Witten? Patrick Crayton? Marion Barber?
5. Jay Cutler running interference. He almost got called for another crackback block against the Lions. Maybe it's time to leave the blocking to the offensive line, Jay.
Just asking but ...
• Still too early to hyperventilate over Denver?
• Coach-of-the-Year frontrunner -- Jim Caldwell, Sean Payton or Josh McDaniels?
• Peyton or Eli Manning?
• Willie Parker or Rashard Mendenhall?
• Which is the bigger disappointment -- Carolina or Tennessee?
Meaningful numbers
• 0 -- TD passes allowed by Denver
• 0 -- Rushing TDs allowed by San Francisco
• 2 -- Straight games Drew Brees failed to throw for 200 yards
• 3 -- Forced fumbles by Robert Mathis this season, including two vs. Seattle
• 10 -- Consecutive Cleveland losses, one short of the franchise record
• 16 -- Yards rushing for San Diego
• 39 -- Consecutive games without Baltimore allowing a 100-yard rusher
• 39.8 -- JaMarcus Russell's completion percentage for the season
• 14-0 -- Pittsburgh's regular-season record vs. San Diego
• 18-3 -- New York Giants' record in its past 21 road games
My top five
1. N.Y. Giants
2. Indianapolis
3. New Orleans
4. Denver
5. New England
My bottom five
32. St. Louis
31. Kansas City
30. Cleveland
29. Tampa Bay
28. Oakland
Next weekend's three best game
Cincinnati at Baltimore ... Winner assumes first place in AFC North.
New England at Denver ... Belichick Sr. vs. Belichick Jr.
Atlanta at San Francisco ... Another litmus test for 49ers.
CBS Sports
1. I'm sorry, Drew Brees fans, there is nobody playing quarterback better than Peyton Manning. The guy has nine touchdown passes, no losses and four consecutive 300-yard passing games for the first time in his career. I feel another MVP campaign getting started.In a season where too many coaches play not to lose, Cincinnati's Marvin Lewis stands out for taking a chance -- and I mean spitting in the face of everything we're told about conventional coaching. Believe me, with fourth-and-11 at the Cleveland 41 and a minute left in OT, there are plenty of guys who would've punted and settled for the tie. Not Marvin. Maybe it's because he tied Philadelphia last season, or maybe it's because he just ran out of patience. All I know is that he and the Bengals are tied for first in the AFC North, with a win next week putting them alone at the top.
3. And that, Dallas, is what you deserve for going at Champ Bailey. Twice in a row, no less.
4. One season after Detroit ran the table, we could have a state that goes winless. Honest. Someone tell me where Kansas City or St. Louis gets a victory. The two not only are 0-4 this season, they have won four of their past 48 starts.
5. Here's a suggestion, Jim Zorn. Shake up your first-half routine and shuffle the playbook. Whatever you're doing now isn't working, so find something new. The Redskins have been outscored 40-13 in the first halves of four games, producing their only touchdown on a fake field goal. Bad? No, that's pathetic. In 18 series, they have three interceptions, three fumbles, two field goals and one touchdown. Maybe it's time Capitol Hill considered bailing out the home team.
6. So the Jets lost. They're not going away, and I'll tell you why: the schedule. The Jets won't play an opponent with a winning record until Nov. 15 when they go to New England. In the meantime, their next six weeks look like this: Miami, Buffalo, Oakland, Miami again, bye and Jacksonville. Then look what happens after the Patriots. It's Carolina, Buffalo and Tampa Bay. Yes, Fireman Ed, there is a Santa Claus, and he works at 280 Park Ave.
7. When Dallas rolled up a zillion yards rushing on them two weeks ago, the New York Giants wondered how they plug the holes Dallas exploited. Well, they did it, and here's their secret: drawing Tampa Bay and Kansas City in back-to-back weeks. In the first halves of their past two games, the Giants outgained their opponents 479-107, had 29 first downs to their three and outscored them 31-3. Check, please.
8. So New England caught a break, thanks to Mark Clayton's scissorhands. The Patriots wouldn't have made their last-second stand if rookie defensive back Darius Butler hadn't made two marvelous plays on Derrick Mason.
9. Somebody tell me what it means when a receiver has "three feet down," and when you find the answer, pass it on to referee Alberto Riveron. That was his call on a Mike Sims-Walker TD catch, and I'm still waiting for the interpretation.
10. Turk Schonert was wrong. That Pop Warner offense is in Oakland.
11. Congratulations, Derek Anderson. In one game, he produced one more offensive touchdown than the Browns had the previous nine starts.
12. When Brett Favre told reporters that Monday's game with Green Bay "is not about revenge," it reminded me of something George Young once said. "When they say it's not about the money," Young said, "it's definitely about the money." Sorry, Brett. I don't believe.
13. My nephews keep reminding me how wrong I am about Jay Cutler and how much better the Bears are with him in the lineup. Maybe. But I ask them ... and you ... to check out what Kyle Orton has done in Denver. He hasn't lost, he's 7-1 over his past eight starts, he has five TDs and hasn't been intercepted. Plus, his 97.7 passer rating is better than you know who. Trust me, Denver did not get short-changed in the deal.
14. The Baltimore Ravens literally can’t afford to keep playing New England. The last time these two met, three Ravens were fined $15,000 each for criticizing officials, while then-Baltimore linebacker Bart Scott was docked $25,000 for throwing an official’s flag. Now, it’s linebacker Ray Lewis' turn to start writing checks. Trust me, when you call the officiating "embarrassing" you’re going to pay.
15. Tell me again why special teams aren’t important. Two clubs fumbled the opening kickoff Sunday, and each lost. After Baltimore’s Chris Carr dropped the ball, New England converted the turnover into a field goal. When Kansas City’s Jamaal Charles fumbled, the Giants turned it into a touchdown … and Bryan Kehl, take a bow. It’s not often a linebacker winds up with the opening kickoff of each half, but he recovered Charles’ fumble and Kansas City’s onside kick to start the second half.
Five things I like
1. The Mannings. Peyton and Eli are among the league's top-ranked quarterbacks, with 17 touchdowns, five interceptions, 2,375 yards passing, four sacks and no losses.
2. Montreal clinching the East Division of the CFL with an easy victory against Toronto. The Alouettes, coached by former NFL assistant Marc Trestman, are a league-best 11-2 and haven't missed the playoffs since he took over. Memo to any NFL owner: Next time you're looking for a head coach, consider this guy.
3. That video tribute to Edgerrin James at Indianapolis. James is with the Seahawks now, but it was a class way of saluting one of the team's standouts. Of course, it didn't hurt that the Colts were up by 25 at the time.
4. Darrelle Revis and the Jets pass defense. Each week, Revis holds an elite receiver to season-low numbers, and this week it's Marques Colston who goes to the back of the class with two catches for 17 yards. All the Jets D has done is check opposing quarterbacks to one touchdown pass, four interceptions and a completion rate of 51 percent.
5. Anybody against JaMarcus Russell. As bad as he was against Houston, and he was dreadful (he hit 12 of 30), he hit a season high in passer rating. It was -- get this -- 48.5, and that, Raiders Nation, is what Jeff Garcia was talking about when he said this team had no pulse.
Five things I don't
1. Chuck Cecil's Q rating. The poor guy is getting a ton of heat after taking over the Titans defense from Jim Schwartz, but Tennessee lost more than Jim Schwartz. All-Pro defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth is gone, too, and that will handcuff any defensive coordinator.
2. The futures of Trent Edwards and Dick Jauron if the Bills lose to Cleveland next week.
3. The St. Louis Rams offense ... and I use that term loosely. The Rams were shut out for the second time in four weeks and have 24 points for the season -- or three fewer than Jacksonville had in the first half vs. Tennessee. I feel for Steven Jackson. He's the only playmaker in that huddle, and opponents know it.
4. Dallas taking its last two shots with ... Sam Hurd ? When you have one or two plays you must put the ball in the hands of your playmakers. So where was Jason Witten? Patrick Crayton? Marion Barber?
5. Jay Cutler running interference. He almost got called for another crackback block against the Lions. Maybe it's time to leave the blocking to the offensive line, Jay.
Just asking but ...
• Still too early to hyperventilate over Denver?
• Coach-of-the-Year frontrunner -- Jim Caldwell, Sean Payton or Josh McDaniels?
• Peyton or Eli Manning?
• Willie Parker or Rashard Mendenhall?
• Which is the bigger disappointment -- Carolina or Tennessee?
Meaningful numbers
• 0 -- TD passes allowed by Denver
• 0 -- Rushing TDs allowed by San Francisco
• 2 -- Straight games Drew Brees failed to throw for 200 yards
• 3 -- Forced fumbles by Robert Mathis this season, including two vs. Seattle
• 10 -- Consecutive Cleveland losses, one short of the franchise record
• 16 -- Yards rushing for San Diego
• 39 -- Consecutive games without Baltimore allowing a 100-yard rusher
• 39.8 -- JaMarcus Russell's completion percentage for the season
• 14-0 -- Pittsburgh's regular-season record vs. San Diego
• 18-3 -- New York Giants' record in its past 21 road games
My top five
1. N.Y. Giants
2. Indianapolis
3. New Orleans
4. Denver
5. New England
My bottom five
32. St. Louis
31. Kansas City
30. Cleveland
29. Tampa Bay
28. Oakland
Next weekend's three best game
Cincinnati at Baltimore ... Winner assumes first place in AFC North.
New England at Denver ... Belichick Sr. vs. Belichick Jr.
Atlanta at San Francisco ... Another litmus test for 49ers.
Collins Playing Bad...Time for Young? (Alex)
Tennessee Titans QB Kerry Collins hasn't played very well this year. He has thrown 153 times only 87 were caught that gives him a 56.9 completion percentage, He has thrown for 914 yards, He has thrown 5 TD's and 6 INT's. So is 2nd String QB Vince Young (Who they drafted in 06 to be there starter) that bad that you don't start him over Collins? or Does Titans Coach Jeff Fisher have other plans for QB? Perhaps Drafting one since Young isn't doing well either.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
