East
It didn’t start like a game that was going to end up a 34-3 victory, but the Patriots left Kansas City with their second straight win and their 6th 30+ point game of the year. Rob Gronkowski has taken over as their unstoppable offensive weapon, catching his 19th and 20th career TDs and establishing himself as the quickest tight end to reach the 20 career TD mark. I love they way Belichick is recreating the Troy Brown WR/DB thing with Julian Edelman. That guy makes better tackles than a lot of full time NFL corners. Nice egg. The overrated Jets fell to 5-5 on the year and an unmacho 1-4 on the road with their loss at Denver. That’s two ugly performances in a row. Fortunately for the Jets, they get the fading Bills, Redskins, and Chiefs in the next three weeks. No excuse for not going 3-0 there. They won’t though, and reason #1 might be the play of one of the worst QBs in the league. Mark Sanchez is awful. He cannot lead an NFL offense and has trouble simply managing a winning situation. The Jets have no excuse for not pursuing an upgrade this offseason. Looking good Miami! They won their third in a row against the trifecta of teams due up on the Jets’ schedule. Again, no excuse for New York not going 3-0 there. Pretty encouraging that the Dolphins can win a game 35-8 and have Brandon Marshall register just 5 yards on 1 reception. The Dolphin defense surrendered just 41 yards on the ground to Buffalo, a week after holding Washington to 61. Their Thanksgiving matchup at Dallas should be a good one. If Buffalo is careful, they might not win another one the rest of the way. They’ve been outscored 83-15 the last two weeks and face a Jets team they’re unlikely to score a lot against.
North
It wasn’t the prettiest or most dominant performance, but the Ravens reclaimed first place in the division with a win over the depleted Bengals. Ray Rice was appropriately made the centerpiece of the offensive gameplan, garnering 25 total touches and gaining nearly 150 total yards. Huge contest coming up this Thursday night when John Harbaugh hosts his brother’s 49ers. This is the biggest game left on their regular season schedule in my opinion. After this one they have Cleveland twice bookending games against the Colts and Chargers. They cannot afford another slip up the rest of the way. Cincinnati did a great job of hanging in there despite not having possibly their two best players on both sides of the ball – AJ Green and Leon Hall. Andy Dalton had a chance to tie the game up inside the red zone, but the Ravens defense held up and snuffed out the rally. The Bengals get a breather against the Browns this week before facing the Steelers again for the second time in a month. They’ll need Green back for that one. Cleveland got their 4th win of the season, but #1 it was a against the Jags; and #2 they haven’t scored more than 17 points in their last 8 games. Awful. They get to take on the division over the next three weeks in what should be quite the gauntlet.
South
Of the division’s teams, Houston looked the best this week, and they didn’t even play. They’ll get to see what Matt Leinart has to offer as he takes over for Matt Schaub this week against the Jaguars. Speaking of the Jaguars, things are bad when the Texas duo of McCoy and Ogbonnaya beat you. The Jags allowed the latter to run for 115 yards and a score and will get absolutely owned by Arian Foster and Ben Tate if they bring that shoddy run defense with them Sunday. I saw Blaine Gabbert kind of wuss into a throw with pressure in his face. Jamie Mitchell was about lit him up, but Gabbert pulled back on the throw and missed an open receiver Jason Hill. It’s an isolated play but not one that shows a lot of growth. As expected, the terrible Titans showed up in Atlanta and got slapped around until Jake Locker came on for an injured Matt Hasselbeck and got a couple late, rallying scores. After a good week, Chris Johnson reverted back to what he’s been all year – a non-factor – with a pathetic 13 yards on 12 carries. Count that money CJ.
West
The Raiders got their second road win in a row with balanced victory against the Vikings. Carson Palmer threw 7 less passes than Michael Bush had carries in a gameplan the Raiders would like to repeat as often as possible. Bush continues to shine in McFadden’s absence and is earning himself more money when he hits the market with every passing week. The Raiders were a preseason surprise team of mine, and they look like the safest pick to win this division in my opinion the way things stand currently. They’ll get to host the Cutler-less Bears this week. Things are getting brutal in San Diego. They tasted defeat for the fifth straight game and now get to face Denver and Baby Jesus this week. Only Tebow can look like complete shit for three quarters and then run around the field sandlot style in the fourth to pull out a win and get people thinking he’s amazing. Congratulations, you’re a running mismatch. Now learn how to throw a football, and I’ll start considering him something other than a gimmick with a short shelf life. The Chiefs looked good for a half at New England, but the reality set in as they got a second half spanking. Tyler Palko started out solid but ended the day with three interceptions and no scores. That four game win streak is a distant memory now.
East
This division continues to be the most schizophrenic in the league. The Giants looked like a team on a mission the last month, but they were tossed around all night long by the Eagles in a game that wasn’t nearly as close as the 17-10 score indicates. They couldn’t run the ball, couldn’t pass the ball, and could only muster one TD in a game that saw backup QB Vince Young throw 3 INTs. Ahmad Bradshaw is no sure thing to return this week in their matchup with the Saints, and if Vince Young looked capable against this defense, imagine what Drew Brees is going to do to them, especially that young group of linebackers. Philly hosts New England this week in a game that should feature a lot of points. Dallas was the latest team to beat up on the Redskins, but they needed OT to get the win. Laurent Robinson did it again, scoring his 5th TD in the last 4 weeks. They still have yet to play the Giants this year, so there’s a lot left to be decided here. I can’t project a winner of this mess, but Dallas has the easier schedule of the two the rest of the way. The Grossman-Gaffney Gator duo led the way for the Redskins, but you’re not going to win many games running for only 60 yards. They’ll try to snap that six game skid in Seattle Sunday.
North
Jordy Nelson is perfect for the Packers. The guy doesn’t drop anything and is always in sync with Aaron Rodgers. He led the team in receiving and has 16 receptions and 5 TDs over his last three games. If it’s possible, the pass game is likely to be even more of a focus with James Starks possibly out with an ankle injury suffered in the game against the Bucs. After a solid game against the Vikings, the Packers pass defense allowed a struggling Josh Freeman to throw for 342 yards and make the contest closer than it should have been. If they give Matthew Stafford and the Lions the same cushion, loss #1 might come Thanksgiving Thursday. After trailing by 17 in the 2nd quarter, the Lions ripped off five 2nd half TDs to take a convincing win. On the heels of a 1 TD, 4 INT game against the Bears, Stafford rebounded for 5 scores and 2 INTs against the Panthers. Kevin Smith exploded for 201 total yards, including 140 of them and 2 scores on the ground. Worth noting – Of Stafford’s 5 TDs, none of them went to Calvin Johnson. What a huge huge loss for the Bears. Yes, they became the most recent winner of the “who’s better than San Diego” challenge, but they may have lost Jay Cutler for the year with a broken right thumb. That’s a tremendous shot to the gut and one I believe will keep them from making the playoffs and from possibly being the team with the best chance of knocking off the Packers. This weeks’ game against the playoff-hopeful Raiders will show us what Caleb Hanie’s Bears are capable of. The Vikings experienced a loss of their own with their best player leaving the game against Oakland early with an ankle injury. Adrian Peterson is likely to miss this week’s matchup against the Falcons, but it doesn’t appear that this is anything that will sideline him for a lengthy period of time.
South
The Falcons got a much needed win against the Titans to get them within a game of the idle Saints, but they’ve got to be discouraged that they nearly let Jake Locker bring the Titans back from a 20 point 3rd quarter deficit. On a positive note, their 2nd ranked run defense absolutely shut down the opposition’s ground game again. The get a bit of an assist this week against the Vikings with Peterson likely out, but next week’s matchup at Houston will be a huge test of strength v. strength. What an amazing run by LeGarrette Blount; truly one of the best individual plays I’ve ever seen by a running back. That’s exactly what he’s capable of and another reason why the Bucs should have paired him with an explosive pass catching option. You pound a team with Blount and then throw a Kendall Hunter at them, and you’re looking at a great chance of another big play. Then you bring back Blount and the damage just builds upon itself. This preseason I stressed how this team will be hurt by a lack of speed, and I can’t say I’ve been proven wrong. They’ll try to avoid a fifth straight loss this week at the Titans. The key to this one will be how well the Bucs’ poor rush defense does against the team that was held to 41 yards on the ground last week by the Falcons. Cam and the Panthers are headed in the wrong direction. His 4 INTs capped a second straight poor performance, but fortunately the Colts step up to provide a remedy.
West
That’s eight in a row for this year’s surprise team. Is anyone surprised anymore at this point? They run the ball well (6th in the league) and stop the opposition from doing so even better (1st). Throw in Alex Smith playing the best ball of his career and not losing games for them, and this is a team that has brought it on a weekly basis this year. They’re obviously going to win the division, and with four more division games to go, they look to be dueling with the Saints for the conference’s #2 seed. Thursday night’s contest against the Ravens has potential game of the year written all over it. John Skelton was absolutely awful for Arizona, completing only 3 more passes to his receivers than he did to 49er defenders. Seattle won a second straight game and has a good chance at a third this week at home against Rex’s Redskins. These wins just mess up their draft position. Speaking of draft position, the Rams should have a really good one. They got spanked by Seattle at home and aren’t likely to win more than one of their last six (ARI, SF, SEA, CIN, PIT, SF).
Best Teams (Previous Rank)
1 – Green Bay (1)
10-0
2 – New Orleans (2)
I think they’re next two games are their toughest remaining two; expect them to hit the playoffs on a high note.
3 – Baltimore (3)
Haven’t lost to a team with a winning record this year, and have a chance to go on a huge run after this one (CLE, IND, SD, CLE, CIN).
4 – Pittsburgh (4)
They’ll pound Palko this week.
5 – San Francisco (5)
I like what this team is, but I can see each of the four teams above them having too much offense for them to handle in a playoff situation.
6 – New England (8)
They have the easiest remaining schedule but will have to get past the Eagles in Philly to stay on this list.
7 – Detroit (NR)
They get back in the rankings due to their impressive second half against Carolina and Cutler’s injury.
8 – Dallas (NR)
I think they’re the best team in the East at this point.
OUT – Chicago (6, no Cutler = shot), NY Giants (7)
Worst Teams (Previous Rank)
1 – Indianapolis (1)
Booooooo!
2 – St. Louis (3)
What a disappointing season this has been for a team that entered with high expectations.
3 – Jacksonville (4)
Losing to the Browns isn’t a way to get off this list.
4 – Cleveland (2)
That said, beating Jacksonville isn’t much of an accomplishment either.
5 – Carolina (6)
They’ll give the Rams some competition for the #2 spot if they ruin Indy’s perfect season.
6 – Kansas City (NR)
Matt Cassel isn’t Joe Montana, and Tyler Palko isn’t Matt Cassel. Bad things the rest of the way for this team.
7 – Washington (5)
Aside from Indy, Washington’s 6 straight losses is the worst current streak in the league.
8 – Minnesota (8)
A 2-8 team should probably be higher on this list, but they’ve only lost 2 games by more than 7 points.
OUT – Miami (7)
This Week’s Predictions
Strongest wins (by more than 14)
Steelers @ Chiefs
Double digit dominance (at least 10)
Bengals v. Browns
Panthers @ Colts
Seahawks v. Redskins
Just win baby
Ravens v. 49ers
Titans v. Bucs
Raiders v. Bears
Texans @ Jaguars
Packers @ Lions
Saints v. Giants
Falcons v. Vikings
Jets v. Bills
Rams v. Cardinals
Upsetville – Population 3
Dolphins @ Cowboys
Broncos @ Chargers
Eagles v. Patriots
Updated Playoff Predictions
NFC
1 – Green Bay
2 – San Francisco
3 – New Orleans
4 – Dallas
5 – Detroit
6 – Atlanta
Atlanta @ New Orleans – New Orleans
Detroit @ Dallas – Detroit
Detroit @ Green Bay – Green Bay
New Orleans @ San Francisco – New Orleans
New Orleans @ Green Bay – New Orleans
AFC
1 – Baltimore
2 – New England
3 – Oakland
4 – Houston
5 – Pittsburgh
6 – Cincinnati
Cincinnati @ Oakland – Cincinnati
Pittsburgh @ Houston – Pittsburgh
Cincinnati @ Baltimore – Baltimore
Pittsburgh @ New England – Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh @ Baltimore – Baltimore
Super Bowl
Saints beat Ravens
Fresh off my thanksgiving dinner of Vienna sausages, a slice of olive loaf and a pint of the drank, my thoughts!
ReplyDelete“I love the way Belichick is recreating the Troy Brown WR/DB thing with Julian Edelman. That guy makes better tackles than a lot of full time NFL corners.”
Yeah, and in the proud Pats tradition, he’s even getting the phantom holding calls NE defensive players are famous for having called in their favor when they get manhandled and blown off the ball.”
“…No excuse for not going 3-0 there. They won’t though, and reason #1 might be the play of one of the worst QBs in the league. Mark Sanchez is awful. He cannot lead an NFL offense and has trouble simply managing a winning situation.”
I’ve heard a couple of his defenders (and their defense is tepid even by his supporters) point out that he has very little help and is having to deal with a terrible right tackle. Do those things contribute to his poor performances? Sure. But most of it seems to come from having a weak, inaccurate arm and making poor decisions. Oh yeah, and being easily confused by rotations of coverage. I wonder what the Jets would have to offer to get Bruce Gradkowski as an upgrade for the stretch run? Let me add that Matt Leinart and Mark Sanchez would make me wary about drafting a USC quarterback with a high draft pick.
“Looking good Miami!”
My current crazy theory is losing to Denver immediately makes you reassess how you go about your business for the better. Anyway, I will give the Dolphins this much: they have played their asses off for Tony Sporano. I think he’s on his way out, but I’d like to see him get another shot somewhere is a less dysfunctional situation. The league is rife with coaches that do very well their second time around in the big chair. I am not advocating that he replace Morris if Morris is given a richly deserved pink slip, but the Bucs could most definitely do worse.
“Of the division’s teams, Houston looked the best this week, and they didn’t even play.”
A dose of Matt Leinart will cure that. Alright, that’s kind of a cheap shot; I heard him interviewed this week and he sounds like he has learned something about the work ethic and maturity needed to make a go of it as a quarterback in the league. I always thought he had slightly below average arm strength, but it wasn’t embarrassingly bad. Schaub doesn’t throw it through a wall either, so it might not be a bad fit.
“Gabbert pulled back on the throw and missed an open receiver Jason Hill. It’s an isolated play but not one that shows a lot of growth. As expected, the terrible Titans showed up in Atlanta and got slapped around until Jake Locker came on for an injured Matt Hasselbeck and got a couple late, rallying scores.”
Every once in a while you see a kid that you immediately know cannot play quarterback in the NFL (this conversation excludes Tebow; I mean a player that was considered a serious prospect). Blaine Gabbert iis that player. Even crappy rookies can give you hope on occasion; Gabbert only gives you hopeless. As a counterexample, I don’t know if Locker is going to pan out, but he at least he didn’t look like he had no business on the field. I’ll add this: for a guy with questions about accuracy, he didn’t miss any open receivers even under duress. What I don’t like about him is he feels compelled to leave the pocket to throw, something he did in college and something that is always a semaphore flag of danger to me.
“The Raiders were a preseason surprise team of mine, and they look like the safest pick to win this division in my opinion the way things stand currently.”
ReplyDeleteToo bad they threw away so many picks on guys with straight line speed without noticeable football skills. If they had taken some honest prospects at a couple of more positions, they’d be very capable of scaring the best of the AFC. As it is, they probably have enough to win the west but not a playoff game.
Only Tebow can look like complete shit for three quarters and then run around the field sandlot style in the fourth to pull out a win and get people thinking he’s amazing. Congratulations, you’re a running mismatch.”
The Lions are the only team that went about it in what I consider the right way: forget about getting 13 points and shutting it down. You can never know if your shitty QB is going to throw a pick six or your special teams are going to give up a return on a blocked field goal attempt. Go hurry up and keep trying to score. Denver has so many three and outs that by the middle of the third quarter, the pace alone is enough to wear out their DL’s and kill off a very good Bronco pass rush.
“The Giants looked like a team on a mission the last month, but they were tossed around all night long by the Eagles in a game that wasn’t nearly as close as the 17-10 score indicates. ”
And they got three picks! How the hell do you let a guy like Vince Young beat you with HIS ARM?? Someday I am going to sit down and use a complicated set of mathematical algorithms based on regression, chi-squared fits, and moduli space analysis with a dash of (presheave) topos theory to work out the best defensive approach to stop a long drive with 5 minutes or less to go in the 4th quarter. I’ve seen Tebow and Vince Young now drive a team to victories after doing NOTHING for 55 minutes. There must be some metrics you can use to establish the best WEV (winning expectation value, copyright).
“Philly hosts New England this week in a game that should feature a lot of points.”
This game will occupy a special place in my personal football history; it will be the only game in the last decade in which I root for the Patriots, particularly since a loss by the Eagles will, barring some sort of miracle, end their already slim playoff hopes.
“Dallas was the latest team to beat up on the Redskins, but they needed OT to get the win. Laurent Robinson did it again, scoring his 5th TD in the last 4 weeks. They still have yet to play the Giants this year, so there’s a lot left to be decided here.”
That race will probably be decided by health issues. The Giants now have 5 corners on IR, with two starting linebackers out and their top running back still unable to play. The Cowboys will be lining up pretty healthy on offense once they get Miles Austin back, but their backups at corner are absolutely terrible, and Rob Ryan doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy that is going to adjust his aggressive scheme to protect them. One thing I always forget to mention is the Cowboys are never going to win a championship with Doug Free at left tackle.
“Jordy Nelson is perfect for the Packers. The guy doesn’t drop anything and is always in sync with Aaron Rodgers.”
Here is my opinion about receivers. Excepting the very rare Randy Moss type of player, it’s virtually always the quarterback that makes them look great. They basically all fall in a few broad categories, and admittedly some are outstanding (Andre/Calvin Johnson), some are good (Hakeem Nicks) and some are dreadful (Michael Clayton), but one can be isomorgraphied from one category into another pretty quickly if it’s Aaron Rodgers throwing the ball with pace into an 11” window.
“They’ll try to avoid a fifth straight loss this week at the Titans. The key to this one will be how well the Bucs’ poor rush defense does against the team that was held to 41 yards on the ground last week by the Falcons.”
ReplyDeleteI know Locker looked pretty good last week, but given the choice of facing him or Hasselbeck, bring on the rookie. Albert Haynesworth did not exactly make an immediate impact. How can a guy with that much size and explosiveness show nothing for it? Oh yeah, by not making an effort. I hope the team has the sense to cut that guy before he contaminates kids like Mason Foster and Brian Price that do show up to play every week.
“Speaking of draft position, the Rams should have a really good one. They got spanked by Seattle at home and aren’t likely to win more than one of their last six”
When you are a fan of a bad team, I believe you should watch for improvement and to see which young players can be cornerstones for the future (which is a much more interesting enterprise if one of those young players is a purported franchise quarterback). Of course everyone wants to win; but you cannot complain if the roster is so bereft of talent that all that can be reasonably expected is a good effort and competitiveness. The Rams should be in the WR business, and if an extra win costs them a shot at a sure 10 year all pro, their fans should take consolation that losing will net them a player that can have a significant impact towards rebuilding their team.
Look, I hear the rumors too…let me assure you that I, TPE had NOTHING to do with the death of Natalie Wood!
“Fresh off my thanksgiving dinner of Vienna sausages, a slice of olive loaf and a pint of the drank, my thoughts!”
ReplyDeleteSpent the holiday with JaMarcus Russell did you?
“Yeah, and in the proud Pats tradition, he’s even getting the phantom holding calls NE defensive players are famous for having called in their favor when they get manhandled and blown off the ball.”
I’ve always thought of Ohio State as the collegiate equivalent.
“I’ve heard a couple of his defenders (and their defense is tepid even by his supporters) point out that he has very little help and is having to deal with a terrible right tackle. Do those things contribute to his poor performances? Sure. But most of it seems to come from having a weak, inaccurate arm and making poor decisions. Oh yeah, and being easily confused by rotations of coverage. I wonder what the Jets would have to offer to get Bruce Gradkowski as an upgrade for the stretch run? Let me add that Matt Leinart and Mark Sanchez would make me wary about drafting a USC quarterback with a high draft pick.”
I call bullshit. He’s got three All Pro caliber linemen blocking up front for him, but he’s small, skittish, and has an arm that grades out just a touch better than my 4 year old’s. Sanchez is so easy to rattle, and it’s really visible when he gets that way. I’d take Leinart over Sanchez any day. I’d choose “C” in a multiple choice scenario, but of those two, I think Leinart has the most to offer a winner. We’ll find out tomorrow. Speaking of USC’s QBs, I’m not terribly high on Barkley; just didn’t see much consistency/stability in him until this season. How much of that is Robert Woods and Marqise Lee?
“My current crazy theory is losing to Denver immediately makes you reassess how you go about your business for the better. Anyway, I will give the Dolphins this much: they have played their asses off for Tony Sporano. I think he’s on his way out, but I’d like to see him get another shot somewhere is a less dysfunctional situation. The league is rife with coaches that do very well their second time around in the big chair. I am not advocating that he replace Morris if Morris is given a richly deserved pink slip, but the Bucs could most definitely do worse.”
This awakening by the Dolphins has probably saved Sparano’s job for the rest of the year and given him a second opportunity in the league. He might need to go the one year assistant route or take a year off before getting another shot, but I think someone will give him another shot. Morris on the other hand should be a defensive coordinator, and after the Bucs cut bait I believe he’ll spend several years at that level before getting another gig, if he indeed does. Will that happen after this season? I’m not holding my breath, but if the Glazers don’t fire Morris, they’re making their message ($ > success) even clearer, if that’s possible.
“A dose of Matt Leinart will cure that. Alright, that’s kind of a cheap shot; I heard him interviewed this week and he sounds like he has learned something about the work ethic and maturity needed to make a go of it as a quarterback in the league. I always thought he had slightly below average arm strength, but it wasn’t embarrassingly bad. Schaub doesn’t throw it through a wall either, so it might not be a bad fit.”
ReplyDeleteTo me, Leinart and Sanchez are pretty parallel players. Neither one has a great arm, but Leinart’s is better. Both have shown a tendency to get rattled, but I think Leinart is tougher in that area. I’m certainly not expecting Leinart to keep up with Schaub, but having a health Andre Johnson at his disposal for his first start in two years. I like them big over Jacksonville this week.
“Every once in a while you see a kid that you immediately know cannot play quarterback in the NFL (this conversation excludes Tebow; I mean a player that was considered a serious prospect). Blaine Gabbert iis that player. Even crappy rookies can give you hope on occasion; Gabbert only gives you hopeless. As a counterexample, I don’t know if Locker is going to pan out, but he at least he didn’t look like he had no business on the field. I’ll add this: for a guy with questions about accuracy, he didn’t miss any open receivers even under duress. What I don’t like about him is he feels compelled to leave the pocket to throw, something he did in college and something that is always a semaphore flag of danger to me.”
Gabbert just looks horribly overwhelmed out there, and I can’t say I’m surprised. The “experts” loved his measurables, but I didn’t see a lot from him at Missouri that showed he would be ready to hit the ground running in the pros. He and Ponder are in fairly similar situations – stud RBs, nothing special at receiver (underutilized Percy Harvin being the exception), but Ponder is running circles around Gabbert from a maturity standpoint. I was big on Locker even when others were falling off the bandwagon. No, he’s never going to be the most accurate QB in the NFL, but completion percentage hasn’t determined a Super Bowl winner so far. He’s got the attitude and toughness that you see in a lot of NFL winners. You point out the pocket bail, but a lot of that is just who he is. Do you try to make Steve young a pocket passer? I’m not saying Locker is Steve Young, but that’s an obvious skill comparison. Here’s my opinion – In 5 years, if you compare the progress/careers of Locker and Tebow, Locker will make Tebow look like an amateur.
“Too bad they threw away so many picks on guys with straight line speed without noticeable football skills. If they had taken some honest prospects at a couple of more positions, they’d be very capable of scaring the best of the AFC. As it is, they probably have enough to win the west but not a playoff game.”
I suspect that will change with the passing of Davis. I also agree with your assessment that they’re a likely one and done if they make the playoffs.
“The Lions are the only team that went about it in what I consider the right way: forget about getting 13 points and shutting it down. You can never know if your shitty QB is going to throw a pick six or your special teams are going to give up a return on a blocked field goal attempt. Go hurry up and keep trying to score. Denver has so many three and outs that by the middle of the third quarter, the pace alone is enough to wear out their DL’s and kill off a very good Bronco pass rush.”
ReplyDeleteI think it’s as simple as this – any team with a competent QB will beat them. Tebow isn’t going to be able to keep up in a scoring contest, and as good as Denver’s defense plays at times, they’re not a shut down unit. The Raiders have an offense and lost, but that was kind of a fluky game and also Palmer’s first start. The Chiefs and Jets are trash offensively. San Diego is a step up, but they’re playing like garbage this year. I know I picked Denver to pull off the upset, but if Rivers can get it together, they should win.
“And they got three picks! How the hell do you let a guy like Vince Young beat you with HIS ARM?? Someday I am going to sit down and use a complicated set of mathematical algorithms based on regression, chi-squared fits, and moduli space analysis with a dash of (presheave) topos theory to work out the best defensive approach to stop a long drive with 5 minutes or less to go in the 4th quarter. I’ve seen Tebow and Vince Young now drive a team to victories after doing NOTHING for 55 minutes. There must be some metrics you can use to establish the best WEV (winning expectation value, copyright).”
You just popped my brain. That was a strange, really ugly game. With it looking like your favorite QB is going to be sidelined again, Young will get a chance to light up the Patriots.
“This game will occupy a special place in my personal football history; it will be the only game in the last decade in which I root for the Patriots, particularly since a loss by the Eagles will, barring some sort of miracle, end their already slim playoff hopes.”
The good news is that one of them will lose. The bad news is that one of them will win. Philly’s putridity is by far the biggest surprise of the season in my opinion.
“That race will probably be decided by health issues. The Giants now have 5 corners on IR, with two starting linebackers out and their top running back still unable to play. The Cowboys will be lining up pretty healthy on offense once they get Miles Austin back, but their backups at corner are absolutely terrible, and Rob Ryan doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy that is going to adjust his aggressive scheme to protect them. One thing I always forget to mention is the Cowboys are never going to win a championship with Doug Free at left tackle.”
Dallas still looks like a one and done playoff team to me. They’re talented, but when haven’t they been? If they don’t screw themselves out of a playoff spot, I don’t like their chances of playing an 18th game.
“Here is my opinion about receivers. Excepting the very rare Randy Moss type of player, it’s virtually always the quarterback that makes them look great. They basically all fall in a few broad categories, and admittedly some are outstanding (Andre/Calvin Johnson), some are good (Hakeem Nicks) and some are dreadful (Michael Clayton), but one can be isomorgraphied from one category into another pretty quickly if it’s Aaron Rodgers throwing the ball with pace into an 11” window.”
ReplyDeleteA QB definitely has more impact on a receiver’s success than vice versa, and Aaron Rodgers will make a lot of money for a lot of pass catchers. I’d put Greg Jennings in a second tier of receivers, but your point is well taken. It’s not hard to look good when your QB puts the football right on your ear every time.
“I know Locker looked pretty good last week, but given the choice of facing him or Hasselbeck, bring on the rookie. Albert Haynesworth did not exactly make an immediate impact. How can a guy with that much size and explosiveness show nothing for it? Oh yeah, by not making an effort. I hope the team has the sense to cut that guy before he contaminates kids like Mason Foster and Brian Price that do show up to play every week.”
The Bucs apparently love what they’re getting from Haynesworth if they felt good letting Frank Okam go. That move was a head scratcher to me.
“When you are a fan of a bad team, I believe you should watch for improvement and to see which young players can be cornerstones for the future (which is a much more interesting enterprise if one of those young players is a purported franchise quarterback). Of course everyone wants to win; but you cannot complain if the roster is so bereft of talent that all that can be reasonably expected is a good effort and competitiveness. The Rams should be in the WR business, and if an extra win costs them a shot at a sure 10 year all pro, their fans should take consolation that losing will net them a player that can have a significant impact towards rebuilding their team.”
I don’t expect to do nearly as much draft stuff this year as I have in the past, but I think WR is clearly #1 on the Rams’ list. They’ll have a top 5, probably top 3 pick and should have a great shot at Justin Blackmon. Having a healthy Bradford, an offseason with Brandon Lloyd, and getting a stud in Balckmon would go a long way in turning this around quickly.
“Look, I hear the rumors too…let me assure you that I, TPE had NOTHING to do with the death of Natalie Wood!”
My sources are telling me that the new evidence is a witness who reported seeing Christopher Walken hit Wood over the head with a cowbell, sending her overboard. Wood’s reported last words were “no more cowbell.”