NFL Wildcard De-Cleeting: Line Play Wins In January

The old crumudgens can lean back and crack a smile after the manner in which the Wildcard Weekend played out. Despite the NFL changing the rules to help receivers and quarterbacks again and again and offenses putting up tremendous passing numbers, the play ni the trenches still wins in the NFL. The stats do not lie in this case, the league is more offensive-minded and pass-oriented. You might even think we are one step away from playing football how they play it in Starship Troopers. Before we start imagining a silver football, Denise Richards in the crowd, or the dude who stole Kelly from Zack being a part of football, the weekend was a reminder that if you can pressure the quarterback with your front four, run the ball and control possesion, and capitalize on the turnovers pressure causes you can win.


Time For A Bungles Pun

Rex Ryan may have the candor of a singing wall bass, but the man has successfully transplanted the Ravens philosophy to the Jets. Showing that the previous Sunday Night game was not entirely a fluke, the Jets offensive line pounded the Bengals until there was little left. Offensively the Bengals were equally inept; Palmer is a shade of what he was, there was miscommunication on routes, and the players looked far from prepared. The Bengals had been waiting for 4 years to return to the playoffs and their coach burned both challenges in the first half. They were not prepared from the top down and if I were Cincinnati I would consider blowing this team up and starting over. But back to the Jets, with that type of running game and blitz-happy defense, Ryan was not crazy in beleiving his team had a chance. He was crazy to state they should be the favorite all the way to Miami. The Jets style leaves little room for error. Mark Sanchez did play well, helping to dispell the cold weather theory(it was his own 2002 Bucs NFC Championship game) but with a Ron Rivera defense lining up this weekend they will have to come up with something better than roll out passes to the tight end to keep the defense honest for the running game.

Star Spits Back

Was there anyone else that felt like their innards were squirming when they saw this?:


Their hand clasp was not even close to the most epic one of all-time, but I digress. Even more uncomfortable than W and Emmitt. All appears to be well for Jer-uh and the Boys after throttling the Eagles two weeks in a row. Many streaks were broken in this game: Tony Romo's winless playoff, the Cowboys 14 year playoff streak, Reid's first round undefeated record. With the offense finally soaring this time of year, Wade has been allowed to focus on defense and rag on him all you want for his head coaching prowess, the man knows defense. DeMarcus Ware gets all the pub, but Jay Ratliff and Anthony Spencer have prevented teams from throwing most of their O-line at Ware to save their QBs time. Unfortunate for the Eagles that their center went down, but that is football. The Eagles secondary was scrambling all over the place because the push on Romo was not where it usually is for an Eagles defense. The Vikings' gameplanning should be interestnig considering their O-line has been such an issue and they have this beastly D-line coming in.

Haters are Happy

I have already said my piece on the end of the Patriots as we currently know them. Catfish threw me a text after I lamented to him about the domination the Ravens laid down, it said I knew this was coming. That is true, I knew the Patriots fall was coming in the post-season with or without Welker but I did not know the fall would be off a speeding train into a canyon instead of a slight fall off the roof of a one-story house. Aside from the horrid line play, the offense is still way to predictable and Belichick needs a solid playcaller in the fold. Weis was snapped up by Kansas City which I thought would have been a great re-addition. There has to be an innovative playcaller than is willing to work with Brady and Welker next year. There has to be a better running game and as for Randy Moss, I think he has outlived his usefullness in New England.

The Ravens may not have the defense they did 9 years ago, but their assault on Tom Brady forced him into turnovers and completely sqaushed the Pats offensive attack. The Pats defense had no answer for the runnning game. Vince Wilfork is an outstanding defensive lineman, but when those around him cannot make plays he gets double and sometimes triple-teamed. The Ravens are going to be primed to face the Colts who are in that oh so familiar postion of not playing live football for 3 weeks. The Ravens are going to try to squeeze the clock as much as they can but if Peyton is on his game he only needs about 15 minutes (see: Dolphins game). The Ravens have a long history with the Colts, even in the playoffs and aside from one blowout last year the games are usually close. The Ravens will have to finish if they want to win, playing ball control and forcing FGs is nice, but they need TDs. I would be very nervous if I were a Colts fan this week.

Not As Tuck



Perhaps I was still reeling from the Pats game or maybe Joe Buck's dulcet tones put my mind in a haze, but after seeing the play to end the insane 51-45 overtime win by the Cardinals I was mumbling "tuck rule" to myself. After shaking my head and watching again I see the ball never hit the turf, which renders the tuck rule irrelevant. Fitting that in a game were defense took a back seat, defensive line pressure made the winning play. Neither team's defensive line will get a gold star but Arizona did sack Aaron Rodgers 5 times including the final pressure play by Michael Adams. I expect to see more of the same next week in New Orleans, which will have purists shouting about how putrid the defenses are and will leave fans loving the back and forth action. It is not unthinkable that the 96 total points and 1024 yards of offense will not be topped when the Cards play the Saints.

Quick Word About Pete Carroll

Word is the deal is finalized for Pete to take his SoCal attitude to the Pacific northwest. This may be a bolt due to the NCAA hammer coming down on USC finally but it also is the chance Pete wanted to succeed in the NFL, on his own terms. His stints in New York and New England were, in his mind, not a fair shake because he did not have complete autonomy. He has it now, there is nowhere to lay blame if the Seahawks continue to struggle. He has always been respected as a bright defensive mind, in college and the NFL, but his success at USC does not easily translate to the NFL. It will be a whole new skill set he will have to pull from in dealing with multi-millionare mindsets as opposed to being the unquestioned king in L.A. The dude-brah attitude may resonate with the coffeehouse patrons of Seattle, but unless Carroll has revolutionary epiphany when it comes to directing a professional team he will be chased back to college like some of his recent predecessors have.

Continue reading...

Week 5 NFL De-Cleeting

It seems to be a constant theme this season and every season lately but the urge to criticize officials is almost overwhelming again this week. However, it is a useless endeavor. Not that these individuals should not be held accountable because even officials at the college level make a good amount of money for working a single game but the bad calls are going to happen. No matter ridiculous it is to throw a flag on a penalty before it happens or make a 49-yard penalty call for pass interference when the ball ends up going through the receiver's hands, the calls on the field stand, even if we can't stand it. So read on for the musings on what we saw this past weekend in the NFL because we will not be discussing the officiating, starting.....now.

Something is off

In an interview as the season was getting underway Tom Brady said one thing that really hit home when he went down in week 1 last year was that the game goes on without you when you fall behind. Already this season we have seen the stories of the new generation of QBs; Sanchez, Flacco, Rivers, and now Henne just to name a few. This game is the most popular in our country right now because of the game itself and not the superstars. I have watched just about every snap of the Patriots this season and there was a sense that Brady was a little bit off. After New England dropped its second game of the season to the Broncos in overtime 20-17, it is now clear to anyone who is watching that Brady is off.

I do not know if it is the knee, his head, his marriage, or whatever but Brady is not just missing targets, he is missing scoring opportunities. The Broncos did a great job in the game and McDaniels deserved his celebration at the end of the game but the bottom line is that the Patriots should have won that game. In the first half Brady had Randy Moss wide open on a 3rd and 12 and overthrew him. Overthrow might be an understatement, he was wide f'n open and the pass sailed about 5 yards over his head. No one is saying the Patriots will score like they did in 2007 but that was the kind of play that was automatic. Later in the game Brady missed Welker on a wide open slant that would have been an easy go-ahead touchdown.

Where does Brady go from here? Does he recover like Peyton did last year? Does he struggle the whole year like Donovan after his knee injury? The Patriots are tied for the AFC East at the moment but it still feels like they are on shaky ground. Both of their losses are to AFC teams. Record against conference opponents is an important tie-breaker when it comes to the playoffs and it is one that cost the Patriots a playoff berth last year. The numbers for Brady show a good season, 61.4%, 6 TDs, 2 INTs, 1344 yards, but the missed opportunities are the reason they have dropped 2 of their first 5.

Hogs not High

The Panthers were getting booed mercilessly in the first half of their 20-17 win over the Redskins on Sunday. Carolina fans take a bad rap from the rest of the league because they have not been around as long and they do not do nonsensical things to show their loyalty such as get dumb tattoos, name their kids after players, or mortgage their house in order to see a playoff game. Or maybe they take abuse because they do stuff like this. In any event the Panthers fan base has grown up a lot, especially after last year's 12-4 regular season led to a blowout playoff loss at home to the Cardinals. During the offseason the fans were angry and wanted to see something done in the front office and on the field. But in the first 3 games the Panthers looked next to hopeless. Enter this stretch of their schedule and now 3-3 seems doable. They got past Washington and next have Tampa Bay and Buffalo. We mentioned that Jon Beason was going to talk with Julius Peppers about playing harder for the $1 million he gets per game, and it seemed to work...I guess. Peppers was more aggressive overall, getting a sack and helping to force a safety but still did not look like his motor was going full-time, all the time.

The Redskins have more than likely come to the end of the Jim Zorn era. With 3 games left against the Giants and Eagles, and Denver, Atlanta, New Orleans added in it looks like an 8 loss season. The question is who will Snyder bring in? Or rather what respectable coach wants to play for them? Mike Shanahan is a popular rumored choice but he will want total control like he had in Denver and it is unlikely Snyder will concede that. The Redskins will most likely have to go with an unproven entity which means either it will be a slower turnaround than Snyder wants or the new coach won't be suited to deal with Snyder and Vinny Cerrato's meddling.

Rush of Blood to the Head

I am going to get this out of the way; I do not like Rush Limbaugh. It has nothing to do with his political views and has everything to do with the person. I know he does not care what someone like me would think of him but if it does offend him he should not worry, I don't like many people. The fact that someone like Rush even has enough money to buy a stake in the Rams is laughable yet reality. Something tells me that Limbaugh likes the controversy this has stirred up more than the prospect of being part owner of a horrible team. Players' Union president DeMaurice Smith sent an email to the players asking them to fight this possibility. Why? Are the other owners in the NFL that much more upstanding of citizens? If Rush gets part ownership it is not like he will be leaving conservative leaflets in the players' lockers. As much as I think Rush is an hypocritical windbag he is not trying to get a piece of the Rams for any sort of ideological crusade, the man likes football and has lots and lots of money. In case you were wondering if this whole protest against Rush is starting to get fishy, Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson have joined the argument.
Who would resound more in speaking out against Rush, Jesse Jackson or Stephen Jackson? Stephen Jackson decided not to comment. This is America folks and if people want to speak out against the Rush bid that is well and good but also realize this is America folks and when people have tons of money, they get to do just about whatever they want.

I guess I should mention the Rams 38-10 loss to the Vikings on Sunday. The Rams are 0-5 and have scored 34 points....the whole year.

Quick Slants:
-Dre Bly did the right thing by apologizing for his jackassery on Sunday. In other news, I believe people should not throw babies off buildings, that would be wrong.

-Rex Ryan is great for a quote, but the wildcat proved itself against a top-notch defense last night. The Dolphins are better off with Henne at QB and are the most dangerous 2-3 team in football.

-Was at the bar when Miles Austin scored the game-winner for the Cowboys in OT. Did not know people could be that happy beating a winless team in overtime but the guy in the Roy Williams (former safety not WR) jersey proved me wrong, stylin'.

-Why did Todd Haley not go for 2? You let a 10 point lead slip through your hands and you are an offensive coach and you're telling me you don't have one perfect play from the 2?

-The Giants look just like they did at the beginning of last year; dominant. How will they look in December and January?

Continue reading...

Week 4 NFL De-Cleeting

Ernie Hudson is one of my favorite actors. Whether it was his role on the show Oz or his performance as Winston Zeddemore in the Ghostbusters movies Ernie always delivers. Watching the NFL this weekend reminded me of line from a Hudson movie. That is just how twisted my mind is. The line is from the movie, The Substitute, which stars Tom Berenger as a mercenary who takes a substituting job in a Miami public school to stop a drug ring that involves a group of students led by....you guessed it Marc Anthony who now is a part owner of the Dolphins. Forgive the digression, but when Berenger first enters the school he meets Hudson, who plays the principal, and learns how he keeps the students in line. "Power perceived is power achieved." Well that might work when you are fighting an inner city high school drug ring, but in the NFL perception does nothing to help you win football games. After those teams which did not get their bye week are a quadrant through the season, the reality is either far worse or far better than it was laid out for them before the season began.

Titans 0-4

Remember the Titans? The ones that have made the playoffs the last two years and won the AFC South last year. Despite losing Albert Haynesworth and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz the Titans were expected to keep up their winning ways but their 37-17 blowout at the hands of the Jaguars has them winless and facing 4-0 Indy this Sunday night. The Titans lead the league in scoring defense last year but aside from their opening week loss 13-10 to Pittsburgh they have not been able to stop teams from getting into the endzone. With 3 losses already in the division it is likely the Titans will not be in contention for the AFC South this year and if they continue to play like this they will not even make it to .500.

Broncos 4-0

Well well well everybody was just so quick to put down the Broncos and how Josh McDaniels had not control over the team and what a joke Kyle Orton is your quarterback. Ok, I was one of them. I thought the Broncos would be a laughing stock this year and while they may not go wire to wire into the playoffs, they have shut a lot of people up. Granted, two of their games have been against Oakland and Cleveland but a win in this league is a win. The Broncos toppled the Cowboys at home 17-10. The Neckbeard Kyle Orton is just being himself out there, not too spectacular but not turning the ball over. Did you know that Orton is 17-2 as a starter when he plays at home? He has not thrown a pick yet this season, although he has come close. Brandon Marshall has put his temper tantrum and slipping on McDonalds wrappers behind him. The defense is allowing 6.5 points per game. A lot of credit should go to defensive coordinator Mike Nolan forgetting the defense to play like it is. Credit all around to the Broncos who have to be feeling pretty good looking at the way the rest of their division is playing. Many thought San Diego was the easy pick for this division but it turns out the perception might be wrong.

Rams 0-4

One situation where a team was perceived to have no power and turned out to be true was in St. Louis. The Rams are bad, so bad the winless predictions are starting to come in. In 4 games the Rams have scored 24 points and have been shutout twice. They lost to the 49ers 35-0 in San Fran and looked horrible doing it. With Bulger hurt(again) Kyle Boller barely made it over 100 yards passing. The Rams play Detroit November 1 in what might be their most winnable game. We are far cry from "Ram It".


Random Thoughts

-I know this issue has been beat to death in Carolina but let's compare Jared Allen and Julius Peppers for a moment.
Allen has 18 total tackles, 6.5 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles so far this year.
Peppers has 9 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble in 3 games.

-Catfish made a great point last night: What if the Chargers had had the stones to let LT go and keep Michael Turner? That being said the Chargers offense is not necessarily the problem. Shawn Merriman's stats so far this season: 8 tackles, 0 sacks, 0 everything else.

-I completely understand Ray Lewis being upset over the roughing the passer calls in the game against New England. However, I am not going to shed too many tears. The Patriots got a roughing call of their own and if Clayton had not dropped that 4th and 3 pass who knows what would have happened. There are three certainties in life; death, taxes, and bad officiating. All that being said I do not blame Brady for his initial reaction to the way Suggs came flying in. If you had a repaired knee you would be a little skiddish as well.

Continue reading...

Week 3 NFL De-Cleeting

I am not trying to go all Al Pacino on everyone, but after watching the games this week it really hits home how much a game of inches professional football really is. One play, catch, drop, penalty, or missed tackle your team is in crisis mode instead of yocals screaming Super Bowl aspirations on the radio. With the microscope permanently fixed on the landscape of the NFL, those plays are seen over and over again and talked about ad nauseum until the weekend gives us a similar set of plays to discuss. I, as a fan, have been on the uplifting side of the slim margins, and I have watched everything slip away by the fingertips of fate. It is why we hate and love being fans at the same time and this week we look at instances of inches that have teams going in different directions.

Justin Leonard Leaps For The First

A lot of glory will rightfully go to Cinicnnati Bengals QB Carson Palmer and Andre Caldwell (who is the the brother of Reche, but apparently the eye-bulging is not a shared genetic trait) who connected on the game-winning TD in the 23-20 Bengals win, but it was a key 4th down play that allowed that to even happen. It was a tremendous drive by the Bengals, but they were faced with a 4th down and Palmer checked down to Leonard in the flat. Leonard, who was featured on Hard Knocks this season outraced James Farrior and dove across the sticks. If he falls short, the game is over and the Bengals are saying "here we go again" to themselves. Instead it is the Steelers who are looking inward at 1-2 with the Bengals one freak play away from being 3-0.

The Redskins Stopped Short

The Hogs are taking the brunt of criticism this week after being the first team to lose to the Lions since 2007. The Lions eluded fail by downing the Skins 19-14. The inches in this game were the ones that Clinton Portis failed to get on 4th down from the goal line. Portis was stopped just shy of the endzone in the first half. The loss of those 7 points turned out to be the difference. The Lions winning a game was inevitable, but of course nobody wanted to be the first to break the streak. The hot topic in DC is now the hot seat that resides under the posterior of Jim Zorn. The players have come out and shown support and having Tampa at home this week helps, but it is hard to believe that a team could be in this much turmoil after only 3 weeks. I just hope Zorn is not looking to L. Ron Hubbard for guidance.


Sigh, He Is Still A Kid Out There

The inches in this case belong to receiver Greg Lewis, but the man who delivered the ball is getting all the attention. How lucky for TWWL that they have the Vikings for MNF against the Packers. If you dislike Wrangler jean commercials and discussion of number 4, stay away from ESPN this week. Maybe the "Best Damn" lists from Fox can sate you. Favre made the tremdous 32 yard pass to Lewis in the back of the endzone to give Minnesota a 27-24 win over San Francisco and move the Vikes to 3-0. Really a spectacular play by Lewis who was cut in preseason by the Patriots and now may have new life in Minnesota or become the Tyree of this regular season. I am not sure if Lewis was cognizant of his first foot being inside the line but he did drag the second one. The Niners are still 2-1 and with Arizona and Seattle looking bad, the division could be theirs this year.



Quick Thoughts:

-Mark Sanchez is doing well at the helm, but let's not anoint him yet. Joe Flacco did the same kind of game management for a Rex Ryan defense last year. If Sanchez can develop like Flacco seems to be, then he may don said crown. Tough week for Ryan Mouton who muffed a punt and fumbled a kickoff which was pretty much the difference in the Jets 24-17 win. Titans 0-3, eep.

-The inches the penalty flag flew on Muhsin Muhammad's offensive pass interference call last night in Dallas is unknown, but what I do know what that it was a horrible call that erased a touchdown and helped secure the Cowboys 21-7 win. CB Mike Jenkins was riding Muhammad way past the 5-yard zone and if you are going to let that go, then you have to let Muhsin's hand on Jenkins' shoulder pad go.

Continue reading...

The Return of NFL De-Cleeting: Week 2

A new week and the ASD is hoping to get back into regular functional mode. Of course any discussion begins and ends with the football right now. The space between week 2 and week 3 is always an interesting one filled with hyperbole. Teams at 2-0 have their fanbases thinking Super Bowl. The 1-1 teams appear to be on the fence and either falling into "we're ok" territory or into panic mode in week 3. The 0-2 teams will certainly be faced with "the sky is falling" prognostications. In this recap of week 2 a team at each record will be profiled as well as assumptions about the state of all teams will be made even though I believe it is too early to make them. If the mainstream media can be duplicitous, why can't I?

2-0: Baltimore Ravens

Last year it was Joe Flacco learning as the season progressed and being carried by the defense. You get the sense so far this year Flacco and the offense will be pulling their own weight. The Ravens' QB has 497 yards and 5 TDs in the young season. The running game has also been impressive led by Willis McGahee who had 2 scores yesterday in their 31-26 win over the Chargers. The defense has been intense as always but maybe something is not quite there without Rex Ryan and Bart Scott. The Ravens' have given up 24 and 26 points in their first 2 games. Last season they only gave up those numbers 5 times. Confidence has to be high for the defense to right the ship, the hope for them is that the offense continues to roll. The addition of Al Saunders as a "consultant" for the offense has put some new imagination into the passing game, particularly the short passing game and it has the Ravens offense in a good place right now. Baltimore gets the early season nod, especially since they can say they hold sole possession of first place in the AFC North after the Steelers lost in Chicago. Baltimore does not have to face Pittsburgh until the final week of November and it may be then when we find out what this team is truly capable of.

1-1: New England Patriots

It is always good to admit when you are wrong, at least that is what the female population tells me, so I feel a bit like Happy Gilmore apologizing to Chubbs today. Not only did I think the Patriots were going to win this game, I thought Mark Sanchez would be brought down to Earth. While it was not the embarrassment Kerry Rhodes desired during the week's chatter, it was an impressive performance by the Jets' defense 16-9. Sanchez did not turn the ball over and made some key passes early in the second half to get the job done. It is hard to decipher what this all means for the Patriots. The company line this week will certainly be that it was just one week and that they can work on improving, but huge questions loom for this team.

Although rookie Julian Edelman had a nine catch day filling in Wes Welker who was hurt, he had some communication errors and dropped passes. The Jets knew with Welker out, they couldfocus even more onstopping Randy Moss who only had 24 yards receiving. The one time Brady tried to go deep to Moss he was picked off. The offensive line was a question going into this season for the Pats and after the first 2 games the question has been answered: this line is failing to protect Brady. I always enjoy analysts saying that "Brady does not throw as well when he is getting pressured." or "He does not like to get knocked down and hurried." Can you tell me what quarterback does? Add the knee recovery and Brady seems off on a lot of his throws. The passes that he was hitting with ease two years ago are now going high, off target, or a split-second too late. The lack of a running game also puts more pressure on Brady's shoulders. The Pats offense is evolving into the Colts offense of the early decade before they started running the ball. On defense it is a simple numbers game. Belichick is known for being able to plug players into roles filled by veterans and have them perform well, but he has never had to replace this many at one time. The injury to 2nd-year linebacker Jerod Mayo does not help either. Mayo was essentially taking Bruschi's role as leader of the defense but he is out until mid-season. It is hard to bet against this team from improving, and yesterday they did only yield one touchdown. However, anyone with delusions about the Brady return bringing about a repeat of 2007 can wipe that notion from their head quick, this team is going to be in a fight for a playoff spot.

0-2: Carolina Panthers

Moral victories get you nowhere in the NFL, just ask the Lions. The Panthers were a 12 win team last year and expectations were high for this season. Carolina had a hard fought loss 28-20 in Atlanta yesterday but playing better than their week 1 blowout at the hands of Philly does not comfort Panther fans. Once again turnovers hurt the Panthers but Jake Delhomme was not the biggest source of the problem. He and Steve Smith connected 8 times for 131 yards but a late fumble by DeAngelo Williams was very costly. The Panthers defense could not stop the Falcons from moving the ball and had problems guarding Tony Gonzalez near the goal line. With the Panthers facing Dallas next week in the new behemoth of a stadium, 0-3 is a definite possibility.


Despite Carolina's 12-4 record last year there are few in media that know much about this team. They know Steve Smith and Julius Peppers and they can wax poetic about how foolhardy it was to give Jake Delhomme a 5 year extension in the off-season, but they glance at a roster sheet and say, "Can you believe that the same team that went 12-4 last year is winless this year?!" Therein lies the great mystery. This is the NFL, the most covered league in the country and national media still have no clue what goes on inside small(er) markets. The entire O-line is back for the Panthers yes, along with "Double Trouble" at RB and pretty much their entire offense. They did lose two key back-ups on the line though and have a new QB coach. Defensively is where the team has suffered the most change. They lost their big run stopper Maake Kemoeatu in training camp, their safety Chris Harris has not played a down this year, and have a first-time starter at CB. People like to point to Julius Peppers as their big defensive signing but he swallowed up over $17 of cap space and those who watch this team know Pep is not always max effort all the time. Add a new defensive coordinator to the mix and it means the Panthers are facing more internal challenges than a year ago. Not a comforting thought when they have repeatedly mortgaged future draft picks away to keep this version of the team on the field.

The rest of the early season praise/panic:

2-0:

Jets- Before you get all excited Jets' fans, remember how last year started...and ended.
Denver- Ladies and gentlemen, Kyle Orton is 2-0 in Denver. Everyone has to be thinking this won't last.
Giants- Former defensive backs from the U had all the interceptions for the Giants last night, I assume a fruitbasket is in the mail to Romo.
Minnesota- Things are going according to plan.
Atlanta- This team looks strong. Beatable, but strong.
New Orleans- They struggle for a game or two with their own mistakes, but it is hard to see any team outscoring them.
San Francisco- Break out the Catfish surprise playoff team that he projected at the end of last year.

1-1:

Buffalo- Team showed grit bouncing back, but I still see .500 in their future.
Cincinnati- Who knows? Week 1 they looked putrid against Denver and yesterday they go into Lambeau and score 31.
Pittsburgh- Played well enough to win yesterday, no one is panicking at all nor should they.
Houston- Much like Cincy they are hard to nail down. Horrific performance week 1, and surprising win in Tennessee week 2.
Oakland- If Louis Murphy had just held onto that ball the Raiders would be 2-0. This team has talent, too bad it does not appear to be at the QB position.
San Diego- Here we go again. We thought the Chargers could coast to the AFC West but it looks like another long road.
Dallas- More shots on television of Jerry Jones please.
Philadelphia- For all the talk of quarterbacks, I don't think this team can win without McNabb.
Washington- This team is pathetic. Something has to change, the QB, the coach, something there is no way this team should look as poor as it does on the field.
Chicago- The comeback win yesterday could turn the whole season around.
Green Bay- Cannot afford losses like yesterday's if they want to finish ahead of Minnesota.
Arizona- This team is not finished yet, especially if they take down Indy at home next week.
Seattle- No Hasselbeck, no chance.

0-2:

Cleveland- Good night Cleveland! There will be no encore.
Jacksonville- The bell tolls for thee, Del Rio.
Tennessee- I cannot think that a Jeff Fisher team will not turn this around, but if Houston is for real it gets dicey.
Kansas City- Not so simple is it Todd and Matt?
Detroit- They are inching ever so closer....to being able to win 1 football game.
Tampa Bay- That "we're rebuilding" crutch might break under the weight of its extensive use.
St. Louis- Not a pretty sight. Not at all.

Continue reading...

De-Cleeting: Super Bowl 43

The vomitous filth that is Super Bowl coverage has commenced. Last year I avoided all coverage from twwl and it really enhanced my enjoyment of the torturous two weeks that preceed the final relevant football game until August. Catfish and I broke down yesterday's games on this week's podcast, so today a quick list of thoughts on the teams and the game to come.

Some things you will hear too many times over the next two weeks:

Ken Whisenhunt used to be the offensive coordinator for the Steelers when they alst won the Super Bowl.

The Cardinals last won a championship in 1947.

Troy Polamalu is good.

Larry Fitzgerald is good.

Mike Tomlin is not white.

Steeler fans travel really well.

Kurt Warner has been in the Super Bowl before.

Arizona was bad for a really long time.

The Cardinals are playing the "nobody believed in us"/disrespect card.

Jerome Bettis is from Detroit.



The Arizona Cardinals are in the Super Bowl, do you believe in unlikelihoods?



I'm sure fellow Miami Hurricane Calais Campbell pictured above appreciates how special the opportunity to play in a Super Bowl is, but being just a rookie he is fortunate enough not to have played on some of the Cardinal teams of futility. With the added inauguration of this president into office, I guess Kevin Garnett really knew what he was talking about last June. Players like Adrian Wilson had what this victory meant to the team all over his face as he could not hold back the tears. The emotion that followed the 32-25 Arizona win over the Eagles on Sunday in the NFC Championship game was just as potent for the team during the game. Ordinarily I would say that it is unwise to allow emotion to drive a team so much but the Cardinals used it to their benefit. Anquan Boldin had a literal shouting match with offensive coordinator Todd Haley, Fitzgerald who is normally low key was pumping up the crowd, and every play made by Arizona was followed with some sort of display. You have to play the game with emotion, but it is just a question of how much you let it guide your actions and decision-making and let it show on the surface that can determine your performance. The Cardinals let their emotions show, but also made the plays on the field. Also worth noting was Larry Fitzgerald breaking Jerry Rice's post-season receiving yard total in the first half Sunday. I think the secret is officially out on the best receiver in football.

Eagles' fans perhaps seeing yellow today.

With all the excitement surrounding the Arizona win, the lack of a flag on Philadelphia's 4th and 10 play will certainly be discussed in the city of brotherly love today. Kevin Curtis had an opportunity with both hands to catch the ball and it went through his hands, but at the same time he was falling to the ground because the defender (which was Hood I believe) had slipped and tripped up Curtis. If Hood had not stuck out his hand, it would have been a touchdown. At worst it should have been flagged. Not many people outside of Eagles' fans care too much. It was a bitter loss for the Eagles who had regained the lead with 10 minutes to go but their defense-of all things- let them down. Offensively they got what they wanted but missed on many of their chances. This could be the end of the McNabb/Reid era and if it is, I do not know where Philly should go from here.

Steelers simply more mature than the Ravens.



Mike Tomlin and Ben Roethlisberger are no longer young pups in the NFL, at least they were not on Sunday. Going up against a rookie coach and QB on the other sideline, Pittsburgh got the best of the Ravens for the third time this year 24-13 in the AFC Championship game. Big Ben did what he had to in the collapsing pocket and made the throws while Flacco did not. Tomlin had his team in control the entire game while Harbaugh had a few stumples. I thought the Ravens would bring something more effective on offense considering this was the third meeting but their strategy fell flat. The Hines Ward injury will be interesting to watch but I suspect he will play if he came back into the game after going out initially unless Pittsburgh felt comfortable with putting a player back in the game with structural knee damage. The Steelers are favored to win in two weeks and their defense is the reason. So many times we have seen a great offense clash with a great defense and usually it is the defense that wins. Early prediction has me thinking the Steelers are going to win by more than one possession.

One more thing on Baltimore.

It is a shame that the heroic effort turned in by a banged up Ravens defense that went 18 weeks without a bye was all for naught. With injuries in the secondary and their best pass rusher nursing a bad shoulder, they held the Steelers in check and gave their offense a chacne to win if they could muster two scoring drives outside of the one they produced. It is folly to second guess coaching decisions on Monday morning but I do not get the Ravens' fourth and 1 call. They tried on 3rd and 1 to go no-huddle and catch the Steelers by surprise and QB sneak it. The Steelers defense was ready and Flacco called a timeout. They then tried to rush it up the middle which went for no gain and then on fourth down went back to the QB sneak which was snuffed out. Coming up empty on that possession was huge and if the Ravens had figured out a way to go away from the Steelers strength up fron on that play, the result may have been different.

Continue reading...

De-Cleeting: Playoffs Reactions and Coaching Changes

As Peter Griffin would say, the bird is the word as three of the teams remaining in the NFL playoffs are of the avian variety. They are two six seeds in the Ravens and Eagles and a 9-7 four seed in the Cardinals who all got wins on the road to keep Super Bowl hopes flying. The only flightless team left are the Steelers who kept in on the ground against the Chargers to advance. I would like to offer up this picture as my first ever attempt at Photoshop so please do not judge too harshly. Catfish and I covered the games already in the lastest Shackleford Files so I submit this work of computer art, along with some news on the latest playoff reactions and coaching moves.

The Broncos hire Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as head coach. I wonder if Belichick will be as miffed about this as when Mangini left. [The Denver Post]

The Giants found out what it's like to be on the bad end of an upset. [New York Daily News]

The Panthers are facing some tough decisions on players following their beatdown at the hands(wings?) of teh Cardinals. Chief among them is what to do with Julius Peppers. [Carolina Growl]

Tony Dungy is stepping down as Colts head coach today. He will put his energy into ministering to young men, Tim Tebow nods in approval. He was one Reche Caldwell dropped pass from being ringless, but no one can deny Dungy's class and character. [Indianapolis Star]

A long strange trip for Mangini back to Cleveland. Let's see if he has more success than his former bosses Belichick and Crennel did with the Browns. [Cleveland Plain Dealer]

Ravens' defensive coordinator Rex Ryan is said to be the leading candidate for the Jets job. I hope he pulls a Lane Kiffin and hires his dad to take over the defense. [Pro Football Talk]

LOLNFL from Kissing Suzy Kolber:

Continue reading...

NFL Wild-Card De-Cleeting

With the first round behind us, there is only one surprise to me about the way things turned out over the weekend and that is the San Diego Chargers but many will say that was not an upset and I tend to agree but it is amazing to me how the Colts failed to close the door. Some additional musings and observations from the wild card round after the break.

Arizona has its day.

The Cardinals capitalized on what seemed to be a nervous Atlanta team early in both halves to get the 30-24 win. Edgerrin James gained more on the ground than Michael Turner in what seemed to be a rejuvenated Edge or perhaps just a well rested one. Or perhaps Edge is just trying to impress some teams for next year since he will be leaving the Cards. I'm sure most of it is just wanting to contribute and he did. Arizona came out with the classic do the opposite mentality on offense that seemed to stun the Falcons temporarily. The big difference though was the Cardinals strength in the air after two big plays to their two playmaking wide receivers. Matt Ryan did not appear as sharp as he had been in recent weeks and Atlanta lost the battle up front. The question now is whether the Cardinals triumphed for a day at home or they can travel cross country and perform in colder weather. The Cardinals are 0-5 in east coast games this year. Still winning one playoff game for this franchise is a tremendous achievement, even if it came with a grundle-grabbing...


Colts leave the door open, windy blur known as Darren Sproles blows through.

As I said, I thought the Colts would take advatange of the San Diego mistakes but the Charger defense held and the little things they did made the difference in the 23-17 overtime win. Sproles reminded me of the first time I thought he was superstar, in the 2003 Big XII title game where he gashed Oklahoma back when he played at Kansas State(even though the Sooners still got to play in the title game). Peyton Manning probably never wants to see another MVP award in his life. In the three years that Manning has won the MVP, the Colts have failed to reach the Super Bowl and this year did not even get out of the first round. No MVP has won a Super Bowl since Kurt Warner back in 1999.

Ed Reed back in South Florida doing what he did for the Hurricanes.

Once the Dolphins opted for a field goal instead of a touchdown on the goal-line in the first quarter, it was evident that they were none too confident in beating the Ravens defense. Ed Reed continues to be the best playmaking free safety in the league. Baltimore seems more cohesive than it has since its Super Bowl year after the 27-9 win at Miami. The defense does not feel like the offense is a burden, and the confidence in Flacco has come full circle. One thing that struck me about the game was that after Reed returned an interception 64 yards for a touchdown, Yamon Figurs seemed to feign a cramp on the ensuing kick-off to allow Reed and the defense to take a knee before starting the next series. Figurs laid lazily on the ground for a few minutes while Reed and the defense took a knee and grabbed water, then he popped up and walked off the field with no apparent limp. It was just a nice gesture for the team in the 80 degree heat for the Ravens wearing their dark purple jerseys. The Dolphins would usually be dissapointed by another early playoff exit, but considering where they came from last year it has been a great year. They were +17 in turnovers coming into the game but had 5 yesterday and their talent level is not high enough yet to overcome that.

Jim Johnson plays it perfectly.

It was not the most artistic win for the Eagles, but it was survive and advance. The 26-14 win in a noisy Metrodome Sunday proved the Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson is still a master at his craft. Johnson put the pressure on Tavaris Jackson and the Vikings offense. It cost them early by giving up a few big gains by Adrian Peterson, but late in the game Jackson had to make plays and was under too much pressure from the Philly blitz. Asante Samuel made the biggest play on defense returning an INT for TD in the first half(where were those hands last Feburary?). Catfish does not buy it but I believe this Eagles team is similar to the Giants of last year and will now attempt to beat a division rival in their stadium like the Giants did to the Cowboys last year. I think many believe the Eagles can win but as of now I'm picking the Giants.

Continue reading...

NFL Week 15 De-Cleeting: Oops my bad that's my scenario

It is that time of year where many are attempting to calculate what needs to happen to get their teams into the playoffs. For some it is as easy as winning this week or having someone else lose while others need a lot of help. There are ten teams still mathematically alive in the NFC and nine in the AFC. In this week's De-Cleeting, possible realties and alternative truths will be examined for the playoffs. Just remember the sum of the squares of the legs of a right triangle is equal to the square of the remaining side.

AFC



Tennesee holds the number one seed in the AFC at the moment despite their 13-12 loss in Houston. One game behind the Titans are the Steelers, the only other AFC team to have secured a playoff berth. Pittsburgh locked up the NFC North thanks to their 13-9 victory over Baltimore. I thought there was no way the Ravens would give away two wins to Pittsburgh in the same season but it happened. Baltimore had their chances to get in the end zone and failed and then on the Steelers final drive they played soft coverage that is why they lost, not the Holmes call. Baltimore now plummeted to the final playoff spot.

Baltimore travels to Dallas for a Saturday game(thanks NFL Network!) in a game where playoff implications are huge for both squads. If Baltimore loses it could cost them that final spot and they will be looking back on games they should have won. The good news for the Ravens is that they hold the head-to-head advantage over the Dolphins and they have a better conference record than the Patriots.

The Colts will beat the Jags, and that's all they need to secure the 5 seed. I imagine no team wants to face Indy in the playoffs so it may be that the number one seed has to face them in the divisional round if the 3 seed were to win.

Christmas came early for the Jets on Sunday as J.P. Losman giftwrapped a go-ahead TD with two minutes left in New York's 31-27 win. The win kept the Jets in first place in the AFC East thanks to their 2-1 head-to-head record against New England and Miami. They of course have Miami left in the final game of the season but if they win next week at Seattle and beat the Dolphins at home, they win the East and get the 3 seed.

The Dolphins lost the statistical battle against the 49ers but won where it counted by getting the ball in the endzone(sensing a theme here?) and winning 14-9. The Dolphins control they fate similarly to the Jets. If they win their last two, they win the East because they have a better record in the AFC right now than the Patriots (6-4 to 6-5). If the Dolphins slip it will be hard for them to sneak in due to their head-to head tiebreaker against the Ravens, but that is assuming the Ravens and Patriots would win out. The Dolphins should simply be focused on winning the last two.

The Patriots are not in as bad a shape as one would think, but they do need help even after demolishing the hapless Raiders 49-26 in the rain in Oakland. First off, they must win their last two at home against the Cardinals(1:00 EST start!) and at Buffalo. If Baltimore slips against Dallas and the Pats win out, they would grab the final spot because that would make them 11-5 and the loser of the Dolphins-Jets game is going to be 10-6 at best. New England can win the division but it would require them to win out and either the Dolphins or Jets to slip on the road and then that team to beat the team that wins this Sunday. If the Dolphins and Jets both lose this week, all New England would have to do is win. If you need help from others to get in, I do not think you could ask for a better scenario if your the Pats, but wins in their final two are not guarenteed.

San Diego is still clinging to life after getting past KC 22-21. They had some reason to celebrate since Denver lost. The Chargers have to win at Tampa(where the Bucs have not lost this year) and then beat Denver at home to win the AFC West. They also need Denver to lose at home to Buffalo(stranger things have happened) before the final showdown in San Diego in week 17. The Chargers have really brought this situation on themselves but if you recall that call made by Ed Hochuli back in week 2, the game now is a big factor. If that ball had been correctly called a fumble, then both teams would be 7-7 with the division possibly being decided on the final week.



The Broncos, who got spanked by Carolina 30-10, should just thank their lucky stars, win one of the last two(preferably this week hosting Buffalo), and get their free playoff t-shirt before Indy obliterates them in the first round.


NFC



The Giants have secured a playoff berth as we know but could we ever imagine that both #1 seeds would be up for grabs in the same week 16? Perhaps the craziest fact is that the Panthers do not even have a playoff berth secure yet. The Giants two-game losing streak has allowed Carolina the opportunity to grab the top spot. New York's poor performance in the 20-8 Sunday night loss to the Cowboys means if the Panthers beat them in Giants Stadium this Sunday night, the Panthers have home-field throughout. Considering the Panthers are 8-0 at home, this could be a huge victory for them. If the Giants lose their final two games which are tough ones versus Carolina and at Minnesota they could conceivably have to play in the wild-card round. It may be hard for the Giants to stop the bleeding without Brandon Jacobs. The Panthers meanwhile secure at the very least a playoff berth if either Atlanta, Tampa Bay, or Dallas lose.

The Cardinals appear locked into that fourth seed and will need to regroup in order to make good showing in the playoffs. The Vikings hammered them in the pink taco on Sunday with Tavarus Jackson 35-14. They have the NFC West title, which may be the college equivalent of winning the MAC.

The NFC South is a bit more complicated. Carolina will win the division even if they fall to New York if they beat New Orleans the final week which would put them at 12-4. Tampa, who lost to Atlanta 13-10 in OT, needs to simply win out its last two at home against San Diego and Oakland, but remember the Chargers still have something to play for. The Bucs will get the playoff berth if they win out and will get the division if Carolina loses its last two by virtue of NFC record(the Bucs are 8-4 vs. the NFC and the two losses would make the Panthers 7-5). The Falcons can get into the final spot by winning out and having Dallas stumble either against Baltimore or Philly. They can also win the division if the Panthers lose out, they win out, and Tampa loses one of its final two. Atlanta has a huge game against the Vikings in the Metrodome on Sunday. I'm dizzy already.

In the NFC North, the Vikings can lock up the division by winning their final two, but those two are against Atlanta and the Giants. The Bears escaped the Saints to eliminate them last Thursday 27-24 but also have tough match-ups in a rivalry game against Green Bay and then at Houston who has been on fire. If the Vikings stumble against Atlanta but beat the Giants and Chicago wins out it gets hairy, but the bright spot for the Bears is that if the tie-breaker goes to common opponents, the Bears beat Indy to open the season whereas the Vikings gave away a late lead to the Colts.

The Eagles and Redskins are still alive and face each other in an elimination game this Sunday. The Eagles have fired off three straight including last night's 30-10 beating of Cleveland. The Redskins have been doing a tailspin including losing to a previously one victory team in Cincinnati 20-13. The Eagles would need to beat Dallas a home in the final week if they win at Washington and have Atlanta or Tampa lose at least one game. The Redskins would need both Tampa and Atlanta to lose out and they would have to win out against the Eagles and at San Fran. The Cowboys have a tough road but currently are in. They have Baltimore at home and the travel to Philly. If they win out they get the 5 seed. If they stumble they would need to do it only against Baltimore because they currently have 4 NFC losses and could not afford a 5th. One other bright spot for Dallas is the fact that they own the head-to-head tiebreaker of the Bucs.

Here is how I think things will look in two weeks:
AFC
1. Steelers-bye
2. Titans-bye

3. Dolphins vs. 6. Patriots
4. Broncos vs. 5. Colts

I think the Steelers find a way to beat the Titans and I see the Dolphins and Patriots winning out while Baltimore loses a close one at Dallas on Saturday. I think the Chargers lose at Tampa Bay which secures the west for Denver.

NFC
1. Panthers-bye
2. Giants-bye

3. Vikings vs. 6. Eagles
4. Cardinals vs. 5. Bucs

I know K-man will be upset but I think the Panthers will beat the Giants this Sunday and take the top seed. The Vikings should beat the Falcons at home and I see the Bears losing in Houston. Tampa should win out at home and I think the Eagles will win out which would give them the spot over Dallas. Turns out that tie was way better than a loss, way to play for the second overtime Donavan!

Here are the official tie-breaking rules. So interesting that the NFL has a 12 team playoff yet these games in the regular season matter so much. Perhaps you should be taking notes college football?

Continue reading...

NFL Week 14 De-Cleeting: Carolina Panthers Edition

The Panthers had their moment in the spotlight last night and for the first time in years, they responded. The Quenn City was alive and bumping the whole day yesterday and last night. Carolina has taken hold of the second seed in the NFC and of the NFC South by beating Tampa Bay last night 38-23. It also puts them only one game behind the Giants for home-field advanatage throughout the playoffs with those teams facing off in two weeks. Sure, there are doubters but last night Carolina put itself into position for at the very least a first round bye and showed they have perhaps the strongest ground game this side of New Jersey. Since Catfish and I discuss the NFL in our upcoming podcast(to be posted soon) I am going to focus on this game and what it means to both teams, the division and the NFC playoff picture.



Before this season began there was an understanding here in Charlotte that if head coach John Fox and GM Marty Hurney did not produce a playoff team this year, they would be shown the door. In his 7th year with the team, Fox had begun to wear on Panther fans as a coach that had taken the Panthers as far as he could. He took them to the Super Bowl in 2003 and the NFC Championship game in 2005. The last two seasons had been incredibly lackluster, but with Jake Delhomme returning this year and the drafting of Jonathan Stewart and the trade for the chance to draft Jeff Otah, all the cards were on the table. Win or find another job. He has done the former, guiding the Panthers to a 10-3 mark thus far.

Fox is not a flashy coach and has never been mentioned as a mastermind on gameday, but what he is a hard-nosed coach who believes in playing strong but conservative and practicing the staples of NFL success: running the ball and defense. The formula works when you have the personnel to do it. This year Fox does have the players and the Panthers are winning where it counts, in the trenches.

The offensive line deserves as much, if not more credit than the running backs of Carolina. Jordan Gross, Travelle Wharton, Ryan Kalil, Keydrick Vincent and Jeff Otah have played magnificently all year, and especially the last couple of weeks. We can forget Jeremy Bridges for the moment, cough. Wharton played perhaps his finest game of the year last week at Green Bay as he opened up holes for Williams and Stewart and made a block that sprung Delhomme for a TD and recovered a Jonathan Stewart fumble in the red zone after he hustled down the field on Stewart's long run. Last night, the Bucs could not stop the running game even when they knew it was coming, which is something not often said about a Tampa defense. Tampa has given up big yardage on the road, but most of it was in the air, they had only allowed one rushing TD coming into last night's game.

Once the big guys up front make the hole, it is up to the backs to run through it and this year DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart have done that. Williams averaged 9.8 yards per carry last night and had two TDs. Stewart was at 7.7 and added two TDs of their own. They combined for 301 yards which set a franchise record. The Panthers have a two-headed running game again fo the first time since they used Stephen Davis and DeShaun Foster except this time I believe these two are better.

On the defensive line after wondering where the old Julius Peppers was and searching for him high and low, Pep has turned in one of his best years ever.

The big cat has 12.5 sacks on the year and in a true return to form last night, blocked an extra point and sacked Jeff Garcia 1.5 times, including one rush from the left where he simply blew through right tackle Jeremy Trueblood. Perhaps it is a coincidence that Peppers is playing so well in a contract year, but he has once again become the focal point for opposing offensive lines.

The Panthers were a bit shaky in the secondary last night if there was a weak spot in their game. Ken Lucas got burned deep twice as Antontio Bryant had 200 yards receiving and two TDs. Another dull spot in an otherwise bright performance was Delhomme's two INTs but Jake appeared accurate and hit Steve Smith on a beautiful TD pass in the third quarter. Smith who traditionally plays well against the Bucs and the rest of the NFC South had 9 catches for 117 yards.

In previous years the Panthers were seen as road warriors who struggled at home, but this year they are undefeated at Bank of America stadium and I even think I saw some people in the notorious wine and cheese section of the stadium standing and cheering. I even thought I detected some arm flailing from the affluent portion of the crowd. The NFC South's contests have been dominated by the home teams this season and if the Panthers want that number 1 seed they will have to win in New Orleans the last week of the season.

Above all this was a defining game for the Panthers. They had taken some criticism for their performances against lowly Oakland and Detroit and then for their double-digit loss in Atlanta two weeks ago. The team was on the brink of being fighting for their playoff life as they traveled up to Lambeau. With that big win on the road combined with the division win last night, the Panthers have played their way into an advantageous position in the NFC. If they can hold this momentum, the team can become a Super Bowl threat. They are certainly not the Giants, but then again the Giants were not the Giants last year. Their match-up against New York now becomes the biggest game in the conference in the last two weeks. The one certainty appears to be that Panthers will be playing January football.

Continue reading...

NFL Week 13 De-Cleeting: Lo! The Horizon!

With just a quadrant of games left in the 2008 NFL season, the playoff picture is beginning to become more lucid. There are only 5 teams that are officially eliminated from contention: Kansas City, Cincinnati, Seattle, St. Louis and Detroit. The one surprise there are the Seahawks but the others' fanbases are not shcked by their mathematical elimination I am sure. There are a few clingers at the bottom of the "still alive" pile but unless some twisted BCS system can vote the Raiders in if they beat New England by 44 in a few weeks. More thoughts from the action I observed in week 13 after the break.

Steve Smith saves the day.



Steve Smith plays the game of football with a lot of emotion. It is evident to anyone who watches a Carolina Panthers game that this is the case. A catch made results in a contortion of his frame around the grass until he points to the sky and returns to the huddle or sidelines. Sometimes I think it is a bit too much, but Smith has been fighting odds his whole life and if the man needs to get his juices going by having a seizure of expression even if he makes a 7 yard reception, jiggle on I say. Of course we have all seen the negatives associated with his emotion when it overcomes his intellect, but the bottom line is that he is one of the premiere receivers in the game when he gets his hands on the ball. And that is precisely what he did on a critical 54 yard catch late in the 4th quarter to set up the winning score in Carolina's win in Green Bay 35-31.

Smith did not have a catch the whole first half but finished with 105 yards on the day in a game that both teams desperately needed. The Panthers came out looking sharp but in typical John Fox fashion, they came out flat and timid in the second allowing Green Bay to take over. The defense made a key goal-line stand and then Jake Delhomme connected on the long pass to Smith. DeAngelo Williams took the ball in a few plays later for his 4th rushing TD of the game. Williams has quietly become one of the league's best backs and it is a good thing for Carolina because rookie Jonathan Stewart has been dealing with injuries.

The loss drops Green Bay to 5-7 and two games behind division leading Minnesota. The Packers have a relatively easy schedule the rest of the way so they still have realistic life but will need to win out and have Minnesota trip up. The Panthers kept pace with Tampa Bay who beat New Orleans setting up a MNF beauty next week between two 9-3 NFC teams in Charlotte.

Browns share their pain with the viewing audience.

The game opposite the Carolina-Green Bay contest was this gem between the Colts and Browns. To say the game was hard to watch would be something of an understatement. The final result of Indy winning 10-6 on a 37 yard fumble return was painful for me to watch and I'm sure the equivalent of Cleveland passing a collective kidney stone as a city as the 2008 season went down the toilet. When you play the Colts and hold them to 3 points on offense and Peyton Manning to 125 yards passing, you should win the game. The inefficiency of Derek Anderson made it clear Brady Quinn will be the quarterback beginning next season. Quinn ambled around in a jacket with his earpiece in throughout the game. Anderson hurt his knee on the last series of the game after taking a sack that sealed the Browns fate. It was like watching a horse being put out of his misery as he was helped off. Ken Dorsey now takes over, I don't envy you my fellow Hurricane. The Colts are virtually a shoe-in now since 3 of their 4 remaining games are against Cincinnati, Detroit, and Jacksonville.

Patriots drop the ball...literally.



A week after New England seemed to be hitting on all cylinders, they looked rather inept in the Steelers' 33-10 trouncing in Foxboro. The game began well for the Pats as Mike Vrabel intercepted a pass to set up a touchdown. It was tied 10-10 as the Patriots moved the ball inside the Pittsburgh ten when all of a sudden the Patriots lost the ability to play football it seemed. Matt Cassel threw behind a wide open Randy Moss in the endzone and then on the next play Moss dropped a touchdown in the same spot. After a third attempt at the same play was almost intercepted, Stephen Gostkowski came out and missed a point-blank field goal. The second half was all Steelers as Cassel fumbled the ball twice, threw two picks, and overall just had a horrible day. A week after people were ready to annoint him free-agent pick-up of the coming off-season, Matt returned to planet Earth. The Patriots offensive line had trouble with protection while the (cliché alert) much maligned Steeler O-line gave Ben Roethlisberger time to complete his passes.

The Steelers currently sit alone atop the AFC North, but Baltimore is right behind them and face off with them in two weeks. That game could decide the division especially since the Steelers host the Cowboys this week who need the win badly. The Patriots on the other hand are most likely going to be left out of the playoffs. Of course this will induce no crying from the rest of the NFL which is understandable, the Patriots have become a symbol of contempt around the league. Their 7-5 record is decent enough to be in the running but they lose out on the important tiebreakers. All 5 of their losses have been to AFC teams and they have two losses in their division. They also hold a head to head loss against Indy which would break that tie.

On another note from this game, safety Ryan Clark hit Wes Welker on a pass attempt late in the third quarter. Welker left the game and did not return. The play drew a flag as it rightfully should. Some Steeler fans and others in the media will argue that the hit was simply a part of the game. Well it is a part of the game that has been taken out to prevent players from ending up physically like current NFL veterans. The ball had been tipped and was behind Welker with no chance he could catch it. Welker stopped his route, slowed down, relaxed his body and stopped playing when Clark came in. Clark took a free shot at Welker, so does that make him tough? Pittsburgh and its fans love to say how tough their teams are, but I don't think hitting a defenseless receiver after the play makes you tough. We all know how Catfish feels about Hines Ward and to a certain extent I agree, but his hit on Rivers was legit even though some deem it unneccesary. The problem I have is saying you are big and bad just because you knock down people while their attention is elsewhere and furthermore in Clark's case, doing it as a cheap shot. Toughness should be displayed on the field by players like James Harrison who make big plays by beating offensive linemen face to face, not players that pop off after a play is over. Last year Pittsburgh had plenty of popping hits, but the team that eliminated them, the Jaguars, were tougher where it does and should matter, in the trenches, during the course of play.

The worldwide leader copes(poorly) with a crappy game.



Scheduling games before the season starts can be a dicey proposition, especially when it ends being two 4-7 teams like Houston and Jacksonville. I do have to give the Texans' fans credit as they made lots of noise in cheering their team to a 30-17 win on Monday night football. I am all for spreading the small market love around, but when the two teams will not make the playoffs, it is hard this late in the season to get excited. In typical ESPN fashion they tried to hype it as much as possible. I cannot for the life of my figure out why ESPN wasted time advertising for this game. It is as if they think someone will see the commercial and say, "Wow, I had no idea there was NFL football on Monday nights. And oh look! It is the sweet match-up between the Texans and Jaguars. The man with the voice says it should be a critical game. I wasn't planning on giving the game a chance but now, I can't wait."

At all times, they are promoting their games and their programming, it really is disgusting to watch. But again, we have no choice. XM and I sat there in a trance watching the Jags get spanked, Tirico doing his best to try to make the game seem relevant, and Kornheiser discuss nothing in particular. My favorite moment was the promo for the Big XII championship game. Just in case you didn't notice which wuld be impossible if you don't watch sports, the Big XII championship is on ABC this Saturday! Congratulations ESPN, you have shrunk the world of college football into two conferences. By the way thanks for the interview with piece of shit agent Drew Rosenhaus at halftime, which (surprise) told us nothing new on the Burress situation.

Quick note getting back to the game: I am very high on the Texans for the future. If they can get a consistent signal-caller they have a great foundation with Mario Williams, Steve Slaton, Dunta Robinson, and Andre Johnson. Depending on what they do in the draft and free-agency I think this is a playoff team next year.

Here is a link to this year's playoff race where you can scroll over the teams to view their remaining games. [CBSSportsline]

Continue reading...

NFL Week 12 De-Cleeting: A Thin Line

Once again we were at XM's place to watch the Saints obliterate the Packers last night 51-29 and while trying to enter a zen-like state where Tony Kornheiser's comments escaped my auditory senses, I jotted down my observations from the NFL action I watched this weekend. One thing that definitely stands out is how wafer-thin the line is in the NFL from success to failure. With 5 weeks left, teams once thought in the driver's seat could be holding onto the bumper as the playoff car speeds away. More NFL senseless insightful rabblings after the break.

We won't get fooled again.



There has been another turn in the development of Matt Cassel. He is running the offense now how I thought he would earlier in the season. By now everyone has heard the stat about Cassel throwing for over 400 yards in consecutive games and being only the 5th QB since the merger to do so. The list would be seem more prestigious if Billy Volek were not on it. The 415 Cassel produced was impressive, but perhaps even more relevant was his ability to get the ball to Randy Moss. The Dolphins elected to keep Moss in single coverage and he made them pay for it. Once Randy got the ball early he was rolling, catching 3 TDs and totaling 125 yards while making some spectacular grabs as New England won big 48-28.

The Dolphins did gain decent yardage in their own right but the characteristic of the Patriots defense is its ability to make adjustments in the game. Most opponents get their points early, but then New England finds a way to shut down what they are doing successfully. A big adjustment by the Patriots this week was made from the first game at home against the Dolphins when the wildcat formation led by Ronnie Brown shredded thde defense for 137 yards. On Sunday the Patriots held the wildcat formation to 25 net yards. The common arguement made on the New England defense is that it is "old and slow". It's been said by one member of the media to the next and then been regurgitated by everyone listening to them. You've probably said it a few times yourself. While the defense does have a lot of veterans on it, it does have some young fast players featured this year. Vince Wilfork and Richard Seymour on the defensive line should hardly be considered slow for their positions, Jerod Mayo and Gary Guyton provide youth and speed at linebacker, and due to injury Brandon Merriweather replaces the aged Rodney Harrison at strong safety.

Still with all that said, the Patriots defense is getting scored on more often than they would like and it will be the big challenge going forward as the offense starts to function better. The Patriots have a big match-up this week with Pitssburgh while the Dolphins are not out of it yet. Miami still has games left against St. Louis, KC, Buffalo, and San Francisco.

Water covers 3/4 of the Earth's surface, the rest is covered by Ed Reed.



Philadelphia truly looks like a team that has given up after their 36-7 loss in Baltimore. Donavan McNabb looked bad in the game and then apathetic on the sideline afterwards. In any shade of color McNabb did not look like someone who wanted to play for his coach or organization anymore. Andy Reid has been coaching in Philly for ten years now but it might be time for him and the Eagles to move on. The other Reed, Ed broke his own interception return record with an 108 yard score off Kevin Kolb's pick. Reed now has 37 picks in his 7 years in the league and has to be considered one of the best safeties in football right now if not ever. Notice in the video that Hakuri Nakamura attempts to get Reed to lateral the ball as he is 5 yards from the endzone which is ridiculous especially after Reed tried to lateral and fumbled on an earlier interception. Baltimore sits on the last playoff spot right now but faces a tough schedule after they face Cincinnati next week which should be their only gimme. They have Washington, Pittsburgh, and Dallas before closing against Jacksonville.

Panthers have a rough trip down I-85.

With a chance to stay ahead in the competitve NFC South, the Carolina Panthers got slammed 45-28 in the Georgiadome. This loss pulls the Panthers into a tie with Tampa Bay who beat them earlier and only one game ahead of the Falcons and two ahead of the Saints. The game started slow for the Panthers on offense as they had two quick three and outs while Atlanta jumped out to a 17-3 halftime lead. In the second half Carolina got the ball moving but it was the defense that failed to keep them in the game. There were 6 4th quarter touchdowns scored, the backbreaker being Michael Turner's 3rd of his 4 with the Falcons up 24-21 and facing 4th and Goal from the 1. The defense which had gotten a pass from last week's poor performance at home against Detroit, now becomes a concern for the Panthers as they head into Green Bay this week and have a huge home Monday nighter against the Bucs in week 14. The Panthers were helpless against the run and missed key assignments and tackles in the passing game. The bright side for the Panthers is that they are 8-3 and problems on defense are probably easier to correct for John Fox and the coaching staff than offensive inefficiencies.

San Diego is the bizarro Indianapolis.



Much like the bizarro Superman that lived in an opposite universe from the real Superman, the Chargers are the Colts from the parallel dimension. The Colts drove the ball down the field and had Vinatieri hit a long game-winning field goal as time expired to win 23-20. This was after San Diego drove down the field to tie, but were unable to run time off the clock due to a penalty or even bring it close and score the winning TD. The polarization of the two franchises in their current state starts with the quarterback. Peyton Manning is quiet on the field but efficient and a proven winner with a super bowl ring; Phillip Rivers has been known to run his mouth at times on the field and has not yet reached the Super Bowl. Joseph Addai is a young dymanic running back; it appears LT's best days might be behind him. Reggie Wayne came into the league unheralded at the wide receiver postion but as turned into one of the best in the league; Chris Chambers has had a lot of expectations but has never reached his potential. Tony Dungy is the epitome of a players' coach and overcame tough losses in the playoffs to win the big one; it's pretty fair to say Norv Turner is not a players' coach and has never been able to take a team to the next level. San Diego's linebackers are fast, flashy, and like to dance; Indy LB Gary Brackett quietly makes big plays week after week. In the front office, Colt's president Bill Polian is seen as one of the best executives in the league; A.J. Smith dumped Marty Schottenhiemer after a 14-2 season because he didn't like him and hired Norv. Inianapolis finally overcame the Patriots and won the Super Bowl after being told they just couldn't win the big one; the Chargers could not get past the Patriots in the past couple of years even after many people were telling them they were the most talented team in the NFL.

The last evidence of the bizarro relationship of these two teams is their records: the Colts are 7-4 and the Chargers sit at 4-7.

Continue reading...