The discussion on whether or not the NFL should increase its regular season to 18 games has been circling around for awhile now. It is one of the key issues that is being presented in the new collective bargaining agreements and if implemented could change the NFL as we know it forever (Although the NFL seems to change dramatically each year anyways; Defenders aren't even allowed to hit offensive players anymore.) The other day, Colts president Bill Polian believes that the move to an 18 game season is a "fait accompli" which is unnecessarily fancy for--its a done deal. He later back tracked but all signs point towards Rodger Goodell and the rest of the owners getting the longer season that they so desire. Why do they want this? Money of course. As it stands under the current CBA the players make about 59.6 percent of the profits and the owners want to reduce that number to around 40%. They argue that they do not make enough money and are whining about their investments into their own stadiums and the NFL network. Here is my take:
If you don't want to invest in your team (i.e. funding a stadium, paying for game-day operations) then don't become an owner. Sure, the owners are taking financial risks all the time when they are running their respective teams but these are men who know money, and had to take risks to make it in the first place. The one thing they are not risking is their bodies and lives. The players are the ones whose lives are at stake here. We have seen what damage has been done to a multitude of retired players, especially from head trauma. This sport can literally ruin your life. It can leave you both physically and mentally crippled and in not-so-few cases, dead. 16 games plus 4 preseason games is hard enough. This sport is unlike any other in the world in terms of the brutal physical punishment a man's body endures (Yes, this includes rugby). How often do we see players go down with an injury and then not see them for many times, the rest of the season. Some never make it back to the playing field. If the season is expanded to 18 games we are going to see more and more players get hurt.
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello is quoted by the AP as referring to other football leagues such as the CFL or USFL as having 18 game seasons as justification for the NFL's move. If they move to an 18 game season, the NFL will be using CFL players by seasons end and we mine as well not watch. Countless star players will go down and we will be forced to watch inadequate backups and other players not worthy of an NFL roster spot. What will the NFL do to counteract this? Impose more disgraceful penalties on defenders for touching the QB or other "defenseless players." Pretty soon the only way the NFL will be able to keep its Tom Brady's and Peyton Manning's on the field is by making contact with the quarterback "2-hand touch."
Finally, I know a lot of veteran players don't like to play in preseason games, and the NFL thinks that by only playing 2 a year it is creating a balance but its not. The point of preseason games is to allow for your experienced players to shake off a little rust, but more importantly, its for the young rookies and free agents to develop and have a shot at making the roster. The preseason games are a necessity of the NFL.
Despite some of the bogus rules that at times can take away from the game, the NFL is a well run machine. It works. We all love to watch it, and it is by far the most popular and watched sport in America. The NFL as a company makes over 8 billion dollars annually. That is a staggering number. I understand wanting more money but look at how much your already making! For all of Roger Goodell's actions in gesture of "protecting the integrity of the game," he might want to look beyond just the players conduct in the end zone or off the field. The NFL thinks that it has problems looking after its retired players health care now? Just they wait.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Week 3 thoughts
Here are a few brief thoughts/points from an exciting third week of football.
49ers-10 Chiefs-31
Talk about two teams heading in directions that no one could have predicted. The 49ers are in the middle of an actual implosion. In their furious state of imcompetence and offensive infertility they have fired their offensive coordinator 3 weeks into the season! I can't tell if Alex Smith has any potential because this is now the 7th offensive coordinator that has gotten the axe during his tenure. If you ask me the QB has something to do with it, scrap this kid. Kansas City on the other hand is one of two remaining undefeated teams (Steelers)in the AFC and I doubt anyone would have guessed this. Kudos to Todd Haley and his staff. They have this team believing in themselves and at this point in time, they should now be considered the early favorites to take the division although I think San Diego will have something to say about this later on down the road.
Lions- 10 Vikings-24
It took playing the hapless Lions for Brett Favre and the Vikings to finally get one in the winning column. They will take it but there has to be concern about Brett Favre. He needs only 1 more interception to equal his total from last year. It seems as if his magic may finally be running out. If Adrian Peterson keeps running the rock like he did against the Lions, (160 yards, 2TD) the Vikings should make it an interesting race in the NFC North. The Lions have shown a lot more fight this season and eventually they will catch a break. Stafford returns soon and rookie RB Jahvid Best is expected to play next week.
Bills- 30 Patriots-38
Is it just me or are the Pats looking extremely vulnerable these days? I know the Bills always play them tough but this Pats defense was exposed by a Ryan Fitzpatrick led offense. If the Bills can put up 30 on the Patriots, just think of what other teams can do down the road. Fortunately for New England fans, their offense has the ability to score at will.
Falcons--27 Saints-24 (OT)
If you are a professional kicker, I'm sorry but you need to make a 29 yard field goal. That's a chip shot for a high school kicker. If I were the Saints I would drop him. This is a "what have you done for me lately?" league and it doesn't matter that Hartley was clutch for them last year, he cost them an extremely important division game. The Falcons are going to be in contention for the NFC South title until the very end of the season and now have an upper-hand on the Saints whose run defense is a joke. Luckily for New Orleans, Drew Brees is still the most dangerous QB in the NFC and he will have something to say about who ends up with the division crown.
Titans-29 Giants-10
I was almost rolling on the ground, churning with laughter, when I saw the "ambidextrous" Eli Manning throw the most humiliating and disgraceful left-handed interception in the end zone on Sunday. He always finds a way to push the boundaries of stupidity and the die-hard Giants fans must seriously be concerned about the prospects of this season. Their defense was once again perforated by a running attack. The Steelers made Vince Young look foolish last week but the Giants could not force him to make his usual mistakes. For such a no-nonsense coach, Tom Coughlin seems inept at instilling discipline upon his team. They committed 5 personal fouls including 2 by long time veteran tackle Kareem McKenzie. There are Bill Cowher rumors circling and that may be the best news the Giants fans will get all season.
Steelers-38 Buccaneers-13
We all knew that the Bucs weren't for real but everyone, myself included, always seems to underestimate the Steelers. Not having Ben Roethlisberger is not a problem for them. They have always been defined by their smash-mouth mentality. They ran the ball down the Bucs throats all day and of course the Steelers defense put up another excellent performance including Brett the diesel Kiesel's 79 touchdown interception. The AFC North is going to be a great division to watch this year.
Eagles-28 Jaguars-3
Michael Vick. That's all the needs to be said. He is playing better than he ever did in Atlanta. He is running and gunning at an optimal level. The Eagles offense is downright terrifying and they are looking like early season favorites for the NFC East. The Jaguars are terrible and Jack Del Rio's leash has to be shorter than ever as his team has once again underperformed expectations.
Chargers-20 Seahawks-27
Pete Carroll is a smart man. He left a stormy tempest at USC just in time to hand off all the problems to the very unlikeable Lane Kiffin and has ignited a fire in the Seahawks. They have soundly beaten two teams that they weren't supposed to. It is fun to watch Carroll enthusiastically coaching on the sidelines, often times running onto the field as if he wants to get a few plays in. Everyone seems to have forgotten that Matt Hassleback has been a pro-bowl QB. San Diego has under performed thus far this season but then again, they always get off to slow starts. QB Phillip Rivers is too good for this team not to be successful this season. His careers passing day (455 yards 2 TD) was not enough against the Seahawks mostly because Leon Washington had two magnificent kick off returns for touchdowns.
Jets 31- Dolphins-23
This was one of the two best games of the weekend. The Jets defense did not play up to Rex Ryan's high expectations but they made plays when it counted. Jason Taylor, in his return to Miami, proved he is still a relevant pass rusher and although the secondary bent a lot at the hands of Chad Henne and Brandon Marshall they did not allow the Dolphins to score on four tries in the red zone at the end of the game. Mark Sanchez continued his growth and maturity passing for 256 yards and 3 touchdowns. His chemistry with TE Dustin Keller is something to be feared and WR Braylon Edwards put down his drinks in time to score a decisive 67 yard touchdown. The Jets have won two huge division games and I expect them to win a third against Buffalo next week. They have recovered from that first week debacle and have gained an early lead in a wind sprint for the AFC East.
Packers-17 Bears-20
This was the other great game of the 3rd week. The Bears are who we thought they were; except they're not. They are a legitimate team. Jay Cutler survived a rocky performance and was able to find receivers when it counted. Tight end Greg Olson is blossoming into a premier player and Devon Hester proved with his 62 yard punt return for a TD that he is still one of the most dangerous players in the league. The Bears defense held up formidably against the vaunted Packers offense. Brian Urlacher is still a beast and was all over the field. Great players make big plays and his strip of Greg Jennings sealed the game for Chicago. Despite all of this, the Packers really beat themselves. They tied a team record with 18 penalties. Aaron Rodgers did pretty much whatever he wanted. He and Drew Brees are the cream of the NFC quarterbacks. If he can get some running back help the Packers will still be the team to beat in the NFC North.
49ers-10 Chiefs-31
Talk about two teams heading in directions that no one could have predicted. The 49ers are in the middle of an actual implosion. In their furious state of imcompetence and offensive infertility they have fired their offensive coordinator 3 weeks into the season! I can't tell if Alex Smith has any potential because this is now the 7th offensive coordinator that has gotten the axe during his tenure. If you ask me the QB has something to do with it, scrap this kid. Kansas City on the other hand is one of two remaining undefeated teams (Steelers)in the AFC and I doubt anyone would have guessed this. Kudos to Todd Haley and his staff. They have this team believing in themselves and at this point in time, they should now be considered the early favorites to take the division although I think San Diego will have something to say about this later on down the road.
Lions- 10 Vikings-24
It took playing the hapless Lions for Brett Favre and the Vikings to finally get one in the winning column. They will take it but there has to be concern about Brett Favre. He needs only 1 more interception to equal his total from last year. It seems as if his magic may finally be running out. If Adrian Peterson keeps running the rock like he did against the Lions, (160 yards, 2TD) the Vikings should make it an interesting race in the NFC North. The Lions have shown a lot more fight this season and eventually they will catch a break. Stafford returns soon and rookie RB Jahvid Best is expected to play next week.
Bills- 30 Patriots-38
Is it just me or are the Pats looking extremely vulnerable these days? I know the Bills always play them tough but this Pats defense was exposed by a Ryan Fitzpatrick led offense. If the Bills can put up 30 on the Patriots, just think of what other teams can do down the road. Fortunately for New England fans, their offense has the ability to score at will.
Falcons--27 Saints-24 (OT)
If you are a professional kicker, I'm sorry but you need to make a 29 yard field goal. That's a chip shot for a high school kicker. If I were the Saints I would drop him. This is a "what have you done for me lately?" league and it doesn't matter that Hartley was clutch for them last year, he cost them an extremely important division game. The Falcons are going to be in contention for the NFC South title until the very end of the season and now have an upper-hand on the Saints whose run defense is a joke. Luckily for New Orleans, Drew Brees is still the most dangerous QB in the NFC and he will have something to say about who ends up with the division crown.
Titans-29 Giants-10
I was almost rolling on the ground, churning with laughter, when I saw the "ambidextrous" Eli Manning throw the most humiliating and disgraceful left-handed interception in the end zone on Sunday. He always finds a way to push the boundaries of stupidity and the die-hard Giants fans must seriously be concerned about the prospects of this season. Their defense was once again perforated by a running attack. The Steelers made Vince Young look foolish last week but the Giants could not force him to make his usual mistakes. For such a no-nonsense coach, Tom Coughlin seems inept at instilling discipline upon his team. They committed 5 personal fouls including 2 by long time veteran tackle Kareem McKenzie. There are Bill Cowher rumors circling and that may be the best news the Giants fans will get all season.
Steelers-38 Buccaneers-13
We all knew that the Bucs weren't for real but everyone, myself included, always seems to underestimate the Steelers. Not having Ben Roethlisberger is not a problem for them. They have always been defined by their smash-mouth mentality. They ran the ball down the Bucs throats all day and of course the Steelers defense put up another excellent performance including Brett the diesel Kiesel's 79 touchdown interception. The AFC North is going to be a great division to watch this year.
Eagles-28 Jaguars-3
Michael Vick. That's all the needs to be said. He is playing better than he ever did in Atlanta. He is running and gunning at an optimal level. The Eagles offense is downright terrifying and they are looking like early season favorites for the NFC East. The Jaguars are terrible and Jack Del Rio's leash has to be shorter than ever as his team has once again underperformed expectations.
Chargers-20 Seahawks-27
Pete Carroll is a smart man. He left a stormy tempest at USC just in time to hand off all the problems to the very unlikeable Lane Kiffin and has ignited a fire in the Seahawks. They have soundly beaten two teams that they weren't supposed to. It is fun to watch Carroll enthusiastically coaching on the sidelines, often times running onto the field as if he wants to get a few plays in. Everyone seems to have forgotten that Matt Hassleback has been a pro-bowl QB. San Diego has under performed thus far this season but then again, they always get off to slow starts. QB Phillip Rivers is too good for this team not to be successful this season. His careers passing day (455 yards 2 TD) was not enough against the Seahawks mostly because Leon Washington had two magnificent kick off returns for touchdowns.
Jets 31- Dolphins-23
This was one of the two best games of the weekend. The Jets defense did not play up to Rex Ryan's high expectations but they made plays when it counted. Jason Taylor, in his return to Miami, proved he is still a relevant pass rusher and although the secondary bent a lot at the hands of Chad Henne and Brandon Marshall they did not allow the Dolphins to score on four tries in the red zone at the end of the game. Mark Sanchez continued his growth and maturity passing for 256 yards and 3 touchdowns. His chemistry with TE Dustin Keller is something to be feared and WR Braylon Edwards put down his drinks in time to score a decisive 67 yard touchdown. The Jets have won two huge division games and I expect them to win a third against Buffalo next week. They have recovered from that first week debacle and have gained an early lead in a wind sprint for the AFC East.
Packers-17 Bears-20
This was the other great game of the 3rd week. The Bears are who we thought they were; except they're not. They are a legitimate team. Jay Cutler survived a rocky performance and was able to find receivers when it counted. Tight end Greg Olson is blossoming into a premier player and Devon Hester proved with his 62 yard punt return for a TD that he is still one of the most dangerous players in the league. The Bears defense held up formidably against the vaunted Packers offense. Brian Urlacher is still a beast and was all over the field. Great players make big plays and his strip of Greg Jennings sealed the game for Chicago. Despite all of this, the Packers really beat themselves. They tied a team record with 18 penalties. Aaron Rodgers did pretty much whatever he wanted. He and Drew Brees are the cream of the NFC quarterbacks. If he can get some running back help the Packers will still be the team to beat in the NFC North.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Cowboys-Texans reaction
Cowboys fans can breathe a sigh of relief...for now. The Cowboys avoided the dreaded 0-3 start and soundly beat a very strong Texans team that were sort of the flavor of the week for early Super Bowl contenders. The Cowboys played with a sense of urgency that they seemed to have lacked in their first two games. They finally put their egos aside, shut their mouths and let their playing do the talking for them. Prior to this game it looked as if the Cowboys thought they could just walk onto the field, that bright blue star shining on their helmets, and teams would just let them win the games. They finally realized that other teams are trying to get to the big show too. They played like their backs were to the wall and showed us what this team is capable of.
I think the first thing we have to look at when we break down how the Cowboys were able to be successful against the Texans is their offensive game plan. Finally, Jason Garrett listened to sensible reason and called an offensively balanced game. Neither Marion Barber nor Felix Jones had tremendous rushing days but both were very effective. Barber ran tough the whole day and Felix gashed the Texans D averaging 6.1 YPC. They rushed the ball 27 times for a combined 101 yards, which was enough to keep the Texans defense honest and allowed Romo to open up the passing game.
Roy Williams has been quietly having a decent year (minus that pitiful fumble last week). He has been catching tough balls and he finally earned his paycheck with a break out game. He consistently ran precise routes and burned the Texans secondary for 117 yards and 5 receptions and 2 huge touchdowns. Give that man a game ball. Although Miles Austin and Dez Bryant were relatively quiet on Sunday, they both had some clutch catches and just watching Dez's ability to haul in tough balls in tight coverage makes me think that he is a Brandon Marshall in the making. Jason Witten finally got involved in the offense catching 7 balls for 56 yards. Even Sam Hurd made a nice catch. Tony Romo was on all day and made intelligent reads and had a commanding presence in the pocket. I keep waiting for him step up and consistently be assertive in this offense. Sunday could be the first step.
One thing that you may or may not have noticed was Mario Williams and the rest of the Texans pass-rush, or lack thereof. Is it just me or are Doug Free and Marc Colombo playing out of their minds? Neither Julius Peppers or Mario Williams was able to get near Romo in the past two weeks and compared to Flozell Adams, there is a penalty drought with these two guys. They are both big, athletic and play with great tenacity. Neither is getting their name mentioned too much and that is a good thing. That means their doing their job, not getting penalized and keeping tough pass rushers at bay.
On the defensive side, Cowboys fans have to be extremely excited. They finally forced the turnovers that had been lacking with interceptions from Jenkins and rookie safety Danny McCray as well as a forced fumble. Demarcus Ware continues to show that he is one of if not the most dynamic defensive players in the game with 3 sacks, 2 more QB pressures and 5 tackles for a loss. The run defense bent but didn't break and the cowboys coverage was superb all around. They held perennial pro-bowl QB Matt Schuab in check and out of the end zone until the very end of the game when the outcome was no longer in question. Schuab threw for a modest 241 yards and posted an unimpressive 77.7 passer rating. Andre Johnson was also held in check, although his injured ankle played a factor in this.
It's unfortunate that the Cowboys get such a big win right before their early bye week. They will have to continue to have good practice weeks and come out for the week 5 match-up with the Titans with great intensity and purpose. It's nice that they had all of these private team meetings and player speeches last week but now they must take the proverbial ball and run with it. With the Eagles looking more and more like the real deal the Cowboys must furnish a great winning streak especially against all of their division opponents. (Technically the Cowboys are still in last place with the pathetic Giants).
There are reasons to be optimistic. The defense looked like a Super Bowl defense last week but then again, they looked like the complete opposite against a weaker Bears offense the week before. If they can continue to play at that high level, however, it will be tough for any team to have much success against this high-octane defense. Romo is starting to like he in synch with all his receivers. If Roy Williams can become a consistent threat in the offense it will be impossible for defenses to cover all three of the cowboys receivers and Witten and Martellus Bennett. Finally, the special teams also picked things up this week. The coverage was tighter and kicker David Buehler made 2 tough kicks, although I think the jury is still out on him.
It's only one game and this win really doesn't guarantee anything for the Cowboys season. They have to prove that they can play like that on a weekly basis. The running game is still weak and until Barber and Jones are running on full throttle the Cowboys offense will still be vulnerable to stall the way they did consistently during the first two games. It's a long season and the Cowboys have to keep the fire in their belly for the next 14 weeks.
I think the first thing we have to look at when we break down how the Cowboys were able to be successful against the Texans is their offensive game plan. Finally, Jason Garrett listened to sensible reason and called an offensively balanced game. Neither Marion Barber nor Felix Jones had tremendous rushing days but both were very effective. Barber ran tough the whole day and Felix gashed the Texans D averaging 6.1 YPC. They rushed the ball 27 times for a combined 101 yards, which was enough to keep the Texans defense honest and allowed Romo to open up the passing game.
Roy Williams has been quietly having a decent year (minus that pitiful fumble last week). He has been catching tough balls and he finally earned his paycheck with a break out game. He consistently ran precise routes and burned the Texans secondary for 117 yards and 5 receptions and 2 huge touchdowns. Give that man a game ball. Although Miles Austin and Dez Bryant were relatively quiet on Sunday, they both had some clutch catches and just watching Dez's ability to haul in tough balls in tight coverage makes me think that he is a Brandon Marshall in the making. Jason Witten finally got involved in the offense catching 7 balls for 56 yards. Even Sam Hurd made a nice catch. Tony Romo was on all day and made intelligent reads and had a commanding presence in the pocket. I keep waiting for him step up and consistently be assertive in this offense. Sunday could be the first step.
One thing that you may or may not have noticed was Mario Williams and the rest of the Texans pass-rush, or lack thereof. Is it just me or are Doug Free and Marc Colombo playing out of their minds? Neither Julius Peppers or Mario Williams was able to get near Romo in the past two weeks and compared to Flozell Adams, there is a penalty drought with these two guys. They are both big, athletic and play with great tenacity. Neither is getting their name mentioned too much and that is a good thing. That means their doing their job, not getting penalized and keeping tough pass rushers at bay.
On the defensive side, Cowboys fans have to be extremely excited. They finally forced the turnovers that had been lacking with interceptions from Jenkins and rookie safety Danny McCray as well as a forced fumble. Demarcus Ware continues to show that he is one of if not the most dynamic defensive players in the game with 3 sacks, 2 more QB pressures and 5 tackles for a loss. The run defense bent but didn't break and the cowboys coverage was superb all around. They held perennial pro-bowl QB Matt Schuab in check and out of the end zone until the very end of the game when the outcome was no longer in question. Schuab threw for a modest 241 yards and posted an unimpressive 77.7 passer rating. Andre Johnson was also held in check, although his injured ankle played a factor in this.
It's unfortunate that the Cowboys get such a big win right before their early bye week. They will have to continue to have good practice weeks and come out for the week 5 match-up with the Titans with great intensity and purpose. It's nice that they had all of these private team meetings and player speeches last week but now they must take the proverbial ball and run with it. With the Eagles looking more and more like the real deal the Cowboys must furnish a great winning streak especially against all of their division opponents. (Technically the Cowboys are still in last place with the pathetic Giants).
There are reasons to be optimistic. The defense looked like a Super Bowl defense last week but then again, they looked like the complete opposite against a weaker Bears offense the week before. If they can continue to play at that high level, however, it will be tough for any team to have much success against this high-octane defense. Romo is starting to like he in synch with all his receivers. If Roy Williams can become a consistent threat in the offense it will be impossible for defenses to cover all three of the cowboys receivers and Witten and Martellus Bennett. Finally, the special teams also picked things up this week. The coverage was tighter and kicker David Buehler made 2 tough kicks, although I think the jury is still out on him.
It's only one game and this win really doesn't guarantee anything for the Cowboys season. They have to prove that they can play like that on a weekly basis. The running game is still weak and until Barber and Jones are running on full throttle the Cowboys offense will still be vulnerable to stall the way they did consistently during the first two games. It's a long season and the Cowboys have to keep the fire in their belly for the next 14 weeks.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Wade Phillips Job Security
Just a quick thought since ESPN reported today that Jerry Jones has affirmed that Wade Phillips job is not in jeopardy even if the Cowboys fall to 0-3. If the Cowboys were to fall to 0-3, devastating as it may be, the season is still not lost. Their division is weaker than in past years and there is no reason why they could not go on a dramatic winning streak. With that being said, firing a coach at any part of the season is something that teams that have written off the year or teams that are in a serious rebuilding phase do; not teams that have any sort of playoff aspirations. Think about it. If the Cowboys fire Wade Phillips and even the incompetent Jason Garrett now it will cause further implosion within the franchise. These players are in Wade's system. Romo is in Garrett's system and has been for the past few years. At this point in time the solution to the problems is to tinker with what you have and fix the problem. Now, if, down the road, the season becomes lost, by all means fire the whole staff. If the cowboys fail to make the playoffs or give their fans another early exit performance the entire staff should be shipped out. For now, however, let us all just hold our breath and hope that we make it out the other side.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Some NFL thoughts from week 2
Just a few thoughts after a very interesting week 2.
Although the uproar by Cowboys fans about their teams pathetic start and anemic offense are justified, there are some bright spots that are encouraging as the Cowboys forge ahead into a HUGE Texas showdown in Houston against the well equipped Texans. Tony Romo is actually second in the entire NFL (behind Peyton Manning) in passing yards and first in the NFC. Miles Austin leads all NFL receivers with 288 yards receiving. Although these stats are misleading; Romo has thrown a ton and many of his yards come late in the game when the Cowboys are playing from behind. It is still encouraging to know that Romo can still move his team down the field.
Another gift bestowed upon the Cowboys this week is the 4 game suspension of Texans left tackle Duane Brown. If Wade Phillips utilizes his brain cells the Cowboys defense should get to Matt Schuab with regularity on Sunday.
In Philadelphia Andy Reid has finished his turn on the sea-saw and has picked Michael Vick as the Eagles starting QB until further notice, leaving them with a frustrated and expensive backup in Kevin Kolb. Last year I would have laughed at this decision thinking that Vick's time as a threatening and dominant player in the league had expired. This notion is now far from the truth. Vick seems to have his gazelle legs back under him and now he's equipped with a hose that he's not afraid to use, throwing the ball with strength and accuracy down the field. The Eagles D is still a question mark but the intangibles that Vick brings to the table are downright frightening.
There seemed to be a battle for the restoration of balance to the league last week. Peyton Manning and the Colts once again looked like the team that expects to contend for the Super Bowl every year. They trounced the Giants and exposed a defense that looks like it had never discussed the notion of stopping the run in practice. Peyton tooled on his little brothers' team in every way possible. The Giants look like they're going nowhere fast, especially when their once feared running back Brandon Jacobs' equipment poses more of a threat to spectators than his ability does to opponents. On the flip side of this "restoration of balance" to the league idea, Brett Favre and the Vikings looked incredibly vulnerable against a Miami team that not everyone has yet bought into. Next week's Monday night match up against the Jets should show us if Miami is for real or not. As for the Vikings, they better hope Favre hasn't hit menopause just yet because they need him to perform at least a fraction like he did last year for them to have a chance. 5 picks in 2 games sounds familiar for those who know Favre, except Minnesota fans.
A few other head turners from last week included the implosion of Joe Flacco. I really thought he was going to turn a corner after a solid game against a very good Jets defense. Instead he went haywire and threw four picks, essentially giving the game to Cincinnati.
The 49er's picked up the intensity after the drubbing they received from the Seahawks and nearly pulled off a shocker against the Saints. If coach Mike Singletary can keep that teams intensity up I fully expect them to secure the weakest division in football.
Shame on me for picking against the Steelers last week. Their defense is always among the best in the league and it made both Vince Young and Kerry Collins look absolutely silly this past weekend. Even though the Steelers offense will continue to be a joke at least until Ben Roethlisberger returns, their defense will keep them in that division race for the entire year.
Finally, I think we learned something about both the New York Jets and the New England Patriots this week. The Jets, for all the over-hype they get and their chronic appetite for distractions, are a very good team and, defensively, are extremely intimidating. The Patriots on the other hand, have shown that they are no longer the intimidating juggernaut that can have Tom Brady just toss the ball into outer space and have it land for a touchdown. Aside from Moss's brilliant, one-handed escape from Revis island, Tom Brady could not take advantage of the opportunities he was given. With Revis out of the ballgame I expected the Patriots passing game to flourish but the Jets defense was just too good. Sanchez out played Brady in all aspects of the game and deserves a good deal of credit. He finally looked like a real pro quarterback. It will be interesting to see where he goes from here.
Although the uproar by Cowboys fans about their teams pathetic start and anemic offense are justified, there are some bright spots that are encouraging as the Cowboys forge ahead into a HUGE Texas showdown in Houston against the well equipped Texans. Tony Romo is actually second in the entire NFL (behind Peyton Manning) in passing yards and first in the NFC. Miles Austin leads all NFL receivers with 288 yards receiving. Although these stats are misleading; Romo has thrown a ton and many of his yards come late in the game when the Cowboys are playing from behind. It is still encouraging to know that Romo can still move his team down the field.
Another gift bestowed upon the Cowboys this week is the 4 game suspension of Texans left tackle Duane Brown. If Wade Phillips utilizes his brain cells the Cowboys defense should get to Matt Schuab with regularity on Sunday.
In Philadelphia Andy Reid has finished his turn on the sea-saw and has picked Michael Vick as the Eagles starting QB until further notice, leaving them with a frustrated and expensive backup in Kevin Kolb. Last year I would have laughed at this decision thinking that Vick's time as a threatening and dominant player in the league had expired. This notion is now far from the truth. Vick seems to have his gazelle legs back under him and now he's equipped with a hose that he's not afraid to use, throwing the ball with strength and accuracy down the field. The Eagles D is still a question mark but the intangibles that Vick brings to the table are downright frightening.
There seemed to be a battle for the restoration of balance to the league last week. Peyton Manning and the Colts once again looked like the team that expects to contend for the Super Bowl every year. They trounced the Giants and exposed a defense that looks like it had never discussed the notion of stopping the run in practice. Peyton tooled on his little brothers' team in every way possible. The Giants look like they're going nowhere fast, especially when their once feared running back Brandon Jacobs' equipment poses more of a threat to spectators than his ability does to opponents. On the flip side of this "restoration of balance" to the league idea, Brett Favre and the Vikings looked incredibly vulnerable against a Miami team that not everyone has yet bought into. Next week's Monday night match up against the Jets should show us if Miami is for real or not. As for the Vikings, they better hope Favre hasn't hit menopause just yet because they need him to perform at least a fraction like he did last year for them to have a chance. 5 picks in 2 games sounds familiar for those who know Favre, except Minnesota fans.
A few other head turners from last week included the implosion of Joe Flacco. I really thought he was going to turn a corner after a solid game against a very good Jets defense. Instead he went haywire and threw four picks, essentially giving the game to Cincinnati.
The 49er's picked up the intensity after the drubbing they received from the Seahawks and nearly pulled off a shocker against the Saints. If coach Mike Singletary can keep that teams intensity up I fully expect them to secure the weakest division in football.
Shame on me for picking against the Steelers last week. Their defense is always among the best in the league and it made both Vince Young and Kerry Collins look absolutely silly this past weekend. Even though the Steelers offense will continue to be a joke at least until Ben Roethlisberger returns, their defense will keep them in that division race for the entire year.
Finally, I think we learned something about both the New York Jets and the New England Patriots this week. The Jets, for all the over-hype they get and their chronic appetite for distractions, are a very good team and, defensively, are extremely intimidating. The Patriots on the other hand, have shown that they are no longer the intimidating juggernaut that can have Tom Brady just toss the ball into outer space and have it land for a touchdown. Aside from Moss's brilliant, one-handed escape from Revis island, Tom Brady could not take advantage of the opportunities he was given. With Revis out of the ballgame I expected the Patriots passing game to flourish but the Jets defense was just too good. Sanchez out played Brady in all aspects of the game and deserves a good deal of credit. He finally looked like a real pro quarterback. It will be interesting to see where he goes from here.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Cowboys Bears reaction
The Cowboys and their impatient fans waited for what must have seemed like a year for this game to come, after week one's let down. The result? In a disgraceful showing, the boys fell flat on their faces. Now, after what was considered a lighter portion of their tough schedule, they are sitting at 0-2 and face a daunting uphill battle to turn their season around. The Houston Texans are next weeks opponent and I see no reason for Cowboys fans to look forward to this game.
The Cowboys, after all their talk during the week about correcting the mistakes, only compounded them with more (many by veteran players!). Give the Bears their due though. Their defense was especially impressive and the turnover prone Jay Cutler not only posted a zero in that category, but relentlessly unleashed long bombs all over the Cowboys secondary, making them look foolish.
Where do we start when analyzing this game? The offense for the second straight week (7th if you count the preseason) looked nothing like the vaunted bunch that was supposed to score at will coming into the season. Romo had a terrible game. Don't let his 374 yards fool you, many of his throws were inaccurate, including the pass to Jason Witten that bounced off his hand and into the arms of Bears defensive back D.J. Moore. Moore made an uneducated comment, stating that Witten "heard footsteps" and was "scared" and that is why he dropped the ball. The same Jason Witten who has played a season with 2 cracked ribs? The Jason Witten who repeatedly hauls in balls in heavy traffic and takes on severe hits as if they were rain drops? No, Witten dropped that ball because it was thrown behind him and he could not react in time to get a good hand on it. Aside from Moore's bumptious comment, he does deserve credit for playing a good game.
Despite the return of the two starters on the offensive line, the fortunes of the Cowboys offense did not change. Once again, Jason Garrett decided that a balanced offense was not prudent, electing to pass 51 times and running only 19 times. Does he not understand that getting the running game started will help Romo and the passing attack? In the first quarter, Marion Barber repeatedly rushed for over seven yards and the Cowboys marched down the field. (Surprise, surprise, the drive stalled.) Still, why abandon the run for the rest of the game? Their run attack for the final 3 quarters was nothing less than a joke, and often was merely a feeble attempt to catch the Bears off guard in terms of defending Romo's arm. Good luck trying to catch the likes of Urlacher and Briggs off guard.
Kicker David Buehler has done nothing to inspire confidence in the hearts of the Cowboys. He missed another easy kick and poorly executed a surprise onsides kick. (This "gutsy" call had to have Cowboys fans pulling their hair out all over the country.) Buehler looks like he is just trying to muscle these field goals through the uprights and is throwing his technique into the wind. To make matters worse, I haven't seen any of those booming kickoffs that he's known for yet this year. In short, he has been useless thus far. Dare I say, bring back Nick Folk?
Then, on the defensive side of the ball, the boys were exposed and humiliated. In the first quarter I would have boldly predicted that they would tally up around 6 sacks on Cutler for the day. Ware and Anthony Spencer were flying around like mad men. It looked as if Cutler wanted nothing more than to head back to the Bears bus and hide under a seat. They were literally unblockable, and they must have been licking their chops when the Bears had to insert a backup tackle into the game. Instead, Wade Phillips stopped calling for effective blitzes and the Cowboys sat back as Cutler was allowed to settle down and pick apart a secondary that played uncharacteristically poor. CB Mike Jenkins, usually the Cowboys best cover corner was beaten frequently. He also suffered a knee bruise but is expected to start next week. His replacement Michael Hamlin looked like he had never been taught how to cover anyone on Cutlers third TD toss.
It also appeared that Bears O-coordinator Mike Martz out smarted defensive guru Wade Phillips. Often the Cowboys were caught in coverage that left the middle of the field wide open. On the first Bears TD, tight end Greg Olson was barley touched as he scampered for 39 yards into the endzone. (Greg Olson does drop the best lines in the U-Miami's 7th floor crew, so its hard to hate on him for that.)
Heading into next week, it is an understatement that the Cowboys have a lot to work on. They must figure out how to run a respectable offense. Their talent is without question, but their execution is among the leagues worst. Roy Williams has finally shown that he can catch the ball; Now hold on to the damn thing! Dez Bryant looks like a superstar in the making and Miles Austin is a bonafide superstar. Romo must return to form and the offensive line must drastically cut down on penalties. I can't even begin to count how many drives have been stalled by holdings and false starts in the past 5 years. These guys are supposed to be experienced veterans!
Defensively we need to get some turnovers. This D has too much talent to not add to the turnover margin. Dial up the blitz more often! It scares me that we couldn't even get one interception off of the leagues leader in throwing them from last year. It is not panic time yet. Key word yet. Let us not forget that the New York Giants started off 0-2 a few years ago and ended up winning the Super Bowl. In 1993 the Cowboys also started off 0-2 and went on to win the big one. (Of course, the main reason for starting off 0-2 was Emmitt Smith's absence because of a holdout.) The NFC East is still wide open but their is a closing window of opportunity for the Cowboys. The time for the right words A.K.A cheap talk is over. Get out there and play ball!
The Cowboys, after all their talk during the week about correcting the mistakes, only compounded them with more (many by veteran players!). Give the Bears their due though. Their defense was especially impressive and the turnover prone Jay Cutler not only posted a zero in that category, but relentlessly unleashed long bombs all over the Cowboys secondary, making them look foolish.
Where do we start when analyzing this game? The offense for the second straight week (7th if you count the preseason) looked nothing like the vaunted bunch that was supposed to score at will coming into the season. Romo had a terrible game. Don't let his 374 yards fool you, many of his throws were inaccurate, including the pass to Jason Witten that bounced off his hand and into the arms of Bears defensive back D.J. Moore. Moore made an uneducated comment, stating that Witten "heard footsteps" and was "scared" and that is why he dropped the ball. The same Jason Witten who has played a season with 2 cracked ribs? The Jason Witten who repeatedly hauls in balls in heavy traffic and takes on severe hits as if they were rain drops? No, Witten dropped that ball because it was thrown behind him and he could not react in time to get a good hand on it. Aside from Moore's bumptious comment, he does deserve credit for playing a good game.
Despite the return of the two starters on the offensive line, the fortunes of the Cowboys offense did not change. Once again, Jason Garrett decided that a balanced offense was not prudent, electing to pass 51 times and running only 19 times. Does he not understand that getting the running game started will help Romo and the passing attack? In the first quarter, Marion Barber repeatedly rushed for over seven yards and the Cowboys marched down the field. (Surprise, surprise, the drive stalled.) Still, why abandon the run for the rest of the game? Their run attack for the final 3 quarters was nothing less than a joke, and often was merely a feeble attempt to catch the Bears off guard in terms of defending Romo's arm. Good luck trying to catch the likes of Urlacher and Briggs off guard.
Kicker David Buehler has done nothing to inspire confidence in the hearts of the Cowboys. He missed another easy kick and poorly executed a surprise onsides kick. (This "gutsy" call had to have Cowboys fans pulling their hair out all over the country.) Buehler looks like he is just trying to muscle these field goals through the uprights and is throwing his technique into the wind. To make matters worse, I haven't seen any of those booming kickoffs that he's known for yet this year. In short, he has been useless thus far. Dare I say, bring back Nick Folk?
Then, on the defensive side of the ball, the boys were exposed and humiliated. In the first quarter I would have boldly predicted that they would tally up around 6 sacks on Cutler for the day. Ware and Anthony Spencer were flying around like mad men. It looked as if Cutler wanted nothing more than to head back to the Bears bus and hide under a seat. They were literally unblockable, and they must have been licking their chops when the Bears had to insert a backup tackle into the game. Instead, Wade Phillips stopped calling for effective blitzes and the Cowboys sat back as Cutler was allowed to settle down and pick apart a secondary that played uncharacteristically poor. CB Mike Jenkins, usually the Cowboys best cover corner was beaten frequently. He also suffered a knee bruise but is expected to start next week. His replacement Michael Hamlin looked like he had never been taught how to cover anyone on Cutlers third TD toss.
It also appeared that Bears O-coordinator Mike Martz out smarted defensive guru Wade Phillips. Often the Cowboys were caught in coverage that left the middle of the field wide open. On the first Bears TD, tight end Greg Olson was barley touched as he scampered for 39 yards into the endzone. (Greg Olson does drop the best lines in the U-Miami's 7th floor crew, so its hard to hate on him for that.)
Heading into next week, it is an understatement that the Cowboys have a lot to work on. They must figure out how to run a respectable offense. Their talent is without question, but their execution is among the leagues worst. Roy Williams has finally shown that he can catch the ball; Now hold on to the damn thing! Dez Bryant looks like a superstar in the making and Miles Austin is a bonafide superstar. Romo must return to form and the offensive line must drastically cut down on penalties. I can't even begin to count how many drives have been stalled by holdings and false starts in the past 5 years. These guys are supposed to be experienced veterans!
Defensively we need to get some turnovers. This D has too much talent to not add to the turnover margin. Dial up the blitz more often! It scares me that we couldn't even get one interception off of the leagues leader in throwing them from last year. It is not panic time yet. Key word yet. Let us not forget that the New York Giants started off 0-2 a few years ago and ended up winning the Super Bowl. In 1993 the Cowboys also started off 0-2 and went on to win the big one. (Of course, the main reason for starting off 0-2 was Emmitt Smith's absence because of a holdout.) The NFC East is still wide open but their is a closing window of opportunity for the Cowboys. The time for the right words A.K.A cheap talk is over. Get out there and play ball!
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Dallas Cowboys vs Chicago Bears preview
It's finally here. After a whole week of screaming and pouting about Alex Barron, the half-ending fumble, and the overall play of the Cowboys offense in the upset loss to the Redskins, its finally time for the boys to take the field and really start this season. They will do so at home against a Bears team that was lucky to come away with a win against the Lions.
On paper the Cowboys should massacre the Bears, but that's the way it seemed heading into Washington. The Bears offensive line is feeble, giving up 4 sacks last week to the Lions. The Cowboys front 7 should have a field day against the Bears front 5. For Jay Cutler, this is a recipe for disaster. He led the NFL in interceptions last year has already thrown for one this year. The Cowboys have two very talented corners in Terrence Newman and Michael Jenkins and I expect at least one of them to come away with a turn over. The Bears run over 70% of their offensive plays in a 3-wide set meaning the cowboys will be playing a lot of nickel defense. 3rd cornerback (and the cowboys only carry three on their roster) Orlando Scandrick will have to play a large role in this game. He is very skilled, and itching to redeem himself after that ill-advised offsides last week on a Redskins FGA.
The Cowboys linebackers and front 7 should also be busy trying to contain the very talented RB Matt Forte. Keith Brooking and Bradie James are very skilled and consistently keep their heads on a swivel, and I expect them to bottle up the Bears run attack. With the likes of Jay Ratliff, Igor Olishanksy and Marcus Spears clogging up the middle, the Bears will likely have to resort to the one offensive play that the Cowboys seem inept at defending: The screen pass. Matt Forte is an excellent receiving back and I expect this to be a pain for the Cowboys to defend.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Cowboys have a lot to prove. Cowboys fans have been patient with the development of Tony Romo and his offense over the past few years but they are growing restless. In my opinion, Romo has solidified himself as a top tier quarterback in this league. He played very well and extremely efficient last week. His offensive line failed to protect him and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett has continually failed to live up to his pay grade, with poor, head scratching play calling.
The Cowboys have three very talented backs, all with unique styles and yet they are never utilized to their full ability. The Cowboys must pound the rock, let these runners and their big offensive line pound the defense into submission. The Bears have a stout defense with great linebackers in Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs, as well as free agent DE Julius Peppers. Over the years however, we have seen that this defense is not complete and can be exploited in the run game
Once the Cowboys establish a run attack, then Garrett can really open up the passing game. Off of play action, Tony Romo should be able to take 7 step drops and throw the ball wherever he pleases. Witten should be able to get open over these linebackers and their WR's will be open all day. Julius Peppers will test both Doug Free and Mark Colombo but Romo is elusive enough to make plays.
I think the Cowboys are motivated enough to make the plays necessary to take it to Chicago. The offense will be smarter this week and most definitely motivated. The defense will make for a long day for Jay Cutler. One more interesting thing to watch for is Dallas kicker David Buehler. He has a powerful leg and broke the Cowboys record for touchbacks last season. Now he is responsible for the place kicking duties and failed in his only attempt last week. Hopefully he can make his first career FG this weekend and get those nerves under him.
Final: Cowboys 26 Bears 14
On paper the Cowboys should massacre the Bears, but that's the way it seemed heading into Washington. The Bears offensive line is feeble, giving up 4 sacks last week to the Lions. The Cowboys front 7 should have a field day against the Bears front 5. For Jay Cutler, this is a recipe for disaster. He led the NFL in interceptions last year has already thrown for one this year. The Cowboys have two very talented corners in Terrence Newman and Michael Jenkins and I expect at least one of them to come away with a turn over. The Bears run over 70% of their offensive plays in a 3-wide set meaning the cowboys will be playing a lot of nickel defense. 3rd cornerback (and the cowboys only carry three on their roster) Orlando Scandrick will have to play a large role in this game. He is very skilled, and itching to redeem himself after that ill-advised offsides last week on a Redskins FGA.
The Cowboys linebackers and front 7 should also be busy trying to contain the very talented RB Matt Forte. Keith Brooking and Bradie James are very skilled and consistently keep their heads on a swivel, and I expect them to bottle up the Bears run attack. With the likes of Jay Ratliff, Igor Olishanksy and Marcus Spears clogging up the middle, the Bears will likely have to resort to the one offensive play that the Cowboys seem inept at defending: The screen pass. Matt Forte is an excellent receiving back and I expect this to be a pain for the Cowboys to defend.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Cowboys have a lot to prove. Cowboys fans have been patient with the development of Tony Romo and his offense over the past few years but they are growing restless. In my opinion, Romo has solidified himself as a top tier quarterback in this league. He played very well and extremely efficient last week. His offensive line failed to protect him and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett has continually failed to live up to his pay grade, with poor, head scratching play calling.
The Cowboys have three very talented backs, all with unique styles and yet they are never utilized to their full ability. The Cowboys must pound the rock, let these runners and their big offensive line pound the defense into submission. The Bears have a stout defense with great linebackers in Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs, as well as free agent DE Julius Peppers. Over the years however, we have seen that this defense is not complete and can be exploited in the run game
Once the Cowboys establish a run attack, then Garrett can really open up the passing game. Off of play action, Tony Romo should be able to take 7 step drops and throw the ball wherever he pleases. Witten should be able to get open over these linebackers and their WR's will be open all day. Julius Peppers will test both Doug Free and Mark Colombo but Romo is elusive enough to make plays.
I think the Cowboys are motivated enough to make the plays necessary to take it to Chicago. The offense will be smarter this week and most definitely motivated. The defense will make for a long day for Jay Cutler. One more interesting thing to watch for is Dallas kicker David Buehler. He has a powerful leg and broke the Cowboys record for touchbacks last season. Now he is responsible for the place kicking duties and failed in his only attempt last week. Hopefully he can make his first career FG this weekend and get those nerves under him.
Final: Cowboys 26 Bears 14
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