NFL '12: NFC West Review
The Seahawks signed Terrell Owens to a 1-year contract. The 38-year-old looked good at his pro day; running the 40 yard dash in 4.45 seconds and catching every pass that was thrown to him. However, I doubt it really helps Seattle that much.
Harbaugh's Team looking good with new Recievers
The 49ers incredible play-off run was something to be remembered back in the 11/12 season. Can they do it again?I do not know how far this team can go but with the additions of Mario Manningham and Randy Moss, you have to think this team has improved. Starting quarterback, Alex Smith, gets a little weaponry to add to Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis.
You also have to love the options they have in the backfield. LaMichael James joins Kendall Hunter and Frank Gore to give Jim Harbaugh even more variety. The only thing that could harm this team is if it starts throwing the rock more.
Seattle should get another second place finish. I think the Seahawks are the hardest team to really predict this year. Matt Flynn is unknown, Owens is definitely an unknown quantity while Marshawn Lynch's recent arrest creates negativity after a great year.
It is for this reason that I will put the Seahawks second. They definitely have enough in the locker to challenge San Fran but to do it week in, week out? Not quite yet.
Rams and Cards battle for Bottom
The bottom of the division will be an interesting one. Both the Cardinals and the Rams are looking equally poor.Kevin Kolb's 1/4 passes completions including an interception was something no one wanted to see in the Hall of Fame game. He was seen throwing again on Tuesday. It certainly has led the fans to lead towards Skelton.
Good news for the Cards has comes from the fact that Beanie Wells and Ryan Williams are both making recovery. Wells especially is vital after his first 1,000 + yard 2011 season.
The St. Louis Rams have to start this season with a little bit of confidence. After getting in Jeff Fischer and sacrificing the second overall pick to the Redskins; they can finally re-build properly.
They might still be a season away from really making an impact but an 8-8 finish should be the aim. New offensive coordinator, Brian Shottenheimer, did poorly at the Jets but then again Sam Bradford is much better than Mark Sanchez.
Fischer has been reported as to making sure his players are healthy but I was very intrigued by their draft picks. Brockers in the first round looks good but it is Brian Quick from Appalachian State that could be a secret weapon.
The Rams did of course also acquire Steve Smith but Quick and players like Alexander, Gibson and TE Lance Kendricks will be the real targets for Bradford.
The NFC West will once again but one of the weakest divisions in the NFL but they are improving as a group. It is the 49ers division to lose right now.
NFL '12: NFC North Review
The NFC North this season could arguably be the toughest division of them all. With the Packers greatness, the Lions improving and the Bears having stocked up this off-season; these rivalry match-ups should be legendary.Pressure on Packers
Lions finish third due to off-field issues
When you think Detroit Lions, you have to think of Stafford to Johnson. This partnership has been incredible and is arguably one of the greatest partnerships in the NFL. Apart from that, what do the Lions have to offer? Detroit has a lot of to offer on the field. Suh and Fairley on the defensive line is mere highlights to great depth in that position. This always help every other part of the defense with QBs getting less time. Offensively you have to hope that players like Burleson, T. Young and Broyles should be enough opposite Megatron. Their running game needs to improve but with Mikel Leshoure back and hopefully Jahvid Best finally recovering from head issues, it should do so. The Lions do have some off the field issues. Suh has already shown some problems and Nick Fairley is about as disciplined as a kid drinking coke. Fairley faces a lot of discipline issues following his two arrests this summer. It is issues like this that will cause them a third place finish sadly.Bolstered Bears Big Improvement
The Chicago Bears have made two very big off-season signings. Brandon Marshall is back with Jay Cutler is obviously the biggest one. The two players were very effective in Denver and there should no reason why they cannot be deadly again. Marshall will need to focus on football though.
Minnesota among the Big Boys
I feel a little sympathetic towards the Vikings this year. Leslie Frazier and Christian Ponder are doing some things for the team. Ponder certainly seems like the QB they need and seems happy to throw the ball despite having no real targets. They had a good draft with Matt Kalil looking poised to help out a lot. I am also very intrigued to see how the two Razorback wide receivers, Jarius Wright and Greg Childs, should work out. Sadly though they still do not have that #1 receiver despite Percy Harvin being a great slot receiver. The Vikings will continue to re-build and it will be good to see how Ponder can continue to showcase his talents. Sadly though a fourth place finish is nothing to be ashamed of with this division being as tough as it is. These matches will all be great. I cannot wait to see how it works especially the new Bears.NFL '12: NFC East Review
Looking ahead to the NFL 2012/2013 season, it only seemed best to start each conference. So, here is to NFC East. The NFC East has of course the current Super Bowl champs, the always overrated Dallas Cowboys, 'The Dynasty' Eagles and the Washington Redskins. Each team definitely has some ability this year including the unpredictable Redskins.Prediction: Eagles to take Title
Key to Success with Philadelphia
1. Keep Vick Healthy
Michael Vick is the key to success for the Eagles. His ability to move outside the pocket and run for first downs and make key passes is essential. He will need to be smart when to fight for extra yards and when not to; including sometimes not make the 10 yard marker.
2. Defensive Back Coverage must be a Success
With Asante Samuel gone, it should allow the Eagles to finally play man-to-man press coverages with Asomugha and Rodgers-Cromartie. People will run the ball often against the Eagles but when they pass the Eagles need to create turnovers.3.CONCENTRATION
Philadelphia must early on create a professional attitude. Players like DeSean Jackson can really hurt a team when his show boating antics take over. As Vick put it, they could be a dynasty.NFL Preview for 2012 Season
With the NFL season a little further than a month away, I thought I would see what is going on and throw out a few controversial issues. I would firstly like to point out that I have no faith in my Raiders this year.Tebow could lead Jets to Play-Offs
Tim Tebow signing for the Jets should actually spell success. The Jets can run the ball, they have a great pass defence and their receivers could be lethal. Although Mark Sanchez did sign an extension, I do believe that Tebow Time will hit New York very soon. He will succeed as well in my opinion as his game style does nothing but improve the Jets and make their weaknesses less obvious. Wait for that chance Tim as it will come your way.Miami signing Ochocinco is an Issue
The Dolphins seem to be more concerned with putting people in the stadium than actually winning this season. Agreeing to do HBO's 'Hard Knocks' is something that the players are against. Add in a very old and not very efficient Chad Ochocinco and you have a circus.
I saw go one step further. Sign Terrell Owens and call the season a right off. They actually have a good defence, if Matt Moore can carry on then he will be fine and if not then a rookie QB can come in who already knows the new system.
The season had promise for Miami and yet not I think there is very little to look forward to even though they have some potential. They need a proper wide receiver because Ocho aint cutting it for me.
Manning needs to make a decision soon!
We finally seem to have the last few teams who are interested in Manning. Tennessee, Denver and Miami seem to be his three choices after the Cards decided to stick with Kevin Kolb.
Each team definitely has some good qualities to them while it seems every ESPN analyst believes that Denver is the perfect place for him. To be honest, after the Fins traded away Brandon Marshall, each team has equal pros and cons.
Denver do seem to be good on paper. Good defence, good running game and a big wide receiver in Demaryius Thomas. They have a lot of cap space and would have no problem signing someone like Vincent Jackson or even good old Reggie. However, my big concern with Denver is that they were successful playing 'Tebow-style' football and were not good when Orton was throwing the ball. Although Manning is in a different league to Orton, you have to think that there is a reason for the lack of success.
Nashville would be a nice place to go although there are some concerns. First off, Chris Johnson did terrible last year but played well as a receiver. They lost their best corner-back and seem to be unable to keep their best receiver, Kenny Britt, healthy all season long. However, if CJ2K is joined by Manning you have to think he will pick up his act and think that the Titans can properly challenge for a divisional title. You can moan about the Titan's receivers, however Britt is a beast and the next Brandon Marshall (when he was good), their Tight End certainly has potential and Johnson is just the weapon that a play-action legend like Manning could use so well.
Miami's trade of Marshall really shocks me. With Marshall they have everything that Manning would want and it would allow the organisation to draft defensive players and be successful. Without Marshall, Manning will be with a rookie Head Coach and a bunch of unnamed wide receivers. Plus, the Fins have interviewed Alex Smith and Matt Flynn which suggests to me that the meeting with Peyton went badly.
Overall, you can say what you want about Manning but all these teams seem very desperate to get an expensive 35-year-old who seems very injured. His best move could be the Broncoes even though they seem to struggle playing traditional football. I personally believe a move to Titans would be his best shot mostly due to the fact that Manning can make very poor receivers look good and he has a lot of options with a backfield weapon such as Chris Johnson.
Manning Free Agent: Is Miami smart on wanting him?
Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts parted ways this week and it seems that Manning is the highest commodity in free agency.
Today it was reported that Manning met with John Elway for a possible move to Denver, the Dolphins are definitely interested and awaiting an interview with Kansas City strangely stiffing around.
Although Manning has clearly proved that he does not need a great team to be successful in this league, any team he goes to must have a good offensive line.
It is for this reason that many people believe that Miami is the place the 1998 #1 Overall Pick. After all, they do have a good offensive line and in all fairness, every other part of a winning team seems to be in place.
Manning to Miami would be a great move. The Fins have all the makings of a great team and have just lacked that leader at the QB position. However, Manning to be is like taping something up. You can mask the problem but it completely goes away.
In my opinion the Dolphins need to start looking for the real deal. The next QB to lead them and wasting a lot of money on Manning is not the way to go. Also, by signing Manning you have all your focus on him rather than drafting or going for a younger guy that can solve the problem long0term. Otherwise Miami fans will see the same thing, success one year and then suddenly a huge turn around the next.
My other reason for not agreeing that Miami should go for Manning is that I believe one sack could end it all. It is clear from the three neck surgeries and a whole year off that Manning is easily fixed. One bad hit could end it all and you have to bet a lot of money that the first team that plays them will want to test out Manning's neck.
Who should they take then?
The Dolphins search for the next quarterback seems rough. After seeing Washington trade a lot, and I mean a lot for RG III then it seems the only guy left is Tannehill (BTW I do not rate Tannehill or RG III).
Has Matt Moore earned another year of starting after a great turn around? Is Matt Flynn the guy to take Miami and go far. It is not an easy decision, as is any decision in the NFL. All I do feel is that Manning's move to Miami could be expensive, wasteful and short.
Its Thanksgiving... More and more football.
I have never understood the holiday of Thanksgiving. You celebrate saying thanks because a few hundred years ago the native Indians shared their food with the white settlers, when in reality if they were thankful they would have driven them out of their own land. Anyway, for whatever reason, it is an excuse for a full day of NFL so I am not too concerned about the historical evidence.
Thursday had some very nice match-ups. Green Bay versus Detroit, Miami at Dallas and of course the first "Harbaugh" Bowl as San Francisco meets Baltimore. What happened was quite expected in my opinion.
Green Bay have moved to 11-0 as they dominated Detroit 27-15. Doing this with yet again no running game only adds to the credibility of Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers had another MVP performance throwing for over 300 yards with two touchdowns and no mistakes.
There lack of a running game (Starks: 4 carries, 19 yards, Grant: 6 carries, 20 yards) seems a worry in my eyes for the post season. However, my concerns are probably just because I am itching to see the Packers go unbeaten all this season.
The Lions only really saw any offensive positives in garbage time. Keiland Williams ran for a touchdown, Titus Young caught the two-point conversion, and 'Megatron' caught a touchdown right at the end. Matthew Stafford had a tough day going 32/45 276 yards with 1 touchdown but 3 interceptions.
Overall, the Lions are a team for the play-offs. However, it looks like Ndamukong Suh will be suspended more a few number of games after bashing Evan Dietruch-Smith's head on the ground and stomping on him. He was ejected, then came out after the game and said he did not do anything. Not good news, especially as the Lions lost Kevin Smith to injury early on.
Dallas moved to 7-4 after beating Miami 20-19; although in fairness Miami looked the better team.
Tony Romo started off the day with 2 interceptions and Miami should have been 6-0 up but Shayne Graham missed his second field goal attempt. The Cowboys responded with a field goal of their own and then marched up with field to score its first touchdown as Romo threw to Laurent Robinson with a minute left in the half. Miami responded nicely adding a field goal themselves.
Miami went up 16-10 by the end of the third quarter after another Graham field goal and Brandon Marshall caught his second touchdown of the season. The Dolphins looked much better. Bush ran the ball well and between Hartline and Marshall, the passing game looked good. However, the Cowboys somehow got another touchdown and then kicked the winning field goal with time expiring.
Overall, the Dolphins are improving and Matt Moore looks well in-sync with the offence. Marshall and Bush had nice days as well which is promising although the play-offs look seemingly impossible for Miami. Dallas had yet another ugly win. "A win is a win" is what my Dad always said and the Cowboys would have tucked into their Turkey happily.
Now to the Harbaugh Bowl. It is interesting to know that it was Jim, not John, who has the better record. His 49ers have looked tremendous so far this season. However, older brother got the better of things as Baltimore finished 16-6 winners.
Alex Smith's impressive offensive display last week was nowhere to be seen. He threw for less than 200 yards while Frank Gore only managed 39 yards rushing. The San Francisco defence did look good still. They limited Joe Flacco to only 161 yards and Ray Rice only had 59 yards rushing.
In typical Raven-fashion. They were clearly up for this game and it showed. Since their loss to Seattle, they have won two very tough matches (Bengals and 49ers). This team continues to frustrate me personally. A top defence with a great running back, good receivers and a strong armed quarterback; the Ravens should be better than 8-3.
However, they are 6-0 at home and stay top of the AFC North. Even though Pittsburgh can catch them if they win on Sunday against Kansas City.
Thanksgiving football added no real surprises. Green Bay continue to impress, Dallas somehow won and the Baltimore remain unbeaten at home. Roll on Sunday, however enjoy college football rivalry week. Hope that Mississippi State can beat Ole Miss for the third year in a row. Enjoy.
Tebow Time in Denver as he leads Bronco to scrappy victory over Jets on Thursday Night.
Tim Tebow once again did some amazing work in the fourth quarter leading a 95-yard drive, ending with a 20-yard Tebow touchdown run. Tebow is now 4-1 as a starter for Denver.
Denver's offence looked more and more like Florida's with some option looks and a small involvement of rookie Jeremiah Johnson. This looks like an offence that Tebow can do some damage with. He looked comfortable and although he still had poor numbers passing (9/20 104 yards), you cannot argue with what Tebow and John Fox are doing. Especially a Tebow had another nice day rushing as he finished with 65 yards and a touchdown in 8 carries.
Get use to this kind of a win Denver fans if Tebow remains the starter. A stout defence is a must and strong running backs of course always help. The Jets did a good job of shutting down both McGahee (12 carries for 18 yards) and Lance Ball (5 carries for 18 yards). A scrappy, last minute drive is what saved a poor ofensive showing from Denver. Tebow missed some easy throws but he will improve and with this offence, expect a lot more Tebow.
As for the Jets, missing Ladainian Tomlinson and then Shonn Greene got hurt early; they were missing their best pass protectors and it showed. Sanchez looked nervous and worried throughout the game. He lacked composure, he overthrew receivers and not even a fake spike helped his numbers. Sanchez finished for 24/40 for 252 yards with a pick 6.
Joe McKnight got to showcase his talents as lead running back. He ran for 59 yards off of 16 carries and added 6 receptions for 62 yards. Plaxico Burress led the Jets' receiving core with 4 receptions for 64 yards. Overall, the Jets defence looked good even stopping the run, but the offence looked poor and it is about time to really look at offensive coordinator Marty Schottenheimer to see what he can salvage.
The Broncos move to a 5-5 and second in the AFC West with this win; they could move top if Minnesota take down Oakland on Sunday. The Jets now move to 5-5 and slip to third in the AFC East. The Jets chance to make the play-offs seem to be slipping away. They have a huge match up against Buffalo next week and a long week to prepare. They need it.
Week 9 Review: Dolphins dominate in first victory, Tebow leads Broncos in win over Palmer and Raiders, and Joe Flacco shows potential greatness leading his team to a sweep of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Joe Flacco's deep, fourth quarter touchdown winning drive against the best pass defence in the country allowed Baltimore to sweep Pittsburgh. Miami came out of nowhere to be an offensive powerhouse as they beat a very poor Kansas City. Tim Tebow and Willis McGahee managed 281 yards rushing between them to beat a luck-lustered Oakland.
Joe Flacco's ascension into greatness should be held back but he does continue to show potential. Flacco got the ball back with 2:17 left in the game. Pittsburgh had just scored two touchdowns to go up 20-16 at home and with the best pass defence in the NFL, nearly everyone believe the game to be over. Up steps the highly-criticised Joe Flacco on his own 8 yard line. Flacco faced at least 5 DBs every play of his 92 yard drive. It ended with eight seconds left on a 3 and 10 when Flacco threw a 26-yard touchdown to rookie Torrie Smith. "We swept them but don't be fooled-- we'll see them again in January," said Baltimore linebacker Terrelle Suggs.
Ravens now sit joint top with the Bengals after they defeated Tennessee comfortably. Both teams are 6-2 while Pittsburgh slips to 6-3 after its first loss at home. Pittsburgh remains third in the AFC North as Baltimore and Cincinnati are joint top of both AFC and AFC North.
The Cleveland Browns remain bottom of the AFC North. They lost on Sunday to a promising Houston Texans. The Texans exploded out of the gate as they took a 14-0 lead with only 7 minutes gone. Ben Tate's 27 yard run and Matt Schaub 2 yard scamper set up a huge day on the ground as the Texans rushed for a whooping 261 yards with three different guys getting rushing touchdowns; Arian Foster leading the way with 19 carries, 124 yards and a TD. The Browns' running game started off horribly as Chris Ogbonnaya fumbled on his first carry, bear in mind it was his first start. Colt McCoy had another poor day as he only had 146 passing yards with one touchdown and one interception; his touchdown pass was caught by Joshua Cribbs added 50 yards to his score. What was interesting was Greg Little's 8 targets and only 2 receptions.
Houston remain top of the AFC South while the Indianapolis Colts remain firmly at the bottom at 0-9. The Colts were comfortably beaten by Atlanta 31-7. The Colts only touchdown came from a Matt Ryan interception as their offence continued to struggle. Painter passed for a poor 98 yards and was replaced by Dan Orlovsky who did not do much better. Donald Brown a consolidation bonus of 70 yards rushing. Matt Ryan went 14/24 for 275 yards and 3 touchdowns. Michael Turner rushed for 71 yards and a touchdown. It was Julio Jones who exploded as he had a 50 yard and an 80 yard touchdown and ended with 131 yards with 2 touchdowns.
Miami dominated Kansas City 31-3. The Fins' Matt Moore threw for 244 yards and three touchdowns, Reggie Bush rushed for 92 yards and a score while Brandon Marshall caught eight of his eleven targets to end up with 106 yards and a score. Miami remains at the bottom of the AFC North while the Jets victory against the Bills put them joint top. Ryan Fitzpatrick had a poor day, throwing for under 200 yards with 2 interceptions. It was the Jets' defence that looked very impressive. Impressive stopping the pass, impressive in limiting Fred Jackson to only 80 yards and no TDs, they had two interceptions and caused two fumbles although only one was recovered. The Jets moved atop the AFC North with a 5-3 record as the Patriots lost to the Giants. In a very strange game where no one scored a single point in the first half, Eli Manning did what he did in the 2008 Super Bowl and led a game-winning touchdown drive at the end of game when Jake Ballard scored a 1 yard touchdown as the game finished 24-20.
The AFC West saw yet another rivalry turn in the opposite way than expected. Denver welcomed back a healthy Willis McGahee who blitzed the Oakland defence for 163 yards and two touchdowns. Tebow himself added another 118 yards rushing while he only threw for 124 yards but with two touchdowns. Eddie Royal had a nice day as he had 25 yards receiving with a touchdown and added a 85-yard punt return for a score. In Carson Palmer's first start he had an up and down day. The Raiders quarterback went 19/35 for 332 yards and three touchdowns, however he added another three interceptions. With Darren McFadden out, Michael Bush had a nice day filling in for him as he rushed for 96 yards and added a receiving touchdown. Jacoby Ford had a huge day as he ended with 105 yards and a touchdown as he caught 5/6 balls thrown his way; Denarius Moore had a small day considering his 12 targets with Oakland's leading receiver, Darrius Heyward-Bey, had no catches and only one target.
Green Bay visited San Diego and kept their unbeaten streak alive winning 45-38. In this high scoring, offensive battle we saw a little bit of everything. Phillip Rivers threw two pick 6s early and another interception late. He did however end up with 385 yards and 4 touchdowns. The Chargers welcomed back Mike Tolbert who had a nice day, rushing for 83 yards with a touchdown and receiving 59 yards. Vincent Jackson saw some nice late touchdowns to beef up his numbers, he finished with 7 receptions for 141 yards and 3 touchdowns. On the other side of the ball, the reigning Super Bowl Champs looked comfortable until the end. Aaron Rodgers went 21/26 for 247 yards and four touchdowns adding 52 rushing yards. James Starks had 13 rushed for 66 yards while the Packers' receiving core was led by Jordy Nelson who had 105 yards and a score. The Packers are now 8-0 and lead the NFC and NFL.
San Francisco are only one game behind Green Bay. The 49ers won 19-11 against the Redskins, a typical 49ers win where they relied mostly on Frank Gore and a stout defence. Frank Gore had another 100-yard game while Michael Crabtree led the receiving core with 51 yards. The Redskins looked more concerned over not making mistakes rather than being offensively explosive. John Beck went 30/47 for 254 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Most of Beck's completions came in the form of dump passes to Roy Helu who had 14 receptions for 105 yards. Helu added a team high 41 yards rushing off of 10 attempts with Washington's touchdown coming at the end when Jabar Gaffney had a 9 yard reception. Elsewhere in the NFC West we saw Arizona claim its second win of the season without Kevin Kolb as they defeated the St. Louis Rams 19-13. In a poor game with highlighted only Stephen Jackson (he had 130 yard rushing) the game went into overtime and saw Cardinal's rookie first round pick, Patrick Peterson, return a punt for the winning touchdown.
Seattle lost to Dallas 23-13 with both running backs having nice days. Marshawn Lynch had a season high 23 carries for 135 yards with a TD while rookie DeMarco Murray continued his form and rushed for 139 yards off of 22 carries. Dallas' win puts them at 4-4 for the season while Seattle have fallen to 2-6. Cowboys are second on the NFC East after Philadelphia lost to Chicago on MNF. The Bears won 30-24 in a game which saw the Eagles return to disappointment as only LeSean McCoy had a nice day, rushing for 71 yards with a score. Matt Forte was his usual impressive self for the Bears as he rushed for 133 yards although had his touchdown vultured by Mario Barber. Jay Cutler managed the game well for Chicago as his stats were not great but a typical win for Chicago.
Onto the NFC South, New Orleans carried on winning ways as they defeated the Tampa Bay 27-16 at home. A return for LaGarret Blount was not quite enough to help the Bucs close the game as they have slipped to third in their division. Drew Brees had a nice day as he threw for 258 yards and two touchdowns, however he did add an interception. New Orleans welcomed back and were led by Chris Ivory who rushed for a team high 67 yards. Darren Sproles continues to flourish in the black and gold as he had 42 yards rushing and 57 yards receiving including a very nice 21 yard rec. touchdown in the second quarter.
With week 9 over. Packers and San Francisco still sitting a top of the NFL. As we enter the second half of the season, it will be very interesting to see how Andy Dalton and the Bengals can handle two home and away fixtures against both Baltimore and Pittsburgh.
Have a nice week.
Week 8: Rams and Vikings lead surprise Victories. Chiefs take down Chargers on MNF while Steelers show Super Bowl Potential.
Week 8 definitely had its surprises and share of great games. The Rams defeat of the Saints was the biggest shock with Ponder leading the Vikes to victory over Carolina coming a close second. The Chief's overtime victory against the Chargers opens up the AFC West Conference while the Steelers showed some Super Bowl potential.
Stephen Jackson really stepped for the Rams as he rushed for 159 yards with 2 touchdowns. St. Louis was missing starting quarter back Sam Bradford, to a high ankle sprain; however that did not stop the Rams from dominating the Saints 31-21.
With no score in the first quarter, St. Louis seized the opportunity against a poor showing from New Orleans by taking a 24-0 lead up until the end of the third quarter. The Saints defence tried to find some form as they returned a fumble for a touchdown to end the third quarter. The Saints did manage to add two more touchdowns, however Drew Brees threw a pick 6 mid way through the fourth quarter to guarantee St Louis' first win of the season.
The battle of the rookie quarterbacks ended up with the less experienced Christian Ponder leading his team to victory over Cam Newton's Panthers. Minnesota decided to dish up their favourite ingredient for success: Adrian Peterson. The Viking's running back ended with 21 carries- 86 yards- 1 TD, 5 receptions- 76 yards- 1 TD. Ponder threw for an exciting 236 yards and TD. Cam Newton dominated the offence once again for Carolina. He went 22/35 290 yards and 3 touchdowns. He added 6 carries for 53 yards. Steve Smith ended the day with his sixth 100-yard-game and his fourth touchdown of the season. Ponder looked very similar to last week at home. He showed leadership and relied upon the Viking's best player; the ideal plan for a rookie quarterback in my opinion.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been seemingly under the radar this season ever since their first day demolition by Baltimore. This all changed on Sunday as the Steelers took down the Patriots 25-17 at home.
Ben Roethlisberger has seemingly put the offence on his back in the past four games. The Steeler's tough QB has thrown 11 touchdowns in the past four games. Roethlisberger made easy meat of a poor Patriots secondary as he threw for 365 yards for 2 touchdowns and an interception. With the absence of Hines Ward, Big Ben has found a new trusted possession receiver in Antonio Brown. Brown had 9 receptions for 67 yards for a touchdown. If you include in the rejuvenation of tight end Heath Miller and arguably the best "stretch-the-field" receiver in Mike Wallace, Roethlisberger has enough options and proved that they are still in contention for the Super Bowl.
The Patriots looked offensively poor. Brady threw for less than 200 yards and Kevin Faulk rushed for a team high 32 yards. The No.1 passing defence proved unbeatable. Wes Welker was basically a ghost in comparison to his usual self as he only had 39 yards receiving. If defences do truly win championships then Pittsburgh should not be forgotten this year.
Monday Night Football was treated to an NFC West Rivalry game when the San Diego Chargers visited the in-form Kansas City Chiefs. With the Chargers coming off a bye and the Chiefs riding a 3-game win streak, it looked like a tough match up. However, it was the Chargers who got tricked rather than treated. The Chief's relied more upon their defence as they managed to scrape out an overtime victory, 23-20. The Chiefs dominated the first half and went in with a 13-3 lead. The Chargers again seemed to have more trouble getting into the red zone as they posted three field goals in the third quarter. Kansas City replied with a touchdown to take a 20-12 lead in the fourth quarter before San Diego third string running back, Curtis Brinkley, punched in a 2 yard run and then questionably got in for the two point conversion. Going into overtime it was Rivers who had the ball first, yet he lost yards as San Diego had to punt. Kansas City took over and managed to slowly make their way down the field leading to a Ryan Succop field goal to take the win.
From this game there are two interesting outcomes. The first is that although Phillip Rivers can rack up yards, he is still struggling to turn these yards into touchdowns. San Diego kicker, Nick Novak, went 4/5 on field goals. This will continue to be a huge problem for the Chargers who now share the lead at the top of the AFC West with both Kansas City and Oakland. Kansas City fans should feel positive for two reason. Not only are their defence starting to play much better, but Jackie Battle is finally a viable replacement for Jamaal Charles. These two aspects have helped the Chiefs currently ride a four match winning streak after starting out 0-3.
In other results. Tim Tebow and the whole Bronco offence was horrible as they lost 45-10 to Detroit. Chris Johnson is still struggling rushing the ball, yet the Titans managed to beat the dismal Indianapolis Colts 27-10. Miami put up a fight against the New York Giants and Reggie Bush had his first 100 yard rushing game as a Dolphin, however it was enough as Eli Manning led the Giants to a 20-17 win. Arizona were very unlucky not to beat the troubled Baltimore Ravens as a Billy Cundiff field goal in the fourth quarter gave Baltimore a 30-27 win. Blaine Gabbert got knocked around by an increasingly improving Houston defence who limited the rookie to under 100 yards and two interceptions while the Texans offence was not in its best form, it did enough to win. Buffalo dominated a very poor Redskins showing 23-0. Beck looked awful, the defence looked poor and Fred Jackson ran all over them all day. San Francisco moved to 6-1 as they beat Cleveland 20-10. The Browns' woes on offence grew even worse as Montario Hardesty got hurt with starting running back, Peyton Hillis already out. The 49ers made it look easy by giving the ball to Frank Gore 31 times, he duly delivered success with 134 yards and a TD. Talking of poor offences, Seattle were also very poor once again. the Seahawks had Jackson back under centre. It did not make a huge difference as they were beaten comfortably 34-12 by Cincinnati. Philadelphia showed a big turn around as they dominated the Cowboys 34-7. LeSean McCoy had a huge day as he ran all over the Dallas defence for 185 yards and two touchdowns.
Week 9 should bring some exciting match ups. We will get a proper chance to see what Carson Palmer can do for Oakland, the Jets play the Bills and the Ravens and Steelers meet for the second time this season. Until then, have a great week.
Week 7: Gabbert and Newton have surprise wins while Ponder and Tebow look promising
The Jacksonville Jaguars pulled off an ugly Monday Night Football win while Carolina looked offensively impressive as they took down Washington. Colts and Miami remain win-less while Green Bay impressively go to 7-0.
Monday Night Football looked like a terrible match up. With the inform Ravens strong favourites to defeat the hard-working Jaguars; however Jacksonville had something else in mind. The Jaguars defence had a huge game. They limited Baltimore to only 146 yards which included an interception and a fumble. It was like two contrasting styles in UFC where one fighter wants to bang while the other one wants to go to the ground. The match went to the ground and Jacksonville finally got the submission.
Maurice Jones-Drew left the field with grass, mud and blood stains all over his uniform. However, that victory must have tasted so sweet as he had another 100 yard game and really stepped up for his team. Along with no mistakes from Gabbert, they managed to set up four field goals from Josh Scobee. Joe Flacco looked poor and only found some rhythm late at the end of the game when he finally connected with Anquan Boldin for a 5 yard touchdown. However, the onside kick was caught too soon and that gave Jacksonville great field position and led to the final field goal. It was a nice victory for Jacksonville and Coach Del Rio. Josh Scobee set an NFL record of three field goals of 50+ yards in one game.
Carolina Head Coach, Ron Riviera, has done a great job of building his team around Cam Newton and the confidence and improvement showed on Sunday as the Panther defeated the Redskins 33-20. Newton threw for over 250 yards with a TD and rushed for 59 yards with a TD. Jonathan Stewart outperformed DeAngelo Williams for the second week in a row in ended with 69 yards and TD while Steve Smith had a typical day with 146 yards receiving.
Washington's loss was made worse due to some huge injuries. Tim Hightower has been placed on IR after tearing his ACL while top receiver Santana Moss will be out for a few weeks as he broke his hand. This hand injury seems very serious as he has had two pines inserted. John Beck in his second start looked a little promising. He threw for 279 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT but he also rushed for 10 yards and a TD as well. This is his second rushing touchdown in as many weeks. Washington will now have to rely upon a shared backfield of rookie Roy Helu and an inconsistent Ryan Torrain. Jabar Gaffney will be flung into the lime light as top receiver as Fred Davis will also be called upon to more bigger contributions in the passing game.
When you decide to start a rookie quarterback usually Head Coaches do not like to start them against the current Superbowl Champs or a team that is unbeaten. Vikings' Head Coach, Leslie Frazier, had to put his first round pick against both. Christian Ponder was given the impossible task of leading his team against the Green Bay Packers. The Packers are unbeaten and reigning champions. Even though Green Bay won, Ponder has left a lasting impression upon the NFL world and it is a good one.
After the game, many Vikings players commented on how calm and confident Ponder was. Minnesota are struggling as much as they are, especially when it comes to throwing the ball, confidence is something the Vikings need. Ponder may give them a life line. Ponder stats were not bad against a top defence. He threw for 219 yards with 2 TDs and 2 INTs. Ponder and Michael Jenkins seem to have a good rapport as Jenkins had his first 100 yard game of his career. Minnesota running-back, Adrian Peterson, also had a huge day rushing for 175 yards and a TD. This is promising for the Minnesota faithful. With talks of a new stadium in the air, the fans have something to finally feel excited about with Ponder under centre. However, the rest of the season will obviously decide whether he can be the long-term franchise quarter-back that the Vikings truly need.
The NY Jets had a great comeback against the San Diego Chargers. Two late interceptions from Phillip Rivers sunk the Chargers as Plaxico Burress had a hat-trick of touchdowns lead to a 27-21 victory and helps keep the Jets remain unbeaten at home. Things did not start out as expected for the Jets. On their first series Dustin Keller fumbled and the San Diego defence took it in for a touchdown. The Chargers used this momentum to go in at the half leading 21-10. When the second half started though, things had changed. The Jets were suddenly pumped up while San Diego seemed dazed. Rivers' mistakes were un-characteristic of his usual self. The game had some added spice as Jets' Head Coach said before that if he would have been hired at San Diego in 2007, he would have won a few Super Bowl rings by now. Ryan apologised for his comments and explained that he has "so much respect for Norv (Turner)."
In Tim Tebow's first start of the season he managed to lead his Broncoes to an 18-15 overtime win against the Dolphins. Tebow looked horrendous for 55 minutes as his team were 15-0 down. He consistently overthrew his open receivers. Losing starting running-back, Willis MacGhee, did not help. However, Tebow never quits. He managed to lead his team to its first touchdown when Demaryius Thomas caught a 5 yard pass with only 2:44 left. Then the Bronco's special team managed to recover an onside kick. Tebow continued to stay on top as he carried his team with the 'no huddle" and gave Daniel Fells a 3 yard pass, then Tebow faked pass and ran for the two-point conversion to get to overtime. Miami were unable to use their first possession to effectiveness. It was actually only due to a Matt Moore sack and fumble that really ended the game on the Dolphins' second series. Neither team were moving the ball but the good position after the fumble recovery allowed Prater to kick a the game winning field goal.
Seattle and Cleveland battled in poor offensive performance from either side. Injuries from both teams really affected their performance. The Browns did not have use of their best player as Peyton Hillis still has hamstring issues while the Seahawks were without Tavarris Jackson and Marsham Lynch. Not that either team is the most explosive offensively anyways but this match was particularly poor. Charlie Whitehurst finally got his start as the Seahawks quarter back. He went 12/30 for only 97 yards and an interception while Colt McCoy on the other side did not do much better going 20/35 for 178 yards and interception also. Overall, you do not want to have any of either teams' players in your fantasy team currently.
Atlanta and Detroit had an interesting game as the Falcons managed to with 23-16. The Lions have now lost two in a row after a great 5-0 start. The worrying factor for the Lions has to their inability to run the ball and as starting running-back, Jahvid Best, is hurt; the responsibility fell on Maurice Morris and Keiland Williams. Neither of them did tremendously which allowed the Falcon defence to focus on stopping the pass. Detroit's best defensive player, Ndamukong Suh, had some interesting words after the game explaining that the Atlanta offensive line were consistently dirt. Suh was put under pressure as he was accused of kicking Matt Ryan in the foot when Ryan was down hurt.
The Houston Texans managed a comfortable win against Tennessee. The Titan's running issues are becoming more of a problem and their defence faltered. Pittsburgh defeated Arizona with Ben Roethlisberger throwing 3 TDs for 361 yards. Arizona continue to struggle and the loss of Beanie Wells to injury will only make matters worse. Oakland had a horrendous day as Kyle Boller and Carson Palmer threw three interceptions apiece as Kansas City basically lived off the Raiders' mistakes. The Cowboys gave rookie DeMarco Murray a chance to start in place of the injured Felix Jones. Murray went nuts and rushed for 253 yards and a touchdown against a poor Ram's defence. Sam Bradford did play due to injury and AJ Feeley was not anything exciting although Brandon Lloyd looked good under Josh McDaniels play calling. London was treated to some NFL this week as the Chicago Bears defeated the Tampa Bay Bucs. Matt Forte had his usual impressive day as Wembley was filled with screams of "PAY THE MAN." Forte rushed for 145 yards and a TD and also had two receptions for 38 yards. Roy Williams had his first touch down as a Bear and led the team with 59 yards and a TD. The Colts looked even worse as they were trounced by the Saints 62-7. Painter threw an interception and was even replaced near the end. Brees went 31/35 for 325 yards and 5 touchdowns as both Marques Colston and Jimmy Graham had two touchdowns each. The Saints had a fantastic day on the ground as well although Ingram's injury will be a potential problem although Pierre Thomas looked good along side Darren Sproles so not a huge worry for the Saints.
Week 5 Round Up- Kings of the Jungle 5-0
Detroit took down Chicago 24-13 at home on Monday Night Football. Jahvid Best had his first 100 yard rushing game for the Lions, who currently are the Kings of the Jungle.
Growing up I always thought it was strange that Lions were the kings of the jungle. I felt like there were other animals I would be scared of, plus I had only ever seen Lions kill gazelles on TV. I was even more confused when I first started watching the NFL to see Detroit call themselves the Lions. This was during their 0-16 season though.
Since then they have done some incredible things. They drafted a great QB (even if Stafford does get injured a lot), they then went to work on their defence by drafting Ndamukong Suh last year and Nick Fairley this year. They hired Head Coach Jim Schwartz in 2009 and his dedication to this team has been incredible. Schwartz took over the hardest job in the NFL. 0-16 in a city that is dangerous and hard to attract professional players to. However, his drafting and trading skills are shown to be impressive.
Since 2009, Schwartz has smartly traded picks to get exactly what he needs. In 2010, along with Suh, he traded up to get California's Jahvid Best, perfect for his run first offence. In 2009, along with Stafford he also traded up to get Brandon Pettigrew, a TE who has really turned it up this season. He also drafted a lot of current defensive starts such as Louise Delmas (2nd round) and Deandre Levy (3rd round).
Schwartz taught us all two key lessons to our professions. No. 1 enthuisiasm is everything. Schwartz showed from day 1 the belief and energy that it took to turn this franchise around. No. 2 that research and quanlity is much better than quality (I point that finger at Minnesota). Detroit needed a coach who had a vision for this team and owner, William Clay Ford certainly found one. Lets hope that when William Clay Ford Jr. takes over he continues with the great work that is currently happening.
In other matches, Buffalo went back to winning ways with a win over a lack-lustred Philadelphia side. Vince Young's "dream team" comment look about as smart as giving Tara Reid her own show. Fred Jackson had another huge day with 111 yards and a score. (glad he is in my fantasy time) I think it is time for Andy Reid to stop playing zone with Nnamdi Asomugha and sort out his offensive line.
Kansas City really surprised me with their second half back win against Indianapolis. Matt Cassel threw 4 TDs and Dwayne Bowe and Steve Breaston both had 2 TDs. What was great to see was the Chiefs running the ball effectively as Jackie Battle rushed for 119 yards. Curtis Painter looked respectable in his second start connecting with Pierre Garcon on two occasions. However, the loss of Joseph Addai really affected the whole Colts offensive seemed to shut down. Their season seems done while the Chiefs are now in 2-3 and look promising.
Minnesota finally listened to everybody and jumped on Adrian Peterson to beat the Arizona. The Viking's RB rushed for 122 yards and 3 TDs. McNabb did rush for a TD as well, however he was still ineffective with his passing ability not able to top 200 yards. If they are going to keep running the ball this much then put in Ponder. As for Arizona, Kevin Kobb threw 2 more interceptions and was replaced in the fourth quarter by Richard Barthel who was also ineffective. The Cardinals need time, after another good draft I think we'll see Kolb come alive.
Seattle impressively took down the New York Giants in a high scoring affair. Tavarris Jackson got injured and then Charlie Whitehurst took over and light it up. Whitehurst took over in the third quarter when the score was 14-14. He threw for a similar yardage to Jackson in less time, posting a QB rating 100.5 compared to Jackson's 86.6 and ultimately led the Seahawks to a 36-24 dominating in New York. If I was Pete Caroll, i would change my QB quickly. The Giaints, missing Brand Jacobs, looked lazy and careless as starting QB Eli Manning threw 3 interceptions, including a pick 6 in the fourth quarter with the game on the line, and D.J. Ware was stopped in the backfield for a safety. Typical Giants, typical Eli.
Ben Roethlisberger used all his old weapons to take down Tennessee. With no Mendenhall, the Steelers' QB threw a touchdown to Heath Miller and Hines Ward, while competing a 3 score performance with a 40 yard pass to Mike Wallace. Jonathan Dwyer emerged as a running threat of Mendenhall was not ready for week 6. The rookie rushed for over a ton of yards, steeling away Isaac Redman's opportunity to shine as starter.
Cam Newton threw for a season low 224 yards and an interception to see his Panthers team lose 30-27 against New Orleans. However, Steve Smith showed incredible athleticism to reach up for a big catch that led to a 54 yard touchdown. Drew Brees had 359 yards, hitting his new favourite weapon, Jimmy Graham for 129 yards. Its clear that Sean Payton did not draft any Saint's running-back because Darren Sproles got the most carries (11 for 51 yards) yet it was all the other running backs that got the touchdowns.
The Cincinnati Bengals took down the Jacksoville Jaguars 30-20, although it should have been only 23-20 when a bizzarre last play meant that the Jacksonville team pitched the ball around before Blaine Gabbert fumbled it near his own 10 yard line and Geno Atkins ran it in for a TD. This game saw Gabbert show the Jacksonville fans that he will improve as he threw for 221 yards and a touchdown. However, his touchdown throw to Jason Hill was more about horrific defence than great passing.
Oakland Raiders had an emotional win over the Houston Texans 25-20. Matt Schuab had an opportunity to win it for the Texans when he marched his team down to the Raider's 5 yard line with little time left but threw an interception. Full report on this game can be seen below.
San Francisco 49ers have quietly gone to a 4-1 record after demolishing Tampa Bay 48-3. The 49ers defence did a great job of stopping LaGarrett Blount (only 34 yards) and Josh Freeman (17-33, 187 yards and 2 picks). Alex Smith did not have the best numbers yet he fed his two tight ends with a trio of touchdown passes between them; while Frank Gore looked healthy again with 125 yards. Colin Kaepernick even came in and 3-3 for 35 yards in the fourth quarter with Kendall Hunter getting some more playing time. Very smart with Harbaugh in your first season. Clear favourites in the NFC West. (not too difficult of a task though)
San Diego defeated the Denver Broncoes 29-24. The biggest story here was that Tim Tebow finally got a chance to play. Although his statistics were not great, 4-10 for 79 yards, he ran for a touchdown and has been named the starter for next week. Finally. Tebow is a leader and the Broncoes need a leader. It will be interesting to see if leadership and willingness to win can overcome an inaccurate, long wide up. I am not a Tebow fan but I really do wish him luck, unless he is playing Oakland.
The Patriots beat the Jets 30-21 in an interesting match-up of strength against strength. Darrelle Revis and Wes Welker got matched up a fair bit which was great to see. However, Welker still managed to rack up 120 yards receiving. Ben Jarvus Green-Ellis had a huge day and stamped his dominance as New England's primary running-back. The Law Firm from Ole Miss (booo) had 136 yards and 2 touchdowns. The New York Jets did show some promise. They went back to running the ball. Shonn Greene had 83 yards and a touchdown which is an improvement from before. Mark Sanchez struggled to gain yards yet threw two touchdowns; they finally put him more in play-action situations again. An irrelevant fact was that Tom Brady threw his first EVER interception at home. Just saying.
Green Bay and Atlanta had a interesting battle on Sunday night football. The Falcons came out determined to gain back some momentum after a rocky 2-2 start and went up by two touchdowns in the second quarter; the Packers could only reply with two Mason Crosby field goals. Second half: insert James Jones. Jones ran off for an amazing 70 yard score which caught the Packers alive and at the same time cooled off the Falcons. From then it was all Green Bay in a 25-14 win where Greg Jennings got his usual touchdown and Mason Crosby fired home a couple more field goals. Atlanta looked scaringly bad at running the ball in the second half so beware Michael Turner fantasy owners.
Overall, week 5 was a typical week for the 2011 season. Green Bay and New England won, Philadelphia and Tampa Bay looked terrible defensively and the NFL was grieved to have lost a legend in Al Davis.
REMEMBER: NEW FANTASY FOOTBALL REPORT WILL BE OUT ON SATURDAY. THIS WAY- "BUST OR BOOM PLAYERS"- All the players who could be worth a risk if your playing a high-scoring team.
With Raider Nation Hurting, Heyward-Bey Steps Up
After Al Davis' death on Saturday, the Black and Silver army had to put on a brace face the day after against the Houston Texans. It was only fitting that an Al Davis has a big day.
Darrius Heyward-Bey was taken 7th overall in the 2009 NFL draft. Many people (me included) thought that Davis should have taken Michael Crabtree (taken 10th by San Francisco) or Jeremy Maclin (taken 19th by Philadelphia). Davis took him due to his incredible speed.
Heyward-Bey has not quite the big receiver that Oakland have wanted him to be. However, the last two games he has really stepped up. Last week against the Patriots he had 115yards while this week against Houston he had 99 yards and a touchdown. Al Davis got to see his man finally pay off.
It was only fitting that he had a huge game while the Raiders were so emotional due to the loss of their beloved owner. Although the game did not quite finish spectacularly, Matt Schaub threw an interception, Hue Jackson seemed to collapse in tears. This one was for big Al.
I just wanted to comment just how brilliant this was to see. How special a moment for everybody it was. Being an Oakland fan it helps to want this, but I really hope that this season can be a memorable return to the post-season. Do it for Davis Oakland. Do it for his greatness and how much he would have loved to see his beloved Raiders challenging for the Super Bowl again.
With 6 teams on a bye, Jets versus Patriots headline week 5
With St. Louis, Baltimore, Miami, Cleveland, Dallas and Washington on a bye we are happy for a few things. I am glad that I cannot see Romo play, after last week it still hurts to think about what he did. Bradford and the Rams need a bye week to sort it out and Miami have to put in place a new QB so perfect timing for them.
The early matches are headlined with two potential offensive shoot-outs with Oakland playing Houston and New Orleans playing Carolina. Expect a lot of points, a few interceptions and Arian Foster to have a thousand yards with the Raiders bad at stopping the run and Andre Johnson injured. I would also bank on seeing Steve Smith have another 100 yard game and Drew Brees to light it up. For my own personal hopes, I see Jonathan Stewart having a TD and Greg Olsen having 100 yards (they both happen to be playing due to bye weeks in my fantasy league so I can wish right?!).
It will interesting to see what Curtis Painter can do with his second start for the Colts. I have faith in what I saw on Monday night, although he did get a lot of good numbers due to TB mistakes. A match up at KC is not the worst for him. I would also be interested to see if the Vikings will finally bench standing QB Donovan McNabb and let Christian Ponder get some experience. The Minnesota offence has been horrendous this year and the season seems gone so why waste your time with a veteran when you have a first round pick sitting on your bench. Give Ponder a go please!
The Jets and the Patriots will match up in an NFC East rivalry match at Gillette field in New England. This will be an interesting match up for two reasons. 1. Mark Sanchez is struggling to throw the ball and 2, the Patriots are not great at defending the pass. Shonn Greene wants to play smash mouth football but averages less than 3 yards a rush and the New England defensive line is stacked with blockers. The Patriots are great at passing the ball and the Jets are great at defending the pass. The result? A great game of football. Both teams have their problems, they clash and we as viewers are set for a great rivalry match up. Jet's coach Rex Ryan has said that Revis will get a chance to cover Welker. I hope they face each other all night to be honest.
With so many teams on a bye, enjoy this weekend for it has so great match ups. Even Monday Night football will be extra special with the Lions taking on Chicago with Detroit leading the division for the first time in a long time. The first weekend of byes people. Find out those fantasy sleepers. I'm hoping that Jonathan Stewart will do great. I would also like to throw out Jackie Battle if you are struggling for RBs because neither Jones nor McClain seem to be doing anything for them.
Add me on Twitter to find out when next week's reviews will be up. @atpnflandlife
Week 4 Wrap Up
So I must have cursed the Bills. They had an awful performance on Sunday and the Bengals did a good job. The Bills' offence was not clicking and Andy Dalton managed to lead his team to a 23-20 victory.
The Patriots proved unscathed by their loss last Sunday. Brady and Welker had another huge game. Stevan Ridley emerged as another running back for the Patriots to use in the backfield. Bad news for Green-Ellis fantasy owners (sorry Ben.) However, this game really belonged to the Raiders. Their offence and defence seemed better. They racked up more yards it was only stupid mistakes that took away from their victory in my opinion. The Raiders are young and have to cut out the penalties, if they can do that then they can definitely contend for the playoffs.
Tony Romo did the unthinkable and somehow let a huge lead slip through his hands. Jason Garret must have been stunned at Romo's 3 interceptions, which allowed Stafford to make a huge come back from 27-3 down which included a fourth quarter where the Cowboys could not score one point and stop the Lions from winning. The 49ers also had a huge comeback against the Eagles. Frank Gore did not start but managed to finish with 127 yards and 1 TD on 15 carries. The 49ers are now a surprising 3-1 and new Head Coach Jim Harbaugh has quietly taken his team to new heights with the inconsistent Alex Smith at starting QB.
Kansas City had its first victory with a 22-17 victory over Minnesota. Seattle looked offensively much better even though they lost to Atlanta 30-28; Tavarris Jackson finally passed for over 200 yards and Sidney Rice got his first TD as a Seahawk. Tennessee moved to 3-1 with a comfortable victory over Cleveland. Chris Johnson finally rushed for over 100 yards. Chicago had a scare with Carolina. They won after Matt Forte rushed for a gigantic 201 yards 34-29. Miami lost to San Diego and lost their starting quarterback to elbow surgery which could be a good or a bad thing depending on whether you like Henne or not. Matt Moore came in and did nothing special in taking Henne's place. NY Giants took a nice victory over the Cardinals 31-27. The game will be more remembered for Beanie Wells rushing for 138 yards and 3 TDs while Hakeen Nicks had another 100-yard game and is really established as a star in the NFL today.
3-0 Bills show a Championship's Touch
I think that everyone was deeply surprised this weekend by the Bills' amazing come back. They outscored the Patriots 24-10 in the second half.
Buffalo Bills' quarterback showed his maturity by bouncing back after two interceptions in the first quarter to march on to winning yet another shoot out. Fitzpatrick won the match last week against the Raiders and he did it again, this time against Bellichik's defence.
The Patriots looked completely in control of the game after the first quarter. Bellichik had seemed to have cooled the Bills' on fire offence because Fitzpatrick threw two interceptions in his first two series. While Brady had done what he does best, marched down the field and scored. With the Bills 21-0 down, it seemed like Bellichik had this game under wraps.
However, the Bills are 2-0 for a reason. They have great confidence in their offence after last season and this season their defence has really picked up their level. The Bills showed a championship ability to find form where there seems to be no form. They clawed down the field for a TD and with a minute left scrapped a field goal to end the second half.
I do not know what Head Coach Chan Gailey told his team at half time. I also do not know what defensive coordinator George Edwards suddenly worked out. Whatever these two coaches did, they certainly worked something out. Brady threw four interceptions in the second half and he was out gunned by Fitzpatrick. The running game picked up for the Bills and they won another shoot out in the fourth quarter.
So, now should we buy into the Bills? For the moment we definitely should. Fitzpatrick has had this offence working since last season. The defence is making big plays when they need them. They out gunned the Raiders and now the Patriots. If they do not see too many injury problems then I believe that they can certainly contend in the play-offs. To call them Superbowl challengers is a bit extreme. Experience has always been key for a team to win it all and the Bills are lacking in that area. With two home games against the Bengals and Eagles coming up, there is no reason that the Bills cannot extend their excellent start to 6-0.
One thing that seems to be so important to the Bills is their multiple options in the passing game. They have three dangerous recievers in Nelson, Jones and Nelson. A reliable tight end. Fred Jackson has been incredible and first round draft pick, Marcell Dareus, seems to be doing a great job on the defensive line. This team is dangerous and with their confidence growing, they are becoming increasingly more successful each week.
Sidney Rice is playing this week. Its about time.
I do not know about everybody else but I am so happy to see Sidney Rice back playing in the NFL.
One of the most underrated talents in the NFL due to his injuries have seen Rice be signed by Seattle this off-season. The Seahawks needed a star receiver after they signed Tavaris Jackson, also from Minnesota.
We are all very confused by this decision, especially considering as Charlie Whitehurst does not seem a bad prospect at the QB position. Jackson did nothing at Minnesota. I hope Head Coach Pete Carroll saw something that we all did not. Hopefully it was a strong relationship with Rice.
Rice's return to action will be against a soft Arizona defence. The Cardinals defence has not been good this year, especially against the pass as they are ranked 29th overall. Then again no one has been sacked more the Seattle QB with Seattle's offensive line doing nothing to allow Jackson show off his skills.
If your like me and you saw what Rice can do when Favre allowed him to make some amazing catches; you are a little hopeful for Rice. Rice's injury woes have been so bad since that amazing season that he has barely completed a match. He has barely played more than two matches in row so enjoy his time on the field as it might not last long.
Week 2 Preview- San Diego at New England
Too much Brady, Too much Bellichick, just Too Much for the Chargers
Philip Rivers will lead his Chargers into Foxborough, MA against Tom Brady and his Patriots late on Sunday afternoon. The Chargers defence comes off a great showing against McNabb and the Vikings, while Brady passed for over 500 yards last week against a poor Dolphins' pass defence.
This is my big match for the week. Phillip Rivers did a great job last season of passing the ball without his top wide receiver or a productive running game. Now he seems to have both, the Chargers may have a small chance to pull off the upset. From last week we saw that Rivers will check the ball down to his running backs a little more, which I think could make 2010 first round draft pick, Ryan Matthews, a real weapon. Give Rivers and top wider receiver Vincent Jackson more time and it could flourish. Add in the best Tight End in the game in Antonio Gates, Rivers certainly has options. I think that the Chargers will have to use all their offensive weapons to stay in with a chance in this game.
Key to Success: Ryan Matthews and Mike Tolbert.
I picked the two Chargers running backs as the key to success for two reasons. I think that Matthews could be a huge threat in the passing game. Rivers checked the ball down to Matthews successfully in week 1 which showed huge potential, and made Matthews look worthy of his first round draft status; we also saw Reggie Bush have some success last Monday in a similar role. You cannot run Matthews up the middle against the Patriots defensive line, but I think this is where Tolbert can play a huge part. He has the strength and endurance to run through the middle and will be essential to be able to have Bellichick worried about the Chargers' running game. The main reason Rivers can create success in this way is because of his new two-back shot-gun formation, putting Tolbert and Matthews either side of him. This will make the Patriots defence have to choose between stopping the run in Tolbert or the check down with Matthews. Both players will need big games if the Chargers to win, however they have no perfected this role yet.
The Patriots defence were not great against the Dolphins throwing the ball; who have nowhere near the fire power or skill that the Chargers have. 2010 top round draft pick Devin McCourty will have his hands full but is up to the challenge. We must also not forget the genius of Bill Bellichick and that great defensive mind that he possesses.
Lets not forget that Tom Brady just threw the ball for 517 yards last Monday. He seemed on fire and it clearly showed that during the lock out, Tom Brady was hitting the play book often. When you look at Brady's options in the passing game you can see why Bellichick loves to throw that ball. He has speed and elusiveness from Wes Welker and Danny Woodhead, he has size and safety in his new, young tight ends, then add receivers such as Ochocinco and Deon Branch to stretch the field. The Chargers may have stopped McNabb for only 39 passing yards but this will be completely different task. I hope that Norv Turner has can make his defence hide who they are covering because they will not be able to cover everyone. If Brady can work out Turner's defence then they are in deep trouble..
Keys to Success: the whole Patriot Offence.
I just can't see the Charger's defence being able to cover all those toys that Brady plays with. We have not even mentioned BenJarvus Green-Ellis and his running abilities. The "Law Firm" didn't have the best day against the Dolphins, so he will be fired up and given the ball a bit more. The Patriots are going to need Green-Ellis if they are going to challenge for the Super Bowl this season. He is their best option up close in the red zone and a great change of pace. If Green-Ellis can run the ball successfully early on, this game could get out of hand because Brady will pick apart this defence if it is concerned about the run.
Prediction: 31-17 to New England
They are at home, coming off a huge day against the Dolphins and the Chargers are re-building from last season. This is one step too soon for the Chargers and defensive coordinator, Greg Manusky. At the end of the season is when the Chargers could really challenge the Patriots. Once Rivers and Jackson re-connect and their running backs become effective, then they can look to beat a team such as the Patriots. Tomorrow we will see a continuance from last weekend in Brady's ability to spread the ball around, racking up hundreds of yards. Defensively, it will be interesting to see what Bellichick has in store for the Chargers.
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