Around the League
Super Bowl
Super Bowl XLIV was the most watched program in television history, and because of that fact I won't be going over statistics. I picked the Colts to win, and it looked like that could happen until Peyton Manning's pick six to seal the win for the Saints. That wasn't what won the game for the Saints. What won the game for the Saints was that the Colts lost. Now, I know that sounds extremely obvious, but it's a statement of superiority. The score dictates that the Saints are the superior team, and they will be remembered by history as the superior team. But what I saw was a team, the Colts, that shot themselves in the foot with some poor execution.
The turning point in the game was not when Sean Payton brilliantly called for an onside kick to start the second half. Instead, what marked the beginning of the end for the Colts was when Pierre Garcon dropped an easy, wide open catch on a third down play in the second quarter. The Colts had been driving and likely would have ended that drive with at least a field goal and probably a touchdown, but Garcon was unable to haul the ball in. That resulted in a huge shift of momentum and, ultimately, gave the Saints the win.
I'm not trying to take anything away from the Saints' win. They came out with an excellent game-plan and did what nobody else could this season-- beat Peyton Manning. The Colts were outcoached and outsmarted by Sean Payton, and even #18 was unable to rally his troops to beat a team of destiny. The Saints deserved the win and New Orleans should be proud of their football team.
The turning point in the game was not when Sean Payton brilliantly called for an onside kick to start the second half. Instead, what marked the beginning of the end for the Colts was when Pierre Garcon dropped an easy, wide open catch on a third down play in the second quarter. The Colts had been driving and likely would have ended that drive with at least a field goal and probably a touchdown, but Garcon was unable to haul the ball in. That resulted in a huge shift of momentum and, ultimately, gave the Saints the win.
I'm not trying to take anything away from the Saints' win. They came out with an excellent game-plan and did what nobody else could this season-- beat Peyton Manning. The Colts were outcoached and outsmarted by Sean Payton, and even #18 was unable to rally his troops to beat a team of destiny. The Saints deserved the win and New Orleans should be proud of their football team.
Conference Championship Round
Two great games this past weekend. First the Colts hosted the Jets and managed a 30-17 victory. Then the Saints played host to the Vikings, where things really got interesting. In the AFC matchup the Colts were able to come back from a 17-6 deficit to beat the Jets and advance to the Super Bowl. Based on the first two drives of the game it looked like the Jets were going to upset the Colts and continue their Cinderella story into the Super Bowl. But the Colts have a player by the name of Peyton Manning, and Peyton Manning isn't from this world. Manning knew that the Jets' gameplan was to take away his two best weapons- Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark. So what did he do to combat that plan? He threw to his other two receivers, a lot. Pierre Garcon had a career game with 11 catches for 151 yards and rookie Austin Collie had 7 catches for 123 yards. Each receiver had a touchdown in adding to Manning's legacy as one of the best to ever play the game.
In the NFC matchup the two teams were poised for a shootout. The game looked like it would go according to plan as each team scored two touchdowns early for a 14-14 score in the first half, but then the defenses started to show up. The Vikings looked like they had control of the game the whole time, but they had a lot of costly turnovers. The Vikings had 5 turnovers, including a Brett Favre interception with seconds left in regulation. I won't talk much more about these games because we all saw them. These games had record audiences, and for a good reason. I don't remember the last time that it was so hard to try to pick a Super Bowl winner. I'm usually very good at picking the victor, but these two teams are very close in terms of talent and the only reason I'm taking the Colts in this game is because of Peyton Manning.
In the NFC matchup the two teams were poised for a shootout. The game looked like it would go according to plan as each team scored two touchdowns early for a 14-14 score in the first half, but then the defenses started to show up. The Vikings looked like they had control of the game the whole time, but they had a lot of costly turnovers. The Vikings had 5 turnovers, including a Brett Favre interception with seconds left in regulation. I won't talk much more about these games because we all saw them. These games had record audiences, and for a good reason. I don't remember the last time that it was so hard to try to pick a Super Bowl winner. I'm usually very good at picking the victor, but these two teams are very close in terms of talent and the only reason I'm taking the Colts in this game is because of Peyton Manning.
The season is over for most players. For some players their careers are over as well. Kurt Warner has announced his retirement and Brett Favre seems to be leaning towards retirement as well. What's strange in both cases is that both players still seem to have a lot of football left, but both were beat up by the Saints' defense in the postseason. Favre, at the age of 40, led the Vikings to the Conference Championship but was unable to get the team farther due to turnovers. Warner, at the age of 38, led the Arizona Cardinals to the Super Bowl last year and the playoffs this year. I'm more interested in Warner right now. Favre is in the Hall of Fame for sure since he owns several career passing marks. Warner is a different story. He only played 12 seasons and didn't get his first start until he was 28. He is a two time league MVP and has been to the Super Bowl 3 times where he won one and was named Super Bowl MVP.
I had a discussion last year with my brother, who tried to claim that Donovan McNabb was a top ten quarterback of all time. Naturally, I disagreed and stated that I didn't believe he was even in the top ten playing right now. The one name I put in my top ten that he and I really couldn't see eye to eye on was Warner. This was before he led the Cardinals to the Super Bowl and I felt that, based on his credentials, he deserved a spot in the Hall of Fame. He was a two time league MVP and led the Rams to the Super Bowl twice. He was also, at the time, having a career resurgence with the Cardinals and looked like his old self.
Since Warner's announcement that he was retiring from the game a lot of talk has been going on as to whether or not he deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame. First off, it's way too premature to talk about his Hall candidacy. He won't be eligible for more than five years, and by then a lot of us will have forgotten how amazing he really was to watch. Also, this is a player who had a short career for the position. Most quarterbacks who get into the Hall play around 14-15 seasons as the regular starter. Warner only started for about 8 seasons. However, I think that what Warner was able to do in his short amount of time in the league should be enough to get him into the Hall of Fame. I think that even without the Cardinals' Super Bowl run last season his credentials would be enough. The game will miss him and so will a lot of fans.
I had a discussion last year with my brother, who tried to claim that Donovan McNabb was a top ten quarterback of all time. Naturally, I disagreed and stated that I didn't believe he was even in the top ten playing right now. The one name I put in my top ten that he and I really couldn't see eye to eye on was Warner. This was before he led the Cardinals to the Super Bowl and I felt that, based on his credentials, he deserved a spot in the Hall of Fame. He was a two time league MVP and led the Rams to the Super Bowl twice. He was also, at the time, having a career resurgence with the Cardinals and looked like his old self.
Since Warner's announcement that he was retiring from the game a lot of talk has been going on as to whether or not he deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame. First off, it's way too premature to talk about his Hall candidacy. He won't be eligible for more than five years, and by then a lot of us will have forgotten how amazing he really was to watch. Also, this is a player who had a short career for the position. Most quarterbacks who get into the Hall play around 14-15 seasons as the regular starter. Warner only started for about 8 seasons. However, I think that what Warner was able to do in his short amount of time in the league should be enough to get him into the Hall of Fame. I think that even without the Cardinals' Super Bowl run last season his credentials would be enough. The game will miss him and so will a lot of fans.
Divisional Round
I was much better with my projections this last weekend than I was the first week of the playoffs. I am now almost at .500, which is where I was last season until the Super Bowl. The only game that I didn't choose correctly was the Chargers vs the Jets. You can read what I thought would happen below, but I was very wrong with my projection. The Jets were able to play their physical style of football that can't be overlooked, especially at this time of year. The Steelers were able to win last season because of that same style of play.
But I have confidence in Peyton Manning. He's facing the league's number one rated pass defense and I think he will be able to do enough against the Jets to make Mark Sanchez throw more than he has had to during the playoffs. On my projections page I have the Colts winning by 16, but this game could be very close if the Jets are again able to successfully play their style of football. For some reason I keep thinking of the game against Miami where the Colts only had the ball for 15 minutes and were still able to win. I can see this game playing out much the same way.
But I have confidence in Peyton Manning. He's facing the league's number one rated pass defense and I think he will be able to do enough against the Jets to make Mark Sanchez throw more than he has had to during the playoffs. On my projections page I have the Colts winning by 16, but this game could be very close if the Jets are again able to successfully play their style of football. For some reason I keep thinking of the game against Miami where the Colts only had the ball for 15 minutes and were still able to win. I can see this game playing out much the same way.
On the NFC side of the playoffs the top two seeds will be facing off each other in New Orleans. Since the Saints are at home in a dome I give them the edge. I think it will be very loud for Minnesota, and while they can handle the noise, I don't think they can handle the Saints' weapons. Reggie Bush just played the game of his pro career and the Vikings still have to account for Marques Colston, Pierre Thomas, Jeremy Shockey, Robert Meachem, Devery Henderson and Lance Moore.
The Vikings got an amazing game out of Sidney Rice last week, who caught 3 touchdowns in what could be a sign of great things to come from the 3rd year player, but he won't be enough to match up against the Saints. The Vikings will need their running game to be effective in this game to have any chance of keeping up against the Saints, who have a rotation of 3 running backs who are all very dangerous.
Also, I agree and disagree with what Keith Brooking did last weekend. After the Vikings threw a pass into the endzone on a 4th down with about 2 minutes to play for a touchdown in what was already a blowout, Brooking ran to the Vikings' sideline and gave them a piece of his mind. How I agree with Brooking is that it was a disrespectful move by the Vikings and part of me now wants to see the Saints run up the score in the same fashion against the Vikings (though I think the Saints and Sean Payton are much too classy for such a move). How I disagree, though, and this is a big difference, is that Brooking handled it the wrong way. He should never have run to the Vikings' sideline. The Cowboys will play the Vikings again and he should have just been content knowing that next time the Cowboys might be ready and have a really good gameplan and return the favor to the Vikings. That is how that score should be settled.
The Vikings got an amazing game out of Sidney Rice last week, who caught 3 touchdowns in what could be a sign of great things to come from the 3rd year player, but he won't be enough to match up against the Saints. The Vikings will need their running game to be effective in this game to have any chance of keeping up against the Saints, who have a rotation of 3 running backs who are all very dangerous.
Also, I agree and disagree with what Keith Brooking did last weekend. After the Vikings threw a pass into the endzone on a 4th down with about 2 minutes to play for a touchdown in what was already a blowout, Brooking ran to the Vikings' sideline and gave them a piece of his mind. How I agree with Brooking is that it was a disrespectful move by the Vikings and part of me now wants to see the Saints run up the score in the same fashion against the Vikings (though I think the Saints and Sean Payton are much too classy for such a move). How I disagree, though, and this is a big difference, is that Brooking handled it the wrong way. He should never have run to the Vikings' sideline. The Cowboys will play the Vikings again and he should have just been content knowing that next time the Cowboys might be ready and have a really good gameplan and return the favor to the Vikings. That is how that score should be settled.
Wild Card Weekend
I was 0-4 in my projections this week and the only one that I felt really stupid for picking was the Patriots over the Ravens. I saw Wes Welker's injury and really undervalued what he meant to that team. His absence really showed in that game, as Brady never looked comfortable with any of his receivers, and the Ravens demolished the Patriots. That being said, I can't see the Ravens beating the Colts this week. Sure, the two teams played earlier in the season and the Colts only won by two points, but this is the playoffs and I think that Joe Flacco might be the weakest quarterback still in the playoffs. That's saying something considering that a rookie, Mark Sanchez of the Jets, is starting right now. To say Flacco looked bad last week is an understatement. He was awful. 4 of 10 for 34 yards and an interception won't cut it against the Colts, who have a better pass defense than the Patriots. And don't expect the Ravens to force 4 turnovers, because that just doesn't happen against Peyton Manning. This should be a fun game to watch, but look for the Colts to get out to an early lead, and that's how they'll win.
The Jets were very impressive last week in their win over the Bengals, and Mark Sanchez had a strong playoff debut going 12 of 15 for 182 yards with a touchdown and no turnovers. His numbers would have been even better if Braylon Edwards had been able to hold onto a perfectly thrown ball in the end zone. However, the Jets play the Chargers this week and will have their hands full against one of the hottest teams entering the playoffs. The question becomes do the Chargers continue their hot streak, or does the bye ruin what they had going and they come out flat against a very good Jets team? I'm guessing that neither happens. I don't think they come out hot or cold, but lukewarm. I think they will be able to do just enough to set the pace for this game and they pull out a victory. I just can't see Philip Rivers losing, the guy is one of the best quarterbacks in the league, and these playoffs might be what finally gets him recognition around the league for being as special a player as he is.
That Packers and Cardinals game was one heck of a game. I didn't think the Packers would be able to come back from that huge first half deficit, but they did and they almost pulled out the victory. In the end, they weren't able to do enough and the Cardinals made more plays. This week the Cardinals face a tougher task, going against an even better offense and much better defense, and having to play the Saints in one of the toughest places to play. I think this will be a pretty high-scoring game, but I would be really surprised if it was as high-scoring as last week's game. In the end, I think the Saints will be too much for the Cardinals to handle. Then again, I picked against the Cardinals every week in last season's playoffs and we all know what happened there.
The other game I felt stupid for picking was the Eagles and Cowboys game. Knowing how badly the Cowboys had beat the Eagles the week before I still picked the Eagles and then watched as they got blown out by the Cowboys in consecutive weeks. I like the Cowboys this season. They're just a better team than they have been for the past few years and can be really dangerous. Aside from the Chargers, the Cowboys have the most talent from top to bottom on their roster. But they're playing an equally dangerous Vikings team that has one of the greatest quarterbacks in history, and one of the top running backs in the game today. And they're also playing in a very tough stadium. In a contest like this it usually comes down to who wants it more. I think the Cowboys want it more, but I can't pick against the Vikings because I think Favre is going to work some of his magic and find a way to pull out a win.
Week 17
What an exciting week of football. I love the last week of the regular season because in many ways it reveals a lot about the playoffs and who could do a lot of damage. Right now there are some very hot teams in the NFC in the Packers and Cowboys, and some very cold ones in the Saints and Cardinals. The Packers are Cardinals will be matched up against each other for two straight weeks after Green Bay absolutely pummeled Arizona 33-7 on Sunday. Arizona will have to play the rematch without star wide receiver Anquan Boldin, and will have a very tough time against a very good Green Bay team.
The Cowboys also face a rematch of week 17 when they again host the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles needed to beat the Cowboys to secure a first round bye and the NFC East, but instead were shut out 24-0 in a very flat performance to find themselves on the road the first week of the playoffs. The question in this matchup is whether we can expect more of the same from these two teams this week, or will the Eagles rebound from that terrible performance and pull out a road win? I expect this game to be much closer than the one in week 17, but I think it's a toss-up as to who will win this time.
The Cowboys also face a rematch of week 17 when they again host the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles needed to beat the Cowboys to secure a first round bye and the NFC East, but instead were shut out 24-0 in a very flat performance to find themselves on the road the first week of the playoffs. The question in this matchup is whether we can expect more of the same from these two teams this week, or will the Eagles rebound from that terrible performance and pull out a road win? I expect this game to be much closer than the one in week 17, but I think it's a toss-up as to who will win this time.
On the AFC side we will be watching two more rematches, one of which is also a week 17 rematch. Earlier in the season, week 4, the Patriots beat the Ravens 27-21. The Patriots will aim for the same outcome, but this time without the league's leading receiver, Wes Welker, who was injured last week in a meaningless game for the Patriots and is now out for the rest of the season. That makes things very difficult for the Patriots on offense. The Ravens have a suffocating run defense and the only hope the Patriots have for success on offense is a strong passing attack, which will now be greatly diminished with the loss of Welker and the inconsistency of Randy Moss this season.
The Ravens are in a different position. Their offense has struggled at times this season to put up points and has succeeded because of their three-headed rushing attack. Joe Flacco has had a good year, but still requires some improvement before he can be placed in the upper-echelon of passers. The Ravens should also struggle to run the ball well consistently against Vince Wilfork and the rest of the Patriots' front 7 which should put added pressure on Flacco. The last few weeks tight end Todd Heap has lined up at receiver, which has helped Flacco, but look for Bill Belichick to come up with something to stop that from being successful. Look for a good, defensive battle with these two teams, with the winner being the team that makes less mistakes.
In the other AFC game is the last week 17 rematch. The Bengals will host the Jets and this time will not be resting their players. Cedric Benson sat out last week and the rest of the starters enjoyed a short game which allowed the Jets into the playoffs with a 37-0 Jets victory being the result. The Bengals suffered some injuries in the loss, with star wide receiver Chad Ochocinco hurting his knee and defensive tackle Pat Sims being lost for the remainder of the season with a broken arm.
Before the starters were pulled, Carson Palmer struggled, going 1 of 11 passing for 0 yards. Don't expect the same struggles from the Bengals' offense this week. They know what's at stake and will ride Benson as long as they can. Ochocinco will also probably play, but he probably won't be 100% for the game.
For the Jets, they need to keep doing what they did last week. Rex Ryan knows this Bengals team, as he used to be the defensive coordinator for the Ravens and had to gameplan against them twice a year. They also need to exploit the Bengals' weakness- their run defense. With Sims out the Bengals become much more thin on the defensive side of the ball. The more the Jets can run against the Bengals, the more they won't have to force rookie Mark Sanchez to throw against the Bengals' terrific tandem of cornerbacks, Johnathan Joseph and Leon Hall. Look for this game to also be much closer, but this one is also almost too close for me to try to pick a winner.
The Ravens are in a different position. Their offense has struggled at times this season to put up points and has succeeded because of their three-headed rushing attack. Joe Flacco has had a good year, but still requires some improvement before he can be placed in the upper-echelon of passers. The Ravens should also struggle to run the ball well consistently against Vince Wilfork and the rest of the Patriots' front 7 which should put added pressure on Flacco. The last few weeks tight end Todd Heap has lined up at receiver, which has helped Flacco, but look for Bill Belichick to come up with something to stop that from being successful. Look for a good, defensive battle with these two teams, with the winner being the team that makes less mistakes.
In the other AFC game is the last week 17 rematch. The Bengals will host the Jets and this time will not be resting their players. Cedric Benson sat out last week and the rest of the starters enjoyed a short game which allowed the Jets into the playoffs with a 37-0 Jets victory being the result. The Bengals suffered some injuries in the loss, with star wide receiver Chad Ochocinco hurting his knee and defensive tackle Pat Sims being lost for the remainder of the season with a broken arm.
Before the starters were pulled, Carson Palmer struggled, going 1 of 11 passing for 0 yards. Don't expect the same struggles from the Bengals' offense this week. They know what's at stake and will ride Benson as long as they can. Ochocinco will also probably play, but he probably won't be 100% for the game.
For the Jets, they need to keep doing what they did last week. Rex Ryan knows this Bengals team, as he used to be the defensive coordinator for the Ravens and had to gameplan against them twice a year. They also need to exploit the Bengals' weakness- their run defense. With Sims out the Bengals become much more thin on the defensive side of the ball. The more the Jets can run against the Bengals, the more they won't have to force rookie Mark Sanchez to throw against the Bengals' terrific tandem of cornerbacks, Johnathan Joseph and Leon Hall. Look for this game to also be much closer, but this one is also almost too close for me to try to pick a winner.
Week 16
The big news this week was that the Colts lost for the first time this season. The bigger news is why they lost- benching their starters in the 3rd quarter with a slim lead. The Jets went on to shut out Curtis Painter and the rest of the Colts' reserves for a 29-15 win. After the game Peyton Manning was obviously upset and Bill Polian, Jim Caldwell and owner Jim Irsay all defended the decision to pull the starters in a close game.
Well I don't support the move. I think it was absolutely the wrong decision. In saying that the decision was made because their goal isn't a perfect season and their goal is a Super Bowl they have now put more pressure on themselves to win a Super Bowl. Even though there is a lot of pressure trying to go undefeated, there is even more when a team openly allows itself to lose when it can easily go undefeated. Now the only way that this season can be considered successful for the Colts is if they win the Super Bowl, and even then there's no promise that this team will be remembered in 10 or 15 years.
If the Colts had gone undefeated in the regular season and lost in the playoffs or the Super Bowl people would accept and understand them losing. Now if they lose in the postseason their decision to rest their starters against the Jets will be questioned for a long time. It makes no sense to me that the Colts decided to pull Peyton Manning and the rest of their starters.
Well I don't support the move. I think it was absolutely the wrong decision. In saying that the decision was made because their goal isn't a perfect season and their goal is a Super Bowl they have now put more pressure on themselves to win a Super Bowl. Even though there is a lot of pressure trying to go undefeated, there is even more when a team openly allows itself to lose when it can easily go undefeated. Now the only way that this season can be considered successful for the Colts is if they win the Super Bowl, and even then there's no promise that this team will be remembered in 10 or 15 years.
If the Colts had gone undefeated in the regular season and lost in the playoffs or the Super Bowl people would accept and understand them losing. Now if they lose in the postseason their decision to rest their starters against the Jets will be questioned for a long time. It makes no sense to me that the Colts decided to pull Peyton Manning and the rest of their starters.
It pains me to say this, but the best team in the league right now might be the San Diego Chargers. Phillip Rivers is one of the best quarterbacks in the league and LaDainian Tomlinson is having a good season. Their team is really hitting on all cylinders right now, and if they can keep it up there isn't a team that can stop them. In terms of overall talent they are one of the top three teams in the league, and Norv Turner has really improved as a head coach. While I still think he isn't anything better than an offensive coordinator, I do have to give him credit for getting his team prepared properly every week this season.
Week 15
I don't know why I haven't discussed this before, but is there anyone better than Peyton Manning? I'm not talking about just this season, I mean is there a better player in the NFL than Peyton Manning? The answer: no. For years the debate has always been who deserves the title of the league's best quarterback, Tom Brady or Peyton Manning? For Brady supporters people point out that he's a winner and has done more with less talented receivers. Neither of those hold up anymore. The Colts, with Manning, are the winningest NFL team of any decade and have the longest regular season winning streak in the history of the NFL, breaking the record Tom Brady's Patriots had set. Tom Brady this season is throwing to Randy Moss and Wes Welker, one of the game's best receiver duos. Peyton Manning no longer has Marvin Harrison and lost the player, Anthony Gonzalez, who was supposed to replace Harrison in the offense for the whole season in the first quarter of the season's opening game. Manning has been throwing a lot of balls to rookie Austin Collie and second year player Pierre Garcon. Manning is also probably going to win a record 4th NFL MVP award. While a team would be successful with either player, Manning is clearly the superior quarterback and the best player in the NFL.
The AFC playoff race is going to be fun to watch. With six teams at 7-7 and 2 at 8-6 with two weeks to go every game counts for the 8 teams still trying to get into the playoffs. Also, 3 of the 7-7 teams are in the AFC South, making that possibly the best division in football. Each of those teams are 7-5 when their two losses against the undefeated Colts are taken off their record and that gives them something to be proud of. If I were a betting man, I would put my money on at least one of the AFC South teams to get in the playo
Week 14
The biggest storyline this week was the near-upset of the New Orleans Saints by the Washington Redskins. Had it not been for a missed field goal by Washington with less than two minutes in the game, the Redskins would have won and prevented the Saints from going 16-0. As it was, the Redskins missed the field goal and allowed the Saints to score to force the game into overtime, where the Saints forced a turnover and were able to kick the game-winning field goal. The story isn't that the Saints almost lost, but that the Redskins almost won, even without their best offensive player, Clinton Portis, who was placed on injured reserve.
The Redskins have played horribly at times this season, but that game gives them hope even though they didn't get the win. Their offense played well, and their defense was able to effectively shut down the Saints' run game and played Drew Brees well for most of the game. They played well enough to win, and that's saying something considering how good the Saints looked the week before in their dismantling of the Patriots on Monday Night Football.
The Redskins have played horribly at times this season, but that game gives them hope even though they didn't get the win. Their offense played well, and their defense was able to effectively shut down the Saints' run game and played Drew Brees well for most of the game. They played well enough to win, and that's saying something considering how good the Saints looked the week before in their dismantling of the Patriots on Monday Night Football.
The Raiders have been playing well since I stopped doing a game recap of them. They've won two out of the three games that I haven't recapped and Gradkowski is looking like a real find for them. While he won't wow anyone watching him play with his arm, he is still a noticeable upgrade over JaMarcus Russell at the position. I think the thing to watch for here in the offseason is what the Raiders decide to do at this position. They're poised to have a high pick and some really good quarterbacks might be available in Jimmy Clausen and Sam Bradford. They can go that route or they can try Russell again, since they have a lot of money invested in him and probably won't want to give up on him this early in his career. Or do they do neither of those things and stick with Gradkowski who has played well as the starter for Oakland, but doesn't look like a long-term solution? Eventually this is a position the Raiders are going to have to address if they ever want to get back to being a winning team.
Week 13
I hate to do this, but I have to start with the last game of the week. And what a game that was, with the Saints creaming the Patriots 38-17. Drew Brees was absolutely amazing in that game, going 18-23 for 371 yards and 5 touchdowns for a perfect QB rating of 158.3. In a year where the MVP race is expected to be close, this is the performance that puts Brees at the front of the pack. Peyton Manning means more to his team, but Brees is having one heck of a season and putting up a perfect rating against a Belichick defense is phenomenal. That was one of the best performances I've ever seen from a quarterback.
Now back to the first games. Thanksgiving games are usually something to look forward to, but I can't remember the last time I actually saw a really good game on Thanksgiving. This year didn't help. The Cowboys manhandled the Raiders, and the Lions lost to the Packers when the schedule was made. The one game that was supposed to be competitive wasn't, with the Broncos beating the struggling Giants 26-6. I like the fact that a third game was added, but that game should have been a division matchup. The two games I would have liked to see were the Colts vs the Texans or the Steelers vs the Ravens. I also have to question the schedule-making. Why set two obvious blowouts (Lions and Raiders) on Thanksgiving? Also, when the schedule was made, Denver wasn't expected to be good this season, with a new coach and quarterback. I just have to scratch my head and hope the games next year are more competitive.
Week 12
The first game this week was the Dolphins vs the Panthers on Thursday night. It was the Dolphins' first game without Ronnie Brown, who was placed on injured reserve, and they showed that they can be deadly even without the Wildcat offense. Ricky Williams scored all 3 touchdowns for the Dolphins, who held off a late Panthers' rally. Williams looked like the Williams of old, the player who Mike Ditka traded his whole draft for. The Dolphins are in good shape to compete for a wild card, but still have a fairly tough schedule ahead, although they catch a break since they face New England at home in week 13. They also have to face the Titans, Texans, and Steelers, but should beat the Bills and Jaguars.
Dallas is not a serious threat this season. They are in first place in the NFC East, but they managed to put up only 7 points in back to back weeks against the Redskins and the Packers. If the Redskins weren't so bad this year they would have lost, but managed to pull out a win against an offensively inept team. The rest of their schedule should be too much for them, as they still have to play at the New York Giants and New Orleans Saints, and host the Chargers and Eagles. I see them winning, at best, two of those games. Assuming they beat the Raiders and Redskins, the other two teams on their schedule, but lose all the other games they will be 9-7 and might not even be a wild card team for the NFC. They might not beat the Redskins, either, since they have struggled in December in recent years.
Which undefeated team will be the first to lose? Will it be the 10-0 Indianapolis Colts, or the 10-0 New Orleans Saints. The Colts narrowly avoided defeat in week 11 against the Patriots with a big 4th quarter comeback, and then again narrowly avoided a loss to the Ravens with a game ending interception by Gary Brackett against the Ravens. This week they face the 5-5 Texans, who almost upset them earlier this season. I see them winning another close game. If they can hold off the Texans I can see them winning the rest of their games, but they still face the resurgent Titans, Broncos, Jets, Jaguars, and Bills. Anything can happen any given Sunday.
The Saints face the Patriots this week and their games have not been quite as close as some of the Colts' games. The closest the Saints came to defeat was in week 11 against the Rams, when they won 28-23. They face the Patriots at home, and the noise in the Superdome can be hard for opponents to deal with. I have the Patriots winning this week, but it was my hardest choice of the week. I can see this game going either way, and if the Saints win then their biggest competition remaining will be the Falcons and Cowboys. I still see the Saints being the first to lose.
The Saints face the Patriots this week and their games have not been quite as close as some of the Colts' games. The closest the Saints came to defeat was in week 11 against the Rams, when they won 28-23. They face the Patriots at home, and the noise in the Superdome can be hard for opponents to deal with. I have the Patriots winning this week, but it was my hardest choice of the week. I can see this game going either way, and if the Saints win then their biggest competition remaining will be the Falcons and Cowboys. I still see the Saints being the first to lose.
I know I said I wouldn't write about the Raiders for the rest of the season, but they won on Sunday, and I think it's important to acknowledge that the move to Bruce Gradkowski was the right one. The offense was stalling with JaMarcus Russell and he needs to sit on the bench for at least the rest of the season. Gradkowski didn't have eye-popping statistics, but he controlled the pace of the game, and won it when he was asked to. Gradkowski managed a quarterback rating of 73.5, which is almost 30 points higher than Russell's 47.7 season rating.
While a win against a potential playoff team is a good sign, it is still important not to read too much into it. Remember that the Raiders beat the Eagles in week 6 and then lost 3 straight games. It's clear that the Raiders are talented, and Gradkowski provides them a chance to win, but until they can show some consistency, the Raiders will remain one of the worst franchises in the league.
While a win against a potential playoff team is a good sign, it is still important not to read too much into it. Remember that the Raiders beat the Eagles in week 6 and then lost 3 straight games. It's clear that the Raiders are talented, and Gradkowski provides them a chance to win, but until they can show some consistency, the Raiders will remain one of the worst franchises in the league.
Week 11
The biggest news this week was the 4th and 2 that Bill Belichick and the Patriots went for with a little over two minutes left in the Sunday night game against the Colts. Many people have come out against Belichick's decision to go for it, but I think it was the right decision. When I was watching the game I kept thinking about the Monday Night Football game when Peyton Manning rallied the Colts from being down 21 points in the 4th quarter to victory against the Super Bowl champs from the year before, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Bucs had one of the greatest defenses of all time and Manning was able to put up 21 points in about 4 minutes. The current Patriots defense is nowhere near as good, and Manning is better with every snap he takes. If I was Bill Belichick I would have done exactly the same thing. The Colts were out of timeouts and the best defense is a good offense. Peyton Manning may be the best quarterback to ever play the game, but the Patriots have one of the top 10 to ever play that position and had the right call for a 4th and short.
If the execution was better the Patriots would have iced the game without allowing Manning a chance to quarterback the Colts to victory. I believe everyone is saying it was a bad decision only because it didn't work, but had it worked we would be seeing the opposite reaction, everyone would be applauding Belichick and the Patriots for such a gutsy move to seal a win.
The Bucs had one of the greatest defenses of all time and Manning was able to put up 21 points in about 4 minutes. The current Patriots defense is nowhere near as good, and Manning is better with every snap he takes. If I was Bill Belichick I would have done exactly the same thing. The Colts were out of timeouts and the best defense is a good offense. Peyton Manning may be the best quarterback to ever play the game, but the Patriots have one of the top 10 to ever play that position and had the right call for a 4th and short.
If the execution was better the Patriots would have iced the game without allowing Manning a chance to quarterback the Colts to victory. I believe everyone is saying it was a bad decision only because it didn't work, but had it worked we would be seeing the opposite reaction, everyone would be applauding Belichick and the Patriots for such a gutsy move to seal a win.
The Browns are the worst team in the league. Watching them on Monday night against the Ravens, I actually felt happy to be a Raiders fan. Although the record between the two teams isn't very different, they will play against each other in week 16 in a meaningless game. The Raiders should be victorious, as head coach Tom Cable of the Raiders will be coaching for his job, and the head coach of the Browns, Eric Mangini, will be coaching for the right to the 1st overall pick in next year's draft.
Both franchises are headed in the wrong direction, but I feel confident in saying the Raiders have more overall talent than the Browns do, and just need the right coach and quarterback to get them going in the right direction.
Both franchises are headed in the wrong direction, but I feel confident in saying the Raiders have more overall talent than the Browns do, and just need the right coach and quarterback to get them going in the right direction.
The best undefeated team left is the Indianapolis Colts. While both the Saints and Colts are 9-0, the Colts' one point victory over the Patriots is far more impressive than the Saints' five point victory over the Rams. The Saints do deserve a lot of credit for improvement in every facet of the game, especially defense, but the Colts, who have had a lot of serious injuries, especially to their defense, have shown no sign of changing from being the winningest team of the 2000's.
Even without Bob Sanders and Marlin Jackson, two key members of the Colts' secondary, the Colts were able to stop the Patriots on defense when it mattered the most. New Orleans, on the other hand, allowed 23 points to the Rams when safety Darren Sharper couldn't play.
Even without Bob Sanders and Marlin Jackson, two key members of the Colts' secondary, the Colts were able to stop the Patriots on defense when it mattered the most. New Orleans, on the other hand, allowed 23 points to the Rams when safety Darren Sharper couldn't play.
On that note, my list for MVP includes, in order, Peyton Manning, Darren Sharper, and Brett Favre. Peyton Manning is probably the only obvious choice on my list, but I don't follow convention when I choose my candidates. Peyton Manning is the best quarterback to ever play the game, and one of the top players of any position and should always be in consideration for this award as long as he isn't injured, just because of his ability.
Darren Sharper is on this list because of the impact he has had on the Saints. As they proved against the Rams, without Sharper the Saints are the same team they were last year. He's leading the league in interceptions with 7 and 3 of those have gone for touchdowns. The Saints need him to stay healthy if they want any chance of a run in the playoffs.
Finally, Favre has done an amazing job so far this season. He has lead the Vikings to an 8-1 record (they went 10-6 last season). The Vikings have the same players as last season, but with the improvement at the quarterback, they have become a very dangerous team. Favre won't win this award in the end. Peyton Manning is the likely winner of the MVP since Sharper and Drew Brees will compete on that team for the award, and Favre will likely regress in the second half of the season, while Manning should continue to produce at his pace.
Darren Sharper is on this list because of the impact he has had on the Saints. As they proved against the Rams, without Sharper the Saints are the same team they were last year. He's leading the league in interceptions with 7 and 3 of those have gone for touchdowns. The Saints need him to stay healthy if they want any chance of a run in the playoffs.
Finally, Favre has done an amazing job so far this season. He has lead the Vikings to an 8-1 record (they went 10-6 last season). The Vikings have the same players as last season, but with the improvement at the quarterback, they have become a very dangerous team. Favre won't win this award in the end. Peyton Manning is the likely winner of the MVP since Sharper and Drew Brees will compete on that team for the award, and Favre will likely regress in the second half of the season, while Manning should continue to produce at his pace.
