All this winning crap ends in 2010, so enjoy it now while you can. This is the guy that going to end this little three year party.
Oct 21, 2009
Enjoy it while it lasts, Phillies fans.
All this winning crap ends in 2010, so enjoy it now while you can. This is the guy that going to end this little three year party.
Oct 17, 2009
Can't detect them on the scanners
Coaches get blamed for everything. Let me stress the word blamed. Yeah, certain guys get credited for team success - just ask Josh McDaniels P.R. man. But how quickly people forget the good because the thought is what have you done for me lately. I don't care if Tony Sparano took the 1-15 Dolphins to the playoffs last year, because 2-3 isn't cutting it.
Beside coaches, it has to be quarterbacks, but for good, obvious reasons. They are the coach on the field. Any good team can end up in the toilet because of poor quarterback play (anyone remember Rex Grossman?). But still, too often overlooked are the field generals who quietly are making a name for themselves in the NFL
Even though they are under the radar, this week's list of five pays tribute to those quarterbacks who deserve credit. And today on the blog, they get it.
1. Ben Roethlisberger - Yeah, he's got two Super Bowl rings already, but he never got respect as a passer. He's always been a good game manager to compliment the running game, and could extend a play into the next decade. But he was never the go-to-guy in the offense. Now, Big Ben's averaging just under 300 yards per game with a 102.6 QB rating (over ten points above his career average). Probably the most telling stat is his 73.8 percent completion percentage to receiver. Ben no longer just wins, but he does it by throwing the football on the 2nd best passing offense in the league.
2. Matt Hasselbeck - In my opinion, Hasselbeck has gotten a bad wrap because people forgot about him so easily. He was injured for most of last year, and never had a chance to get going, which is one of the reasons why Seattle fell from grace. Even though he missed two and a half games, Matt's thrown seven touchdowns to the tune of a 103.1 QB rating. If this performance keeps up, Seattle could catch San Francisco in the race for the West.
3. Matt Schaub - At least Schaub is holding up his end of the bargain. This was supposed to be an offensive juggernaut, which it is in terms of passing is 3rd in the league. He's tied for second in the league with 10 touchdowns. Just imagine if he had a running game to go along with his arm...
4. Joe Flacco - In his sophmore season, the walking unibrow has made the Ravens offense as respectable as the defense. He's 6th in the league in passing while the Baltimore pass game is 7th. He's moving the ball, but also taking care of it. He's breaking a similar mold that Ben grew into, but he's doing it much quicker. Now if he can just beat a good team, then he'll make it to Roethlisberger's level.
5. Kyle Orton - Neckbeard might have found a home in Denver, but more importantly a place as a good quarterback. Say what you want about him, but the team is undefeated. He's 8th in passing with a rating of 97.4. Who'd have thought that? But more than that a 7:1 TD to INT ratio. He's not necessarily winning the game, but he's also not losing the games for them (I knew something went wrong in Chicago). As long as they keep winning, I'm buying into Orton.
Game of the Week - New York @ New Orleans
Without a doubt, the biggest matchup of the NFL season so far. It's very easy to see this being a preview of the NFC championship game. But the difference is in the stats. The Giants have the No. 1 ranked defense and the No. 2 ranked offense. The Saints have the No. 3 ranked defense, but the No. 14 ranked offense. Who would have thought a team that throws more than a baseball pitcher would be ranked 14th? It'll be a competitive game, but I have to go with the G-men. New York 34-24.
Beside coaches, it has to be quarterbacks, but for good, obvious reasons. They are the coach on the field. Any good team can end up in the toilet because of poor quarterback play (anyone remember Rex Grossman?). But still, too often overlooked are the field generals who quietly are making a name for themselves in the NFL
Even though they are under the radar, this week's list of five pays tribute to those quarterbacks who deserve credit. And today on the blog, they get it.
1. Ben Roethlisberger - Yeah, he's got two Super Bowl rings already, but he never got respect as a passer. He's always been a good game manager to compliment the running game, and could extend a play into the next decade. But he was never the go-to-guy in the offense. Now, Big Ben's averaging just under 300 yards per game with a 102.6 QB rating (over ten points above his career average). Probably the most telling stat is his 73.8 percent completion percentage to receiver. Ben no longer just wins, but he does it by throwing the football on the 2nd best passing offense in the league.
2. Matt Hasselbeck - In my opinion, Hasselbeck has gotten a bad wrap because people forgot about him so easily. He was injured for most of last year, and never had a chance to get going, which is one of the reasons why Seattle fell from grace. Even though he missed two and a half games, Matt's thrown seven touchdowns to the tune of a 103.1 QB rating. If this performance keeps up, Seattle could catch San Francisco in the race for the West.
3. Matt Schaub - At least Schaub is holding up his end of the bargain. This was supposed to be an offensive juggernaut, which it is in terms of passing is 3rd in the league. He's tied for second in the league with 10 touchdowns. Just imagine if he had a running game to go along with his arm...
4. Joe Flacco - In his sophmore season, the walking unibrow has made the Ravens offense as respectable as the defense. He's 6th in the league in passing while the Baltimore pass game is 7th. He's moving the ball, but also taking care of it. He's breaking a similar mold that Ben grew into, but he's doing it much quicker. Now if he can just beat a good team, then he'll make it to Roethlisberger's level.
5. Kyle Orton - Neckbeard might have found a home in Denver, but more importantly a place as a good quarterback. Say what you want about him, but the team is undefeated. He's 8th in passing with a rating of 97.4. Who'd have thought that? But more than that a 7:1 TD to INT ratio. He's not necessarily winning the game, but he's also not losing the games for them (I knew something went wrong in Chicago). As long as they keep winning, I'm buying into Orton.
Game of the Week - New York @ New Orleans
Without a doubt, the biggest matchup of the NFL season so far. It's very easy to see this being a preview of the NFC championship game. But the difference is in the stats. The Giants have the No. 1 ranked defense and the No. 2 ranked offense. The Saints have the No. 3 ranked defense, but the No. 14 ranked offense. Who would have thought a team that throws more than a baseball pitcher would be ranked 14th? It'll be a competitive game, but I have to go with the G-men. New York 34-24.
Oct 12, 2009
Pitt wins in dramatic fashion; improves to 5-1
In the past, this was the kind of game Pitt would find a way to lose. This time it was different. Despite two bad interceptions, one which turned out to be a TAINT, Stull led the team to another victory. Some say that this was a great come from behind victory while others may say that it shouldn't have been even close. By my count there were at least 3 possessions where Pitt got into the red-zone and only came away with 2 field goals. There is no reason why a team with 2 6'5 WR's, the nations 3rd leading rusher and the nations leader in receiving touchdowns cannot score from the 1 yard line. This game it didn't matter, but in the future we need to be getting six in those situations. The defense was great especially when it came to getting to UConn's quarterback. Greg Romeus sacked the quarterback and forced a critical fumble in a situation where UConn was in field goal range. Thankfully, UConn didn't really have the personal to exploit our horiffic secondary. We're 5-1 and face 3 very winnable games before playing what could be a top 25 match-up with Norte Dame. Hail to Pitt.
Oct 9, 2009
He's not that tough
Life is all about matchups. Look at the list. Relationships. Friends. Jobs. Food. Heck, every guy from time to time has seen another guy on the street and thought, "I could take that guy."
It's all matchups. Especially in the NFL, and it's been enhanced by fantasy. Do you play your stud running back playing the Ravens D, or a borderline, time-share back against San Diego?
Matchups.
So this week's list of five is focusing on the matchup of teams. Part of me wanted to go individual player matchups, but I'll save that for another week. However, this week's slate of games presents great matchups in terms of teams and should be interesting to watch. Here's what I'm looking at...
1. Cleveland @ Buffalo - Yea, I know. Why this matchup? Well, even though it's two sorry teams, it should make for some competitive football. Cleveland showed some life last week against the Bengals, losing in overtime, and made a smart move getting rid of Butterfingers Braylon. Buffalo is stumbling to the bottom of the AFC East again (Just imagine if they don't blow the New England game). The winner to this game gets a chance to salvage the season. The loser might as well go get a good spot at the combine.
2. Houston @ Arizona - This is an interesting matchup because these teams remind me of each other in many ways. Potent, offensive juggernauts with question marks on defense, who are trying to live up to preseason expectations. Arizona seems to be on the way down after reaching the Super Bowl last season, but they're trying to make a run in the NFC. Houston is on the way up - I think. Or at least they're trying to be, still 2-2 in the AFC South. Both teams need to win to get launch potential playoff runs, but only one can win (unless they tie, then nobody does.)
3. Atlanta @ San Francisco - This is almost like big brother versus little brother because San Francisco is this year's Atlanta. Bring in a new coach, new attitude, and they're winning football games. Not to mention, the 49ers finally signed Michael Crabtree, which could help (who are we kidding Isaac Bruce needs a walker to stretch the field) or hurt (channeling T.O. back in San Fran.) But this is a more important game for Atlanta since the Saints have a stranglehold on the division. San Francisco will win the division with or without this win, but Atlanta definitely doesn't want to drop to 2-2.
4. New England @ Denver - These are two very good teams period. Denver silenced some with beating Dallas last week, but they'll have the doubters singing praises from the rooftops if they can take out the Patriots. These teams are also a lot alike for a number of reasons. Both teams are doing just enough to get the win because no one remembers the score, only the win-loss column. But more than the game, I'm excited for the post game handshake between Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels. Belichick has never been a warm person (he could start a blizzard in Hell.) The relationship with McDaniels doesn't seem as bad as the feud with Eric Mangini, but we won't know until the end of the game.
5. New York Jets @ Miami - If nothing else, this rivalry is just plain fun to watch. Rex Ryan said he regrets his war of words with Dolphin players this summer - even though he was right in everything he said. But Miami needs this - bad. If they can build of the momentum of the Buffalo win last week and pull out the W, they could right the ship and make a run at the playoffs, maybe even the division. The Jets just need to forget what happened last week, and go do what had been working all season. Regardless, a great game for Monday night football.
Game of the Week - Cincinnati @ Baltimore
Honestly the game of the week should probably be one of the five listed above, specifically the Falcons and 49ers, but I'm a big believer in the importance of division games. If you win your division then you don't need other teams to lose to get into the playoffs. You simply need to be better than the other three teams in your division. Right now, Baltimore looks to be that team, but who would have thought the Bengals would be 3-1 ( or 4-0 if not for the immaculate deflection.) And with the Steelers playing an assumed win against the Lions, both teams need this game to stay ahead of the curve. The matchup I'm watching is Carson Palmer against the Ravens D. Baltimore still has a tough defense, but they can be thrown on. With Cedric Benson playing hurt, they'll have to throw. This is Cincy's chance, but I don't see it happening. Baltimore 35, Cincinnati 31
It's all matchups. Especially in the NFL, and it's been enhanced by fantasy. Do you play your stud running back playing the Ravens D, or a borderline, time-share back against San Diego?
Matchups.
So this week's list of five is focusing on the matchup of teams. Part of me wanted to go individual player matchups, but I'll save that for another week. However, this week's slate of games presents great matchups in terms of teams and should be interesting to watch. Here's what I'm looking at...
1. Cleveland @ Buffalo - Yea, I know. Why this matchup? Well, even though it's two sorry teams, it should make for some competitive football. Cleveland showed some life last week against the Bengals, losing in overtime, and made a smart move getting rid of Butterfingers Braylon. Buffalo is stumbling to the bottom of the AFC East again (Just imagine if they don't blow the New England game). The winner to this game gets a chance to salvage the season. The loser might as well go get a good spot at the combine.
2. Houston @ Arizona - This is an interesting matchup because these teams remind me of each other in many ways. Potent, offensive juggernauts with question marks on defense, who are trying to live up to preseason expectations. Arizona seems to be on the way down after reaching the Super Bowl last season, but they're trying to make a run in the NFC. Houston is on the way up - I think. Or at least they're trying to be, still 2-2 in the AFC South. Both teams need to win to get launch potential playoff runs, but only one can win (unless they tie, then nobody does.)
3. Atlanta @ San Francisco - This is almost like big brother versus little brother because San Francisco is this year's Atlanta. Bring in a new coach, new attitude, and they're winning football games. Not to mention, the 49ers finally signed Michael Crabtree, which could help (who are we kidding Isaac Bruce needs a walker to stretch the field) or hurt (channeling T.O. back in San Fran.) But this is a more important game for Atlanta since the Saints have a stranglehold on the division. San Francisco will win the division with or without this win, but Atlanta definitely doesn't want to drop to 2-2.
4. New England @ Denver - These are two very good teams period. Denver silenced some with beating Dallas last week, but they'll have the doubters singing praises from the rooftops if they can take out the Patriots. These teams are also a lot alike for a number of reasons. Both teams are doing just enough to get the win because no one remembers the score, only the win-loss column. But more than the game, I'm excited for the post game handshake between Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels. Belichick has never been a warm person (he could start a blizzard in Hell.) The relationship with McDaniels doesn't seem as bad as the feud with Eric Mangini, but we won't know until the end of the game.
5. New York Jets @ Miami - If nothing else, this rivalry is just plain fun to watch. Rex Ryan said he regrets his war of words with Dolphin players this summer - even though he was right in everything he said. But Miami needs this - bad. If they can build of the momentum of the Buffalo win last week and pull out the W, they could right the ship and make a run at the playoffs, maybe even the division. The Jets just need to forget what happened last week, and go do what had been working all season. Regardless, a great game for Monday night football.
Game of the Week - Cincinnati @ Baltimore
Honestly the game of the week should probably be one of the five listed above, specifically the Falcons and 49ers, but I'm a big believer in the importance of division games. If you win your division then you don't need other teams to lose to get into the playoffs. You simply need to be better than the other three teams in your division. Right now, Baltimore looks to be that team, but who would have thought the Bengals would be 3-1 ( or 4-0 if not for the immaculate deflection.) And with the Steelers playing an assumed win against the Lions, both teams need this game to stay ahead of the curve. The matchup I'm watching is Carson Palmer against the Ravens D. Baltimore still has a tough defense, but they can be thrown on. With Cedric Benson playing hurt, they'll have to throw. This is Cincy's chance, but I don't see it happening. Baltimore 35, Cincinnati 31
Oct 5, 2009
Bill Stull named Big East Offensive Player of the Week.
No this is not a joke, Bill Stull actually won Big East POW. Stull went 16-23 with 242 yards and 3 TD's; including a 71 yard bomb to Jonathan Baldwin. Stull won the award over guys like Tony Pike (270 yards, 2 TD's), teammate Dorin Dickerson (3 catches, 50 yards, 2 TD's), Noel Devine (227 total yards, TD) and Mike Williams (13 catches, 186 yards, 2 TD's). In remarkable fashion, Stull managed to go the entire game and not turn the ball over. Greg Paulus narrowly missed out on the award by throwing 5 picks, including 1 TAINT. If Pitt is going to continue this early season success Stull needs to keep playing like this and avoid turnovers. The next three weeks are critical if we are going to possibly challenge Cincy for the right to go to the Orange Bowl. Pitt faces three very winnable games against UConn at home, at Rutgers then #23 South Florida at home.
Chargers/Steelers recap:
(Copied from Brian's Steeler blog over at http://fullmetalfootball.blogspot.com)
Well that wasn't exactly easy on the nerves at the end there. But how nice was the first half, watching the Steelers steamroll the Chargers en route to a 28-0 lead, and seeing the Steelers go up half a game on the Bolts? That could come in handy later. Let's recap:
1. Yes, the San Diego run defense is awful, but they made Rashard Mendenhall finally look like a first round draft pick. He was decisive, fast, and tough to bring down. That's what the proverbial "Steeler football" is about.
2. The offensive line showed up again. It's been a few games now. Is it time to admit that they might be good? I'd love to see them play that well against a more formidable defense.
3. I see we have opened up the old Whisenhunt bag of tricks. Twice. The play that stands out is Moore's TD pass to Heath Money Miller late in the game (Looked an awful lot like Bettis to Tuman. Just sayin') but earlier, if you recall, Santonio Holmes took the ball on a reverse and was pretty clearly looking at someone downfield to throw to. Whoever he was looking at (we'll assume Hines Ward) was covered and he tucked the ball in and ran. Good decision, good option play. Related: How sweet of a pickup was Mewelde Moore that offseason?
4. There aren't words for how awesome Ben Roethlisberger is.
5. Not everything was sunshine and lollipops last night. How about this 4th quarter defense that has been absolutely porous for three weeks? Getting a team down 28-0 in a half should translate to an easy victory. Not with the Steelers. No, they have to bring every game down to the wire, it seems. For the first time in a long time, it was the offense that made up for the defense's shortcomings to hold onto this shootout win. At some point this is going to have to be fixed. If LeBeau can't work up a scheme without Polamalu covering everybody at once, it's not going to get easier. (That's a lie. We play Detroit and Cleveland the next two weeks. Things are getting easier already).
6. Special teams' absolute failure. Yeah, Jeff Reed made his field goal. There is more to special teams than kicking, however. First's thing's first: If you are Stefan Logan and you are fielding a punt with a huge-gantic lead late in the game, how do you not fair catch the ball? You're trying to run out the clock. Get your offense on the field to hand the ball off. There is no excuse for trying to run back that punt. Logan made a bad decision there and the Chargers capitalized. (By the way, no respect for anyone that blames the refs for not whistling it dead. If you blame the refs, you're making excuses. Play better football).
7. In addition to Logan's colossal decision-making failure, how about not even trying to cover an onside kick? A team with a tough offense and bad defense needs a few scores in five minutes and they are about to kick off. What do you THINK they're going to do? Kick it deep and just hand over the ball to you? No! Why Ryan Mundy and Patrick Bailey are the only players with a shot at that kick is beyond me. In that situation, your front line is Ward, Miller, Moore, Holmes, maybe even Dan Sepulveda, and anyone whose first name isn't Limas or Ike.
So the Steelers did pull off the win and they're one game behind in the AFC North. Nevertheless, there are a lot of adjustments to be made, especially regarding this late-game defense, which was supposed to be the Steelers' specialty last season. We have two games up next against Detroit and Cleveland, then Minnesota and our bye week. The Lions and Browns should be easy wins (Then again, so should Cincy have been) and by the time those are out of the way, Troy should be healthy again. The Steelers need to use these next two weeks to tune up their defensive game and get a few more wins under their collective belt. Stay the course.
Here We Go
Well that wasn't exactly easy on the nerves at the end there. But how nice was the first half, watching the Steelers steamroll the Chargers en route to a 28-0 lead, and seeing the Steelers go up half a game on the Bolts? That could come in handy later. Let's recap:
1. Yes, the San Diego run defense is awful, but they made Rashard Mendenhall finally look like a first round draft pick. He was decisive, fast, and tough to bring down. That's what the proverbial "Steeler football" is about.
2. The offensive line showed up again. It's been a few games now. Is it time to admit that they might be good? I'd love to see them play that well against a more formidable defense.
3. I see we have opened up the old Whisenhunt bag of tricks. Twice. The play that stands out is Moore's TD pass to Heath Money Miller late in the game (Looked an awful lot like Bettis to Tuman. Just sayin') but earlier, if you recall, Santonio Holmes took the ball on a reverse and was pretty clearly looking at someone downfield to throw to. Whoever he was looking at (we'll assume Hines Ward) was covered and he tucked the ball in and ran. Good decision, good option play. Related: How sweet of a pickup was Mewelde Moore that offseason?
4. There aren't words for how awesome Ben Roethlisberger is.
5. Not everything was sunshine and lollipops last night. How about this 4th quarter defense that has been absolutely porous for three weeks? Getting a team down 28-0 in a half should translate to an easy victory. Not with the Steelers. No, they have to bring every game down to the wire, it seems. For the first time in a long time, it was the offense that made up for the defense's shortcomings to hold onto this shootout win. At some point this is going to have to be fixed. If LeBeau can't work up a scheme without Polamalu covering everybody at once, it's not going to get easier. (That's a lie. We play Detroit and Cleveland the next two weeks. Things are getting easier already).
6. Special teams' absolute failure. Yeah, Jeff Reed made his field goal. There is more to special teams than kicking, however. First's thing's first: If you are Stefan Logan and you are fielding a punt with a huge-gantic lead late in the game, how do you not fair catch the ball? You're trying to run out the clock. Get your offense on the field to hand the ball off. There is no excuse for trying to run back that punt. Logan made a bad decision there and the Chargers capitalized. (By the way, no respect for anyone that blames the refs for not whistling it dead. If you blame the refs, you're making excuses. Play better football).
7. In addition to Logan's colossal decision-making failure, how about not even trying to cover an onside kick? A team with a tough offense and bad defense needs a few scores in five minutes and they are about to kick off. What do you THINK they're going to do? Kick it deep and just hand over the ball to you? No! Why Ryan Mundy and Patrick Bailey are the only players with a shot at that kick is beyond me. In that situation, your front line is Ward, Miller, Moore, Holmes, maybe even Dan Sepulveda, and anyone whose first name isn't Limas or Ike.
So the Steelers did pull off the win and they're one game behind in the AFC North. Nevertheless, there are a lot of adjustments to be made, especially regarding this late-game defense, which was supposed to be the Steelers' specialty last season. We have two games up next against Detroit and Cleveland, then Minnesota and our bye week. The Lions and Browns should be easy wins (Then again, so should Cincy have been) and by the time those are out of the way, Troy should be healthy again. The Steelers need to use these next two weeks to tune up their defensive game and get a few more wins under their collective belt. Stay the course.
Here We Go
Oct 1, 2009
It's a little cold in here...
Tonight, it finally begins. The 2009-10 hockey season is upon us. Nothing better than sticks, pucks, and a massive amount of hitting (with a less than massive amount of teeth).
But the thing I really love about hockey is that hockey players never make excuses. Like the other big three leagues in America, players performing poorly come out and give excuse after excuse of why they suck. Unlike hockey players who have no problem saying, "We didn't do our job tonight." It's not very flattering, but it's honest.
So in this week's list in honor of hockey season commencing, I'm calling our teams, players, and coaches who have been horrible and are on thin ice. I will make one thing clear though, this list of 5 will not include my Redskins or any one in the organization because they've already fallen through the ice.
1. Steelers - Over the off-season, the biggest question the Steelers face this season is how do they avoid the Super Bowl hangover like they experienced in 2006. Everyone thought it was just a question the media had to ask because people wanted to know. Who knew it would be true? To be honest, Pittsburgh hasn't played that bad, but they just can't finish their games with their two losses coming in the last minute of play. If they can get they're running game back on track, they'll be fine, but fans are starting to get impatient. And it's not going to get any better if they go 1-3 this weekend, then see Ben Roethlisberger hosting Monday Night Raw. Go watch some film and win.
2. Matt Forte - C'mon, guy. You're considered a top four fantasy back, and what have you done so far? 150 rush yards, 73 receiving yards through 3 games. Are you serious? Not to mention, his biggest value last year came from his receiving out of the backfield with Kyle Orton. Now he can only manage 24.3 yards per game with Jay Cutler at the helm?! The saving grace for Forte is he gets the Lions this week, and the schedule opens up after that. But for the sake of fantasy owners and Bears fans everywhere, do something!
3. Dolphins - All this talk during the off season that New England was going to comeback to dominate the division, or that the Jets and Rex Ryan's defense were the team to beat. Miami comes out and says, "We won it. We're the team to beat." What happened? This team goes from 1-15, to winning the division, to 0-3. Now granted, the Fish have played one of the toughest if not the toughest schedule so far this season (Atlanta, Indianapolis, San Diego). But if this team is really here to stay, you have to win those games. They start division play this week against a Buffalo team in turmoil, the perfect opportunity for Chad Henne to get comfortable. But a 0-4 start will make the seat get hotter, and the ice will melt.
4. Al Davis - More like his skeleton I should say. I know this is always said, but it doesn't excuse what's going on in Oakland. You got coaches punching coaches. Picking Darius Heyward-Bey who couldn't run a route if the diagram was drawn on the field for him. JaMarcus Russell has only completed 41.3 percent of his passes. Plus with zero passing game, Darren McFadden, the only one with talent on that offense is facing 8, 9, even 10 in the box. When Al Davis finally gets hands off, the team might start winning again, but until they turn off the life support, here we go again.
5. Redskins - I don't care what I said in the beginning. This is a long time coming. I've only got one thing to say - C'mon guys. You're getting paid millions of dollars, and you lose to the Lions! The Lions! Even their victory against the Rams only yielded three field goals. Can't run, can't pass, can't keep the most expensive defensive tackle in NFL history on the field. They can't even call plays without Sonny Jurgensen criticizing them, and for good reason. I guess Clinton Portis was on the right track last year. To be real though, as a fan I want them to succeed, it's not like I'm rooting for the demise of Jim Zorn, but I don't think he's the answer. As the season continues, the ice will break under this team, leading to a new head coach (Mike Shanahan), and a new quarterback (Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy, Hell I'll take Tebow at this point, even with a concussion).
Game of the Week - Green Bay at Minnesota
And no it's not because Brett Favre plays his old team. I mean, who are we kidding, that's a big reason, but even more than that, this is the first big divisional game of the season. Yes, the Jets-Saints game is a matchup of 3-0 teams, but this game could directly determine the division race. Green Bay is 2-1 with the only loss coming to the Cincinnati Bengals, which is no longer an insult (like losing to the freakin-Lions). Aaron Rodgers is continually showing he was the right choice for the Pack. The Vikes are 3-0 (inches away from 2-1) with full steam ahead. This game comes down to, can the Pack stop Adrian Peterson? If they can, they win because Favre will not beat them on his own. If Peterson goes off, Green Bay's in trouble. Regardless, I don't care what the Packers say they want revenge. And they're going to get it. Green Bay 21-13.
But the thing I really love about hockey is that hockey players never make excuses. Like the other big three leagues in America, players performing poorly come out and give excuse after excuse of why they suck. Unlike hockey players who have no problem saying, "We didn't do our job tonight." It's not very flattering, but it's honest.
So in this week's list in honor of hockey season commencing, I'm calling our teams, players, and coaches who have been horrible and are on thin ice. I will make one thing clear though, this list of 5 will not include my Redskins or any one in the organization because they've already fallen through the ice.
1. Steelers - Over the off-season, the biggest question the Steelers face this season is how do they avoid the Super Bowl hangover like they experienced in 2006. Everyone thought it was just a question the media had to ask because people wanted to know. Who knew it would be true? To be honest, Pittsburgh hasn't played that bad, but they just can't finish their games with their two losses coming in the last minute of play. If they can get they're running game back on track, they'll be fine, but fans are starting to get impatient. And it's not going to get any better if they go 1-3 this weekend, then see Ben Roethlisberger hosting Monday Night Raw. Go watch some film and win.
2. Matt Forte - C'mon, guy. You're considered a top four fantasy back, and what have you done so far? 150 rush yards, 73 receiving yards through 3 games. Are you serious? Not to mention, his biggest value last year came from his receiving out of the backfield with Kyle Orton. Now he can only manage 24.3 yards per game with Jay Cutler at the helm?! The saving grace for Forte is he gets the Lions this week, and the schedule opens up after that. But for the sake of fantasy owners and Bears fans everywhere, do something!
3. Dolphins - All this talk during the off season that New England was going to comeback to dominate the division, or that the Jets and Rex Ryan's defense were the team to beat. Miami comes out and says, "We won it. We're the team to beat." What happened? This team goes from 1-15, to winning the division, to 0-3. Now granted, the Fish have played one of the toughest if not the toughest schedule so far this season (Atlanta, Indianapolis, San Diego). But if this team is really here to stay, you have to win those games. They start division play this week against a Buffalo team in turmoil, the perfect opportunity for Chad Henne to get comfortable. But a 0-4 start will make the seat get hotter, and the ice will melt.
4. Al Davis - More like his skeleton I should say. I know this is always said, but it doesn't excuse what's going on in Oakland. You got coaches punching coaches. Picking Darius Heyward-Bey who couldn't run a route if the diagram was drawn on the field for him. JaMarcus Russell has only completed 41.3 percent of his passes. Plus with zero passing game, Darren McFadden, the only one with talent on that offense is facing 8, 9, even 10 in the box. When Al Davis finally gets hands off, the team might start winning again, but until they turn off the life support, here we go again.
5. Redskins - I don't care what I said in the beginning. This is a long time coming. I've only got one thing to say - C'mon guys. You're getting paid millions of dollars, and you lose to the Lions! The Lions! Even their victory against the Rams only yielded three field goals. Can't run, can't pass, can't keep the most expensive defensive tackle in NFL history on the field. They can't even call plays without Sonny Jurgensen criticizing them, and for good reason. I guess Clinton Portis was on the right track last year. To be real though, as a fan I want them to succeed, it's not like I'm rooting for the demise of Jim Zorn, but I don't think he's the answer. As the season continues, the ice will break under this team, leading to a new head coach (Mike Shanahan), and a new quarterback (Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy, Hell I'll take Tebow at this point, even with a concussion).
Game of the Week - Green Bay at Minnesota
And no it's not because Brett Favre plays his old team. I mean, who are we kidding, that's a big reason, but even more than that, this is the first big divisional game of the season. Yes, the Jets-Saints game is a matchup of 3-0 teams, but this game could directly determine the division race. Green Bay is 2-1 with the only loss coming to the Cincinnati Bengals, which is no longer an insult (like losing to the freakin-Lions). Aaron Rodgers is continually showing he was the right choice for the Pack. The Vikes are 3-0 (inches away from 2-1) with full steam ahead. This game comes down to, can the Pack stop Adrian Peterson? If they can, they win because Favre will not beat them on his own. If Peterson goes off, Green Bay's in trouble. Regardless, I don't care what the Packers say they want revenge. And they're going to get it. Green Bay 21-13.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
