I was looking forward to a nice day in front of the tube watching football yesterday. The forecast had a good chance of snow for several of the games, and the contests looked pretty tight. What did I get? Blowouts.
Eight of the 14 games yesterday were won by 20 points or more. Five of those were blown open by QBs who scored 4 TDs each (there had only been 2 weeks in the season so far when as many as 3 QBs threw four scores.) The only underdogs to win were in relatively uninteresting games ( Houston and Philly), and the only two exciting come-from-behind wins were by teams I hate ( San Diego and Dallas ). The only game that got some decent snow was the ridiculous Miami at Buffalo match and the snow didn't even stick.
To make things worse, the results sucked most of the drama out of the season with three games to play. Four divisions have been clinched outright and only one of the remaining four is closer than two games apart. There's a bit of a question about seeding and the last wild-card spot on each side, but that's about it. If you told me in Week 1 that next week's Bills-Browns game would have the most playoff implications for Week 15, I'd have slapped you silly, but here we are.
The bright spot for me was that the Broncos finally pasted somebody, smacking it to the Chiefs 41-7. It illustrated the old football adage: to win in December and January, you gotta be able to run, and stop the run. The Broncos held the Chiefs to 16 yards on 17 carries, while putting up 215 yards on the ground of their own. That, and four TDs from Jay Cutler turned out to be enough to get the job done.
Meanwhile, in New England, Pittsburgh put up 181 rushing yards and held the Patriots to 22. The Steelers lost 34-13. So maybe it's: You gotta run, stop the run, and not play New England .
Certainly stopping the run was the game plan in San Francisco , facing the Vikings top-rated rushing attack, and playing for nothing more than a shred of dignity. The 49ers held the Vikings to 33 yards on 30 carries, including holding rookie sensation (and yards-per-carry leader of the NFL) The Adrian Peterson to less than 8 inches per carry on 14 tries. Of course that also doesn't include the one carry Chester Taylor took 84 yards for a score, but we all get a mulligan, right? Also, SF played poorly on special teams and finished their game with their third-string QB whose total NFL experience in 6 years had been 2 kneel-downs and lost 27-7.
So really, the adage should be: You gotta run, stop the run, not play New England and not be San Francisco .
As I mentioned, part of the 49ers woes were that they were playing their 3rd string QB, Shaun Hill. I know I've talked about this before, but by my updated count there have been 22 teams that have had a QB knocked out of or benched in a game this year. At least 6 teams have starting QBs who are on injured reserve or won't play the rest of the year due to injury. At least eighteen teams have given a start to a QB different from their starter for week 1. Would you like to know who is not on that list? Every division leader except Tampa Bay . It's possible that consistency at quarterback bodes well for one's success, I'm just saying.
I count 7 teams this week that gave (or will give) playing time for one reason or another to a guy who started the season no higher than 3rd on the depth chart – and some were fourth, on the practice squad, or out of football. How’d that work out for them? Well, they all lost (except Atlanta , so far, because they play tonight), none has more than 5 wins and their combined record is 22-69 (32%). And the J-E-T-S aren't even among them!
Tonight's Saints at Falcons game might have been one to look forward to when it meant the excitement of Michael Vick vs. Reggie Bush. Of course, this week's news is that Reggie Bush will probably miss the rest of the season with a torn PCL, and a book is coming out revealing the inappropriate favors and benefits he received while playing at USC. This makes his news the better of the two. Vick, it turns out, was sentenced to 23 months in prison this morning for making dogs kill each other for fun and profit.
In Vick's place, the Falcons will start Chris Redman who was out of football for the last 3 years, and came up from behind the incarcerated Michael Vick, the injured Byron Leftwich, and the ineffective Joey Jo-Jo Shabadoo Harrington on the depth chart. Since the rest of the Falcons aren't good either, hopes for the Chris Redman era are not running high.
Slightly better off, but still disappointing, are the New Orleans Saints. From last year's NFC Championship game to a 5-9 season, the Saints really haven't gotten anything going. While they have had QB consistency in Drew Brees, they have lost their potent 1-2 rushing tandem of Deuce McAllister, and the aforementioned Mr. Bush. The Saints are 2.5 games back from the Bucs to in the NFC South, but the Bucs play the Falcons, 49ers and Panthers the rest of the way out. They're a longshot for the last wild-card spot, but I think it would be safe for them to make January plans that don't involve, you know, playing football.
Something tells me less people travel from New Orleans to Atlanta for the game than when it's the other way around. Especially this week, when the game will suck. There's not even a chance of snow to make it interesting, as it's in a dome in the South. (There should be a rule that says after Thanksgiving, all SNF and MNF games should be played outside in a snow city.)
So can either of these teams run, or stop the run? Will it matter either way? Will we have to hear more about Michael Vick in prison or Chris Redman's recent history selling insurance? Who will be the insufferable booth guest? I don't know. But c'mon down to Tessa's Toy Terrarium and have some leftover turkey Manwich with us as we find out.
You'll be glad you did.
- jdlrm
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
MNF Week 15 - Snow Game!
If you tuned in to just about any NFL game yesterday you probably saw some kind of long-standing streak or record broken, extended, matched, approached, avoided or obliterated. Brett Favre set the career passing yardage record. The Tampa Bay Bucs scored their first ever kickoff return TD (in 1865 attempts). Eli Manning threw the most incomplete passes in a game since 1967. Stuff like that.
The record receiving the most hype this season was matched when the Patriots became the first team to open a season 14-0 since the '72 Dolphins. The '72 Dolphins, meanwhile, were in Miami , being honored for the 35th anniversary of that feat, and perhaps to witness the current Fins matching the '76 Bucs one-and-only 0-14 season.
Alas, it was not to be, thanks once again to colossal stupidity on behalf of the Baltimore Ravens. (Yes, the same Ravens who squandered the best opportunity any team has had to beat the Patriots two weeks ago.)
Trailing by three yesterday, the Ravens had the ball one foot from the goal line on fourth down with 8 seconds to play. Coach Brian Billick decided he had better odds going to overtime on the road, winning the toss or getting a defensive stop, and executing a scoring drive with their 3rd string QB for at least a field goal, rather than try to get one more yard out of Willis McGahee who already had 104 and was signed in the off-season to boost the Baltimore power running attack.
Well, Matt Stover kicked the tying field goal, the Ravens got the ball back in OT and marched down the field only to miss a game winning 44-yard kick. The Dolphins got the ball back in good position, and three snaps later second-or-third-string-depending-on-how-you-count-starting-as-second-then-playing-then-getting-benched-for-the-third-stringer-then-taking-the-job-back QB Cleo Lemon hoisted the ball to Greg Camarillo over the middle. Camarillo , a Stanford man who to that point had a career of one catch for 2 yards, took the reservations for the Lemon party of 6 all the way to the goal line with Coach Shula and all the other 72 Dolphins cheering on. (And what's a Lemon party without old Don? Sorry For my next trick I'll water-board a dead horse.)
While the most intrigue surrounded Pats-Jets, I was engrossed in the Bills-Browns fight for playoff survival in a massive blizzard. Two cold weather teams, slugging it out with young Pac-10 QBs in six inches of fresh snow. The game was won by Jamal Lewis, who dragged the ball and a pile of tacklers 163 yards up and down the field. The Bills rookie Marshawn Lynch, from Cal , playing in snow for the first time, could only manage half as many. The Browns won 8-0 the hard way, scoring on two field goals in the wind and a safety when a snap went over the head of the Bills punter and he alertly kicked out the back of the end zone, but Buffalo nearly closed the gap in the final minute. Needing only one touchdown to tie the game, their final drive ended only 10 yards shy. Odd game, in that not only did neither team cross the goal line, but despite the conditions there were no turnovers. Think about that. Anyway, this one edged out Pittsburgh 3, Miami 0 for my favorite of the year.
With a kickoff temperature of 25 degrees, tonight's game would have a chance at being as much of a brutal contest in harsh elements if the good people of the Twin Cities had the nuts to build a real stadium. Instead, the Vikings and Bears will duke out another chapter in their ageless grudge on a big sheet of green carpet. Yes, for the second consecutive week, it's MNF in a dome.
Chicago was the NFC Champion last year behind a stifling defense, and a productive offense led by Rex Grossman. Right now they're 5-8 and out of the playoffs behind the #29 defense and have juggled QB's to the point that they'll be starting their third-stringer, Kyle Orton. Minnesota , however, has the inside track on a playoff spot and is playing well on both sides of the ball. They are one of the dwindling number of teams still starting the same QB as they were in week one, which is amazing considering that it's Tarvaris Jackson.
Though I'm sure all the attention will be on the Jackson-Orton fireworks, keep an eye on the ground game, which will be led by Minnesota 's rookie sensation Adrian Peterson and Chicago 's six-year veteran The Other Adrian Peterson. With 1200 yards even, Adrian Peterson (a.k.a. All Day or Purple Jesus) is just 117 yards shy of the league lead, despite missing 2 games with a hurt knee and not yet playing this week. He's averaging a ridiculous 6.1 yards per carry, but has been a bit inconsistent, setting the league single game record one week with 296 yards and rushing for just 3 yards on 14 carries against the 49ers last week. Lucky for the Vikings, if Adrian Peterson has an off night, they can rely on veteran Chester Taylor, who has almost 800 yards, himself. For Chicago, who traded away Thomas Jones and lost Cedric Benson to injury, if The Other Adrian Peterson has an off night, the Bears don't have much else to rely on at all.
Rightfully, the Vikings should run all over the Bears, and normally I'd be rooting for them to run up the score. But tonight the fortunes of my imaginary football team rest in Purple Jesus and Chester Taylor having an off night, because I'm playing our league's homer for all things Viking, Joel. Ah, still, fantasy playoffs or not, dome or not, I gotta like the Vikes. So I'll be cheering for the Purple People to win and keep in the playoff driver's seat…just in a nice, low scoring way.
So will Kyle Orton and Tarvaris Jackson live up to their low billing? Can The Other Adrian Peterson show up the rookie who stole his name? And what happens when one eats a heaping helping of chili for the third dinner in a row? Come on down to the New Casa Con Carne and find out with us! You'll be glad you did.
- jdlrm
PS Next week is the last MNF of the year. I don't know if I'll get another invitation out, but since it's Broncos at Chargers on Christmas Eve, we thought we'd do something special and have it at my folks place in Colorado. So if you want to learn the true meaning of Christmas with us while watching Jay Cutler trying to evade Shawn Merriman, make your travel plans now. We'll have eggnog! You'll be glad you did.
The record receiving the most hype this season was matched when the Patriots became the first team to open a season 14-0 since the '72 Dolphins. The '72 Dolphins, meanwhile, were in Miami , being honored for the 35th anniversary of that feat, and perhaps to witness the current Fins matching the '76 Bucs one-and-only 0-14 season.
Alas, it was not to be, thanks once again to colossal stupidity on behalf of the Baltimore Ravens. (Yes, the same Ravens who squandered the best opportunity any team has had to beat the Patriots two weeks ago.)
Trailing by three yesterday, the Ravens had the ball one foot from the goal line on fourth down with 8 seconds to play. Coach Brian Billick decided he had better odds going to overtime on the road, winning the toss or getting a defensive stop, and executing a scoring drive with their 3rd string QB for at least a field goal, rather than try to get one more yard out of Willis McGahee who already had 104 and was signed in the off-season to boost the Baltimore power running attack.
Well, Matt Stover kicked the tying field goal, the Ravens got the ball back in OT and marched down the field only to miss a game winning 44-yard kick. The Dolphins got the ball back in good position, and three snaps later second-or-third-string-depending-on-how-you-count-starting-as-second-then-playing-then-getting-benched-for-the-third-stringer-then-taking-the-job-back QB Cleo Lemon hoisted the ball to Greg Camarillo over the middle. Camarillo , a Stanford man who to that point had a career of one catch for 2 yards, took the reservations for the Lemon party of 6 all the way to the goal line with Coach Shula and all the other 72 Dolphins cheering on. (And what's a Lemon party without old Don? Sorry For my next trick I'll water-board a dead horse.)
While the most intrigue surrounded Pats-Jets, I was engrossed in the Bills-Browns fight for playoff survival in a massive blizzard. Two cold weather teams, slugging it out with young Pac-10 QBs in six inches of fresh snow. The game was won by Jamal Lewis, who dragged the ball and a pile of tacklers 163 yards up and down the field. The Bills rookie Marshawn Lynch, from Cal , playing in snow for the first time, could only manage half as many. The Browns won 8-0 the hard way, scoring on two field goals in the wind and a safety when a snap went over the head of the Bills punter and he alertly kicked out the back of the end zone, but Buffalo nearly closed the gap in the final minute. Needing only one touchdown to tie the game, their final drive ended only 10 yards shy. Odd game, in that not only did neither team cross the goal line, but despite the conditions there were no turnovers. Think about that. Anyway, this one edged out Pittsburgh 3, Miami 0 for my favorite of the year.
With a kickoff temperature of 25 degrees, tonight's game would have a chance at being as much of a brutal contest in harsh elements if the good people of the Twin Cities had the nuts to build a real stadium. Instead, the Vikings and Bears will duke out another chapter in their ageless grudge on a big sheet of green carpet. Yes, for the second consecutive week, it's MNF in a dome.
Chicago was the NFC Champion last year behind a stifling defense, and a productive offense led by Rex Grossman. Right now they're 5-8 and out of the playoffs behind the #29 defense and have juggled QB's to the point that they'll be starting their third-stringer, Kyle Orton. Minnesota , however, has the inside track on a playoff spot and is playing well on both sides of the ball. They are one of the dwindling number of teams still starting the same QB as they were in week one, which is amazing considering that it's Tarvaris Jackson.
Though I'm sure all the attention will be on the Jackson-Orton fireworks, keep an eye on the ground game, which will be led by Minnesota 's rookie sensation Adrian Peterson and Chicago 's six-year veteran The Other Adrian Peterson. With 1200 yards even, Adrian Peterson (a.k.a. All Day or Purple Jesus) is just 117 yards shy of the league lead, despite missing 2 games with a hurt knee and not yet playing this week. He's averaging a ridiculous 6.1 yards per carry, but has been a bit inconsistent, setting the league single game record one week with 296 yards and rushing for just 3 yards on 14 carries against the 49ers last week. Lucky for the Vikings, if Adrian Peterson has an off night, they can rely on veteran Chester Taylor, who has almost 800 yards, himself. For Chicago, who traded away Thomas Jones and lost Cedric Benson to injury, if The Other Adrian Peterson has an off night, the Bears don't have much else to rely on at all.
Rightfully, the Vikings should run all over the Bears, and normally I'd be rooting for them to run up the score. But tonight the fortunes of my imaginary football team rest in Purple Jesus and Chester Taylor having an off night, because I'm playing our league's homer for all things Viking, Joel. Ah, still, fantasy playoffs or not, dome or not, I gotta like the Vikes. So I'll be cheering for the Purple People to win and keep in the playoff driver's seat…just in a nice, low scoring way.
So will Kyle Orton and Tarvaris Jackson live up to their low billing? Can The Other Adrian Peterson show up the rookie who stole his name? And what happens when one eats a heaping helping of chili for the third dinner in a row? Come on down to the New Casa Con Carne and find out with us! You'll be glad you did.
- jdlrm
PS Next week is the last MNF of the year. I don't know if I'll get another invitation out, but since it's Broncos at Chargers on Christmas Eve, we thought we'd do something special and have it at my folks place in Colorado. So if you want to learn the true meaning of Christmas with us while watching Jay Cutler trying to evade Shawn Merriman, make your travel plans now. We'll have eggnog! You'll be glad you did.
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