Checking Down:
-The Colts clearly don’t trust Donald Brown. Addai is out of the game, and Brown isn’t in. He can’t pass block, ergo, he can’t play.
-The CAR-CHI game was pitiful. Chicago needs a better backup. However, what this really shows is that the Panthers are truly terrible. Collins: 5-13, 26 yards, 4 INT. Ouch.
-There’s Ray Rice!
-I feel bad for Buffalo. They played hard, and probably knew that they had their chance to avoid 0-16. However, Fred Jackson and Spiller should develop into a great combo in the backfield. They need run defense and some better offensive lineman.
-Amazing. Denver looks totally overmatched, the Ravens do a good job of making their one dimensional offense look silly….and Orton has 314 yards passing.
-Brandon Jackson only had 40 yards on 9 carries if you take out the 71 yard run, which he didn’t score on. Don’t jump all over him because of his cracking a 100 yards. He didn’t have that good of a game, and you probably have much better options going forward.
-Greg Jennings is an elite receiver….right? He has 80 catches for 1200 yards with 7 TDs in his last 20 games. I mean, it is good, but not great. And, he really isn’t a burner, or big, or a great leaper. And his hands are not great. I still like him, but I am not sure elite is the proper term for him anymore.
-Clearly Carson Palmer has not completely lost it, but he throws some terrible balls and balls that just take terrible bounces. Owens is putting up numbers, but is distracting and drawing too many passes?
-Josh Freeman is a real, grown up QB. He’s not elite, but he is serviceable. I see a little of a younger McNabb in him. Maybe the Bucs knew what he was doing when they drafted him after all.
-The Raiders are really trying. They need more discipline, and tougher play from the front 7 to be serious though. Oh, and a franchise passer.
-Roddy White (5 rec, 101 yards, 1 TD) is quickly turning into the most consistent of the NFL’s elite WRs, an NFC version of Reggie Wayne. He is an awesome blocker on runs and is one of the best at stripping INTs and potential INTs away from DBs.
-Vince Young’s numbers may look acceptable, but they are seriously skewed. He will screw up again, and soon.
-Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie made a great play at the end of regulation to intercept Drew Brees. But, for the love of all things football, get down! The game is over if you take a knee my friend.
-There are some absurd passing totals today, mostly in losses. However, Brees, Rodgers, and Manning are not among the big totals.
-Kevin Kolb may not be stylish, but he is accurate. I don’t see any reason why he cannot develop into a Drew Brees type of quarterback. Also, Vick is almost 30, and will not be the long term option there. Ironically, he has probably priced himself out of Philly for next year, and Andy Reid will want a real QB who can run the west coast offense for the long term.
Going long:
-SF is NOT the worst team in the league. I really just want to make a decent offensive coordinator work with this group for a few years and not allow him to be fired no matter the result the first year. Also, Gore, Crabtree, Vernon Davis, and the offensive line are all solid and getting better. Alex Smith either needs to do it or not. This team will be set up to WIN NOW next year player wise except for the QB. They also need to settle the coaching situation. Given this division, they can become competitive quickly. However, this year seems to be over for them.
-I love two announcers above all others: Jim Nantz and Al Michaels (sorry Gus Johnson, you are entertaining, but sometimes enough is enough). Nantz proves his worth by actually criticizing the officials when they screw up. He makes a great point: why can’t an official just be watching the game like the rest of us, on a large screen. Then, he can say “no, it is this way, reverse that call” rather than take 4 minutes. I am all for getting the call right: but we can do it faster than this in 75% of situations.
Al Michaels will actually reference the fact that betting takes place in America (by the way, they can’t reference spreads, but they can show Go-Daddy, beer, and sexual health commercials during games? Really?). He clearly knows the spread and the point total every game, and somehow alludes to it. He knows it is why many people are watching, and thus gives that population some shout out. I am stunned we for some reason as a society cannot even reference it is happening.
Both of these points reflect that the NFL seems to think that their sport is “perfect” and morally untouchable. Their officially must be given the power of an omniscient being, to be feared and never challenged. And far be it to think that some of the popularity of the game comes from the fact that humans have found a way to make themselves a competitive part of it by gambling. They take themselves too seriously. It is a game. We like to have our fun with it. Officials will sometimes make mistakes. NFL, lighten up a little.
BLISS
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