NFL Slants for Week 15

This was an interesting week. The bad teams are starting to look really bad and are hoping for the year to end. Let's go!

Checking down:
-Buffalo played with good heart and I'd like them to keep Fitzpatrick and draft some linemen.

-Miami is going to finish around .500 but really needs to clean out a lot of guys to move forward. Decide on Henne now.

-Well, Denver, you might be entering a Tebow Era. Trading Orton makes sense. Miami.....

-The Pats win a close game, but that is almost better than the blowouts because it shows how they respond to adversity and over confidence and still win. They played like crap, and the other good team played well, and they still won. Just saying.

-Green Bay, be proud of your accomplishment. You know, for next year's playoffs.

-Detroit beating Tampa is a nice story, but it is just because Tampa is so beat up.

-Matt Cassel for MVP? Don't laugh, he should be in the top 5 voting. Look how bad they were without him. Brady, Rivers, Vick, Cassel, and Ryan?

-NFC West, that was bad.

-The Saints have some major defensive holes that may stop them, but hey, we said that last year.

-Atlanta is rolling along, but not truly blowing teams out. With NO losing, it is probably signed and sealed, but if they get Philly or New Orleans in the second round, they'd better step up.

-Vick, that was amazing. I still don't like you, but that was amazing.

-Eli, that wasn't half bad either. I still don't want to see the Giants in the playoffs. They can play on the road very well.

-Maybe Rex Grossman isn't so bad after all.....nah.

-Just a guess? Donovan McNabb won't be the QB in Washington next year. Enjoy that 4 million dollar bonus!

-Steelers/Jets was the expected slug match, and we didn't really learn much. The Jets still make confusing time management decisions and have huge drops, and the Steelers still barely have enough bodies to play.

-San Diego looks good with Vincent Jackson....of course he'll never come back next year with his relationship with AJ Smith.

-Titans, where did that come from? Chris Johnson could somehow still take the rushing title.


Going deep:
-The disintegration of the Vikings is striking. This was a vibrant team. They were my go to Madden team, especially with Moss for that brief window. Accurate QB, stud RB, deep, middle, and short receivers, tough defense, good returners. However, like my Madden game this year, the Minnesota Vikings have fallen apart.

The QB is done, Moss is gone. The defense has been gashed, and most importantly, the coach is gone. The team is stumbling along, needing to finish its 5-11ish season and get moving forward.

This is a pattern frequently seen through the NFL. A good team loses it and just breaks down. Dallas, Ten, and SF among others had it happen just this year. However, the Vikings are affected by so many other things. Their owner is bombarded with questions about salaries, ownership, discipline, control over the coach, and whether or not they'll stay in the land of 1000 lakes. And, as a fitting top to the season, the Metrodome comes crashing in.

The best part is, I don't think the owner is that mad about the dome. It will give him ammo to get the state to fund a new stadium. But here I notice a great point: the best teams are not worried about stadiums, moving, or coaching changes. They have continual regional support. Look at the Blank family in Atlanta, the Kraft family in New England. New Orleans, Green Bay, and Indianapolis are franchises in good situations, and there is continuity. Perhaps the Vikings should try to establish some roots deeper in Minnesota before they can really consider being an elite team again.



Bliss