2009 New York Giants: New Faces, Same Results

Injuries, defections, arrests, doubts, criticism. 

You name it, the Giants have been through it.

The football gods are throwing the kitchen sink at the Giants and yet, they won’t blink.  Yesterday against the Bucs, the Giants had exactly 45 healthy players to dress for the game. 

Their required eight inactive players did not make the trip. They were all injured and could not play, even if asked.

It didn’t matter.

The Giants whipped the Bucs, 24-0, in a game where many “experts” were calling for them to get trapped.

Not this team. Not anymore.

The Giants have seen the peaks and experienced the valleys.  Led by their unflappable, emotionless leader QB Eli Manning, the Giants are operating in an even-keeled manner—not getting too up, nor too down.

They basically bodyslammed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with one arm tied behind their back.

The workmanlike approach for this team is not an option, having had to deal with issues that would sink lesser teams. Their depth, professionalism, and leadership have them pointed towards the postseason once again.

On the surface, they never seem to run out of talented players. When someone gets hurt, another comes right in and does the job without missing a beat.

When an injury hits, the front office is right there with a replacement. The coaches know exactly what they want done and the players understand what the coaches want. Not a bad system for success.

In Tampa yesterday, the Giants emptied their bench in the fourth quarter to give the starters a break on a hot, humid day.  The game had been one-sided for too long and the coaching staff did the right thing.

What they actually did was showcase their depth. The Bucs could still not compete even with the Giants’ second string in front of them.

Their receivers have proven that the Giants have moved past the Plaxico and Amani era. Their defense is still healing, but if yesterday was any indication, they are beginning to gel. And Manning has matured into the franchise player the club has always hoped he could be.

We all know that the Giants are at the top of the league as an organization.  But their 3-0 start is not as impressive as some others’ because they defeated three flawed teams: Washington, who just lost to Detroit, Dallas, a team that has trouble winning meaningful games, and Tampa, a team in transition.

This week, they go to Kansas City and then host Oakland.  Two very winnable games that, if they win, will put them at 5-0.

The schedule is not so kind after that: The Eagles twice, Dallas and Washington again, San Diego, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Minnesota.

They don’t seem to be fazed at all by the prospects of facing those teams. They are the standard, that’s why.

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The Best of the Rest: NFL’s Top Available Free Agents for 2009

This is a list of the best players who have not been signed so far in the 2009 season. When injuries occur, these are the guys that teams should look at to replace the injured player. Most of them are savvy veterans who have been solid throughout their careers and are now looking for a new team. Others may be younger players who have not panned out or have had disciplinary issues, but are still worth looking at. Some of them will even surprise you, as it is a wonder they are unsigned. Whatever the reason may be, these guys are the can’t miss free agents for the 2009 NFL season.

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A Desperate Fan’s Plea To Coach Tom Cable

I really have been stuck on one train of thought all day. Although I appreciate SR’s “It is what it is;” I have to say, “It could’ve been so much better.”

Tom Cable’s decision to pass on two consecutive plays from his own one-yard line set the tone for the game. But it didn’t have to be like that.

Let’s just imagine for a second that we can go back in time. It is 4th-and-goal on the Raiders’ one-yard line. The crowd is pumped when the defense makes the stop. The whole coliseum is rocking.

First down, Raiders from their own one-yard line and the call is a handoff to Darren McFadden. McFadden picks up three yards off right tackle. Second-and-7 from the four, and the call is a dive through the one hole on the left, gaining three yards.

Winded, McFadden goes to the sidelines. Michael Bush comes in. Third-and-4 from the seven-yard line, the call is a pitch right to Bush, and Bush barely gets enough for the first down.

It gives Oakland a new set of plays and a whole new ball game. The result of the drive is a 17 play 99-yard drive that eats 10 minutes of clock time. The first quarter is nearly history at the end of the drive.

Two very questionable calls by Tom Cable, two consecutive pass plays from the Raiders’ one-yard line. Ultimately, in my opinion, it cost the Raiders the game. Their second divisional loss in three divisional games

The Raiders could’ve set the tone for the entire game. The opportunity was handed to them, but they squandered it.

Imagine you’re the Broncos for a second; the Raiders’ defense stops you on 4th-and-goal from their one-yard line.

The offense takes the field and drives 99 yards for the touchdown, mostly on running plays with Darren McFadden, Michael Bush, and Justin Fargas all combining for a majority of the yardage. Suddenly, it is your defense that is tired, while their defense is very fresh.

The crowd is pumped, and you are on the road.

Those passing plays haunted the Raiders for the whole game. They allowed for Denver to set the tone of the game, and the Raiders would never regain the momentum.

I don’t think you need to be a football guru to see where the game plan was flawed. I don’t think you need to be a head coach to realize that the Raiders should have a much better running game than they have shown so far this season.

I don’t understand why Coach Cable thinks it is still preseason. I don’t comprehend why he thinks there is still time to develop the passing game.

There is no reason for JaMarcus to be passing at all at this point, unless it is a definite passing down. I know it is a young team, and that they need to grow, but there is no patience left in Raider Nation.

Raider Nation wants to win now.

Coach Cable, a successful NFL franchise should play to its strengths, and the strength of your offense is the running game. This is not news to you. 

So far this season, the Raiders have run 77 pass plays and 80 running plays. To be successful at what this team is capable of right now, the stats should be more along the lines of 94 rushing plays and 63 pass attempts.

Not only would this scenario establish the running game as one of the best in the league, it would also pick up JaMarcus Russell’s completion percentage and lower his interception number.

In comparison to another team that has a young quarterback, the New York Jets have run 104 rushing plays to just 83 pass attempts.  The Jets are 3-0, and Mark Sanchez is being heralded as a hero in New York already.

The 3-0 Broncos, whom the Raiders lost to yesterday, have run 102 times and have only passed 88 attempts. The Broncos are ranked second in the league in total defense. The N.Y. Jets are ranked fourth in the league in total defense.

The Oakland Raiders have a very capable defense, when they are not put into compromising situations.

The Jets have averaged 21.3 points per game with their run heavy offense, and the Broncos have averaged 20.7 points per game.

The Raiders’ defense is giving up only 19 points per game, despite being put in those compromising positions.

My plea to you, Coach Cable: please, for the sake of all the good things you have going for you right now, please, please, please run the ball more. Please, please, please pass the ball less.

I know you think the passing game needs to develop, but let it come naturally. There is no need to put so much pressure on the quarterback when that trio of halfbacks is healthy.

They are a great combination, and you might not ever get to use them again after this season. You need to play to your strengths, and you need to listen to your gut, instead of those voices in your ears.

I doubt that the Colts, with Peyton Manning at quarterback, would throw twice from their own one-yard line. I doubt that the Patriots would do it with Tom Brady at the helm. Why are you putting that kind of stress on your quarterback so early in the game?

For that matter, why are you putting that on his shoulders at all?

Before you haters tear into your “JaMarcus sucks!” chants again, Raider Nation, think about blaming the Head Coach’s play calling this time.

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The Phinal Word: Are The Miami Dolphins Scared Of The Deep End?

I’ll be blunt: the most excited I got all Sunday was when Chad Pennington’s nose exploded.

Not because of my insatiable bloodlust, because you know, it’s insatiable. But because I saw evidence that blood actually ran through the Dolphins instead of motor oil.

Pennington played an entire drive looking like he’d just squared off against George Foreman. It had me on my feet yelling an acapella version of the Rocky theme song.

The whole scene was awe-inspiring, and I was captivated up until Ronnie Brown and Pennington’s successful punt. Or should I say fumbled touchback? It was too surreal to describe.

The point is that I was excited; it looked like Miami was ready to start exhibiting some passion. Because let’s face it, the product on the field has been like a tour of a library.

Boooooooooooring. Informative (love that microfiche), but boring.

After three weeks, it’s clear that Miami has a knack for controlling the football. Their drives are planned down to such an extent that Pennington was penciled in for water breaks at 5:30 and 5:37. The offense is a machine that churns it’s way down the field.

And it works.

Watching Miami’s offense play is inspiring. The way they manage to slowly matriculate themselves down the field is enough to make Mike Martz vomit with rage.

That being said, Miami is 0-3. And it’s because the offense is lacking in testicular fortitude.

You could blame the defense for the losses (the secondary has been particularly culpable), but opponent scores of 19, 27 (ehhh, maybe that one, Peyton Manning was averaging a touchdown every five minutes of possession), and 23, shouldn’t be insurmountable. Not in today’s NFL, where every week is like being drunk on a roller coaster.

L’Audace, l’audace, l’audace.  

Miami’s offense boasts one of the most innovative schemes this decade in the Wildcat. So why is everything else in Miami’s playbook so vanilla? Would it kill them to throw a pass longer than 10 yards?

The infamous draw against Indianapolis on 3rd-and-6 stood between Miami and a win. Playing it safe gets Peyton Manning tapdancing over your team’s corpse. And you better believe he’s throwing in some jazz hands.

Here’s an example of Miami’s wussiness: Philip Rivers longest throws of the day were 55 and 47-yard completions to Vincent Jackson and Malcolm Floyd, respectably. Miami’s two longest completions were a 27-yard wheel route to Ronnie Brown and an earth-shattering 14-yard toss to Davone Bess (in contrast, Rivers also had 30 and 19-yard hook-ups). 

The Ronnie Brown catch was thrown by Chad Henne, whose days of jabbing his Pennington voodoo doll are over. Henne is supposed to have something of an arm; Miami’s play-calling for him looked like a child’s My First Playbook.

It’s been a season-long trend. The Fins have averaged a paltry 5.4 yards per completion, compared to 9.1 for their opponents. Before Pennington’s injury, his longest pass was only 21-yards.

See, Miami’s offense is perfect for being ahead of teams. It’s designed to hold the ball and minimize turnovers. But when the unexpected arises (the touchback, Pennington’s injury), it’s limitations are all too apparent.

Sure, maybe Miami’s receivers could have broken free after making one of their intermediary catches. It’s possible. But what prior indicator could possibly point to that happening? Miami’s offense lives in a world from the line of scrimmage to 15-yards. Before the ball is snapped, they’ve bottled themselves.

Even the Wildcat is trapped in the bottle. Miami has barely tried a throw from it; Pat White’s appearances are mostly runs (he’s got one pass attempt). How long will defenses honor the pass threat and start moving into the box? Of course, that could be exactly what the offense is waiting for…

So when Miami got behind against San Diego, the outcome was almost preordained. The mechanical nature of Miami’s offense makes me wonder if John Connor is about to show up. Let’s look at one more example before I crawl back to bed Brian Wilson-style.

Fourth quarter, 6:53 on the clock, San Diego 16, Miami 6, the ball is on Miami’s 20. On first-and-10, Henne completes short left to Bess for three yards. On second-and-7, Ricky Williams rushes for eight and gets the first down. Yay! We can win this thing!

On first-and-10 from their 31, Henne goes short left…again, intending to hit Bess again, but instead hits San Diego’s Eric Weddle in stride for a pick-six. Feel free to swear. 

This is pure speculation, but when you limit your offense to such a small section of the field the opposing team can start to shrink their schemes to adjust. And even though it’s Chad Henne and you don’t want to rush him, it’s also Week Three of the season, and it’s time to win a game.

A nice five-minute drive is great, but Miami needed two scores to even think about winning this game. The situation necessitated some haste and pizazz.

And here’s the thing: Henne can throw. He’s supposed to be the quarterback with the cannon. When Pennington is in, he’s the guy who owns that 15-yard bottle, no one is better than Chad No. 1 in the bottle. But when you’ve got Chad No. 2 in, air it out, he can do it.

Miami’s receivers aren’t the fleetest of foot, but I’m sure they can move quickly. They do play in the NFL after all, a place where an offensive lineman could run down a cheetah…over ten yards…on the moon.

Football is chaos trapped within white lines: All a coach can do is decide what ideas and personnel go into the field’s confines. Tony Sparano needs to start pushing for deeper routes, because sometimes things can’t be controlled. It’s a competitive game and sometimes you’re forced to innovate while in-game. The meltdown of a two-minute drill against Indy was proof enough for change.

So what happens when the control freak meets the uncontrollable? If I know anything about football (nine innings, right?), it’s that you have to adapt to the situation you’re in. It’s the main reason why Tom Coughlin stopped trying to use the New York Giants to power his rejuvenation machine, eschewing his evil ways for a more accessible persona.

Next week, hopefully we’ll see Miami go with the flow. Chances are they will anyways as Pennington, the man who always got hurt, got hurt. Fins fans should hold nothing against Pennington; he was responsible for the playoff vacation last year. I wish him the best.

Of all the 0-3 teams in the NFL, Miami feels like the best. Score one for oxymorons.

Until next week, which may just be a string of profanities, I’m Geoff Zochodne.

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Seahawks Top 10 Draft Watch: Week Three

Week three is now in the books and the Seahawks have slumped to 1-2. The Seahawks lost 25-19 to the Chicago Bears at Quest Field this past Sunday and it was clear where the holes are on this team.

Last week I had the holes at QB, RB, OL, DL, CB and S. I think it is clear to say that we can take off running back with Julius Jones only finishing two yards short of his second 100+ yard game in three games. His first came in week one with 117 yards on 19 carries.

There is still a hole at quarterback, and whoever that quarterback will be, needs to have some brains and consistency.

On the offensive line the main target is going to be the future LT after Walter Jones. Also staying healthy is a key for everyone on the Seahawks roster as well as the offensive line.

The defensive line focus is mainly at defensive end. Patrick Kerney, who did have a sack in the loss to Chicago, doesn’t seem to be worth the money that Seattle is paying him anymore and he seems to be on the other side of the mountain now.

Also DE Cory Redding is working on a one year contract and Lawrence Jackson and Darryl Tapp haven’t solidified their starting roles on the defensive line.

Corner back mainly because Ken Lucas is also working on a one year contract and even though Josh Wilson and Kelly Jennings are good players, neither of them really stand out as a number two starter behind Marcus Trufant who is on the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list.

Safety, just because Jordan Babineaux, while a great playmaker, doesnt seem to be a great long term answer at safety like say a Taylor Mays or Eric Berry.

Now to the key part of this whole series, the college football side of it. My last week’s top 10 list went like this http://www.nfltouchdown.com/seahawks-top-10-draft-watch-week-two/

Three OT, three QB’s, two DT’s, one S and one RB.

This week some of those players took a huge step back from where they were ranked last week. Those players are headlined by Cal running back Jahvid Best who ran for only 55 yards and zero touchdowns.

Tim Tebow did well but had to leave the game with a concussion. Other than those two, well let’s just get started.

All the stats listed are for the past weekend game they played in and not the season total.

With that being said here is this week’s top ten.

1) S Eric Berry-Tennessee (7 tackles, 3 solo and 4 assisted)

2) QB Colt McCoy-Texas (28/35, 286 yards, 3 TD’s, 1 INT and a 171 QB rating)

3) OT Trent Williams-Oklahoma

4) OT Russell Okung-Oklahoma State

5) DE Carlos Dunlap-Florida (2 tackles, 1 sack)

6) RB Jahvid Best-Cal (16 carries, 55 yards and zero touchdowns)

7) OT Bryan Bulaga-Iowa

8) QB Sam Bradford-Oklahoma

9) WR Dez Bryant- Oklahoma State (9 receptions, 161 yards and two touchdowns)

10) DE Greg Hardy-Ole Miss

A few notables that dropped out of the top ten are QB Tim Tebow, DT Gerald McCoy and DT Ndamukong Suh.

A few notables that jumped in are DE Carlos Dunlap, WR Dez Bryant and DE Greg Hardy.

With the addition of Bryant I’m not saying the Seahawks need a wide receiver but that having a player like Bryant with Houshmandzadeh and Burleson would really help whoever would be the quarterback.

Not saying it will happen…but it would be a nice addition.

Now the greatest needs in order from greatest on down to lowest are as follows.

HEALTH

QB

OT/OL

DL/DE

S

CB

Next week I’m sure there will be more players jumping in and out of my top ten. Next week the Seattle Seahawks play the Colts in Indy which will be a huge road test for them and they could be in danger of dropping to 1-3.

 

 

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Promising Broncos’ Keep On Truckin’, and Runnin’, Through Opponents

One of the golden rules in the NFL is that teams who take care of the ball on offense and create turnovers on defense will usually find a way to win the game. That’s a rule that the Broncos haven’t followed for a while now, and it may have very well cost them a playoff berth each of the past three seasons.

Actually, there’s a lot of reasons why they missed the playoffs each of the last three years, but that was the one that sounded the best in an opening sentence. Don’t judge me.

Often times an opening sentence is followed by a thesis statement, and whether you have any clue what a thesis statement is or not, just know that I believe that this year’s Broncos are for real. And yes, so far they are strictly adhering to the golden rule I mentioned before.

Through three games, the Denver defense has given up just 16 points. Kyle Orton has yet to throw an interception. The running game has its swagger back thanks to the two-headed monster of Knowshon Moreno and Correll Buckhalter.

The best part? Josh McDaniels has yet to wear a hoodie with the sleeves cut off on the sideline. Yes, that annoys me that much.

One of the things that stands out to me the most about Denver so far is that there are no glaring issues on the team. Kyle Orton isn’t a superstar, but he’s a proven winner. The offense isn’t fancy, but they are efficient and nearly mistake free.

If there was a coordinator of the year award, Mike Nolan would be the early favorite. He’s taken the worst Broncos’ defense in over 30 years and transformed them into a physical unit that, *gasp*, can actually stop the run and force three-and-outs. 

Some of the so-called “experts” will argue that the Broncos haven’t played anybody yet, so their good start is meaningless; but aren’t good teams kind of supposed to manhandle bad teams? Just last year this team gave up 31 points to the Browns and 45 combined points to the Raiders.

Not only that, but they held the same Bengals offense that put up 31 points on the Packers and 23 points on the Steelers to only a mere 7 points.

Progress is progress. 3-0 is 3-0.

If you’re surprised or pissed off at the lack of recognition the Broncos are getting outside of Colorado, don’t be. The reality check is that no one will really believe in them unless they take down some of the media’s darling teams. They’ll get their first chance next week against Dallas. 

And while it is still early, I feel that it is time for me to eat my words. While they may regress as the season goes on, the Broncos’ defense is not nearly as dreadful as I predicted them to be. This is why Josh McDaniels gets paid to make these decisions and I have to pay to go to school.

I’m sorry, Broncos fans. I admit that I was wrong and I hope that I can be forgiven. If they keep playing how they’re playing, I won’t be the last one to say that.

Now, it’s John Clayton’s turn.

 

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Dallas Cowboys’ Defense, Not Tony Romo, Should Worry Fans

Allow me to preface this article by saying that I am a staunch Tony Romo backer.

His rags-to-riches emergence on the heels of a half-dozen years of horrendous quarterback play in Dallas ranks as one of the top three or four sports stories of my lifetime.

That loss to the Giants was one of the hardest I’ve ever had to stomach as a Cowboys fan. The amount of points and plays left on the field boggles the mind, let alone the two or three plays that appeared to be touched by the hand of the Almighty Himself.

As brutal as last week’s loss was, I can’t understand the level of backlash Romo has experienced leading up to this week’s game. 

Did he play awful against the Giants? Absolutely.

Has any other quarterback gotten such a ridiculously negative reaction after a single bad game? Not in my recent memory.

(Side note: Romo only threw 2 interceptions in my book. I cannot consider that “Off Of Witten’s Heel” play more than an incompletion, which is all he should have gotten for throwing that ball behind Witten. It doesn’t seem so bad if he only threw two picks, am I right?)

To see Cowboys fans turn on Romo so quickly indicates how easily it is to forget to past. It also provides poignant social commentary on how big of a “what have you done for me lately” culture we have become in today’s society of instantaneous availability of information.

While I eagerly anticipate reading through all the tired points to be made against Romo in the comments section (most notably, his late season struggles), I needed to remind the people (specifically, Cowboys fans) who forgot both just how young and just how talented Tony Romo is.

The fact that questions arose this week regarding Romo’s talent and ability are simply absurd. Say what you want to about his record in December, but the fact remains that  Romo’s 94.2 career quarterback rating is the second-highest among active quarterbacks—and the third-highest of all time. 

The fact that he has broken every single-season Cowboys passing record and holds the record for the most 300-yard games thrown by a Cowboy (despite playing in all 16 games only once in his career) should serve as a neat exclamation point to the fact that Romo can and will get it done.

I don’t want to hear the “He’s only good against the Bucs” arguments either. That 94.2 number spans over four seasons playing in the toughest division in football.

Bad quarterbacks play bad teams, too. Nobody would expect JaMarcus Russell to throw for 350 yards against Tampa just because they’re the Bucs.

And now on to the ridiculous (yes, ridiculous) argument citing Romo’s horrible record in December and lack of a playoff win—assuming you haven’t yet thrown your laptop in anger.

It’s true that Romo doesn’t have a playoff win. How people can comfortably throw that stat around like its some deus ex machina that solidifies Romo as a bum is mind boggling. 

He’s 0-2. 

Just like Peyton was. Just like Eli was. 

Now, the Mannings are considered two of the best clutch quarterbacks in the league despite equally dismal starting playoff numbers. 

Theirs is somehow an unattainable future for Romo? This season is only his third full year as a starter.

And since when did playoff records and Super Bowl wins become the last and greatest measure of a quarterback? I suppose the only things that made John Elway good were those last two Super Bowls.

Jim Kelly, Dan Marino and Frank Tarkenton must then be chopped liver.

I’m not naive enough to think that playoff records should not warrant any consideration when analyzing the merit of a quarterback. Believe me, I will be the first one leading this train if we are sitting here eight years from now and Romo still doesn’t have a playoff win.

What I take issue with is people using this early-career playoff record as a guaranteed predictor of Romo’s future postseason failures—and how many Cowboys fans seem to be jumping on that bandwagon.

Did you all forget Romo’s 35-yard scramble for a third-and-1 conversion against the Rams in 2007? 

What about the ridiculous mid-sack, left-handed shovel pass against the Giants that somehow travelled 20 yards to find Tony Curtis sitting unguarded in the end zone? 

The fact that he has shown unreal mental toughness time and time again should also be a reason to love Romo if you are a Cowboys fan. (He was actually able to have a career after the “Bobbled-Snap Game” and once led a last-second, game-winning drive against Buffalo after throwing five interceptions.) 

You can’t succeed with a talented head-case at quarterback. (Ryan Leaf once started for the Cowboys, remember?)

I challenge you to find a single Cowboys fan that, instead of Romo, would prefer Quincy Carter. Or Clint Stoerner. Or Chad Hutchinson. Or Drew Henson. Or Vinny Testaverde. Or Drew Bledsoe. (I have to stop or my head is going to explode from so much long-buried rage being conjured up at the same time.)

My point stands: Romo had an awful game and it is disturbing that he hasn’t developed better ball security in more than two seasons as a starter. However, the level of ridiculously and unjustifiably negative hyperbole that permeated every Tony Romo-related story this week was patently absurd.

Cowboys haters will always find something wrong with Romo. 

The level of unrest I felt from fellow Cowboys fans surrounding Romo was the real surprise. 

Turnovers and all, the Cowboys offense still put up 31 points. That is a better-than-decent day of production, even if that number could have easily been in the 50’s. 

To call for Romo’s head after arguably the worst game he’s ever played as a starter is absurd. It’s reacting to a statistical outlier instead of taking his whole body of work into account. (94.2, remember?)

What most worries me is that head coach Wade Philips’ complete control of the Cowboys defense is supposed to do for Dallas what Rex Ryan is doing for the Jets.

The Cowboys must have been extremely confident in Philips’ defensive prowess, because they felt fine letting go of five defensive starters from 2008, four of which had made Pro Bowls in the past (Greg Ellis, Chris Canty, Roy Williams, Zach Thomas).

Despite leading the league in sacks, the Cowboys defense in 2008 only had eight interceptions. By all accounts, Philips’ largest point of emphasis in the offseason was the creation of turnovers.

Through two games (including one against a team that might not win a game this year), the Cowboys defense has yet to force a single turnover or sack. They have been less bothersome to receivers than a minor case of jock itch and gave Eli Manning and Byron Leftwich enough time in the pocket to compose Italian concertos.

They were absolutely gashed for over 200 yards on the ground by Tampa’s Cadillac Williams and Derrick Ward. 

They were destroyed for over 200 yards in the air by the Giants’ Steve Smith and Mario Manningham (who made Terence Newman look like 2005 Jacque Reeves on that long fade).

This is the same defense that lost the last game in Texas Stadium by giving up the two longest plays in the 40-plus-year history of the building to the Ravens. 

How did they respond to that embarrassment in the final week? By giving up 44 points to the Eagles in the biggest no-show game in NFL history. 

This is the same defense, minus four Pro Bowlers.

Romo has led an offense that has put up 65 points in two games. Say what you want about the turnovers, but I find that pill a lot easier to swallow than the “All Wade Philips did was focus on defense this offseason but the defense hasn’t yet made a single big play” pill.

The level of underachievement by the Cowboys’ defense to this point is so far above unacceptable I don’t even know where to begin. But for some reason all I hear about is the travesty of Tony Romo and predictions of his guaranteed failure.

Feel free to get nitpicky with Romo tonight. He won’t have a game as bad as he did last Sunday. You don’t set a career passing mark of 94.2 by playing that badly consistency.

Jake Delhomme and the Panthers’ offense should be the sack-and-turnover equivalent of taking candy from Jay Cut—I mean—a baby. Another complete no-show by Dallas’ defense tonight should have Philips’ head on the chopping block. 

Not at the end of the season. Tomorrow.

The job of any defensive coordinator/head coach is to create a terrifying defense. Hats off to Philips for doing that. He forgot that your defense is supposed to terrify the other team, not your own fans.

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Fixing The Wild Card

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2-1 San Francisco 49ers Have Lacked a Killer Instinct

Despite nearly jumping out to a 3-0 record (if it weren’t for the late heroics of Brett Favre) the now 2-1 San Francisco 49ers have an alarming trend through their first three games.

Each and every week this season, the 49ers have forced a turnover on downs late in the game only to punt the ball away and give their opponent another chance with the football.

In their huge Week One upset (in Arizona) over the defending NFC champion Cardinals, the 49ers forced a turnover on downs with 1:51 remaining in the game. Instead of mixing up the play calling to ice the game with a first down, the 49ers ran the ball all three times and took just 43 second off the clock before punting. Fortunately for San Francisco, their defense was up to the task against a rusty Kurt Warner.

Furthermore, the same scenario occurred in the 49ers home opener against the Seahawks. Even though San Francisco had this game much more in hand, (leading 23-10 at the time) the offense still couldn’t muster a first down. Rookie running-back Glen Coffee ran the ball three straight times and the 49ers held onto the ball for just 23 seconds before punting it away.

And finally, in this past week’s heart-breaking loss in Minnesota, the 49ers should have had the game won. With just 1:49 remaining, cornerback Dre Bly knocked down Brett Favre’s fourth down pass attempt and the game appeared to be over. If the 49ers could have gotten just one first down, they would have been 3-0.

However, instead of going to either Isaac “Mr. Reliable” Bruce or the man of the day in Vernon Davis, (seven catches, 96 yards, two TD’s) the 49ers ran the ball three straight times (again, for the third game in a row) and were forced to punt. Granted, making sure no plays went as incomplete passes meant the 49ers forced the Vikings to call all three of their timeouts. But in all honesty, is giving Brett Favre another chance with the football the way to win a football game?

The drive in which the 49ers needed just one first down to win the game, the offense went three and out. By running the ball all three times, San Fran took just a miniscule 20 seconds off the clock. Favre and the Vikings now had nearly a full 90 seconds (1:29 officially) to move down the field and score a touchdown.

Needless to say, the Favre led Vikings managed a miraculous game-winning 32-yard touchdown pass with two seconds remaining. But the drive should never have happened. Although 49er fans like myself have blamed safety Mark Roman for falling over in coverage on the winning touchdown and others have blamed the prevent style defense during the entire Vikings’ drive, the one to blame is offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye.

To be fair, we don’t know how much input head coach Mike Singletary gave on the play-calling for his offense’s final drive, so the blame may be spread amongst both offensive coordinator and head coach.

Either way, the decision to run the ball three straight times on the final drive was a clear-cut example of why the 49ers lack a killer instinct.

Now it is understandable to run the ball in that situation in games where the defense is clearly playing at the top of their game. However, on Sunday in Minnesota, the 49ers defense wasn’t playing at the same level as the first two games of the season. Plus with Frank Gore injured, the running game wasn’t at the top of it’s game either. But the passing game, led by Shaun Hill and Vernon Davis, had won this game for the 49ers.

Hill had been clutch in the fourth quarter by driving the 49ers down the field and Vernon Davis was a machine inside the redzone catching both 49er touchdowns. Conventional wisdom would be to allow your hot players to put the finishing touches on a victory by letting them make a play.

Instead of running the ball three straight times with rookie Glen Coffee, (who the Vikings weren’t going to let gain a first down) Raye and Singletary should have put the game in the hands of Shaun Hill. Whether or not he finds Bruce or Davis, a short high-percentage first down pass would have sealed the game.

With Brett Favre on the sideline, the safest way to win the game is by keeping number four off the field. With the Vikings known for a stellar run defense, did the 49er coaching staff really think Glen Coffee would be able to gain 10+ yards on three straight carries?

Especially on third-and-six, did the 49ers expect Coffee to gain the first down on a run up the middle? Where is the play action? If the receiver isn’t open, take the sack and you still force the Vikings to waist their final timeout.

The facts are simple. The 49ers have played three games. In every single game they had a lead in the fourth quarter. In every single game they had a chance to ice the game with a first down. In nine out of nine plays to ice the game, the 49ers ran the ball. In zero of the first three games have the 49ers gotten that first down and hence have yet to finish a game with a Shaun Hill kneel down.

Now in all honesty the 49ers arguably have a better defense than offense, but that doesn’t always mean the offense has to play it safe. With a future-hall-of-famer on the sideline as the opposing quarterback, your offense needs to have that killer instinct to keep him off the field.

Yet the 49ers play calling at the end of the Viking game showed they weren’t playing to win the game, instead, they were playing not to lose.

However, as the great Herm Edwards says, “You play to win the game!”

If the 49ers want to continue winning football games, they are going to have to find a killer instinct. Regardless of the fact that most fans have already given San Francisco the division title, continued lack of finishing will allow both the Cardinals and Seahawks to sneak up on San Francisco.

Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and the rest of the injured Seahawks will be back healthy before we know it and they will continue to be a force. Plus with the best pair of receivers in the NFL, nobody should count out the Cardinals at this point in the season.

Even though it is still early on in the NFL season, the 49ers failed miserably on an opportunity to open up a two-game lead over both the aforementioned teams. If San Francisco had held onto their victory in Minnesota, they would be 3-0. Both the Seahawks and the Cardinals are currently 1-2.

Despite it being only Week Three, a full two game lead would have been extremely beneficial. Especially considering the fact that the 49ers have already beaten both Arizona and Seattle, an extended division lead would already be extremely difficult for fellow NFC West teams to overcome.

But what’s done is done and the 49ers cannot think in the past, they have to move forward. And in order to move forward, they have to find that killer instinct. That instinct which will enable them to start finishing off football games.

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Finally in The Right Layne?: Stafford Lifts The Lions in One Fell Swoop

On Sunday at around 1pm Pacific time, I felt a slight breeze out on the West Coast in my small apartment in Portland. 

And while the fact that I live in the Willamette Valley may have figured into this breeze, I know in my hear that the real cause was a collective sigh of relief coming from my old home in the Midwest.

That’s right, folks, the Detroit Lions finally won a game!

While Monday morning quarterbacks (like myself) can argue over whether or not it was all about Detroit winning or Washington losing, the real story was about a rookie quarterback winning over a city.

Hold on east-coasters, I am not talking about your beloved Mark Sanchez and his inevitable (and premature) enshrinement in Canton, Ohio. 

Sure, Sanchez and the Jets have been impressive and his head first dive into the end zone may have won over his teammates; but to those in Michigan, the real story was about another rookie and his impressive run.

Early in the first half, the Lions found themselves in a third and long situation.  Upon receiving the snap, Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford scanned the field only to find his receivers well covered.

For Lions fans, this has been a common experience.  On countless occasions, we have seen our newly anointed franchise quarterbacks in a make-or-break situation.

During the Chuck Long years, this would have resulted in a costly sack and a punt.

During the Andre Ware years, this would have led to an even costlier interception, if not a pick six.

During the Scott Mitchell years, this would have led to either a sack by a man half his size, or an interception that preceded the 6’6″ 250 lb weakling being run over by a cornerback, leading to an injury.

During the Joey Harrington years, this would have led to a completion that fell five yards short of the first down marker.

In a lot of ways, how Stafford handled this situation would be the first opportunity for Lions fans to size up their young gunslinger.

So, instead of launching an ill-advised pass, the usual pocket passer fled his confines and decided to try to make a go of it on his own.

At one point during his scramble, Stafford appeared to be in trouble, but with a fairly slick hip shimmy, he sprung past the defender and passed the first down marker.

This alone would have been impressive.  However, Stafford wasn’t done.  With a full head of steam, the signal caller kept going and instead of safely sliding, he offered himself up to the defender and took his hit like a man.

Instead of nursing what should have been the hardest hit of his young career, the youngster jumped to his feet and pleaded with the non-sellout crowd to acknowledge their team.

Needless to say, nobody needed his gesture; the crowd was already out of their seats.

In that moment, the fans had their new quarterback, and a new hope. 

However, this time, it feels different.  This time, the new franchise savior had actually earned his applause.

During the previous quarterback tenures, the loudest applause that each received was when they were first introduced. 

Sure, there were some good times with many of his predecessors.  Harrington in particular was at the helm of some impressive wins.  But the fans never connected with those quarterbacks, and they never cheered them with unfettered hope and optimism that was rooted in something real.

Often times, when his predecessors made a big play, they followed it up with a costly mistake. 

Instead, Stafford fired a 21 yard pass to Bryant Johnson for the Lions first score of the game.

So much for following the trend.

Stafford right now is the most exciting thing to happen to the Lions since Barry Sanders retired.  He has a canon for an arm and just enough swagger, arrogance and perhaps ignorance to buck the trend of the past 50 plus years of quarterback futility.

Before you jump all over me and rightfully point out that this was just one game against a very flawed Washington Redskins team, lets point out some very obvious points to temper our optimism.

The Lions are still a long way away from being a contender.  They are playing in a division with three playoff-caliber teams in Green Bay, Minnesota and Chicago.  Additionally, the Lions have many tough non-divisional opponents on their schedule.

Add to this the fact that their defensive line is still very thin, their secondary is a mess, and their offensive line leaves a lot to be desired.  This team is still likely going to lose more than twice as many games as it wins this year.

However, for the first time in years, Lions fans can actually see a real NFL team with a coherent plan for the future.  Make no mistake about it, this team is finally heading in the right direction behind the best quarterback to man the position in Detroit since Bobby Layne.

Before this season began, I was one of the biggest opponents of starting Stafford from day one.  I believed that the Lions lack of talent combined with a brutal schedule and the usual blunders that come from starting a first year quarterback would add up to a nightmare that could have irreparably stunted the development of Stafford and set the Lions back another five years.

And while Stafford has definitely made some of those blunders (and likely will make many more before it is all said and done), he has shown something special in his first three games for this franchise.  In a word, he has shown heart.

One of my favorite expressions is that life is not about the destination, but rather about the trip.

Only time will tell whether this story has a happy ending.  But if this past Sunday is any indication, it sure will be one heck of a ride.

 

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