Rodgers lights up the Bears, Lions are playoff bound, Brady, Tebow's INTs, the Jets and more. Matt Bowen
Let’s look back on the Christmas weekend schedule in the NFL before we start breaking down tonight’s Falcons-Saints matchup in New Orleans. Here are then things you should be talking about today—starting with Rodgers’ 5 TD passes vs. the Bears.
1. Rodgers pours it on: When the Packers’ QB identifies a CB he can go to work on, he is going to pour it on—and I don’t blame in. Rodgers went after the Bears’ Zack Bowman in the red zone and took advantage of the CB playing outside leverage (Cover 1). Rodgers threw the quick, one-step slant for two scores and also hit the back-shoulder fade for a TD vs. Bowman. A good lesson for young CBs out there vs. top talent at the QB position: you will get picked on conistenlty until you can make a play on the ball. Was Rodger’s production (5 TD passes) enough to take some heat off of a Packers’ defensive front seven that was beat up by the Bears’ O-Line at times? We will find out in the playoffs.
ICONStafford and the Lions punched their ticket to the playoffs with a 38-10 win over the Chargers.
2. Lions lock up a playoff spot: Detroit is back in the playoffs for the first time since the 1999 season and it starts with the production of QB Matthew Stafford (29-36-373-3 TDs) in the 38-10 win over the Chargers. The Lions quarterback again worked Calvin Johnson (4-102-1 TD) in the red zone, this time on the 9 (fade) route vs. Cover 2 for a TD. But he also spread the ball around. TE Brandon Pettigrew (9-80) was a big part of the game plan, Nate Burleson had six receptions, four for rookie Titus Young, three for Tony Scheffler, etc. Think about it, the Lions might be playing their best football of the season. And with that defense they could be a tough matchup when the playoffs start in January. Getting hot at the right time?
3. Brady takes over the second half (again): We saw this last Sunday in the Patriots’ Week 15 win over the Broncos and this weekend vs. the Dolphins was no different. This entire New England team looked sluggish, didn’t execute and played a poor brand of football in the first half vs. Miami. The second half? A different story. Brady increased the tempo on offense, worked the inside breaking routes in the Pats’ playbook and put together five scoring drives to get the win and keep the inside track on the No.1 seed in the AFC playoffs. New England made the adjustments in the second half. Give them credit for that. Brady finishes with 304-yards passing and TD to go along with 2 rushing scores.
4. Cowboys-Giants “flexed” to Sunday night: You have to like the move to “flex” the Cowboys-Giants matchup to Sunday night because this is an elimination game. Win and you get the NFC East title along with a post season ticket. Lose and its time to start the offseason draft prep. My first thought as a I look ahead to this game on Sunday: secondary play. Both Eli Manning and Tony Romo can throw the vertical route tree, will use play action and test the top of the defense. I’m looking for the secondary that can execute the game plan, limit explosive plays and play blitz-coverage. Perfect way to end the regular season under the lights.
5. Tebow struggles in Buffalo: Really no other way to spin this for Tebow in the 40-14 loss to the Bills, because 4 INTs isn’t going to cut it when you are trying to lock up the AFC West title. From my perspective, I saw a QB that wasn’t reading the entire field. Go back to the INT by Bills’ FS Jarius Byrd. Tebow can’t throw the inside seam route in that situation and its almost too easy for a DB to drive downhill and make the play. Instead, take the check down, work the underneath route concepts and move on to the next play. You have to read coverages, understand where you can go with the ball and prevent the turnover. Tebow put his team in too many adverse situations that led to a bad loss in Buffalo.
CONTINUE TO PAGE 2 FOR THE REST OF MY WEEK 16 NFL GAME NOTES...
"From my perspective, I saw a QB that wasn’t reading the entire field. Go back to the INT by Bills’ FS Jarius Byrd. Tebow can’t throw the inside seam route in that situation and its almost too easy for a DB to drive downhill and make the play"
It's the good, the bad, and the ugly with tebow - listen the guys made donkey football relevant, the most so since cutler got to denver so hey, love the guys game, his rawboned physical nature, ability to keep a play alive, and legit pass/run option; however, he cannot read the field as bowen stated, cannot shrug, look off or throw receivers open whatsoever at this point - have seen precious few shrugs of the ball to get a defender to move yet at all, let alone read the right receiver or begin to be able to throw guys open, just not his game at this point...will he get there, tell ya' what, this offseason you can bet he and elway will be more than golfing buddies as tebow will be in elway 101 training in dove valley
If Sanchez played almost anywhere other than NY, there would be a pretty strong consensus that he just isn't all that good, a league average QB at best. But much like Eli, he is far too often over-hyped (and at times over-criticized as well) simply because he plays in Gotham. It's like Namath all over again, persona and attractiveness over performance. But I guess there is still hope for Sanchez since Namath rode that celebrity all the way to undeserved enshrinement in Canton.
Cover-2 is the worst defensive scheme in the NFL.
I don't know why teams insist on playing it. Chicago will never win a Super Bowl if Lovie Smith is still running that ineffective, outdated scheme for them.
Rodgers giving Starks the business because he missed a handoff last night - Nice way to show up your teammate on national tv.
(One foot in da Grave & one on ah Bannana Peel)My son ask could he switch teams I said wait til after Sunday Nite
Sheboygan-
Rodgers gave Starks the business after the second missed handoff. He probably wanted to avoid getting lit up by Urlacker or Briggs because his RB decided to run his own play.
Adapt, adapt, adapt.
Tebow was successful because the coaches adapted a game plan or at least, plays that he could run. By design or accident it worked until teams adapted in return, forcing Tebow to play, 'NFL-style', which he struggles with.
The Packers/Rodgers did the same thing - nothing new here - successful teams adapt to another teams weakness to win. The Bears are an example of unwillingness to adapt a game plan or play calls to another teams weakness - or to their own player's strengths. There are also reasons of poor drafts as well that continue to show when injuries hit the Bears - oh, and it looks like Urlacher is starting to grow a bit 'amid-ships'.
Here's an idea for the Bears - play the recievers at the line with a good bump, giving the average D-line another second and half to pressure the quarterback - I know, for the Bears it's a novel idea.
yeah, your RB runs the completely wrong dirrection on the exact same play TWICE in one quarter (leaving your MVP QB to take a carry off tackle himself) and you don't expect the QB to give him an earful??
Bowen slurping Rodgers, it must be Monday
Sanchez is an average qb who has the tools to be very good but something's amiss. He still hasn't had a season where's he's completed even 58% of his passes & he hasn't improved that much in general. He'll never be the franchise qb that many people thought he'd be. I think a change of scenery would do him well but he'll still never be an elite qb. He'll still be a middle of the road qb like Dilfer, Zorn, Kreig, Chandler, etc....On the other hand, Stafford is obviously the real deal & I think he could help take Detroit to a Super Bowl someday if they put all of the pieces together.
Tebow is the 21st century Bobby Douglass. He's the Nickelback of football.
I believe Ryan Grant ran the wrong direction on the first of the two screwups by the running backs, with Starks being the second. As both Rodgers and fullback Kuhn both went left on both plays while the running backs went right, it's safe to assume the running backs were at fault. After the second blunder in just a few plays, I'm sure Rodgers patience was tested. I'd hardly call it showing up a teammate to bark a few words at him.
John Elway isn't going to be doing any QB tutoring. The Broncos have coaches to do that. Elway may oversee the process while he's scouring the draft boards, waiver wires and free agency listings trying to find a long range solution at QB.
Gee dave, one loss with a game to go, last years ring on his finger, 45 TDs, 6 picks, 68.3% completion ratio...
If the media is not licking that lollipop something would be seriously wrong.
Is Tebow regressing or have teams simply caught up? In his last three games he's thrown 2 TD's to 5 INT's. With these recent poor performances his numbers this year will be below his numbers for last year (QB rating). It seems the more time he gets behind center the worse his play becomes as teams are able to expose his glaring weaknesses and gameplan better to address his strengths. I think Tebow can play in the NFL, just not at quarterback because quite frankly his qb play is atrocious. Maybe a tight end or even a power running back, but not behind center on a consistant basis. His completion percentage is @ 48%. When is the last time a quarterback started 10 games in a season for a teama nd completed less than 50% of his passes?
He's been a gadget/trick quarterback this year and it kinda worked for 6 weeks, but the bottom line is that as a quarterback in the NFL in the year 2011 he is simply bad. You can spit shine a turd, but in the end it's still a turd. That's what Tebow is as a quarterback, a shiny turd who'se shine is starting to come off.
Dec 26, 2011
03:10 AM
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