National Football Post Diner News

15 SEPT 2008

QUOTE OF THE DAY:  “If we are humble, nothing would change us — neither praise or discouragement.”  — Mother Teresa

Is there any doubt, why America loves the NFL?  What a day of great games.  I don’t know about you, but DirecTV almost ruined my day.  I was not getting the HD version of the games and called DirecTV to see what was going on.  They told me I had to pay another $99 for ALL the games to be in HD.  Well, had they told me earlier in the week, I would have been happy to pay.  I had to wait on the phone for over an hour to get the program installed.  Hard to watch games normally after seeing them in HD.

1.     The Rams have no chance to be successful this year, they will be in position for the first pick in the draft all year long.  They need a program, like the one they are trying to build in Miami, the Rams need to implement a program.  Right now, it is all just Battleship Football. 

2.     The Chiefs have now lost 11 straight games.  They are so painful to watch on offense.  I don’t care if they bring in two more new offensive coordinators.  It’s not the scheme, but the lack talent on the field.  They need a quarterback BADLY. 

3.     I love those Buffalo Bills…they are making me proud.  Trent Edwards was so good yesterday, his poise and demeanor in the pocket was sensational.  Tim Russert is smiling today, this I know. 

4.     Okay, Jamie Dukes of NFL Network, you still want the Titans to not draft Chris Johnson?  Please watch this kid before blurting out comments like this.  He might be Rookie of the Year. 

5.     I think Vince Young will have a difficult time getting his job back—an incredibly difficult time. 

6.     Phillip Rivers cannot possibly play any better than he has the last two weeks, and yet his team has lost both games. 

7.     San Diego running back Darren Sproles is going to be a very rich man come next March. 

8.     I feel so bad for the city of Detroit.  They are one of the great sports towns and they deserve to have better football than their team is playing.  They allowed 447 yards of offense, and after fighting back from being down again this week 21-0, they got the lead only to allow 24 fourth quarter points.  It is hard to establish the run when you are down 21 points.  The Lion defense has allowed 4,090 yards and 341 points in last 10 games.  Not surprisingly, in that same time span they have garnered but a single win.

Comeback Sunday

Seven of the 14 games on saw teams come back from a fourth quarter deficit to win the game.  Check out these fourth-quarter comebacks:

Opponent                                      Trailed By                   Won By

Redskins      Saints                              9                                 5

Colts             Vikings                           8                                  3

Broncos       Chargers                          7                                  1

Bills              Jaguars                           6                                  4

 Panthers      Bears                               4                                  3

49ers             Seahawks                       3                                  3

Packers          Lions                             1                                  23

Comebacks from 9+ Points

Opponent                                                        Trailed By            Won By

Colts         Vikings                                  15                       3

Panthers      Bears                                  14                      3

49ers          Seahawks                            14                       3

Redskins      Saints                                9                          5

INDIANAPOLIS AT MINNESOTA RECAP

FROM NFL.COM...  Game Balls  In a sloppy game for the Colts, wide receivers Reggie Wayne and Anthony Gonzalez stepped up with big performances to share the honor. Gonzalez had career highs with nine catches and 137 yards, and seemed to be Peyton Manning's go-to guy. Wayne had an early drop but made up for it by hauling in a 32-yard touchdown and a 20-yard catch that set up Vinatieri's winning field goal.

At some point, when is all this talk about establishing the run going to stop?  What more could the Vikings do to “establish” the run than gain 137 yards rushing at the half?  Based on what I've heard establish-the-run proponents say, I thought the run is supposed to help open up EVERYTHING in your offense.  Nine points and 137 yards rushing proves my point that it establishes nothing but field goals.

Vikings Offense

SUNDAY vs COLTS

                             1st 8 Drives              Final 5 Drives

Points                           15                               0

1st Downs                     13                               3

Yards                            248                             41

Peterson Rush Att-Yds  19-130        10-30

 MIN: 0-4 on 3rd Down in final 5 drives

All this talk of Adrian Peterson is wonderful and he is a GREAT player, but until the Vikings can throw the ball, they will always be an 8-8 team. 

They were 0-2 in the red zone.  Teams are not going to let them run it in.  At some point they will have to pass and make a tight throw to score. 

How much longer do the Vikings play with Tarvaris Jackson?  Their foe in week three is Carolina and they are no push over. 

CHICAGO AT CAROLINA RECAP

FROM NFL.COM...  Game Ball  Running back Jonathan Stewart gave the Panthers a boost in the second half after the team managed just 47 total yards in the first two quarters. The rookie finished with 77 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries.

The Bears had their chance to win the game but they failed on a fourth and short at midfield and the Panthers were able to run out the clock. 

The Bears are going to be in for a ton of these type of games, involving defense and special teams.  Holding the Panthers to 215 yards and losing is tough to take. 

Adjustment football is critical.  The Bears' first two possessions gained 151 yards total.  Their final 11 possessions gained merely 105 yards.  This is a clear indication of the Bears initiating their game plan and then Carolina adjusting.  After the adjustments occurred, the Bear offense had no answers.

The Panthers scored the game's final 17 points to start 2-0 for the first time since 2003.

SAN FRANCISCO AT SEATTLE RECAP

FROM NFL.COM...  Game Ball  Niners LB Patrick Willis turned the momentum at the start of the second half. The Seahawks were threatening to score when Willis picked off a Matt Hasselbeck pass and returned it 86 yards for a touchdown to tie the game at 20. From that point on, the 49ers were a different team.

I have to give props to J.T. O’Sullivan.  He hung in there all day, took a pounding, and somehow managed to win the game for the 49ers.  He got sacked eight times (that makes 12 already in just two games) and still did not throw an interception.  He had 321 pass yards (the first 49er QB with 300+ yards since Oct. 4, 2004 when Tim Rattay threw for 417 against Arizona).  Nice.  Quite impressive. 

This is only San Francisco’s fourth win in theri last 16 games, but make no mistake.  This was a quality win for them and should provide some much needed confidence.

The Seahawks are 0-2 for first time since 2002.  So much for my Super Bowl pick!  I apologize for ruining their season.  I guess I jinxed them.  This is only Seattle’s fifth loss in their last 27 home games. 

Matt Hasselbeck needs to get his game back—he is not the same guy right now.  They need to find a way to make plays down the field in the passing game.  The interception to Willis was a deadly play as it was a potential 14 point swing. 

NEW ORLEANS AT WASHINGTON

FROM NFL.COM...  Game Ball  Jason Campbell was steady throughout the game and stepped up to an even higher level in the fourth quarter. With the Redskins trailing by nine entering the final stanza, Campbell led the team on two touchdown drives and finished 7-of-7 in for 157 yards and a touchdown in the final 11 minutes.

I have to give credit to head coach Jim Zorn and to Jason Campbell.  They found a rhythm that worked in the passing game. 

The Redskins overcame several obstacles yesterday, including another moment of mis-management by their head coach at the end of the first half, which allowed the Saints to get a field goal.  Zorn desperately needs someone in the box to help him.  He got away with it yesterday, but he won’t all season.

The Redskins scored the game's final 14 points to win.  They have won 6 of their last 7 home openers, all of which have come by a combined 27 points.  This is Jason Campbell's third career 300-yard passing game

The Redskins outgained the Saints 455 to 250.  The Saints will not be a factor until they get a legitimate running back on the field in their base offense.  Teams are not respecting their run game as long as Bush is the back.  Defenses play Cover Two and dare the Saints to run the ball.  Bush is a playmaker, not a full-time player.  The more the Saints use him as their guy, the more they will struggle to throw the ball.  Bush had 91 scrimmage yards (28 rush, 63 receiving), but it was the presence of McAllister during the second half that opened up the passing game up for Drew Brees. 

The Saints don’t have ANY corners and the more they blitz, the more they expose their weakness.  When the pressure of the Saints does not come from the ends, they will struggle to play pass defense. 

NEW ENGLAND AT NEW YORK JETS

FROM NFL.COM...  Game Ball  Matt Cassel did not post earth-shattering numbers (16-of-23, 165 yards), but he did just enough to help New England grind out a victory in his first NFL start. Cassel avoided turnovers and led the Patriots on five scoring drives.

New England is 86-1 since 2001 when holding a lead in the fourth quarter.  That's 21 straight regular-season wins, which extends their NFL record.  They have won eight straight road games against the Jets.

The Patriots are doing it with defense this year.  They’ve allowed just 20 points through two games, the lowest total through two games allowed by the Patriots under Bill Belichick (since 2000).

The Jets need to fix their kicking woes, and soon.  They missed another 21-yard field goal.  Without intervention, that's going to continue to be a problem all season.

Neither team was effective in the red zone, as the Patriots were 1-5 and the Jets were 1-3. 

The Jet offense looked like they were not as physical as the Patriots defense.  For the first time all year, the Patriot defense looked exceptional.

Brett Favre loves to throw slants and it does not seem to me that the Jet wide receivers are very effective at running slants.

Talk about being able to manage a game, the Jets only had nine possessions of the ball yesterday and one of them was at the end of the first half.  The normal amount of possessions in an NFL game is 12.  Six drives were less than five plays and out.  The Patriots reduced the game.

I never had the feeling watching this game that the Jets were going to be in it.  They looked overwhelmed at times. 

This is what the Patriots will be on offense for the rest of the year.  Cassel needs to hit Moss down the field when he is open.

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