National Football Post Diner News

10 Nov 2008

QUOTE:   "My coaching philosophy?  Determine your players' talents and give them every weapon to get the most from those talents."  Don Shula

SOME GAME OBSERVATIONS AND QUESTIONS

1. I am not sure the Eagles are going to overcome those final two play calls this year.  They might have been able to steal a game had they converted third and one, but once again, the Eagles think they have a power run team.   Why they think this, I will never know.  And until they get better on the offensive line and get a legitimate blocking tight end, the run game will only succeed when Westbrook makes plays. 
2. Have you ever seen a game where a team challenged two plays in a row?  The first challenge was just a waste of a time and I’d like to know who in the box would have told Reid to make that call?  And what was Madden talking about on the first challenge?   The second challenge was a close call, and I am not sure that was a touchdown.     
3. The Giants dominated the game and were clearly the more talented team.  Keep in mind, this was without Eli Manning playing his best game and missing many throws.  The Birds are 0-3 in the NFC East and two of the losses have come at home. 
4. Kevin Curtis looked like he struggled with his footing and could not dominate on a bad field.  The field in Philadelphia did not look good and was like a mud patch, as both teams struggled to rush the passer.  They need the field turf in Philadelphia because too many games are played in that stadium.  
5. This is going to be a long week in Philadelphia for Andy Reid on two fronts: his game management and the level of talent on his team.   
6. Bill Simmons of ESPN is right in his critique of the Eagles.  “The one team I definitively have figured out for gambling purposes: Take the Eagles over every bad team, home or away, no matter the spread; go against them any time they're facing a good team. Got it? Got it. Poor coaching, a crappy short-yardage game and a tendency to give up big plays will bite you in the bizzum every time”.  You might have thought Bill wrote this on Sunday night, but he didn’t.  We have to find his crystal ball.  For the rest of his power rankings, follow this link
7. The mark of a great team is that they can win playing any style and the last two weeks, the Titans have been able to win without a dominating run game.  They are a complete team and how they handled the Bears was impressive. 
8. How good are the Titans on defense?  They allow an opening drive score and then the next ten possessions consisted of 8 punts, an interception and a missed field goal.  They tackle very well and control the line of scrimmage. 
9. Going back to last Thursday, I have never seen a team gain over 550 yards in less than 28 minutes like the Broncos did against the Browns.  Those are numbers usually seen in college games. 
10. The Browns defensive line is really playing bad right now.  They play too tall and get too tired, too fast. 
11. The Chiefs may have found their quarterback of the future.  I say this with some hesitation, but Tyler Thigpen did look good in yesterday’s game and he led his team back to put them in position to win the game on the road.  He clearly can build on the last three weeks. 
12. Anytime teams in the same division play, the games are very good and for the first time, the Chargers pulled a win.  The pass interference call in the last minutes was HORRENDOUS. 
13. The missed extra point put the Chargers/Chiefs in a “two-point conversion decision” game.  Herm “Let’s Build Something Together” Edwards went over well before they scored and told all his coaches, IF they scored, he was going for two. 
14. LT is not LT.  Rest or no rest.  Coming of the bye, he still does not show the burst and the explosion he once showed. 
15. The Vikings found a way to win a game with Gus Frerotte playing like Gus Frerotte.  Their winning won’t continue if he continues to play this way.  He makes way too many mistakes and the Vikings are not talented enough to overcome his fatal flaws. 
16. The Packers miss Cullen Jenkins and they probably miss Corey Williams more.  Everyone focuses on the Favre trade, but the decision to trade Williams is the one that hurts the Packers the most.   I know Williams is not tearing it up in Cleveland, but he would have played better for the Packers. 
17. The Packers won last year because both lines were very good and could dominate games.  This year, both lines are not dominating and in fact, are the weak spot of the team right now. 
18. The Vikings special teams will kill them before the year is over.  They dodged a bullet yesterday, but this will not continue. 
19. The number one reason the Patriots are back to being the Patriots of old is the play of their offensive line.  They are back to being able to protect and play with a physical nature. 
20. New England Quarterback Matt Cassel is a free agent at the end of the year and he is really playing within the system right now.  He is more confident and more decisive with the ball.  He is growing within the Patriots offense and that is critical. 
21. If I were the GM of the Lions, I would interview Josh McDaniel, the offensive coordinator of the Patriots.  He is very impressive to watch coach and when you observe the sidelines of the Patriot games, he has gained the complete confidence of head coach Bill Belichick.   A Cassel/McDaniels ticket this off season may be a powerful combination. 
22. Buffalo lacks power and physical play on their offensive line.  They cannot gain the line of scrimmage and they have no power.  They need to find a way to get Lynch more involved and successful in the run game.  Their line is big, but they are soft and sloppy looking. 
23. The Ravens are well coached and are doing the little things to win games.  Scoring 22 points in the fourth quarter is impressive, but the way they handled the Texans offense is even more impressive. 
24. When the Ravens can find a run game, they can control the football.  This is unlike any other Ravens team.  They are setting the tone with their run game, not with their defense.  They are going to win the AFC North and be a problem for teams in the playoffs. 
25. The Rams are back to being the old Rams.  They proved they cannot concentrate and prepare to win each week. The Jets are now in position to show the NFL they are for real. 
26. The Saints are similar to the Eagles.  They can dominate bad teams, but when they have to play a physical team on the road, they cannot handle the toughness.  They need to make some changes in New Orleans soon.  They are going to waste having an explosive offense and the MVP of the league if they don’t fix their fundamental problems.  They get over 520 yards of offense and lose.   
27. The NFC South is going to go down to the wire, especially with the Falcons getting better each week.  With Tampa and Atlanta playing well, along with South leader Carolina, how do any other teams like the Boys and the Eagles make the playoffs? 
28. Big Ben is killing the Steelers right now.  He is making mental mistakes and his lack of being able to dump the ball is hurting his team.  I admire his toughness for playing, but he is a turnover machine at home right now.  In the past, he only turned the ball over on the road.  In his last three games he has 1 touchdown to 8 interceptions. 
29. Miami might not win pretty, but they are getting better and have a schedule that favors them down the stretch.  They are going to be there in week 17 and the Jets game will mean something. 
30. Shane Lechler, the punter of the Raiders, is a classy guy and a great player.  Lechler averaged 50.5 yards on 11 punts yesterday.  His 556 punt yards is third most since 1970.  He deserves to escape the dysfunction at the Hotel. 

Comments

Add a Comment