Every Monday here at The National Football Post I ramble on about all of the Sunday action in the NFL. Today: the weather, G-Men keep rolling, Matt Cassel struggles, the Pack might be done, and more. Matt Bowen
Every Monday I ramble on about all of the Sunday action in the NFL. Weather, road teams, and big plays dominated the headlines.
WEEK 13
Bandwagon Buster- So much for My “Matt Cassel Fan Club.” Hey, the Pittsburgh Steelers can still play football folks, and are still my team to beat in the AFC. After two straight weeks of Cassel and the Patriots slinging the ball up and down the field, we saw them run into the brick wall that is the Steeler defense. Four second half turnovers--2 picks 2 fumbles from Cassel--blew the doors off this game. I know the hit Steelers safety Ryan Clark put on Wes Welker can be viewed as a “cheap shot,” but it sent a message to the Patriots that this Pittsburgh team is physical--and it took Welker out of the game. The Pats could only muster 267 total yards and now find themselves on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoff picture. Bad loss at home. Something we don’t usually see from a Bill Belichick team, but the race in the AFC East is far from over. Love this Pittsburgh team, especially with the weather starting to turn. Wouldn’t surprise me to see them in Tampa--winning it.
Big Blue- All the talk this week will be about Plaxico Burress and the circus he has just started in Gotham, but the real story is on the field where this Giant team continues to dominate. Maybe we should just come out and say it: The NY Giants are just better than everyone else in the NFC. They can run, the can throw, and they can play defense. Manning throws for over 300, the G-Men go for over 100 on the ground as a team, and the NY defense punishes Clinton Portis--physically--all day long. I hate to say it, but at this point in the season, the Giants are going to have to beat themselves with turnovers and penalties (and this includes the playoffs) for someone to beat them. Remember that Skins bandwagon I was on in September and October--yeah, well, the wheels are falling off. They are one game behind in the Wild Card and Portis is taking a weekly beating. They can’t win unless he is healthy. Oh, I almost forgot--the Giants don’t need Plaxico to win. That guy is a waste.
Bye, Bye Pack- Tough for Pack fans to see a Carolina team come into Lambeau and rip a win away from Green Bay, but it happened. Carolina won the battle of big plays and they killed the Packers on special teams--two areas that will lose a ball game for you. RB DeAngleo Williams scored four touchdowns--four my friends--and Steve Smith owned the Green Bay secondary in the second half (4-105). Green Bay got a huge effort from QB Aaron Rodgers, who played--in my mind--his best game of the season (minus the last ball he forced at the end of the game). The question here, and in Wisconsin this Monday morning, is if the Pack are done, finished, extinct from the playoff conversation. Well, with the amount of plays they gave up yesterday--at crucial times--I think it is time to start looking forward to next season. 13-3 last season to this, 5-7 and looking up at Minnesota and Chicago. Still time left, but you have to wonder what happened to this ball club in one short year. Carolina, on the other hand, is sitting in a first place tie, and might be the only team that can challenge the Giants.
Nasty Win- Man, that was an ugly football game in Cleveland yesterday, but the Colts wake up this morning with another win (5 in a row). Don’t let this scare you if the Colts are your #1 team. Every playoff team goes through one of these. The point isn’t how you play, but what the scoreboard says at the end of the game. Win and move on. Win and get ready for the next game. That is all that should matter if you follow the Colts. They made a big time play on defense (Robert Mathis fumble return for a TD) and did just enough on offense to leave Cleveland at 8-4. This is a scary match up for anyone come January, especially after we just saw them win a game when Peyton Manning played awful football (15-21-125-2 INT). When was the last time Indy won a football game when putting up 215 yards of offense? Probably never, but that is the type of roll they are on. Cleveland, on the other hand, is a disaster. Lots of changes coming by the lake.
Bucs Lurking- The team that gets no respect in the media just keeps winning. Tampa won again yesterday, this time beating up Drew Brees and the Saints. Sure, it was a close ball game, but what game in the NFL doesn’t come down to the 4th quarter when you aren’t playing the Lions? We talk about the Giants, Steelers, Ravens, Titans, etc when it comes to defensive football in this league, but what about these guys? They make plays, they win games. Well, I am going to start talking about them. Three picks against Drew Brees and 44 total rushing yards allowed. If that isn’t good defensive football, then I don’t know what is. At 9-3, the Bucs are going to be in the playoffs, and with that play-making defense, they can beat anybody. Hey, the Saints are a bust, but not the biggest bust in the NFL. I am getting to them.
Oh No, San Diego- This is why predictions in August mean absolutely nothing. We all picked Atlanta to finish last in the NFC South (maybe even at the bottom of the entire league), and San Diego, the darlings out west, were supposed to challenge for a Super Bowl championship. My, my, how things change. The Atlanta Falcons are a very good football team, have a rookie quarterback who might just be the best rookie to enter the league in years, play solid defense, and will be knocking on the playoff door. The Bolts, on the other hand, are the biggest bust of the NFL season. They can’t run the football (LT goes for 24 yards on 14 carries), have a coach who can’t win, and as a team, can start planning for the draft. As bad as the AFC West is, the Chargers are worse. Disappointment doesn’t even begin to describe that ball club. At best they can finish 8-8. Yikes. Can Ryan lead this Falcon team into January? I don’t know yet, but he is close.
Purple Pride- I think it is safe to say that the Chicago Bears struggle against Adrian Peterson. Last night in that run-down Metrodome, AP dominated the Bears (again) finishing with 131 bruising yards and a touchdown. The guy runs like Walter Payton--with more speed. But, as good as Peterson was, the Bears inability to punch it in for the goal line on four straight attempts--and the ensuing 99-yard Bernard Berrian TD--lost this game. Instead of going up 14-3, the Bears found themselves down 10-7, and never really got back into it. Kyle Orton, the quarterback everyone in this city said was the future, struggled, throwing 3 picks against the same Tampa 2 scheme he saw every day in training camp. A month ago, they were talking contract extension with this guy--but they did that with Rex Grossman as well. The Vikes take the division lead at 7-5, but the race will come down to the final week most likely (or the suspension of the Williams boys up front). It is amazing how one play can swing momentum in a football game, but that is exactly what happened. Tough night in the dome for Chicago, but I have been hearing that since I was in the 4th grade.
Jets, Jets, Jets?- Wait a minute folks. Wasn’t this Jets team the new favorite in the AFC last week? Yes, the NFL talk is fickle in this world, and we saw first hand how one week can crown you as paper champs, while the next week can send you to the dumpster. The Jets were bad yesterday, but the Broncos were great. What? The Broncos? I thought they were awful? Hey, anything can happen on Sunday, Jay Cutler outplayed Brett Favre (I’m sure he is going to keep that film on his mantle). When this kid in hot he can really chuck it around--like yesterday: 357 yards and 2 touchdowns against a good Jet defense. This team is going to win the AFC West (because every other team is atrocious), but how far can they go in January? Probably not very far, but with Cutler, you never know what could happen. Jets get a break thanks to the Pats loss, but they can’t afford to play like this in December--or else they will be home in January. If anything, Thomas Jones is a stud, and he will have to carry this team.
Bad, Bad, Bills- A win, at home, against the Niners, would have at least kept the Bills energized thinking about the playoffs, but after that performance yesterday, it looks like western New York is bracing for another average season. Trent Edwards was miserable (again) and JP Losman wasn’t any better in relief. However, when your franchise running back, Marshawn Lynch, goes for over 130 yards on the ground, you have to find a way to put more than three points up on the scoreboard. Look, the defense did their job--holding the Niners to 10 points--but when you miss two chip shot field goals, and stop playing NFL-level football in the red zone, this is what happens. A nice road win for Mike Singletary, who might be the right man for this team--if he can get a couple of more wins in December. So much for that early starting time for west coast teams too. Typical ESPN talk there.
Flacco Does it Again- Unfortunately for Ravens’ QB Joe Flacco, he entered the NFL the same year as Matt Ryan, or else he would be the guy we would be talking about at happy hour tonight. Flacco (yes, I know it was against the Bengals) threw for 280 yards and 2 touchdowns in another Baltimore win. I know Ray Lewis and his buddies are going to show up in December and January (The Ravens are a playoff team my friends), but what happens if Flacco keeps producing big time numbers? Is this Ravens’ team a threat to win the AFC North, or even better, the AFC? I wouldn’t go that far--yet--but, this team can be a tough match up for anybody, including Pittsburgh. I think it is the style they play, their physical style, that causes major issues for opposing teams. I’m not ready to crown them in any regard, but I wouldn’t want to face them when the weather drops. Those hits will sting a bit more, and that defense will continue to attack. By the way, the Bengals, well, they are just bad--really bad. In fact, they stink.
Dolphin Tandem- It is a good thing the Miami Dolphins played the St. Louis Rams yesterday, and it is even better that they have both Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown. Look, no different than the Colts, the Dolphins didn’t play a great football game yesterday, but playing against a terrible team like the Rams can do that to you. Sometimes--even in the pros--teams tend to play down to their completion. This is exactly what happened in the dome yesterday. But, like I said earlier, a win is a win in the NFL, and that is all that the Dolphins wanted to take home with them. They rushed for 149 yards as a team and caused three turnovers., Good enough--for now, but it won’t work this month. Man, did Jim Haslett get himself into a no-win situation or what? That place has to be like coaching in a cemetery.
Throw Away Rivalry- When I was a kid, I loved the late afternoon rivalries of the AFC West. Chiefs and Raiders. The crowds. The hitting, The big plays. Well, that has sort of vanished this year, and yesterday’s Raider-Chief game was meaningless. When you attempt a fake field goal that is returned for a 67-yard touchdown, you are desperate. But, there is a lot to look forward to in the future for these two clubs. I see a ton of young talent on each sideline, but it is talent that is not quite ready to take the next step in the NFL. This rivalry will be back, hopefully sooner than later, because that game yesterday was hard to watch.
Orton isn't the answer.
Please come to Chicago Donovan!
Boy, did the Steelers stick a foot in us yesterday. Been a long time since we got pushed around like that at home. We are still in it, but, that was tough to watch.
I'd like to believe the Pack can win their last 4 games, but they've given me no reason to expect that now. And I think the Vikes are going to win 10 games anyway. The bottom line is that the Packers didn't win the close games when they had the chance. Everyone wants to jump on the Favre factor, but it's hard to have things go your way every year, just look at the last 4 losers of the NFC Championship game; they didn't make the playoffs the following year. Same goes for the Chargers in the AFC this year. It's just not meant to be for the Pack in 2008. So now hopefully Ted Thompson gets more agressive this offseason and makes the upgrades to put them back in the mix for 2009.
What do you guys need this off-season Sean? Looks like you could use some D Tackles and another end to go with Kampann
Sean-You think you guys can win at Soldier in late December?
Does anybody have a game plan that can work against Peterson?
Obviously Lovie doesn't.
Sean - ted thompson wants to build through the draft and will do continue doing that. He values draft picks a lot (otherwise he'd have gotten Tony Gonzales). He has shown time and time again that he will only go so far in trying to bring in FA. You will end up with the likes of Marquand Manuel. I think they overrate the talent they have on the team, and they are getting older in key positions - both offensive tackles, starting CB, one starting WR. you cannot constantly be the youngest team in the league and expect to win. Some veteran presence is necessary, and I don't think Thompson is the GM to make that happen. I am not saying he is doing a bad job, but his philosophy does not provide a good fit for the team and needs they have right now. Favre is not the reason. He cannot play DT, block on special teams, or even play special teams. This team scored 60 points the last 2 games and lost both. Scoring 27.8 points per game and having a 5-7 record is pathetic.
Peter- You guys had a veteran presence. He is wearing #4 in New York right now.
Not that I can say much with Orton throwing picks in Chicago.
Yeah, I think they can win that game in Chicago, Matt. I think they're capable of winning the last 4 games, they certainly have the talent to do it. But they haven't been consistent all season, and they could lose to Houston or at Jacksonville before even getting to the Bears game. As much as I'd love to see the Pack in the playoffs again this year, I honestly don't think they deserve it now. They can't win close games.
RedSox - what they need more than anything is a solid off-season and health. Cullen Jenkins is a lot better than most give him credit for, if they can acquire one above average DT in the off-season and either develop/acquire a journeyman DE, need a decent punter, and need something at LB with either Hawk or Barnett, either one of them elevates their game or replace one of them. Beyond that, it's really a depth issue with younger guys improving and learning. They're not nearly as far as some believe from where they were last year.
Sean- Jacksonville will be tough just becasue of their power running game. That is what usually gets the Pack is the teams who can run the ball for four quarters.
Da Coach - a veteran presence who retired. the question was whether one more year of #4 would have brought much. Personally I think the record would be the same. Even at 6-6 this would be a long shot for the playoffs. What it would've done is possibly alienate Rodgers and we still would not have known whether Aaron can play in the NFL. now we do, he can. Let the Jets have next year's summer drama. Do you honestly think having #4 back there would mean a better record? Last year that same team scord 27.2 points per game and were 13-3 in the regular season. We score more on average and are 5-7, so one cannot tell me the QB is the reason for that.
Pack won't win the last four games. They will lose to J-Ville and the Bears in Solider. 7-9 season. Thanks for comming out.
Matt, you know im purely a secondary guy...and the Tampa Bay Buc secondary is absolutely awesome to watch. their D is sick, they need to get more national pub, hopefully the Monday Night game brings that to them.
Darren Sharper had a nice INT yesterday..keeps adding to his collection.
Matt RE:Peterson - back in the 1994 wild card game, the Packers held Barry Sanders to a total of three yards on 17 touches, 13 rushes and 4 receptions (-1 total yards rushing in that game). Don't know specifically how they did it, but that should be the starting point to stop Peterson. Might be a good story for Lombardi to do one of his breakdowns on
Peter- I think what Da Coach is saying is that you can't replace leadership with a guy who is a first year starter. You can't really compare that with stats.
P.S..was Darrelle Revis on Marshall last night? couldnt catch the game...must have shut him down.
Sammy- That's the thing about the Bucs--their secondary has been making plays for a decade. They created the Tampa 2 and they are a turnover machine. Tough match up for someone in January.
Peter- I think you might be right about Thompson, but after coming off what is shaping up as a very disappointing season(and the scrutiny from the Favre affair), I think Thompson might feel compelled to make a statement this offseason. He'll have a lot of money to spend again in free agency, and I think he'll get a lot more heat if he doesn't try to sign anyone. I don't expect a Daniel Snyder-type spending spree, but he should be able to bring in a quality offensive lineman or two, at the very least.
Exactly what I am saying about Favre. I'm not looking at numbers or comapring records between the Jets and the Packers, but I am saying you just don't step in at quarterback and take a leadership role like Favre had earned. Rodgers is a good quarterback, but he hasn't played in a playoff game yet. My verdict is still out.
Matt - I think what Peter is getting at is that leadership at the QB position will not improve your punting, kick-off coverage or defensive run stopping, as a general rule of thumb.
Can the Cassel over Obama in 2012 please stop now. The guy can throw behind the line to Welker and get it within 10 feet of Moss deep, but that is about it.
As a long time Charger fan, thank god I can start looking at the draft by week 15 again. It has been a bit uncomfortable the last few years just waiting for them to flame out. Hell, I almost thought they would win the worst division in football this year. Next up, a battle for the 6th pick in the draft!
Cam Cameron has made Baltimore a Superbowl contender. They are a more balanced team than the Steelers. Either of these teams can beat the Titans; the linebackers can shut down the run and short yardage passes to the Tightends.
Matt - it is not the power running game that much as it is physical teams. Teams being physical on both offense and defense means the Packers come up short. Ron Wolf watched the team in practice this summer and said after 10 minutes that this is a soft team. Physical teams beat the living **** out of them. Therefore, the Jaguars game will be lost, I would not be surprised to lose to Houston, and the Bears game is a divisional game. If the Beras are still in the race, they will win, since I am sure they are mad about the loss 3 weeks back and have some extra motivation for that.
Scott- I have to disagree with you on that. Leadership does make a difference in all aspects of the game--punting, defense, whatever. Someone needs to lead a ball club, and it trickles down to every aspect of a football team.
Peter- All "West Coast" teams are soft...that is why the NFC has had such a difficult time with the AFC as of late (minus the Giants last year).
Scott M. - thank you. Exactly my point. the Mike Montgomerys of this world are not playing better because #4 is their QB, I don't think it makes a difference for them on whether #4 or #12 is. I agree Rodgers cannot replace Brett in leadership, at least not yet, but I don't think the trade of #4 is the main reason this team is 5-7. There are some key injuries the Packers talent level cannot overcome (jenkins loss is huge), since the younger players did not developed as coaches had hoped, and at the same time I think the talent level of this team is overrated. Older players are respected, but Clifton, Tauscher, Kampman, and even Woodson who are the veterans on this team are not vocal enough from what I hear to influence younger players more. I don't know Matt, you played with #4, was Brett really such a big presence and difference in the locker room to make all of you play better? On one hand I hear he was a great teammate, on the other hand I hear that he had his own locker room, and then I hear the younger players last year said rob davis, the long snapper who retired (well thompson pulled the plug on his career as he said) was the leader in the locker room. I am not an insider and can only judge on what I read and hear, and cannot really know whether I am right or not, but I think looking at this year, the problems are far more and beyond than just replacing #4.
Why are teams still running the WCO? It seems to grow less and less effective year after year. The Hawks, Iggles and Skins have struggled offensively for large stretches of the season. So have the aforementioned Bucs.
there is one good news for Packers fans today, though. At the press conf, McCarthy said that the Packers are FINALLY waiving the punter. Incredible they stuck with him for so long.
I don't know Sammy. I guess that teams are afraid to move away from what works, but it will never live up to lining up in the I Formation and running it down someone's throats.
Peter- Played with Frost..Could have predicited that one. He is not the right fit for the Packers.
Sammy - because not every team has nasty 330 lbs Olinemen who can move and be maulers at the same time, a power running back, and a HC who is calling running plays. If you look at the Packers and see Jennigns and Driver on one hand, the OL with Ryan Grant and Brandon Jackson on the other, and McCarthy on the sideline, I think you take your chance throwing. Or the Saints - Brees, that WR corps, I take my chances throwing. I am not saying it works, but the problem for power running teams is that if they are down 2 TD scores, the game is over.
Shannon,
I hear ya on Cassel, he's no Brady but he was putting the ball on the money in the first half and his big $$ receiver dropped a ball in the endzone that was right between the numbers. (there has been a inexcusable big drop by a receiver in their past 3-4 games)
They should have been up 17-10 at the half.
Cassel also can't be blamed for the muff by Slater and Matt Light turning into a human turnstile in 2nd half. By the time he threw the pick, they were in catch-up mode and every QB would have problems against the Steelers in that scenario.
yes, peter..but the patriots do not run a WCO system, and have offensive success
Matt - wondering your thoughts on a different matter from the Packers-Panthers game. Center got a concussion, didn't tell anyone, hiked the ball over the QBs head on a shotgun snap, Carolina recovers it in the red zone and scores a TD. Is this on the player for not reporting the concussion or do the trainers check these guys out throughout the game to make sure the lights are on AND someone is home?
If the player doesn't say anything, then the trainers and doctors never know about it.
Peter - potentially more good news for Packers fans. I never understood it before, but DT Malone was finally elevated from practice squad to the active roster. He's a big boy and looked good in the pre-season. Given the issues since Jenkins got hurt, I've never understood why this kid hadn't gotten a shot but he's finally getting one. In four games with the Texans (2 in 2005 and 2 in 2006), he had 13 tackles, two half-sacks and a blocked pass. Ended up out of football in 2007 and signed to our practice squad late in the year - kid's got talent if he can get it together.
Scott - hear you. I don't know either. Saw him in training camp and liked what he did, and in pre-season if he didn't get to the QB he at least got his arms up and blocked a couple of passes. Saw that quite often in training camp also. Then of course they kept Harrell. I also like Joe Porter. He plowed through the blockers as a gunner on Special Teams in camp. But they had to keep Bush of course. We shall see, but at least not all hope it lost. They finally seem to get to their senses.
| powered by TheSeats.com |
How Brees won the MVP, plus more...
How the Saints and Colts can hoist...
Age, hard hits not kind to RB...
Giants defensive end says he'll...
Breaking down Brees to Meachem...
Dec 01, 2008
12:32 PM
I wouldn't say it was the best game that Rodgers played after the final series. He forced that ball with time left on the clock.
Bad season.