NFL Week 11 Observations

Weekend Media Gaffes: Late Edition

• You know how Stuart Scott does that "Wha Wha Wha Happened is..." thing when reading highlights? Emmitt Smith, when giving his analysis after the MNF game, unknowingly and inadvertantly started his monologue by saying "Wha Wha Wha Happened is..." The funniest part about it is that Stuart Scott was the host of the set when Emmitt said this, making it appear at first like a homage. Knowing what we know about Emmitt Smith, it wasn't.
  
  
• Minutes later, Emmitt Smith called the Super Bowl the National Championship. But on a serious note, I know a lot of times Emmitt has a tough time getting it out, but he's really not that bad of an analyst and you can tell he trying really, really hard.
  
  

Week 11 Observations

We'll begin in New York...

Giants @ Lions

It was interesting to see that Eli Manning has an endoresment deal with Citizen Eco Drive watches, normally it's Peyton's face we see on all the commercials. The Eco Drive catchphrase is "Unstoppable, like the people that wear them" - I guess nobody at Citizen saw Eli's game against the Cowboys. But Eli played very well in the Giants 16-10 win over the Lions, which shouldn't come as a huge surprise. He's a good quarterback. If you remember last week I likened Eli to one of Michael Vick's pit bulls. Again, Vick's pit bulls can be good dogs if you nurse them back to health. You would just would never want to own one because you'd never know when it would attack somebody. Similarly, Eli's a good quarterback that can turn fatally erratic or careless at the drop of a hat - which usually seems to be the most in-opportune times.

In my preview of Giants @ Lions, I wondered which team's history would supersede the other's. Would the Giants recent history under Tom Coughlin to utterly collapse in the second half be stronger than the Lions "storied" history of just being plain awful?

This Week 11 match up played out like one of those Final Destination movies - where both parties were trying to escape what seemed like an inevitable death - or collapse - as the Giants and Lions continued to make mistake after mistake, with any one of them possibly being the straw to break the camels back. In the end, Detroit was the team that shot itself in the foot more times - committing more penalties, turnovers, and ill-advised plays than their opponent. Plus, the Lions have ZERO confidence running the football, forcing the immobile John Kitna to drop back 43 times against the NFC best pass rush. And to say the Lions have offensive line problems may be the understatement of the year.

Espn.com's game summary byline for the Giants @ Lions is Strahan, secondary help Giants beat Lions. Yes, Michael Strahan (3 sacks Sunday) had a terrific game against Detroit, no questions about it. But anybody that watched this game knows that Giants have some serious problems in the secondary. Sure they had 3 interceptions and made some nice plays on the football when Kitna was throwing it up for grabs. But the Giants defensive secondary was torched for 377 yards passing, with Shaun McDonald, Roy Williams, and Calvin Johnson putting on a show. There were stretches when Williams was dominant, my notebook is peppered with these instances - including instances where if Kitna had not thrown an errant pass, Detroit could have broken the game wide open. And Calvin Johnson's 35 yard TD grab was not only indisputable visual evidence as to why he deserved to be the #2 draft pick, but also an indictment on the Giants defensive backfield, as Johnson leaped over 2 Giant's defenders to haul in that grab. I think it's clear that if the Giant's play at team with a good offensive line in the playoffs - think Dallas or Green Bay - then they better hope their offense can put up 35+.

- Time to be concerned about Plaxico Burress' ankle. After starting the season with 8 TD grabs in his first 6 games, Burress has had a precipitous drop-off in his performance the last 4 games. His numbers since week 7 - 43, 14, 24, and 47 yards respectively with 0 TDs.

- If this is the season where we're supposed to see the "new" Tom Coughlin, then he can at least un-do the top button on his Giants polo shirt.

- I did not like how Eli Manning, who otherwise had a solid game, took a sack with 2:57 remaining in the 4th quarter (3rd and 4). He had plenty of time to throw the ball away, but at least he didn't throw a pick.

Steelers @ Jets

The three reasons why the Jets were able to upset the Steelers:

1. The Bye Week - Eric Mangini and the Jets used the bye week to devise defensive schemes that confused the Pittsburgh offensive line, creating a pass rush that sacked Ben Roethlisberger 7 times. In case you haven't followed the Jets, in their 9 games leading up to the Steelers, they've had arguably the most benign pass rush in the NFL.
   



2. Ben Roethlisberger, who without a question is one of the most physically gifted quarterbacks in the NFL, had a glaring weakness in his game exposed against the Jets. "Big" Ben, who as we know loves to move outside the pocket while throwing downfield, had the pocket pinched by the Jets defense, forcing him to make plays with his feet set. Every time Roethlisberger had the urge the break the pocket and move laterally, when he could have just stepped up and launched the ball, the Jets were there swarming him behind the line of scrimmage - usually to the tune of a sack.
   



3. Let's be honest, the Jets don't match up well against the Steelers. Even off the bye week with a great defensive game-plan, the Jets barely escaped Sunday with an overtime victory. The bottom line here was that the Steelers came out flat. In the first quarter, the Jets came out with a playoff-like intensity/energy level, the Steelers didn't wake up until the 4th quarter.

- For the entire duration of regulation, the Steelers apparently got the memo not to kick to Leon Washington, as they pooched kicked to somebody else every chance they got. Then during overtime the Steelers punted to Washington, who promptly returned the ball 33 yards to set up an easy Mike Nugent field goal. STICK TO THE GAMEPLAN!

- Kellen Clemens, despite pedestrian individual numbers, showed again why he has a tremendous amount of upside for the future. At the end of regulation, Clemens engineered a 72 yard 2-minute drill - against the NFL's #1 ranked defense, in which Brad Smith dropped what Phil Simms called "a perfect throw" that would have won the game. Granted, Clemens made his share of mistakes, he's expected to in only his 3rd NFL start. But I love how he's smart with the football, can make every possibly throw with his arm, has a terrific sense of the pressure around him, and when necessary, can run for first downs.

- From what I've seen of Pittsburgh WR Santonio Holmes against the Jets and the Ravens, he's going to be a big time receiver for years to come.

- Kerry Rhodes, David Harris, Darrelle Revis - The cornerstones of the Jets defense moving forward.

- This was the first time I was legitimately entertained by a Jets game since Testaverde led the improbable Monday Night comeback against the Dolphins. Ok, maybe that was a little bit of an exaggeration, but you catch my drift, that the Jets haven't been very exciting in recent memory.

My observations around the NFL...

- How easy was it for the Patriots to kill the Bills on Sunday Night? So easy that it appeared that Brady and Moss and had seen Terrell Owens score 4 touchdowns earlier in the day and decided to match that total... In the first half! For those of you scoring at home, that's 16 touchdowns for Randy Moss through 10 games. The record is 22 by Jerry Rice, which happens to be one my favorite records in NFL history. Not because I'm a Rice fan, because I'm not, but because he accomplished the feat in just 12 games.

- John Madden, at least 15 times last night and that's being conservative, said that Tom Brady is playing the quarterback position better than he's ever seen anybody play, including Joe Montana. What amazes me more than just his extraordinary accuracy and the fact that he has the most underrated arm in the NFL, is his pocket presence. There were like four different instances during the game Sunday night when I thought to myself Get Rid of It, but somehow Brady can keep his eyes down the field and subconsciously distinguish between when the chaos around him is really an imminent threat and when its just chaos.

- As somebody that routinely cries at the end of The Bodyguard, but also as somebody that thinks NFL announcers are ridiculous 99% of the time, in the way they usually try to portray professional athletes as the great humanitarians in society, Kevin Everett's appearance on Sunday Night Football was really choked me up. He should get Comeback Player of the Year just for walking again.

- My final thought on Pats @ Bills, because there really isn't too much discuss in a 56-10 game: On Randy Moss's first TD score, a 43 yard reception, Wes Welker ran a deep seam route that got the safety to bite just a step or two. Simple enough, but that's what makes the Patriots so special - they have a wide receiver with 16 touchdowns and instead of the other receivers taking plays off, they run their routes to perfection even when they know the play probably isn't going to them. That starts with Billy Belichick.

- Just think, if the refs don't make the right decision on the 51 yard Phil Dawson kick, the Browns are sitting at 5-5 and we're calling them pretenders. Now, they're 6-4, contending with the Steelers for the division, and looking like they'll secure a playoff birth.

- Kudos to Kyle Boller. The Baltimore offense hasn't had a pulse for nearly a month and Boller went into the Dawg Pound, on a cold November day, and did a solid job for the Ravens. If Steve McNair played in that game I guarantee the Ravens don't even score 14 points - and that's including the fact that Ray Lewis scored a defensive touchdown.

- I know the Redskins secondary was missing safety Sean Taylor, but couldn't somebody on Washington at least attempt to be near TO when he's catching a touchdown pass - like be on the TV screen, even its just a hand and not a full body, just get in the shot.

- The Cowboys may very well be the best team in the NFC, but like the Giants, their secondary does not appear to be even close to championship level. That's why Favre and his stable of wide outs might have a field day when they meet up with Dallas in two weeks - though Favre is 0-7 in his career at Texas Stadium.

- Who would have predicted Brody Croyle outperforming Peyton Manning - IN THE RCA DOME. Croyle: 19/27, 169 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT. Manning: 16/32, 163 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT.

-He didn't have any sacks against the Colts, but Jarred "From Subway" Allen may be punching his ticket for Defensive Player of the Year status. His highlight reel from Sunday showed him causing absolute chaos for Peyton Manning and his offensive line. I love how a 4th round pick out of Idaho State somehow becomes one of the premier defensive players in the NFL. I mean there's 2 other schools in Idaho - Boise State and Idaho - that are better football schools than Idaho State, and this guy somehow emerges as an elite NFL defender.

- Bob Costas made a great point on Football Night in America. He said the Colts were a play or two away from beating the Pats, remaining undefeated and being on 16-0 watch, to losing two straight and battling to the wire at home to a Chiefs team with a rookie QB. It's a fickle game. And while I'm on the topic of Football Night in America, Jerome Bettis has improved exponentially as a broadcaster.

- Why it's becoming clearer and clearer you have to choose Brady in the Manning vs Brady debate: Last year Brady was throwing to Caldwell, Gaffney, and Troy Brown - in a cold weather stadium and division, and still performed valiantly. This year, Manning still has Reggie Wayne and usually Dallas Clark, but has totally pooped the bed without Marvin "William Henry" Harisson - AND he plays half of his games in a controlled environment.

- Did you ever think you'd see the day when Adam Vinatieri missed 4 consecutive field goals!?!?

- David Garrard is quietly emerging as a big time quarterback. It sounds awkward to say that, but if you consider the Yo-Yo's around the league playing QB then its really not as crazy as that sounds. Plus, in the 7 games Garrard has started this season he's thrown for a 100+ passer rating in 5.

- The San Diego Chargers are officially a mess as a football team and their quarterback's stock is starting to resemble the stock performance of Enron. Jack, I know you'll enjoy that comparison. I've suffered through way too many Enron jokes while knowing you.

- For those of you scoring at home during the New Orleans @ Houston game: Pierre Thomas 6 yards rushing vs Amobi Okoye 1 tackle. Or was I was supposed to bring up Reggie Bush vs Mario Williams? My memory hasn't been the same since I suffered a head injury, after being trampled by the hundreds of people jumping off the Saints bandwagon Sunday.

- I've killed this guy every week I've done my NFL observations, So I'll give credit where credit is due. Ced Benson - 8.1 yards per carry on Sunday, though in a losing effort, was the reason you were drafted 5th overall. And that's a dash, not a negative symbol - I know you wouldn't be surprised either way.

- For those of us that forgot about him, not only does Matt Hasselbeck read his playbook to his daughters at bedtime, but he's still a very good quarterback. Maurice "Mercury" Morris, was able to do the one thing Shaun Alexander hasn't been able to do all year - Run the ball effectively, to the tune of 4.8 yards per clip on 18 carries.

- Rex Grossman is back baby! The meltdown watch has officially begun. For the record, I'm rooting for him to succeed. No QB has taken more crap that Grossman over the last 2 years. Nobody.

- If it's not broke, don't fix it. Joey Harrington had led (GULP) the Falcons to two straight victories. Then Bobby Petrino decides to start Byron Leftwich against Tampa, who proceeded to commit 3 turnovers in a half a days work, before being relieved by, Joey Harrington.

- I think until Marvin Lewis assembles anything resembling a defense in Cincy that we should be disallowed from speaking of his defensive success in Baltimore. The 2000 Ravens defense could have gone to the Super Bowl with Mike Martz as the defensive coordinator - EVEN with Brian Billick calling the plays.

- I thought when you were in jail you were only allowed one phone call. Donovan McNabb (3 for 11 before being injured vs Miami) better give AJ Feeley and Brian Westbrook a nice thank you card and gift certificate to Starbucks after bailing him out against the Dolphins.

- Rory, I apologize for not putting B. Westbrook in my top 3 running backs of 2007 last week. He clearly has been a top 3 back this year. Your gift certificate to Dunkin Donuts is in the mail.

- Is it ironic that the franchise known for its offensive prowess now has the most embarrassing offense in the NFL? I'd say yes. I didn't realize the 49ers haven't scored over 20 points in a game the entire season and that in their 8 losses they've averaged just 9.6 points! That's paltry, very, very, very paltry.

- I just watched Rob Bironas kick a 56 yarder at the end of the half for the Titans. With Vinatieri in the first slump of his career, is Bironas now the best kicker in the NFL? Think about his recent resume.

I'm an Idiot Because...

1. My semi-vendetta against Herman Edwards more then somewhat blinded me when choosing the Colts to win by 14.5.



2. I should have realized a long time ago, and at least last week that the Saints really weren't going to contend in the NFC this year.

I'm a Genius Because...

1. I'm 12-3 against the spread going into the Monday Night game. It's safe to say I'm the premier handicapper, just behind fictional characters Brandon Lang/John Anthony and Sam Rothstein - for all you fans of Two for the Money, and Casino.
   



2. In my Week 11 preview, I said that my reasons for picking the Vikes over the Raiders was because they at least the Vikings do two things well - Run and stop the run, in spite of doing two things very poorly - pass and stop the pass. Go ahead, take a look at the stats from the Oakland @ Minnesota game and also note that the Vikes covered the 5 point spread.
   



3. EVERYBODY teased the Steelers vs Jets game. And I mean everybody. Was I the only person to predict the out right Jets victory? Maybe.
   
   
4. Did I mention 12-3 going into Monday Night, 22-7 the last two weeks, 31-9-1 the last 3 weeks!
   

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