NFL Week 9 Thoughts

Misplaced Blame

I watched pretty much the entire Packers/Bucs game on Sunday and sat in horror as my fantasy quarterback Aaron Rodgers got sacked 6 times. I was getting really pissed at the o-line and was wondering if they could find 5 fat guys who could block. Then I switched over to the Colts/Texans game and saw something that made me rethink my anger with the Packers.

What I saw was Peyton Manning getting rid of the ball quickly and throwing it away if need be. The reason this was resonated with me was because the Colts o-line is just as pathetic as the Packers o-line if not more so yet Manning wasn't taking sacks.

I switched back and forth between the two games for the rest of the afternoon watching Manning make quick plays and sense the pocket pressure and Rodgers trying to move around and make something happen rather than throw the ball away.

What happens was the Colts never really were left in crazy 2nd or 3rd and longs while the Packers were constantly looking at 2nd and 14 or 3rd and 17. When you are constantly taking sacks it negatively effects the team in so many ways as now the defense can play the pass and it takes momentum out of drives.

I think Aaron Rodgers is a great quarterback but he needs to be smarter with the football. The offensive line is taking a lot of criticism but the blame should be shared equally as Rodgers needs to be more like Manning and learn that the o-line is going to struggle and he needs to bail them out more often.

The Prevent Defense

At least once a week a team will win a game with a late 4th quarter drive. Maybe not every week but it definitely feels like it happens more often than not. The reason so many teams are able to come back late is because of the prevent defense. The thought behind the prevent defense is that you allow the offense to make plays in front of you for short gains while keeping defenders back to stop the big play. There is one problem with the prevent defense though, it prevents you from winning.

I can't stand the prevent defense and there is nothing worse than watching your team use it when trying to defend a lead. If a defensive game plan has worked for 58 minutes why abandon it with 2 minutes left? And what kind of defensive plan actually encourages the offense gaining yards? The whole thing is madness.

This week it was the Giants who opted for the prevent against the Chargers. The Giants had taken a lead in the 4th quarter but had left time on the clock for Philip Rivers and the Chargers to work with. You obviously know what happens next. Rivers leads the Chargers down the field for 80+ yards in under 2 minutes and the Chargers win the game handing the Giants their 4th loss in a row.

The prevent doesn't work and teams needs to realize this before it is too late. If the Giants want to get off this massive losing streak maybe they should learn to close out a game.

It's About Time

One of the biggest shocks of this current NFL season has been the dreadful play of the Tennessee Titans. They were a powerhouse last year but this year it took them until Week 8 to win a game. It ook Vince Young coming off the bench to lead them to victory.

Things were just as bad in Tampa Bay as the Bucs were 0-7 and quarterback Josh Johnson was trying but failing miserably. It took Josh Freeman making his first NFL start to get them their first win of the season.

In both cases it took two young quarterbacks coming off the bench to win games. It also required the coaches to make a move that EVERY SINGLE NFL FAN would have made.

Congratulations to Jeff Fisher and Raheem Morris for doing what everyone else would have done weeks ago. Instead of trying to salvage your season you waited too long and threw away a whole year.

In the case of Fisher and the Titans why would you not play Vince Young? Kerry Collins is gad awful and your team is pissing away the season. Week 4 or 5 why not get the guy in there who you drafted 3rd overall only 3 years ago. You owe the man $27 million let him play for his money and earn some of it.

As for the Bucs I am just at a loss. You move up in the draft to take Josh Freeman and then put him on the bench. Why? So he can learn from Byron Leftwich and Josh Johnson? What is he going to learn from those two? How not to hold down a starting job in the NFL. Freeman played great as he threw for 3 TDs and had some real nice passes. He is the quarterback of the future but had half his rookie season wasted for no reason.

If you're team is struggling and your quarterback isn't getting the job done play someone else. The Titans and the Bucs could have saved their seasons if they had done this. Now they will have to wait until next year so have an impact.

Dude, Perfect

Both the Saints and the Colts struggled on Sunday but both managed to stay perfect.

The Saints went down 14-0 to the Carolina Panthers before coming back to win 30-20 while the Colts managed to hold off the Texans 20-17.

The Colts have the biggest game of the year with week as the play the New England Patriots while the Saints get to play the woeful St. Louis Rams.

I think if the Colts can get by the Pats this week they may have a shot at going undefeated. However the fact that their running game is nonexistent is a real concern as later in the year the running games becomes more and more important.

The Saints on the other hand have the most balanced team in the NFL and can beat you anywhere. Obviously Drew Brees has been amazing and the passing attack is unparaleled but they also boast a solid running game and a defense that can win games by itself.

I am still hoping that they both win out and meet in the SuperBowl. 1) because it would tarnish the accomplishment the Patriots made 2 years ago and 2) because the 72 Dolphins would finally shut the f*ck up. Here is hoping.

Fantasy Goat of the Week

Everyone on Favre $ Footlong had a solid week. The same cannot be said of everyone on 3rd and Chris Long. Donovan Mcnabb's 227 yards with 1TD and 2 INT performance almost killed me but thankfully I saved by Michael Turner, Julius Jones and Brandon Marshall.

Quick Thoughts

- Michael Turner has been phenomenal over the past 2 weeks piling up yards rushing and 3 TD.

- Including his numbers from Sunday Peyton Manning now has over 40,000 passing yards and doesn't seem to be slowing down at all.

- The Bengals can no longer be ignored. Their defense seems legit especially with corners Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph playing shutdown while Cedric Benson continues to dominate on the ground. At 6-2 they look like they might win the division.

- I've watched 5 Colts games in a row and every game Reggie Wayne has a big play, not with a catch but with the little pick move he does on the defender. It opens up his fellow receivers and usually leads to a big play. I realize everyone does this but no one does it better than Reggie.

- For all their weapons the Cardinals struggle to get big plays. They currently only have 2 gains of more than 27 yards this season. How is that possible?

- Currently in a 'Throwdown' on Fannation at SI.com over who will be the Defensive Player of the Year. I picked Jared Allen and the other guy picked Darren Sharper. Your thoughts?

- No team has ever lost 4 games in a row and won the SuperBowl. Sorry Giants fans.

- Kyle Orton looked like the Kyle Orton of old on Monday night. He wasn't looking off receivers and was making horrible decisions. Having said that I think the Broncos need to open up the passing game a bit and go down field more as their passing game is predictable right now.

- Do you think anyone in Dallas misses Terrell Owens?

- I know I say it every week but I will continue to do so until the Packers smarten up. Why in gods name is Aaron Kampman playing linebacker? He gets abused in coverage and he was your best pass rusher. Let him play some defensive end.

- According to Peter King Tony Dungy is saying that Michael Vick will probably end up in Buffalo next year. Jebson how do you feel about that?

- Dwight Freeney now has a sack in 9 consecutive games dating back to last year. The man epitomizes consistency.

- Matthew Stafford is the most hit or miss quarterback in the league I think. His throws are either amazing or just awful.

- Speaking of the Lions I think tight end Brandon Pettigrew might be the best hype man in the league. Every time they score he is the first to run over and get excited. Glad he finally caught a touchdown on Sunday as I really like this guy.

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