Week 11 Thoughts & Observations

[Tom Kessenich]

Here are some random thoughts and observations about Week 11 as I wonder if the Saints will ever have to play four quarters in a game again.

Remember when Julio Jones couldn’t catch touchdown passes? That was cute.

Not so cute is that horrific Atlanta defense. Seriously guys, the Saints may only have to play a quarter on Thanksgiving night it’s so bad. I have no idea what the spread is but just take the Saints. Just do it.

In Carolina’s first eight games, Cam Newton averaged 9.1 rushing attempts per game. The Panthers went 6-2. In the last two games, Cam has three combined rushing attempts. The Panthers have gone 0-2. I don’t think this is a coincidence.

The Panthers were rolling because Cam was being Cam. Inflicting damage on defenses with his legs and then throwing when he needed. If you remove the former, it’s a vital element of the offense defenses no longer have to worry about. Unless that element is restored, and quickly, the Panthers’ once promising season will fall by the wayside.

I typically HATE conservative head coaches but I did not like Ron Rivera going for the win at the end of the Detroit game. Not one bit. The Panthers had played like garbage for most of the game against a lesser opponent, but had risen up with some momentum in the final quarter. I realize Graham Gano was beyond shaky, but play for the tie and then hope to extend the momentum with a red-hot quarterback into overtime and win the game against a team down its No. 1 wide receiver and starting running back.

In my opinion, that’s the move Rivera should’ve made.

DJ Moore had been held under 30 yards receiving in three of the previous four games and had only topped 60 yards receiving once the entire season.

So of course, he went absolutely gonzo on the Lions on Sunday.

Of course, he did.

Talented wide receiver. Good luck figuring out when the hell you’re supposed to play him.

Get well soon Kerryon Johnson. You’re really good at this football thing.

Just when you start feeling good about Marcus Mariotta …

Well you know.

The Titans’ decision to remove Dion Lewis from the passing game vs. a team that is absolutely horrific at defending running backs in the passing game was … oh let’s just call it … interesting.

Eric Ebron didn’t catch a pass on Sunday but he narrowly missed THROWING a TD pass because this is clearly Eric Ebron’s world now and we’re all just living in it.

I’m gonna keep beating this damn dead horse but why aren’t people talking about Andrew Luck becoming a superstar again?

Seriously.

Why?

Let’s be honest, anyone who thought the Ryan Fitzpatrick saga would end any other way than how it ended on Sunday clearly hadn’t paid any attention to Ryan Fitzpatrick for his entire career.

I know it’s “easy” to find good running backs after Round 1 in the draft. I get it. But you know what isn’t easy? Finding true superstar talent. THAT’S why you draft someone like Saquon Barkley high in the first round.

Don’t ignore the obvious in your haste to prove a point, folks, OK?

I don’t wanna frighten anyone but Eli Manning has thrown five TDs without an interception in his last two games. I realize it was against the Niners and Bucs, but still.

I’m no Alex Smith fan but damn that’s not a way for anyone to go out.

That being said, you saw exactly in this game vs. Houston why Smith is so terrible. His truly ugly Pick 6 was the difference in the game and he simply leaves way too many plays on the field. Andy Reid should be put into the Hall of Fame just on the merits of the coaching job he did with Smith in Kansas City.

Leonard Fournette is back in a big way.

The rest of the Jacksonville offense? Not so much.

Look, when a defense is ganging up to stop Fournette on the ground (which all defenses are going to do), you can still utilize your best offensive weapon by getting the ball in his hands with screens or dump off passes. These are throws so easy even Blake Bortles can make them.
Or you can continue trying to hammer Fournette away at 11-man boxes.

Your choice, Doug Marrone.

In his last two games against Jacksonville, Ben Roethlisberger has thrown for 783 yards with seven touchdowns passes AND a rushing touchdown. It wasn’t always pretty but those are numbers you can win with.

One of these weeks Antonio Brown is not gonna score a touchdown just to let everyone know he’s in complete control of this whole thing.

Lamar Jackson rushing for 117 yards was pretty impressive. Throwing for only 150? Not so much.

Look, I hate to be the “Dammit kids, get off my lawn” guy, but if you want to play quarterback at the pro level it’s good to have mobility but you must … strike that … you MUST be able to complete the forward pass at a high level in order to play the position well. If you can’t, you’ll be nothing more than a curiosity.

You wanna impress me, Lamar? Make some big passes. Throw for at least 200 yards which in today’s game represents a truly pathetic day at the office for a QB. But do that. Get there and show me something throwing the ball.

#OldManRant

Remember when people thought Dave Johnson was a first-round bust? Coaching matters.

Derek Carr hasn’t thrown an interception in his last five games.

That’s all I got in support of Derek Carr.

I’m tryin man but you’re not giving me much to work with.

Joey Bosa returns and the Chargers defense completely soils itself in an embarrassing home loss to the Broncos. Just like everyone predicted.

If you don’t enjoy watching 87-year-old Antonio Gates still crushing people on a football field you have no soul.

Sorry this is how you had to find out about that.

Phillip Lindsay is good at football.

Hold on, Mike McCarthy has called for a punt even though the Packers didn’t play on Sunday.

It’s how he rolls.

Speaking of the Packers, I’m not sure a general manager screwed the pooch more badly than Brian Gutekunst did when he failed to go All In to acquire Khalil Mack before the season. When an opportunity like that presents itself, you go for it and you don’t even think twice.

A truly massive failing.

Don’t look now but Doug Baldwin’s starting to look like Doug Baldwin again.

I honestly thought the Eagles would put up a fight and make a competitive game against the Saints. Other than tonight’s showdown, this was the game I was looking forward to the most. Boy was I wrong. The defending champs are a mess right now. The defense has fallen apart and Carson Wentz isn’t making the magic happen like he did a year ago. Just another reminder that life happens fast in the NFL.

And maybe Frank Reich meant a whole lot more to that team than any of us thought at the time.

Tre’Quan Smith had 11 receptions in his previous five games. So of course, he went off on the Eagles, dropping 10-157-1 on them. Of course, he did.

D.J. Moore
Christian Kirk
Tre’Quan Smith.

All very talented. Good luck figuring out any of them week to week.

I know some people may call it “Rubbing it in,” but I love … strike that … LOVE Sean Payton calling for a pass to Al Kamara on fourth-and-long late in the game that resulted in a 38-yard TD. Yes, I am a Kamara owner and when he scores my world becomes brighter, my food tastes better and the warmth of the sun feels like a glowing oil shining brightly down on me alone but I just love a coach who plays to win from start to finish.

Don’t like it?

Stop it.

Remember how confused so many people were wondering why Washington refused to commit to Kirk Cousins year after year after year? Week 11 on Sunday night was exactly why. That’s simply the kind of game a big-time QB cannot put forward in a critical divisional matchup. Those inevitable stink bombs make it very difficult to view him as a truly top-level quarterback.

Anthony Miller had at least six targets in four straight games. Taylor Gabriel had five or fewer in five straight games. So of course, Miller got only three targets on Sunday night while Gabriel got nine.

Of course.

And finally, let’s hope tonight’s Chiefs-Rams game lives up to all the massive hype. We’ve all been good. We deserve something nice before Thanksgiving.

[eliasond]

What a football game this turned out to be!

[Frozen Tundra]

Tom, love your thoughts and observations. In a forum not very rich on content (not for the lack of trying from you and the rest of the NFFC crew), this is one of the things I look forward to.

On the Packers - There was no chance in hell GB could have signed Mack in 2018. Gute is trying to clean up the mess his predecessor left for him. GB just did not have the cap space to sign Mack, with double-digit cap hit contracts like Matthews and Cobb. Rodgers going anti-Brady on the money did not do the organization any favors, but why would he? They have all been eating off his back since he started playing.

Biggest problem with GB is Mike McCarthy. His inability to raise his game as stakes get higher has been GB's main problem for a long time. Finally it looks like that will be addressed this year, although I am not sure how much Rodgers has left in the tank now for another run. He is one concussion away (knock knock) from calling it a day.

[Tom Kessenich]

Tom, love your thoughts and observations. In a forum not very rich on content (not for the lack of trying from you and the rest of the NFFC crew), this is one of the things I look forward to.

On the Packers - There was no chance in hell GB could have signed Mack in 2018. Gute is trying to clean up the mess his predecessor left for him. GB just did not have the cap space to sign Mack, with double-digit cap hit contracts like Matthews and Cobb. Rodgers going anti-Brady on the money did not do the organization any favors, but why would he? They have all been eating off his back since he started playing.

Biggest problem with GB is Mike McCarthy. His inability to raise his game as stakes get higher has been GB's main problem for a long time. Finally it looks like that will be addressed this year, although I am not sure how much Rodgers has left in the tank now for another run. He is one concussion away (knock knock) from calling it a day.

Thanks much first of all.

I disagree about Mack. I agree cleaning up Thompson's mess wasn't going to be easy but when a superstar, game-changing talent is available - especially at a position of great need - and you're a contending team, you move heaven and earth to get him. The Packers could have done that but Gutey channeled his Inner Thompson and screwed the pooch badly. That was their chance to make a legit run at the Super Bowl and it ended the moment the Bears made the smart move.