My Week 7 Vibes
Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 3:10 am
I’m not an NFL head coach. I never will be. And I do not claim to have more knowledge of the game than anyone who coaches at that level.
But sometimes, I think NFL head coaches make the game more complicated than it needs to be. Example:
The Seahawks are down by 11 with 1:52 left to play in their game with New Orleans on Sunday Night. Simple math says at some point Seattle will need a field goal to tie. They have fourth-and-nine at the New Orleans 14 so what does head coach Mike Holmgren do?
Kick the field goal, right?
Nope, he goes for it. And fails badly. Game over.
Al Michaels and John Madden were speechless. By bypassing the field goal, Holmgren put the game in the hands of one play as opposed to giving his team a fighting chance. As Martin Riggs once said, I don’t make things complicated, sometimes things get complicated all by themselves.
Now let’s take a look back at Week 6 and a look ahead to Week 7.
Is it Week 7 already? Wow.
This just in: David Carr stinks as an NFL quarterback. OK, that isn’t breaking news but anybody who saw what Vinny Testaverde did against the Cardinals has to come to the conclusion that if a 300-year-old guy can play quarterback better than you can, it’s time to find another line of work.
And on behalf of Steve Smith owners everywhere, let me say to Vinny:
THANK YOU.
Speaking of the Panthers-Cardinals game, with Vinny starting and Tim Rattay taking over for the injured Kurt Warner, that meant both teams were using QBs they had signed the week before. I’ll say it again – I’ve never seen a season this bizarre before.
Welcome back Larry Johnson.
Maybe Brad Childress learned a few things about how to use his best offensive weapon during the bye week. He unleashed Adrian Peterson to the tune of 21 touches against the Bears and … well … you saw the result. The Bears won’t be forgetting that wave of destruction anytime soon.
If the Bengals don’t get Rudi Johnson healthy real soon they might as well bag this season and start prepping for 2008. Kenny Watson has done OK but he lacks Rudi’s talent and the Bengals badly miss the balance Rudi brings to the offense.
Remember in Week 1 when the Titans ran all over the Jaguars’ vaunted run defense? Five games later and it’s safe to say that was a fluke. Nobody runs on the Jags.
Nobody runs on the Titans either. They aren’t getting a lot of attention because their offense has so many issues but that’s a darn good defense in Tennessee.
Tuesday was trade your former Badgers day in the NFL. First, Michael Bennett got dealt to Tampa Bay and then Chris Chambers got traded to San Diego. Somehow, Brooks Bollinger was spared.
Speaking of Chambers, the Chargers overpaid to get him but he's going to bring a legit WR to the passing game and a third dynamic threat to the offense. Somewhere, Philip Rivers is smiling.
Meanwhile in Miami, the Dolphins have basically said by trading their second-best offensive player they are waving the white flag on this season and prepping for 2008. That ought to build fan enthusiasm. And that sound you hear are the Ted Ginn Jr. and John Beck engines revving up.
I’m a big Matt Schaub fan but at some point he’s got to get the ball into the end zone.
Santana Moss played terribly against the Packers and promptly benched himself. Has that ever happened in an NFL game before? Who’s the head coach there?
The Patriots are scary good. Yes, I realize this isn’t a new development but it’s frightening to think they could be down to their third-string RB and still steamroll over everyone. And to top it off, their defense is only going to get better.
Shaun Alexander reminds me of Eddie George in his final year with the Titans. George didn’t just hit the wall; he smashed into it and became about as worthless as you could get as a starting RB. Alexander’s game is tailing off in much the same way. He just looks old, sluggish and uninspired. If you can move him for decent value, I’d do it.
Sometimes LaDainian Tomlinson makes it look so easy it’s scary.
So that’s all Drew Brees needed – a lead.
I agree with John Madden. When Reggie Bush is touching the ball on nearly every play to start the game it makes sense for defenses to key on him. At least a little. Or you can do what Seattle did in the first half – play him straight up. That sure was a good idea.
Anybody else notice it’s Week 7 and the Browns are in serious contention for a division title?
I’ve said before that Braylon Edwards has a lot of Randy Moss in him – good and bad. Right now we’re seeing the good. And it’s real, real good.
David Garrard isn’t doing all that much from a fantasy perspective but he’s quietly playing well as the Jags’ starting QB. I don’t think he’s more than a decent QB2 from a fantasy perspective but he’s growing on me as an NFL starter.
And lastly, Harry Callahan once said that a man’s got to know his limitations, and I know mine. The Stone Cold Lock of the Week seemed like a good idea when the season began and it was fun after Week 1. But it’s clear my talents do not extend to the gambling arena – at least not on a consistent NFL basis. A smart man knows when he’s been beaten and I’ve been beaten. So I’m retiring the Stone Cold Lock Pick of the Week. Maybe I’ll revisit it later in the season; maybe not. We’ll see. But for now …
Sayonara.
But sometimes, I think NFL head coaches make the game more complicated than it needs to be. Example:
The Seahawks are down by 11 with 1:52 left to play in their game with New Orleans on Sunday Night. Simple math says at some point Seattle will need a field goal to tie. They have fourth-and-nine at the New Orleans 14 so what does head coach Mike Holmgren do?
Kick the field goal, right?
Nope, he goes for it. And fails badly. Game over.
Al Michaels and John Madden were speechless. By bypassing the field goal, Holmgren put the game in the hands of one play as opposed to giving his team a fighting chance. As Martin Riggs once said, I don’t make things complicated, sometimes things get complicated all by themselves.
Now let’s take a look back at Week 6 and a look ahead to Week 7.
Is it Week 7 already? Wow.
This just in: David Carr stinks as an NFL quarterback. OK, that isn’t breaking news but anybody who saw what Vinny Testaverde did against the Cardinals has to come to the conclusion that if a 300-year-old guy can play quarterback better than you can, it’s time to find another line of work.
And on behalf of Steve Smith owners everywhere, let me say to Vinny:
THANK YOU.
Speaking of the Panthers-Cardinals game, with Vinny starting and Tim Rattay taking over for the injured Kurt Warner, that meant both teams were using QBs they had signed the week before. I’ll say it again – I’ve never seen a season this bizarre before.
Welcome back Larry Johnson.
Maybe Brad Childress learned a few things about how to use his best offensive weapon during the bye week. He unleashed Adrian Peterson to the tune of 21 touches against the Bears and … well … you saw the result. The Bears won’t be forgetting that wave of destruction anytime soon.
If the Bengals don’t get Rudi Johnson healthy real soon they might as well bag this season and start prepping for 2008. Kenny Watson has done OK but he lacks Rudi’s talent and the Bengals badly miss the balance Rudi brings to the offense.
Remember in Week 1 when the Titans ran all over the Jaguars’ vaunted run defense? Five games later and it’s safe to say that was a fluke. Nobody runs on the Jags.
Nobody runs on the Titans either. They aren’t getting a lot of attention because their offense has so many issues but that’s a darn good defense in Tennessee.
Tuesday was trade your former Badgers day in the NFL. First, Michael Bennett got dealt to Tampa Bay and then Chris Chambers got traded to San Diego. Somehow, Brooks Bollinger was spared.
Speaking of Chambers, the Chargers overpaid to get him but he's going to bring a legit WR to the passing game and a third dynamic threat to the offense. Somewhere, Philip Rivers is smiling.
Meanwhile in Miami, the Dolphins have basically said by trading their second-best offensive player they are waving the white flag on this season and prepping for 2008. That ought to build fan enthusiasm. And that sound you hear are the Ted Ginn Jr. and John Beck engines revving up.
I’m a big Matt Schaub fan but at some point he’s got to get the ball into the end zone.
Santana Moss played terribly against the Packers and promptly benched himself. Has that ever happened in an NFL game before? Who’s the head coach there?
The Patriots are scary good. Yes, I realize this isn’t a new development but it’s frightening to think they could be down to their third-string RB and still steamroll over everyone. And to top it off, their defense is only going to get better.
Shaun Alexander reminds me of Eddie George in his final year with the Titans. George didn’t just hit the wall; he smashed into it and became about as worthless as you could get as a starting RB. Alexander’s game is tailing off in much the same way. He just looks old, sluggish and uninspired. If you can move him for decent value, I’d do it.
Sometimes LaDainian Tomlinson makes it look so easy it’s scary.
So that’s all Drew Brees needed – a lead.
I agree with John Madden. When Reggie Bush is touching the ball on nearly every play to start the game it makes sense for defenses to key on him. At least a little. Or you can do what Seattle did in the first half – play him straight up. That sure was a good idea.
Anybody else notice it’s Week 7 and the Browns are in serious contention for a division title?
I’ve said before that Braylon Edwards has a lot of Randy Moss in him – good and bad. Right now we’re seeing the good. And it’s real, real good.
David Garrard isn’t doing all that much from a fantasy perspective but he’s quietly playing well as the Jags’ starting QB. I don’t think he’s more than a decent QB2 from a fantasy perspective but he’s growing on me as an NFL starter.
And lastly, Harry Callahan once said that a man’s got to know his limitations, and I know mine. The Stone Cold Lock of the Week seemed like a good idea when the season began and it was fun after Week 1. But it’s clear my talents do not extend to the gambling arena – at least not on a consistent NFL basis. A smart man knows when he’s been beaten and I’ve been beaten. So I’m retiring the Stone Cold Lock Pick of the Week. Maybe I’ll revisit it later in the season; maybe not. We’ll see. But for now …
Sayonara.