With the NFL approaching the final quarter of the 2013 regular season, the playoff picture is gradually coming into focus. The Minnesota Vikings have yet to be eliminated from playoff contention but their chances are beyond bleak. The Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, and Seattle Seahawks can clinch playoff spots with this week's games. The Broncos visit the Chiefs. The winner of the game can clinch if a couple of other games fall their way. The Seahawks can clinch with a win over the New Orleans Saints on Monday night and a loss by either the San Francisco 49ers or Arizona Cardinals. It's amazing that the teams with the four best records in the league are playing each other this weekend. The 9-2 Broncos vs. 9-2 Chiefs. The 9-2 Saints vs. 10-1 Seahawks. It's almost like the playoffs are starting a month early.
Here's how the playoffs look as we look forward to this weekend's games.
AFC
The division leaders are pretty comfortable right now.
Denver and Kansas City in the West. They have a four game lead.
Indianapolis has a two game lead in the South.
Cincinnati has a 1.5 game lead in the North.
New England has a three game lead in the East.
If those five teams can keep their leads, that leaves as many as eight teams fighting for the final playoff spot.
Baltimore Ravens 6-6
Tennessee Titans 5-6
San Diego Chargers 5-6
New York Jets 5-6
Miami Dolphins 5-6
Long shots, but still in play:
Pittsburgh Steelers 5-7
Cleveland Browns 4-7
Buffalo Bills 4-7
I think that it comes down to a battle between the Chargers and Ravens. Each has some difficult games in the final quarter of the season. Ravens host Minnesota (it doesn't get more difficult!), at Detroit, host New England, and at Cincinnati. The Chargers host Cincinnati tomorrow, host New York Giants, at Denver, host Oakland, and host Kansas City. It's fortunate, and unusual, for the Chargers to have four home games in their final five. I pick the Ravens to grab that sixth playoff spot.
NFC
The Seahawks, Saints, and Carolina Panthers are pretty much in the playoffs.
The winner of the Saints-Seahawks game on Monday night will have the edge for home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. The Saints and Panthers play twice in the final four weeks. If one should sweep those games, there's your NFC South champ. The other should be a Wild Card team.
The Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, and Arizona Cardinals control their playoff fates. The Lions lead and control the NFC North. The Chicago Bears are right there at a half game back but the Lions own the tie-breaker. The Cowboys have a half game lead over the Eagles. Their matchup on the final weekend of the season could decide the division. The 49ers or Cardinals could catch the Seahawks in the NFC West but that's a real long shot. The 49ers are finally starting to play closer to their talent. They get Michael Crabtree back this week or soon. They could take off now and do some real damage in the playoffs as a Wild Card team. The Cardinals are playing as well as any team right now. They have a terrific young defense. Tomorrow's Cardinals-Eagles game is one of the more intriguing on a weekend that includes Broncos-Chiefs and Saints-Seahawks. The Chicago Bears need some help. The loss of quarterback Aaron Rodgers for at least a month has turned the Green Bay Packers into a long shot. The St. Louis Rams are starting to play well but they are looking up at the 49ers, Cardinals, and Seahawks in their division. I like the Seahawks, Saints, Lions, and Cowboys to win their divisions and the 49ers and Panthers to earn the Wild Card bids. That would leave the hot Cardinals and Eagles out in the cold.
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Friday, November 29, 2013
Jaguars Coaches
I thought that Mike Mularkey got something of a raw deal when the Jacksonville Jaguars only gave him one year as their head coach. His 2-14 record in 2012 wasn't a great start but the first year with a new coach is often a rough one. Key injuries in Jacksonville helped make things difficult. Mularkey had two years remaining on his contract. He had great success as an offensive coordinator with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Atlanta Falcons. He was handed the handle of "Inspector Gadget" for his innovative play calls while with Pittsburgh. Mularkey has been one of the more creative offensive minds of the past decade. Shad Kahn bought the Jaguars during the 2011 season. Following that season he hired Mike Mularkey as his first head coach. That 2-14 season in 2012 prompted Kahn to start fresh with new team leadership. He fired General Manager Gene Smith and gave the keys of the franchise to Atlanta Falcons Director of Player Personnel Dave Caldwell. Caldwell decided it best to start fresh. He let Mularkey go as the Jaguars head coach nearly one year to the day after he was hired. Interestingly, Caldwell and Mularkey had worked together for four years with the Falcons.
Despite thinking that Mike Mularkey got a raw deal having only a single season to prove himself, I think that Dave Caldwell made a terrific hire when he brought in Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Gus Bradley to lead the Jacksonville Jaguars. I really only knew Bradley from his defenses in Seattle. There was no doubt that he knew that side of the ball with the rapid rise of the Seahawks defense. Bradley started his NFL coaching career in 2006 as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebackers coach. There he had the opportunity to work with and learn from Monte Kiffin. The longtime defensive coach was impressed with this young football coach. Kiffin shared his opinion of Bradley with his recommendation to new Seahawks coach Jim Mora in 2009:
"J.L (Mora), listen to me. I have got a guy here in Tampa that is one of, if not, the finest football coaches I have ever worked with. He's an A-plus. He's a once-in-a-lifetime football coach. You need to talk to him."
-Monte Kiffin
Mora took Kiffin's advice and brought Bradley in for a talk. 15 hours of football talk later, Mora decided that he had found his defensive coordinator. Like Mularkey, Mora was only given one season. Seattle dumped him when Pete Carroll bolted the mess that he helped create at USC. Carroll brought in many of his own coaches but Gus Bradley stayed as the defensive coordinator in Seattle. Carroll obviously saw what Kiffin and Mora had come to know. Bradley is an excellent football coach. It took two more years before some fortunate team got themselves a fantastic head football coach. The Jacksonville Jaguars were that fortunate team.
I still think that unless it's a complete disaster a head coach deserves more than one year to get things going. Despite that, I can understand why Dave Caldwell thought it best to bring in a coach of his choosing rather than keep the coach that he inherited. When that coach turned out to be Gus Bradley I understand it even more. The more I hear about and from Bradley the more impressed I become. His players love playing for him. That's often the biggest hurdle with a rookie head coach. His work in Tampa Bay and Seattle definitely shows that he knows the defensive side of the ball. Kiffin was obviously impressed. So was Mora. So was Carroll. Finally, so was Caldwell. Bradley was a guest on Peter King's podcast this week. He simply sounds like a great guy. At the end of the conversation, he thanked King for the interest. I mean, who does that? What NFL head coach does that? I like Gus Bradley. I wish him well.
I still feel bad for Mike Mularkey but football can be a brutal business.
Despite thinking that Mike Mularkey got a raw deal having only a single season to prove himself, I think that Dave Caldwell made a terrific hire when he brought in Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Gus Bradley to lead the Jacksonville Jaguars. I really only knew Bradley from his defenses in Seattle. There was no doubt that he knew that side of the ball with the rapid rise of the Seahawks defense. Bradley started his NFL coaching career in 2006 as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebackers coach. There he had the opportunity to work with and learn from Monte Kiffin. The longtime defensive coach was impressed with this young football coach. Kiffin shared his opinion of Bradley with his recommendation to new Seahawks coach Jim Mora in 2009:
"J.L (Mora), listen to me. I have got a guy here in Tampa that is one of, if not, the finest football coaches I have ever worked with. He's an A-plus. He's a once-in-a-lifetime football coach. You need to talk to him."
-Monte Kiffin
Mora took Kiffin's advice and brought Bradley in for a talk. 15 hours of football talk later, Mora decided that he had found his defensive coordinator. Like Mularkey, Mora was only given one season. Seattle dumped him when Pete Carroll bolted the mess that he helped create at USC. Carroll brought in many of his own coaches but Gus Bradley stayed as the defensive coordinator in Seattle. Carroll obviously saw what Kiffin and Mora had come to know. Bradley is an excellent football coach. It took two more years before some fortunate team got themselves a fantastic head football coach. The Jacksonville Jaguars were that fortunate team.
I still think that unless it's a complete disaster a head coach deserves more than one year to get things going. Despite that, I can understand why Dave Caldwell thought it best to bring in a coach of his choosing rather than keep the coach that he inherited. When that coach turned out to be Gus Bradley I understand it even more. The more I hear about and from Bradley the more impressed I become. His players love playing for him. That's often the biggest hurdle with a rookie head coach. His work in Tampa Bay and Seattle definitely shows that he knows the defensive side of the ball. Kiffin was obviously impressed. So was Mora. So was Carroll. Finally, so was Caldwell. Bradley was a guest on Peter King's podcast this week. He simply sounds like a great guy. At the end of the conversation, he thanked King for the interest. I mean, who does that? What NFL head coach does that? I like Gus Bradley. I wish him well.
I still feel bad for Mike Mularkey but football can be a brutal business.
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Throwback Thursday: No Pass
I love the "Fact or Fiction?" nuggets that the Pro Football Hall of Fame routinely presents. A recent one asked if a team has gone an entire game without attempting a pass. With the dominance of the passing game today it's difficult to imagine a day when the run was the preferred manner in which to advance the football. It is, of course, a fact that a team has played an entire NFL game without attempting a single pass. I was actually a little surprised that it's only happened on five occasions. The most recent was more than six decades ago but it was a significant statement.
The Cleveland Browns joined the NFL in 1950 after four dominating seasons in the rival All-America Football Conference. The NFL has had a storied history of frowning on the football accomplishments made in other leagues. They certainly brushed aside this strong Browns team. The Philadelphia Eagles were two-time defending NFL champions in 1950. Some were even so bold as to consider this Eagles team the best in league history. The Browns first NFL game was against this Eagles team. Paul Brown's Browns were playing an innovative kind of football. The Eagles, and the NFL, assumed that this offense couldn't compete with the brutes of the NFL. The Browns took apart the Eagles in that season-opening game, 35-10. Quarterback Otto Graham threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns as the Browns announced their presence with authority. For whatever reason, pride?, the win was somewhat discredited by the Eagles and others in the NFL. As the 1950 season winded down, the Browns and Eagles played again. Paul Brown made an even greater statement in the rematch. He'd already shown that his team could beat the Eagles through the air. He wanted to show that he could beat the Eagles on the ground. A big storm hit Cleveland and the steady rain made for a muddy field. This only encouraged the decision to run the ball. The Browns beat the Eagles in the rematch, 13-7, without officially throwing a pass. Graham had completed a 10-yard pass but the play was negated by a man in motion penalty. The Browns were for real. Incredibly, they played in the NFL Championship game from 1950-55, winning in '50, '54, and '55.
Here are the other four games in which a team never attempted a pass.
On Oct. 8, 1933, the Green Bay Packers shutout the visiting Portsmouth Spartans (today's Detroit Lions) 17-0. Weather made handling the ball difficult. The Packers two touchdowns were set up by a blocked punt and an interception. The Packers did put the ball in the air once but that was for the PAT after a fourth quarter touchdown run.
On Sep. 10, 1937, the Detroit Lions didn't throw a pass in a 28-0 defeat of the Cleveland Rams, who were making their NFL debut. Half of the Lions points came off of defensive scores.
On Nov. 16, 1941, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Brooklyn Dodgers 14-7. A newspaper account of the game described the Steelers' no pass attempts in the game as "almost gridiron heresy in the wide-open pro game." Can you imagine what people would say if a team threw no passes in a game today?
On Nov. 13, 1949, a muddy field again encouraged a team to abandon the pass. The Pittsburgh Steelers were an extreme underdog to the Los Angeles Rams on this day. The Steelers threw no passes. A late Rams touchdown prevented a very embarrassing loss. Instead they had a somewhat embarrassing 7-7 tie.
You can never say never in the NFL but it's real difficult to imagine a team going an entire game without throwing the football. Weather could force a team to abandon the run. Usually, it's rain, snow and/or mud. Sometimes it's fog. In the late '80s, the Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears played in fog so thick that seeing anything beyond five yards was nearly impossible. Even these adverse playing conditions have yet to prevent a team from throwing a pass since the 1940s. Injuries could force a team to a run-only offense. Like Paul Brown's statement game in the 1950 rematch with the Eagles, I wouldn't be too surprised if a coach like Bill Belichick went into a game with a similar statement in mind. Until we see otherwise, no passes is a thing of the past.
The Cleveland Browns joined the NFL in 1950 after four dominating seasons in the rival All-America Football Conference. The NFL has had a storied history of frowning on the football accomplishments made in other leagues. They certainly brushed aside this strong Browns team. The Philadelphia Eagles were two-time defending NFL champions in 1950. Some were even so bold as to consider this Eagles team the best in league history. The Browns first NFL game was against this Eagles team. Paul Brown's Browns were playing an innovative kind of football. The Eagles, and the NFL, assumed that this offense couldn't compete with the brutes of the NFL. The Browns took apart the Eagles in that season-opening game, 35-10. Quarterback Otto Graham threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns as the Browns announced their presence with authority. For whatever reason, pride?, the win was somewhat discredited by the Eagles and others in the NFL. As the 1950 season winded down, the Browns and Eagles played again. Paul Brown made an even greater statement in the rematch. He'd already shown that his team could beat the Eagles through the air. He wanted to show that he could beat the Eagles on the ground. A big storm hit Cleveland and the steady rain made for a muddy field. This only encouraged the decision to run the ball. The Browns beat the Eagles in the rematch, 13-7, without officially throwing a pass. Graham had completed a 10-yard pass but the play was negated by a man in motion penalty. The Browns were for real. Incredibly, they played in the NFL Championship game from 1950-55, winning in '50, '54, and '55.
Here are the other four games in which a team never attempted a pass.
On Oct. 8, 1933, the Green Bay Packers shutout the visiting Portsmouth Spartans (today's Detroit Lions) 17-0. Weather made handling the ball difficult. The Packers two touchdowns were set up by a blocked punt and an interception. The Packers did put the ball in the air once but that was for the PAT after a fourth quarter touchdown run.
On Sep. 10, 1937, the Detroit Lions didn't throw a pass in a 28-0 defeat of the Cleveland Rams, who were making their NFL debut. Half of the Lions points came off of defensive scores.
On Nov. 16, 1941, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Brooklyn Dodgers 14-7. A newspaper account of the game described the Steelers' no pass attempts in the game as "almost gridiron heresy in the wide-open pro game." Can you imagine what people would say if a team threw no passes in a game today?
On Nov. 13, 1949, a muddy field again encouraged a team to abandon the pass. The Pittsburgh Steelers were an extreme underdog to the Los Angeles Rams on this day. The Steelers threw no passes. A late Rams touchdown prevented a very embarrassing loss. Instead they had a somewhat embarrassing 7-7 tie.
You can never say never in the NFL but it's real difficult to imagine a team going an entire game without throwing the football. Weather could force a team to abandon the run. Usually, it's rain, snow and/or mud. Sometimes it's fog. In the late '80s, the Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears played in fog so thick that seeing anything beyond five yards was nearly impossible. Even these adverse playing conditions have yet to prevent a team from throwing a pass since the 1940s. Injuries could force a team to a run-only offense. Like Paul Brown's statement game in the 1950 rematch with the Eagles, I wouldn't be too surprised if a coach like Bill Belichick went into a game with a similar statement in mind. Until we see otherwise, no passes is a thing of the past.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Recent Woes
One of the fortunate aspects of being a fan of the Minnesota Vikings since the early 1970s is the consistent success of the team. Except for the unfortunate absence of a Lombardi Trophy, the '70s were a fantastic decade to be a fan of the Vikings. Granted, no Super Bowl victory is a pretty big exception. The worst thing about the '80s was 1984. I still think that Les Steckel's single season was the worst season in my time as a Vikings fan. The 3-13 record of 2011 may have matched it but 1984 was far worse. The Vikings had to bring back Bud Grant to get past that disaster of a season. The 1987 season, especially the incredible playoff run, was the best of the decade. The '90s were great because the team was in the playoffs every year. They didn't do much in the playoffs but there was always a thrill in being part of the postseason party. 1998 should have been the year that the Vikings finally won it all. That team was fantastic. Like the '70s, it didn't happen.
The new century hasn't been so kind. The Vikings made it to the NFC Championship game following the 2000 season. They faced the New York Giants in that game. It was tragic. The Giants simply took apart the Vikings 41-0. Since that day the Vikings have done this:
2001 5-11
2002 6-10
2003 9-7
2004 8-8
2005 9-7
2006 6-10
2007 8-8
2008 10-6
2009 12-4
2010 6-10
2011 3-13
2012 10-6
With Sunday's tie against the Green Bay Packers. the Vikings have assured themselves of their sixth losing season since 2001. The Vikings had five losing seasons in the previous three decades. They haven't seen concentrated losing like this since their early years in the league. The Vikings had four head coaches from 1961-99. Five if you count Les Steckel and his single year. I tend to ignore that single year. Since 2000, the Vikings have had four head coaches. Brad Childress' run from 2006-10 was the most promising time. The two-win gain each season had fans thrilled with the prospect of an undefeated season by 2011. The 2009 season brought back memories of 1998 and the glorious '70s. That team was fantastic. There should have been a Super Bowl. It didn't happen and everything exploded in 2010. There was no 16-0 team in 2011 because Childress didn't make it through 2010. This stretch of losing since we hit the 2000s just doesn't feel like Minnesota Vikings football. I'm certainly not used to it. I don't ever want to get used to it. This 2013 Vikings team has been a puzzle. They've had pathetic performances against the Carolina Panthers, New York Giants, and Green Bay Packers but they've been competitive in nearly all of their games. They were even in the game against the Seattle Seahawks until the offense imploded in the fourth quarter and it got out of hand. The Vikings are about three minutes away from being 6-5 and part of the NFC North division race. If they'd simply held late fourth quarter leads, this is a different season. I'd be talking about a feisty football team rather than thinking about all the recent losing seasons. It's easy to forget past losing when your team is fighting for something this season.
The Vikings have some nice talent on this roster. The past couple of drafts have been excellent. Much of that nice talent is now young talent. That may brighten the future but there's growing pains now. Of course, the often sad quarterback play is the biggest problem. It's actually been the biggest problem throughout all the recent woes. It's no surprise that Brett Favre's one brilliant year was the year, 2009, that was almost Super. The Vikings will get this losing behind them and they'll get back to their winning ways.
The new century hasn't been so kind. The Vikings made it to the NFC Championship game following the 2000 season. They faced the New York Giants in that game. It was tragic. The Giants simply took apart the Vikings 41-0. Since that day the Vikings have done this:
2001 5-11
2002 6-10
2003 9-7
2004 8-8
2005 9-7
2006 6-10
2007 8-8
2008 10-6
2009 12-4
2010 6-10
2011 3-13
2012 10-6
With Sunday's tie against the Green Bay Packers. the Vikings have assured themselves of their sixth losing season since 2001. The Vikings had five losing seasons in the previous three decades. They haven't seen concentrated losing like this since their early years in the league. The Vikings had four head coaches from 1961-99. Five if you count Les Steckel and his single year. I tend to ignore that single year. Since 2000, the Vikings have had four head coaches. Brad Childress' run from 2006-10 was the most promising time. The two-win gain each season had fans thrilled with the prospect of an undefeated season by 2011. The 2009 season brought back memories of 1998 and the glorious '70s. That team was fantastic. There should have been a Super Bowl. It didn't happen and everything exploded in 2010. There was no 16-0 team in 2011 because Childress didn't make it through 2010. This stretch of losing since we hit the 2000s just doesn't feel like Minnesota Vikings football. I'm certainly not used to it. I don't ever want to get used to it. This 2013 Vikings team has been a puzzle. They've had pathetic performances against the Carolina Panthers, New York Giants, and Green Bay Packers but they've been competitive in nearly all of their games. They were even in the game against the Seattle Seahawks until the offense imploded in the fourth quarter and it got out of hand. The Vikings are about three minutes away from being 6-5 and part of the NFC North division race. If they'd simply held late fourth quarter leads, this is a different season. I'd be talking about a feisty football team rather than thinking about all the recent losing seasons. It's easy to forget past losing when your team is fighting for something this season.
The Vikings have some nice talent on this roster. The past couple of drafts have been excellent. Much of that nice talent is now young talent. That may brighten the future but there's growing pains now. Of course, the often sad quarterback play is the biggest problem. It's actually been the biggest problem throughout all the recent woes. It's no surprise that Brett Favre's one brilliant year was the year, 2009, that was almost Super. The Vikings will get this losing behind them and they'll get back to their winning ways.
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Know Your Game
Donovan McNabb once stunned us all when he came out of a tie game in 2008 more than a little confused.
"I've never been in a tie. I never even knew it was in the rule book."
-Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb
After his Eagles played a scoreless overtime against the Cincinnati Bengals, McNabb was looking forward to leading his team on a game-winning drive in the second overtime. He learned that day that he only had that one overtime. The overtime rules were much more straightforward in 2008. Now, there are a couple of extra twists.
The Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers played to a 26-26 tie on Sunday. Like McNabb of five years ago, there were some confused Packers after the fifteen extra minutes.
"I thought we was gonna go to another overtime. I never knew."
-Packers tight end Andrew Quarless
Sounds familiar. The Vikings and Packers captains met at midfield after their teams completed four quarters of football tied at 23-23. Before the coin was tossed, the official clearly stated that only one overtime period will be played. Actually, I do have one problem with the NFL and their officials. Before the overtime coin toss, each official explains the rules differently. It's their chance at an open mike and they wing it with their own words. The league needs to get it together and have one set explanation of the rules. This variety that each official brings may add to the confusion that some players apparently have with the rules of their game.
While the league could better explain the supposedly complicated rules of overtime, this really is on the players. I can't believe that there are players that don't know some of the basic rules of the game that is their career. I realize that they just go out there and play football and let others take care of most of the logistics but there has to be some accountability. They should know basic stuff like yards to gain for a first down. The number of points for a touchdown. Whether they should let a kickoff bounce around on the ground. Whether they get more time to settle a tie. That's the kind of stuff might that be good to know. McNabb, as the quarterback, might have played that 2008 overtime a little different if he knew that it was his only shot.
"I've never been in a tie. I never even knew it was in the rule book."
-Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb
After his Eagles played a scoreless overtime against the Cincinnati Bengals, McNabb was looking forward to leading his team on a game-winning drive in the second overtime. He learned that day that he only had that one overtime. The overtime rules were much more straightforward in 2008. Now, there are a couple of extra twists.
The Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers played to a 26-26 tie on Sunday. Like McNabb of five years ago, there were some confused Packers after the fifteen extra minutes.
"I thought we was gonna go to another overtime. I never knew."
-Packers tight end Andrew Quarless
Sounds familiar. The Vikings and Packers captains met at midfield after their teams completed four quarters of football tied at 23-23. Before the coin was tossed, the official clearly stated that only one overtime period will be played. Actually, I do have one problem with the NFL and their officials. Before the overtime coin toss, each official explains the rules differently. It's their chance at an open mike and they wing it with their own words. The league needs to get it together and have one set explanation of the rules. This variety that each official brings may add to the confusion that some players apparently have with the rules of their game.
While the league could better explain the supposedly complicated rules of overtime, this really is on the players. I can't believe that there are players that don't know some of the basic rules of the game that is their career. I realize that they just go out there and play football and let others take care of most of the logistics but there has to be some accountability. They should know basic stuff like yards to gain for a first down. The number of points for a touchdown. Whether they should let a kickoff bounce around on the ground. Whether they get more time to settle a tie. That's the kind of stuff might that be good to know. McNabb, as the quarterback, might have played that 2008 overtime a little different if he knew that it was his only shot.
Monday, November 25, 2013
Week 12 Thoughts
A Tie!
The Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers played an extra quarter of football and still couldn't settle the score. 26-26 No one.
For the fourth time this season the Vikings have had a lead late in a game only to lose, and in this case to tie, the game. They keep those leads and they're 6-5 and in the thick of the NFC North race. Instead, the Vikings are 2-8-1 and in the race for the top pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.
It's strange to see the Packers take the field without Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers.
Scott Tolzien took the field for the Packers. Matt Flynn took the field for the Packers for their second possession of the third quarter. He led the Packers back into the game.
The Vikings were feeling pretty good about themselves when they took a 23-7 lead early at the beginning of the fourth quarter.
The Packers took a 7-0 lead on 6-yard touchdown run by Tolzien. Tolzien breaking the ankles of Vikings defensive tackle Letroy Guion with a spin move(!) was just sad. The Packers quarterback showed his athletic ability when his 6-inch vertical didn't get him close to a successful Lambeau Leap.
The Vikings defense has had a bunch of issues this but tackling has been, by far, the biggest.
Packers rookie running back Eddie Lacy took serious advantage of that poor tackling. Now, Lacy is looking better as the season moves along. He's a real challenge to get to the ground. The tackling has to be perfect. It wasn't and Lacy took advantage. The Packers really scored when they drafted the Alabama back in the second round. With a healthy Aaron Rodgers and Lacy running the way he's been running the Packers offense is scary. If they can get receiver Randall Cobb healthy, oh my.
Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder played another decent game. Completing 21 of 30 passes for 233 yards and a touchdown. He was three dropped passes away from having a very good game. Maybe, a great game. He threw a real nice deep pass to rookie receiver Cordarrelle Patterson in the fourth quarter. Patterson couldn't come down with the ball. It's a catch that should be made and needs to be made. In overtime, Ponder threw a pass to Patterson that would've/should've been a game-winning touchdown. It was tipped but Patterson can make that catch. He actually did catch the ball but the bobble took him out of the end zone. Instead of that game-winning touchdown pass the Vikings had to settle for a game-tying field goal. Later in overtime, Ponder threw a short pass to Greg Jennings that would've moved the chains. Jennings dropped the ball and the Vikings had to punt. Three passes away from a very good passing game and a win in Lambeau. This is perhaps the issue with Ponder. He has efficient passing games in a league that demands elite passing games. I think that the tools are there for him to creep closer to those elite passing games. He may not have them as often as many fans would like but with Adrian Peterson he doesn't have to. If he can avoid the mind-numbing mistakes that has truly plagued his 2+ years, I think that he can grow into a quarterback that can win in this league.
Adrian Peterson was a beast. Again. 32 carries for 146 yards and a touchdown. I sure do enjoy watching Peterson run. Vikings fans are truly blessed.
The Vikings finally gave Toby Gerhart some much deserved carries. Eight of them for 91 yards. It's tough to take Peterson off of the field but he does need a break on occasion. This game was a perfect example of what the Vikings can do when they convert some first downs. And, the defense can stop the opponents on a few third downs. They get more possessions and more plays. Peterson had 32 carries. Gerhart had eight. Ponder had thirty attempts. This game did go into overtime so there were some extra possessions. There should be carries out there for Gerhart. He ran great yesterday.
The first accepted penalty didn't occur until 3:47 was left in the first half. A false start call against the Packers.
The second penalty occurred about a minute later. It was a joke. Packers safety Morgan Burnett was called for a personal foul. Supposedly, he hit a defenseless Jerome Simpson. They bumped shoulders. It was about as violent as that. As a Vikings fan, the extra fifteen yards were nice. As a football fan, the flag should not have been thrown. The officials try to lean towards the safe side in their calls but some of these calls are simply ridiculous. The competition committee should make the targeting and hits on the quarterback calls reviewable.
Vikings rookie cornerback Xavier Rhodes played perhaps his best game. He had several terrific passes defensed. He had a leg injury or cramps in the second half. He returned to the game but seemed to play a little cautious or the coaches had him playing a little less aggressive. Rhodes is getting better each week. He may already be the Vikings top corner. His future is bright.
Opposite Rhodes, I wish that Chris Cook would stay healthy. When he's on the field he's effective. He's just not on it enough. People often bring up his lack of interceptions. He has zero in his three plus seasons. The interceptions will come. I'm more concerned about his ability to stay on the field. Cook is a free agent after this season. His inability to stay healthy should keep the cost to re-sign him down. I hope that the Vikings do. Cook and Rhodes could become one of the better young corner duos in the league.
Vikings receiver Cordarrelle Patterson has been fantastic as a kick returner. He leads the league in return average. He has two 100+-yard touchdown returns. He's a threat to run a great distance every single time that he touches the ball. He had his biggest presence of the season on offense yesterday. Eight catches for 54 yards. He was two dropped passes and a Ponder misfire from a huge game. Patterson is an electric football player. When his comfort in the offense catches up with his ability he'll be dynamite.
I've said it before and I'll say it for, at least, the next three weeks. The Vikings defense really misses safety Harrison Smith.
Ponder's touchdown pass went to second-year tight end Rhett Ellison. It was great to see. Ellison is one of those football players that does a lot of everything. He plays on all of the special team units. He blocks on the line. He blocks in the backfield. He catches some passes. He converts some first downs. He gets little attention but he's such an important part of so many aspects of the game for the Vikings. It was great to see him get that score.
"Ice up, son! Ice up."-Carolina Panthers receiver Steve Smith
The battle between Smith and New England Patriots corner Aqib Talib last Monday night was a game within the game. All games with Smith get a little feisty. Smith and Talib just got nasty with each other. For whatever reason, Talib thought that it would be a good idea to provoke Smith. It doesn't take much with the little receiver and Talib certainly went past it. Talib didn't finish the game. This prompted Smith's classic advice to "Ice up..."
Clips of a mic'ed up Richard Sherman against the Vikings last week have been popping up all over. It's funny that a player that never shuts up went very quiet when Vikings receiver Jarius Wright took him apart on a 38-yard touchdown.
The Seahawks defense leads the league in pass interference penalties. The defensive backs may also lead the league in suspensions with Walter Thurmond's recent 4-game hit.
I was stunned by the Arizona Cardinals 40-11 beat down of the Indianapolis Colts. The Cardinals have been playing great football recently and it's no fluke. I just didn't expect this. The Colts are still in good shape in their division but they are going through quite a rocky stretch. Slow starts in games are killing them.
Those Tampa Bay Buccaneers aren't so shitty.
The Denver Broncos-New England Patriots game was a tale of two halves. The Broncos took the first 24-0. The Patriots took the second 31-7.
The Patriots might have entered the game at 7-3 but quarterback Tom Brady wasn't having anything close to his best season. He saved his best game for last night.
Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning had his worst game. 150 yards on 36 attempts. That can't be a Peyton Manning stat line.
The Broncos' early defensive impact and a surprising emphasis on the run might have kept Manning from getting warm and comfortable in this game. I can't recall ever seeing him with only fourteen first half passes.
Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno's monster game might have keyed the dedication to the run. 37 carries for 224 yards! He seemed to have some pep.
The San Francisco 49ers came into this season among the top four or five teams in the league. It's a surprise now to see them in a struggle to keep up with the Arizona Cardinals.
The Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers played an extra quarter of football and still couldn't settle the score. 26-26 No one.
For the fourth time this season the Vikings have had a lead late in a game only to lose, and in this case to tie, the game. They keep those leads and they're 6-5 and in the thick of the NFC North race. Instead, the Vikings are 2-8-1 and in the race for the top pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.
It's strange to see the Packers take the field without Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers.
Scott Tolzien took the field for the Packers. Matt Flynn took the field for the Packers for their second possession of the third quarter. He led the Packers back into the game.
The Vikings were feeling pretty good about themselves when they took a 23-7 lead early at the beginning of the fourth quarter.
The Packers took a 7-0 lead on 6-yard touchdown run by Tolzien. Tolzien breaking the ankles of Vikings defensive tackle Letroy Guion with a spin move(!) was just sad. The Packers quarterback showed his athletic ability when his 6-inch vertical didn't get him close to a successful Lambeau Leap.
The Vikings defense has had a bunch of issues this but tackling has been, by far, the biggest.
Packers rookie running back Eddie Lacy took serious advantage of that poor tackling. Now, Lacy is looking better as the season moves along. He's a real challenge to get to the ground. The tackling has to be perfect. It wasn't and Lacy took advantage. The Packers really scored when they drafted the Alabama back in the second round. With a healthy Aaron Rodgers and Lacy running the way he's been running the Packers offense is scary. If they can get receiver Randall Cobb healthy, oh my.
Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder played another decent game. Completing 21 of 30 passes for 233 yards and a touchdown. He was three dropped passes away from having a very good game. Maybe, a great game. He threw a real nice deep pass to rookie receiver Cordarrelle Patterson in the fourth quarter. Patterson couldn't come down with the ball. It's a catch that should be made and needs to be made. In overtime, Ponder threw a pass to Patterson that would've/should've been a game-winning touchdown. It was tipped but Patterson can make that catch. He actually did catch the ball but the bobble took him out of the end zone. Instead of that game-winning touchdown pass the Vikings had to settle for a game-tying field goal. Later in overtime, Ponder threw a short pass to Greg Jennings that would've moved the chains. Jennings dropped the ball and the Vikings had to punt. Three passes away from a very good passing game and a win in Lambeau. This is perhaps the issue with Ponder. He has efficient passing games in a league that demands elite passing games. I think that the tools are there for him to creep closer to those elite passing games. He may not have them as often as many fans would like but with Adrian Peterson he doesn't have to. If he can avoid the mind-numbing mistakes that has truly plagued his 2+ years, I think that he can grow into a quarterback that can win in this league.
Adrian Peterson was a beast. Again. 32 carries for 146 yards and a touchdown. I sure do enjoy watching Peterson run. Vikings fans are truly blessed.
The Vikings finally gave Toby Gerhart some much deserved carries. Eight of them for 91 yards. It's tough to take Peterson off of the field but he does need a break on occasion. This game was a perfect example of what the Vikings can do when they convert some first downs. And, the defense can stop the opponents on a few third downs. They get more possessions and more plays. Peterson had 32 carries. Gerhart had eight. Ponder had thirty attempts. This game did go into overtime so there were some extra possessions. There should be carries out there for Gerhart. He ran great yesterday.
The first accepted penalty didn't occur until 3:47 was left in the first half. A false start call against the Packers.
The second penalty occurred about a minute later. It was a joke. Packers safety Morgan Burnett was called for a personal foul. Supposedly, he hit a defenseless Jerome Simpson. They bumped shoulders. It was about as violent as that. As a Vikings fan, the extra fifteen yards were nice. As a football fan, the flag should not have been thrown. The officials try to lean towards the safe side in their calls but some of these calls are simply ridiculous. The competition committee should make the targeting and hits on the quarterback calls reviewable.
Vikings rookie cornerback Xavier Rhodes played perhaps his best game. He had several terrific passes defensed. He had a leg injury or cramps in the second half. He returned to the game but seemed to play a little cautious or the coaches had him playing a little less aggressive. Rhodes is getting better each week. He may already be the Vikings top corner. His future is bright.
Opposite Rhodes, I wish that Chris Cook would stay healthy. When he's on the field he's effective. He's just not on it enough. People often bring up his lack of interceptions. He has zero in his three plus seasons. The interceptions will come. I'm more concerned about his ability to stay on the field. Cook is a free agent after this season. His inability to stay healthy should keep the cost to re-sign him down. I hope that the Vikings do. Cook and Rhodes could become one of the better young corner duos in the league.
Vikings receiver Cordarrelle Patterson has been fantastic as a kick returner. He leads the league in return average. He has two 100+-yard touchdown returns. He's a threat to run a great distance every single time that he touches the ball. He had his biggest presence of the season on offense yesterday. Eight catches for 54 yards. He was two dropped passes and a Ponder misfire from a huge game. Patterson is an electric football player. When his comfort in the offense catches up with his ability he'll be dynamite.
I've said it before and I'll say it for, at least, the next three weeks. The Vikings defense really misses safety Harrison Smith.
Ponder's touchdown pass went to second-year tight end Rhett Ellison. It was great to see. Ellison is one of those football players that does a lot of everything. He plays on all of the special team units. He blocks on the line. He blocks in the backfield. He catches some passes. He converts some first downs. He gets little attention but he's such an important part of so many aspects of the game for the Vikings. It was great to see him get that score.
"Ice up, son! Ice up."-Carolina Panthers receiver Steve Smith
The battle between Smith and New England Patriots corner Aqib Talib last Monday night was a game within the game. All games with Smith get a little feisty. Smith and Talib just got nasty with each other. For whatever reason, Talib thought that it would be a good idea to provoke Smith. It doesn't take much with the little receiver and Talib certainly went past it. Talib didn't finish the game. This prompted Smith's classic advice to "Ice up..."
Clips of a mic'ed up Richard Sherman against the Vikings last week have been popping up all over. It's funny that a player that never shuts up went very quiet when Vikings receiver Jarius Wright took him apart on a 38-yard touchdown.
The Seahawks defense leads the league in pass interference penalties. The defensive backs may also lead the league in suspensions with Walter Thurmond's recent 4-game hit.
I was stunned by the Arizona Cardinals 40-11 beat down of the Indianapolis Colts. The Cardinals have been playing great football recently and it's no fluke. I just didn't expect this. The Colts are still in good shape in their division but they are going through quite a rocky stretch. Slow starts in games are killing them.
Those Tampa Bay Buccaneers aren't so shitty.
The Denver Broncos-New England Patriots game was a tale of two halves. The Broncos took the first 24-0. The Patriots took the second 31-7.
The Patriots might have entered the game at 7-3 but quarterback Tom Brady wasn't having anything close to his best season. He saved his best game for last night.
Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning had his worst game. 150 yards on 36 attempts. That can't be a Peyton Manning stat line.
The Broncos' early defensive impact and a surprising emphasis on the run might have kept Manning from getting warm and comfortable in this game. I can't recall ever seeing him with only fourteen first half passes.
Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno's monster game might have keyed the dedication to the run. 37 carries for 224 yards! He seemed to have some pep.
The San Francisco 49ers came into this season among the top four or five teams in the league. It's a surprise now to see them in a struggle to keep up with the Arizona Cardinals.
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Game Day Thoughts
Fifty years ago today, the NFL played their football games. It was only 48 hours after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Commissioner Pete Rozelle decided to play the games for all of the right reasons. Unfortunately, his decision was wrong.
Manning vs Brady! I always prefer these games to be viewed more like Denver vs. New England. Football is a team sport after all. But, players like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are the type of players that make football such a beautiful thing. Two of the greatest quarterbacks to ever fling the pea. Same field. Oh my.
Ponder vs Tolzien! Minnesota vs Green Bay! This is likely the first time since the 1970s that the Vikings might have the edge at quarterback.
Over the past decade the Vikings have shown an incredible knack for making backup quarterbacks look like legends. Chad Hutchinson and Chris Weinke sadly and quickly come to mind. The Vikings had better break this pattern or Scott Tolzien could be a star for a day.
The incredible skills of quarterbacks like Manning, Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Drew Brees make the drop off to their backups seem even greater. If the Broncos, Patriots, Packers, and Saints lose their starters they will flounder. Those quarterbacks aren't simply starters. They are elite, future first ballot Hall of Famers. The Packers are dealing with the drop from elite to backup now. They are a completely different team without Rodgers. The manner in which the Patriots responded to Matt Cassel in 2008 was incredible and rare. The value of these quarterbacks is the reason for all of the rules preventing pretty much any harassment of them.
The New York Giants and the Carolina Panthers haven't lost a game since taking the field against the Vikings. A combined 10-0. If the Vikings have done anything this year, it's an uncanny ability to make teams feel pretty good about themselves.
I haven't seen a lot of Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater but it looks like he does a nice job of getting the ball to his receivers where they can do something with it. He hits them in stride. He throws them open. I like that.
It looks like only quarterbacks are being considered for the Heisman this year. It's often their award to lose but there's usually a running back, receiver, or defensive player in there somewhere.
My Heisman vote doesn't count. It should but it doesn't. If it did count, it would be for Florida St. quarterback Jameis Winston.
Late season hiccups are always more damaging than those earlier. It's true in the Heisman race and in the BCS standings. It makes sense as the earlier those stumbles occur the more time that a team or a player has to make up for it. A loss is still a loss. Stanford's one real blemish this season is their loss to Utah. It seems forgotten now.
#1 Alabama played Tennessee-Chattanooga. #2 Florida St. played Idaho. There's absolutely no reason for these games to be scheduled in November.
Maybe Alabama and FSU were just trying to give their quarterbacks a Heisman boost in late November.
Georgia Southern defeated Florida, 26-20, without completing a single pass. They only attempted three. 429 yards rushing helps diminish the need to pass.
If I was an Arizona St. football player, I'd transfer as soon as those helmets were pulled from of the box.
116th Big Game! 8th most in college football history.
I didn't think that a 1-10 Cal season could get any worse but a 50-point loss to Stanford did just that. 63-13!
I really don't see how Stanford can have a player on their roster named Jeff Trojan. Come on!
Cal really did their very best to make Stanford receiver Ty Montgomery a superstar. It wasn't so much the four touchdowns that he scored before the game was sixteen minutes old. It was the total ease with which he scored those four touchdowns. Montgomery is a terrific football player but Cal barely put a hand on him.
Montgomery scored his fifth touchdown at the end of the first half. The five touchdowns were a Big Game record. Running backs Lindsay Chapman and Chuck Muncie of Cal and Toby Gerhart of Stanford held the previous record of four. Unlike Montgomery, they used the entire game.
Stanford set another record with 603 total yards.
Stanford linebacker Shayne Skov should have been ejected for his hit on Jared Goff in the second quarter. Launching and leading with the crown of the helmet are the criteria and there was zero doubt that he did both. This allowed Skov the opportunity to knock Goff out of the game later in the second quarter. That hit was clean.
Cal receiver Richard Rodgers turned Goff's last pass into a 62-yard gain. A Cal touchdown would have made this game a game again. Any momentum gained by the big play was lost with the injury to Goff. Zach Kline came in cold and Cal had to settle for a field goal. Stanford was thumping Cal pretty good before that. It was over after that.
Cal did a great job against Stanford's running backs. Until, Tyler Gaffney went 58 yards for a touchdown. Prior to that long scamper, the only running damage was done on a couple of reverses by the superstar, Ty Montgomery.
While Cal kept those backs in check, Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan was excellent. He's considered something of a game-manager. He looked like a quarterback and a thrower yesterday. 17 of 26 for 329 yards and five touchdowns. He left the game before the third quarter was done.
Speaking of Stanford's backs, I sure like hearing the name "Barry Sanders" again. Junior is returning punts as a redshirt freshman. I look forward to seeing him run with the ball in the coming years.
Stanford stepped into the Pac-12 Championship game with the Big Game win and Arizona's 42-16 slap down of Oregon. The Arizona players looked like they were all dipped in a vat of red paint.
Cal didn't do a lot of things right this year. 1-11 is fantastic proof of a lot of problems. The biggest issues, for me, were the offensive line and the entire defense. The offensive line was very inexperienced. The defense was simply destroyed by injuries. I've never seen anything like it. Cal was playing with 2nd, 3rd, and 4th string players at nearly every position. The good news is that the line gained a lot of painful experience and the defense has the entire offseason to get healthy.
Personally, this has been a brutal football season. Cal and the Minnesota Vikings have three combined wins in 2013. 3! 1984 was the worst that I've ever seen. The Vikings had three. Cal had two. The Vikings have six games to win three.
Manning vs Brady! I always prefer these games to be viewed more like Denver vs. New England. Football is a team sport after all. But, players like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are the type of players that make football such a beautiful thing. Two of the greatest quarterbacks to ever fling the pea. Same field. Oh my.
Ponder vs Tolzien! Minnesota vs Green Bay! This is likely the first time since the 1970s that the Vikings might have the edge at quarterback.
Over the past decade the Vikings have shown an incredible knack for making backup quarterbacks look like legends. Chad Hutchinson and Chris Weinke sadly and quickly come to mind. The Vikings had better break this pattern or Scott Tolzien could be a star for a day.
The incredible skills of quarterbacks like Manning, Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Drew Brees make the drop off to their backups seem even greater. If the Broncos, Patriots, Packers, and Saints lose their starters they will flounder. Those quarterbacks aren't simply starters. They are elite, future first ballot Hall of Famers. The Packers are dealing with the drop from elite to backup now. They are a completely different team without Rodgers. The manner in which the Patriots responded to Matt Cassel in 2008 was incredible and rare. The value of these quarterbacks is the reason for all of the rules preventing pretty much any harassment of them.
The New York Giants and the Carolina Panthers haven't lost a game since taking the field against the Vikings. A combined 10-0. If the Vikings have done anything this year, it's an uncanny ability to make teams feel pretty good about themselves.
I haven't seen a lot of Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater but it looks like he does a nice job of getting the ball to his receivers where they can do something with it. He hits them in stride. He throws them open. I like that.
It looks like only quarterbacks are being considered for the Heisman this year. It's often their award to lose but there's usually a running back, receiver, or defensive player in there somewhere.
My Heisman vote doesn't count. It should but it doesn't. If it did count, it would be for Florida St. quarterback Jameis Winston.
Late season hiccups are always more damaging than those earlier. It's true in the Heisman race and in the BCS standings. It makes sense as the earlier those stumbles occur the more time that a team or a player has to make up for it. A loss is still a loss. Stanford's one real blemish this season is their loss to Utah. It seems forgotten now.
#1 Alabama played Tennessee-Chattanooga. #2 Florida St. played Idaho. There's absolutely no reason for these games to be scheduled in November.
Maybe Alabama and FSU were just trying to give their quarterbacks a Heisman boost in late November.
Georgia Southern defeated Florida, 26-20, without completing a single pass. They only attempted three. 429 yards rushing helps diminish the need to pass.
If I was an Arizona St. football player, I'd transfer as soon as those helmets were pulled from of the box.
116th Big Game! 8th most in college football history.
I didn't think that a 1-10 Cal season could get any worse but a 50-point loss to Stanford did just that. 63-13!
I really don't see how Stanford can have a player on their roster named Jeff Trojan. Come on!
Cal really did their very best to make Stanford receiver Ty Montgomery a superstar. It wasn't so much the four touchdowns that he scored before the game was sixteen minutes old. It was the total ease with which he scored those four touchdowns. Montgomery is a terrific football player but Cal barely put a hand on him.
Montgomery scored his fifth touchdown at the end of the first half. The five touchdowns were a Big Game record. Running backs Lindsay Chapman and Chuck Muncie of Cal and Toby Gerhart of Stanford held the previous record of four. Unlike Montgomery, they used the entire game.
Stanford set another record with 603 total yards.
Stanford linebacker Shayne Skov should have been ejected for his hit on Jared Goff in the second quarter. Launching and leading with the crown of the helmet are the criteria and there was zero doubt that he did both. This allowed Skov the opportunity to knock Goff out of the game later in the second quarter. That hit was clean.
Cal receiver Richard Rodgers turned Goff's last pass into a 62-yard gain. A Cal touchdown would have made this game a game again. Any momentum gained by the big play was lost with the injury to Goff. Zach Kline came in cold and Cal had to settle for a field goal. Stanford was thumping Cal pretty good before that. It was over after that.
Cal did a great job against Stanford's running backs. Until, Tyler Gaffney went 58 yards for a touchdown. Prior to that long scamper, the only running damage was done on a couple of reverses by the superstar, Ty Montgomery.
While Cal kept those backs in check, Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan was excellent. He's considered something of a game-manager. He looked like a quarterback and a thrower yesterday. 17 of 26 for 329 yards and five touchdowns. He left the game before the third quarter was done.
Speaking of Stanford's backs, I sure like hearing the name "Barry Sanders" again. Junior is returning punts as a redshirt freshman. I look forward to seeing him run with the ball in the coming years.
Stanford stepped into the Pac-12 Championship game with the Big Game win and Arizona's 42-16 slap down of Oregon. The Arizona players looked like they were all dipped in a vat of red paint.
Cal didn't do a lot of things right this year. 1-11 is fantastic proof of a lot of problems. The biggest issues, for me, were the offensive line and the entire defense. The offensive line was very inexperienced. The defense was simply destroyed by injuries. I've never seen anything like it. Cal was playing with 2nd, 3rd, and 4th string players at nearly every position. The good news is that the line gained a lot of painful experience and the defense has the entire offseason to get healthy.
Personally, this has been a brutal football season. Cal and the Minnesota Vikings have three combined wins in 2013. 3! 1984 was the worst that I've ever seen. The Vikings had three. Cal had two. The Vikings have six games to win three.
Saturday, November 23, 2013
116th Big Game
Stanford is currently ranked as the #10 football team in the nation. Cal might be one of the ten worst football teams in the nation. On paper, Stanford is a 31 1/2-point favorite in the 116th Big Game. Some of the most memorable games of this remarkable rivalry have come in similar situations. No matter how superior one team is supposed to be, nothing is certain.
Stanford leads the all-time series, 58-46-11. The game has been decided by a touchdown or less 52 times. Only 70 points separate Stanford (1,899) and Cal (1,829). Incredible stuff for a series that started in 1892.
As a student at Cal, I saw one Big Game victory. One! The 1986 Big Game was a shocker. The decision to fire Cal head coach Joe Kapp had been made three weeks earlier. His team was 1-9. Stanford was 7-2 and Gator Bowl-bound. Sound familiar? Motivated to send their beloved coach out with a win, Cal stunned Stanford, 17-11. Kapp's first year as Cal's coach ended with "The Play" in 1982. His last year ended with one of the greatest upsets in the history of the rivalry.
Excluding this season, Cal fans have been spoiled in recent years. Jeff Tedford had an unprecedented run of football success. Certainly unprecedented by Berkeley standards. He was 7-4 against Stanford. He won his first five Big Games, 2002-06. A typical Tedford season included as many wins as I saw in my three years at Cal. The Tedford years changed the way that Cal fans felt about their football team. Through nearly all of the '80s and much of the '90s, a successful football season was one that included a win over Stanford. That was it. Cal could win one game all season. If that one win was against Stanford, all was peachy. That one big win didn't happen often. Stanford had a 14-5-1 record against Cal from 1981-2000. Most of those five wins were upsets. Stanford shocked Cal a couple of times. The most shocking came in 1991. Cal finished the season ranked #7 in the nation. They routed Clemson in the Citrus Bowl on New Year's Day. That 1991 Cal football team was one of the best in school history. They entered the Big Game with only one loss. That one loss was to eventual Nation Champion Washington and they nearly took that game. Stanford sent Cal to the Citrus Bowl with a second loss. Stanford probably kept Cal from a top-5 final season ranking. Cal can return that favor today.
There's always surprises in the Big Game. If today's game takes the unexpected path, it will be a greater upset than that of the 89th Big Game in 1986. You just never know when Cal and Stanford get together.
Go Bears!
Stanford leads the all-time series, 58-46-11. The game has been decided by a touchdown or less 52 times. Only 70 points separate Stanford (1,899) and Cal (1,829). Incredible stuff for a series that started in 1892.
As a student at Cal, I saw one Big Game victory. One! The 1986 Big Game was a shocker. The decision to fire Cal head coach Joe Kapp had been made three weeks earlier. His team was 1-9. Stanford was 7-2 and Gator Bowl-bound. Sound familiar? Motivated to send their beloved coach out with a win, Cal stunned Stanford, 17-11. Kapp's first year as Cal's coach ended with "The Play" in 1982. His last year ended with one of the greatest upsets in the history of the rivalry.
Excluding this season, Cal fans have been spoiled in recent years. Jeff Tedford had an unprecedented run of football success. Certainly unprecedented by Berkeley standards. He was 7-4 against Stanford. He won his first five Big Games, 2002-06. A typical Tedford season included as many wins as I saw in my three years at Cal. The Tedford years changed the way that Cal fans felt about their football team. Through nearly all of the '80s and much of the '90s, a successful football season was one that included a win over Stanford. That was it. Cal could win one game all season. If that one win was against Stanford, all was peachy. That one big win didn't happen often. Stanford had a 14-5-1 record against Cal from 1981-2000. Most of those five wins were upsets. Stanford shocked Cal a couple of times. The most shocking came in 1991. Cal finished the season ranked #7 in the nation. They routed Clemson in the Citrus Bowl on New Year's Day. That 1991 Cal football team was one of the best in school history. They entered the Big Game with only one loss. That one loss was to eventual Nation Champion Washington and they nearly took that game. Stanford sent Cal to the Citrus Bowl with a second loss. Stanford probably kept Cal from a top-5 final season ranking. Cal can return that favor today.
There's always surprises in the Big Game. If today's game takes the unexpected path, it will be a greater upset than that of the 89th Big Game in 1986. You just never know when Cal and Stanford get together.
Go Bears!
Friday, November 22, 2013
Welcome Back!
For the first time in nearly 16 months Minnesota Vikings receiver Greg Childs was on a football field practicing with his team. On August 4, 2012, Childs went up for a pass in the team's annual scrimmage. He came down awkwardly and knew right away. He had torn the patellar tendon in each of his knees. He had been through this before. He had torn the patellar tendon in his right knee while at Arkansas. A likely first round pick before the injury. He slid to the Vikings in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. While he played his final college season, he was still working to get back to where he was before the injury. After that 2012 training camp injury he was back to zero. Actually, he was even further back. No one has ever come back from patellar tendon tears in each knee and played in an NFL game. Childs never lost faith that he'd be the first.
"I'm going to eventually get on the playing field. I don't know when. It could be the end of the season or it could be the beginning of the next," Childs said. "But it's going to be one of the two."
Greg Childs has been a Vikings weight room fixture for the past year. Through the winter. Through the offseason. His focus and dedication has him on the brink of doing what has never been done.
"I'm excited for him," quarterback Christian Ponder said. "he's been working his butt off for a year now, over a year. I know he's excited to get out there. We'll see what he does. But just watching him run around, he looks good. He looks fast. He's in shape."
Childs showed his progress on Wednesday. Running, cutting, jumping, sprinting. He ran through routes with the receivers. Most importantly, he didn't suffer any setbacks after the workout.
"Basically I start with just practicing every day, doing more in practice every single day. Never going back but just adding more and more to my plate," Childs said.
Childs had been on the Physically Unable to Perform. Per league PUP rules, Childs had to be ready for practices this week. The Vikings informed the league that he was ready. The Vikings would then have 21 days for Childs to practice before they need to activate him, put him on season-ending injured reserve, or release him. That clock started on Monday.
The return of Greg Childs to the practice field is perhaps the best Vikings news in this very frustrating season. His return is certainly not complete. Only the games really count but Childs is on his way. At 6'3" and 217 lbs, he could provide the big, deep threat receiver that the Vikings have missed since Sidney Rice bolted for Seattle. He has unique skills. If he can return to the form that he showed before his injury in college, the Vikings would have a nice group of young receivers moving forward in Childs, Cordarrelle Patterson, and Childs' childhood friend and college teammate Jarius Wright.
Welcome back, Greg Childs.
"I'm going to eventually get on the playing field. I don't know when. It could be the end of the season or it could be the beginning of the next," Childs said. "But it's going to be one of the two."
Greg Childs has been a Vikings weight room fixture for the past year. Through the winter. Through the offseason. His focus and dedication has him on the brink of doing what has never been done.
"I'm excited for him," quarterback Christian Ponder said. "he's been working his butt off for a year now, over a year. I know he's excited to get out there. We'll see what he does. But just watching him run around, he looks good. He looks fast. He's in shape."
Childs showed his progress on Wednesday. Running, cutting, jumping, sprinting. He ran through routes with the receivers. Most importantly, he didn't suffer any setbacks after the workout.
"Basically I start with just practicing every day, doing more in practice every single day. Never going back but just adding more and more to my plate," Childs said.
Childs had been on the Physically Unable to Perform. Per league PUP rules, Childs had to be ready for practices this week. The Vikings informed the league that he was ready. The Vikings would then have 21 days for Childs to practice before they need to activate him, put him on season-ending injured reserve, or release him. That clock started on Monday.
The return of Greg Childs to the practice field is perhaps the best Vikings news in this very frustrating season. His return is certainly not complete. Only the games really count but Childs is on his way. At 6'3" and 217 lbs, he could provide the big, deep threat receiver that the Vikings have missed since Sidney Rice bolted for Seattle. He has unique skills. If he can return to the form that he showed before his injury in college, the Vikings would have a nice group of young receivers moving forward in Childs, Cordarrelle Patterson, and Childs' childhood friend and college teammate Jarius Wright.
Welcome back, Greg Childs.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Throwback Thursday: Play On
Fifty years ago tomorrow, President John F Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. It was one of the most tragic events in the history of this country. I didn't know the days before Kennedy was shot but I've experienced nearly every one since. I know that this country is a different place. How could it not be? Pete Rozelle was the 37-year old commissioner of the National Football League on November 22, 1963. He was in his fourth year on the job when he made the decision that he would forever regret. He decided that the NFL would play their games 48 hours after the President was killed.
While the games may have been 48 hours after the assassination, Rozelle had much less time to make his decision. He immediately sought the advice of his friend, White House Press Secretary Pierre Salinger. He had the advice of the White House and the Kennedy family. He sought the counsel of others in his own office. Rozelle didn't make the decision wildly. He did all that he could to make what he thought was the right decision for the country, the Kennedy family and the NFL. Seeing that some of the stadiums were filled confirmed Rozelle's thoughts that many in the country might be in need of a break from the tragedy. Not all of the football players had their minds on the game. Obviously, with hindsight, Rozelle would have made a different decision. It seems that the decision that he made bothered him the rest of his life. It was a terrible time to learn on the job but he wasn't the only one that had to make the decision to play the games. Many colleges played their scheduled games less than 24 hours after the assassination. The Army-Navy game was played 15 days later. The NHL played their games. The NFL wasn't alone. One league that didn't play their games was the NFL's new rival, the American Football League. The AFL was praised for their decision to cancel their games. AFL Commissioner Joe Foss was out of the office when the decision had to be made. With counsel from Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson, and likely others, Assistant Commissioner Milt Woodard made the call. The AFL was the right league in 1963.
I've always felt that Pete Rozelle has been too harshly judged for his decision to play football games so soon after the assassination of President Kennedy. His close relationship to the Kennedy White House, Salinger in particular, might have been the greatest factor in making what most decided was the wrong decision. Many close to the Kennedy family felt that JFK would have wanted the games to be played. I believe that Rozelle did what he truly felt the President would have wanted rather than what the nation really needed. In times of suffering as great as that in 1963, it's probably best to always leave the games for another day. It's difficult to imagine anyone ever finding fault with not playing games following a tragedy. If nothing else, Rozelle's apparent error in judgement has made the decision whether to play games following national tragedy easier for future league officials. Following 9/11, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue had a pretty safe precedent not to follow. He had more time to decide than Rozelle had in 1963 but I doubt that the decision to cancel was a difficult one. He also had his nation's President there for counsel if needed. Rozelle didn't have that.
While the games may have been 48 hours after the assassination, Rozelle had much less time to make his decision. He immediately sought the advice of his friend, White House Press Secretary Pierre Salinger. He had the advice of the White House and the Kennedy family. He sought the counsel of others in his own office. Rozelle didn't make the decision wildly. He did all that he could to make what he thought was the right decision for the country, the Kennedy family and the NFL. Seeing that some of the stadiums were filled confirmed Rozelle's thoughts that many in the country might be in need of a break from the tragedy. Not all of the football players had their minds on the game. Obviously, with hindsight, Rozelle would have made a different decision. It seems that the decision that he made bothered him the rest of his life. It was a terrible time to learn on the job but he wasn't the only one that had to make the decision to play the games. Many colleges played their scheduled games less than 24 hours after the assassination. The Army-Navy game was played 15 days later. The NHL played their games. The NFL wasn't alone. One league that didn't play their games was the NFL's new rival, the American Football League. The AFL was praised for their decision to cancel their games. AFL Commissioner Joe Foss was out of the office when the decision had to be made. With counsel from Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson, and likely others, Assistant Commissioner Milt Woodard made the call. The AFL was the right league in 1963.
I've always felt that Pete Rozelle has been too harshly judged for his decision to play football games so soon after the assassination of President Kennedy. His close relationship to the Kennedy White House, Salinger in particular, might have been the greatest factor in making what most decided was the wrong decision. Many close to the Kennedy family felt that JFK would have wanted the games to be played. I believe that Rozelle did what he truly felt the President would have wanted rather than what the nation really needed. In times of suffering as great as that in 1963, it's probably best to always leave the games for another day. It's difficult to imagine anyone ever finding fault with not playing games following a tragedy. If nothing else, Rozelle's apparent error in judgement has made the decision whether to play games following national tragedy easier for future league officials. Following 9/11, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue had a pretty safe precedent not to follow. He had more time to decide than Rozelle had in 1963 but I doubt that the decision to cancel was a difficult one. He also had his nation's President there for counsel if needed. Rozelle didn't have that.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Presser
"I don't really have any comment today about the officiating or any of those calls," Bill Belichick told reporters Tuesday morning. "If you have any questions on that, you can talk to the league office, the officiating department, let them give their explanation on them. It's not really our job to call the games, it's to play it and coach it. There are calls they make, and those are the ones we live with. We can't let that affect what we're doing."
Leave it to New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick to explain the roles of the officials, coaches, and players during games when reporters really want him to go off on those that might have taken a victory from his team. I love hearing Belichick deal with the press. It's one of the most entertaining events away from the football field. The reporters want answers. They really want answers that create drama. Belichick gives them nothing. It's often quite beautiful. I love seeing the reporters get frustrated with Belichick's lack of cooperation. I realize that the press has a job to do but too many in the press take it way beyond simply reporting the news. Too many want to create a story. Then they beat that story to death. They want drama. They want Belichick to go off. The fact that many in the press keep bringing up his $50,000 fine for confronting a replacement referee last year is an indication of their intention to provoke. This has nothing to do with that but they're pushing it because Belichick gives them nothing. It's a game and the coach isn't playing.
I think that Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly should have been called for interfering with Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski. Kuechly kept Gronkowski from being able to compete for the pass. That's pretty much the definition of pass interference. In that sense the Patriots were robbed of a chance to win a pretty important game. They still had to get into the end zone but, in my opinion, a blown call denied them that chance. There was one official on the field that thought Kuechley's actions deserved a penalty seeing as he threw the flag. A conference led to the crew picking up that flag and denying that anything wrong took place. Those are the breaks. Most teams get lucky every once in a while. It guess that it was the Panthers turn.
Belichick was right, and humorous, to designate the responsibilities of those that take part in a football game. Technically, Belichick isn't the one to ask about the call on the field. He wasn't the one that made it. I love that he pointed that out to the hungry press.
Leave it to New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick to explain the roles of the officials, coaches, and players during games when reporters really want him to go off on those that might have taken a victory from his team. I love hearing Belichick deal with the press. It's one of the most entertaining events away from the football field. The reporters want answers. They really want answers that create drama. Belichick gives them nothing. It's often quite beautiful. I love seeing the reporters get frustrated with Belichick's lack of cooperation. I realize that the press has a job to do but too many in the press take it way beyond simply reporting the news. Too many want to create a story. Then they beat that story to death. They want drama. They want Belichick to go off. The fact that many in the press keep bringing up his $50,000 fine for confronting a replacement referee last year is an indication of their intention to provoke. This has nothing to do with that but they're pushing it because Belichick gives them nothing. It's a game and the coach isn't playing.
I think that Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly should have been called for interfering with Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski. Kuechly kept Gronkowski from being able to compete for the pass. That's pretty much the definition of pass interference. In that sense the Patriots were robbed of a chance to win a pretty important game. They still had to get into the end zone but, in my opinion, a blown call denied them that chance. There was one official on the field that thought Kuechley's actions deserved a penalty seeing as he threw the flag. A conference led to the crew picking up that flag and denying that anything wrong took place. Those are the breaks. Most teams get lucky every once in a while. It guess that it was the Panthers turn.
Belichick was right, and humorous, to designate the responsibilities of those that take part in a football game. Technically, Belichick isn't the one to ask about the call on the field. He wasn't the one that made it. I love that he pointed that out to the hungry press.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
What If...
It's always a foolish endeavor to look back at a draft and wonder (Ponder) what if your team had done something else with one of their picks. You don't get a draft do over so there's really no point in thinking about it. With the Minnesota Vikings stumbling through a 2-8 season I can't help but do something foolish.
It's still a little early but it looks like the Vikings 2012 NFL Draft was very solid. Maybe even great. Matt Kalil and Blair Walsh have already made a Pro Bowl. Safety Harrison Smith is on his way there and maybe much more. Receiver Jarius Wright and tight end Rhett Ellison have made key contributions. The Vikings selected Central Florida corner Josh Robinson with the third pick of the third round. Nine picks later the Seattle Seahawks selected a little quarterback from Wisconsin, Russell Wilson. Many teams foolishly pushed Wilson aside because he's smaller than your average quarterback. Anybody that watched him play at Wisconsin, and North Carolina St. before that, should have known that the kid could play some football. His skills were obvious. Even better, he never stops working at getting better. Film room work. Field work. Repetition. He's always working. Whatever "it" is. Russell Wilson has "it." The Vikings needed a corner. They also drafted Christian Ponder in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft. It didn't really make a lot of sense then to take another quarterback fairly high only a year later. It makes some sense now. It makes a lot more sense after watching Wilson do what he does so well against the Vikings last Sunday. Ponder has had struggles while Wilson is fast becoming one of the best quarterbacks in the league. It's so easy to creep back to that 2012 NFL Draft and look at this little change of the Vikings third round. Not only would it put Wilson on the Vikings it would keep Wilson away from the Seahawks.
There's always a rush for a quarterback to develop. During the Vikings-Seahawks game, the announcer mentioned that Mike Holmgren said that a quarterback shows whether he has the goods or not between games #32 and 40. If the quarterback starts right away, Holmgren's window begins with the third season. This is Christian Ponder's third season. Sunday was his 33rd start. He's just entered this window to show that he gets the NFL. He's had some nice moments. He was terrific last week against the Washington Redskins. He actually played pretty well in the first half Sunday against an excellent Seahawks defense. Then came a meltdown in the fourth quarter. Ponder's problems seem to come from moments of mind-numbing mistakes. All quarterbacks make throws that they desperately want back. Simply bad throws. Ponder seems to have these moments more often than the top quarterbacks in the league. I don't know if he starts to press after he's made a stupid mistake but he seems to have a tendency to do it again. It's these repeat mistakes that's going to find him as a career backup or out of the league entirely. So, Christian Ponder remains a quarterback that has real nice potential that may develop. Over in Seattle, Russell Wilson is well on his way to becoming elite. He may already be there. It's too easy to look back to 2012 and wonder, what if...
It's still a little early but it looks like the Vikings 2012 NFL Draft was very solid. Maybe even great. Matt Kalil and Blair Walsh have already made a Pro Bowl. Safety Harrison Smith is on his way there and maybe much more. Receiver Jarius Wright and tight end Rhett Ellison have made key contributions. The Vikings selected Central Florida corner Josh Robinson with the third pick of the third round. Nine picks later the Seattle Seahawks selected a little quarterback from Wisconsin, Russell Wilson. Many teams foolishly pushed Wilson aside because he's smaller than your average quarterback. Anybody that watched him play at Wisconsin, and North Carolina St. before that, should have known that the kid could play some football. His skills were obvious. Even better, he never stops working at getting better. Film room work. Field work. Repetition. He's always working. Whatever "it" is. Russell Wilson has "it." The Vikings needed a corner. They also drafted Christian Ponder in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft. It didn't really make a lot of sense then to take another quarterback fairly high only a year later. It makes some sense now. It makes a lot more sense after watching Wilson do what he does so well against the Vikings last Sunday. Ponder has had struggles while Wilson is fast becoming one of the best quarterbacks in the league. It's so easy to creep back to that 2012 NFL Draft and look at this little change of the Vikings third round. Not only would it put Wilson on the Vikings it would keep Wilson away from the Seahawks.
There's always a rush for a quarterback to develop. During the Vikings-Seahawks game, the announcer mentioned that Mike Holmgren said that a quarterback shows whether he has the goods or not between games #32 and 40. If the quarterback starts right away, Holmgren's window begins with the third season. This is Christian Ponder's third season. Sunday was his 33rd start. He's just entered this window to show that he gets the NFL. He's had some nice moments. He was terrific last week against the Washington Redskins. He actually played pretty well in the first half Sunday against an excellent Seahawks defense. Then came a meltdown in the fourth quarter. Ponder's problems seem to come from moments of mind-numbing mistakes. All quarterbacks make throws that they desperately want back. Simply bad throws. Ponder seems to have these moments more often than the top quarterbacks in the league. I don't know if he starts to press after he's made a stupid mistake but he seems to have a tendency to do it again. It's these repeat mistakes that's going to find him as a career backup or out of the league entirely. So, Christian Ponder remains a quarterback that has real nice potential that may develop. Over in Seattle, Russell Wilson is well on his way to becoming elite. He may already be there. It's too easy to look back to 2012 and wonder, what if...
Monday, November 18, 2013
Week 11 Thoughts
The score doesn't tell the whole story in the Seattle Seahawks 41-20 defeat of the Minnesota Vikings. This was actually a fairly close game until Vikings quarterbacks started tossing interceptions at their own end of the field in the fourth quarter. Christian Ponder threw two ugly interceptions. One was returned for a touchdown by Walter Thurmond. The other set the Seahawks up for a quick and easy touchdown. Matt Cassel came in for Ponder and promptly had a pass tipped for a third interception in about four minutes of game time. Suddenly, a decent game wasn't.
For some reason, Ponder's least accurate throws are often his shortest throws.
I was very surprised to see Vikings receiver Greg Jennings declared inactive for the game. I'm not sure when he might have hurt his achilles but apparently he did.
The Vikings offensive line really needs to get it together. They have much better talent than they are showing. At least, I always thought that they did. It didn't help that center and line leader John Sullivan left the game with a concussion early in the fourth quarter.
Vikings receiver Jarius Wright made Seahawks corner Richard Sherman look silly on his 38-yard touchdown. Wright added a second touchdown late in the game. The injury to Jennings opened the door for Wright but he should see more action even when everybody's healthy. He has some nice skills.
Seahawks receiver Golden Tate frequently looks very confused.
Welcome back Percy Harvin. His diving, juggling 17-yard reception on 3rd and 10 keyed the Seahawks second touchdown drive. His 58-yard kick return set up a touchdown right before the half.
Vikings corner Josh Robinson on Harvin is a serious mismatch. Robinson had coverage once and it wasn't pretty.
Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is sure fun to watch. I wish that he was less fun yesterday.
Giving up that touchdown at the end of the first half in about 38 seconds was really the only breakdown by the Vikings defense. They gave up some plays throughout the game, outside of that but they didn't give up big play after big play like they have all season. The offense often put them in ridiculous situations with the turnovers. 20 points came off of those turnovers. Nearly half of the Seahawks points. Against a terrific offense, the Vikings defense played better than they have all season. If the Vikings offense hadn't fallen apart in the fourth quarter, the defense played well enough to keep the team in the game.
Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll is one of the most annoying coaches in the league. Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz is up there too. Seahawks fans and players certainly love Carroll but he's simply annoying to watch prance around the sideline. His stupid challenge when the game was no longer in doubt was just a waste of time.
I had the Vikings winning this game. I always have the Vikings winning their games. My world is brighter than the real one. The Vikings are now 2-8 in the real one. They have a visit to Lambeau up next.
I only saw the end of the San Francisco 49ers-New Orleans Saints game. It looked like a terrific game. The penalty on 49ers gunner Kassim Osgood for hitting Saints returner Darren Sproles after signaling for a fair catch was a tough one. You could clearly see Osgood tracking the ball as Sproles signaled for a fair catch. Osgood never saw it. He couldn't assume the fair catch was signaled so he had to make the tackle. The penalty set up the Saints for a drive that ended with the game-winning field goal.
Safety Ed Reed signed with the New York Jets last Thursday. He started for his new team three days later. It helps that Reed is a very smart football player. It also helps that Jets coach Rex Ryan was in Baltimore for most of Reed's career. Including four seasons as Reed's defensive coordinator. It further helps that Jets defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman was Reed's secondary coach while Ryan was his defensive coordinator. Reed with the Jets was probably a better match than Reed and the Houston Texans ever was.
The throwback uniforms worn by the Pittsburgh Steelers yesterday have always looked like prison garb to me.
LeSean McCoy swiped a Redskins banner from a Redskins fan before the game. I can't decide if it was hilarious or stupid.
Weather rarely puts a halt to a football game but it happens. The weather in Chicago put a halt to the Baltimore Ravens-Chicago Bears game in the first quarter. The game resumed nearly two hours later. It ended up in overtime so start to finish was over five hours.
The Detroit Lions can put the hurt on a defense in a hurry with Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson. In the second quarter against the Steelers, Stafford threw for 267 yards. 163 of those yards went to Johnson. Incredible. They weren't so incredible in the second half as the Steelers took over the game and took down the Lions, 37-27.
I was pleasantly surprised when I finally realized that NBC had swapped their regularly scheduled Green Bay Packers-New York Giants game for the suddenly more appealing Kansas City Chiefs-Denver Broncos game. I thought that I'd miss the Chiefs-Broncos since it was opposite the Vikings-Seahawks.
I figured that this would happen eventually. Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Jason Babin was in on a tackle of Arizona Cardinals back Andre Ellington. Babin came up with a fistful of Ellington's hair.
Arizona Cardinals receiver Michael Floyd had a breakout game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. 6 catches for 193 yards and a 91-yard touchdown. The Cardinals drafted him to be a difference-maker opposite the brilliant Larry Fitzgerald. Floyd has the talent to impact games like he did yesterday.
The 1972 Miami Dolphins are smiling again. The Kansas City Chiefs are no longer undefeated.
I found it amazing that Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning was not sacked. No Ryan Clady. High ankle sprain. Tamba Hali and Justin Houston rushing. Tackles Chris Clark and Orlando Franklin did a great job of keeping their quarterback clean.
Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Dontari Poe was an intriguing player in the draft a few years ago. He's huge at nearly 350 lbs. He's turned into a fantastic football player for the Chiefs.
It was cool to see Cris Collinsworth's focus on the first half matchup between Chiefs corner Brandon Flowers and Broncos receiver Wes Welker. It got pretty fierce. As a television viewer of a football game, you don't always get to see much of the action away from the ball.
Nice little tidbit tossed out during the Chiefs-Broncos game: Dominique Rogers-Cromartie is the longest full name in NFL history.
For some reason, Ponder's least accurate throws are often his shortest throws.
I was very surprised to see Vikings receiver Greg Jennings declared inactive for the game. I'm not sure when he might have hurt his achilles but apparently he did.
The Vikings offensive line really needs to get it together. They have much better talent than they are showing. At least, I always thought that they did. It didn't help that center and line leader John Sullivan left the game with a concussion early in the fourth quarter.
Vikings receiver Jarius Wright made Seahawks corner Richard Sherman look silly on his 38-yard touchdown. Wright added a second touchdown late in the game. The injury to Jennings opened the door for Wright but he should see more action even when everybody's healthy. He has some nice skills.
Seahawks receiver Golden Tate frequently looks very confused.
Welcome back Percy Harvin. His diving, juggling 17-yard reception on 3rd and 10 keyed the Seahawks second touchdown drive. His 58-yard kick return set up a touchdown right before the half.
Vikings corner Josh Robinson on Harvin is a serious mismatch. Robinson had coverage once and it wasn't pretty.
Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is sure fun to watch. I wish that he was less fun yesterday.
Giving up that touchdown at the end of the first half in about 38 seconds was really the only breakdown by the Vikings defense. They gave up some plays throughout the game, outside of that but they didn't give up big play after big play like they have all season. The offense often put them in ridiculous situations with the turnovers. 20 points came off of those turnovers. Nearly half of the Seahawks points. Against a terrific offense, the Vikings defense played better than they have all season. If the Vikings offense hadn't fallen apart in the fourth quarter, the defense played well enough to keep the team in the game.
Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll is one of the most annoying coaches in the league. Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz is up there too. Seahawks fans and players certainly love Carroll but he's simply annoying to watch prance around the sideline. His stupid challenge when the game was no longer in doubt was just a waste of time.
I had the Vikings winning this game. I always have the Vikings winning their games. My world is brighter than the real one. The Vikings are now 2-8 in the real one. They have a visit to Lambeau up next.
I only saw the end of the San Francisco 49ers-New Orleans Saints game. It looked like a terrific game. The penalty on 49ers gunner Kassim Osgood for hitting Saints returner Darren Sproles after signaling for a fair catch was a tough one. You could clearly see Osgood tracking the ball as Sproles signaled for a fair catch. Osgood never saw it. He couldn't assume the fair catch was signaled so he had to make the tackle. The penalty set up the Saints for a drive that ended with the game-winning field goal.
Safety Ed Reed signed with the New York Jets last Thursday. He started for his new team three days later. It helps that Reed is a very smart football player. It also helps that Jets coach Rex Ryan was in Baltimore for most of Reed's career. Including four seasons as Reed's defensive coordinator. It further helps that Jets defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman was Reed's secondary coach while Ryan was his defensive coordinator. Reed with the Jets was probably a better match than Reed and the Houston Texans ever was.
The throwback uniforms worn by the Pittsburgh Steelers yesterday have always looked like prison garb to me.
LeSean McCoy swiped a Redskins banner from a Redskins fan before the game. I can't decide if it was hilarious or stupid.
Weather rarely puts a halt to a football game but it happens. The weather in Chicago put a halt to the Baltimore Ravens-Chicago Bears game in the first quarter. The game resumed nearly two hours later. It ended up in overtime so start to finish was over five hours.
The Detroit Lions can put the hurt on a defense in a hurry with Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson. In the second quarter against the Steelers, Stafford threw for 267 yards. 163 of those yards went to Johnson. Incredible. They weren't so incredible in the second half as the Steelers took over the game and took down the Lions, 37-27.
I was pleasantly surprised when I finally realized that NBC had swapped their regularly scheduled Green Bay Packers-New York Giants game for the suddenly more appealing Kansas City Chiefs-Denver Broncos game. I thought that I'd miss the Chiefs-Broncos since it was opposite the Vikings-Seahawks.
I figured that this would happen eventually. Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Jason Babin was in on a tackle of Arizona Cardinals back Andre Ellington. Babin came up with a fistful of Ellington's hair.
Arizona Cardinals receiver Michael Floyd had a breakout game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. 6 catches for 193 yards and a 91-yard touchdown. The Cardinals drafted him to be a difference-maker opposite the brilliant Larry Fitzgerald. Floyd has the talent to impact games like he did yesterday.
The 1972 Miami Dolphins are smiling again. The Kansas City Chiefs are no longer undefeated.
I found it amazing that Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning was not sacked. No Ryan Clady. High ankle sprain. Tamba Hali and Justin Houston rushing. Tackles Chris Clark and Orlando Franklin did a great job of keeping their quarterback clean.
Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Dontari Poe was an intriguing player in the draft a few years ago. He's huge at nearly 350 lbs. He's turned into a fantastic football player for the Chiefs.
It was cool to see Cris Collinsworth's focus on the first half matchup between Chiefs corner Brandon Flowers and Broncos receiver Wes Welker. It got pretty fierce. As a television viewer of a football game, you don't always get to see much of the action away from the ball.
Nice little tidbit tossed out during the Chiefs-Broncos game: Dominique Rogers-Cromartie is the longest full name in NFL history.
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Game Day Thoughts
Just my opinion but Kurt Warner should lose that mustache.
Today is the 45th Anniversary of the Heidi Game. I've always been amazed by the impact a little Swiss girl had on the NFL. The movie cut into the end of a big game between AFL powers New York Jets and Oakland Raiders in Oakland. Games didn't go three hours in those days. A game with often throwing quarterbacks like Joe Namath and Daryle Lamonica did. As the clock hit 7 pm eastern time, the Jets were leading with just over a minute remaining. People wanting the movie flooded the switchboards. Jets fans that wanted the game crashed the switchboard. The network decision-makers made the decision to switch to Heidi on the east coast. The Jets fans didn't see the Raiders score two quick touchdowns to win. Heidi changed network programming forever. The networks will not leave live game telecasts, except for emergencies, going forward. We can all thank a little Swiss girl for that.
The Minnesota Vikings visit the Seattle Seahawks this afternoon. Most people give the Vikings about no chance of winning this game. I'm not most people. This game is rough with Percy Harvin's debut for the Seahawks. It was a sad day when the Vikings traded Harvin. Made even worse when Seattle was the destination. They were already loaded with a surprising number of Vikings players. They didn't need another. Especially that one. Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin were two of my favorite Vikings receivers of the past decade. That was probably helped by the fact that the Vikings have had few skilled receivers since the days of Cris Carter and Randy Moss. Sadly, Rice and Harvin are now in Seattle. The Harvin trade had to happen. I wish that it wasn't with Seattle but that's beside the point. For whatever reason, the relationship between player and team had soured to such a state that the relationship had to end. As for today's game, the Vikings will have no chance if they tackle like they did last week against the Washington Redskins. Running back Marshawn Lynch and Harvin don't go down easy when a defense is on top of their tackling game. Quarterback Russell Wilson might be a little fellow but he's one of the most difficult football players to catch. The Vikings have to tackle and tackle very, very well. That would be a pleasant change from the previous nine games.
This is game #800 in Minnesota Vikings history. Some game around 2025 will provide a bigger milestone but #800 is still a milestone. Here's hoping that #800 is a big win.
One of the Chris' that produce Rich Eisen's podcast had a new responsibility added to his NFL Network job. He now spends part of his work week talking football with Marshall Faulk to develop talking points for Sunday's Game Day program. It's simply stunning to me that people are paid to do things like this. I need to find some job in football. Talking football with Faulk would be a dream job. He has one of the most perceptive football minds. I'd talk football with a fern. Talking football with someone like Marshall Faulk would be an honor. I'd race to work everyday.
Speaking of Game Day, it's a little depressing when the cast pulls up clips of teams playing the Vikings to show what those teams are doing well. The Vikings have had a tendency to make teams feel better about themselves this season.
There was probably little doubt but Cal has now proven to be the worst team in the Pac-12. Cal and Colorado were both without wins in conference. Cal visited Colorado yesterday to see which team would finally get a Pac-12 win. Colorado won 41-24. At least Cal kept them under 50. This has been a rough season for first year coach Sonny Dykes. 1-10 with only Stanford remaining. Anything can happen in the Big Game but Cal is looking seriously at a 1-11 season. A defeat of Portland St. was their only win. Cal has continued to fight through this difficult season. Dykes should get credit for that. Despite the same number of wins, this season is/was much more promising than the last season of Tom Holmoe's Cal coaching career. I think that Cal wins over half of their games next year.
I wish that the San Francisco 49ers-New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs-Denver Broncos games weren't opposite the Vikings-Seahawks. I'd love to see all three games. DVR!?!?
Today is the 45th Anniversary of the Heidi Game. I've always been amazed by the impact a little Swiss girl had on the NFL. The movie cut into the end of a big game between AFL powers New York Jets and Oakland Raiders in Oakland. Games didn't go three hours in those days. A game with often throwing quarterbacks like Joe Namath and Daryle Lamonica did. As the clock hit 7 pm eastern time, the Jets were leading with just over a minute remaining. People wanting the movie flooded the switchboards. Jets fans that wanted the game crashed the switchboard. The network decision-makers made the decision to switch to Heidi on the east coast. The Jets fans didn't see the Raiders score two quick touchdowns to win. Heidi changed network programming forever. The networks will not leave live game telecasts, except for emergencies, going forward. We can all thank a little Swiss girl for that.
The Minnesota Vikings visit the Seattle Seahawks this afternoon. Most people give the Vikings about no chance of winning this game. I'm not most people. This game is rough with Percy Harvin's debut for the Seahawks. It was a sad day when the Vikings traded Harvin. Made even worse when Seattle was the destination. They were already loaded with a surprising number of Vikings players. They didn't need another. Especially that one. Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin were two of my favorite Vikings receivers of the past decade. That was probably helped by the fact that the Vikings have had few skilled receivers since the days of Cris Carter and Randy Moss. Sadly, Rice and Harvin are now in Seattle. The Harvin trade had to happen. I wish that it wasn't with Seattle but that's beside the point. For whatever reason, the relationship between player and team had soured to such a state that the relationship had to end. As for today's game, the Vikings will have no chance if they tackle like they did last week against the Washington Redskins. Running back Marshawn Lynch and Harvin don't go down easy when a defense is on top of their tackling game. Quarterback Russell Wilson might be a little fellow but he's one of the most difficult football players to catch. The Vikings have to tackle and tackle very, very well. That would be a pleasant change from the previous nine games.
This is game #800 in Minnesota Vikings history. Some game around 2025 will provide a bigger milestone but #800 is still a milestone. Here's hoping that #800 is a big win.
One of the Chris' that produce Rich Eisen's podcast had a new responsibility added to his NFL Network job. He now spends part of his work week talking football with Marshall Faulk to develop talking points for Sunday's Game Day program. It's simply stunning to me that people are paid to do things like this. I need to find some job in football. Talking football with Faulk would be a dream job. He has one of the most perceptive football minds. I'd talk football with a fern. Talking football with someone like Marshall Faulk would be an honor. I'd race to work everyday.
Speaking of Game Day, it's a little depressing when the cast pulls up clips of teams playing the Vikings to show what those teams are doing well. The Vikings have had a tendency to make teams feel better about themselves this season.
There was probably little doubt but Cal has now proven to be the worst team in the Pac-12. Cal and Colorado were both without wins in conference. Cal visited Colorado yesterday to see which team would finally get a Pac-12 win. Colorado won 41-24. At least Cal kept them under 50. This has been a rough season for first year coach Sonny Dykes. 1-10 with only Stanford remaining. Anything can happen in the Big Game but Cal is looking seriously at a 1-11 season. A defeat of Portland St. was their only win. Cal has continued to fight through this difficult season. Dykes should get credit for that. Despite the same number of wins, this season is/was much more promising than the last season of Tom Holmoe's Cal coaching career. I think that Cal wins over half of their games next year.
I wish that the San Francisco 49ers-New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs-Denver Broncos games weren't opposite the Vikings-Seahawks. I'd love to see all three games. DVR!?!?
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Tough Day
At least on the football field, Percy Harvin quickly became one of my favorite players on the Minnesota Vikings. He was a unique football player at the University of Florida. He was considered to be a receiver but he was really an offensive difference-maker. Some receivers line up in the backfield as a gimmick. Harvin was a legitimate runner back there. Many talented football players have stretched the field the length of the the field. Percy Harvin can stretch the field every way imaginable. Run, catch, return, he can score in so many ways. He was considered small but he really in't. Often listed at 5'11" and 185 lbs, he was always a rock. His explosion was extraordinary in a sport filled with explosive athletes. When his college days were done, I hoped that he'd be a professional in Minnesota. I got lucky. Weed before the combine and an ankle that was thought to be career threatening kept him from being the top-10 pick that his natural talent screamed. The Vikings got him at #22 of the 2009 NFL Draft. A beautiful offensive future of Adrian Peterson, Sidney Rice, Bernard Berrian, Visanthe Shiancoe, and Percy Harvin was about to explode in Minnesota. Suddenly, Brett Favre was a part of it too. I'll always remember the video clip of a shocked Harvin meeting the newly signed Favre in a Vikings facility hallway. One was winding down the other was about to take off. Harvin caught a touchdown pass from Favre in his first NFL game. He caught a few more. That 2009 Vikings season was a beautiful thing outside of a certain conference championship game. 2010 was supposed to better. It wasn't.
Percy Harvin was such a perfect pairing with Adrian Peterson. These are two players that put the hurt on defenders. At under 220 lbs, Peterson isn't a huge back. He hits like one. Harvin is a little bull. They rocked defenders. There are football players that simply aren't fun to tackle. It doesn't matter their size. Peterson and Harvin. Such a perfect pairing. If the Vikings could find a younger quarterback that could do to a defense what Favre could do to a defense, this offense would explode for more than just one season. It didn't happen
Off the field, Percy Harvin apparently had problems in Minnesota. Most speculate that his issues were with the young quarterback that was drafted to eventually do what Favre did in 2009, Christian Ponder. I can't speak to how Harvin actually felt about the quarterback Ponder. No one really can, but Harvin. I can speak to how I view Harvin as a football player. I see a football player that puts everything on the football field. Every single thing. Before the ankle injury that ended his 2012 season, Harvin was catching passes at a remarkable rate. He was on a pace to catch well over 100 passes. If anything, Ponder depended on Harvin more than any quarterback in the league depended on a receiver. The quarterback calls the play that's called. I've always felt that Harvin's problems in Minnesota had more to do with how he used on the football field than with that quarterback that was taking the snap from center. He wanted every kickoff. He wanted every pass. He wanted the ball. Special teams coordinator Mike Priefer probably wanted Harvin on ever return. Priefer didn't make that call. Head Coach Leslie Frazier wanted his dynamic offensive player on offense as much as he could. . Harvin wanted every offensive snap. He probably wanted to play defense. Great football players want to be on the football field. I doubt that Peterson wants to come off the field on third down. Harvin played in the built up wake of Tim Tebow at Florida. He didn't seem to care about being "the man." He cared mostly about being part of the Florida team. He wanted to be on the football field. For whatever reason, Harvin was often seen on the sideline when the Vikings were in the red zone. Great football players don't want to come off the field. Ever. Harvin was like that. As a big fan of Harvin on the Vikings, I wanted him on the football field as much as possible. Peterson and Harvin on the offensive side of the ball? Fergetaboutit!
Percy Harvin wasn't happy in Minnesota. It's a business to those that are involved in the business but football is something else to those of us that watch and dream. I hate that that Percy Harvin is no longer on the team that drafted him. He's with the Seattle Seahawks. It's hard to stomach. Vikings-west now has former Vikings receiver Sidney Rice, linebacker Heath Farwell, quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, and offensive coordinater Darrell Bevell. There couldn't be a worse team for Percy Harvin to now call home. There's always been a twisted relationship between the Vikings and Seahawks. Different people now but I don't think that they've recovered from the dumbass trade that brought Ahmad Rashad to Minnesota in 1976. They returned to that level of stupidity when they failed to properly sign guard Steve Hutchinson in 2006. Vikings got him. Seahawks lost him. Maybe the thirty-year anniversary of the Rashad trade brought on a blackout. Maybe it was the soon to be USC-trouble-dodging head coach Pete Carroll. Only Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz is more annoying to watch on the sidelines. I'd rather see a coach that is pissed than one that has lost a kidney. The reason doesn't really matter. I don't like seeing Harvin on a team other than the Vikings.
Tomorrow is expected to be Percy Harvin's debut as a football player for the Seattle Seahawks. It's going to be a tough day. The last time he played in an NFL game was in the very same stadium. Harvin was with the Vikings when he injured his ankle against the Seahawks. Now, he's with the Seahawks. And, he's playing against the Vikings. What was once Favre, Peterson, and Harvin is now Wilson, Lynch, and Harvin. I prefer the former.
Percy Harvin was such a perfect pairing with Adrian Peterson. These are two players that put the hurt on defenders. At under 220 lbs, Peterson isn't a huge back. He hits like one. Harvin is a little bull. They rocked defenders. There are football players that simply aren't fun to tackle. It doesn't matter their size. Peterson and Harvin. Such a perfect pairing. If the Vikings could find a younger quarterback that could do to a defense what Favre could do to a defense, this offense would explode for more than just one season. It didn't happen
Off the field, Percy Harvin apparently had problems in Minnesota. Most speculate that his issues were with the young quarterback that was drafted to eventually do what Favre did in 2009, Christian Ponder. I can't speak to how Harvin actually felt about the quarterback Ponder. No one really can, but Harvin. I can speak to how I view Harvin as a football player. I see a football player that puts everything on the football field. Every single thing. Before the ankle injury that ended his 2012 season, Harvin was catching passes at a remarkable rate. He was on a pace to catch well over 100 passes. If anything, Ponder depended on Harvin more than any quarterback in the league depended on a receiver. The quarterback calls the play that's called. I've always felt that Harvin's problems in Minnesota had more to do with how he used on the football field than with that quarterback that was taking the snap from center. He wanted every kickoff. He wanted every pass. He wanted the ball. Special teams coordinator Mike Priefer probably wanted Harvin on ever return. Priefer didn't make that call. Head Coach Leslie Frazier wanted his dynamic offensive player on offense as much as he could. . Harvin wanted every offensive snap. He probably wanted to play defense. Great football players want to be on the football field. I doubt that Peterson wants to come off the field on third down. Harvin played in the built up wake of Tim Tebow at Florida. He didn't seem to care about being "the man." He cared mostly about being part of the Florida team. He wanted to be on the football field. For whatever reason, Harvin was often seen on the sideline when the Vikings were in the red zone. Great football players don't want to come off the field. Ever. Harvin was like that. As a big fan of Harvin on the Vikings, I wanted him on the football field as much as possible. Peterson and Harvin on the offensive side of the ball? Fergetaboutit!
Percy Harvin wasn't happy in Minnesota. It's a business to those that are involved in the business but football is something else to those of us that watch and dream. I hate that that Percy Harvin is no longer on the team that drafted him. He's with the Seattle Seahawks. It's hard to stomach. Vikings-west now has former Vikings receiver Sidney Rice, linebacker Heath Farwell, quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, and offensive coordinater Darrell Bevell. There couldn't be a worse team for Percy Harvin to now call home. There's always been a twisted relationship between the Vikings and Seahawks. Different people now but I don't think that they've recovered from the dumbass trade that brought Ahmad Rashad to Minnesota in 1976. They returned to that level of stupidity when they failed to properly sign guard Steve Hutchinson in 2006. Vikings got him. Seahawks lost him. Maybe the thirty-year anniversary of the Rashad trade brought on a blackout. Maybe it was the soon to be USC-trouble-dodging head coach Pete Carroll. Only Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz is more annoying to watch on the sidelines. I'd rather see a coach that is pissed than one that has lost a kidney. The reason doesn't really matter. I don't like seeing Harvin on a team other than the Vikings.
Tomorrow is expected to be Percy Harvin's debut as a football player for the Seattle Seahawks. It's going to be a tough day. The last time he played in an NFL game was in the very same stadium. Harvin was with the Vikings when he injured his ankle against the Seahawks. Now, he's with the Seahawks. And, he's playing against the Vikings. What was once Favre, Peterson, and Harvin is now Wilson, Lynch, and Harvin. I prefer the former.
Friday, November 15, 2013
1000 Posts!
For my 1000th Flicker, I figured that I'd mention a few of my favorite things:
Adrian Peterson running
Peyton Manning quarterbacking
Larry Fitzgerald catching a football
Ed Reed gliding across a football field
A.J. Green doing the same
Patrick Willis tackling
Cameron Wake rushing
J.J Watt just being J.J. Watt
Jimmy Graham in the seam
Richard Sherman quietly playing corner
Rob Gronkowski healthy
DeMarcus Ware too
Calvin Johnson
Aaron Rodgers throwing
Frank Gore slipping through the line
Cordarrelle Patterson returning kicks
Geno Atkins
Luke Kuechly and Sean Lee in the middle
Von Miller on the edge
Julio Jones flying
Jamaal Charles in space
Percy Harvin too
Drew Brees passes
Wes Welker in the slot
Charles Tillman playing defense
Bill Belichick with the press
Muhammad Wilkerson disrupting
Andrew Luck and TY Hilton
Harrison Smith roaming
These are just a few of my favorite things.
Adrian Peterson running
Peyton Manning quarterbacking
Larry Fitzgerald catching a football
Ed Reed gliding across a football field
A.J. Green doing the same
Patrick Willis tackling
Cameron Wake rushing
J.J Watt just being J.J. Watt
Jimmy Graham in the seam
Richard Sherman quietly playing corner
Rob Gronkowski healthy
DeMarcus Ware too
Calvin Johnson
Aaron Rodgers throwing
Frank Gore slipping through the line
Cordarrelle Patterson returning kicks
Geno Atkins
Luke Kuechly and Sean Lee in the middle
Von Miller on the edge
Julio Jones flying
Jamaal Charles in space
Percy Harvin too
Drew Brees passes
Wes Welker in the slot
Charles Tillman playing defense
Bill Belichick with the press
Muhammad Wilkerson disrupting
Andrew Luck and TY Hilton
Harrison Smith roaming
These are just a few of my favorite things.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Throwback Thursday: Thunderchickens
Purple People Eaters, Mosters of the Midway, Doomsday Defense, Orange Crush, Steel Curtain, No Name Defense, Fearsome Foursome. Defenses often seem to inspire nicknames. One of the best defensive nicknames is one of the least known. Stanford's Thunderchickens. Stanford won Rose Bowls following the 1970 and '71 seasons. The offense with Heisman-winning quarterback Jim Plunkett and receiver Randy Vataha got most of the attention in 1970 but the defense was often the difference. With Plunkett off to the NFL in 1971, the defense was critical in Stanford's return to the Rose Bowl. The Thunderchickens came through.
The Thunderchickens started as an inside joke before the 1970 season. Several members of the Stanford defensive line thought that they needed a nickname. USC called themselves the "Wild Bunch." Junior defensive end Pete Lazetich knew of a motorcycle gang in Montana named the Thunderchickens. He also thought that senior defensive end Dave Tipton ran like a chicken. The nickname fit Tipton and seemed to fit the entire defensive line. It started out as a joke but took off when the media got hold of it. The media got hold of it because the defense was dominating on the football field. The Thunderchickens lasted two seasons, 1970 and '71. In 1970, the defensive line of Larry Butler, Greg Sampson, Bill Alexander, Jody Graves, Lazetich, and Tipton comprised the Thuderchickens. In 1971, Tipton graduated and was replaced by Roger Cowan on the defensive line. By this time, the linebackers, including Jeff Siemon, had joined in on the Thuderchicken fun. This was a truly talented defensive front. Sampson (1st round, 1972), Lazetich (2nd round, 1972), and Tipton (4th round, 1971) all played in the NFL. Siemon was a first round choice of the Minnesota Vikings in 1972. Two Rose Bowl wins over talented Ohio St. and Michigan teams are also decent indications of that talent.
The Thunderchickens were a real draw on the Stanford campus. So much so that when the administration decided that being called the Indians was inappropriate, Thunderchickens received a good deal of support as the new Stanford mascot. It's certainly better that that tree.
The Thunderchickens started as an inside joke before the 1970 season. Several members of the Stanford defensive line thought that they needed a nickname. USC called themselves the "Wild Bunch." Junior defensive end Pete Lazetich knew of a motorcycle gang in Montana named the Thunderchickens. He also thought that senior defensive end Dave Tipton ran like a chicken. The nickname fit Tipton and seemed to fit the entire defensive line. It started out as a joke but took off when the media got hold of it. The media got hold of it because the defense was dominating on the football field. The Thunderchickens lasted two seasons, 1970 and '71. In 1970, the defensive line of Larry Butler, Greg Sampson, Bill Alexander, Jody Graves, Lazetich, and Tipton comprised the Thuderchickens. In 1971, Tipton graduated and was replaced by Roger Cowan on the defensive line. By this time, the linebackers, including Jeff Siemon, had joined in on the Thuderchicken fun. This was a truly talented defensive front. Sampson (1st round, 1972), Lazetich (2nd round, 1972), and Tipton (4th round, 1971) all played in the NFL. Siemon was a first round choice of the Minnesota Vikings in 1972. Two Rose Bowl wins over talented Ohio St. and Michigan teams are also decent indications of that talent.
The Thunderchickens were a real draw on the Stanford campus. So much so that when the administration decided that being called the Indians was inappropriate, Thunderchickens received a good deal of support as the new Stanford mascot. It's certainly better that that tree.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Tanking
One of the worst things about the Minnesota Vikings struggling through a difficult season is some of the fans. As the losses pile up some of the fans start calling for more. The same thing happened two years ago. They want the Vikings to lose each week. Imagine that. Vikings faithful hoping that their team loses. Two years ago, it was "suck for Luck." There's no clever slogan this year, probably because there's no clear cut #1, but the sentiment is the same. Fans want the Vikings to lose so that they can get a higher draft pick. The higher the better. The more losses the better. Two years ago, some fans lost their collective minds when the Vikings lost to the Washington Redskins. That loss ended up being the difference between Robert Griffin III and Matt Kalil. No one knew that then and there's no going back. Wouldn't matter if we could.
The games are entirely about the players and the coaches. The only thing that matters to them is the game that day. They don't give a shit about the draft. In a rough season, the coaches are trying to keep their jobs. If the coaches lose their jobs, a housecleaning could follow and the players could be on the streets. The players are playing for their careers. It's only the fans that think about draft picks in October, November, and December. Coaches and players will not tank games. It's not good for their football futures. Fans wanting losses isn't a thought among the people that are on the field. It's pointless to cheer for something that coaches and players have no interest in providing.
The draft is a gamble. Ryan Leaf, Jamarcus Russell, Tim Couch, David Carr. They sure changed the franchises that drafted them. Flops and successes seem to come in equal numbers. There's no guarantees. I've never understood the desire to lose on purpose to try and insure a pick that is, at best, a gamble. If a team makes good choices, it doesn't matter where they pick. Impact players are found throughout the draft.
There's enough time to fret about the draft after the season. The season is for the games. Players and coaches only have so many games in their career. They will always make the most of each one.
The games are entirely about the players and the coaches. The only thing that matters to them is the game that day. They don't give a shit about the draft. In a rough season, the coaches are trying to keep their jobs. If the coaches lose their jobs, a housecleaning could follow and the players could be on the streets. The players are playing for their careers. It's only the fans that think about draft picks in October, November, and December. Coaches and players will not tank games. It's not good for their football futures. Fans wanting losses isn't a thought among the people that are on the field. It's pointless to cheer for something that coaches and players have no interest in providing.
The draft is a gamble. Ryan Leaf, Jamarcus Russell, Tim Couch, David Carr. They sure changed the franchises that drafted them. Flops and successes seem to come in equal numbers. There's no guarantees. I've never understood the desire to lose on purpose to try and insure a pick that is, at best, a gamble. If a team makes good choices, it doesn't matter where they pick. Impact players are found throughout the draft.
There's enough time to fret about the draft after the season. The season is for the games. Players and coaches only have so many games in their career. They will always make the most of each one.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Short Straw
Monday Night Football isn't what it used to be. It used to be the only prime time game of the week. It has to share prime time games now. NBC seems to get the best games on Sunday night. Every team gets a turn on Thursday so NFL Network gets a mix. ESPN seems to get what's left on Monday Night. The best games used to be on Monday Night. Now, they get Miami-Tampa Bay. There might have been a time when Miami-Tampa Bay had the looks of an intriguing game. It isn't now. The Dolphins are in the news for all of the wrong reasons. The Buccaneers have had their own version of dysfunction this season. There haven't been a lot of wins from the Florida teams. Tampa Bay and Jacksonville got their first wins of the season this week. Congratulations. The Dolphins and Buccaneers put up a mildly entertaining game. A 22-19 Buccaneers win. Any game is a peach when compared to the disaster that we saw on Monday Night three weeks ago. The Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants played one of the worst professional football games that I've ever seen. It didn't even look like an NFL game. Neither team seemed to want to win that game but someone had to win it. The New York Giants came out on top but they couldn't have been proud. When the schedule popped out last spring the league probably thought that they had a dandy with the Vikings and Giants. Didn't happen. ESPN couldn't have been happy.
If NBC isn't happy with their scheduled game they have the option of grabbing a better one starting next Sunday. ESPN doesn't get that option for their Monday nights.
If NBC isn't happy with their scheduled game they have the option of grabbing a better one starting next Sunday. ESPN doesn't get that option for their Monday nights.
Monday, November 11, 2013
Week 10 Thoughts
I can't believe that it's already week 10.
I missed the Minnesota Vikings yesterday. Football Sundays just feel different when they aren't playing. At least they already had a win.
Congratulations to Jacksonville Jaguars coach Gus Bradley on his first career win. He's had a rough start to his head coaching career but I think that he's got a bright future.
Titans quarterback Jake Locker was emerging earlier this season. Then he got hurt and missed some games. Came back. Yesterday, he went down again with a potential season-ending foot injury.
Seattle Seahawks players sure are quick to celebrate stuff. Even little stuff. At least receiver Golden Tate has settled down some. Pete Carroll must have had a little sit-down with him.
Whenever I see Marshawn Lynch carry tacklers today, I remember the freshman back at Cal. It would sometimes take seven defenders to bring him now. You could sense the disbelief on the defense. I'd never seen anyone like Lynch in college. Well, maybe Earl Campbell.
I don't think that the Seahawks defenders know the rules of the game. They were flagged for hitting the quarterback below the knees and for a horse collar tackle. Each time they were astonished that there was a flag on the play.
There's one disadvantage to having a great franchise quarterback. There's a huge drop-off when that quarterback is on the sideline. The Green Bay Packers are experiencing that now. That's still not a good reason not to find that great franchise quarterback. I'd much rather have that quarterback and hope that he doesn't get injured.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles is averaging five touchdowns per game over the last two games. Nice, despite the small sample size.
Foles' first touchdown was a lot like Christian Ponder's early deep throw on Thursday. Foles threw his short. The defender tipped it and DeSean Jackson caught it and took it in for a touchdown. Ponder threw it short. Brandon Merriweather caught it rather than tipped it and Ponder has a much criticized interception. Both were poor decisions, poor throws and very different outcomes. Football is often like that.
St. Louis Rams receiver Tavon Austin finally had the game the team hoped for when they traded up to draft him. 98-yard punt return for a touchdown. 81-yard and 57-yard touchdown receptions. 138 yards receiving. 314 all-purpose yards. He joined Gale Sayers and Randy Moss as rookies with three 50+-yard scoring plays in game.
The St. Louis Rams' 38-8 win over the Indianapolis Colts was the shock of the day for me. Colts defeat the Seahawks, 49ers, and Broncos and lose by thirty to the Rams. That's inconceivable! This was a bigger shock than the Jaguars first win of the season over the Titans.
The Carolina Panthers-San Francisco 49ers was a terrific defensive battle. The 49ers have had one of the best defenses in the league for a few years. The Panthers have joined them.
Panther win, 10-9. 49ers could have had a big lead in the first half but they got field goals rather than touchdowns.
San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Justin Smith is a great football player from snap to whistle. I got a kick out of watching him staring into the Carolina Panthers huddle. He doesn't even stop working between plays.
I love watching 49ers running back Frank Gore. He has an interesting running style. So slippery. He just slides through holes and past tacklers.
The hit of Panthers running back Mike Tolbert on 49ers safety Eric Reid looked a lot like the "leading with the crown of the helmet" rule that the NFL adopted this past offseason. He lowered his helmet and hit Reid with the crown of his helmet. It was most certainly outside of the tackle box.
Reid joined tight end Vernon Davis on the sideline with concussions. Huge losses for the 49ers.
49ers tight end Vance McDonald has to make that catch. Best throw of the day for Colin Kaepernick and it's a drop.
The New Orleans Saints set an NFL record 40 first downs against the Dallas Cowboys. I think that it took the Vikings three games to hit 40 first downs.
I'm really tired of the Jonathan Martin-Richie Incognito story. I don't think that this is as much of a hazing problem as it is an Incognito problem. He's always been something of a loose cannon. He's always going to take things too far because he's an ass. If the coaches wanted someone to toughen up Martin, they should have thought about someone other than Richie Incognito.
I missed the Minnesota Vikings yesterday. Football Sundays just feel different when they aren't playing. At least they already had a win.
Congratulations to Jacksonville Jaguars coach Gus Bradley on his first career win. He's had a rough start to his head coaching career but I think that he's got a bright future.
Titans quarterback Jake Locker was emerging earlier this season. Then he got hurt and missed some games. Came back. Yesterday, he went down again with a potential season-ending foot injury.
Seattle Seahawks players sure are quick to celebrate stuff. Even little stuff. At least receiver Golden Tate has settled down some. Pete Carroll must have had a little sit-down with him.
Whenever I see Marshawn Lynch carry tacklers today, I remember the freshman back at Cal. It would sometimes take seven defenders to bring him now. You could sense the disbelief on the defense. I'd never seen anyone like Lynch in college. Well, maybe Earl Campbell.
I don't think that the Seahawks defenders know the rules of the game. They were flagged for hitting the quarterback below the knees and for a horse collar tackle. Each time they were astonished that there was a flag on the play.
There's one disadvantage to having a great franchise quarterback. There's a huge drop-off when that quarterback is on the sideline. The Green Bay Packers are experiencing that now. That's still not a good reason not to find that great franchise quarterback. I'd much rather have that quarterback and hope that he doesn't get injured.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles is averaging five touchdowns per game over the last two games. Nice, despite the small sample size.
Foles' first touchdown was a lot like Christian Ponder's early deep throw on Thursday. Foles threw his short. The defender tipped it and DeSean Jackson caught it and took it in for a touchdown. Ponder threw it short. Brandon Merriweather caught it rather than tipped it and Ponder has a much criticized interception. Both were poor decisions, poor throws and very different outcomes. Football is often like that.
St. Louis Rams receiver Tavon Austin finally had the game the team hoped for when they traded up to draft him. 98-yard punt return for a touchdown. 81-yard and 57-yard touchdown receptions. 138 yards receiving. 314 all-purpose yards. He joined Gale Sayers and Randy Moss as rookies with three 50+-yard scoring plays in game.
The St. Louis Rams' 38-8 win over the Indianapolis Colts was the shock of the day for me. Colts defeat the Seahawks, 49ers, and Broncos and lose by thirty to the Rams. That's inconceivable! This was a bigger shock than the Jaguars first win of the season over the Titans.
The Carolina Panthers-San Francisco 49ers was a terrific defensive battle. The 49ers have had one of the best defenses in the league for a few years. The Panthers have joined them.
Panther win, 10-9. 49ers could have had a big lead in the first half but they got field goals rather than touchdowns.
San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Justin Smith is a great football player from snap to whistle. I got a kick out of watching him staring into the Carolina Panthers huddle. He doesn't even stop working between plays.
I love watching 49ers running back Frank Gore. He has an interesting running style. So slippery. He just slides through holes and past tacklers.
The hit of Panthers running back Mike Tolbert on 49ers safety Eric Reid looked a lot like the "leading with the crown of the helmet" rule that the NFL adopted this past offseason. He lowered his helmet and hit Reid with the crown of his helmet. It was most certainly outside of the tackle box.
Reid joined tight end Vernon Davis on the sideline with concussions. Huge losses for the 49ers.
49ers tight end Vance McDonald has to make that catch. Best throw of the day for Colin Kaepernick and it's a drop.
The New Orleans Saints set an NFL record 40 first downs against the Dallas Cowboys. I think that it took the Vikings three games to hit 40 first downs.
I'm really tired of the Jonathan Martin-Richie Incognito story. I don't think that this is as much of a hazing problem as it is an Incognito problem. He's always been something of a loose cannon. He's always going to take things too far because he's an ass. If the coaches wanted someone to toughen up Martin, they should have thought about someone other than Richie Incognito.
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Game Day Thoughts
Another Sunday without the Minnesota Vikings. At least this time it's with a win already in their pocket thanks to their Thursday night defeat of the Washington Redskins.
In the recent issue of Sports Illustrated, Jim Trotter listed his "down the stretch" must see games. Here they are:
Week 10: Cowboys at Saints
Week 11: Chiefs at Broncos
Week 12: Broncos at Patriots
Week 13: Saints at Seahawks
Well, it's pretty much impossible to disagree with those four games. Personally, my must see games are the games involving the Vikings. With the Vikings off today, I pick Panthers at 49ers as today's must see game. No matter how you value the games and teams, Trotter's four are must see games. His next four games drop a bit.
Week 14: Colts at Bengals
Week 15: Jets at Panthers
Week 16: Cowboys at Redskins
Week 17: Buccaneers at Saints
I wonder if Jim Trotter was trying to make some kind of joke with that last one. Still, this is one person's opinion. I have another. These are my must see games for the final four weeks of the season:
Week 14: Seahawks at 49ers
Week 15: Packers at Cowboys
Week 16: Saints at Panthers
Week 17: Packers at Bears
That's how I see it.
I think that I'll be watching the Seattle Seahawks-Atlanta Falcons game this morning. Atlanta's rough season has taken the luster off of this game. Going into the season, these two teams were considered two of the best. Injuries to receivers Julio Jones and Roddy White and running back Steven Jackson have wrecked an extremely potent Falcons offense. Heart-breaking early losses didn't help. The Seahawks are having some issues of their own. They may be 8-1 but they are a heart beat away from being about 4-4. They haven't played anywhere close to the dominant team that they are propped up to be. I'll be watching this game for the game that it could be.
It's all about the 49ers-Panthers in the afternoon. The Panthers have looked great since they took apart the Vikings about a month ago. The Vikings have done their best to boost the confidence of others.
College stuff:
Cal has been playing the Joe Roth Memorial game for years now. It's always the game against the Los Angeles school, USC or UCLA, that is played in Berkeley. Yesterday's game against the USC Trojans was the 2013 Joe Roth Memorial game.
I was fortunate to see Joe Roth play football. That Cal-San Jose St. game was the first college football game I ever attended. I think that my love for football started that day. Joe Roth throwing to Wesley Walker was magic. I've seen a few great college quarterbacks in person. Drew Bledsoe, Carson Palmer and Aaron Rodgers among them. Roth was as great as any of them. I would have loved to have seen him throw the football in the NFL. Cancer took Joe Roth way too soon.
As for yesterday's Cal-USC game. 62-28 USC. It wasn't that close. Cal was pretty much beaten when USC scored three special teams touchdowns in the first half. Two punt returns and a blocked punt. Very sad. Cal is routinely having offensive and defensive breakdowns this season. They really didn't have to add special teams breakdowns.
This is a rough first season for Cal head coach Sonny Dykes. Despite the 1-9 record, I have faith that Dykes' Cal future is bright. This season has been brutal in about every way. The team has not quit. Freshman quarterback Jared Goff has loads of potential. Chris Harper, Bryce Treggs, Kenny Lawler, Darius Powe, and Richard Rodgers are excellent receivers. Backs Daniel Lasco, Brendan Bigelow, Khalfani Muhammad, Darren Ervin, and Jeffrey Coprich have all shown real nice running ability. The offensive line will improve. The defense will one day get healthy. The Bears will improve.
I don't like USC. No fan of the other 11 Pac-12 teams likes USC. I do like interim USC coach Ed Ogeron. I hope that he gets the opportunity to lose the interim title. He was terrific in The Blind Side.
Wake Forest defensive tackle Nikita Whitlock is one of the most intriguing players in college football. His school lists him at 5-11, 250 lbs. The announcers of yesterday's game against Florida St. said that he was 5-9, 240 lbs. Either measurable is tiny for your usual monster defensive tackle. Florida St. won the game easily but Whitlock, at times, could not be blocked. One blocker couldn't slow him. Two couldn't stop him. He spent most of the game in the Seminole backfield. His short stature was actually a benefit when linemen nearly a foot taller couldn't get down to his size. His quickness made keeping him on the other side of the line a nightmare. It seems impossible that a defensive tackle that size would have a future in the NFL. Whitlock might have the strength and quickness to do so. His size isn't too far off of that of John Randle when he came out of Texas A&I. I tuned into the Florida St.-Wake Forest game to watch more of Seminole quarterback Jameis Winston. I can't watch enough of this kid. I ended up being amazed by this little Tasmanian Devil, Nikita Whitlock.
Michigan had -21 net rushing yards against Nebraska. That doesn't seem possible.
Minnesota might be the most quiet 8-2 team. There's been more talk about head coach Jerry Kill's seizures than the play of his team. Closing with Michigan St. and Wisconsin is tough. Win those and the Gophers will be quiet no more.
I haven't seen all of their games this season but it seems that Alabama starts playing football in the second quarter.
I really like Alabama linebacker C.J. Mosley. UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr might be my favorite player in the 2014 NFL Draft but Mosley isn't far too far behind.
Alabama sure has a great run of running backs going. Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson, Eddie Lacy, and now T.J. Yeldon and Kenyan Drake. There's always an overlap so there's never a running void. An always great offensive line helps.
So far, it looks like Alabama against Florida St., Ohio St., Oregon, Stanford, Baylor.....for the title. This year would be a great time to start that little playoff thing.
In the recent issue of Sports Illustrated, Jim Trotter listed his "down the stretch" must see games. Here they are:
Week 10: Cowboys at Saints
Week 11: Chiefs at Broncos
Week 12: Broncos at Patriots
Week 13: Saints at Seahawks
Well, it's pretty much impossible to disagree with those four games. Personally, my must see games are the games involving the Vikings. With the Vikings off today, I pick Panthers at 49ers as today's must see game. No matter how you value the games and teams, Trotter's four are must see games. His next four games drop a bit.
Week 14: Colts at Bengals
Week 15: Jets at Panthers
Week 16: Cowboys at Redskins
Week 17: Buccaneers at Saints
I wonder if Jim Trotter was trying to make some kind of joke with that last one. Still, this is one person's opinion. I have another. These are my must see games for the final four weeks of the season:
Week 14: Seahawks at 49ers
Week 15: Packers at Cowboys
Week 16: Saints at Panthers
Week 17: Packers at Bears
That's how I see it.
I think that I'll be watching the Seattle Seahawks-Atlanta Falcons game this morning. Atlanta's rough season has taken the luster off of this game. Going into the season, these two teams were considered two of the best. Injuries to receivers Julio Jones and Roddy White and running back Steven Jackson have wrecked an extremely potent Falcons offense. Heart-breaking early losses didn't help. The Seahawks are having some issues of their own. They may be 8-1 but they are a heart beat away from being about 4-4. They haven't played anywhere close to the dominant team that they are propped up to be. I'll be watching this game for the game that it could be.
It's all about the 49ers-Panthers in the afternoon. The Panthers have looked great since they took apart the Vikings about a month ago. The Vikings have done their best to boost the confidence of others.
College stuff:
Cal has been playing the Joe Roth Memorial game for years now. It's always the game against the Los Angeles school, USC or UCLA, that is played in Berkeley. Yesterday's game against the USC Trojans was the 2013 Joe Roth Memorial game.
I was fortunate to see Joe Roth play football. That Cal-San Jose St. game was the first college football game I ever attended. I think that my love for football started that day. Joe Roth throwing to Wesley Walker was magic. I've seen a few great college quarterbacks in person. Drew Bledsoe, Carson Palmer and Aaron Rodgers among them. Roth was as great as any of them. I would have loved to have seen him throw the football in the NFL. Cancer took Joe Roth way too soon.
As for yesterday's Cal-USC game. 62-28 USC. It wasn't that close. Cal was pretty much beaten when USC scored three special teams touchdowns in the first half. Two punt returns and a blocked punt. Very sad. Cal is routinely having offensive and defensive breakdowns this season. They really didn't have to add special teams breakdowns.
This is a rough first season for Cal head coach Sonny Dykes. Despite the 1-9 record, I have faith that Dykes' Cal future is bright. This season has been brutal in about every way. The team has not quit. Freshman quarterback Jared Goff has loads of potential. Chris Harper, Bryce Treggs, Kenny Lawler, Darius Powe, and Richard Rodgers are excellent receivers. Backs Daniel Lasco, Brendan Bigelow, Khalfani Muhammad, Darren Ervin, and Jeffrey Coprich have all shown real nice running ability. The offensive line will improve. The defense will one day get healthy. The Bears will improve.
I don't like USC. No fan of the other 11 Pac-12 teams likes USC. I do like interim USC coach Ed Ogeron. I hope that he gets the opportunity to lose the interim title. He was terrific in The Blind Side.
Wake Forest defensive tackle Nikita Whitlock is one of the most intriguing players in college football. His school lists him at 5-11, 250 lbs. The announcers of yesterday's game against Florida St. said that he was 5-9, 240 lbs. Either measurable is tiny for your usual monster defensive tackle. Florida St. won the game easily but Whitlock, at times, could not be blocked. One blocker couldn't slow him. Two couldn't stop him. He spent most of the game in the Seminole backfield. His short stature was actually a benefit when linemen nearly a foot taller couldn't get down to his size. His quickness made keeping him on the other side of the line a nightmare. It seems impossible that a defensive tackle that size would have a future in the NFL. Whitlock might have the strength and quickness to do so. His size isn't too far off of that of John Randle when he came out of Texas A&I. I tuned into the Florida St.-Wake Forest game to watch more of Seminole quarterback Jameis Winston. I can't watch enough of this kid. I ended up being amazed by this little Tasmanian Devil, Nikita Whitlock.
Michigan had -21 net rushing yards against Nebraska. That doesn't seem possible.
Minnesota might be the most quiet 8-2 team. There's been more talk about head coach Jerry Kill's seizures than the play of his team. Closing with Michigan St. and Wisconsin is tough. Win those and the Gophers will be quiet no more.
I haven't seen all of their games this season but it seems that Alabama starts playing football in the second quarter.
I really like Alabama linebacker C.J. Mosley. UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr might be my favorite player in the 2014 NFL Draft but Mosley isn't far too far behind.
Alabama sure has a great run of running backs going. Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson, Eddie Lacy, and now T.J. Yeldon and Kenyan Drake. There's always an overlap so there's never a running void. An always great offensive line helps.
So far, it looks like Alabama against Florida St., Ohio St., Oregon, Stanford, Baylor.....for the title. This year would be a great time to start that little playoff thing.
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Flea Flicker Mid Season All-Pros
Here's some players that stood out in the first half of the 2013 NFL season:
Offense
QB - Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos
RB - Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
FB - Stanley Havili, Indianapolis Colts
R - Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions
R - AJ Green, Cincinnati Bengals
T - Joe Staley, San Francisco 49ers
T - Trent Williams, Washington Redskins
G - Evan Mathis, Philadelphia Eagles
G - Louis Vasquez, Denver Broncos
C - Chris Myers, Houston Texans
K - Matt Prater, Denver Broncos
KR - Cordarrelle Patterson, Minnesota Vikings
Defense
DE - Robert Quinn, St. Louis Rams
DE - Cameron Jordan
DT - Geno Atkins-damn shame that he's out for the year
DT - JJ Watt, Houston Texans
LB - Justin Houston, Kansas City Chiefs
LB - Lavonte David, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
MLB - Luke Kuechley, Carolina Panthers
CB - Richard Sherman, Seattle Seahawks
CB - Aqib Talib, New England Patriots
S - Eric Berry, Kansas City Chiefs
S - Earl Thomas, Seattle Seahawks
P - Kevin Huber, Cincinnati Bengals
I have to mention Dallas Cowboys middle linebacker Sean Lee, Tennessee Titans corner Alterraun Verner, and Kansas City Chiefs nose tackle Dontari Poe. It pains me to not include them on the above team.
Offense
QB - Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos
RB - Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
FB - Stanley Havili, Indianapolis Colts
R - Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions
R - AJ Green, Cincinnati Bengals
T - Joe Staley, San Francisco 49ers
T - Trent Williams, Washington Redskins
G - Evan Mathis, Philadelphia Eagles
G - Louis Vasquez, Denver Broncos
C - Chris Myers, Houston Texans
K - Matt Prater, Denver Broncos
KR - Cordarrelle Patterson, Minnesota Vikings
Defense
DE - Robert Quinn, St. Louis Rams
DE - Cameron Jordan
DT - Geno Atkins-damn shame that he's out for the year
DT - JJ Watt, Houston Texans
LB - Justin Houston, Kansas City Chiefs
LB - Lavonte David, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
MLB - Luke Kuechley, Carolina Panthers
CB - Richard Sherman, Seattle Seahawks
CB - Aqib Talib, New England Patriots
S - Eric Berry, Kansas City Chiefs
S - Earl Thomas, Seattle Seahawks
P - Kevin Huber, Cincinnati Bengals
I have to mention Dallas Cowboys middle linebacker Sean Lee, Tennessee Titans corner Alterraun Verner, and Kansas City Chiefs nose tackle Dontari Poe. It pains me to not include them on the above team.
Friday, November 8, 2013
Vikings Game Night Thoughts
Congratulations to Cris Carter on receiving his much deserved Hall of Fame ring. I sure wish that he had a few Vikings Super Bowl rings to go with it.
The Minnesota Vikings have now won on American soil.
The Minnesota Vikings doubled their win total. Two wins! Now, 2-7. Nice!
The Minnesota Vikings defeated the Washington Redskins 34-27. Like three of their seven losses, it came down to the very end. Like their one previous win, the defense let the opponent get to the goal line but not into the end zone at the end of the game.
The Vikings couldn't even field 46 players. Eight players on the 53 man roster were out. Two of those were starting offensive linemen. Right tackle Phil Loadholt and left guard Charlie Johnson. J'Marcus Webb replaced Loadholt. Joe Berger replaced Johnson.
Tight end Kyle Rudolph was also out. Broken foot. John Carlson replaced him.
The Vikings defense was just sad in the first half. Horrible tackling. Wide open receivers. The best play was a third and goal stop that forced a field goal. It was the only Redskins drive in the first half that didn't end in a touchdown. The Redskins had 288 total yards. They held the ball for over 20 minutes. Quarterback Robert Griffin III had three touchdown passes in the half. He had no trouble finding open receivers. They were everywhere. Running back Alfred Morris had no trouble finding holes or breaking tackles.
The Vikings defense really, really misses safety Harrison Smith.
The Vikings offense had the ball four times in the first half (not counting the kneel down to end the half). The first possession ended in a terrible interception by quarterback Christian Ponder. The fourth was a three-and-out. The middle two were terrific. Ponder made some throws. They moved the ball. They scored two touchdowns. An 18-yard Adrian Peterson run for the first touchdown. A short pass to rookie receiver Cordarrelle Patterson for the second. This was the first offensive score for Patterson.
24-14 Redskins at the half.
The Vikings outscored the Redskins 20-3 in the second half.
The defense wasn't so bad in the second half. At times, they were better than o.k. Defensive tackle Kevin Williams took over. 2.5 sacks. The Vikings sacked Griffin four times in the second half.
The Redskins had three consecutive possessions that totaled -5 yards. Three punts. This turned the game.
Ponder helped turn the game. Unfortunately, he dislocated his left shoulder when he dove for the pylon trying to score his team's fourth touchdown.
Ponder still had some shaky moments, especially on the first possession of the game. In this game, those moments were few. This was, by far, his best performance of the season. He was very good in the second half. For the game, he was 17 of 21 for 174 yards and two touchdowns. Nice numbers. Many of his completions hit his receivers in stride. Quarterbacks are supposed to do that. Ponder hasn't. He did last night. He brought his team back. Fortunately, he has some extra time before the next game against the Seattle Seahawks. Hopefully, this dislocated shoulder doesn't keep him out of any games. Ponder was getting in a groove. It would suck to have an injury knock him out of it.
Vikings tight end John Carlson had a big game. Easily his best with the Vikings. 7 catches for 98 yards and a 28-yards touchdown. He really stepped up with the injury to Kyle Rudolph.
Then we have Adrian Peterson. He didn't have a bunch of yards. 75 yards on 20 carries. 2 touchdowns. But, he had big yards.
Vikings coach Leslie Frazier was getting some criticism from the talking heads for taking two timeouts in the final minute. The Redskins were out of timeouts so the Vikings were stopping the clock for them. First of all, I've never understood criticism when the action being criticized resulted in a win. The Redskins offense had just easily marched 75 yards down the field. Based on this season's ridiculous pattern, there was no reason not to expect that the Redskins would complete this 80-yard drive with a touchdown. Those two timeout may or may not have contributed to the Redskins not completing the drive. The only thing that we know for sure is that the Redskins didn't score. The Vikings defense had left receivers uncovered pretty much the entire game. If for no other reason, the Vikings defense needed a chance to catch their breath. The Redskins failed to score the tying touchdown. That's all that really matters.
The defense is very frustrating at times. They aren't stopping many offenses. The past two games have shown some promise. The offense is playing better with Ponder. Stranger things have happened than the Vikings going on a seven game win streak. The schedule won't be kind. Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers are up in the next two games. Hopefully, the extra couple days will be enough for the Vikings to get Christian Ponder, Phil Loadholt, Charlie Johnson, Letroy Guion, Fred Evans, Chris Cook, and Jamarca Sanford healthy. Hopefully, they all stay healthy (Cook!).
Sadly, Harrison Smith and Kyle Rudolph will be out for a few weeks.
Two Wins!
The Minnesota Vikings doubled their win total. Two wins! Now, 2-7. Nice!
The Minnesota Vikings defeated the Washington Redskins 34-27. Like three of their seven losses, it came down to the very end. Like their one previous win, the defense let the opponent get to the goal line but not into the end zone at the end of the game.
The Vikings couldn't even field 46 players. Eight players on the 53 man roster were out. Two of those were starting offensive linemen. Right tackle Phil Loadholt and left guard Charlie Johnson. J'Marcus Webb replaced Loadholt. Joe Berger replaced Johnson.
Tight end Kyle Rudolph was also out. Broken foot. John Carlson replaced him.
The Vikings defense was just sad in the first half. Horrible tackling. Wide open receivers. The best play was a third and goal stop that forced a field goal. It was the only Redskins drive in the first half that didn't end in a touchdown. The Redskins had 288 total yards. They held the ball for over 20 minutes. Quarterback Robert Griffin III had three touchdown passes in the half. He had no trouble finding open receivers. They were everywhere. Running back Alfred Morris had no trouble finding holes or breaking tackles.
The Vikings defense really, really misses safety Harrison Smith.
The Vikings offense had the ball four times in the first half (not counting the kneel down to end the half). The first possession ended in a terrible interception by quarterback Christian Ponder. The fourth was a three-and-out. The middle two were terrific. Ponder made some throws. They moved the ball. They scored two touchdowns. An 18-yard Adrian Peterson run for the first touchdown. A short pass to rookie receiver Cordarrelle Patterson for the second. This was the first offensive score for Patterson.
24-14 Redskins at the half.
The Vikings outscored the Redskins 20-3 in the second half.
The defense wasn't so bad in the second half. At times, they were better than o.k. Defensive tackle Kevin Williams took over. 2.5 sacks. The Vikings sacked Griffin four times in the second half.
The Redskins had three consecutive possessions that totaled -5 yards. Three punts. This turned the game.
Ponder helped turn the game. Unfortunately, he dislocated his left shoulder when he dove for the pylon trying to score his team's fourth touchdown.
Ponder still had some shaky moments, especially on the first possession of the game. In this game, those moments were few. This was, by far, his best performance of the season. He was very good in the second half. For the game, he was 17 of 21 for 174 yards and two touchdowns. Nice numbers. Many of his completions hit his receivers in stride. Quarterbacks are supposed to do that. Ponder hasn't. He did last night. He brought his team back. Fortunately, he has some extra time before the next game against the Seattle Seahawks. Hopefully, this dislocated shoulder doesn't keep him out of any games. Ponder was getting in a groove. It would suck to have an injury knock him out of it.
Vikings tight end John Carlson had a big game. Easily his best with the Vikings. 7 catches for 98 yards and a 28-yards touchdown. He really stepped up with the injury to Kyle Rudolph.
Then we have Adrian Peterson. He didn't have a bunch of yards. 75 yards on 20 carries. 2 touchdowns. But, he had big yards.
Vikings coach Leslie Frazier was getting some criticism from the talking heads for taking two timeouts in the final minute. The Redskins were out of timeouts so the Vikings were stopping the clock for them. First of all, I've never understood criticism when the action being criticized resulted in a win. The Redskins offense had just easily marched 75 yards down the field. Based on this season's ridiculous pattern, there was no reason not to expect that the Redskins would complete this 80-yard drive with a touchdown. Those two timeout may or may not have contributed to the Redskins not completing the drive. The only thing that we know for sure is that the Redskins didn't score. The Vikings defense had left receivers uncovered pretty much the entire game. If for no other reason, the Vikings defense needed a chance to catch their breath. The Redskins failed to score the tying touchdown. That's all that really matters.
The defense is very frustrating at times. They aren't stopping many offenses. The past two games have shown some promise. The offense is playing better with Ponder. Stranger things have happened than the Vikings going on a seven game win streak. The schedule won't be kind. Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers are up in the next two games. Hopefully, the extra couple days will be enough for the Vikings to get Christian Ponder, Phil Loadholt, Charlie Johnson, Letroy Guion, Fred Evans, Chris Cook, and Jamarca Sanford healthy. Hopefully, they all stay healthy (Cook!).
Sadly, Harrison Smith and Kyle Rudolph will be out for a few weeks.
Two Wins!
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Throwback Thursday: Ace Parker
I was saddened to hear that Clarence "Ace" Parker passed away earlier yesterday. He was 101 and had been hospitalized since late October with pulmonary issues.
Ace Parker seemed to excel at every sport that he chose to try. He was arguably the greatest all-around athlete to come from Hampton Roads, Virginia. There was, of course, football. He played major league baseball. He hit a home run in his first at bat. He played basketball. He was the Virginia state high jump champ. In 1932, he beat golfing great Sam Snead in a long-driving contest at the Virginia high school tournament, averaging 303 1/2 yards on three shots. He was the #2 player on a state champion golf squad that featured future PGA Champion and lifelong friend Chandler Harper.
In a 1982 interview, Harper said of Parker: "In my lifetime, I've met a lot of giants in their endeavor-Henry Ford, Bing Crosby, Ty Cobb, Eddie Arcaro, Rocky Marciano, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Joe DiMaggio-but the first giant I met was Ace Parker."
After an All-American college career as a single-wing tailback at Duke, Parker was drafted by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1937. He did pretty much everything on the football field, offense, defense, special teams. In 1938, he played 656 minutes of a possible 660 during the 11-game season. In his pro football career, Parker led the league in passing, he led the league in interceptions, he led the league in made extra points, he punted, he returned kicks. He did all of those so well that in 1940 he was voted the NFL's Most Valuable Player.
During his first two years with the Dodgers, Parker played shortstop for Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics. Although his baseball career got off to a fantastic start with that home run, he was not the star in baseball that he was in football. His career batting average was under .200. Jumping from one sport to the other was probably a factor.
"I always thought that I was a better baseball player than I was a football player," Parker said in a 1985 interview. "But football seemed to work out better for me."
After the 1941 season Parker left the NFL to serve in the Navy in World War II. He returned to the NFL in 1945 with the Boston Yanks. He played one last season of professional football with the New York Yankees of the All-America Football Conference.
On October 22, 1939, Parker starred in the first professional football game ever televised, a 23-14 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles at Ebbets Field. He threw a 47-yard touchdown in the game.
Ace Parker is one of the all-time football greats. His 1972 induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame is proof of that. Even with three of his best years taken by service in World War II. That was true of many professional football players of that time. His legacy may be best described by his versatility. He did everything and he did everything great. Parker was also inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and Virginia and North Carolina sports Halls of Fame.
RIP Ace Parker.
Ace Parker seemed to excel at every sport that he chose to try. He was arguably the greatest all-around athlete to come from Hampton Roads, Virginia. There was, of course, football. He played major league baseball. He hit a home run in his first at bat. He played basketball. He was the Virginia state high jump champ. In 1932, he beat golfing great Sam Snead in a long-driving contest at the Virginia high school tournament, averaging 303 1/2 yards on three shots. He was the #2 player on a state champion golf squad that featured future PGA Champion and lifelong friend Chandler Harper.
In a 1982 interview, Harper said of Parker: "In my lifetime, I've met a lot of giants in their endeavor-Henry Ford, Bing Crosby, Ty Cobb, Eddie Arcaro, Rocky Marciano, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Joe DiMaggio-but the first giant I met was Ace Parker."
After an All-American college career as a single-wing tailback at Duke, Parker was drafted by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1937. He did pretty much everything on the football field, offense, defense, special teams. In 1938, he played 656 minutes of a possible 660 during the 11-game season. In his pro football career, Parker led the league in passing, he led the league in interceptions, he led the league in made extra points, he punted, he returned kicks. He did all of those so well that in 1940 he was voted the NFL's Most Valuable Player.
During his first two years with the Dodgers, Parker played shortstop for Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics. Although his baseball career got off to a fantastic start with that home run, he was not the star in baseball that he was in football. His career batting average was under .200. Jumping from one sport to the other was probably a factor.
"I always thought that I was a better baseball player than I was a football player," Parker said in a 1985 interview. "But football seemed to work out better for me."
After the 1941 season Parker left the NFL to serve in the Navy in World War II. He returned to the NFL in 1945 with the Boston Yanks. He played one last season of professional football with the New York Yankees of the All-America Football Conference.
On October 22, 1939, Parker starred in the first professional football game ever televised, a 23-14 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles at Ebbets Field. He threw a 47-yard touchdown in the game.
Ace Parker is one of the all-time football greats. His 1972 induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame is proof of that. Even with three of his best years taken by service in World War II. That was true of many professional football players of that time. His legacy may be best described by his versatility. He did everything and he did everything great. Parker was also inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and Virginia and North Carolina sports Halls of Fame.
RIP Ace Parker.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Where Do They Come From?
I like looking at stuff like this.
Colleges with the most players in the NFL:
USC - 40
Louisiana St. - 38
Miami - 38
Georgia - 36
Florida St. - 32
Texas - 31
Alabama - 30
CAL - 30
Tennessee - 30
Ohio St. - 27
Oregon - 27
Florida - 26
Wow. There's Cal right there with Alabama and ahead of Ohio St. Besides Cal's presence among the usual cast of college football powers, I'm a little surprised that USC is still at the top. It may not have translated in their play on the football field but USC routinely recruits the best athletes in the nation. In that sense, I shouldn't have been surprised but I was. In a list such as this there's usually a school that few expect. That school in this list has to be Cal. I knew that there was a decent number of Golden Bears in the NFL but I never would have guessed that those numbers would be enough to match the likes of Alabama. Unfortunately, Cal will be sliding down this list in a few years. Alabama and Cal will be going their separate ways.
Here's another one:
Number of rookies in the NFL by team:
15 - Cleveland, Jacksonville, Seattle
14 - Buffalo, New England
13 - Houston, Kansas City, Oakland, Atlanta, Dallas, New Orleans
12 - Miami, Chicago, Green Bay
11 - Baltimore, Philadelphia, St. Louis, San Francisco, Tampa Bay
10 - Arizona, Detroit, Minnesota, NY Giants
9 - NY Jets, Pittsburgh, San Diego, Carolina
8 - Indianapolis, Tennessee, Washington
7 - Cincinnati
6 - Denver
Typically, the better the team, the fewer the number of rookies. I tend to believe that. It's much more difficult for a youngster to crack the roster of a team that has a much better than an average amount of talent. In that sense, I was surprised to see Seattle, New England, New Orleans, Houston, Atlanta, and Green Bay at or near the top of this lest. Seattle, in particular. The Super Bowl teams of a year ago, Baltimore and San Francisco, each have eleven rookies. Perhaps, free agency is to blame. When players come free, the more talented teams are often raided. Those teams really do have to restock each year. The Patriots had a pretty complete receiver makeover.
Fun stuff.
Colleges with the most players in the NFL:
USC - 40
Louisiana St. - 38
Miami - 38
Georgia - 36
Florida St. - 32
Texas - 31
Alabama - 30
CAL - 30
Tennessee - 30
Ohio St. - 27
Oregon - 27
Florida - 26
Wow. There's Cal right there with Alabama and ahead of Ohio St. Besides Cal's presence among the usual cast of college football powers, I'm a little surprised that USC is still at the top. It may not have translated in their play on the football field but USC routinely recruits the best athletes in the nation. In that sense, I shouldn't have been surprised but I was. In a list such as this there's usually a school that few expect. That school in this list has to be Cal. I knew that there was a decent number of Golden Bears in the NFL but I never would have guessed that those numbers would be enough to match the likes of Alabama. Unfortunately, Cal will be sliding down this list in a few years. Alabama and Cal will be going their separate ways.
Here's another one:
Number of rookies in the NFL by team:
15 - Cleveland, Jacksonville, Seattle
14 - Buffalo, New England
13 - Houston, Kansas City, Oakland, Atlanta, Dallas, New Orleans
12 - Miami, Chicago, Green Bay
11 - Baltimore, Philadelphia, St. Louis, San Francisco, Tampa Bay
10 - Arizona, Detroit, Minnesota, NY Giants
9 - NY Jets, Pittsburgh, San Diego, Carolina
8 - Indianapolis, Tennessee, Washington
7 - Cincinnati
6 - Denver
Typically, the better the team, the fewer the number of rookies. I tend to believe that. It's much more difficult for a youngster to crack the roster of a team that has a much better than an average amount of talent. In that sense, I was surprised to see Seattle, New England, New Orleans, Houston, Atlanta, and Green Bay at or near the top of this lest. Seattle, in particular. The Super Bowl teams of a year ago, Baltimore and San Francisco, each have eleven rookies. Perhaps, free agency is to blame. When players come free, the more talented teams are often raided. Those teams really do have to restock each year. The Patriots had a pretty complete receiver makeover.
Fun stuff.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Happy Birthday NFL Network
Well, it was actually yesterday.
On November 4, 2003, the National Football League launched their own programming with the NFL Network. "When All You Want is Football" has been their slogan and it's what they've always provided. Despite my passion for football, I was a little slow to adopt NFL Network. I thought that it was ridiculous to debut this programming in the middle of the season. I never really understood the thinking behind that. I guess that I forgot that there's no end to the football season. So, there's no right time to start an all-football network. I later learned that the NFL owners voted unanimously to go forward with their own network only eight months earlier. I'm not sure the reason for the rush to start but rush they did. I thought that it showed in the early months of the programming. Once they kicked out the kinks, it was fantastic. It helps considerably that they have the incredible NFL Films as their backbone. Their productions alone, from NFL Films Presents to A Football Life, can carry an entire network. It also helps that NFL Network has terrific personalities populating their studio shows. Bringing Rich Eisen over from ESPN was a fantastic first move. I've never seen a non-athletic media personality have such a fine rapport with the athletes. He's treated as if he's one of them which I find very unique. His goofy humor is a nice perk. Mike Mayock is fantastic with the draft coverage. I really enjoy his broadcast work on Thursday Night Football as well. I learn something new from him with every game. That hasn't happened much since the early days of John Madden. Charles Davis and Charley Casserly also bring excellent draft coverage. I was disappointed when Eisen moved away from the network's news show Total Access. That disappointment ended quickly when Lindsay Rhodes, Andrew Siciliano, Scott Hanson, and others emerged as extremely capable hosts. News gatherers like Albert Breer and Ian Rapoport are excellent. Breer, in particular, was phenomenal during the ridiculous lockout of 2011. The athletes that are on the set are tremendous. Marshall Faulk, Deion Sanders, Warren Sapp, and Kurt Warner are always informative and entertaining. Michael Irvin rambles a bit but he brings the same entertainment and insight. Heath Evans and Willie McGinest are coming along nicely. It's a good, fun group. The distortion lens/fun house mirror effect that they brought out at the end of the NFL Scouting Combine coverage a few years ago was hilarious. An instant classic. It even helped Mayock loosen up some.
I hate to criticize some of the early programming because NFL Network worked out those bugs and really took off. They routinely produce outstanding football coverage. I don't watch it every every waking hour but I wouldn't mind it if I could. It's great stuff all the time. Thank you NFL Network and Happy Birthday!
On November 4, 2003, the National Football League launched their own programming with the NFL Network. "When All You Want is Football" has been their slogan and it's what they've always provided. Despite my passion for football, I was a little slow to adopt NFL Network. I thought that it was ridiculous to debut this programming in the middle of the season. I never really understood the thinking behind that. I guess that I forgot that there's no end to the football season. So, there's no right time to start an all-football network. I later learned that the NFL owners voted unanimously to go forward with their own network only eight months earlier. I'm not sure the reason for the rush to start but rush they did. I thought that it showed in the early months of the programming. Once they kicked out the kinks, it was fantastic. It helps considerably that they have the incredible NFL Films as their backbone. Their productions alone, from NFL Films Presents to A Football Life, can carry an entire network. It also helps that NFL Network has terrific personalities populating their studio shows. Bringing Rich Eisen over from ESPN was a fantastic first move. I've never seen a non-athletic media personality have such a fine rapport with the athletes. He's treated as if he's one of them which I find very unique. His goofy humor is a nice perk. Mike Mayock is fantastic with the draft coverage. I really enjoy his broadcast work on Thursday Night Football as well. I learn something new from him with every game. That hasn't happened much since the early days of John Madden. Charles Davis and Charley Casserly also bring excellent draft coverage. I was disappointed when Eisen moved away from the network's news show Total Access. That disappointment ended quickly when Lindsay Rhodes, Andrew Siciliano, Scott Hanson, and others emerged as extremely capable hosts. News gatherers like Albert Breer and Ian Rapoport are excellent. Breer, in particular, was phenomenal during the ridiculous lockout of 2011. The athletes that are on the set are tremendous. Marshall Faulk, Deion Sanders, Warren Sapp, and Kurt Warner are always informative and entertaining. Michael Irvin rambles a bit but he brings the same entertainment and insight. Heath Evans and Willie McGinest are coming along nicely. It's a good, fun group. The distortion lens/fun house mirror effect that they brought out at the end of the NFL Scouting Combine coverage a few years ago was hilarious. An instant classic. It even helped Mayock loosen up some.
I hate to criticize some of the early programming because NFL Network worked out those bugs and really took off. They routinely produce outstanding football coverage. I don't watch it every every waking hour but I wouldn't mind it if I could. It's great stuff all the time. Thank you NFL Network and Happy Birthday!
Monday, November 4, 2013
Week 9 Thoughts
For the fourth time this season the Minnesota Vikings entered the final 60 seconds of a game with a lead. For the third time this season the Minnesota Vikings defense gave up a score in the final 60 seconds of a game to lose. This time the Dallas Cowboys scored a touchdown with 35 seconds remaining for a 27-23 win. The Vikings are now 1-7 with a visit to the Washington Redskins in four short days.
The Vikings started the game with a no-huddle offense. It was a nice change. Quarterback Christian Ponder seemed to get in a rhythm. Unfortunately, the officials had something to say about that first series. A mystery hold on guard Charlie Johnson erased a 12-yard run by Adrian Peterson. Then a mystery non-call of defensive pass interference on a throw to receiver Jarius Wright. That first Vikings drive ended in a punt. It was the only Vikings punt of the first half. I still think that first drive was a success. The no-huddle was a nice change. Ponder looked comfortable and it gave defenses a little twist.
A lot has been made of the Vikings quarterback confusion all season. Too much has been made of it. There are too many issues to point at only one. The defense has probably been the biggest reason for the struggles. Yesterday was probably their best game. Most expected Tony Romo and the Cowboys offense to move the ball with ease against the Vikings. They couldn't. They couldn't run the ball. Actually, for some reason the Cowboys didn't run the ball. They had some big plays in the passing game but they weren't sustained. In earlier games, the Vikings defense bent and broke. Yesterday, the defense bent but mostly didn't break. Still, the Cowboys did enough to score more points.
It was 3-3 at the end of the first quarter. This might have been the Vikings best first quarter of the season.
Vikings led 10-6 at the half. It was probably the Vikings best half of the season.
The third quarter brought the sequence that may have buried the Vikings. The Cowboys opened the second half with an unfortunately nice drive to take a 13-10 lead. On the kickoff, Vikings rookie Cordarrelle Patterson mishandled the ball and it went out of bounds at the 5-yard line. Ponder dropped back to pass in the end zone. George Selvie zipped by right tackle J'Marcus Webb and knocked the ball from Ponder. Nick Hayden fell on the ball for an easy touchdown and a sudden 20-10 lead. Webb was in the game because starter Phil Loadholt left the game with a concussion late in the first half. Webb struggled the remainder of the game.
The Vikings responded nicely with a touchdown of their own on the next possession. Ponder hit tight end Kyle Rudolph for a 31-yard touchdown. Rudolph injured his ankle on the play and didn't return to the game.
The injuries to Loadholt and Rudolph were significant. The Vikings entered the game without tight end Rhett Ellison. The Vikings are a very tight end-centric team. Ellison's blocking is very important in the run and pass game. The combined loss of Ellison, Rudolph, and Loadholt was brutal.
Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant was kept mostly in check. 6 catches for 64 yards on the day. No touchdowns. Great players still find ways to make impact plays. 34 yards of his total came on one play on the final drive to get the Cowboys in position to win.
Cowboys tight end Jason Witten was a whole other matter. 8 catches, 102 yards, 26-yard touchdown. Every single catch seemed to move the chains.
The Vikings defensive line got nice pressure on Romo in the first half. Romo seemed to have a little more time in the second half.
Vikings running back Adrian Peterson was awesome. Again. 25 carries, 140 yards. 3 catches for 37 yards. His 11-yard touchdown run that gave the Vikings a 23-20 lead with 4:52 remaining was beautiful. It was all power and want-to. Tight end Chase Ford gave him a little help with a nice push into the end zone. At this point it looked like the Vikings might finally win a game on American soil.
Rookie corner Xavier Rhodes left the game with an injury late in the game with a possible knee injury. It looked scary. All possible knee injuries do. He returned later for a play. Hopefully, this isn't something that will keep him out for any length. The Vikings have a short week with a Thursday game.
AJ Jefferson replaced Rhodes and had a real nice interception. It was the first interception by a Vikings corner since about the '70s.
Christian Ponder played better but still had some issues. He threw an interception in the second half. He clearly didn't see the defender underneath receiver Greg Jennings on the play. He can't do that. His hail mary pass at the very end of the game was simply sad. Well short of the end zone. Desperation passes work best when they reach the intended parties. Despite all that, he looked more comfortable. He, again, put his team in position to win a game. In his five starts, he's done that three times. He has to stay away from turnovers. He's not making enough big plays to make up for a single mistake. He's got the rest of the season. If he doesn't shake out his issues, the Vikings will have a very early pick in the draft. That will pick will likely be a quarterback.
I was stunned by the New York Jets upset of the New Orleans Saints. In my opinion, the Saints have been the best team in football in recent weeks. It's difficult to explain the Jets defeat of the New England Patriots and Saints on either side of a 40-point loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Even more stunning was the embarrassment put on the Seattle Seahawks by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Seahawks won in overtime so the standings will show not show that a team with no wins beat up on the supposed best team in the league. The Seahawks are supposed to be untouchable at home. They are real lucky to be at 7-1. They were super lucky against the Houston Texans. They were lucky that the St. Louis Rams offense lost their collective minds at the end of their game. They were taken to task by the worst team in the league. The Seahawks are lucky to not be 4-4. People say that good teams find a way to win. Well, good teams don't routinely play down to inferior competition.
The Houston Texans pulled a similar stunt with the Indianapolis Colts. The Texans had the surging Colts on the ropes but a late rally brought normalcy and another Colts win.
The highlight of Sunday's games was the dandy played by Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles. Michael Vick's backup may be a backup no more. He tossed an NFL record seven touchdowns against the Oakland Raiders. That makes seven quarterbacks that have thrown seven touchdowns in a game in league history. The second this season after Peyton Manning did the deed in week one. Foles joins Sid Luckman, Adrian Burk (also an Eagle), Y.A. Tittle, Joe Kapp, and Manning. Now, will Foles be more like Burk or more like Luckman after this upswing in his career. I've been curious about Foles since his college days at Arizona. I once saw him complete nearly every one of his passes against Cal and there were a lot of passes. Only one of those passes traveled more than five yards from the line of scrimmage. He seemed to have great poise and terrific accuracy in the short game but you couldn't tell damn thing about his arm strength or immediate to deep accuracy. Seven touchdowns in an NFL game is a serious statement.
Week 9 brought surprises. Certainly the Cowboys pulling one away from the Vikings late was the biggest surprise. The Saints loss to the Jets was simply shocking to me. The Jets have an excellent defense. I like their defensive line a lot. Muhammad Wilkerson is a beast. Near wins by the struggling Buccaneers and Texans over the Seahawks and Colts were surprises as well.
Next week will bring some more surprises. The NFL always does. It starts Thursday with Vikings-Redskins.
The Vikings started the game with a no-huddle offense. It was a nice change. Quarterback Christian Ponder seemed to get in a rhythm. Unfortunately, the officials had something to say about that first series. A mystery hold on guard Charlie Johnson erased a 12-yard run by Adrian Peterson. Then a mystery non-call of defensive pass interference on a throw to receiver Jarius Wright. That first Vikings drive ended in a punt. It was the only Vikings punt of the first half. I still think that first drive was a success. The no-huddle was a nice change. Ponder looked comfortable and it gave defenses a little twist.
A lot has been made of the Vikings quarterback confusion all season. Too much has been made of it. There are too many issues to point at only one. The defense has probably been the biggest reason for the struggles. Yesterday was probably their best game. Most expected Tony Romo and the Cowboys offense to move the ball with ease against the Vikings. They couldn't. They couldn't run the ball. Actually, for some reason the Cowboys didn't run the ball. They had some big plays in the passing game but they weren't sustained. In earlier games, the Vikings defense bent and broke. Yesterday, the defense bent but mostly didn't break. Still, the Cowboys did enough to score more points.
It was 3-3 at the end of the first quarter. This might have been the Vikings best first quarter of the season.
Vikings led 10-6 at the half. It was probably the Vikings best half of the season.
The third quarter brought the sequence that may have buried the Vikings. The Cowboys opened the second half with an unfortunately nice drive to take a 13-10 lead. On the kickoff, Vikings rookie Cordarrelle Patterson mishandled the ball and it went out of bounds at the 5-yard line. Ponder dropped back to pass in the end zone. George Selvie zipped by right tackle J'Marcus Webb and knocked the ball from Ponder. Nick Hayden fell on the ball for an easy touchdown and a sudden 20-10 lead. Webb was in the game because starter Phil Loadholt left the game with a concussion late in the first half. Webb struggled the remainder of the game.
The Vikings responded nicely with a touchdown of their own on the next possession. Ponder hit tight end Kyle Rudolph for a 31-yard touchdown. Rudolph injured his ankle on the play and didn't return to the game.
The injuries to Loadholt and Rudolph were significant. The Vikings entered the game without tight end Rhett Ellison. The Vikings are a very tight end-centric team. Ellison's blocking is very important in the run and pass game. The combined loss of Ellison, Rudolph, and Loadholt was brutal.
Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant was kept mostly in check. 6 catches for 64 yards on the day. No touchdowns. Great players still find ways to make impact plays. 34 yards of his total came on one play on the final drive to get the Cowboys in position to win.
Cowboys tight end Jason Witten was a whole other matter. 8 catches, 102 yards, 26-yard touchdown. Every single catch seemed to move the chains.
The Vikings defensive line got nice pressure on Romo in the first half. Romo seemed to have a little more time in the second half.
Vikings running back Adrian Peterson was awesome. Again. 25 carries, 140 yards. 3 catches for 37 yards. His 11-yard touchdown run that gave the Vikings a 23-20 lead with 4:52 remaining was beautiful. It was all power and want-to. Tight end Chase Ford gave him a little help with a nice push into the end zone. At this point it looked like the Vikings might finally win a game on American soil.
Rookie corner Xavier Rhodes left the game with an injury late in the game with a possible knee injury. It looked scary. All possible knee injuries do. He returned later for a play. Hopefully, this isn't something that will keep him out for any length. The Vikings have a short week with a Thursday game.
AJ Jefferson replaced Rhodes and had a real nice interception. It was the first interception by a Vikings corner since about the '70s.
Christian Ponder played better but still had some issues. He threw an interception in the second half. He clearly didn't see the defender underneath receiver Greg Jennings on the play. He can't do that. His hail mary pass at the very end of the game was simply sad. Well short of the end zone. Desperation passes work best when they reach the intended parties. Despite all that, he looked more comfortable. He, again, put his team in position to win a game. In his five starts, he's done that three times. He has to stay away from turnovers. He's not making enough big plays to make up for a single mistake. He's got the rest of the season. If he doesn't shake out his issues, the Vikings will have a very early pick in the draft. That will pick will likely be a quarterback.
I was stunned by the New York Jets upset of the New Orleans Saints. In my opinion, the Saints have been the best team in football in recent weeks. It's difficult to explain the Jets defeat of the New England Patriots and Saints on either side of a 40-point loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Even more stunning was the embarrassment put on the Seattle Seahawks by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Seahawks won in overtime so the standings will show not show that a team with no wins beat up on the supposed best team in the league. The Seahawks are supposed to be untouchable at home. They are real lucky to be at 7-1. They were super lucky against the Houston Texans. They were lucky that the St. Louis Rams offense lost their collective minds at the end of their game. They were taken to task by the worst team in the league. The Seahawks are lucky to not be 4-4. People say that good teams find a way to win. Well, good teams don't routinely play down to inferior competition.
The Houston Texans pulled a similar stunt with the Indianapolis Colts. The Texans had the surging Colts on the ropes but a late rally brought normalcy and another Colts win.
The highlight of Sunday's games was the dandy played by Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles. Michael Vick's backup may be a backup no more. He tossed an NFL record seven touchdowns against the Oakland Raiders. That makes seven quarterbacks that have thrown seven touchdowns in a game in league history. The second this season after Peyton Manning did the deed in week one. Foles joins Sid Luckman, Adrian Burk (also an Eagle), Y.A. Tittle, Joe Kapp, and Manning. Now, will Foles be more like Burk or more like Luckman after this upswing in his career. I've been curious about Foles since his college days at Arizona. I once saw him complete nearly every one of his passes against Cal and there were a lot of passes. Only one of those passes traveled more than five yards from the line of scrimmage. He seemed to have great poise and terrific accuracy in the short game but you couldn't tell damn thing about his arm strength or immediate to deep accuracy. Seven touchdowns in an NFL game is a serious statement.
Week 9 brought surprises. Certainly the Cowboys pulling one away from the Vikings late was the biggest surprise. The Saints loss to the Jets was simply shocking to me. The Jets have an excellent defense. I like their defensive line a lot. Muhammad Wilkerson is a beast. Near wins by the struggling Buccaneers and Texans over the Seahawks and Colts were surprises as well.
Next week will bring some more surprises. The NFL always does. It starts Thursday with Vikings-Redskins.
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