Three weeks down. Here's how the teams stack up according to me.
1. New England Patriots: 3-0
2. Green Bay Packers: 3-0
3. Arizona Cardinals: 3-0
4. Cincinnati Bengals: 3-0
5. Denver Broncos: 3-0
6. Atlanta Falcons: 3-0
7. Minnesota Vikings: 2-1
8. Buffalo Bills: 2-1
9. Carolina Panthers: 3-0
10. New York Jets: 2-1
11. Dallas Cowboys: 2-1
12. Pittsburgh Steelers: 2-1
13. Seattle Seahawks: 1-2
14. Indianapolis Colts: 1-2
15. Oakland Raiders: 2-1
16. San Diego Chargers: 1-2
17. Kansas City Chiefs: 1-2
18. New York Giants: 1-2
19. St. Louis Rams: 1-2
20. Tennessee Titans: 1-2
21. Philadelphia Eagles: 1-2
22. Washington Redskins: 1-2
23. Baltimore Ravens: 0-3
24. Detroit Lions: 0-3
25. San Francisco 49ers: 1-2
26. Jacksonville Jaguars: 1-2
27. Houston Texans: 1-2
28. Miami Dolphins: 1-2
29. Cleveland Browns: 1-2
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 1-2
31. New Orleans Saints: 0-3
32. Chicago Bears: 0-3
The Patriots are the only team that's certain to remain undefeated after next week's games. They have their bye next week. Week Four is a ridiculous time to start the bye weeks. The Broncos have the biggest obstacle to remaining undefeated. They host the Vikings. The remaining undefeated teams have the following matchups next week:
Packers @ 49ers
Cardinals vs Rams
Bengals vs Chiefs
Falcons vs Texans
Panthers @ Buccaneers
The Packers and Panthers appear to have the easiest road to 4-0 but you never really know. The NFL is very much a week-to-week league.
Injuries impact every football season. After only three weeks injuries have already jumbled the top of the NFL food chain. The Cowboys and Steelers have already lost their star quarterbacks and team leaders for large chunks of the season. Tony Romo and Ben Roethlisberger had their teams as serious playoff and even Super Bowl contenders. That changes with Brandon Weeden and Michael Vick under center.
The Seahawks are far better than the #13 ranking but they won their first game of the season this past Sunday. They need to get over .500 before they get ranked where they should. The same is true for the Colts but they have even more proving to do. The Colts have played decent football for only one of their twelve quarters of football action.
It's still way too early to get any solid thoughts on any of these teams. Nearly everyone had written off the Patriots after four games last year.
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Too Easy
Playing quarterback at the NFL level isn't supposed to be easy. Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers makes it look easy. Everyone probably knows his football story by now. How he wasn't recruited out of high school. How Cal coach Jeff Tedford found him while recruiting another player from Butte College. How he slid to the Green Bay Packers in the 2005 NFL Draft. I can't speak to his play in high school. I never saw him play at that level. I can only speak to what I saw from him while he was at Cal. I saw every one of those games. The quarterback that tears up the NFL now could be seen in the quarterback that helped bring Cal back to relevance. The NFL should have seen it as well. All they had to do was look. His performance at USC in 2004 was one of the best I've ever seen from a college quarterback. He was nearly perfect on that day. The only problem with the Cal career of Aaron Rodgers was that he didn't stay for his senior season. He can't be blamed for that. He was ready for the NFL.
Aaron Rodgers should have been the first pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. The San Francisco 49ers had that pick. They were a BART ticket away from where Rodgers played his home games. They had to have heard of him. They had to have seen him play. The 49ers draft day selection of Utah quarterback Alex Smith is a pretty clear indication that they hadn't scouted him much at all. Packers head coach Mike McCarthy was the 49ers offensive coordinator in 2005. When the Packers hired McCarthy a year later, Rodgers asked him why the 49ers had passed. McCarthy told Rodgers that they didn't think that he was as mobile as he turned out to be. They must not have seen Rodgers play at all. Rodgers' mobility and accuracy were the traits that stood out the most. If they only bothered to look. McCarthy lucked into a quarterback that he didn't deserve.
Rodgers did have to work on some of his passing mechanics. He held the ball too high and his motion could be streamlined a bit. I didn't think that he needed to sit for three years before he received his starting shot but the Packers had Brett Favre. Rodgers was going to sit. He was going to sit, learn, and get used to the NFL. Whether he needed that wait or not there's no denying that he was ready when he finally got his shot. He completed 63.6% of his passes for 4,038 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions in his first season as a starter. He hasn't thrown that many interceptions in a season since. Outside of that first season and the 11 that he threw in the Packers Super Bowl season of 2010 he hasn't thrown more than eight. His ability to avoid interceptions is ridiculous but it shouldn't be a surprise. He showed a similar ability to stay away from mistakes at Cal.
I've been watching Aaron Rodgers closely since 2003. He's always had an "I know more than you do" air about him on the football field. The fact that he so rarely makes a mistake supports that confidence. Despite his high level of play and apparently knowing more than those trying to stop him Rodgers is always looking to improve. He was probably getting better those three years that he wasn't the Packers starter but we wouldn't know it. He has a terrific arm and release. The entire field and every throw is available to him whether he's in the pocket or outside of it. He has the athletic ability to take advantage of that arm in an instant. He always seems to be in a position to throw no matter the pressure around him. He moves well in the pocket and outside of it despite the opinions of the blind coaches and decision-makers that were in San Francisco in 2005. Despite being great or damn-near at everything that a quarterback needs to be great at he's always looking to improve his game. It seems like each year he adds a new wrinkle to his game. A few years ago, he started making pinpoint back-shoulder throws more often. It's a skill that nearly all of the top quarterbacks possess. Some just use it more than others. The ability to "throw open" a receiver. Drew Brees, in particular, has been deadly with back-shoulder throws. Suddenly Rodgers started doing it with Brees-like efficiency and frequency. Despite my great appreciation of Aaron Rodgers from our shared Cal affiliation I'm still a Minnesota Vikings fan. I really didn't need to see Rodgers improve his game. Ever! This season's still early but it already looks like he's gotten even better at moving in the pocket. Are you kidding me?!?
Aaron Rodgers really makes this game look too easy.
Aaron Rodgers should have been the first pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. The San Francisco 49ers had that pick. They were a BART ticket away from where Rodgers played his home games. They had to have heard of him. They had to have seen him play. The 49ers draft day selection of Utah quarterback Alex Smith is a pretty clear indication that they hadn't scouted him much at all. Packers head coach Mike McCarthy was the 49ers offensive coordinator in 2005. When the Packers hired McCarthy a year later, Rodgers asked him why the 49ers had passed. McCarthy told Rodgers that they didn't think that he was as mobile as he turned out to be. They must not have seen Rodgers play at all. Rodgers' mobility and accuracy were the traits that stood out the most. If they only bothered to look. McCarthy lucked into a quarterback that he didn't deserve.
Rodgers did have to work on some of his passing mechanics. He held the ball too high and his motion could be streamlined a bit. I didn't think that he needed to sit for three years before he received his starting shot but the Packers had Brett Favre. Rodgers was going to sit. He was going to sit, learn, and get used to the NFL. Whether he needed that wait or not there's no denying that he was ready when he finally got his shot. He completed 63.6% of his passes for 4,038 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions in his first season as a starter. He hasn't thrown that many interceptions in a season since. Outside of that first season and the 11 that he threw in the Packers Super Bowl season of 2010 he hasn't thrown more than eight. His ability to avoid interceptions is ridiculous but it shouldn't be a surprise. He showed a similar ability to stay away from mistakes at Cal.
I've been watching Aaron Rodgers closely since 2003. He's always had an "I know more than you do" air about him on the football field. The fact that he so rarely makes a mistake supports that confidence. Despite his high level of play and apparently knowing more than those trying to stop him Rodgers is always looking to improve. He was probably getting better those three years that he wasn't the Packers starter but we wouldn't know it. He has a terrific arm and release. The entire field and every throw is available to him whether he's in the pocket or outside of it. He has the athletic ability to take advantage of that arm in an instant. He always seems to be in a position to throw no matter the pressure around him. He moves well in the pocket and outside of it despite the opinions of the blind coaches and decision-makers that were in San Francisco in 2005. Despite being great or damn-near at everything that a quarterback needs to be great at he's always looking to improve his game. It seems like each year he adds a new wrinkle to his game. A few years ago, he started making pinpoint back-shoulder throws more often. It's a skill that nearly all of the top quarterbacks possess. Some just use it more than others. The ability to "throw open" a receiver. Drew Brees, in particular, has been deadly with back-shoulder throws. Suddenly Rodgers started doing it with Brees-like efficiency and frequency. Despite my great appreciation of Aaron Rodgers from our shared Cal affiliation I'm still a Minnesota Vikings fan. I really didn't need to see Rodgers improve his game. Ever! This season's still early but it already looks like he's gotten even better at moving in the pocket. Are you kidding me?!?
Aaron Rodgers really makes this game look too easy.
Monday, September 28, 2015
Week 3 Thoughts
The Minnesota Vikings defeated the San Diego Chargers 31-14 in Minnesota. The Vikings are now 2-1 on the season. The Chargers dropped to 1-2.
The Vikings won this game with defense and Adrian Peterson.
Peterson gained 126 yards on 20 carries. Two of those carries resulted in touchdowns. A 2-yard score in the first half. He scored from 43 yards on the Vikings first play from scrimmage in the second half.
That 43-yard score seemed to take a lot of wind out of the Chargers. It put the Vikings up by 10 at 17-7. There was still over 12 minutes left in the third quarter but the Chargers struggled to get anything going after that. They ended the first half on a high note with a touchdown. It looked like they might have some momentum. They received the kick to start the second half. Instead of the Chargers grabbing momentum the Vikings forced a three-and-out, Marcus Sherels had a nice punt return, and Peterson took that first offensive play for a touchdown. It felt like the Vikings had the game. The play of the defense had a lot to do with that.
The Vikings gave up two touchdowns. The first was that score at the end of the first half. The second was a garbage score at the end of the game against mostly backups.
The Vikings defense was terrific. They even added a score of their own. Down 24-7, the Chargers offense showed a bit of life in driving to the Vikings 14-yard line. Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers' pass bounced off the hands of receiver Stevie Johnson. Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway corralled the ball on the nine-yard line and started a 91-yard journey to the end zone. He had a convoy of about ten Vikings making the journey with him. Several players on the sideline ran it as well.
It's always cool to see offensive players celebrate with the defensive players after a defensive score. In this case it was cool to see Peterson, Charles Johnson, Teddy Bridgewater, and others celebrating with Greenway.
Chad Greenway's excellent, ten-year Vikings career is winding down. He renegotiated his contract, essentially taking a pay cut, to stay with the team. His playing time has been cut as younger players are populating the defense. He's a team leader as evidenced by his being voted a team captain. He can still play a role. He can still make an impact as evidenced by his 91-yard interception return. It's no surprised that the entire football team was happy for Greenway. And the game-clenching score.
Peterson's score might have taken the air out of the Chargers. Greenway's interception return took the life out of them. The game was essentially over about a minute into the fourth quarter. 31-7 at the time.
Outside of Peterson's fine game the Vikings offense did just enough. Barely. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater completed 13 of 24 passes for a slight total of 121 yards. He threw no touchdowns and an interception.
Bridgewater's statistics would have been a bit more robust if tight end Kyle Rudolph hadn't dropped what would have been a 24-yard touchdown on the team's second possession. Bridgewater threw the interception on the next play. Rudolph makes that catch and the Vikings have a touchdown and a game without a turnover.
Bridgewater was a game-manager yesterday. That will happen. With Peterson running like he was running and the defense playing like they were playing, this was the sort of game that Bridgewater needed to play. It was the sort of game that offensive coordinator Norv Turner scripted. Turner doesn't care a bit about statistics. He takes what the opposing defense gives and cares only about a win.
The Vikings best drive of the game took up nearly half of the third quarter. It was a 16-play, 86-yard drive that consumed 7:19 of the third quarter clock. It was helped nicely by a Chargers holding penalty on a successful field goal attempt. The Vikings took advantage of the Chargers special teams mistake and turned that field goal into a Zack Line touchdown plunge and a net gain of four points.
Despite an overall excellent game from the Vikings defense. There were still some issues. The Vikings forced the Chargers into a 3rd-and-18 from the 12-yard line late in the first half. They have to get off of the field in these 3rd-and-long situations. They just have to. They didn't this time. They gave up a 39-yard Rivers to Malcolm Floyd pass for a first down and some much needed momentum for the Chargers.
That big play led to a Rivers 34-yard touchdown pass to Keenan Allen a few players later. This touchdown felt like a game-changer. It cut the Vikings lead to 10-7 and cornerback Xavier Rhodes suffered a concussion on the play. The Chargers received the second half kickoff and the Vikings best corner was out for the game.
Hopefully Rhodes is back next week. They need him. He's one of the best young corners in the game but the loss might have been a blessing yesterday. It gave first round pick Trae Waynes some playing time. He did some good things. His tackling was sure if not always immediate. His coverage was often solid. He was successful covering Floyd but had some issues with Allen. It was a great opportunity for Waynes and both he and the team will be better for it.
I've always liked Philip Rivers. He's always been in the shadow of Rodgers, Manning, Brady, Roethlisberger, and Brees. The lack of a Super Bowl win will do that but he's an elite quarterback. Tough too. He had to be tough yesterday.
For the second week in a row the Vikings defense has given the opposing quarterback a beating. They beat up Matthew Stafford of the Detroit Lions last week despite sacking him once. The Vikings sacked Rivers four times and put him on the ground several more. Kellen Clemens replaced Rivers late in the game. The game was out of reach and Rivers was taking a beating.
The Chargers have a couple of very promising football players named Melvin. Linebacker Melvin Ingram was selected in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft to be a defensive playmaker. He's become that playmaker. Opposing offenses have to account for him on every play. The other promising Melvin is rookie running back Melvin Gordon. The Vikings held him to 51 yards on 14 carries but he looks like a good one. Nice movement and vision. He can break tackles or elude them. He never really got loose yesterday. His longest run was 13 yards but it often took several defenders to get him to the turf on nearly all of his 14 carries.
The Chargers dropped to 1-2 but they should be part of the AFC West chase. Rivers is great. They have offensive playmakers in running backs Gordon, Danny Woodhead, Branden Oliver, and receivers Allen, Malcolm Floyd, and Stevie Johnson. They will get tight ends Antonio Gates (suspension) and Ladarius Green (concussion) back soon. They have some serious offensive weapons. Their offensive line has to get healthy. Their depth up front was seriously challenged yesterday. They are dealing with some injuries in the secondary as well. When healthy they have some nice players on the defensive side of the ball. I think that rookie linebacker Kyle Emanuel will be a player to watch as we move through the season.
The Vikings defense was supposed to be a strength this season. They weren't that first week against the San Francisco 49ers. They have been against the Lions last week and the Chargers yesterday. If they keep improving each week they could be truly dominant soon. The offense has been good enough since that first week disaster due to the running of Peterson. Bridgewater hasn't had to do much. It would be nice to see more of a balance between the run and pass. But wins are all that matters.
The Vikings travel to Denver next week. I'm sure that they'll try to go after Peyton Manning like they have gone after Stafford and Rivers.
It's probably been said by a bunch of people but Chargers kicker Josh Lambo really should be playing for Green Bay.
The St. Louis Rams had a bit of a pyrotechnic incident before their game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Some burning turf delayed the start of their game for about 26 minutes. The Steelers won the low-scoring game 12-6 but they lost quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to a knee injury. It was reported that he'll miss at least four weeks. There's good and bad news there.
The Arizona Cardinals defense got their team off to a lightning-fast start against the San Francisco 49ers. They returned two interceptions for touchdowns before the game was even six minutes old.
Justin Bethel had the first of those interception returns. He was drafted out of itty-bitty Presbyterian College. I saw him play against Cal during his college days. He was the best football player on the field that particular day. Bethel has been one of the best special teams players in the league for a while now. Now he's making a spot for himself in the Cardinals talented secondary.
Some have been trying to retire Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald for a while now. He's still playing great. Any aspiring receiver would do themselves a great favor by watching him closely. He had 9 catches for 134 yards and 2 touchdowns yesterday.
The Indianapolis Colts entered this week at a surprising 0-2. They looked like they might exit the week at a surprising 0-3. Then Andrew Luck started playing some football. That and some defensive plays got them past division-foe Tennessee Titans 35-33.
The Seattle Seahawks finally got a win! They shut out the Jay Cutler-less Chicago Bears 26-0. Congratulations Seattle!
The Baltimore Ravens still haven't won a game. Their third loss was the third win for division rival Cincinnati Bengals. That isn't good news for the Ravens. It's still early but they are as far behind as they can get right now.
The New Orleans Saints have the same sort of deficit in the NFC South but they didn't have Super Bowl dreams like the Ravens. The 0-3 Saints lost to the 3-0 Carolina Panthers.
The Dallas Cowboys twice had a two touchdown lead over the Atlanta Falcons in the second quarter at 21-7 at 28-14.Then the Falcons scored 25 unanswered points to secure a 39-28 win. The Cowboys lost their first game of the season. The Falcons are still haven't lost their first game of the season.
Falcons receiver Julio Jones is on fire. 12 more catches for 164 more yards and another 2 touchdowns. That sort of stat line is becoming routine for him.
Falcons running Devonta Freeman filled in nicely for injured rookie back Tevin Coleman. 30 carries for 141 yards and 3 touchdowns. He added another 52 yards receiving.
All three of the Falcons wins have come against NFC East teams. Giants, Eagles, and Cowboys. They have the Redskins in two weeks.
Everybody is dissecting every one of Peyton Manning's wobbly throws. He still has the Broncos undefeated.
The Green Bay Packers host the Kansas City Chiefs tonight in a rematch of the Super Bowl I.
The Vikings won this game with defense and Adrian Peterson.
Peterson gained 126 yards on 20 carries. Two of those carries resulted in touchdowns. A 2-yard score in the first half. He scored from 43 yards on the Vikings first play from scrimmage in the second half.
That 43-yard score seemed to take a lot of wind out of the Chargers. It put the Vikings up by 10 at 17-7. There was still over 12 minutes left in the third quarter but the Chargers struggled to get anything going after that. They ended the first half on a high note with a touchdown. It looked like they might have some momentum. They received the kick to start the second half. Instead of the Chargers grabbing momentum the Vikings forced a three-and-out, Marcus Sherels had a nice punt return, and Peterson took that first offensive play for a touchdown. It felt like the Vikings had the game. The play of the defense had a lot to do with that.
The Vikings gave up two touchdowns. The first was that score at the end of the first half. The second was a garbage score at the end of the game against mostly backups.
The Vikings defense was terrific. They even added a score of their own. Down 24-7, the Chargers offense showed a bit of life in driving to the Vikings 14-yard line. Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers' pass bounced off the hands of receiver Stevie Johnson. Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway corralled the ball on the nine-yard line and started a 91-yard journey to the end zone. He had a convoy of about ten Vikings making the journey with him. Several players on the sideline ran it as well.
It's always cool to see offensive players celebrate with the defensive players after a defensive score. In this case it was cool to see Peterson, Charles Johnson, Teddy Bridgewater, and others celebrating with Greenway.
Chad Greenway's excellent, ten-year Vikings career is winding down. He renegotiated his contract, essentially taking a pay cut, to stay with the team. His playing time has been cut as younger players are populating the defense. He's a team leader as evidenced by his being voted a team captain. He can still play a role. He can still make an impact as evidenced by his 91-yard interception return. It's no surprised that the entire football team was happy for Greenway. And the game-clenching score.
Peterson's score might have taken the air out of the Chargers. Greenway's interception return took the life out of them. The game was essentially over about a minute into the fourth quarter. 31-7 at the time.
Outside of Peterson's fine game the Vikings offense did just enough. Barely. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater completed 13 of 24 passes for a slight total of 121 yards. He threw no touchdowns and an interception.
Bridgewater's statistics would have been a bit more robust if tight end Kyle Rudolph hadn't dropped what would have been a 24-yard touchdown on the team's second possession. Bridgewater threw the interception on the next play. Rudolph makes that catch and the Vikings have a touchdown and a game without a turnover.
Bridgewater was a game-manager yesterday. That will happen. With Peterson running like he was running and the defense playing like they were playing, this was the sort of game that Bridgewater needed to play. It was the sort of game that offensive coordinator Norv Turner scripted. Turner doesn't care a bit about statistics. He takes what the opposing defense gives and cares only about a win.
The Vikings best drive of the game took up nearly half of the third quarter. It was a 16-play, 86-yard drive that consumed 7:19 of the third quarter clock. It was helped nicely by a Chargers holding penalty on a successful field goal attempt. The Vikings took advantage of the Chargers special teams mistake and turned that field goal into a Zack Line touchdown plunge and a net gain of four points.
Despite an overall excellent game from the Vikings defense. There were still some issues. The Vikings forced the Chargers into a 3rd-and-18 from the 12-yard line late in the first half. They have to get off of the field in these 3rd-and-long situations. They just have to. They didn't this time. They gave up a 39-yard Rivers to Malcolm Floyd pass for a first down and some much needed momentum for the Chargers.
That big play led to a Rivers 34-yard touchdown pass to Keenan Allen a few players later. This touchdown felt like a game-changer. It cut the Vikings lead to 10-7 and cornerback Xavier Rhodes suffered a concussion on the play. The Chargers received the second half kickoff and the Vikings best corner was out for the game.
Hopefully Rhodes is back next week. They need him. He's one of the best young corners in the game but the loss might have been a blessing yesterday. It gave first round pick Trae Waynes some playing time. He did some good things. His tackling was sure if not always immediate. His coverage was often solid. He was successful covering Floyd but had some issues with Allen. It was a great opportunity for Waynes and both he and the team will be better for it.
I've always liked Philip Rivers. He's always been in the shadow of Rodgers, Manning, Brady, Roethlisberger, and Brees. The lack of a Super Bowl win will do that but he's an elite quarterback. Tough too. He had to be tough yesterday.
For the second week in a row the Vikings defense has given the opposing quarterback a beating. They beat up Matthew Stafford of the Detroit Lions last week despite sacking him once. The Vikings sacked Rivers four times and put him on the ground several more. Kellen Clemens replaced Rivers late in the game. The game was out of reach and Rivers was taking a beating.
The Chargers have a couple of very promising football players named Melvin. Linebacker Melvin Ingram was selected in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft to be a defensive playmaker. He's become that playmaker. Opposing offenses have to account for him on every play. The other promising Melvin is rookie running back Melvin Gordon. The Vikings held him to 51 yards on 14 carries but he looks like a good one. Nice movement and vision. He can break tackles or elude them. He never really got loose yesterday. His longest run was 13 yards but it often took several defenders to get him to the turf on nearly all of his 14 carries.
The Chargers dropped to 1-2 but they should be part of the AFC West chase. Rivers is great. They have offensive playmakers in running backs Gordon, Danny Woodhead, Branden Oliver, and receivers Allen, Malcolm Floyd, and Stevie Johnson. They will get tight ends Antonio Gates (suspension) and Ladarius Green (concussion) back soon. They have some serious offensive weapons. Their offensive line has to get healthy. Their depth up front was seriously challenged yesterday. They are dealing with some injuries in the secondary as well. When healthy they have some nice players on the defensive side of the ball. I think that rookie linebacker Kyle Emanuel will be a player to watch as we move through the season.
The Vikings defense was supposed to be a strength this season. They weren't that first week against the San Francisco 49ers. They have been against the Lions last week and the Chargers yesterday. If they keep improving each week they could be truly dominant soon. The offense has been good enough since that first week disaster due to the running of Peterson. Bridgewater hasn't had to do much. It would be nice to see more of a balance between the run and pass. But wins are all that matters.
The Vikings travel to Denver next week. I'm sure that they'll try to go after Peyton Manning like they have gone after Stafford and Rivers.
It's probably been said by a bunch of people but Chargers kicker Josh Lambo really should be playing for Green Bay.
The St. Louis Rams had a bit of a pyrotechnic incident before their game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Some burning turf delayed the start of their game for about 26 minutes. The Steelers won the low-scoring game 12-6 but they lost quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to a knee injury. It was reported that he'll miss at least four weeks. There's good and bad news there.
The Arizona Cardinals defense got their team off to a lightning-fast start against the San Francisco 49ers. They returned two interceptions for touchdowns before the game was even six minutes old.
Justin Bethel had the first of those interception returns. He was drafted out of itty-bitty Presbyterian College. I saw him play against Cal during his college days. He was the best football player on the field that particular day. Bethel has been one of the best special teams players in the league for a while now. Now he's making a spot for himself in the Cardinals talented secondary.
Some have been trying to retire Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald for a while now. He's still playing great. Any aspiring receiver would do themselves a great favor by watching him closely. He had 9 catches for 134 yards and 2 touchdowns yesterday.
The Indianapolis Colts entered this week at a surprising 0-2. They looked like they might exit the week at a surprising 0-3. Then Andrew Luck started playing some football. That and some defensive plays got them past division-foe Tennessee Titans 35-33.
The Seattle Seahawks finally got a win! They shut out the Jay Cutler-less Chicago Bears 26-0. Congratulations Seattle!
The Baltimore Ravens still haven't won a game. Their third loss was the third win for division rival Cincinnati Bengals. That isn't good news for the Ravens. It's still early but they are as far behind as they can get right now.
The New Orleans Saints have the same sort of deficit in the NFC South but they didn't have Super Bowl dreams like the Ravens. The 0-3 Saints lost to the 3-0 Carolina Panthers.
The Dallas Cowboys twice had a two touchdown lead over the Atlanta Falcons in the second quarter at 21-7 at 28-14.Then the Falcons scored 25 unanswered points to secure a 39-28 win. The Cowboys lost their first game of the season. The Falcons are still haven't lost their first game of the season.
Falcons receiver Julio Jones is on fire. 12 more catches for 164 more yards and another 2 touchdowns. That sort of stat line is becoming routine for him.
Falcons running Devonta Freeman filled in nicely for injured rookie back Tevin Coleman. 30 carries for 141 yards and 3 touchdowns. He added another 52 yards receiving.
All three of the Falcons wins have come against NFC East teams. Giants, Eagles, and Cowboys. They have the Redskins in two weeks.
Everybody is dissecting every one of Peyton Manning's wobbly throws. He still has the Broncos undefeated.
The Green Bay Packers host the Kansas City Chiefs tonight in a rematch of the Super Bowl I.
Sunday, September 27, 2015
Game Day Picks
It's Week 3 of the 2015 NFL Season. The last without those damn byes. Here are my picks for the week.
San Diego Chargers at Minnesota Vikings
Pick: Vikings
Of course.
Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens
Pick: Ravens
The Bengals are playing as well as any team in the league but I just can't see the Ravens falling to 0-3.
New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers
Pick: Panthers
With Brees out it's difficult to pick the Saints.
Oakland Raiders at Cleveland Browns
Pick: Browns
This is a tough one but I'll go with the home team.
Atlanta Falcons at Dallas Cowboys
Pick: Falcons
No Romo. No Bryant. And the Falcons have Julio Jones.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Houston Texans
Pick: Texans
Winston meets Watt.
Jacksonville Jaguars at New England Patriots
Pick: Patriots
I think that the Jaguars are team on the rise but this is the Patriots.
Philadelphia Eagles at New York Jets
Pick: Jets
I'll pick against the Eagles until Chip Kelly gives me a reason not to.
Pittsburgh Steelers at St. Louis Rams
Pick: Steelers
Le'Veon Bell returns.
Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans
Pick: Colts
I can't see the Colts falling to 0-3 at the hands of the Titans.
San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals
Pick: Cardinals
NFC West games are always a toss-up no matter how great or bad each team is playing. The Cardinals are playing great.
Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins
Pick: Bills
The Bills rebound from a tough Patriots loss.
Chicago Bears at Seattle Seahawks
Pick: Seahawks
This game seems so lopsided that it could go the unexpected way but the Seahawks can't lose this game.
Denver Broncos at Detroit Lions
Pick: Broncos
The Vikings beat up Matthew Stafford last week. He doesn't catch a break with the Broncos defense up next.
Kansas City Chiefs at Green Bay Packers
The Packers keep losing players to injuries. That happened the year that they won the Super Bowl as well. Aaron Rodgers looks unstoppable.
These picks should not be used for gambling purposes.
San Diego Chargers at Minnesota Vikings
Pick: Vikings
Of course.
Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens
Pick: Ravens
The Bengals are playing as well as any team in the league but I just can't see the Ravens falling to 0-3.
New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers
Pick: Panthers
With Brees out it's difficult to pick the Saints.
Oakland Raiders at Cleveland Browns
Pick: Browns
This is a tough one but I'll go with the home team.
Atlanta Falcons at Dallas Cowboys
Pick: Falcons
No Romo. No Bryant. And the Falcons have Julio Jones.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Houston Texans
Pick: Texans
Winston meets Watt.
Jacksonville Jaguars at New England Patriots
Pick: Patriots
I think that the Jaguars are team on the rise but this is the Patriots.
Philadelphia Eagles at New York Jets
Pick: Jets
I'll pick against the Eagles until Chip Kelly gives me a reason not to.
Pittsburgh Steelers at St. Louis Rams
Pick: Steelers
Le'Veon Bell returns.
Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans
Pick: Colts
I can't see the Colts falling to 0-3 at the hands of the Titans.
San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals
Pick: Cardinals
NFC West games are always a toss-up no matter how great or bad each team is playing. The Cardinals are playing great.
Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins
Pick: Bills
The Bills rebound from a tough Patriots loss.
Chicago Bears at Seattle Seahawks
Pick: Seahawks
This game seems so lopsided that it could go the unexpected way but the Seahawks can't lose this game.
Denver Broncos at Detroit Lions
Pick: Broncos
The Vikings beat up Matthew Stafford last week. He doesn't catch a break with the Broncos defense up next.
Kansas City Chiefs at Green Bay Packers
The Packers keep losing players to injuries. That happened the year that they won the Super Bowl as well. Aaron Rodgers looks unstoppable.
These picks should not be used for gambling purposes.
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Top Giants
Perhaps as a follow-up to their Thursday night broadcast of the New York Giants triumph over the Washington Redskins, NFL Network dropped another one of their terrific Top-10 lists last night. The Top-10 Giants of All-Time. The talking heads at the Network have their list. I have mine. Here it is:
1. Lawrence Taylor
2. Mel Hein
3. Roosevelt Brown
4. Frank Gifford
5. Michael Strahan
6. Harry Carson
7. Emlen Tunnell
8. Ken Strong
9. Eli Manning
10. Phil Simms
Some might say that Red Grange's introduction saved the struggling NFL in 1925. The New York Giants joining the league that same year just as important. The five-year old NFL was still made up of mostly snall-town teams playing their games in Akron, Racine, Hammond, and Kenosha. The New York Giants brought the lead a little bit of prestige and much more recognition. It didn't hurt that they were soon a success on the field. They won their first title in 1927. The Giants have been one of the NFL's flagship franchises ever since. Only the Cardinals, Bears, and Packers have a longer history. The Giants have a great tradition of on-the-field success. Eight league titles. Only the Packers (13) and Bears (9) have more. That success makes it difficult to whittle the greatest Giants to a list of only 10. Tuffy Leemans, Benny Friedman, Sam Huff, and Y.A. Tittle are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. They are tough to leave off of this list. Charley Conerly and Tiki Barber aren't in the Hall of Fame. There's a valid argument that they should be. Barber probably would be if the first part of his career was as great as the second.
Here's the Top-10 Giants list that NFL Network put together:
1. Lawrence Taylor
2. Roosevelt Brown
3. Michael Strahan
4. Frank Gifford
5. Mel Hein
6. Sam Huff
7. Eli Manning
8. Harry Carson
9. Phil Simms
10. Tiki Barber
I made my list before viewing NFL Network's list so as not to be influenced. Only two were different. I had Emlen Tunnell and Ken Strong. NFL Network had Sam Huff and Tiki Barber. I was worried that the panelists wouldn't pay proper attention to the older players. It seems like a lot of people ignore NFL seasons that didn't include a Super Bowl. There was a lot of great football played before 1965. It was great to see Roosevelt Brown and Mel Hein in the top-5. They did miss the boat on Emlen Tunnell. He's one of the best safeties to ever play the game. It was tough for me to leave Sam Huff off of my list so it was great to see him on this one.
One former Giants player that I've always felt is very underrated is linebacker Carl Banks. He played in the shadow of Lawrence Taylor and Harry Carson at the position. There really wasn't much room for him to get any attention but he deserved far more than he he received. I always thought that he was a terrific football player. One of the best linebackers of his era. It was great to see him give commentary on some of the players that made this Giants Top-10 list. It would've been nice to hear some of the people talking about him.
1. Lawrence Taylor
2. Mel Hein
3. Roosevelt Brown
4. Frank Gifford
5. Michael Strahan
6. Harry Carson
7. Emlen Tunnell
8. Ken Strong
9. Eli Manning
10. Phil Simms
Some might say that Red Grange's introduction saved the struggling NFL in 1925. The New York Giants joining the league that same year just as important. The five-year old NFL was still made up of mostly snall-town teams playing their games in Akron, Racine, Hammond, and Kenosha. The New York Giants brought the lead a little bit of prestige and much more recognition. It didn't hurt that they were soon a success on the field. They won their first title in 1927. The Giants have been one of the NFL's flagship franchises ever since. Only the Cardinals, Bears, and Packers have a longer history. The Giants have a great tradition of on-the-field success. Eight league titles. Only the Packers (13) and Bears (9) have more. That success makes it difficult to whittle the greatest Giants to a list of only 10. Tuffy Leemans, Benny Friedman, Sam Huff, and Y.A. Tittle are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. They are tough to leave off of this list. Charley Conerly and Tiki Barber aren't in the Hall of Fame. There's a valid argument that they should be. Barber probably would be if the first part of his career was as great as the second.
Here's the Top-10 Giants list that NFL Network put together:
1. Lawrence Taylor
2. Roosevelt Brown
3. Michael Strahan
4. Frank Gifford
5. Mel Hein
6. Sam Huff
7. Eli Manning
8. Harry Carson
9. Phil Simms
10. Tiki Barber
I made my list before viewing NFL Network's list so as not to be influenced. Only two were different. I had Emlen Tunnell and Ken Strong. NFL Network had Sam Huff and Tiki Barber. I was worried that the panelists wouldn't pay proper attention to the older players. It seems like a lot of people ignore NFL seasons that didn't include a Super Bowl. There was a lot of great football played before 1965. It was great to see Roosevelt Brown and Mel Hein in the top-5. They did miss the boat on Emlen Tunnell. He's one of the best safeties to ever play the game. It was tough for me to leave Sam Huff off of my list so it was great to see him on this one.
One former Giants player that I've always felt is very underrated is linebacker Carl Banks. He played in the shadow of Lawrence Taylor and Harry Carson at the position. There really wasn't much room for him to get any attention but he deserved far more than he he received. I always thought that he was a terrific football player. One of the best linebackers of his era. It was great to see him give commentary on some of the players that made this Giants Top-10 list. It would've been nice to hear some of the people talking about him.
Friday, September 25, 2015
2014 Draft Musings
As the 2014 NFL Draft crept closer four players rose to the top this Minnesota Vikings fan's wish list. I knew that Buffalo linebacker Khalil Mack was a pipe dream. There was no chance that he'd be available when the Vikings picked at #8. No chance! And he wasn't available. When he was still available after the Jacksonville Jaguars surprised many with the selection of quarterback Blake Bortles at #3 there was some brief hope but it wasn't meant to be. Mack was selected by the Oakland Raiders at #5. That left three players from that wish list:
Teddy Bridgewater
Anthony Barr
Aaron Donald
Bridgewater shouldn't have been available at #8 either but teams ran away from him due to a disappointing Pro Day. It's funny how so many seem to forget about actual football games during the silly days of the draft evaluation process. Not only was Bridgewater available for the Vikings at #8 he was still available at #32. That's when they made a trade with the Seattle Seahawks to come away with a first round bonanza of UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr and Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. Two players from my list! I was pretty thrilled about that. It's still so early in their respective NFL careers but it sure looks like the Vikings found two franchise-changing football players in the 2014 NFL Draft. One on each side of the ball. There's a lot of excitement in Minnesota. Some of it's due to a sparkling new stadium set to open next year. Most of it's due to the additions made to the team in 2014. The drafting of Barr and Bridgewater and the hiring of Mike Zimmer. But this isn't about any of that. It isn't about Kahlil Mack either. This is about the other player on my wish list. This is about Aaron Donald.
When I first heard about Pitt defensive tackle Aaron Donald I was reminded of Minnesota Vikings Hall of Famer John Randle. When I finally saw Donald play I was even more reminded of Randle. The respective paths to the NFL of Randle and Donald are very different. Randle was undrafted out of itty-bitty Texas A&M-Kingsville in 1990. He tried out for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He probably got the tryout because his brother Ervin already played there. The Buccaneers didn't sign him because they thought that he was too small for the interior of the line at about 6'1" and 287-lbs. The Vikings picked him up during training camp. He made the team but the Vikings weren't too sure what they had in him. He was small, strong, and quick. He was playing at a time when football players on both sides of the line were getting bigger at a pretty rapid rate. He used what he had against the bigger guys and excelled with unrelenting effort. He made his first of several Pro Bowl and All-Pro teams in 1993. He was a wonder to watch and quickly became a fan favorite. Donald, listed at 6'1" and 285-lbs, is remarkably similar to Randle but his route to the NFL was a little easier perhaps because of Randle. Donald was selected by the St. Louis Rams with the 13th pick of the first round. He was expected to be an impact player. He had top-5 talent. He just wasn't picked there. Probably because of his size. There were questions. Could his strength and quickness be as effective in the NFL as it was in college? Could he hold up to the size and skill of NFL offensive linemen? Randle showed that players this size could succeed, even excel. The success of similarly size-challenged (at least vertically) Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Geno Atkins helped probably helped Donald's cause as well. Maybe some day NFL decision-makers will learn that size doesn't necessarily make the football player. The Rams found themselves an unbelievable defensive play-maker. He was the 2014 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year after a 9-sacke season. He has 2.5 sacks after two games this year. He joined a ridiculously talented defensive line in St. Louis. Donald filled out a line of four first-round picks. An opposing offense has a lot of worries when facing the Rams defense. After 18 games Donald might be an opposing offense's biggest worry. He gets off of the line so fast. He can get under and past the bigger offensive linemen before they can do anything about it. He spends a lot of time in opposing backfields. He's a beast.
It's still so early but a lot of teams will probably look back fondly on the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Four of the 32 players selected were tapped for the Pro Bowl for their play in their rookie seasons. Odell Beckham Jr., C.J. Mosley, and Zack Martin joined Donald in Arizona for the game. Kahlil Mack, Anthony Batt, Teddy Bridgewater, Sammy Watkins, Mike Evans, Taylor Lewan, Kyle Fuller, Ryan Shazier, Brandin Cooks, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Jason Verrett, and Kelvin Benjamin look like football players that might attend a few Pro Bowls of their own. If they aren't too busy preparing for a Super Bowl.
Teddy Bridgewater
Anthony Barr
Aaron Donald
Bridgewater shouldn't have been available at #8 either but teams ran away from him due to a disappointing Pro Day. It's funny how so many seem to forget about actual football games during the silly days of the draft evaluation process. Not only was Bridgewater available for the Vikings at #8 he was still available at #32. That's when they made a trade with the Seattle Seahawks to come away with a first round bonanza of UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr and Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. Two players from my list! I was pretty thrilled about that. It's still so early in their respective NFL careers but it sure looks like the Vikings found two franchise-changing football players in the 2014 NFL Draft. One on each side of the ball. There's a lot of excitement in Minnesota. Some of it's due to a sparkling new stadium set to open next year. Most of it's due to the additions made to the team in 2014. The drafting of Barr and Bridgewater and the hiring of Mike Zimmer. But this isn't about any of that. It isn't about Kahlil Mack either. This is about the other player on my wish list. This is about Aaron Donald.
When I first heard about Pitt defensive tackle Aaron Donald I was reminded of Minnesota Vikings Hall of Famer John Randle. When I finally saw Donald play I was even more reminded of Randle. The respective paths to the NFL of Randle and Donald are very different. Randle was undrafted out of itty-bitty Texas A&M-Kingsville in 1990. He tried out for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He probably got the tryout because his brother Ervin already played there. The Buccaneers didn't sign him because they thought that he was too small for the interior of the line at about 6'1" and 287-lbs. The Vikings picked him up during training camp. He made the team but the Vikings weren't too sure what they had in him. He was small, strong, and quick. He was playing at a time when football players on both sides of the line were getting bigger at a pretty rapid rate. He used what he had against the bigger guys and excelled with unrelenting effort. He made his first of several Pro Bowl and All-Pro teams in 1993. He was a wonder to watch and quickly became a fan favorite. Donald, listed at 6'1" and 285-lbs, is remarkably similar to Randle but his route to the NFL was a little easier perhaps because of Randle. Donald was selected by the St. Louis Rams with the 13th pick of the first round. He was expected to be an impact player. He had top-5 talent. He just wasn't picked there. Probably because of his size. There were questions. Could his strength and quickness be as effective in the NFL as it was in college? Could he hold up to the size and skill of NFL offensive linemen? Randle showed that players this size could succeed, even excel. The success of similarly size-challenged (at least vertically) Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Geno Atkins helped probably helped Donald's cause as well. Maybe some day NFL decision-makers will learn that size doesn't necessarily make the football player. The Rams found themselves an unbelievable defensive play-maker. He was the 2014 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year after a 9-sacke season. He has 2.5 sacks after two games this year. He joined a ridiculously talented defensive line in St. Louis. Donald filled out a line of four first-round picks. An opposing offense has a lot of worries when facing the Rams defense. After 18 games Donald might be an opposing offense's biggest worry. He gets off of the line so fast. He can get under and past the bigger offensive linemen before they can do anything about it. He spends a lot of time in opposing backfields. He's a beast.
It's still so early but a lot of teams will probably look back fondly on the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Four of the 32 players selected were tapped for the Pro Bowl for their play in their rookie seasons. Odell Beckham Jr., C.J. Mosley, and Zack Martin joined Donald in Arizona for the game. Kahlil Mack, Anthony Batt, Teddy Bridgewater, Sammy Watkins, Mike Evans, Taylor Lewan, Kyle Fuller, Ryan Shazier, Brandin Cooks, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Jason Verrett, and Kelvin Benjamin look like football players that might attend a few Pro Bowls of their own. If they aren't too busy preparing for a Super Bowl.
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Throwback Thursday: All-Time Franchise Quarterbacks
Here's a Flea Flicker look at the best quarterback, the all-time franchise quarterback, of each NFL team.
Minnesota Vikings
Fran Tarkenton
The Vikings have been looking for Tarkenton's replacement since 1978.
Green Bay Packers
Aaron Rodgers
The Packers have had ridiculous talent at this all-important position. Arnie Herber and Bart Starr are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Brett Favre will be there next year. Rodgers will be join them five years after he retires. Herber and Starr have nine NFL titles between them. Rodgers gets the pick here because he's the most talented of the bunch. Plus, he went to Cal.
Chicago Bears
Sid Luckman
The Bears have been for Luckman's replacement since 1950.
Detroit Lions
Bobby Layne
It's difficult to believe now that there was a time when the Lions were one of the best teams in the league. That was the 1950's. Layne was the reason.
New York Giants
Eli Manning
Because of Manning's occasional struggles it's so tempting to pick Charley Conerly or Y.A. Tittle. Manning has twice as many titles as Tittle and Conerly combined.
Dallas Cowboys
Roger Staubach
He was great. He was even better at the end of games.
Washington Redskins
Sammy Baugh
He's one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game. He was a terrific defensive back and punter too.
Philadelphia Eagles
Tommy Thompson
It's tough to decide between Thompson and Norm Van Brocklin. Thompson's titles in 1948 and 1949 trumps Van Brocklin's title in 1960.
New Orleans Saints
Drew Brees
The Saints have been a league afterthought for most their existence. Brees made the Saints relevant.
Atlanta Falcons
Matt Ryan
He's been very good since his rookie season. He has to lead the Falcons to greater postseason success.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Brad Johnson
Well, he won a Super Bowl. The Buccaneers have a tendency to let their best quarterbacks leave. Doug Williams, Steve Young. Maybe Jameis Winston will put an end to that tendency.
Carolina Panthers
Cam Newton
He's easily the most talented quarterback in team's short history.
San Francisco 49ers
Joe Montana
Here's another team with an incredible abundance of talent at the position. Y.A. Tittle, John Brodie, Montana, Steve Young. Montana is in the argument for best quarterback ever.
St. Louis Rams
Bob Waterfield
Some might want Kurt Warner in this spot. Waterfield gets it instead. He led the Rams to titles in 1945 and 1951. He's in the Hall of Fame. He married Jane Russell.
Arizona Cardinals
Paul Christman
Some might want Kurt Warner in this spot as well. He was magical in the Cardinals run to the Super Bowl. The Cardinals are the oldest team in the league. They've experienced very little success in all of those years. Their "golden years" were a couple of years in the late 1940s. They won the title in 1947. They played for the title in 1948. Christman was the quarterback of those teams.
Seattle Seahawks
Russell Wilson
This is only his fourth year in the league! Jim Zorn might get some consideration but Wilson has been too remarkable in his brief time in the league.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Ben Roethlisberger
It's hard to not pick Terry Bradshaw but Roethlisberger is the best quarterback in franchise history.
Cleveland Browns
Otto Graham
He led the Browns to ten straight championship game appearances in his ten-year career. Winning seven of them. This choice is so easy.
Cincinnati Bengals
Ken Anderson
He should be in the Hall of Fame.
Baltimore Ravens
Joe Flacco
This is another easy choice for a franchise with a fairly short and very strange history. They were the Browns prior to the 1996 season. Flacco has been a very good quarterback in the regular season. He becomes a great quarterback when the playoffs start.
New England Patriots
Tom Brady
You don't have to think too hard on this one.
New York Jets
Joe Namath
Anyone that doubts his Hall of Fame credentials should listen to the defensive players that had to play against him. He was an unbelievable passing talent.
Buffalo Bills
Jim Kelly
Another easy one.
Miami Dolphins
Dan Marino
Here's a quarterback debate that isn't decided with title tallies. Bob Griese won two Super Bowls. Marino lost his only Super Bowl appearance. Dan Marino was the best quarterback in Dolphins franchise history.
Indianapolis Colts
John Unitas
This might be the most difficult decision of them all. You can't go wrong with Peyton Manning or Unitas. Maybe they should share the spot.
Tennessee Titans
Steve McNair
He nearly stunned the unbeatable Rams in the Super Bowl. He's a very underrated leader and quarterback.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Mark Brunell
Brunell was a fine quarterback but he's hopefully holding this spot for Blake Bortles.
Houston Texans
Matt Schaub
This is just sad.
Oakland Raiders
Ken Stabler
Jim Plunkett gets no respect. As a Vikings fan in the 1970s, no quarterback worried me more than Staubach and Stabler. Fortunately the Vikings didn't play the Raiders often. Although one meeting was Super and it didn't end well. For Vikings fans. Stabler was great and should be in the Hall of Fame this time next year.
Denver Broncos
John Elway
No debate here.
San Diego Chargers
Dan Fouts
By the time he's done Philip Rivers might wrestle this away from Fouts. For now, it's Fouts.
Kansas City Chiefs
Len Dawson
Dawson was one of the best, if not the best, quarterbacks of the pass-happy AFL.
Minnesota Vikings
Fran Tarkenton
The Vikings have been looking for Tarkenton's replacement since 1978.
Green Bay Packers
Aaron Rodgers
The Packers have had ridiculous talent at this all-important position. Arnie Herber and Bart Starr are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Brett Favre will be there next year. Rodgers will be join them five years after he retires. Herber and Starr have nine NFL titles between them. Rodgers gets the pick here because he's the most talented of the bunch. Plus, he went to Cal.
Chicago Bears
Sid Luckman
The Bears have been for Luckman's replacement since 1950.
Detroit Lions
Bobby Layne
It's difficult to believe now that there was a time when the Lions were one of the best teams in the league. That was the 1950's. Layne was the reason.
New York Giants
Eli Manning
Because of Manning's occasional struggles it's so tempting to pick Charley Conerly or Y.A. Tittle. Manning has twice as many titles as Tittle and Conerly combined.
Dallas Cowboys
Roger Staubach
He was great. He was even better at the end of games.
Washington Redskins
Sammy Baugh
He's one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game. He was a terrific defensive back and punter too.
Philadelphia Eagles
Tommy Thompson
It's tough to decide between Thompson and Norm Van Brocklin. Thompson's titles in 1948 and 1949 trumps Van Brocklin's title in 1960.
New Orleans Saints
Drew Brees
The Saints have been a league afterthought for most their existence. Brees made the Saints relevant.
Atlanta Falcons
Matt Ryan
He's been very good since his rookie season. He has to lead the Falcons to greater postseason success.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Brad Johnson
Well, he won a Super Bowl. The Buccaneers have a tendency to let their best quarterbacks leave. Doug Williams, Steve Young. Maybe Jameis Winston will put an end to that tendency.
Carolina Panthers
Cam Newton
He's easily the most talented quarterback in team's short history.
San Francisco 49ers
Joe Montana
Here's another team with an incredible abundance of talent at the position. Y.A. Tittle, John Brodie, Montana, Steve Young. Montana is in the argument for best quarterback ever.
St. Louis Rams
Bob Waterfield
Some might want Kurt Warner in this spot. Waterfield gets it instead. He led the Rams to titles in 1945 and 1951. He's in the Hall of Fame. He married Jane Russell.
Arizona Cardinals
Paul Christman
Some might want Kurt Warner in this spot as well. He was magical in the Cardinals run to the Super Bowl. The Cardinals are the oldest team in the league. They've experienced very little success in all of those years. Their "golden years" were a couple of years in the late 1940s. They won the title in 1947. They played for the title in 1948. Christman was the quarterback of those teams.
Seattle Seahawks
Russell Wilson
This is only his fourth year in the league! Jim Zorn might get some consideration but Wilson has been too remarkable in his brief time in the league.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Ben Roethlisberger
It's hard to not pick Terry Bradshaw but Roethlisberger is the best quarterback in franchise history.
Cleveland Browns
Otto Graham
He led the Browns to ten straight championship game appearances in his ten-year career. Winning seven of them. This choice is so easy.
Cincinnati Bengals
Ken Anderson
He should be in the Hall of Fame.
Baltimore Ravens
Joe Flacco
This is another easy choice for a franchise with a fairly short and very strange history. They were the Browns prior to the 1996 season. Flacco has been a very good quarterback in the regular season. He becomes a great quarterback when the playoffs start.
New England Patriots
Tom Brady
You don't have to think too hard on this one.
New York Jets
Joe Namath
Anyone that doubts his Hall of Fame credentials should listen to the defensive players that had to play against him. He was an unbelievable passing talent.
Buffalo Bills
Jim Kelly
Another easy one.
Miami Dolphins
Dan Marino
Here's a quarterback debate that isn't decided with title tallies. Bob Griese won two Super Bowls. Marino lost his only Super Bowl appearance. Dan Marino was the best quarterback in Dolphins franchise history.
Indianapolis Colts
John Unitas
This might be the most difficult decision of them all. You can't go wrong with Peyton Manning or Unitas. Maybe they should share the spot.
Tennessee Titans
Steve McNair
He nearly stunned the unbeatable Rams in the Super Bowl. He's a very underrated leader and quarterback.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Mark Brunell
Brunell was a fine quarterback but he's hopefully holding this spot for Blake Bortles.
Houston Texans
Matt Schaub
This is just sad.
Oakland Raiders
Ken Stabler
Jim Plunkett gets no respect. As a Vikings fan in the 1970s, no quarterback worried me more than Staubach and Stabler. Fortunately the Vikings didn't play the Raiders often. Although one meeting was Super and it didn't end well. For Vikings fans. Stabler was great and should be in the Hall of Fame this time next year.
Denver Broncos
John Elway
No debate here.
San Diego Chargers
Dan Fouts
By the time he's done Philip Rivers might wrestle this away from Fouts. For now, it's Fouts.
Kansas City Chiefs
Len Dawson
Dawson was one of the best, if not the best, quarterbacks of the pass-happy AFL.
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
NFL Standings After 2
It's so early in the NFL season that each of the 32 teams have one of only three records: 2-0, 1-1, 0-2. That's more mathematics than revealing. Nine teams are undefeated. There are also nine teams that have yet to win a game. Here are the NFL standings after only two games.
There's so much football left to play that it's too soon for a team to be too high or too low over their current state. Two games. 14 more. The 0-2 teams certainly want to change their fortunes real quick. Especially if their starting up at 2-0 teams within their division.
National Football League
Standings
American Football Conference
AFC East
|
W
|
L
|
T
|
PCT
|
PF
|
PA
|
STRK
| |
2
|
0
|
0
|
1.000
|
68
|
53
|
W2
| ||
2
|
0
|
0
|
1.000
|
51
|
17
|
W2
| ||
1
|
1
|
0
|
.500
|
37
|
33
|
L1
| ||
1
|
1
|
0
|
.500
|
59
|
54
|
L1
| ||
The most surprising records through two games are the 0-2 records of the Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles, and Indianapolis Colts. The good thing for the Seahawks is that they started the season with perhaps the most difficult games of their season. At St. Louis and at Green Bay. Ever since the Seahawks rose to the top of the league a few years ago the Rams have been a very tough game. Especially in St. Louis. And the Packers are the Packers. The Seahawks have some issues but there's absolutely no reason to panic. If they discover a way to lose to the Chicago Bears this week then it might be time to panic. The Ravens lost to the Oakland Raiders Sunday after a tough opening loss to the Denver Broncos. Losing to the Broncos isn't so shocking but losing to the Raiders is. The Ravens have a tough division game against the Cincinnati Bengals this week. Through two games the Bengals have been playing like one of the best teams in the league. They might be one of the 2-0 surprises but they've often played well this time of the year. Their issues arise in January. The Eagles had a mixed bag of expectations entering this season. Some expected fireworks from Chip Kelly's offense. Others were skeptical whether his brand of crazy would actually work in the NFL. The Eagles spent a bunch in the offseason to upgrade their running attack. That's been a bust through two games. The entire team looked terrible in a loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. The Colts offense is a puzzle right now. Quarterback Andrew Luck seems to be pressing. It's strange to see as he always looks so natural. Their defense is hurting. The whole team has to straighten things out against the Tennessee Titans this week.
The New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons, and Carolina Panthers are the 2-0 surprises. New head coach Todd Bowles have the Jets pretty happy with themselves after their Monday night upset of the Colts. The Jets have the reeling Eagles next week. The Falcons have squeaked out wins each of the first two weeks. They face the similarly unudefeated Dallas Cowboys this week. The Cowboys probably don't feel undefeated without quarterback Tony Romo and receiver Dez Bryant. The Panthers have taken care of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans in the first two games. They face the struggling and possibly Drew Brees-less New Orleans Saints this Sunday.
There's so much football left to play that it's too soon for a team to be too high or too low over their current state. Two games. 14 more. The 0-2 teams certainly want to change their fortunes real quick. Especially if their starting up at 2-0 teams within their division.
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