Flea Flicker Midseason Honors

We've hit the approximate midpoint (bye weeks hack up an exact midpoint) of the 2018 NFL season. Here are the Flea Flicker Midseason Honors.

MVP

Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints

Offensive Player of the Year

Todd Gurley, RB, Los Angeles Rams

Defensive Player of the Year

Aaron Donald, DT, Los Angeles Rams

Comeback Player of the Year

Andrew Luck, QB, Indianapolis Colts

Coach of the Year

Bill O'Brien, Houston Texans

Offensive Rookie of the Year

Calvin Ridley, WR, Atlanta Falcons

Defensive Rookie of the Year

Derwin James, S, Los Angeles Chargers
Darius Leonard, LB, Indianapolis Colts

Flea Flicker Midseason All-Pro Team

Offense

WR Adam Thielen Vikings LT Tyron Smith Cowboys LG Andrus Peat Saints C Max Unger   Saints RG Brandon Scherff Redskins RT Mitchell Schwartz Chiefs TE Rob Gronkowski Patriots WR Julio Jones Falcons QB Drew Brees Saints RB Todd Gurley Rams FB Kyle Juszczyk 49ers

Defense

DE J.J. Watt Texans DT Aaron Donald Rams NT Linval Joseph Vikings DE Danielle Hunter Vikings LB Khalil Mack Raiders LB Luke Kuechly Panthers LB Darius Leonard Colts CB Xavien Howard Dolphins CB Marshon Lattimore Saints S Harrison Smith Vikings S Jamal Adams Jets

It's on to the second half of the 2018 NFL Season. 

Flea Flicker Week 8 Power Rankings

Here's one look at how the 32 NFL teams rank after the first eight weeks of the season.

1.   Los Angeles Rams (8-0)
2.   New Orleans Saints (6-1)
3.   New England Patriots (6-2)
4.   Kansas City Chiefs (7-1)
5.   Los Angeles Chargers (5-2)
6.   Carolina Panthers (5-2)
7.   Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2-1)
8.   Houston Texans (5-3)
9.   Minnesota Vikings (4-3-1)
10. Washington Redskins (5-2)
11. Cincinnati Bengals (5-3)
12. Baltimore Ravens (4-3)
13. Philadelphia Eagles (4-4)
14. Seattle Seahawks (4-3)
15. Green Bay Packers (3-3-1)
16. Chicago Bears (4-3)
17. Detroit Lions (3-4)
18. Atlanta Falcons (3-4)
19  Miami Dolphins (4-4)
20. Dallas Cowboys (3-4)
21. Indianapolis Colts (3-5)
22. Tennessee Titans (3-4)
23. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-5)
24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-4)
25. New York Jets (3-5)
26. Denver Broncos (3-5)
27. Cleveland Browns (2-5-1)
28. Buffalo Bills (2-6)
29. Arizona Cardinals (2-6)
30. San Francisco 49ers (1-7)
31. New York Giants (1-7)
32. Oakland Raiders (1-5)

Until next week.

Saints-Vikings

For the third time in the past year and a half the Minnesota Vikings hosted the New Orleans Saints in a nationally televised game. The third one didn't go as well as the previous two for the Vikings. The Saints rode a couple significant Minnesota miscues to a 30-20 win.

This game looked like it was about to go in a very different direction just before the end of the first half. The Vikings held a 13-10 lead when Harrison Smith intercepted a Drew Brees pass at the Vikings 33-yard line with 3:03 to play in the half. It was Brees' first interception of  the season. It looked like the Vikings were about to take full advantage of the first break of the game. Quarterback Kirk picked up a couple 3rd-and-longs and had the team sitting pretty with a first-and-ten at the Saints 18-yard line with 1:17 left in the half. It seemed like the only issue was how much time to leave on the clock for the Saints offense after the Vikings score. It didn't play out like that. Cousins connected with receiver Adam Thielen on a short pass to the Saints 13-yard line. Unfortunately, Thielen fumbled and Saints corner picked up the loose ball and raced the other way. The fumble return and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty had the Saints set up nicely on the Vikings 18-yard line with 57 seconds left in the half. It took two plays for Brees to get the Saints in the end zone. Just like that, an expected 20-10 Vikings half time lead was an all too real 17-13 Saints half time lead.

It didn't stop there. The Vikings got aggressive on their first possession of the second half. At their own 45-yard line the Vikings faced a 4th-and-1, head coach Mike Zimmer kept his offense on the field. Cousins' pass across the middle to Laquon Treadwell fell incomplete. It was a tough catch but it was a catch that even the loose-handed Treadwell makes more often than not. Instead of continuing a drive, the Saints started their second consecutive possession on the Vikings side of the field. They turned the opportunity into a field goal and a 20-13 lead. Going for the first down on fourth down didn't go the Vikings way but it felt like the right move at the time and I agree with the aggressiveness a poor night's sleep later. It just didn't work.

It didn't stop there. It got much worse for the Vikings. The Vikings responded to giving up 10 consecutive points in a blink by giving the Saints another seven. In a very short time Cousins has developed a terrific connection with receivers Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen. They always seem to be on the same page. Cousins and Diggs weren't even reading the same book on the Vikings second possession of the second half. Cousins expected Diggs to keep running his route. Diggs thought that he'd give his quarterback a more open target by stopping. Instead Saints corner had an easy interception and an easier return for a touchdown.

The Saints scored 17 unanswered points without taking an offensive snap on their side of the field. All 17 points came after the Vikings were a breath away from taking a 10-point lead.

The Vikings entered with game with a compromised roster. Six starters were inactive. On offense, running back Dalvin Cook was inactive again. Latavius Murray has played well in his place the last two weeks and again last night. So, Cook's absence had been minimized a bit. Left tackle Riley Reiff and left guard Tom Compton were out and very much missed. The line hasn't played well when all five starters have been  healthy. Without Reiff and Compton they were even worse. Cousins was under more duress than usual throughout the game. On defense, linebacker Anthony Barr, cornerback Xavier Rhodes, and safety Andrew Sendejo were out. Zimmer and the defensive coaches compensated for those losses with a scheme that appeared to try and force the Saints offense to go with a short passing game. Brees' modest passing totals of 18/23 for 120 yards an a touchdown is an indication of the effectiveness of that defensive scheme. Brees throwing for only 120 yards is startling. He usually gets to that total in a quarter. But the Saints won with that offense. The Saints winning with that offense was due mostly to the opportunities that the Vikings miscues provided them. The Saints got the points that they needed and then they played carefully. It was actually kinda strange to see the Saints offense play carefully.

Total yards:
Vikings  423
Saints  270

Strange game.

On an historical note. Thielen had seven catches for 103 yards. It was his eighth consecutive game with 100 receiving yards. That broke the record that he shared with former Houston Oilers receiver Charley Hennigan for consecutive such games to start a season. Thielen is now tied with former Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson with consecutive 100 yard receiving games. He can break that record against Johnson's former team next week.

It's always rough to see the Vikings lose. The Saints are one of the best football teams in the league. Their offense is fantastic and their defense had improved greatly with some legitimate starts. That offense with a formidable defense is a truly scary thought. This is a team that doesn't need an opponent handing them opportunities. The Vikings handed them a bunch last night. Big, shining opportunities. But the Vikings fought. They never quit. This game could've gone a very different way, the Vikings way, so easily. And it could've gone that way with a seriously compromised roster. I can't wait to see the Saints again. If the Vikings do see the Saints again this season it likely won't be in Minnesota.

Flea Flciker Week 8 Predictions

Here's a stab at the Week 7 games.

Byes: Los Angeles Chargers, Dallas Cowboys, Atlanta Falcons, Tennessee Titans

New Orleans Saints @ Minnesota Vikings

Pick: Vikings

The Saints still can't beat the Vikings at US Bank Stadium.

Philadelphia Eagles @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Pick: Eagles

These two final four teams from last year are a combined 6-8 this season. I'll go with the better quarterback. The fine people of London finally get two good teams. Despite those records. 

Washington Redskins @ New York Giants

Pick: Redskins

If the Giants hadn't just traded two defensive starters I might have picked an upset. 

Cleveland Browns @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Pick: Steelers

Both teams bagged a tie the last time they played. I don't think this one is close. 

Seattle Seahawks @ Detroit Lions

Pick: Lions

Both teams are clawing their way into the NFC playoff picture. I'll go with the home team. 

Denver Broncos @ Kansas City Chiefs

Pick: Chiefs

The Broncos were an accurate Case Keenum pass away from beating the Chiefs in Denver a couple weeks ago. I don't think that this one is as close. 

Baltimore Ravens @ Carolina Panthers

Pick: Ravens

This game should be fun. 

New York Jets @ Chicago Bears

Pick: Jets

Just a hunch.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Cincinnati Bengals

Pick: Bengals

The Bengals have to rebound from that terrible game against the Chiefs.

Indianapolis Colts @ Oakland Raiders

Pick: Colts

The Raiders are a mess.

San Francisco 49ers @ Arizona Cardinals

Pick: 49ers

Two wins between them. And the Cardinals win is against the 49ers.

Green Bay Packers @ Los Angeles Rams

Pick: Rams

I want to pick the upset but I can't. 

New England Patriots @ Buffalo Bills

Pick: Patriots

This is the easiest to pick game of the week.  

Trading Flurry

The NFL trade deadline is 4 p.m. ET Tuesday. The suits at 345 Park Avenue want a flurry of trades. The talking heads in the media speculate on and predict a flurry of trades. As a result, fans drool over the possibility of a flurry of trades. The NFL trade deadline isn't like those of the nation's other professional sports league. Midseason football trades rarely make an impact during the season in which they are made. It takes too long to integrate a new player, at most positions, into a football team. There are only eight games to do it. Practices are short and few and are dedicated to preparing the team for the next game. It can take an entire offseason to get the timing down between a quarterback and a receiver, left tackle and left guard, defensive tackle and defensive end. It can take time to integrate a player from one system into a new one. The NFL simply doesn't have that sort of time. Those suits don't care if the trades that are made turn out to be terrible football moves. They want the trades because they thirst for the attention that those moves bring. For some reason the suits think that their league needs more attention. Despite the low success rate of midseason football trades teams still make them. It certainly helps when one of those trades does work. Last year the Philadelphia Eagles acquired running back Jay Ajayi from the Miami Dolphins for a fourth-round pick. Ajayi played a big role in a Super Bowl run. The fact that Ajayi was part of a committee of backs and didn't have to carry the load was a great benefit to the Eagles and the new player. This year, some trades have been made and perhaps more will be made but I'd be very surprised if there's a trading flurry in advance of Tuesday's trade deadline.

So far:

1. New York Giants traded Damon Harrison to the Detroit Lions for a 2019 fifth-round pick.

2. New York Giants traded Eli Apple to the New Orleans Saints for a 2019 fourth-round pick and a 2020 seventh-round pick.

3. Oakland Raiders traded Amari Cooper to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2019 first-round pick.

4. Cleveland Browns traded Carlos Hyde to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a 2019 fifth-round pick.

***

Four trades. That's a fine start for those that dream of an NFL trade deadline trading flurry. All four have fairly big to big names. Two of the four are former first round picks (Cooper and Apple), one was a second round pick (Hyde), and one was an All-Pro (Harrison). Maybe those silly suits are happy. We'll know more about their relative happiness on Tuesday.

The Giants' view of their team sure has changed since the offseason. A 1-6 start can do that. The moves in the offseason showed a team with postseason dreams. The Giants needed to improve their offensive line, linebackers, and running game. They signed New England Patriots left tackle Nate Solder in free agency, traded for Los Angeles Rams linebacker Alec Ogeltree, and drafted Penn State running back Saquon Barkley with the second pick of the 2018 NFL Draft. Harrison and Apple were critical players on a defense that the Giants thought could be truly improved with Ogeltree leading it. 1-6 later and Harrison is a 30-year old, 1-down, run-stuffer and Apple is a nuisance.

Who knows what Jon Gruden and the Raiders are doing? Or thinking?

Injuries have made the Jaguars desperate for a running game and the Browns have a promising rookie back in Nick Chubb. This is the one trade, of the four made so far, that feels productive for both teams.

I've often wondered if Roger Goodell would give incentives to teams to make midseason trades. Those incentives could be financial or compensatory draft picks. He's the sort of maniac that would do something ludicrous like that just to bring a bit more attention to the game. Maybe he and his cronies should spend more time focusing on the actual games.

Quarterback Hits

I found this little stat nugget posted by Johnny Kinsley of Brick Wall Blitz. Total Quarterback Hits Allowed through the first seven weeks of the season.

20 Detroit, New Orleans:
24 Carolina, Chicago, LA Rams, Philadelphia
25 NY Jets
26 Cincinnati
31 Baltimore, LA Chargers, Tennessee, Washington
32 New England
33 Miami
36 Seattle
38 Green Bay
42 Indianapolis
43 Kansas City
44 Tampa Bay
45 Buffalo
46 Denver, Jacksonville
47 Dallas
49 NY Giants
50 Arizona, Minnesota
54 Atlanta, Cleveland, Philadelphia, SF
75 Houston

The Houston Texans allowed only five hits on DeShaun Watson last Sunday and things went nearly perfectly for the quarterback last night. Perhaps there's some hope for the Texans line. And Watson.

It's a good thing that Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins has handled pressure well (other than a few fumbles). He rarely has a clean pocket. It's also a good thing that he's been very durable throughout his career. If the Vikings want Cousins to last the season, and they no doubt do, they better find a way to climb closer to the mean.

Of the bottom 13 teams on this list, the Vikings and Texans are the only teams with a winning record.

Having just watched the Jets against the Vikings on Sunday I'm surprised that they have allowed so few hits on Sam Darnold. Based on one game I'm guessing that the ranking has more to do with Darnold's ability to avoid hits than the the line's ability to prevent them.

Throwback Thursday: All-Time University of California Players In The NFL Team. Again.

This Flicker was originally posted on 5/18/16  

The Talk of Fame Network has been picking all-time NFL teams for the colleges that have sent the most players to the NFL. Notre Dame, USC, Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and other football talent factories. It's been a long time since Cal was a factor on the national football scene. I don't think that the Talk of Fame Network is going to visit Berkeley any time soon. So, here's a Flea Flicker look at an All-Time Cal NFL Team.

Offense

QB - Aaron Rodgers

RB - Marshawn Lynch

RB - Chuck Muncie

WR - DeSean Jackson

WR - Wesley Walker

TE - Tony Gonzalez

T - Tarik Glenn

T - Mitchell Schwartz

G - Ed White

G - Harvey Salem

C- Alex Mack

Defense

DE - Andre Carter

DE - Sherman White

DT - Brandon Mebane

DT- Chidi Ahanotu

LB - Ken Harvey

LB - Les Richter

LB - Hardy Nickerson

CB - Nnambi Asomugha

CB - Deltha O'Neal

S - Herm Edwards

S - Thomas DeCoud

Special Teams

K - Ryan Longwell

P - Bryan Anger

Ret - DeSean Jackson

For a team with the modest college football footprint that Cal has they have sent a solid number of players to the NFL. A few of those players have found NFL success. Linebacker Les Richter is the only Cal player that has been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Tony Gonzalez should join him perhaps as early as next year. Aaron Rodgers will be inducted five years after he retires. A Hall of Fame argument can, and will, be made for Marshawn Lynch. Especially if his return to the league amounts to something.

Cal has supplied the NFL with some nice offensive talent over the years. Quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers, Joe Kapp, Craig Morton, and Vince Feragamo have led their teams to Super Bowls. Only Rodgers has won a title. Steve Bartkowski didn't lead his team to a Super Bowl but his passing career is probably second to that of Rodgers of Cal's NFL quarterbacks. Joe Roth might have been the best of them all but he sadly never got the chance. As for running backs, Cal has sent a bunch to the NFL in recent years. Lynch and Chuck Muncie have had the most productive NFL careers but it was still tough to leave Johnny Olszewski off of this team. If current San Diego Chargers receiver Keenan Allen can stay healthy he should make this team in a couple of years. Linemen that just missed the cut include Bob Reinhard, Ted Albrecht, and Todd Steussie.

Linebacker might be Cal's top position when it comes to supplying the NFL with talent. Richter is honored in Canton. Ken Harvey and Hardy Nickerson were offense-wrecking teammates at Cal and Pro Bowl regulars in the 1990s. Harvey was a pass rushing force and Nickerson was a team leader on an outstanding Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense. Gary Plummer and Matt Hazeltine were tough to cut from this team. While linebacker is a Cal strength, safety isn't. Selecting a complete defensive backfield was a struggle. Actually, I couldn't complete it. Cornerback wasn't a problem. Nnambi Asomugha and Deltha O'Neal had solid, sometimes great, NFL careers. Herm Edwards could've/should've been one of the corners but I moved him to safety to make a complete team. He could handle the move. Thomas DeCoud had some nice moments (a Pro Bowl nod in 2012) but the best thing about his seven-year NFL career was that he was good enough to play seven years.

When I think about the players that Cal has sent to the NFL it's a bit surprising that they haven't had more football success. They've had some terrific players. I guess that they haven't had enough of them at any one time. One of their best teams in my lifetime wasn't littered with NFL talent. In 1991 Cal thrashed Clemson in the Citrus Bowl, finished the season 10-2, and was ranked #8 in the final AP poll. Only linemen Troy Auzenne and Todd Steussie, receiver Sean Dawkins, and defensive tackle Chidi Ahanatou had more than a cup of coffee in the NFL. But that 1991 Cal football season sure was a fun one. Their game against #1 Washington, a 24-17 Huskies win, is the best college game I've ever attended.

Go Bears!

Cal Players In The NFL

Giorgio Tavecchio's magnificent 56-yard field goal to ice the Atlanta Falcon's win on Monday night and this Sunday's Aaron Rodgers vs Jared Goff passing clash got me thinking about former Cal players in the NFL. It can be difficult to get an accurate read on a school's representation in the league as the rosters are a very fluid thing. I believe that this is an accurate look at the Cal players that are currently on NFL rosters. College representation in the NFL is dominated by the likes of Alabama, LSU, Florida, Ohio State and the usual heavyweights. Cal typically ranks around 20th. While 19 active players may be a modest number (Alabama and LSU more than double it) the quality is top notch. Aaron Rodgers and Jared Goff are two of the most electric quarterbacks in the league. Keenan Allen, Bryan Anger, DeSean Jackson, Marvin Jones Jr., Cameron Jordan, Alex Mack, and Mitchell Schwartz are among the best at their positions. L.P. Ladouceur and Nick Sundberg have turned Cal into Long Snapper U. So, here's to the Golden Bears in the NFL.

Active Rosters
Lorenzo Alexander, LB, Buffalo Bills
Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Rams
Tyson Alualu, DE, Pittsburgh Steelers
C.J. Anderson, RB, Carolina Panthers
Bryan Anger, P, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Devante Downs, LB, Minnesota Vikings
Jared Goff, QB, Los Angeles Rams
Maurice Harris, WR, Washington Redskins
DeSean Jackson, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Marvin Jones Jr., WR, Detroit Lions
Cameron Jordan, DE, New Orleans Saints
L.P. Ladouceur, LS, Dallas Cowboys
Alex Mack, C, Atlanta Falcons
Brandon Mebane, DT, Los Angeles Rams
Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers
Mitchell Schwartz, OT, Kansas City Chiefs
Brian Schwenke, C, New England Patriots
Nick Sundberg, LS, Washington Redskins
Giorgio Tavecchio, K, Atlanta Falcons

Injured Reserve
Chris Conte, S, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Trevor Davis, WR, Green Bay Packers
Marshawn Lynch, RB, Oakland Raiders
Richard Rodgers, TE, Philadelphia Eagles

Physically Unable To Perform
Daniel Lasco, RB, New Orleans Saints

Practice Squads
Stephen Anderson, TE, New England Patriots
James Looney, DL, Green Bay Packers
Davis Webb, QB, New York Jets

Go Bears!

Flea Flicker Week 7 Power Rankings

Here's one look at how the 32 NFL teams rank after the first seven weeks of the season.

1.   Los Angeles Rams (7-0)
2.   New Orleans Saints (5-1)
3.   New England Patriots (5-2)
4.   Kansas City Chiefs (6-1)
5.   Minnesota Vikings (4-2-1)
6.   Los Angeles Chargers (5-2)
7.   Baltimore Ravens (4-2)
8.   Carolina Panthers (4-2)
9.   Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2-1)
10. Cincinnati Bengals (4-3)
11. Green Bay Packers (3-2-1)
12. Philadelphia Eagles (3-4)
13. Houston Texans (4-3)
14. Washington Redskins (4-2)
15. Chicago Bears (3-3)
16. Detroit Lions (3-3)
17. Seattle Seahawks (3-3)
18. Miami Dolphins (4-3)
19  Dallas Cowboys (3-4)
20. Tennessee Titans (3-4)
21. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-4)
22. Atlanta Falcons (3-4)
23. Cleveland Browns (2-4-1)
24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-3)
25. New York Jets (3-4)
26. Denver Broncos (3-4)
27. Indianapolis Colts (2-5)
28. Buffalo Bills (2-5)
29. Arizona Cardinals (1-6)
30. San Francisco 49ers (1-6)
31. New York Giants (1-6)
32. Oakland Raiders (1-5)

Until next week.

Vikings-Jets

The Minnesota Vikings win over the New York Jets wasn't as easy the 37-17 score would indicate. It was a messy win. But it was a win. It was also an historic win. The Vikings had never beaten the Jets in New York (New Jersey). The Vikings entered the game 0-5 on the road against the Jets, 2-8 overall. Pesky Jets. The Vikings are now 4-2-1 on the season. The Jets fell to 3-4.

The Vikings started the game well. A snappy opening drive ended with a 34-yard Kirk Cousins touchdown pass to Adam Thielen. 1:38 into the game and the Vikings had a 7-0 lead. It looked like was going to be easy. It wasn't.

This was a defensive battle. Despite giving up 37 points the Jets defense was stifling far more often than not. They just had a few breakdowns and the Vikings took advantage. There was the 34-yard touchdown pass to Thielen, Latavius Murray's 38-yard touchdown burst early in the fourth quarter, and Cousins' 34-yard touchdown pass to Aldrick Robinson on 4th-and-8 late in the fourth quarter. The game turned in the Vikings favor once their defense started getting to Jets rookie quarterback Sam Darnold. He was only sacked three times but was consistently under pressure. As the Vikings' lead started to grow Darnold started pressing. He threw three interceptions in the second half. The Vikings scored 13 points off those interceptions. Just like that, a one-score game was 37-17.

It's a good thing that the Vikings were able to score a few times from beyond 30 yards because they had some difficulties scoring when they got close to the goal line. They had a first-and-goal from the three and had to settle for a field goal. An interception and return by Harrison Smith set the offense up nicely at the Jets 9-yard line midway through the third quarter. Three plays lost 2 yards and they had to settle for a field goal. The Vikings started five drives in Jets territory. They only managed three field goals on those five drives. They let eight points slip away on first-and-goal situations. You have to give credit to the Jets defense for stepping up in those situations but a good offense has to score more than nine points when they are start on the opponents side of the field so often. They have to score touchdowns when they have first downs inside the opponents 10-yard line. The Vikings play the New Orleans Saints next week. They can't let so many points slip away against a team as explosive as the Saints.

The game was greatly impacted by the wind. There were gusts of up to 40 mph during the game. Passes were blown wide and fell short of their marks. A 42-yard field goal attempt by Vikings kicker Dan Bailey was blown from the right upright to the wrong side of the left upright. The only good thing about weather factors such as the wind is that both teams have to deal with them.

Vikings receiver Adam Thielen finished the game with nine receptions for 110 yards. It was his seventh consecutive game with at least 100 yards. That ties the league record for 100 yard receiving games to start a season set in 1961 by Houston Oilers receiver Charley Hennigan. Thielen can be break Hennigan's record and tie Calvin Johnson's record of eight consecutive 100-yard games, set during the 2012 season, next week against the Saints.

Kirk Cousins battled the wind and a stout Jets defense to have a fairly good game:
25/40 for 241 yards and two touchdowns.
In comparison, Sam Darnold had the following:
17/42 206 yards and a touchdown and 3 interceptions. He also ran for a touchdown.
Overall, it was a rough game for the young quarterback. Over half of his 206 passing yards were gained in the fourth quarter. While it was a struggle I can see why everyone connected with the Jets is thrilled to have him. He has the leadership, the patience, the presence to be an elite quarterback. Those are some of the elusive quarterbacking qualities that can't be taught. He also has the athletic ability to be an elite quarterback. With Darnold, I see it as more a matter of when than if he reaches his potential in the NFL. Then again, I had seen a lot of that great potential during his two seasons at USC. Especially that first season. As a Cal fan, I'm glad that there wasn't a third college season.

If Cousins never again attempts a backwards pass I'd be thrilled. He threw one against Philadelphia  in Week 5 that turned into a fumble recovery for the Eagles. If not for a quick reaction by Stefon Diggs there would've been another giveaway yesterday.

The Jets came into this game with the second most takeaways in the league. They got none yesterday. This was the first game of the season in which the Vikings didn't turn the ball over. The defense took the ball away from the Jets four times (three interceptions and a fumble). The +4 turnover margin went a long way in turning a defensive struggle into a comfortable win for the Vikings.

The Vikings defense was great against the Jets. They only gave up 263 yards and a sizable chunk of that total came in the fourth quarter. They had those four takeaways. The only real blemish was the Jets touchdown drive in the first quarter. It looked like the Vikings took a quick three minute nap. It was such an outlier from everything that they did before and after.

The biggest issue for the Vikings defense is health. They came into the game without defensive end Everson Griffen, nose tackle Linval Joseph, and safety Andrew Sendejo. Linebacker Anthony Barr and cornerback Xavier Rhodes left the field yesterday with injuries. They have to get healthy in a hurry.

This was a game that the Vikings were supposed to win. Those are sometimes the most difficult to win. Especially on the road. They are on a 3-game win streak but the level difficulty is about to ramp up considerably. They have the Saints at home, a trio of division games (Lions, @Bears, Packers) and then a trip to the Patriots. Their bye comes between the Lions and Bears game. This stretch of games will make or break their season.

For now, the Vikings are 4-2-1 and in first place in the NFC North (thanks to the Packers being on bye).

Flea Flicker Week 7 Predicitions

Here's a stab at the Week 7 games.

Byes: Green Bay Packers, Oakland Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Seattle Seahawks

Minnesota Vikings @ New York Jets
Pick: Vikings
The Vikings have to start stacking wins.

Tennessee Titans @ Los Angeles Chargers
Pick: Chargers
Will the London NFL fans finally get a good game?

Carolina Panthers @ Philadelphia Eagles
Pick: Eagles
This has the makings of a terrific game. The Panthers need to get their running game going against a very good run defense.

Cleveland Browns @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Pick: Buccaneers
The Buccaneers can score. They just have to find a way for their defense to stop opposing teams from scoring.

Detroit Lions @ Miami Dolphins
Pick: Lions
Brock Osweiler surprised me last week. I'd be surprised if he can surprise me again.

New England Patriots @ Chicago Bears
Pick: Patriots
Tom Brady vs Mitchell Trubisky.

Buffalo Bills @ Indianapolis Colts
Pick: Colts
Derek Anderson gets the start at quarterback for the Bills after a fistful of practices. That sounds like the Colts winning their second game of the season.

Houston Texans @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Pick: Jaguars
The Texans are riding a three-game win streak. With the way that they've played over that time makes the three wins the biggest surprise of the season. So far.

New Orleans Saints @ Baltimore Ravens
Pick: Ravens
On paper, this is the game of the week. I'm going with the home team.

Dallas Cowboys @ Washington Redskins
Pick: Redskins
A coin flip.

Los Angeles Rams @ San Francisco 49ers
Pick: Rams
I want to pick an upset. But I can't.

Cincinnati Bengals @ Kansas City Chiefs
Pick: Chiefs
Just as I can't pick a team that employs Gregg Williams (Browns) I can't pick a team that employs Vontaze Burfict. How is he still on the field?

New York Giants @ Atlanta Falcons
Pick: Giants
A matchup of perhaps the two most under-performing teams. At least the Falcons can point to a load of injuries as a reason for six weeks of mostly disappointment.

Some Football Thoughts

Here are some football thoughts of mine.

1. There are individuals in the New York media that are going after Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins in advance of Sunday's game against the New York Jets. It all stems from the offseason "bidding" war over the then free agent quarterback between the two teams. One New York media honk even called Cousins "classless." That classy honk isn't happy that Cousins and his agent might have used the Jets to drive up the contract offer from the Vikings. Isn't that the how NFL free agency works? Every player and their agent wants at least two teams involved in the bidding. They want each team pushing the contract offer higher. What's so classless about that? Perhaps some of the Jets beat-writers should study up on the mechanics of free agency.

2. It's been my understanding that everyone with a connection to the Jets is head over heels in love with Sam Darnold. So why are some bellyaching over what happened in the Cousins Sweepstakes?

3. I really like this description of Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay from Sam Farmer of the LA Times:

"He talks like a man who's late for a plane."

4. Many in the national media are reacting with surprise at the sudden rise of Vikings receiver Adam Thielen. It hasn't been so sudden. He had 69 catches for 967 yards in 2016. He had 91 catches for 1276 yards in 2017. He even made the Pro Bowl. He's on pace to shatter those number this season. This is the third season of a steady climb. The national media might be slow to recognize his talents but opposing teams aren't. In the divisional playoffs last year, the New Orleans Saints had cornerback Marshon Lattimore shadow Thielen all day. Vikings fans are sensitive to every perceived national slight toward anything involving their team. They seem to be especially sensitive to slights toward Thielen. He's a Minnesota native and as such he's a state-wide treasure. When Rich Eisen said this week that Thielen has arrived as one of the top receivers in the game, Vikings fans chirped at him saying that he's been one of the top receivers for a while. Eisen made things worse by saying that if asked before the season every diehard Vikings fans would tap Stefon Diggs as the team's #1 receiver. First of all, I doubt that Eisen asked a single diehard Vikings fan that question. Second of all, every diehard Vikings fan would say that the team doesn't have one #1 receiver. They have two. While my time spent on this topic might say otherwise, I don't really care what the national media thinks. If it didn't happen in New York or Los Angeles or involve the Dallas Cowboys, they are always slow to react. If it didn't happen yesterday, it might as well not have happened at all.

5. NFL Network's A Football Life is taking a two week, midseason break. Yesterday was the first Friday without a new episode this season. I missed it. Every A Football Life is excellent.

6. Speaking of missing something. I miss Dalvin Cook in the Vikings gameday lineup. But, I'm glad that the team is being extra cautious with his hamstring injury. I'd rather he not step on the field until his hamstring is 100%, no doubt ready to go. It's a tricky injury.

7. I love the Vikings Donut Club.

8. I can watch Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs run routes and catch passes all day. Two of the best, perhaps the best, at doing both.

9. Finishing up with Kirk Cousins. He has been worth the giant contract that the Vikings gave him. I thought that it would take at least the first quarter of the season for the offense to get on the same page. New quarterback, new offensive coordinator, jumbled line. That's a lot to pull together and I thought that it would take a while for the offense to click. Other than a team-wide train wreck against the Buffalo Bills in Week 3, Cousins has been outstanding.

Best Kickers

NFL kickers are either great or goats. That's the more traditional sporting "goat" that's failed in some manner and not the current "Greatest Of All Time" reference. Being a "goat" used to a bad thing. The success or failure of a kicker is so black and white. They are either loved or hated and it can flip on every kick. The fine folks at the Pro Football Hall of Fame recently dug deep and came up with a list of the Top 10 Kickers in NFL History. Here is that list.

10. Matt Stover

New York Giants 1990; Cleveland 1991-95; Baltimore 1996-2008; Indianapolis 2009

All-Pro, Pro Bowl (2000)

Super Bowl XXV (Giants), XXXV (Ravens) champion

Career success rates: 83.7 percent FG (471 made), 99.5 percent PAT

2,004 career points in 297 games (19 seasons)

Stover made his name with the Ravens. As great as the defenses he shared a locker room with were, he was about as good as a kicker can be for the PAT.

9. Jason Elam

Denver 1993-2007; Atlanta 2008-09

3-time All-Pro, 3-time Pro Bowler

Super Bowl XXXII, XXXIII champion (Broncos)

Career success rates: 80.7 percent FG (436 made); 99.4 percent PAT

1,983 career points in 263 games (17 seasons)

Elam was one of the most prolific kickers of his era. He also owns the second-longest field goal in NFL history (63 yards).

8. Jason Hanson

Detroit 1992-2012

All-Pro (1997), 2-time Pro Bowler

Career success rates: 82.4 percent FG (495 made), 98.8 percent PAT

2,150 career points in 327 games (21 seasons)

It doesn't matter what sport or position you play, you are probably doing it right when the same team holds on to you for 20 years. Hanson is the only kicker to ever be named Offensive Rookie of the Year by the Pro Football Writers Association.

7. Gary Anderson

Pittsburgh 1982-94; Philadelphia 1995-96; San Francisco 1997; Minnesota 1998-2002; Tennessee 2003-04

2-time first-team All-Pro, 4-time Pro Bowler

Career success rates: 80.1 percent FG (538 made); 99.2 percent PAT

2,434 career points in 353 games (23 seasons)

Anderson is quite simply the greatest kicker in the history of the greatest franchise of the Super Bowl era. For his troubles, the Steelers retired his No. 1 jersey.

6. Stephen Gostkowski

New England 2006-Present

2-time first-team All-Pro, 4-time Pro Bowler

Two Time Super Bowl Champion

Career success rates: 87.8 percent FG (352 made), 99 percent PAT

1,669 career points in 190 games (13 seasons)

Gostkowski could finish his career as the greatest kicker who ever lived. The only thing he's really missing is some of those high-profile moments. He missed a couple of kicks in Super Bowl LII, which certainly didn't help his cause. He still holds the NFL record for most consecutive PATs made with 523.

5. Jan Stenerud

Kansas City 1967-1979, Green Bay 1980-82, Minnesota 1984-85

6-time all-league, 4 Pro Bowls, 1972 Pro Bowl Outstanding Offensive Player

Super Bowl IV champion

Stenerud is the first “pure” placekicker to enter the Hall. His list of outstanding achievements is long. With 1,699 points, he ranked behind only the fabled George Blanda in all-time scoring at the time of his retirement.

4. Adam Vinatieri

New England 1996-2005; Indianapolis Colts 2006-Present

3-time first-team All-Pro, 3-time Pro Bowler

Super Bowl XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX (Patriots) and XLI (Colts) champion

Career success rates: 84.3 percent FG (570 made), 98.2 percent PAT

2,535 career points in 343 games (24 seasons)

Vinatieri is arguably the most famous kicker in NFL history, thanks to the three field goals that sealed Super Bowl wins for New England three different times and one miraculous kick in snowy Foxboro to beat the Raiders in the "Tuck Rule Game." He also needs just 10 points to surpass Morten Andersen as the NFL's all-time leading scorer.

3. George Blanda

Chicago 1949, ‘50-58; Baltimore Colts 1950; Houston Oilers 1960-66; Oakland 1967-75

4-time AFL All-Star

1961 AFL MVP, 1970 NFL MVP (Bert Bell Award)

Career success rates: 52.4 percent FG (335 made); 98.3 percent PAT

2,002 career points in 340 games (26 seasons)

Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1981

Blanda was as good as a passer as he was a kicker, once tossing seven touchdowns in a single game. He played professional football in four different decades. He has kicked more extra points than any player in pro football history and is the kicker on the All-Time All-AFL Team.

2. Morten Andersen

New Orleans 1982-94; Atlanta 1995-2000, ’06-07; New York Giants 2001; Kansas City 2002-03; Minnesota 2004

6-time All-Pro, 7-time Pro Bowler

Career success rates: 79.6 percent FG (565 made), 98.8 percent PAT

2,544 career points in 382 games (25 seasons)

Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 2017

Andersen was the premier kicker throughout the 1980s. It was his longevity that made him a legend that kicked in three different decades. Second kicker elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class 2017

1. Lou Groza

Cleveland 1946-59, ‘61-67

4-time first-team All-Pro, 9-time Pro Bowler

4-time NFL champion (1950, ’54-55, ‘64)

Career success rates: 54.9 percent FG (264 made), 97.2 percent PAT

1,608 career points in 268 games (21 seasons)

Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1974

Groza's career wasn't about the stats. It was about him revolutionizing the kicking game. He was the first kicker to be considered a threat to put points on the board from 40-50 yards out. The Hall of Famer raised the bar for kickers. Today, the Lou Groza Award is given to college football's top placekicker.

***

It's great to see a straight-on, old-timer like Lou Groza take the top spot. In addition to his kicking duties he was an Hall of Fame offensive lineman. It was a different time. Groza repeatedly showed the importance of kicking reliability. Eventually, it caught on.

Nine of the ten played for at least 17 seasons. Stephen Gostkowski is the tenth and he's playing like he's far from the end of his career.

The New England Patriots moved from Adam Vinatieri to Gostkowski. That's the kicking equivalent of the San Francisco 49ers moving from Joe Montana to Steve Young and the Green Bay Packers moving from Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers. The Patriots have won five Super Bowls during the Vinatieri-Gostkowski years. The first three were won on Vinatieri field goals. All five wins were close games. If it wasn't for dependable kicking maybe the Patriots might not have won any titles.

By the time he's done, Vinatieri could/should be at the top of this list.

Throwback Thursday: The Summer of '36. Again.

This Flicker was originally posted on March 21, 2013. 


Sid Gillman, Paul Brown, and Woody Hayes are three of the most influential football coaches in the history of the game. All three got their football coaching start in Ohio. All three lived together in the summer of 1936. Paul Brown had established himself as a very successful coach at Massillon High School. Sid Gillman had just started his coaching career at Dennison University. Woody Hayes hadn't settled on coaching just yet. He had enrolled in the graduate school of education at Ohio St. He had plans to become a principal or school superintendent. That summer might have gone a long way in steering him toward football. As they worked and studied, all three were housed temporarily in the Sigma Chi fraternity house on the Ohio St. campus. All would impact each other and the game of football.

Gillman and Brown had come to Ohio St. that  summer to learn from innovative Buckeyes coach Francis Schmidt. They learned from Schmidt while Hayes took his education classes. In the evening, the three would come together at the fraternity and talk football. Sometimes they would argue. Sometimes they would "steal" each other's ideas. For Hayes it was the equivalent of a football laboratory. Much of his coaching philosophy can be traced back to those evenings at Ohio St. If nothing else, Hayes dropped the education path and picked up the football path.

Many consider Sid Gillman the "father of the passing game." His innovations changed offensive football. He was the first to make significant use of game film. Paul Brown revolutionized the position of head coach. His organization, testing, and use of assistant coaches changed the game. He certainly changed the structure of coaching in the NFL. Hayes, while not the innovator of Gillman and Brown, was one of the greatest college football coaches.

Ara Parseghian had some decent success as a football coach. He also has perhaps the best perspective on the three housemates. He played for Gillman at Miami University, played for Brown at Great Lakes Naval Training Center during World War II and with the Cleveland Browns, and coached with Hayes at Miami. He saw the three like this:

"Paul Brown was a constant organizer with a terrific ability to place the personnel, motivate the personnel, and innovate. Sid was so passionate about the game, and he was still an innovative guy. And Woody was a people person. He was a great recruiter and he could talk football stuff with anybody. I wouldn't rate him up with Brown and Sid, but he got things done with his ability to deal with people....I was the beneficiary of playing or coaching with all three of them. You talk about doing post-graduate doctoral work."

Despite spending that summer of football together in '36, the coaches didn't get along too well. More accurately, Brown and Hayes didn't get along with Gillman. With his intense focus on football and his "win at all cost" ways, Gillman pissed off a lot of people throughout his coaching career. When Gillman and Brown later faced each other as professional coaches the games had extra meaning. They did not get along. Their families did not get along. Unfortunately, it would never change. Gillman and Hayes would become coaching rivals in the college game. Recruiting rivals too. Gillman at Cincinnati and Hayes at Miami, and later at Ohio St. Many years after the football and recruiting wars, Gillman and Hayes would make amends. They just happened to run into each other and Hayes asked his past rival to explain the Gillman passing offense. Eight hours later they left as something closer to friends, certainly no longer enemies. Hayes said later of their talk, "You know, I still don't know what the hell he was talking about."

I love hearing about the intersecting paths of influential football coaches. Most of these intersections aren't as fleeting as three coaches living together for a short while during a summer long ago. Most of these intersections involve working together for a year or more. Seeing as Brown, Gillman, and Hayes all got their coaching starts in Ohio, it shouldn't have been too much of surprise that their paths crossed. I still find it fascinating that this summer spent living together so early in their respective careers might have been the launching point for all that would come. I grew up hearing about those three coaching giants. As exciting as it was to hear of this time that they spent together it was as disappointing to learn that their continued relationships weren't exactly peachy. At least Gillman and Hayes made amends. Gillman and Brown never really tried. It seems that Paul Brown, Sid Gillman, and Woody Hayes got along well enough to live together and talk football. For a brief time in the summer of '36 the future of football was greatly impacted at a fraternity house on the Ohio St. campus.

Adjusted Minnesota Vikings Roster. Again.

NFL teams rarely tweak their roster during the season for a good reason. Injuries are the most frequent reason. There are a lot of injuries in football. The Minnesota Vikings made a few roster tweaks after their Week 2 tie with the Green Bay Packers. Rookie kicker Daniel Carlson missed two overtime field goals. It's not often that a kicker gets a chance to redeem himself for a missed overtime field goal. Carlson did. And he missed it. He also missed a field goal in regulation. He was released the following day. Former Dallas Cowboys kicker Dan Bailey was signed to replace Carlson. The kicker switch wasn't the only tweak that the Vikings made to their roster following that tie with the Packers. They also added receiver Aldrick Robinson and defensive tackle Tom Johnson. Three roster moves is a high number for a week during the season. Especially when none of the three were due to an injury. Unfortunately, the Vikings had to make a roster move this week due to an injury. Rookie cornerback Mike Hughes tore the ACL in his left knee on Sunday. His loss for the season is a tough one as he was making a greater contribution to the defense with each game. Hughes was placed on injured reserve and defensive tackle David Parry added to the roster. Parry was on the Vikings roster for the first two games of the season but was released when Tom Johnson was signed.

The Vikings also tweaked their practice squad. Perhaps due to the loss of Hughes there was a cornerback swap. Craig James was signed and Jalen Myrick was released. James was with the team during training camp. That time with the Vikings coaches and the defense might have made him more appealing than Myrick if a cornerback is needed on the active roster in the coming weeks. Who knows? I don't. I'm just guessing.

Anyway, here's the updated roster of the Minnesota Vikings.

Offense

Quarterback
  8 Kirk Cousins
  3 Trevor Siemian
  1 Kyle Sloter

Halfback
33 Dalvin Cook
25 Latavius Murray
32 Roc Thomas
44 Mike Boone

Fullback
30 C.J. Ham

Wide Receiver
14 Stefon Diggs
19 Adam Thielen
11 Laquon Treadwell
17 Aldrick Robinson
15 Brandon Zylstra

Tight end
82 Kyle Rudolph
89 David Morgan
83 Tyler Conklin

Offensive Line
71 Riley Reiff
79 Tom Compton
65 Pat Elflein
74 Mike Remmers
69 Rashod Hill
61 Brett Jones
75 Brian O'Neill
63 Danny Isidora

Defense

Defensive Line
97 Everson Griffen
93 Sheldon Richardson
98 Linval Joseph
99 Danielle Hunter
91 Stephen Weatherly
96 Tom Johnson
94 Jaleel Johnson
92 Jalyn Holmes
90 Tashawn Bower
95 David Parry

Linebacker
55 Anthony Barr
54 Eric Kendricks
42 Ben Gedeon
50 Eric Wilson
57 Devante Downs
40 Kentrell Brothers

Cornerback
29 Xavier Rhodes
26 Trae Waynes
20 Mackensie Alexander
35 Marcus Sherels
24 Holton Hill

Safety
22 Harrison Smith
34 Andrew Sendejo
23 George Iloka
41 Anthony Harris
27 Jayron Kearse

Special Teams

Kicker
  5 Dan Bailey

Punter
   Matt Wile

Long snapper

47 Kevin McDermott

***

Injured Reserve

62 Nick Easton, G

61 Ade Aruna, DE

51 Hercules Mata'afa, DL

48 Johnny Stanton, FB

87 Josiah Price, TE

68 Cedrick Lang, OT

76 Aviante Collins, OT
21 Mike Hughes, CB

Practice Squad

73 Colby Gossett, G

12 Chad Beebe, WR

85 Jeff Badet, WR

43 Reshard Cliett, LB

66 Curtis Cothran, DT

72 Storm Norton, OT

78 Jonathan Wynn, DE

67 Cornelius Edison, C

36 Craig James, CB
83 Cole Hkutini, TE

Flea Flicker Week 6 Power Rankings

Here's one look at how the 32 NFL teams rank after the first six weeks of the season.

1.   Los Angeles Rams (6-0)
2.   New Orleans Saints (4-1)
3.   New England Patriots (4-2)
4.   Kansas City Chiefs (5-1)
5.   Minnesota Vikings (3-2-1)
6.   Los Angeles Chargers (4-2)
7.   Baltimore Ravens (4-2)
8.   Philadelphia Eagles (3-3)
9.   Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2-1)
10. Cincinnati Bengals (4-2)
11. Carolina Panthers (3-2)
12. Green Bay Packers (3-2-1)
13. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-3)
14. Miami Dolphins (4-2)
15. Chicago Bears (3-2)
16. Washington Redskins (3-2)
17. Seattle Seahawks (3-3)
18. Tennessee Titans (3-3)
19  Houston Texans (3-3)
20. Dallas Cowboys (3-3)
21. Detroit Lions (2-3)
22. Atlanta Falcons (2-4)
23. Cleveland Browns (2-3-1)
24. New York Jets (3-3)
25. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-3)
26. Denver Broncos (2-4)
27. Indianapolis Colts (1-5)
28. Buffalo Bills (2-4)
29. Arizona Cardinals (1-5)
30. San Francisco 49ers (1-5)
31. New York Giants (1-5)
32. Oakland Raiders (1-5)

Until next week.

Vikings-Cardinals

The Minnesota Vikings have their first winning streak of the season. Two games. The Vikings followed last week's win over the Philadelphia Eagles with yesterday's 27-17 win over the visiting Arizona Cardinals.

The Vikings had some other season firsts:
-first rushing touchdown
-first game with more than 100 yards rushing
-first 100-yard rusher-Latavius Murray with 155 yards

The Vikings finally had something resembling a running game. It was actually much more than a resemblance. It was a running game. 195 yards. With 216 passing yards, the Vikings had offensive balance.

Despite a 10-point margin, a margin that felt like it could've been much more, the Cardinals were feisty throughout. A pass rush led by Chandler Jones overwhelmed the Vikings offensive line for four quarters. Jones had 1.5 sackes, Corey Peters had 2, and Markus Golden had 0.5. There could've been more. When Cardinals pass rushers didn't get to Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins they often batted away his passes. It looked like a volleyball game had broken out on passing downs. Six passes were batted away, four in the first half. The Vikings offensive line had a tough task with the Cardinals pass rushers.

With a 13-10 lead at the half, the Vikings turned the game completely in their favor in the third quarter. After receiving the second half kickoff:

Vikings offense: Touchdown. 10 plays, 75 yards.
Vikings special teams: kick coverage forced Cardinals to start at the 7.
Vikings defense: 3 plays, -5 yards
Vikings special teams: Marcus Sherels returns punt 20 yards to Cards 43.
Vikings offense: Touchdown. 3 plays, 43 yards.
Vikings defense: Interception at midfield.

Offense, defense, special teams. Complimentary football turned a tight 13-10 game into a comfortable 27-10 lead over the first 12 minutes of the second half.

Sometimes it feels like the Vikings cruise a bit after they take control of a game. This game was like that. On their first two possessions of the second half the Vikings offense moved the ball with ease. That changed after Anthony Harris intercepted Cardinals quarterback Josh Rosen at midfield with three minutes to play. With great field position and filled to the brim with momentum, the Vikings offense went three-and-out, only gaining six yards. After the Vikings defense turned the Cardinals over on downs with about twelve minutes to play in the fourth quarter, the Vikings offense lost one yard on three plays. After the Cardinals cut their deficit to 27-17 with just under seven minutes to play, the Vikings offense had another three-and-out, gaining six yards. On three consecutive possessions after taking complete control of the games, the Vikings offense had three straight three-and-outs. They had nine plays that gained a total of 11 yards. Saying that the Vikings offense went from very productive to not productive at all simply because they started to cruise isn't entirely accurate. The Cardinals defense had a lot to do with that ineffectiveness. They made plays when they had to make them. They got the ball back to their offense when they absolutely had to do so. If the Vikings want to be in contention for a title, they can't have offensive droughts like this. No matter how well a defense is playing, the Vikings offense has to be able to get first downs, extend drives, and score points. They got away with a stretch of offensive ineffectiveness today. They can't do it against the New Orleans Saints in two weeks. They can't do it against the New England Patriots later in the season. They can't do it against any of their division opponents. The Vikings offense is too good to go so cold.

For the game, the Vikings converted five of 14 third downs. That isn't very good.

Vikings receiver Adam Thielen had his sixth consecutive 100-yard game. He'll have a chance to tie Charley Hennigan next week for the longest such streak in league history. Hennigan had seven consecutive 100-yard games for the AFL Houston Oilers in 1961. I sure wish that the NFL would embrace All-America Football Conference statistics as they have AFL statistics but that's a personal historical issue for another day. Back to Thielen. He's been great. Actually, great doesn't do him proper justice. He's made defensive backs look silly. He had 11 catches for 123 yards and a touchdown yesterday. With all-everything corner Patrick Peterson playing nearly the entire game against Stefon Diggs, the Cardinals really had no answer for Thielen. No team really has. Through six games, he's caught 58 passes for 712 yards and 4 TDs. It's ridiculous to stretch those numbers out to 16 games because 155 catches for 1900 yards feel too far out there. With the way Thielen is shredding defenses no numbers feel too far out there.

Kirk Cousins entered the game with four consecutive games of more than 30 completions. That streak came to an end as he completed 24 passes. Statistically, this wasn't his best game. He threw an interception. He had a fumble that was returned for a touchdown. He had six passes batted away at the line. His play was better than those numbers. Under intense and consistent pressure he still completed over 70% of his throws. His touchdown throw throw to Thielen threaded a narrow needle. His fake to C.J. Ham helped clear a seven-yard path to the end zone for himself. 70.5% completion, 233 yards passing, a touchdown pass, and a touchdown run is a nice stat line on a day in which the Cardinals defense didn't give things up easily.

In a game in which the Vikings played well in all phases, it was the defense that played the best. The Cardinals are relying on rookie quarterback Josh Rosen to lead their offense. That's a tough thing for a team that entered the game at 1-4. Rosen is a tremendously talented passer with some very talented weapons around him. But he's still a rookie quarterback. The Vikings defense didn't make it easy for him. The Cardinals converted none of their third down attempts and neither of their fourth down attempts. One of those fourth down attempts was on the Vikings one-yard line. The defense had four sacks and two takeaways. The defense only gave up 10 of the 17 points.

Two of my favorite players from the past two drafts play for the Cardinals. Defensive back Budda Baker and receiver Christian Kirk. Both look like they're going to be franchise cornerstones for a long time. Baker made an immediate impact on special teams as a rookie last year. Now he's making an impact on defense. He returned a Kirk Cousins fumble for a touchdown. Christian Kirk had six catches for 77 yards. He was the Cardinals top offensive playmaker in the first half. Rosen-to-Kirk could be one of the most fun passing combinations in the league for a long time.

Speaking of fun Cardinals players, Larry Fitzgerald is one of may all-time favorites.

Hopefully the four-day stumble that the Vikings had against the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams in Weeks 3 and 4 is a distant learning experience. It's time to start stacking wins. Next week it's the New York Jets in New Jersey.

Flea Flicker Week 6 Predictions

Here's a stab at the Week 6 games.

Byes: Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints

Arizona Cardinals @ Minnesota Vikings
Pick: Vikings
The last time the Vikings were favored by double digits they got rolled. That can't happen again.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Atlanta Falcons
Pick: Falcons
I think that I've picked the Falcons every week. They're 1-4.

Seattle Seahawks @ Oakland Raiders
Pick: Seahawks
The first London game of the season. Here are two teams trending in opposite directions.

Carolina Panthers @ Washington Redskins
Pick: Panthers
The Panthers are quietly playing very well. The Redskins were terrible against the Saints on Drew Brees Night.

Indianapolis Colts @ New York Jets
Pick: Colts
The Colts are an excellent 1-4 team.

Chicago Bears @ Miami Dolphins
Pick: Bears
Brock Osweiler! I thought that the Dolphins could win this game if Ryan Tannehill was starting. Osweiler? I don't think so.

Los Angeles Chargers @ Cleveland Browns
Pick: Chargers
It feels like the Chargers are starting to get on a roll.

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cincinnati Bengals
Pick: Bengals
The Bengals have become the top team in the AFC North. This could be a very fun game.

Buffalo Bills @ Houston Texans
Pick: Texans
The Bills are settling into a pattern. Play terrible, surprise a team, play terrible, surprise a team...They're now in the play terrible phase.

Los Angeles Rams @ Denver Broncos
Pick: Broncos
In Week 4, the Broncos nearly stole one from the Chiefs, the AFC's offensive powerhouse. Can the Broncos do the same against the NFC's offensive powerhouse? The Rams came back to earth a little bit last week.

Baltimore Ravens @ Tennessee Titans
Pick: Ravens
The Ravens have to rebound from last week's loss to the Browns.

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Dallas Cowboys
Pick: Cowboys
Just a hunch.

Kansas City Chiefs @ New England Patriots
Pick: Patriots
Game of the Week.

San Francisco 49ers @ Green Bay Packers
Pick: Packers
I'm not sure if the 49ers have enough healthy players to field a full team.

A Somewhat Midseason Look At Cal's 2019 Football Commits

The California Golden Bears host the little baby bears from UCLA today. In advance of the game here's another look at the high school football players that have committed to play in Berkeley next fall. Cal has 20 commits. So far. That feels like a lot for Cal at this point in the recruiting process but it probably isn't. Recruiting heavyweights like Alabama, Clemson, Michigan, Texas A&M, etc. are at or over 20 commits. That itty bitty university in Palo Alto has only 13.

Cal's 2019 Football Commits

Zahran Manley, Upland (Upland, CA), CB, 6-2 176
Elijah Mojarro, Orange Lutheran (Orange, CA), TE, 6-4 225
Braxten Croteau, Liberty (Peoria, AZ), DE, 6-5 240
Brett Johnson, Desert Vista (Phoenix, AZ), DT, 6-4.5 273
Ryan Puskas, Liberty (Peoria, AZ), OLB, 6-3 210
Bradley Archer, Livermore (Livermore, CA), TE, 6-4 240
Blake Antzoulatos, Chaminade (West Hills, CA), ILB, 6-2 225
Brian Driscoll, Torrey Pines (Encinitas, CA), OT, 6'4" 278
Spencer Brasch, Higley (Gilbert, AZ), QB, 6'4" 190
Ben Coleman, Linfield Christian School (Temecula, CA), OT, 6'3" 300
McCade Mettauer, St. Pius X (Houston, TX), OG, 6'4" 287
Orin Patu, Rainier Beach (Seattle, WA), OLB, 6'4" 200
Miles Williams, Mansfield (Mansfield, TX), CB, 6'0" 170
Malik Bradford, Millikan Senior (Long Beach, CA), WR, 6'2" 210
DeCarlos Brooks, Chandler (Chandler, AZ), RB, 5'9" 188
Curley Young, Hendrickson (Pflugerville, TX), OLB, 6'1" 210
Kyle Smith, Los Gatos (Los Gatos, CA) ILB, 6'3" 215
Brayden Rhome, Perry (Gilbert, AZ), OT, 6'6" 270
Myles Jernigan, South Grand Prairie (Grand Prairie,TX), OLB, 6'3" 209
Makai Polk, El Cerrito (El Cerrito, CA), ATH, 6'3" 174

It looks like Cal is focusing on linebackers (6) and offensive linemen (4) in the 2019 recruiting.class. Those two position groups make up half of the class.

Other than California (9), of course, Arizona (6) and Texas (4) are recruiting hot spots for Cal. Washington (1) is the only other state that is home to a Cal recruit.

Some numbers behind Cal's 2019 Football Commits:
National Rank: 39
Pac-12 Rank: 6
Somehow, every one of Cal's recruits has a three-star rating by 247 Spots.

Current Pac-12 Rankings (247Sports)
1.   Oregon
2.   USC
3.  Washington
4.  Stanford
5.  Colorado
6.  California
7.  Arizona State
8.  Oregon State
9.  Arizona
10. Washington State
11. UCLA
12. Utah

WSU, UCLA, and Utah are likely hurt by their total number of commits. All are in single digits. Utah only has six.

Surprisingly, no Pac-12 has received a commitment from a five-star football player. At least 5-star in 247Sport's eyes.

Some Football Thoughts

Here are some football thoughts have been on my mind recently.

1. I might be in the minority but I'm not thrilled with the offensive explosion that we've seen through the first five weeks of the NFL season. Rule changes intended to protect quarterbacks have made the game so easy for them. I'm all for player safety but the degree to which the quarterbacks are being protected is ridiculous. Eight quarterbacks are on pace to throw for 5,000 yards this season. 10 quarterbacks have a rating over 100. Including Mitchell Trubisky. Perhaps making it so easy for quarterbacks was the NFL's priority and the safety thing was merely for the headlines.

2. A couple of weeks ago FOX broadcaster Joe Buck was on the Rich Eisen Show. Buck told a story about how he once had one of his broadcasts critiqued by a network boss. He was knocked for favoring one team over another. Network broadcasters are supposed to be unbiased. There are loads of fans that probably feel that Buck should get this criticism as a matter of routine. I was thinking about this during and after last weekend's Minnesota Vikings-Philadelphia Eagles game. Joe Buck and Troy Aikman were in the booth. It sure sounded like Buck had more than a slight Eagles bend throughout the game.

3. Watching Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen run routes sure is fun. They're making a lot of defensive backs look silly.

4. NFL Network's A Football Life is fantastic. NFL Films is behind it so of course it's fantastic. The program kicked off it's eighth season in September. So far this season we've seen the "football lives" of the following:

Carson Palmer
Lawrence Taylor
Tony Romo
Willie McGinest
Brian Dawkins-tonight at 5pm PST

After tonight's episode there will be a two week break. The series resumes on November 2 with the first of six more episodes this season:

Mike Holmgren
Dwight Clark and The Catch
Thurman Thomas
Doug Williams
Cris Collinsworth
Bill Cowher

Some of my favorite episodes over the history of the series:

Bill Belichick-a two-parter that kicked off the series
Reggie White and Jerome Brown
Ed Sabol
Cleveland '95
The Fearsome Foursome
Chris Spielman
Darrelle Revis
Steve Sabol
Cris Carter
Steve Gleason
Houston '93
Vince Lombardi-another two-parter
Jerry Smith
Sean Taylor
Earl Campbell
Dick Butkus & Gale Sayers
2006 Rose Bowl
Alan Page
Paul Brown
Chad Johnson
Pat Tillman
Wes Welker
John Randle

Actually, it's stupid to list favorites. Every episode is great.
I'd sure like to see profiles of Bud Grant and Jim Marshall. I'd also like to see profiles of a whole host of players and coaches from the early days of the NFL. Bronko Nagurski, Clarke Hinkle, Duke Slater, George Trafton, Dutch Clark, Mel Hein, Fritz Pollard, Jimmy Conzelman, Paddy Driscoll, Benny Friedman, Bulldog Turner, Don Hutson, Curly Lambeau, Ace Parker, Tony Canadeo, etc.

I love A Football Life.

5. George Talieferro passed away on Monday at age 91. He's perhaps best remembered as the first African-American to be drafted by an NFL team. He was selected by the Chicago Bears in the 13th round of the 1949 NFL Draft. He never played for the Bears. He had signed with the Los Angeles Dons of the All-America Football Conference a week before the NFL Draft. After the AAFC folded following the 1949 season Talieferro moved on to the NFL. He played six seasons in the NFL, New York Yanks (1950-51), Houston Texans (1952), Baltimore Colts (1953-54), and Philadelphia Eagles (1955). He was selected to the Pro Bowl from 1951-53. In the NFL, Taliaferro played seven positions: quarterback, running back, receiver, defensive back, kicker, kick returner, and punt returner. RIP George Taliaferro.

6. I suppose it's no surprise that there are odds on where estranged Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell might play. If/when he returns to the game.

Eagles +150
Steelers +200
Bucs +500
Vikings +500
Raiders +600
Dolphins +700
Field +200

Whoever decided to include the Vikings as a potential Bell bidder didn't do much research. Rob Brzezinski is a magician with the salary cap but there's no way that he can fit a $14.5 million contract in about $500,000 of cap space. Even beyond the finances, adding Bell now makes no sense. But when have betting odds ever made sense?

7. Drew Brees' record-breaking night got me thinking about this century's tremendous up-tick in passing. Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, and Drew Brees have pushed the career passing yardage threshold past 70,000. At 39, Brees isn't near done. He probably won't hit 100,000 but maybe someone like Patrick Mahomes will. Anyway, today's crazy passing got me thinking about the game records for passing yardage. Here are the Top 10.

Rank	Player	Yards	Game
1	Norm Van Brocklin	554	Los Angeles Rams vs New York Yanks, September 28, 1951
2	Matt Schaub	527	Houston Texans vs Jacksonville Jaguars, November 18, 2012
2	Warren Moon	527	Hoston Oilers vs Kansas City Chiefs, December 16, 1990
4	Boomer Esiason	522	Arizona Cardinals vs Washington Redskins, November 10, 1996
4	Ben Roethlisberger	522	Pittsburgh Steelers vs Indianapolis Colts, October 26, 2014
6	Dan Marino	521	Miami Dolphins vs New York Jets, October 23, 1988
7	Matthew Stafford	520	Detroit Lions vs Green Bay Packers, January 1, 2012
8	Tom Brady	517	New England Patriots vs Miami Dolphins, September 12, 2011
9	Derek Carr	513	Oakland Raiders vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers, October 30, 2016
9	Phil Simms	513	New York Giants vs Cincinnati Bengals, October 13, 1985

Matt Schaub!?! Despite all of the rule changes over the past forty years to make it easier for quarterbacks to shred defenses no one has been able to touch Norm Van Brocklin's stunning day in 1951. It's surprising to see that half of the above games were played prior to 2000. The other half have been played since 2010.

8. Pac-12 officiating sucks.

Throwback Thursday: The Baltimore Colts. Again.

This Flicker was originally posted on May 23, 2013. 


The Baltimore Colts teams of the late '50s through the '60s have always fascinated me. Winning titles in 1958, 1959, and 1970, they were certainly a successful franchise. In the years between their championships they were nearly always contending for championships. As one would expect from the success, these Colts teams were loaded with talented football players. The list of those players starts with the quarterback, Johnny Unitas. As a kid, there was always something mystical, magical about the name. Unitas. As an adult, the magic is still there. I became aware of football as time was taking away Unitas' gifts. I wish that I could have seen him play when he was at his best. While still a real treat, it's never the same to see tape of games from long ago. To see the games and the players before you know what happens is always the best. While the big star, Unitas was far from the only star. Some of my favorite football players from that era were on those Colts teams. Running back/receiver Lenny Moore, receiver Raymond Berry, tackle Jim Parker, defensive end Gino Marchetti, defensive tackle Art Donovan are honored with Unitas in the Hall of Fame. Coaches Weeb Ewbank and Don Shula are honored there as well. Gene "Big Daddy" Lipscomb may have been the most feared football player in the entire league. If he hadn't been taken far too soon, he might have had an argument for Canton as well. He lives on in the stories. Every NFL player of that era likely has a "Big Daddy" story. Alan Ameche, Jimmy Orr, Bobby Boyd, Mike Curtis, Bill Pellington, Lenny Lyles, Bubba Smith, Bill Curry. Those Colts teams were loaded with terrific football players for over a decade. Great players. Great teams.

My fascination with the Baltimore Colts goes beyond their great football players and teams. They have a great fan base. A fan base that can be summed up by the marching band that continued to march even after their team moved to Indianapolis. A band that now marches for the Baltimore Ravens. This fan base intrigues me because of the ridiculous history of the Baltimore Colts franchise. It's messy but the team can be traced back to pre-NFL days. They can be traced back to the Dayton Triangles, a founding member of the NFL, that was originally formed in 1913. Through Brooklyn, Boston, back to New York and even Dallas, that Dayton team eventually emerged in 1953 as the Baltimore Colts team that enjoyed so many happy football days until they moved to Indianapolis in 1984. There was a Baltimore Colts team that competed in the All America Football Conference. Well, competed is a stretch but they were part of the AAFC. For whatever reason, they were chosen as one of three teams, along with the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers, that merged with the NFL after the upstart conference closed up shop. It's always been a mystery to me as to why the Colts were one of those three. They were a sad team. After one pathetic 1-11 season they were no more as an NFL team. It's taken me years to truly understand that the Baltimore Colts team that came over to the NFL in 1950 had absolutely no football connection to the Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts team that all of us know and many love. It does have a passion connection. The passion for professional football in Baltimore was born with that pathetic football team. That incredible marching band was born with that pathetic football team. That pathetic football team gave it's name to a new, old team. After two years without football, NFL Commissioner Bert Bell challenged the football fans of Baltimore in December 1952 to sell 15,000 season tickets in six weeks in order to re-enter the NFL. Baltimore reached that goal in four weeks and three days. The team that was once the Dayton Triangles, and eventually the Dallas Texans, became the Baltimore Colts. They adopted the "Colts" name and inherited the Texans' colors of blue and white. It's pretty incredible that in five short years that team that no one wanted with a name from a pathetic team became a champion. I think that part of the great passion of those Colts fans came from losing their team. I think that you become more passionate about something when you know what it's like to have it taken away. Thirty years later those fans would lose their team again. It was the Colts moving to Indianapolis in 1984 that made me hate the idea of a fan base losing their team. It's just not right. Baltimore got a team a decade later but it was at the expense of another passionate fan base. I'm sure that the people of Baltimore are pretty happy with the Ravens right now. I'm also pretty sure that the older football fans in the city would probably prefer to have their Colts back in town.

The Baltimore Colts might have had a long, crazy beginning and a terrible ending but they put some incredible football on the field in the thirty years in between. So many great players. So many great teams. Some of my favorites. The Baltimore Colts will always be alive with me.

NFL Passing Yardage Record

On Monday night, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees broke the NFL record for career passing yardage. He holds a bunch of passing records. By the time he's done, he's sure to hold a bunch more. At 39, he's still throwing the ball beautifully so it might be a while before he's done. Watching Brees hit rookie receiver Tre'Quan Smith for a 62-yard touchdown to break the record held by Peyton Manning reminded me of watching Fran Tarkenton break that same record in 1976 when it was held by Johnny Unitas. There was a lot more attention focused on Brees' moment in New Orleans than there was on Tarkenton that Halloween afternoon in Chicago. There was no Hall of Fame representative in white gloves. There was no family presence on the sideline. There weren't as many cameras. It was a different time.

Monday was the fifth time that I've seen the NFL career passing yardage broken. Thinking about that progression got me thinking about the history of the quarterbacks that have held the record. The NFL didn't start keeping official non-scoring statistics until 1932. So the career passing yardage record starts then. 

Arnie Herber (11 years as record holder)

set record in 1932

retired in 1944 with 8041 yards

Sammy Baugh (12 years as record holder)

set record in 1943

retired in 1952 with 21,886 yards

Otto Graham (4 years as record holder)

set record in 1955

retired in 1955 with 23,584 yards-total includes 4 years in the AAFC

Bobby Layne (3 years as record holder)

set record in 1959

retired in 1962 with 26,768 yards

Y.A. Tittle (4 years as record holder)

set record in 1962

retired in 1964 with 33,070 yards-total includes 2 years in AAFC

Johnny Unitas (10 years as record holder)

set record in 1966

retired in 1973 with 40,239 yards

Fran Tarkenton (19 years as record holder)

set record in 1976

retired in 1978 with 47,003 yards

Dan Marino (12 years as record holder)

set record in 1995

retired in 1999 with 61,361 yards

Brett Favre (8 years as record holder)

set record in 2007

retired in 2010 with 71,838 yards

Peyton Manning (3 years as record holder)

set record in 2015

retired in 2015 with 71,940 yards

Drew Brees (clock has started as record holder)

set record in 2018

72,103 and counting. 

***

Fran Tarkenton held the record for an incredible 19 years. He's also the only holder of the record whose successor wasn't active at any point during his career. That partly explains how he held the record for so long.

At nine years, Sammy Baugh played the longest as the holder of the record. 

Warren Moon would've made an appearance on this list between Dan Marino and Brett Favre if his CFL stats were included. Moon threw for 70,553 in his professional football career. 21,228 yards from in the CFL and 49,325 yards in the NFL. The rules used in the CFL are so different that it can be considered a whole other game.

Speaking of a whole other game. Today's NFL is nothing like the NFL of Arnie Herber, Sammy Baugh, Otto Graham, Bobby Layne, Y.A. Tittle, Johnny Unitas, and Fran Tarkenton. Rules designed to help and protect the quarterback have made passing today a breeze (a Brees?). Today's NFL is a far different game and passing numbers have soared to a whole other orbit.

If Drew Brees and Sean Payton had united in 2001 rather than 2006, Brees might be threatening the 100,000 threshold before he retired.

Congratulation to Drew Brees on a brilliant NFL career and joining a great group of quarterbacks.