Vikings-Bears

Well, that was disappointing. The Chicago Bears defeated the Minnesota Vikings with a dominant defensive performance, 16-6. It's disappointing that the Vikings' two disappointing losses on the season are to division opponents, the Packers in Week 2 and now the Bears. Both games were on the road. The Vikings must take the home games against both.

The Vikings played well on defense. They didn't play well on offense. They just couldn't get anything going against the Bears defense until a late touchdown. That lone touchdown came on a 13-play 92-yard drive. That's some nice production. Unfortunately, they finally got into the end zone with less than three minutes to play. Even more unfortunately, the Vikings offense did nothing with the ball when the defense forced the Bears to punt 25 seconds later. But that was how the loss ended. This loss started much earlier.

This was a defensive battle throughout. The Bears won because their offense got a touchdown on their first possession and they managed to manufacture enough offense, often due to their defense, to tack on three field goals. They turned two Vikings fumbles into two of those field goals. The second of those fumbles was on the first play from scrimmage of the second half. Khalil Mack, a menace the entire game, did his usual Khalil Mack stuff. He hit Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins as he was about to throw. Sack, fumble, Nick Williams had the easy part of falling on the ball. It was Bears ball on the Vikings 16. The Bears offense lost four yards on their three plays and kicked a field goal. The Bears would've been more productive if they had kicked the field goal on first down.

In a game in which possessions were few, the Vikings gave the ball away twice and the Bears turned those extra possessions into two field goals.

The Cousins fumble put the Vikings in a bad way but it might've been the first fumble of the day that truly turned the game the Bears way. The Vikings offense had something going on their second possession of the game. They started on their own 5-yard line. Some stupid Bears penalties kept the drive alive and helped the Vikings along as they were sitting pretty at 1st-and-10 on the Chicago 44-yard line. Cousins threw a 10-yard slant to Stefon Diggs with some room to run. As Diggs was tucking the ball away, Bears corner Prince Amukamara made enough contact to knock the ball loose. Bears safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix picked up the ball but the play was whistled over. The officials on the field ruled it an incomplete pass. It looked like an incomplete pass live. It looked like an incomplete pass on replay. The Bears challenged the call. Replay reviews have been a flip of the coin in the NFL this year. Head of officials Alberto Riveron has a random interpretation of reality. He overturned the call on the field. The Bears were given the ball on their own 20-yard line, the site that Clinton-Dix scooped up the incomplete pass. The Bears and their fans likely feel like they were robbed as Clinton-Dix had a lot of room for a return. They were actually handed a gift when they were given the ball. The Bears used up the remaining 6:36 of the half as they drove 72 yards for a half-ending field goal, and a 10-0 lead.

There were only five possessions in the first half. The Vikings had two. The Bears had three. Those 30 first half minutes felt like they were over in 10 minutes. The Vikings gained 28 yards on their first possession. They gained 61 yards on their second possession. Until the late touchdown drive those two first half possessions were their most productive of the game. This game became the Bears game on consecutive Vikings' offensive plays. Their last play of the first half resulted in Riveron taking the ball from them. Their first play of the second half was dismantled by Mack. Those two plays turned a 7-0 Bears lead into a 13-0 Bears lead. That two score lead forced the Vikings into something resembling a desperate offense. So desperate that they felt forced to go for it on 4th-and-4 on their own 31-yard line with 1:49 to play in the third quarter. That's pretty desperate. That desperate situation produced the best offensive play of  the game. Cousins shocked the Bears and hit Diggs down the sideline for 39 yards to the Bears 30-yard line. The Vikings are coming back and making a game of it. From their best field position of the game, the Vikings preceded to lose five yards on a penalty, lose one yard on a pass to Dalvin Cook, and then lose 20 yards on a sack, fumble, bumble,  and recovery. They might not have avoided another turnover but the Vikings had wrecked their first real scoring opportunity. They had moved from 1st-and-10 on the Bears 30-yard line to 3rd-and-35 on their own 45-yard line in a blink. It was that sort of game.

While the Vikings defense played well most of the game their biggest challenge might've started about three minutes into the game. That was when Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky injured his shoulder on the sixth play of the game. On 3rd-and-4 from the Bears 43-yard line, Danielle Hunter sacked Trubisky and forced a fumble that was recovered by Everson Griffen. It looked like the Vikings had the first big break of the game as the defense gave the ball to their offense on the Bears 33-yard line. Unfortunately, Vikings safety Anthony Harris was called for holding on the play. The Bears kept the ball but they lost their quarterback. This injury is no doubt a blow to the Bears for however long Trubisky is out but it might've helped the Bears in this game. With his ability to scramble and run, Trubisky is a very particular quarterback for which a defense has to prepare. His ability to move, within the pocket and out, has been a real problem for the Vikings defense. Perhaps the only problem. His arm has rarely tormented them much. Chase Daniel took over at quarterback. He isn't the run-pass combo that Trubisky is but he might be the better passer. The Vikings spent all week preparing for Trubisky. Now Chase Daniel is back there. The Bears offense changed, the game changed. For that reason, it's really no surprise that the Bears lone touchdown came on this possession. Throughout the drive the Vikings defense looked out of sorts as they adjusted to a new quarterback on the fly. After that drive, the Bears offense managed 194 yards to the Vikings' robust total of 222.

There was a lot of honking prior, during, and after the game about the Bears being without defensive tackle Akiem Hicks and linebacker Roquan Smith. This defense was suffocating because of the freakish strength, speed, and athletic ability of Khalil Mack. That's not to take anything away from the talents of the Bears' players that stepped in for Hicks. Players like Nick Williams and Roy Robertson-Harris are solid players. But everything is easier for those players when so damn much attention needs to applied to Mack. On a few occasions, the Vikings had left guard Pat Elflein help left tackle Riley Reiff try to slow Mack. It didn't. That extra attention paid to one player rushing from the outside opened up the middle for the Bears linemen and linebackers to stroll up the middle. Pedestrian players would've made an impact. Williams and Robertson-Harris are much better than pedestrian. Mack is a menace and the Vikings have to figure out a way to handle him, at least handle him better than they did yesterday, when the Bears come to Minnesota in Week 17. Jon Gruden will never be forgiven for giving Khalil Mack to the Bears. He's the sort of player a team builds around. He's not the sort of player a team trades for parts.

It was a very disappointing game. It's not the end of the season. At 2-2, the Vikings are a game behind the division teams that gave them those two losses. They play each team again. In Minnesota. The Vikings have to win those games. For now, it's on to New York and the Giants in Week 5.

Flea Flicker Week 4 Predictions

It's the fourth week of the NFL season and the first byes are here. Week 4 is too early for a bye. Here's one look at how the teams that are playing this week will do.

Byes: New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers

Minnesota Vikings @ Chicago Bears
Pick: Vikings
Surprise.

Tennessee Titans @ Atlanta Falcons
Pick: Falcons
Neither team is playing all that great. The Falcons are more talented, have the better quarterback, and are playing at home.

New England Patriots @ Buffalo Bills
Pick: Patriots
The Patriots' first three opponents are a combined 0-9. The Bills are 3-0. It's nice that the Patriots might finally have a little bit of a challenge from a division foe.

Kansas City Chiefs @ Detroit Lions
Pick: Chiefs
The Lions have been a surprise through the first three games. It would be a much greater surprise if they can slow the Chiefs.

Oakland Raiders @ Indianapolis Colts
Pick: Colts
I don't think that the Raiders are as bad as the Vikings made them look last week. I still think that the Colts find a way to win this game in Oakland.

Los Angeles Chargers @ Miami Dolphins
Pick: Chargers
The Dolphins are pathetic. What they're doing is pathetic.

Washington Redskins @ New York Giants
Pick: Giants
Rich Eisen has been honking all week about how horrible of a nickname "Danny Dimes" is for Daniel Jones. I kinda like the nickname. I'd kinda like to see him "drop dimes" all over the field against the Redskins.

Cleveland Browns @ Baltimore Ravens
Pick: Ravens
After an offseason of endless hype it's kinda fun to see the Browns struggle. I don't see them getting past the struggles until they shut up, have fun, and play football. Especially the shut up part.

Carolina Panthers @ Houston Texans
Pick: Texans
If Kyle Allen can keep the magic going for another week this could be a fun game.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Los Angeles Rams
Pick: Rams
The Buccaneers defense has been feisty through three games. They have to be even better to keep this game close.

Seattle Seahawks @ Arizona Cardinals
Pick: Cardinals
It sure would be fun if this happened.

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Denver Broncos
Pick: Broncos
The Broncos defense finally wakes up.

Dallas Cowboys @ New Orleans Saints
Pick: Saints
Just a hunch. The Cowboys have stomped on three of the worst teams in the league.

Cincinnati Bengals @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Pick: Steelers
This is a scorcher of a Monday Night game.

Minnesota Vikings Depth Chart Revisited

Recent additions of familiar players has forced an updated Minnesota Vikings Depth Chart. Receiver Laquon Treadwell and punt returner Marcus Sherels are back with the team. Chad Beebe tore ligaments in one of his ankles last Sunday. He's now on injured reserve and hoping that he won't need surgery. There's a chance that he might return before the season's done. For now, he's not available and the Vikings needed two players to replace one.

Minnesota Vikings Week 1 Depth Chart

OFFENSE

Wide Receiver
Stefon Diggs
Olabisi Johnson
Davion Davis

Left Tackle
Riley Reiff
Rashod Hill

Left Guard
Pat Elflein
Dakota Dozier

Center
Garrett Bradbury
Brett Jones

Right Guard
Josh Kline
Dru Samia

Right Tackle
Brian O'Neill
Rashod Hill
Oli Udoh

Tight End
Kyle Rudolph
Irv Smith Jr.
Tyler Conklin

Wide Receiver
Adam Thielen
Laquon Treadwell

Quarterback
Kirk Cousins
Sean Mannion

Halfback
Dalvin Cook
Alexander Mattison
Ameer Abdullah
Mike Boone

Fullback
C.J. Ham

DEFENSE

Left End
Danielle Hunter
Stephen Weatherly

Nose Tackle
Linval Joseph
Jaleel Johnson
Armon Watts

Defensive Tackle
Shamar Stephen
Jalyn Holmes
Hercules Mata'afa

Right End
Everson Griffen
Ifeadi Obenigbo

Weaskside Linebacker
Ben Gedeon
Eric Wilson

Middle Linebacker
Eric Kendricks
Kentrell Brothers

Strongside Linebacker
Anthony Barr
Eric Wilson

Left Cornerback
Trae Waynes
Mike Hughes
Kris Boyd

Right Cornerback
Xavier Rhodes
Mackensie Alexander
Marcus Sherels

Strong Safety
Harrison Smith
Marcus Epps

Free Safety
Anthony Harris
Jayron Kearse

SPECIAL TEAMS

Punter
Britton Colquitt

Kicker
Dan Bailey

Holder
Britton Colquitt

Long Snapper
Austin Cutting

Kick Returner
Ameer Abdullah
Olabisi Johnson

Punt Returner
Marcus Sherels
Ameer Abdullah
Olabisi Johnson

***

The Vikings "official" depth chart lists Hercules Mata'afa behind Jalyn Holmes at defensive tackle. Through three games that hasn't been the case. Mata'afa has been active for all three games. Holmes has not.

With the late week promotion of receiver Davion Davis at the expense of cornerback Nate Meadors the offense:defense split has returned to an even 25:25.

Twitter Nuggets

Here are some fun/interesting football nuggets that I've seen on Twitter in recent weeks.

From Gil Brandt:
Colleges with the most players on opening day active NFL rosters:
1.   Alabama  56
2.   Ohio State  44
3.   Miami  36
4.   Florida  35
4.   LSU  35
6.   Florida State  32
7.   Oklahoma  31
8.   Georgia  29
9.   Clemson  28
10. Texas A&M  27
11. Auburn  26
11. Penn State  26
11. Stanford  26
11. Washington  26
11. Wisconsin  26
16. Iowa  25
16. Notre Dame  25
16. Tennessee 25
18. USC

Colleges with the most players on opening day active NFL rosters, by position:
QB: North Carolina State  4
RB: Alabama  6
WR: Clemson  8
TE: Stanford  5
OL: Florida/Oklahoma  5
DB: Alabama  13
LB:  Alabama  10
DT: Alabama  6
DE: Miami  7

Brandt hasn't allowed his new Hall of Fame status slow him down. He's routinely posting interesting football information.

From @Jason_OTC:
Teams with the most of their own draft picks still on the roster:
1.  Bengals  37
2.  Vikings/Seahawks  36
4.  Falcons  34
5.  Ravens/Patriots/Redskins  33
8.  Cowboys/Packers  32
10. Steelers/Colts/Rams/Chargers  30

In honor of the 75th game next January, the Gator Bowl named a team of the best to have played in the game. It's a fine team.

OFFENSE

QB Archie Manning, Mississippi, 26th Gator Bowl, vs. Auburn
RB Floyd Little, Syracuse, 22nd Gator Bowl vs. Tennessee
FB Larry Csonka, Syracuse, 22nd Gator Bowl vs. Tennessee
WR Fred Biletnikoff, Florida State, 20th Gator Bowl vs. Oklahoma
WR Andre Rison, Michigan State, 44th Gator Bowl vs. Georgia
TE Ken MacAfee, Notre Dame, 32nd Gator Bowl, vs. Penn State
OT Mark May, Pittsburgh, 36th Gator Bowl, vs. South Carolina
OT Greg Skrepenak, Michigan, 46th Gator Bowl, vs. Mississippi
OG Dean Dingman, Michigan, 46th Gator Bowl, vs. Mississippi
OG Zeke Smith, Auburn, 11th Gator Bowl, vs. Vanderbilt
C Maxie Baughan, Georgia Tech, 15th Gator Bowl, vs. Arkansas

DEFENSE

DB Ed Reed, Miami, 55th Gator Bowl, vs. Georgia Tech
DB Tony Lilly, Florida, 39th Gator Bowl, vs. Iowa
DE Hugh Green, Pittsburgh, 36th Gator Bowl, vs. South Carolina
DE Jack Youngblood, Florida, 25th Gator Bowl, vs. Tennessee
LB Wilber Marshall, Florida, 39th Gator Bowl, vs. Iowa
DB Donovin Darius, Syracuse, 51st Gator Bowl, vs. Clemson
DB Mark McLaurin, Mississippi State, 73rd Gator Bowl vs. Louisville
DT Matt Millen, Penn State, 32nd Gator Bowl, vs. Notre Dame
DT Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska, 64th Gator Bowl, vs. Clemson
LB Ryan Shazier, Ohio State, 67th Gator Bowl, vs. Florida
LB Lawrence Taylor, North Carolina, 35th Gator Bowl, vs. Michigan

Floyd Little, Larry Csonka, Fred Biletnikoff, Ed Reed, Jack Youngblood, and Lawrence Taylor went on to Hall of Fame NFL careers.

More Brandt:
"Dalvin Cook is the fifth player in NFL history with 110+ rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in each of his team's first three games of the season, joining Jim Brown (1958), Curtis Martin (2004), the RB who played for USC and the Bills (1975), and Emmitt Smith (1995).

I find it funny that Brandt can't bring himself to name O.J. Simpson.

20 QBs expected to start in Week 3 are 26 or younger:
Lamar Jackson  22
Daniel Jones  22
Kyler Murray  22
Josh Rosen  22
Josh Allen  23
Gardner Minshew  23
Kyle Allen  23
Luke Falk  24
Jared Goff  24
Patrick Mahomes  24
Baker Mayfoeld  24
Mason Rudolph  24
DeShaun Watson  24
Marcus Mariota  25
Mitchell Trubisky  25
Jameis Winston  25
Teddy Bridgewater  26
Jacoby Brissett  26
Dak Prescott  26
Carson Wentz  26

Maybe it's due to what he's been through during his six years in the NFL but it's  surprising that Bridgewater is still only 26.

Andy Reid surpassed Chuck Noll for sole possession of 6th place on the NFL's all-time wins list (including playoffs):
1. Don Shula  347
2. George Halas  324
3. Bill Belichick  294
4. Tom Landry  370
5. Curly Lambeau  229
6. Andy Reid  210
7. Chuck Noll  209

It should be acknowledged that Halas and Lambeau spent most of their careers coaching about 12 games in a season. And a postseason that consisted only of a championship game. That's as many as six fewer games per season than the more recent/current coaches.

When comes to interesting nuggets per tweet that might not be a more accomplished tweeter than Gil Brandt.

Throwback Thursday: Where's The Thorp?

Before there was a Lombardi, there was a Thorp. As the NHL has the Stanley Cup, the NFL once had a traveling trophy. The Ed Thorp Memorial Trophy was awarded to each NFL Champion from 1934 to 1967. It was supposed to have been awarded to the Baltimore Colts in 1968 and the Minnesota Vikings in 1969 but the Green Bay Packers hacked up the process. Typical.

For most of my life as a fan of the Vikings and of the NFL, I was forced to believe that the Vikings had lost the Ed Thorp Memorial Thorp. There were many that believed that the Vikings were cursed for losing the trophy. I mean, how else could the Vikings have possibly lost those four Super Bowls? I'm not one to believe in such nonsense but I never much liked the thought that "my" Vikings could be so careless with something of such great historical significance. For more of the story of the Ed Thorp Memorial Trophy I turn to this article by Minneapolis Star Tribune writer, and Hall of Fame voter, Mark Craig.

About that ’69 title: Evidence is lacking

The Ed Thorp Trophy never quite made it to Minnesota

Who was Ed Thorp and how in the world is he connected to this weekend’s 50th anniversary celebration of the Vikings’ 1969 NFL championship team?


Good question.

“Ed who?” asked Gary Larsen, one of the famed front four forever known as the Purple People Eaters.

Ed Thorp. A friend to several NFL owners in the early ’30s. A referee. Ran a sporting goods store. The league loved him so much it created the Ed Thorp Memorial Trophy upon his death in 1934.

Much like the Stanley Cup in hockey, the Ed Thorp Memorial Trophy was supposed to be a traveling trophy first awarded to the Giants in 1934. Presumably it should have been awarded to the Vikings, who beat the Browns 27-7 at Met Stadium in the final NFL Championship Game before the AFL-NFL merger in 1970.

“I ain’t never seen it,” said Lonnie Warwick, the leading tackler on that 1969 team.

You’re in good company, Lonnie.

“I don’t even know what you’re referring to,” said Bud Grant, the Hall of Fame coach who took the Vikings to four Super Bowls in eight seasons from 1969 to 1976.

For years, it was assumed the Vikings had misplaced the trophy or lost it after the merger. But there was no visual evidence of the Vikings ever receiving the trophy.

“We’d have people calling us wanting to know if it was in a closet somewhere at Winter Park,” said Bob Hagan, Vikings vice president, football and media communications. “But no one around here has ever seen it.”

There’s a reason for that. According to Packers historian Cliff Christl, who set out to solve the mystery for an article he wrote last year, the trophy never made it out of Green Bay after the Packers won it for the record eighth time in 1967. The Packers’ Hall of Fame discovered in 2015 that it had the trophy, which is now on display in the Packers Hall of Fame.

“Maybe they’ll loan it to us,” Grant joked, kind of. “We got a trophy room now in our new Vikings Museum.”

Or at least call off the supposed Super Bowl curse that Thorp’s ghost was said to have cast upon the Vikings when it was rumored the team had lost the trophy. In fact, not only didn’t the Vikings receive the trophy, they’re one of three teams whose names aren’t on the trophy.

The 1960 Eagles aren’t on the trophy, although there’s a spot where they were supposed to have been listed. The 1968 Colts and 1969 Vikings are the other missing teams, which further suggests the trophy never made it out of Green Bay.

Meanwhile, in Minneapolis, the celebration will go on. The Vikings are hosting 124 former players at their annual Legends Weekend. The 1969 team will be honored at halftime of Sunday’s game against the Raiders at U.S. Bank Stadium.

“My favorite memory isn’t a very good one because we didn’t win the Super Bowl,” said Warwick, referring to the 23-7 loss to Kansas City in Super Bowl IV.

“But that was one great team,” Larsen said. “We really came together that year and were a different team over the next decade.”

NFL Films once named the 1969 Vikings as one of the five best teams not to win a Super Bowl.

In the franchise’s ninth season and third year under Grant, the 1969 team featured six future Hall of Famers while boasting the league’s best defense and highest-scoring offense.

Led by the Purple People Eaters of Jim Marshall, Larsen and Hall of Famers Alan Page and Carl Eller, the defense gave up just 133 points, a record then. Meanwhile, with blue-collar quarterback Joe Kapp, two future Hall of Fame linemen in Ron Yary and Mick Tingelhoff, and hard-nosed running backs Bill Brown and Dave Osborn, the offense scored 379 points.

“People forget how many points we scored that year,” Larsen said. “Joe Kapp doesn’t get enough credit.”

In their 59-season history, the Vikings have scored 50 or more points six times. Three of them came in 1969, when they beat Pittsburgh 52-14, Baltimore 52-14 and Cleveland 51-3 in what remains a team record for biggest margin of victory.

“I remember getting three interceptions in that win over Cleveland,” said cornerback Bobby Bryant, who had eight interceptions before a season-ending knee injury in the ninth game. “One of them was against [Hall of Fame receiver] Paul Warfield. We both went up for the ball. I have three pictures of that play. We’re upside down, but there’s a white hand holding the ball. That’s my hand. After that, Warfield didn’t like me that much.”

The Vikings went 12-2, beat the Rams 23-20 for the Western Conference title, plowed through the Browns and were 13-point favorites vs. Kansas City.

Warwick admitted the Chiefs confused the Vikings defense with motion out of multiple formations. Meanwhile, the Vikings’ vaunted running game was stonewalled by a five-man line that put massive Curley Culp, a future Hall of Famer, directly across from Tingelhoff.

But the Vikings did actually win an NFL championship. And there actually was a trophy that went with it. Sort of.

“Maybe we can borrow it [from Green Bay],” Grant joked. “We should at least have it for a year if you say it was a traveling trophy.”

***

Considering all of the facts, it seems to me that the Ed Thorp Memorial Trophy should be on display in the Minnesota Vikings museum. They are the current, and permanent, holders of the trophy. They were the last to win it and they were never given the opportunity to even hold it. Damn, dirty Packers. 

Reunion Time

With only four receivers on the roster, the Minnesota Vikings were real thin at the position. It got a lot thinner when Chad Beebe left Sunday's game against the Oakland Raiders with an ankle injury. An MRI revealed torn ligaments. He's expected to be out at least a couple but more likely a little longer. The Vikings are assuming longer and placed him on injured reserve. He could return to the active roster in eight weeks. Going with three receivers for even a week isn't a viable option. The Vikings needed a receiver now. They found one in a familiar face. Laquon Treadwell. The Vikings' first round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft is back. He had been released on cutdown Saturday after a disappointing three years with the team. He had visits with the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions but hadn't signed with a new team. He was waiting for an NFL call and it came from the only NFL team he's ever known. Some fans might be surprised, perhaps even upset, but the reunion makes a lot of sense. Treadwell knows the offense, his teammates, and the coaches. He's ready to play now. He can be on the field in Chicago, his hometown, on Sunday. He still has the talent that made him a first round pick. Maybe he can hit restart and everything will click a little better in this reunion with the Vikings.

Beebe wasn't just one of four receivers. He was also the punt returner. His move from active roster to injured reserve forced the team to find two players. The second is another familiar face. Marcus Sherels is back. He was the Vikings' punt returner from 2010-18. He handled the role so well that he's considered by most to be the best punt returner in franchise history. He had signed with the New Orleans Saints in the offseason but was released in the summer with an injury settlement. He's healthy now. As with Treadwell, he was looking for that next NFL call.  The Vikings might've been thinking about Sherels even if an injury hadn't forced them the reunion. Beebe had mishandled punts in consecutive games.

To make room for the new old Vikings, Beebe was placed on injured reserve and linebacker Devante Downs was released. Unless he gets attention from other teams, I'm hoping that Downs will soon be added to the practice squad. It's nice having a promising former Cal player on the Vikings.

Welcome back Laquon Treadwell. Forget about the first three years and take advantage of this one. Welcome back Marcus Sherels. Just keep doing what you've always done.

Flea Flicker Week 3 Power Rankings

Here's one look at how the 32 NFL teams rank after the third week of the season.

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

Until next week.

Raiders-Vikings

After last week's frustrating loss in Green Bay it was good to be back at home. The Minnesota Vikings cruised past the Oakland Raiders yesterday by a score of 34-14. It wasn't that close.

Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins spent all week getting bashed. Despite tripping over his center's foot on the first play from scrimmage, he was steady against the Raiders. Perhaps he'll be allowed to breathe this week. As in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons, he didn't have to do much. He completed 15 of 21 passes for 174 yards and a touchdown. It was a nice game by Cousins. But the media and fans won't be happy with him until he puts the team on his back and passes the Vikings to a win. In today's NFL, a quarterback isn't a quarterback unless he's throwing for 400 yards and five touchdowns.

The Vikings did to the Raiders yesterday what the Packers did to them last week. They jumped out to a 21-0 lead. About the only thing that didn't go the Vikings way was Cousins tripping over his center's foot on play #1. From there, the game went something like this:

Vikings: 6 plays, 76 yards-touchdown
Raiders: 3 plays, 2 yards-punt
Vikings: 4 plays, 6 yards-punt
Raiders: 5 plays, 15 yards-punt
Vikings: 12 plays, 79 yards-touchdown
Raiders: 2 plays, 4 yards-interception
Vikings: 6 plays, 30 yards-touchdown

There was still about 41 minutes to play but it felt like the game was over. The Vikings had a 21-0 lead, Dalvin Cook was moving the chains, and the defense wasn't allowing the Raiders offense get in any sort of rhythm.

Proof of the one-sided nature of the game:
-the score
-Cook had his last carry with three minutes to play in the third quarter
-Cousins threw no passes in the fourth quarter
-backups populated the Vikings defense when the Raiders drove 75 yards for that final touchdown

It was a relief to finally see the Vikings tight ends involved in the offense. I was getting a little concerned with their absence through two weeks. Week 1 was such a one-sided game that I let it go a bit. Week 2 wasn't another story. Kyle Rudolph, rookie Irv Smith Jr., and Tyler Conklin had to get involved. Yesterday, Irv Smith Jr. arrived. On the first touchdown drive, Cousins hit him down the seam for 20 yards to the Raiders 35-yard line. Next play, a 35-yard touchdown toss to Adam Thielen. On the Vikings "game-clinching" touchdown drive to get the the third quarter rolling, Cousins hit Smith for a key 26-yard gain. A holding penalty shaved off some of the yards that he gained on his third reception. For the game, Smith had three catches for 60 yards. On those three catches he showed the speed and athletic ability that the Vikings hoped that they were getting when they selected him in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Yesterday was his NFL arrival. Rudolph also made an impact. His catch and plodding run got the ball to the 2-yard line to set up a touchdown. On the third quarter touchdown drive, he drew an interference call that moved the ball 24 yards. It was great to see the tight ends make an impact. Hopefully, it's just the beginning.

Some of the best things from a very good team win:

1. Dalvin Cook. He had his third 100-yard game of the season. 16 carries for 110 yards, and a touchdown. The backup running backs took over for the final 18 minutes. Through three games, it looks like the only thing limiting Cook is the number of carries that he gets. If he got the ball enough in each game it looked like 200 yards would be his norm. I can't recall a single negative run. I'm not sure if he's even been stopped for no gain. Cook has been awesome to start the season.

2. All of the running backs.
Alexander Mattison: 12 carries, 58 yards, and a soaring leap from the four-yard line completed a 10-yard touchdown run.
Mike Boone: 3 carries, 28 yards
All three running backs had a run of at least 20 yards. The Vikings ran for 211 yards. The running game has been terrific.

3. The tight ends

4. The defense. The Raiders offense never looked comfortable. Derek Carr was sacked four times. He was close to being sacked a few more times. Harrison Smith picked off one of his passes. The Raiders gained 302 yards. About a third of those yards were gained against the backups that closed out the game in true preseason fashion.

5. The kicking game. The Vikings released then rookie kicker Daniel Carlson after he missed three field goals against the Packers last season. So, it's ironic that Carlson is now kicking for the Raiders. He watched Dan Bailey, the kicker that replaced him last season, hit two field goals (one from 50 yards) and four extra points. Kicking has been such a problem for the Vikings for so long that it was beautiful to see all six kick attempts sail easily through the uprights. The fans in the stands seemed happy to watch Carlson doink a 51-yard field goal attempt off an upright.

6. 34-14

Thoughts on this game can't end without mentioning Raiders tight end Darren Waller. He was the Raiders offense. 13 catches for 134 yards. He accounted for 55% of the Raiders passing offense and 44% of the total offense. If a Raider player, other than Waller, gained yardage it seemed like it was because of the attention the Vikings defense paid to Waller. Too fast, too big, Darren Waller looks like a star.

Through 90 minutes of 2019 football the Vikings have had 16 minutes of disappointing play. If not for those first 16 minutes against the Packers they'd be 3-0. In reality, the Vikings are 2-1. A big trip to Chicago is next.

Flea Flicker Week 3 Predictions

The NFL season is cruising along. Here's a stab at the Week 3 games.

Oakland Raiders @ Minnesota Vikings
Pick: Vikings
It feels like the Vikings should be 2-0. They aren't. They have to get back to winning.

Cincinnati Bengals @ Buffalo Bills
Pick: Bills
Who are the Bengals? Feisty in Week 1. Pathetic in Week 2. I'm going with the latter. Besides, I think that the Bills can be feisty every week.

Miami Dolphins @ Dallas Cowboys
Pick: Cowboys
I'm not sure why the Dolphins haven't already been relegated to the XFL. What they're doing is pathetic.

Denver Broncos @ Green Bay Packers
Pick: Packers
The Broncos simply haven't shown enough.

Atlanta Falcons @ Indianapolis Colts
Pick: Falcons
I think that both are good teams struggling to figure out who they are. I think that the Falcons are closer to figuring that out simply because they didn't have their franchise quarterback retire in August.

Baltimore Ravens @ Kansas City Chiefs
Pick: Ravens
Will this be much like the explosive Chiefs-Rams game of a year ago? Despite Patrick Mahomes' magical ability to do what needs to be done I like the ability of the Ravens defense to get a few more stops than the Chiefs defense.

New York Jets @ New England Patriots
Pick: Patriots
This game might've been kinda fun if Sam Darnold was playing in it.

Detroit Lions @ Philadelphia Eagles
Pick: Eagles
The Eagles are starting to look like a MASH unit. Or the Los Angeles Chargers. I think that they still have enough to hold off the Lions at home.

Carolina Panthers @ Arizona Cardinals
Pick: Panthers
Kyler Murray looks like he's scared to get hit. I have a tough time picking a team led by a quarterback that's as scared to get hit as he appears to be.

New York Giants @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Pick: Buccaneers
The Daniel Jones era with the Giants begins.

Houston Texans @ Los Angeles Chargers
Pick: Chargers
Just going with the home team.

Pittsburgh Steelers @ San Francisco 49ers
Pick: 49ers
Wins against the Buccaneers and Bengals have 49ers fans thinking Super Bowl. It doesn't take much for 49ers fan to jack up their dreams. I'd like to see the Steelers tap down those dreams a bit but I have difficulty picking them with Mason Rudolph making his first start.

New Orleans Saints @ Seattle Seahawks
Pick: Saints
Teddy Time!

Los Angeles Rams @ Cleveland Browns
Pick: Rams
Just because of the ridiculous hype throughout the offseason I'm kinda enjoying this stumbling start by the Browns.

Chicago Bears @ Washington Redskins
Pick: Bears
I'm thinking that the Bears defense does the scoring in this game.

Trader Bill

Mike Reiss penned this article detailing Bill Belichick's trading ways for ESPN.com yesterday. When the New England Patriots traded receiver Demaryius Thomas to the New York Jets last week it just seemed like another Patriots trade. It was a little more significant than that. Belichick has made 167 trades since becoming the Patriots coach in 2000. The 167th trade involved the 31st team with which he's dealt. As the Patriots head coach, Belichick has now made at least one trade with every team in the league. Reiss went through all 167 deals and came up with the most notable trades that Bill Belichick has made with each team in the league.

AFC East

Buffalo Bills: An easy choice, given how shocking it was he would send quarterback Drew Bledsoe to Buffalo on April 21, 2002, for a first-round draft choice the following season.

Miami Dolphins: The Patriots couldn't cover slot receiver Wes Welker, so they decided to send second- and seventh-round picks to Miami on March 5, 2007, to acquire him. Some thought they paid too much at the time. It turned out to be a bargain.

New York Jets: Only one to choose from -- Demaryius Thomas for a sixth-rounder in 2021.

AFC North

Cincinnati Bengals: After New England shipped a second-round pick to Cincinnati for running back Corey Dillon on April 19, 2004, the hard-charging Dillon rewarded the Patriots with a single-season franchise-record 1,635 rushing yards.

Cleveland Browns: Cornerback Jason McCourty was going to be released by Cleveland, but the Patriots traded for him at the last minute on March 15, 2018, to ensure they wouldn't have competition for his services. They gave up a sixth-rounder to get McCourty and a seventh-rounder, which was a shrewd move.

Baltimore Ravens: A draft-day swap in 2003 in which the Patriots landed Baltimore's first-round pick the following year -- and turned it into nose tackle Vince Wilfork -- was a master stroke.

Pittsburgh Steelers: The third-ever trade made by Belichick, on April 21, 2001, was with the rival Steelers to move down in the second round (from 39 to 50) while picking up a fourth-round pick. The Patriots then wound up using the 50th pick as a chip, along with a sixth-rounder, to move up two spots to select left tackle Matt Light. It was a preview of how Belichick would wheel and deal on draft day.

AFC South

Indianapolis Colts: Trading quarterback Jacoby Brissett for receiver Phillip Dorsett on Sept. 2, 2017, has been a win-win for both teams.

Jacksonville Jaguars: On April 26, 2009, the Patriots acquired a seventh-round pick and a 2010 second-rounder in exchange for a 2009 third-round pick. Considering the seventh-rounder turned out to be Julian Edelman, that's good business. They then used the second-rounder as a chip to move up and draft tight end Rob Gronkowski. Bonanza!

Houston Texans: Ryan Mallett, thought by some media analysts to be a potential starting-caliber quarterback at the time, was dealt for the paltry price of a seventh-round pick on Aug. 31, 2014.

Tennessee Titans: Landing linebacker Akeem Ayers and a seventh-round pick on Oct. 22, 2014, while giving up only a sixth-rounder, brought in an athletic playmaker who contributed to the team's Super Bowl championship that year.

AFC West

Denver Broncos: Shipping running back Laurence Maroney to Denver for a fourth-round pick on Sept. 14, 2010, was a coup because BenJarvus Green-Ellis had taken over the lead rushing duties. A draft-day trade in 2012 to move up in the first round to land linebacker Dont'a Hightower also rates highly.

Los Angeles Chargers: With only two trades to choose from, a 2008 draft-day deal gets the nod, as the Patriots shipped an '08 third-rounder and received an '09 second-rounder and an '08 fifth-rounder. The fifth-rounder was part of a deal to draft special-teams ace Matthew Slater, who has been a pillar in the locker room, and on the field, ever since.

Kansas City Chiefs: Having placed the franchise tag on quarterback Matt Cassel, the Patriots felt they received good value for him by shipping him and Mike Vrabel to Kansas City on Feb. 28, 2009, for a second-round pick (34th overall) that turned into safety Patrick Chung. But the Patriots missed Vrabel's leadership that season.

Oakland Raiders: Trading a fourth-round pick to acquire receiver Randy Moss on April 29, 2007, was a stroke of genius, as Moss revived his career in New England and totaled an NFL-record 23 touchdown receptions.

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys: A 2010 draft-day trade, in which the Patriots moved down from 24 to 27 in the first round, resulted in the pick of safety Devin McCourty. He's been a nine-time captain.

Philadelphia Eagles: After losing Trey Flowers in free agency, the Patriots struck a deal for veteran Michael Bennett and a seventh-round pick on March 14, 2019, giving up only a fifth-rounder in return.

New York Giants: Just one minor 2009 trade on the résumé -- a conditional pick for tight end Michael Matthews, who never emerged.

Washington Redskins: Big things were projected when the team acquired defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth for a fifth-round pick on July 29, 2011, but Haynesworth lasted six games.

NFC North

Chicago Bears: In need of a big-bodied nose tackle, the Patriots shopped a fourth-round pick to Chicago for Ted Washington on Aug. 19, 2003, and Washington was a rock in the middle of arguably the best defense in Belichick's tenure. Close behind would be the 2016 trade for tight end Martellus Bennett that involved a draft-pick swap.

Detroit Lions: Getting linebacker Kyle Van Noy and a seventh-round pick on Oct. 25, 2016, in exchange for a sixth-rounder, has been a steal. Van Noy has been a key cog on two Super Bowl championship teams.

Green Bay Packers: Trading wide receiver Terry Glenn to Green Bay on March 8, 2002, in exchange for a fourth-round pick, ended Glenn's headline-filled tenure in New England after he had arrived as a first-round pick in 1996.

Minnesota Vikings: When Randy Moss became a distraction, he was quickly shipped to Minnesota along with a seventh-round pick, in exchange for a third-rounder (Oct. 6, 2010). That was good value considering the situation in New England seemed close to an implosion. A 2013 draft-day trade -- in which the Patriots traded their first-round pick (No. 29) in exchange for second-, third-, fourth- and seventh-round picks was a rare 4-for-1 swap (linebacker Jamie Collins Sr. and cornerback Logan Ryan were two of the picks).

NFC South

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: While landing cornerback Aqib Talib for a 2013 fourth-round pick on Nov. 1, 2012, might have a strong case as the top choice, it was the acquisition of running back LeGarrette Blount -- in exchange for running back Jeff Demps and a seventh-round pick on April 27, 2013 -- that paid more championship dividends.

Atlanta Falcons: On Aug. 31, 2018, the Patriots traded safety Jordan Richards for a conditional seventh-round pick. The conditions were met and the Patriots now have the Falcons' seventh-round pick in 2020.

Carolina Panthers: One of Belichick's trademark moves is trading into the next year's draft to improve his positioning, which he did on April 24, 2010, by shipping a 2010 third-round pick (89th overall) to Carolina for a 2011 second-rounder. The second-round pick ended up being the second pick of the round (33rd overall), a jump of 56 spots for waiting a year. The only problem? The Patriots didn't hit on the pick, selecting cornerback Ras-I Dowling, who never panned out.

New Orleans Saints: Landing defensive tackle Akiem Hicks for tight end Michael Hoomanawanui on Oct. 1, 2015, helped revive Hicks' career, as he's now a force in Chicago.

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals: It was a shocker when the Patriots dealt defensive end Chandler Jones to Arizona on March 15, 2016, getting two draft picks in return that they turned into guard Joe Thuney and receiver Malcolm Mitchell.

San Francisco 49ers: Shipping a 2007 first-round pick (28th overall) to San Francisco for a 2008 first-rounder and 2007 fourth-rounder was a double whammy because the Patriots turned the first-rounder into linebacker Jerod Mayo and traded the fourth-round pick for Moss. But the 49ers did well, too, using the 28th overall pick on offensive tackle Joe Staley. And, of course, there has to be a mention of the shocking trade of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo for a second-round pick on Oct. 30, 2017, and the acquisition of offensive tackle Trent Brown and a fifth-rounder in exchange for a third-rounder on April 27, 2018.

Los Angeles Rams: It was a "wow" move on April 4, 2018, when the Patriots traded receiver Brandin Cooks for a 2018 first-round pick. The club used the selection on Georgia offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn.

Seattle Seahawks: Deion Branch, twice. It was notable when Branch's holdout in 2006 led to him ultimately being traded to Seattle for a first-round pick on Sept. 11 that year ... and then the Patriots traded for Branch on Oct. 12, 2010, when they needed an in-season boost at receiver.

***

It helps that there are 167 trades from which to pick but it's still remarkable how often the trades favor the Patriots. It helps to explain the six Super Bowl wins.

The second of the two trades that Reiss mentions with the Minnesota Vikings is interesting. The player that the Vikings wanted in the 2013 NFL Draft was Cordarrelle Patterson. Five years later, the Patriots acquired Patterson in a trade with the Oakland Raiders. It was the same route to the Patriots that Randy Moss had taken 11 years earlier. Perhaps this part only interests me, both receivers wore #84.

I believe, despite what most might think, that the Patriots' decision-making is a collaborative process. Every person in the room has a say. But the ultimate decisions are made by Belichick. In making trades it helps that he's also the coach. It also helps that he has as much job security as any team decision-maker since George Halas.

Minnesota Vikings Roster

If for no other reason, I felt the need to post a Minnesota Vikings roster that had punter Britton Colquitt on it. As Rich Eisen too often says, "punters are people too." So, here are the 53 players currently on the Vikings roster, the 10 players currently on the practice squad, the four players currently on the various injured lists, and the one player that is currently suspended. Due to a little shuffling since the roster was initially set, the Vikings are now at a more Mike Zimmer-like 24:26 offense:defense split. An NFL roster is such a fluid thing that this current roster could be history in minutes. Maybe the Vikings trade for Jalen Ramsey. Who knows? I don't.

Offense (24 Players)

Quarterbacks (2)
 8 Kirk Cousins
 4 Sean Mannion

Running Backs (5)
33 Dalvin Cook
25 Alexander Mattison
23 Mike Boone
31 Ameer Abdullah
30 C.J. Ham

Receivers (4)
14 Stefon Diggs
19 Adam Thielen
81 Olabisi Johnson
12 Chad Beebe

Tight Ends (3)
82 Kyle Rudolph
84 Irv Smith Jr.
83 Tyler Conklin

Offensive Line (10)
71 Riley Reiff
65 Pat Elflein
56 Garrett Bradbury
64 Josh Kline
75 Brian O'Neill
69 Rashod Hill
78 Dakota Dozier
73 Dru Samia
61 Brett Jones
74 Oli Udoh

Defense (26 Players)

Defensive Line (10)
97 Everson Griffen
93 Shamar Stephen
98 Linval Joseph
99 Danielle Hunter
91 Stephen Weatherly
92 Jalyn Holmes
94 Jaleel Johnson
96 Ifeadi Odenigbo
51 Hercules Mata'afa
96 Armon Watts

Linebackers (5)
55 Anthony Barr
54 Eric Kendricks
42 Ben Gedeon
50 Eric Wilson
40 Kentrell Brothers
57 Devante Downs

Cornerbacks (6)
29 Xavier Rhodes
26 Trae Waynes
20 Mackensie Alexander
21 Mike Hughes
38 Kris Boyd
44 Nate Meadors
 
Safeties (4)
22 Harrison Smith
41 Anthony Harris
27 Jayron Kearse
39 Marcus Epps

Special Teams (3 Players)

Kicker
 5 Dan Bailey

Punter
 2 Britton Colquitt

Long Snapper
58 Austin Cutting

Practice Squad (10)
48 Khari Blasingame, FB
  3 Jake Browning, QB
76 Aviante Collins, OT
16 Davion Davis, WR
85 Brandon Dillon, TE
32 Mark Fields, CB
15 Alexander Hollins, WR
74 Stacy Keely, DE
17 Dillon Mitchell, WR
59 Cameron Smith, LB

Reserved/Injured
13 Josh Doctson, WR
35 Isaiah Warton, S

Reserve/Non-Football Injury
90 Tashawn Bower, DE

Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform
89 David Morgan, TE

Suspended
24 Holton Hill, CB

Throwback Thursday: Remembering Steve Sabol

This Flicker was originally posted on 9/4/18. Steve Sabol passed seven years ago yesterday. Every football game reminds me of Sabol. So I think about him often. 


Both wonderful and sad memories flooded over me when I happened upon this article by Frank Fitzpatrick of the Philadelphia Inquirer. In June of 2012 I had the opportunity to visit and tour the NFL Films facility in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. It isn't often that already grand expectations are so thoroughly exceeded. To see the place where all that magic and cinematic art is created was incredible. I'll never forget it. I saw Steve Sabol's corner office. The door was open. I'd heard that it always is. I went inside. I looked at the walls. I looked at his desk. Everywhere you look in the NFL Films building there's something interesting to see. It's also true of this office. When I was in this building, and especially in Steve Sabol's office, I felt like I was in a space that was a whole lot better than anything outside the walls.

Steve Sabol died about three months after I visited NFL Films. His father, Ed Sabol, followed just over two years later. The greatest gift that the Sabols gave us wasn't the art that they put on film. It was the people that they left behind. The magic continues at NFL Films.

Frank Fitzpatrick of the Inquirer/philly.com:

At NFL Films, Steve Sabol’s legacy lives on

Even after brain cancer stole both his mobility and his instantly recognizable nasal voice, Steve Sabol would occasionally roll his wheelchair through NFL Films' corridors, adding art or a newly discovered artifact to the walls, checking in on a Hard Knocks soundtrack, leaving inspirational messages for producers he'd helped prepare for a day they understood was coming too soon.

"When he was dying, I came in and he'd left this note on my desk," said Keith Cossrow, a senior coordinating producer for the iconic company Sabol and his father built. "It said, `There's no future in any job. The future lies in the man who holds the job.'"

For the 300 employees of NFL Films, the future arrived on Sept. 18, 2012. Sabol, whose father, Ed, was then 96 and ailing in Arizona, died that day at 69. After 50 years, there was no founding-family member guiding the company that bore the clear and distinctively creative imprint of the Sabols, and in particular Steve.

Yet despite the dire predictions that followed the death of the creative dynamo behind NFL Films' revolutionary success, the quality and quantity of work has continued to expand.

In 2013, NFL Films received a record 24 Sports-Emmy nominations. There were 18 more in 2016, another 21 in 2017. The workload keeps growing, with documentaries and football-related content for, among others, ESPN, NBC, Fox, HBO, Showtime, Amazon and the NFL Network.

"People wrote our obituary when Steve got sick and again when he died," said Cossrow. "There was a feeling from some people that we were slowly being eaten alive by all the changes in technology, that we were dinosaurs. … But the people at the NFL from the commissioner on down made the same judgment: There's no reason to change anything."

There are several reasons NFL Films has successfully transitioned from the Sabol era — a half-century's foundation of excellence on the creative side, stable leadership from NFL broadcasting chief Howard Katz on the business side, young producers dedicated to the company's traditions but unafraid to experiment, and, maybe most significantly, the tangible legacy of Steve Sabol.

NFL Films was built on the Sabols' passion for football and their devotion to story-telling. And in the South Jersey offices and studios where he spent so much of his life and into which he poured so much of himself, Steve Sabol's story goes on.

"A lot of people around here were raised on his hip," said Vince Caputo, who heads the audio department. "They gleaned a lot of what he liked and didn't like. That knowledge isn't going to go away. Steve is still present in so many ways."

An 8-foot-tall bronze statue of a young Sabol, camera jauntily perched on a shoulder, has stood since 2014 at the Mount Laurel headquarters' entrance. Though associates believe he'd have been embarrassed by the garish homage, the monument acts as a symbol of Sabol's ongoing influence.

"We miss his presence, of course," said Kelly Viseltear, vice president for budgets and production management. "But he's never really left.  You can feel it. The producers Steve taught carry his vision every day. And they put it into the mind-sets of each new producer that comes through. We don't skip a beat."

That tutelage, according to Ken Rodgers, senior coordinating producer, made the post-Sabol transition as smooth as an NFL Films edit.

"Steve allowed us to train under him," Rodgers said. "Not just when he was sick for those 18 months, but the years leading up to that, He became an artist-in-residence here rather than the president of NFL Films. A lot of the business aspects he transitioned to other people. He started to do the things he enjoyed rather than the things he had to do. Howard Katz was running the business side. On our side, he entrusted several producers with the creative vision."

‘Steve’s house’

Sabol's corner office has been left virtually undisturbed. His detailed files on players past and present are sourced constantly. The 35 Emmys he won — a third of NFL Films' 105 — fill the display cases. Every hallway is a football museum he curated, its walls teeming with artwork, photos, front pages, historical artifacts, even the collages he created in his home studio.

"One weekend I was sitting in a conference room watching a game and Steve comes walking through. He's wearing a bathing suit and he's carrying two paintings that he's going to hang on a wall," recalled Cossrow. "He looks in and says, `OK, when I'm dead, make sure this is part of the documentary about me.'"

The decor reflected Sabol's love of football and art so thoroughly that after he died some said being in the building was like being in someone's home when they were away.

"This is Steve's house," said Caputo.

In 2002, when NFL Films moved into its new, $45 million,  200,000-square-foot facility in a suburban corporate park near Route 73, Sabol's hallways served as directional guides.

"People would say, `Go down to the Lombardi photo and turn left,'" said Viseltear. "Then one day you'd come in and he'd have changed the entire wall. His design eye was amazing. All the new things were beautiful and perfectly placed. But nobody knew how to get around the hallways."

Several of Sabol's notes and memos can still be seen in the offices of the stable of senior producers and executives he personally groomed — Cossrow, Rodgers, Ross Ketover, Chris Barlow, Pat Kelleher.

If  "What would Steve do?" had been NFL Films' motto before his departure, it's become a mantra in the years since.

"Steve was arguably the most creative mind in sports television, so you always wanted to know what he thought," said Ketover, senior executive who now heads the company. "His instincts for an edit, for the tone of the piece or a piece of music were better than anyone I ever met. When Steve was here and when he wasn't, we had that motto: What would Steve do? We still think about that whenever we're putting a show together."

Not long before he passed, Sabol gathered the creative and business leadership together. By then he'd developed aphasia — an impairment of one's speaking ability. Still, he managed to convey his feelings.

"When he died, it caused us to sputter personally. But company-wise and professionally, things went smoothly," Rodgers said. "At that meeting he told us how much he trusted us and how confident he was that we'd keep doing things the way we had for five decades with respect to creativity and pushing envelopes."

Ed Sabol died in 2015. His wife of 74 years, Audrey, and daughter, Blair, are still alive. Steve's only child, Casey, operates a music business in California. Still, many at NFL Films continue to believe it's a family-run business.

"We've always been close here, so when Steve died, it felt like his sons and daughters had inherited the family business," said Cossrow, "and that now was the time to make the family proud."

Football and film

The essence of NFL Films' success is implied in its name, the twin passions of football and film, that led to the company's founding in 1962, but the continuity of its staff and vision can't be overlooked, employees said.

"We're like the Steelers," Cossrow said. "We don't go for the splashy, high-priced free-agent very often. We build from within. Most of us have been here 20, 30, 40 years. We have a system we're comfortable with."

The 18 months between Sabol's diagnosis and death were as busy as they were difficult.  The NFL Network was demanding more content. Hard Knocks, HBO's candid look at one team's training camp, was beginning to take off. A deep-dive series for NBC Sports called Turning Point was starting up. The number of documentaries in the acclaimed A Football Life series was expanding.

"We were just too busy to think, `Our boss is sick. Our boss is dying,'" said Cossrow. "One of the last times I ever met with Steve, I brought him a lineup for that season's A Football Life. He said, "Jesus Christ, how are you guys going to do all this?' Steve had a certain ways of articulating things even in his reduced state."

Much of the grieving took place during production of the 2013 episode of A Football Life that was a heartfelt elegy for Sabol. Its final act in particular, an examination of the relationship between father and son tied to Ed Sabol's Pro Football Hall of Fame induction, was an emotional experience for all.

In that summer of 2011, Steve Sabol could hardly speak. Recording a  tribute to his father proved both painstaking and liberating.

"It always made me happy was that Steve got to see Ed go into Hall," said Rodgers. "That was a capstone for both of them. But Steve had begun to lose his ability to put sentences together when we were working on the induction speech. He gave it on video and when he got out what he wanted to say, you could see it was an emotional catharsis for him. He needed to do that one more thing. Now he could allow nature to take its course."

Next year will mark the NFL's 100^th season, an event NFL Films has been gearing up for, an event the Sabols would have loved.

"Steve has been a big part of all our conversations about the 100th," said Maryann Wimberly, who heads the Player and Talent Department.  "We think of him whenever we talk about the stories we can tell, the way we'll tell them."

And so the business that grew out of a father's interest in filming his son's Haverford School football games moves on through its second half-century facing challenges that were unimaginable in 1962.

"The sports media world is so different now," Rodgers said. "It's up to us to try to find new ways to tell stories. A lot of people think we're only about slow-motion shots of spiraling footballs. But the fact is we invented reality documentary-style sports TV with Hard Knocks. And we're trying to be at the forefront in places like Amazon and Facebook."

On a recent afternoon, Steve Sabol's statue shimmered and sparkled in a relentless afternoon sun, a vision that might have inspired one of those poetic overlays he wrote for his groundbreaking films:

The August sun was a demon,

 Setting the bronze ablaze.

The hero's face fixed a distant place

As it shone through the searing haze.

"He's with us," Wimberly said. "He's with us every single day."

AP Top 25

The AP released it's current College Football Rankings. I post it here because of #23.

1.   Clemson (57) 3-0
2.   Alabama (5) 3-0
3.   Georgia (3-0)
4.   LSU (3-0)
5.   Oklahoma (3-0)
6.   Ohio State (3-0)
7.   Notre Dame (2-0)
8.   Auburn (3-0)
9.   Florida (3-0)
10. Utah (3-0)
11. Michigan (2-0)
12. Texas (2-1)
13. Penn State (3-0)
13. Wisconsin (2-0)
15. UCF (3-0)
16. Oregon (2-1)
17. Texas A&M (2-1)
18. Iowa (3-0)
19. Washington State (3-0)
20. Boise State (3-0)
21. Virginia (3-0)
22. Washington (2-1)
23. California (3-0)
24. Arizona State (3-0)
25. TCU (2-0)

Others Receiving Votes:
Kansas State (91) 3-0; Oklahoma State (51) 3-0; Army (50) 2-1; Michigan State (37) 2-1; Memphis (26) 3-0; Wake Forest (14) 3-0; BYU (12) 2-1; Iowa State (7) 1-1; Temple (7) 2-0; Mississippi State (4) 2-1; Appalachian State (2) 2-0; Minnesota (1) 3-0

***

Cal has reached the AP Top 25. Go Bears! The interesting thing about the Golden Bears place at #23 is that they beat the team at #22. That's not a good look for the AP. In the past decade, Cal has occasionally reached the Top 25 after racing through their non-conference schedule only to immediately drop out after getting clobbered in conference games. Two things make me think that this Cal team might be different. 1) They've already beaten one of the better teams in the Pac-12. That's the team ranked at #22, Washington. 2) This Cal team plays terrific defense.

After Saturday's SEC date at Mississippi on Saturday, Cal faces a five game stretch that includes Arizona State, Oregon, Utah, and Washington State. Those games will reveal whether the Golden Bears are truly deserving of being a Top 25 team.

Cal in the Top 25. Stanford nowhere to be seen. Just as it should be.

It's only been a few years but it feels like forever since it's been any team but Clemson and Alabama at the top of college football.

Flea Flicker Week 2 Power Rankings

Here's one look at how the 32 NFL teams rank after the second week of the season.

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

Until next week.

Vikings-Packers

Well, that was disappointing. The Green Bay Packers held on for a 21-16 win over the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field. It was very disappointing.

Football is a team sport but it's fairly difficult to not put a lot of this loss on Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins. He wasn't very accurate. He completed only 14 of his 32 attempts. That's 43.75%. That sort of percentage is barely conceivable in today's NFL. He completed over 70% of his passes last year. He wasn't accurate. He made some poor decisions. He had three turnovers (1 fumble, and 2 interceptions). The worst of which was an interception in the end zone on a first-and-goal from the 8-yard line with just over five minutes to play. The Packers were on their heels. Their defense was starting to not want anything more to do with the Vikings running backs. The defenders were shying away from contract and the backs were picking up chunks of yardage. That mind-numbing interception basically sealed the game for the Packers. The game was right there for the Vikings and it slipped away.

But football is a team sport.

The Vikings defense didn't show up in the first quarter. It took four plays for the Packers to score on the opening possession. 39-yard pass, 6-yard run, 15-yard run, 15-yard touchdown pass. It was bang-bang-bang-bang-touchdown. There wasn't a hint of resistance. The Vikings offense responded with a missed field goal. The Packers offense then took 11 plays to go 63 yards for their second touchdown. The Vikings offense responded with a fumble. The Packers only had to move the ball 33 yards for their third touchdown. 44 seconds into the second quarter and the Packers led 21-0. Then the Vikings started to play some defense.

Packers offense:
First three possessions: 171 yards, 21 points
Next 11 possessions: 154 yards, 8 punts, 2 fumbles, 1 turn over on downs, 0 points.

Perhaps Cousins was pressing because of the near-immediate 21-0 hole. Who really knows? He's a very accurate quarterback. The beautiful 45-yard touchdown pass to Stefon Diggs in the third quarter is more than norm for Cousins. I've seen him make the occasional mind-numbing mistake. I've never seen him miss passes so frequently. I'm not worried about Cousins moving forward. He just has to shake this game off and start throwing the football to his teammates. And putting an end to the mind-numbing mistakes would be nice.

The officiating. There were four offensive pass interference penalties called in this game. Three on the Vikings. One on the Packers. That't the expected disparity in this rivalry. I've probably watched entire seasons of NFL games and not seen four offensive pass interference penalties. One of those penalties took a Vikings touchdown off the board. The officials on the field didn't call it. It took replay to find something to take away that touchdown. Head of Officials Alberto Riveron, sitting in New York, decided that Dalvin Cook impeded a defender while the ball was on the way to Diggs in the end zone. The contact looked inadvertent. Fox rules analyst, and former Head of Officials, Dean Blandino stated that he wouldn't have called it. The new rules allowing replay to call or overturn pass interference penalties demands that the penalty, or absence of a penalty, be unquestionable in order to change the call on the field. If the current and former Head of Officials having differing opinions on a penalty I'd say that makes it questionable. Making pass interference penalties reviewable was supposed to fix things. It hasn't.

Despite the poor start, the poor game by Cousins, and shaky officiating in Green Bay and New York, it felt like the Vikings could've/should've won this game. There were two reasons for that. The defense finally got things together. And Dalvin Cook.

Dalvin Cook was the best player on the field.

20 carries, 154 yards, 7.7 avg, 1 touchdown
3 receptions, 37 yards

His touchdown was a 75-yard burst. The longest of his career. It feels like he'll be threatening that standard every game.

If Cook had carried the ball once, maybe twice, when the Vikings had that first-and-goal from the 8, perhaps we're talking about a 23-21 win. Who knows? I don't. I do know that Cook has been fantastic through the first two games of the season. Rookie Alexander Mattison (4 carries, 25 yards, 6.3 avg.) has done a fine job while giving Cook breathers. The Vikings need that because they really need Cook to stay on the field as much as possible. Cook looks like a special sort of back.

This was a very disappointing game. Losses always are. This one more so than most. It was the Packers. It was the slow start by the defense. It was Cousins' mistakes. Despite all the issues, the game was still right there for the taking. That's probably what's most disappointing of all. But maybe that's a promising thing. The Vikings overcame a lot of mistakes to be in a position to still win this game. I doubt that a defensive start like this will happen again. And I doubt that Cousins will be so inaccurate again. Now, it's time for the Oakland Raiders.

Flea Flicker Week 2 Predictions

If your team didn't win in Week 1 there's always a chance in Week 2. Unless you're a fan of the Miami Dolphins. Here's a stab at the Week 2 games.

Minnesota Vikings @ Green Bay Packers
Pick: Vikings
The Vikings will always be the pick here.

Arizona Cardinals @ Baltimore Ravens
Pick: Ravens
Dolphins and Cardinals is a pretty soft start for the Ravens.

Seattle Seahawks @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Pick: Steelers
The Seahawks squeaked past the Bengals. The Steelers were thrashed by the Patriots. It's Steelers in this game.

Indianapolis Colts @ Tennessee Titans
Pick: Colts
The Titans are flying high after thumping the Browns. The Colts find a way to bring their division rival back to earth.

Dallas Cowboys @ Washington Redskins
Pick: Cowboys
The Redskins threw a scare into the Eagles last week. I don't see them throwing a scare into the Cowboys.

New England Patriots @ Miami Dolphins
Pick: Patriots
No matter how much difficulty the Patriots have historically experienced in Miami it would be stunning if this game isn't over in the first quarter.

Buffalo Bills @ New York Giants
Pick: Giants
The Bills strike me as a team that will be wildly erratic this season. When they are on, I think that they can challenge any team in the league. I guess that I'm going with this game being one of those games in which they aren't on.

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Houston Texans
Pick: Texans
I think that DeShaun Watson can lead the Texans to more points than Gardner Minshew can lead the Jaguars.

Los Angeles Chargers @ Detroit Lions
Pick: Chargers
The Lions tied the Cardinals last week.

San Francisco 49ers @ Cincinnati Bengals
Pick: 49ers
Despite losing to the Seahawks, the Bengals might've been the surprise team of Week 1. I'm leaning 49ers due to Joe Mixon's balky ankle.

Kansas City Chiefs @ Oakland Raiders
Pick: Chiefs
The Chiefs visit Oakland for the final time. That's not right.

New Orleans Saints @ Los Angeles Rams
Pick: Saints
The last time these two teams played it had a flawed result.

Chicago Bears @ Denver Broncos
Pick: Broncos
The Broncos didn't inspire much confidence last week. Neither did the Bears. Except for that defense. I'm just thinking that Vic Fangio knows the Bears defense well and has seen all that he needs to see of Mitchell Trubisky and the Bears offense.

Philadelphia Eagles @ Atlanta Falcons
Pick: Falcons
Just a hunch.

Cleveland Browns @ New York Jets
Pick: Browns
Both teams came into the season with high expectations. Both teams had terrible starts. I want to go with the Jets at home but they lost their quarterback to mono. Mono?

Some Football Thoughts

With the first week of the 2019 NFL season now part of the league's 100 year history a lot of football has been on my mind. Here are some of those football thoughts.

1. Football is back!

2. I am so tired of Antonio Brown. Even the start of the football season can't keep his idiocy off the headlines. He's so fun to watch play football but I'm just so tired of him that I'm starting to prefer never seeing him play football again.

3. "We've got some nightmares out there."
-Vikings safety Harrison Smith on the defensive line in front of him.

4. Vikings safety Anthony Harris was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery, 5 tackles, and all-around fine play against the Falcons in Week 1.The Vikings have been looking for a versatile, playmaking safety to play opposite Harrison Smith since 2012. It's one game but Harris has shown the sort of playmaking potential that he showed against the Falcons in situational appearances and spot starts over the past four years. His goal line fumble recovery against the Rams in 2017 might've been the biggest play of a season that was filled with big plays. His performance on Sunday was a surprise to no one in the Vikings organization. Congratulations Anthony Harris!

5. Did Odell Beckham have somewhere else he had to be during the football game? Why else would he wear a watch during a game? As with everything that he does, it was for the attention. So it was something of a surprise when he belly-ached about the attention. Beckham spouted that it wouldn't be a big deal if Tom Brady pulled the clown stunt of wearing a several-hundred thousand dollar watch during a game. As is often the case, there are some flaws in Beckham's logic. It wouldn't be a big deal because Tom Brady wouldn't wear a watch, of any value, during a game. I bet that the thought of wearing a watch, of any value, during a game had never even occurred to Brady.

6. I like watching Dalvin Cook play football.

7. I can think of only one home game that wasn't played at 12:30 on Saturday during my days as a Cal student. That one game was a 33-7 thrashing by Washington State. It was a rainy night game. The game started with a meager 30,135 in the stands. By the fourth quarter, about 135 remained. And the most of those that remained were band members. Cal Band Great!!! The game was dismal for many reasons. The most significant being the start time. It hacked up the whole glorious experience of game day for a college student. A 12:30 Saturday start for college football is perfect. It's nothing like that now. TV determines the college schedule and they often don't determine the time of the game until the week before. Now, it's rare for a Cal home game to kickoff at 12:30. I've often thought about this change. It would be so different to be a student and a football fan at Cal now. The team wins more. That's nice. This year's team has already matched the season win total of the team that I watched got thrashed by Washington in the night rain. I was thinking again about these scheduling changes when Cal's night game against Washington last Saturday was delayed over two hours by weather. The game didn't reach it's thrilling conclusion (for Cal) until 1:20 Sunday morning. There's no predicting the weather but no Saturday game in the United States should be finish after four in the morning on Sunday somewhere in the United States. This game started at 7:30 on the west coast. A 10:30 start on the east coast is a lot to ask. I sure do miss those 12:30 starts. Go Bears!

8. More Cal. The Golden Bears defense is so much fun to watch. The offense hasn't been so much fun to watch the past couple seasons. There was a flicker of offensive hope in the second half against Washington. Quarterback Chase Garbers was clutch on the final drive to a game-clinching field goal. A modest Cal offense to pair with that terrific defense would be so wonderful. There are a bunch of games to play before it's really time to think about it but Stanford has had the Axe for far too long.

9. The media's fascination with Kirk Cousins throwing only 10 passes in the Vikings' 28-12 thumping of the Falcons is getting tiresome. I can understand questions about the low totals during the postgame press conference. Maybe even a couple follow up questions in Mike Zimmer's day-after press conference but the media is still fixated on it. Zimmer, Cousins, offensive coordinator Kevin Stafanski, receiver Stefon Diggs, and everyone else even remotely involved with the offense have been hammered with questions all week about throwing only 10 passes. Why is it so hard for the media to grasp that this game was outside the norm? Would there be such attention if the Vikings had run the ball only 10 times? Not in today's pass-happy NFL. The game was essentially decided in the first half. The Vikings defense kept the Falcons offense down throughout the game. There was rarely a need to throw the ball in the second half. At some point, the media has to turn the page to the next game. And the next game for the Vikings happens to be the Green Bay Packers. That alone should be reason enough to forget about those 10 passes by Tuesday.

10. I've heard a few talking heads express surprise at the strong support of Oakland Raiders fans for a team that's leaving town after this season. I guess these talking heads have forgotten that these fans have been through this before. When Al Davis took the Raiders to Los Angeles, these fans stayed with their team. Los Angeles/Las Vegas, neither is that far from Oakland. Many made weekend trips to Los Angeles for more than a decade. They'll make weekend trips to Las Vegas. In fact, many Raiders fans are looking forward to weekend trips to Las Vegas. This move might not be convenient for Raiders fans but it'll be fun. And Raiders fans like fun.

11. I like watching Danielle Hunter play football.

12. Football's back! Skol Vikings!