Christian Ponder gets another chance to play quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings. This time he takes the field near his hometown of Colleyville against the Dallas Cowboys. The next nine games will determine the future of Christian Ponder in Minnesota. If he doesn't take it that seriously, the Vikings will likely be selecting a quarterback in the first couple of picks of the next NFL Draft.
I just want to see the Vikings finally find a franchise quarterback. I really don't care whether Ponder or Josh Freeman from the current group becomes that guy. I just want that guy on the roster. The Vikings really haven't had that guy since Fran Tarkenton in the '70s. They thought that they had him with Tommy Kramer but he never stayed healthy. They thought that they had him with Daunte Culpepper but he was never the same after a knee injury in 2005. Christian Ponder was drafted to be that guy in 2011. So far, he hasn't. He still could be. We'll see.
The Vikings really miss second-year safety Harrison Smith. He's been out with a turf toe. I miss him too. He's a terrific football player.
Get well and stay well John Fox.
Herschel Walker thinks that he should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. While I do think that he's very under-appreciated, I don't agree. His USFL statistics should be considered. He rushed for over 2,400 yards in one 18-game season but his NFL statistics should carry the most weight. Those weren't consistent enough. Walker complains that he didn't get enough carries. The Hall of Fame doesn't really include what might have been.
I was checking out a breakdown by position of colleges with the most players in the NFL. I was a little surprised to see that Cal has the most running backs in the league. I knew that they had a nice representation but I didn't realize that they had the most. Here they are:
C.J. Anderson-Denver Broncos
Justin Forsett-Jacksonville Jaguars
Marshawn Lynch-Seattle Seahawks
Will Ta'ufo'ou-Jacksonville Jaguars
Shane Vereen-New England Patriots
Lynch is the one impact runner. Vereen might become one. He was doing well before he was injured earlier this season.
Cal also has the most centers.
Brian De La Puente-New Orleans Saints
Alex Mack-Cleveland Browns
Brian Schwenke-Tennessee Titans
Nick Sundberg-Washington Redskins
It's always nice to see Cal representation in the NFL.
The other position and college that struck me was punter and Tennessee. It wasn't really a surprise. There just seems to be no end to the punting Colquitts. Craig Colquitt started it all in the late '70s. Sons, Dustin and Britton, punt for the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos. His brother, Jimmy Colquitt punted for the Seattle Seahawks in 1985. All four played college football at Tennessee. Punting is a family business.
The officials of the Cal-Arizona game should find another line of work.
Cal lost again. This time to Arizona, 33-28. Cal is 1-8 on the season.
Cal's defense played their best game. It's not saying much but it's saying something. They showed some life. They made some plays.
The offense didn't make enough plays. Receiver Kenny Lawler caught the first three touchdowns of his college career. A couple in spectacular fashion. But, there was a stretch of several possessions, over a quarter's worth of time, that Cal did nothing on offense. The defense was doing their job and the offense provided no support. Very sad.
I hope that this is more like the Cal defense that we'll be seeing going forward. A simply unreal number of injuries have kept the defense in flux every week. They may be at the bottom of the depth chart at several positions but they are finally having some lineup consistency. Maybe that consistency has helped the play on the field.
Good teams overcome horrible officiating. Cal isn't so they couldn't.
Seeing so many puke-covered uniforms that some teams trot out on the field (Oregon!), it's nice to see the classics like Navy and Notre Dame.
Michigan St. has a fierce defense. Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner is tough to bring down. Even tougher to catch. Michigan St. did a bunch of both yesterday.
Princeton quarterback Quinn Epperly had an FCS-record 29 straight completions in a win over Cornell. Very nice.
I love the Nissan Heisman House commercials.
Maty Mauk. I just love that name.
I wanted to see more of Missouri and Maty Mauk but I had to watch the Miami-Florida St. #7 vs. #3. I can't get enough of Seminole quarterback Jameis Winston.
In his helmet, Miami quarterback Stephen Morris looks like a stretched-out Russell Wilson. It's something with the eyes.
Speaking of eyes, it was kinda funny to watch Winston squinting to see the play signs from the sideline. For a reason I didn't catch, he wasn't wearing contact lenses. He didn't have any trouble seeing open receivers. He had a lot of them and hit pretty much every one of them. His accuracy and poise is incredible. He did have a couple of interceptions in this game which was strange to see.
Miami was only down a touchdown at the half, 21-14. Florida St. took care of that in the third quarter. It was suddenly 35-14 and Miami had real difficulties gaining even one yard in that quarter. Florida St. wins 41-14.
Miami is a good team. Undefeated and #7 coming into this game. They had some difficulties with North Carolina and Wake Forest in recent weeks but they're moving in the right direction under head coach Al Golden. Stephen Morris is a very good quarterback. Nice arm. Florida St. is simply one of the best teams in the nation. I'd love to see that little playoff system start this season. Separating Alabama, Oregon, Florida St, and one of Ohio St., Stanford, and maybe Baylor is a real tough task. A computer can't do it.
For some reason consciously hidden from me, I cheer for random teams across the nation. I've long been on the side of Georgia and Michigan. I think that Georgia came to me because Fran Tarkenton went there but Terry Hoage, Herschel Walker, and Buck Belue were draws as well in the early '80s. I especially liked Michigan when Anthony Carter was running all over the field. I liked many of Bo Schembechler's teams. The history and traditions of Notre Dame has often made that school appealing. I've liked Texas A&M since I learned of their 12th Man. Sorry Seattle, it's not yours. Never has been. Plus, I liked James Hadnot. More recently, South Carolina and Missouri have joined the list of teams that I, for some reason, favor.
In closing, I was listening to Sports Illustrated's Peter King chatting with Carolina Panther's Greg Olsen about Cam Newton's incredible passing of the last three weeks. Asking what happened, what changed? I thought that the answer was simple but Olsen never landed on it. The Panthers played the Vikings three weeks ago. That is all.
That changes today. Go Vikings.
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Too Early
It's way too early to be thinking about the 2014 NFL Draft. The 2013 NFL season is entering week 9. Even at 1-6, the Minnesota Vikings aren't out of postseason play. They made the playoffs last year, that seems like such a long time ago, with a 10-6 record. They squeaked in with a 10-6 record. So, they still have a shot at matching that. They just have to win the rest of their games. No problem. There's a chance. It's too soon to be thinking about next May's draft (May!?!). Then I look at the Vikings injury report. No Harrison Smith. No Jamarca Sanford. No Chris Cook. Three-quarters of a starting defensive backfield, that really wasn't stopping much when healthy, is out. They are out for tomorrow's game against the Dallas Cowboys and Tony Romo. Romo might have passing issues in some big games but he showed up for a showdown with Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos earlier this season. Besides, tomorrow's game likely isn't considered a big game. It's just considered another game and he's facing second-year sieve Josh Robinson and rookie Xavier Rhodes at corner. If anything came out of the Vikings pathetic defense against the Green Bay Packers last week, Robinson was much closer to the receivers he's supposed to cover than he's ever been. And, he's fast. I think that Rhodes is going to be a terrific football player but he's still a rookie. Safeties Andrew Sendejo and Mistral Raymond round out a backfield that has to contain Dez Bryant and Jason Witten. Oh my. Maybe, that's why I find my thoughts drifting to that May draft (May!).
It's too early for the supposed media draft experts to be thinking about the draft. The 2012 NFL Draft will always be remembered for the two quarterbacks at the top of it, Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III. Luck was going to be ranked at the top of whatever draft he entered. I remember checking a Cal message board the summer before Luck's first year of college. A poster had the opportunity to watch the young quarterback at a passing camp. He returned with the warning, "we're in trouble." Everyone knew that Luck was a dream quarterback from the day he left Houston for Stanford. Griffin was another matter but he shouldn't have been. He was an excellent quarterback throughout his time at Baylor. His only setback was a knee injury that cost him a season. He never showed anything but the ability to play football at a high level. He even showed the ability to rebound superbly from an injury. The media didn't pick up on his football skills until well into his final college season. A draft ranking of quarterbacks in the middle of that season had Landry Jones and Matt Barkley between Luck and Griffin. That's inconceivable! It's way too early to rank players. It's always too early as the draft is all about projections. There's really no way to accurately project what a college football player will do in the NFL. I read recently that Bill Belichick thought that Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Geno Atkins would be the top pick of the 2010 draft if it were to be done again. Atkins went in the fourth round of that draft. Armed with hindsight, the same can be said for Tom Brady and his draft. Everyone knows that Brady went in the sixth round. No one really knows on draft day. How can they possibly know six or more months from draft day. No poking and prodding of the Combine. No interviews. It's too early. That doesn't stop the supposed draft experts. There's a demand for draft stuff so those knuckleheads will be feeding it. Draft expert Todd McShay says that we should pump the breaks on the projections of this year's top quarterbacks. Most notably, Teddy Bridgewater and Marcus Mariota. Assuming Mariota leaves after this, his redshirt sophomore season. McShay, I guess, was responding to those that are jumping to the conclusions that Bridgewater and Mariota are being thought of as the equals to Luck and Griffin. McShay doesn't have the current players in Luck's class. For the life of me I can't figure out how that is a significant knock on anyone. He thinks that Mariota could end up being graded as high a Griffin but not now. Interesting. No one had Griffin of November 2011 graded out as high as Griffin of April 2012. Not even McShay. November is way too early to firm up those draft plans.
It's too early, but I like Mariota, UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr, and South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney if the Vikings can't climb out of this damn 1-6 hole.
It's too early for the supposed media draft experts to be thinking about the draft. The 2012 NFL Draft will always be remembered for the two quarterbacks at the top of it, Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III. Luck was going to be ranked at the top of whatever draft he entered. I remember checking a Cal message board the summer before Luck's first year of college. A poster had the opportunity to watch the young quarterback at a passing camp. He returned with the warning, "we're in trouble." Everyone knew that Luck was a dream quarterback from the day he left Houston for Stanford. Griffin was another matter but he shouldn't have been. He was an excellent quarterback throughout his time at Baylor. His only setback was a knee injury that cost him a season. He never showed anything but the ability to play football at a high level. He even showed the ability to rebound superbly from an injury. The media didn't pick up on his football skills until well into his final college season. A draft ranking of quarterbacks in the middle of that season had Landry Jones and Matt Barkley between Luck and Griffin. That's inconceivable! It's way too early to rank players. It's always too early as the draft is all about projections. There's really no way to accurately project what a college football player will do in the NFL. I read recently that Bill Belichick thought that Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Geno Atkins would be the top pick of the 2010 draft if it were to be done again. Atkins went in the fourth round of that draft. Armed with hindsight, the same can be said for Tom Brady and his draft. Everyone knows that Brady went in the sixth round. No one really knows on draft day. How can they possibly know six or more months from draft day. No poking and prodding of the Combine. No interviews. It's too early. That doesn't stop the supposed draft experts. There's a demand for draft stuff so those knuckleheads will be feeding it. Draft expert Todd McShay says that we should pump the breaks on the projections of this year's top quarterbacks. Most notably, Teddy Bridgewater and Marcus Mariota. Assuming Mariota leaves after this, his redshirt sophomore season. McShay, I guess, was responding to those that are jumping to the conclusions that Bridgewater and Mariota are being thought of as the equals to Luck and Griffin. McShay doesn't have the current players in Luck's class. For the life of me I can't figure out how that is a significant knock on anyone. He thinks that Mariota could end up being graded as high a Griffin but not now. Interesting. No one had Griffin of November 2011 graded out as high as Griffin of April 2012. Not even McShay. November is way too early to firm up those draft plans.
It's too early, but I like Mariota, UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr, and South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney if the Vikings can't climb out of this damn 1-6 hole.
Friday, November 1, 2013
Wild West
The AFC West was supposed to be the Denver Broncos and three teams trying to play some football. It certainly was last year. The Kansas City Chiefs ended the 2012 season with the worst record in the league. The San Diego Chargers have been fading further in each of the past few years. The Oakland Raiders have simply been a mess for close to a decade. The Broncos were the only team from the AFC West to finish the 2012 season with a winning record. They were 13-3. The Chargers, Raiders, and Chiefs combined won 13 games. A lot has changed in the division since the end of last season.
Through eight weeks:
Kansas City Chiefs 8-0
Denver Broncos 7-1
San Diego Chargers 4-3
Oakland Raiders 3-4
The Chiefs and Broncos might be the two best teams in the league. They definitely have the best records. The Chargers and quarterback Philip Rivers are playing like the Chargers and Rivers of 2006. Two of their three losses were depressingly close, for the Chargers, from wins. One of the wins was over the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts are the only team to take down the Broncos. The Raiders may have the lone losing record in the division but they are far from the bumbling Raiders of recent years. They may have found a quarterback in Terrelle Pryor. His running has certainly put a lot of stress on opposing defenses. This is a tough division. It's a division that has destroyed the NFC East. The AFC West is matched against the NFC East this year. 16 games total between the two divisions. Through ten, the AFC West is 9-1. The lone loss is the Raiders loss to the Redskins. Perhaps the apparent mediocrity of the NFC East is due to the strength of the AFC West.
The Chiefs certainly came into this season as a mystery. Despite a two-win season in 2012, they had a very talented team. Hiring Andy Reid as head coach brought in a coach that knows how to win. Adding quarterback Alex Smith brought a steady hand to the offense. I doubt that even the most optimistic would have predicted that the Chiefs would be undefeated through eight games but some improvement from 2012 was expected. There really wasn't a lot of room to do worse. The Chargers improvement has quite a bit to do with River's return to form. A lot can change in one offseason. The AFC West has shown that.
Through eight weeks:
Kansas City Chiefs 8-0
Denver Broncos 7-1
San Diego Chargers 4-3
Oakland Raiders 3-4
The Chiefs and Broncos might be the two best teams in the league. They definitely have the best records. The Chargers and quarterback Philip Rivers are playing like the Chargers and Rivers of 2006. Two of their three losses were depressingly close, for the Chargers, from wins. One of the wins was over the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts are the only team to take down the Broncos. The Raiders may have the lone losing record in the division but they are far from the bumbling Raiders of recent years. They may have found a quarterback in Terrelle Pryor. His running has certainly put a lot of stress on opposing defenses. This is a tough division. It's a division that has destroyed the NFC East. The AFC West is matched against the NFC East this year. 16 games total between the two divisions. Through ten, the AFC West is 9-1. The lone loss is the Raiders loss to the Redskins. Perhaps the apparent mediocrity of the NFC East is due to the strength of the AFC West.
The Chiefs certainly came into this season as a mystery. Despite a two-win season in 2012, they had a very talented team. Hiring Andy Reid as head coach brought in a coach that knows how to win. Adding quarterback Alex Smith brought a steady hand to the offense. I doubt that even the most optimistic would have predicted that the Chiefs would be undefeated through eight games but some improvement from 2012 was expected. There really wasn't a lot of room to do worse. The Chargers improvement has quite a bit to do with River's return to form. A lot can change in one offseason. The AFC West has shown that.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Throwback Thursday: Halloween Trade
The Pro Football Hall of Fame website reminded me of big trade made on Halloween Day 1987. It was an interesting trade for a few reasons. It involved 10 players and draft choices. It was made during the season. It was a three-way deal between the Los Angeles Rams, Buffalo Bills, and Indianapolis Colts. It involved future Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson. It broke down like this:
Rams traded:
Eric Dickerson, RB
Rams received:
Greg Bell, RB
Owen Gill, RB
Bills #1-1988 (Gaston Green, RB, 14th overall)
Colts #1-1988 (Aaron Cox, WR, 20th overall)
Colts #2-1988 (Fred Strickland, LB, 47th overall)
Bills #1-1989 (Cleveland Gary, RB, 26th overall)
Colts #2-1989 (Frank Stams, LB, 45th overall)
Bills #2-1989 (Darryl Henley, DB, 53rd overall)
Colts traded:
Owen Gill, RB
Rights to Cornelius Bennett, LB
#1-1988
#2-1988
#2-1989
Colts received
Eric Dickerson, RB
Bills traded:
Greg Bell, RB
#1-1988
#1-1989
#2-1989
Bills received:
Rights to Cornelius Bennett
There were a lot of parts to this trade. The additional trading partner makes it a little more complicated than the disastrous Herschel Walker trade between the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings two years later. That trade involved 18 players and draft choices. One thing that strikes me about this trade of Dickerson is that a few years later the Rams passed Jerome Bettis on to the Pittsburgh Steelers. For whatever reason, the Rams were pretty generous with Hall of Fame caliber backs. The Rams did get back at the Colts about a decade later when they traded for, rather than traded away, Marshall Faulk. The Rams bonanza of draft picks didn't yield much. Cleveland Gary had a bunch of touchdowns in 1990 and went over 1,000 yards in 1992. Fred Strickland probably had the most productive NFL career. Twelve years, but only five were with the Rams. Greg Bell had a couple of nice seasons with the Rams.
It's pretty obvious that the key pieces to this trade were Eric Dickerson and Cornelius Bennett. Dickerson was one of the best backs in league history. Setting the single season rushing record of 2,105 yards that still stands. Bennett was a major part of the Buffalo Bills teams that went to four straight Super Bowls.
Trades like this have popped up a few times in NFL history. I tend to believe that won't see too many, if any, going forward. I don't think that that we'll see this many parts to a trade, let alone get three teams to agree to anything.
Rams traded:
Eric Dickerson, RB
Rams received:
Greg Bell, RB
Owen Gill, RB
Bills #1-1988 (Gaston Green, RB, 14th overall)
Colts #1-1988 (Aaron Cox, WR, 20th overall)
Colts #2-1988 (Fred Strickland, LB, 47th overall)
Bills #1-1989 (Cleveland Gary, RB, 26th overall)
Colts #2-1989 (Frank Stams, LB, 45th overall)
Bills #2-1989 (Darryl Henley, DB, 53rd overall)
Colts traded:
Owen Gill, RB
Rights to Cornelius Bennett, LB
#1-1988
#2-1988
#2-1989
Colts received
Eric Dickerson, RB
Bills traded:
Greg Bell, RB
#1-1988
#1-1989
#2-1989
Bills received:
Rights to Cornelius Bennett
There were a lot of parts to this trade. The additional trading partner makes it a little more complicated than the disastrous Herschel Walker trade between the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings two years later. That trade involved 18 players and draft choices. One thing that strikes me about this trade of Dickerson is that a few years later the Rams passed Jerome Bettis on to the Pittsburgh Steelers. For whatever reason, the Rams were pretty generous with Hall of Fame caliber backs. The Rams did get back at the Colts about a decade later when they traded for, rather than traded away, Marshall Faulk. The Rams bonanza of draft picks didn't yield much. Cleveland Gary had a bunch of touchdowns in 1990 and went over 1,000 yards in 1992. Fred Strickland probably had the most productive NFL career. Twelve years, but only five were with the Rams. Greg Bell had a couple of nice seasons with the Rams.
It's pretty obvious that the key pieces to this trade were Eric Dickerson and Cornelius Bennett. Dickerson was one of the best backs in league history. Setting the single season rushing record of 2,105 yards that still stands. Bennett was a major part of the Buffalo Bills teams that went to four straight Super Bowls.
Trades like this have popped up a few times in NFL history. I tend to believe that won't see too many, if any, going forward. I don't think that that we'll see this many parts to a trade, let alone get three teams to agree to anything.
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Trade Deadline
This tweet from Ian Rapoport pretty much says it all:
Ian Rapoport@RapSheet
Among the people who did not get traded: All of them except Isaac Sopoaga. No Nicks, Britt, Gordon, Dixon, Fitzgerald, Me, @AlbertBreer etc.
The Philadelphia Eagles traded nose tackle Isaac Sopoaga and a 6th-round pick to the New England Patriots for a 5th-round pick. The Patriots needed a big guy in the middle after losing Vince Wilfork. This was the only trade that went down yesterday. There were rumors, as we crept toward the 4pm EST deadline, that the Minnesota Vikings were looking at possible trading defensive end Jared Allen. He's in the final year of his contract so the Vikings were supposedly looking to get something for while they could. You never know what rumors are true as a trade deadline approaches or in the wild world of free agency. I'm sure that the Vikings were listening to anyone poking around. At one point the Seattle Seahawks were trying hard to pry Allen away from the Vikings. Then, we hear that the interest isn't there. The Seahawks have been going after Vikings players for a few years now so that rumor wasn't hard to start. For weeks, there have been rumors about Cleveland Browns receiver Josh Gordon being traded. Hakeem Nicks and Kenny Britt too. Those didn't happen. When it came down to it, only Isaac Sopoaga moved to a new team. I'm sure that he's happy about that. Eagles to the Patriots. Nice move for him.
The NFL moved the trade deadline back a couple of weeks to possibly spark a trading frenzy. Roger Goodell wanted the action and attention that comes with the mid-season trade deadline in other sports. Trades happen during the season in football. Even some big trades have happened. Herschel Walker! There will never be a big trading frenzy during the season in football. It takes too long to adjust to a new player. It takes too long for the team and the player. There are too many moving parts to get in sync in football. It takes work when a team has an entire offseason to adjust. It's pretty much impossible to adjust on the fly during a season.
Despite the adjustments, I wouldn't have been too disappointed if the Vikings had swung a trade for Buffalo Bills safety Jairus Byrd.
Ian Rapoport@RapSheet
Among the people who did not get traded: All of them except Isaac Sopoaga. No Nicks, Britt, Gordon, Dixon, Fitzgerald, Me, @AlbertBreer etc.
The Philadelphia Eagles traded nose tackle Isaac Sopoaga and a 6th-round pick to the New England Patriots for a 5th-round pick. The Patriots needed a big guy in the middle after losing Vince Wilfork. This was the only trade that went down yesterday. There were rumors, as we crept toward the 4pm EST deadline, that the Minnesota Vikings were looking at possible trading defensive end Jared Allen. He's in the final year of his contract so the Vikings were supposedly looking to get something for while they could. You never know what rumors are true as a trade deadline approaches or in the wild world of free agency. I'm sure that the Vikings were listening to anyone poking around. At one point the Seattle Seahawks were trying hard to pry Allen away from the Vikings. Then, we hear that the interest isn't there. The Seahawks have been going after Vikings players for a few years now so that rumor wasn't hard to start. For weeks, there have been rumors about Cleveland Browns receiver Josh Gordon being traded. Hakeem Nicks and Kenny Britt too. Those didn't happen. When it came down to it, only Isaac Sopoaga moved to a new team. I'm sure that he's happy about that. Eagles to the Patriots. Nice move for him.
The NFL moved the trade deadline back a couple of weeks to possibly spark a trading frenzy. Roger Goodell wanted the action and attention that comes with the mid-season trade deadline in other sports. Trades happen during the season in football. Even some big trades have happened. Herschel Walker! There will never be a big trading frenzy during the season in football. It takes too long to adjust to a new player. It takes too long for the team and the player. There are too many moving parts to get in sync in football. It takes work when a team has an entire offseason to adjust. It's pretty much impossible to adjust on the fly during a season.
Despite the adjustments, I wouldn't have been too disappointed if the Vikings had swung a trade for Buffalo Bills safety Jairus Byrd.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Rival League Records
Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson's monster game on Sunday got me thinking again about something that has bothered me for a while. Johnson tied the record for most career games with 200+ yards receiving. He tied the record of five held by former San Diego Chargers and Hall of Fame receiver Lance Alworth. Alworth spent most of his career, certainly the best years of his career, in the rival American Football League. I think that it's great that the NFL recognizes the statistics and records of the league that drove them nuts for most of the 1960s. I think that it's wrong that the NFL doesn't recognize the statistics and records of the teams and players from the All-America Football Conference.
The AAFC lasted four years, 1946-49. When the league folded following the 1949 season, the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, and Baltimore Colts joined the NFL. According tho the NFL, not recognizing the football played in this rival league is because official scoresheets of AAFC games were not made available to the NFL after the merger. This is ridiculous. Not many statistics were kept back then, in either league. It wouldn't be that difficult to go back and determine those statistics. People already have. There are statistics available.
Another explanation is that only three teams from the AAFC joined the NFL. It wasn't a complete merger as with the AFL so the overall quality of the AAFC is considered suspect. This doesn't fly either. The AAFC folded for financial reasons not for competitive reasons. The talent was there. The money wasn't there. The Cleveland Browns would probably have beaten the best of the NFL from each of they four years that both leagues existed. The San Francisco 49ers and New York Yankees might have been able to do the same. The Browns took apart the defending NFL Champion Philadelphia Eagles in their first NFL game in 1950. The Browns went on to win the NFL title at the end of that 1950 season. They played in each of the NFL Championship games from 1950-55. Winning in 1950, '54, and '55. The best team of the AAFC was the best team in the NFL the moment that they joined the supposedly superior league.
Basically, the AAFC records should be recognized by the NFL.
The AAFC lasted four years, 1946-49. When the league folded following the 1949 season, the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, and Baltimore Colts joined the NFL. According tho the NFL, not recognizing the football played in this rival league is because official scoresheets of AAFC games were not made available to the NFL after the merger. This is ridiculous. Not many statistics were kept back then, in either league. It wouldn't be that difficult to go back and determine those statistics. People already have. There are statistics available.
Another explanation is that only three teams from the AAFC joined the NFL. It wasn't a complete merger as with the AFL so the overall quality of the AAFC is considered suspect. This doesn't fly either. The AAFC folded for financial reasons not for competitive reasons. The talent was there. The money wasn't there. The Cleveland Browns would probably have beaten the best of the NFL from each of they four years that both leagues existed. The San Francisco 49ers and New York Yankees might have been able to do the same. The Browns took apart the defending NFL Champion Philadelphia Eagles in their first NFL game in 1950. The Browns went on to win the NFL title at the end of that 1950 season. They played in each of the NFL Championship games from 1950-55. Winning in 1950, '54, and '55. The best team of the AAFC was the best team in the NFL the moment that they joined the supposedly superior league.
Basically, the AAFC records should be recognized by the NFL.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Week 8 Thoughts
The Green Bay Packers' final game against the Minnesota Vikings at the Metrodome was a disaster for the home team. The Packers surgically took apart the Vikings 44-31. It really wasn't that close. Vikings are now 1-6.
The Vikings honored their great safety from the 1980s, Joey Browner, at halftime. He became the 21st person inducted into the Vikings' Ring of Honor. A very much deserved honor. Browner was a fantastic football player.
The defense could have used Browner. They could have used a bunch of him. The Packers never punted. They probably didn't even dress a punter. The Vikings defense simply couldn't get off the field on third down. They played great on 1st and 2nd down. They forced a bunch of third downs but quarterback Aaron Rodgers was unstoppable. Nearly every single third down was converted. Those that weren't led to field goals or successful fourth down attempts. No punts. A damn shame.
The Packers held the ball for 40:54. That left only 19:06 for the Vikings. Not much time. The Vikings only had the ball for about 2 minutes of the third quarter. Very sad. This was the difference in the game. If the Vikings offense was able to string even two or three first downs together on those two third quarter possessions, they likely knock a score two from the Packers total.
The defense has to get off of the field. They just have to.
The offense scored 31 points. That's enough to win a bunch of games.
The game started great when rookie receiver Cordarrelle Patterson took the opening kickoff 109 yards for a touchdown. He nearly broke another in the second half. He's a special player. The Vikings need to get him more involved in the offense.
Considering the Packers complete control of the game, it's a surprise that they only held a 24-17 lead at the half. It was close because of a clutch, tough touchdown run by Adrian Peterson at the end of the half.
Peterson only had 13 carries for 60 yards. Peterson carrying the ball only thirteen times is never a good thing.
I'd start Christian Ponder again next week but I'm glad that it's not my call. Ponder wasn't great but wasn't bad either. He made some nice throws. He also didn't make any serious mistakes (interceptions). There were actually no turnovers for either team. No surprise for the Packers but it's a shocker for the Vikings this season. I just want to see a quarterback established as the quarterback. Ponder or Josh Freeman.
The Packers offense dismantled the Vikings defense but the overall team performance was so much better than the fiasco against the New York Giants last Monday.
It's the Dallas Cowboys next week. In Dallas. The Vikings have yet to win a game in the United States. Dallas would be a great spot for that first one.
I really like Dallas Cowboys middle linebacker Sean Lee. He's always around the ball. Two interceptions yesterday. He retrurned one about 74 yards. I'm hoping that the linebacker that followed him at Penn St. becomes a similar player. Vikings rookie Mike Mauti.
Kinda funny to watch Dez Bryant throw a fit on the sideline and everyone ignores him.
Bryant had a good game. 3 catches 72 yards. Two of those catches were touchdowns. A terrific 5-yard catch and a 50-yard catch and run.
Then there was Calvin Johnson. My goodness. He was fantastic last week when gained 155 yards against the Cincinnati Bengals. He more than doubled that yardage total against the Cowboys. 14 catches for 329 yards! And an itty-bitty 2-yard touchdown. The Lions needed every one of those yards as they pulled out a shocking 31-30 last second win.
This was the fifth time that Johnson passed 200 yards in a game tying the NFL record held by the amazing Lance Alworth.
The New Orleans Saints are kinda flying under the radar. Their fast becoming a pretty scary team. They have a defense now.
Chip Kelly is sure taking the NFL by storm with his high octane offense. His Philadelphia Eagles lose to the one-win New York Giants 15-7. It doesn't help that quarterback Michael Vick keeps leaving the field.
Cincinnati Bengals receiver Marvin Jones had a fantastic day against the New York Jets. 8 catches for 122 yards and 4 touchdowns. It was no surprise for anyone that followed his college career at Cal.
The Vikings honored their great safety from the 1980s, Joey Browner, at halftime. He became the 21st person inducted into the Vikings' Ring of Honor. A very much deserved honor. Browner was a fantastic football player.
The defense could have used Browner. They could have used a bunch of him. The Packers never punted. They probably didn't even dress a punter. The Vikings defense simply couldn't get off the field on third down. They played great on 1st and 2nd down. They forced a bunch of third downs but quarterback Aaron Rodgers was unstoppable. Nearly every single third down was converted. Those that weren't led to field goals or successful fourth down attempts. No punts. A damn shame.
The Packers held the ball for 40:54. That left only 19:06 for the Vikings. Not much time. The Vikings only had the ball for about 2 minutes of the third quarter. Very sad. This was the difference in the game. If the Vikings offense was able to string even two or three first downs together on those two third quarter possessions, they likely knock a score two from the Packers total.
The defense has to get off of the field. They just have to.
The offense scored 31 points. That's enough to win a bunch of games.
The game started great when rookie receiver Cordarrelle Patterson took the opening kickoff 109 yards for a touchdown. He nearly broke another in the second half. He's a special player. The Vikings need to get him more involved in the offense.
Considering the Packers complete control of the game, it's a surprise that they only held a 24-17 lead at the half. It was close because of a clutch, tough touchdown run by Adrian Peterson at the end of the half.
Peterson only had 13 carries for 60 yards. Peterson carrying the ball only thirteen times is never a good thing.
I'd start Christian Ponder again next week but I'm glad that it's not my call. Ponder wasn't great but wasn't bad either. He made some nice throws. He also didn't make any serious mistakes (interceptions). There were actually no turnovers for either team. No surprise for the Packers but it's a shocker for the Vikings this season. I just want to see a quarterback established as the quarterback. Ponder or Josh Freeman.
The Packers offense dismantled the Vikings defense but the overall team performance was so much better than the fiasco against the New York Giants last Monday.
It's the Dallas Cowboys next week. In Dallas. The Vikings have yet to win a game in the United States. Dallas would be a great spot for that first one.
I really like Dallas Cowboys middle linebacker Sean Lee. He's always around the ball. Two interceptions yesterday. He retrurned one about 74 yards. I'm hoping that the linebacker that followed him at Penn St. becomes a similar player. Vikings rookie Mike Mauti.
Kinda funny to watch Dez Bryant throw a fit on the sideline and everyone ignores him.
Bryant had a good game. 3 catches 72 yards. Two of those catches were touchdowns. A terrific 5-yard catch and a 50-yard catch and run.
Then there was Calvin Johnson. My goodness. He was fantastic last week when gained 155 yards against the Cincinnati Bengals. He more than doubled that yardage total against the Cowboys. 14 catches for 329 yards! And an itty-bitty 2-yard touchdown. The Lions needed every one of those yards as they pulled out a shocking 31-30 last second win.
This was the fifth time that Johnson passed 200 yards in a game tying the NFL record held by the amazing Lance Alworth.
The New Orleans Saints are kinda flying under the radar. Their fast becoming a pretty scary team. They have a defense now.
Chip Kelly is sure taking the NFL by storm with his high octane offense. His Philadelphia Eagles lose to the one-win New York Giants 15-7. It doesn't help that quarterback Michael Vick keeps leaving the field.
Cincinnati Bengals receiver Marvin Jones had a fantastic day against the New York Jets. 8 catches for 122 yards and 4 touchdowns. It was no surprise for anyone that followed his college career at Cal.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)