Before I get to the Week 3 games, I want to say something about Bill Parcells. He is the best studio personality I have ever seen. He gives insight about what coaches discuss during the week, he understands the current game (having coached just last year), and he, of course, has a great football mind. During ESPN's Monday Night Countdown, he referred to Reggie Bush as a 'satellite' player, meaning that he should be removed from the rest of the team and be out in space. Not really the type of originality you would ever get from Shannon Sharpe (well, maybe, but it would come out as "jfklsdfbjwfrsfidsf", so it's hard to tell). I really hope he stays on, because he is far better than Michael Irvin and Keyshawn Johnson combined.Also, what's with this new delay of game penalty? Apparently, if you don't hand the referee the ball after every play, it's called for delay of game and minus five yards. Yet another attempt from the NFL to take emotion out of the game. Players spike the ball or toss it up after big plays, it's just a reaction of being excited. In the middle of game play, it's impossible to ask them to stop, think about what they are doing, and gently hand the ball to the closest ref. These rules are pointless.
Oh, and another thing that is quickly becoming old: last second time outs. After the last two Oakland games, coaches will be quick to point out how icing a kicker really does work. It doesn't. Denver got lucky against Oakland, and Oakland got lucky against Cleveland. Unfortunately, there is really nothing you can do about it. You can't just ban timeouts once the players get to the line, there are too many important instances were a timeout is necessary. These coaches like to think they are smart. They're not. On to the games...
Somewhere, Marty Schottenheimer is smiling. Having already matched their loss total of 2006, the only team San Diego has beaten is the Bears, whose only win came against Kansas City. I never liked Philip Rivers and here's why: he is a whiner. He can't believe it when things aren't going smoothly, and loses his temper easily. It was fun watching him and LT, a fellow whiner, whine at each other at the sidelines. The Packer fans should have asked them if they wanted some of that Wisconsin cheese to go with their whine.
Speaking of whining, LJ will not be outdone. Now he is complaining about the play calling. However, he is right. Mike Solari should have never been hired as the offensive coordinator. He is simply wretched. Despite what I was sure of during the draft, Dwayne Bowe has already become the Chiefs #1 receiver. Pay attention to him and Adrian Peterson in the next few years, because they can flat out play. Bowe also has the Chiefs' only two touchdowns this year.
Here are New England's first three games: 38-14, 38-14, 38-7. Yikes. Moss again had a 100 yard, multiple touchdown game. This is like giving the world's sexiest man a billion dollars: it is just too easy. Actually, Tom Brady might be the world's sexiest man as far as fantasy football is concerned. And noticing his former and current girlfriends, he's quite the looker as well. His son is going to have the best life ever.
I don't understand why people hate on Chad Pennington. He's a solid player. Remember, he's played under Herm Edwards and a guy who is quickly becoming my least favorite coach in the league, who Edwards used to be. It's not like he's going to be winning Super Bowls. Anyways, this division is done, which means the networks will be showing Part 2 of Dolphins/Jets instead of Jaguars/Colts. Thank God for the Internet. And beer.
Everybody stop gushing about McNabb, please. So he hit a wide open (and I mean wide open) Kevin Curtis three times. So what? Any quarterback not named Grossman could do that. If anything, this game told us more about Detroit than Philly. The Lions will not win 10 games, but they very well could make the playoffs. After all, it's the NFC. By Monday morning, I wonder if there was one person in America who had the Detroit or Cincinnati defenses on their fantasy team. If so, that one person should be shot during halftime of the Super Bowl.
This game shows us how much more dominant the AFC is versus the NFC. It's really no contest. By the way, getting the Steeler's head coaching job is the greatest gig on Earth. There's just something about it that makes the guy in charge a winner. Mike Tomlin is solid and I really like what he is doing with Big Ben. Pittsburgh is like the Atlanta Braves of football; always winning, always in the mix, only one championship. I believe they could get more, but not this year.
Scott Linehan is a joke head coach. I simply can't stand this guy. I know their O-line is thin, but you simply can't put up scores of 13,16 and 3 with Bulger, Holt, Jackson and Bruce. And now Jackson is out at least a week. They are done. On the other hand, Tampa Bay has risen from the NFC South basement and are tied with Carolina at the top. We all know about the last place teams in that division and how they turn it around, but nobody really thinks the Bucs will win it. They can, believe me.
We've been waiting for the Dennis Green Coors commercial forever, and when it finally came, it stunk. Good job Coors. I can't even fathom how they messed that up. I also can't fathom how they took Matt Leinart out of the game. Listen Whisenhunt, you're not winning a title, so keep the young gun in. What a confidence killer that must have been. It might not matter though, since I don't get the feeling that Leinart cares much about the game at all. Oh well.
You know, I still like the Texans. Unfortunately they play in the best division in football, so I don't think they will make the playoffs. The AFC South is 9-3, with all three losses coming in divisional match ups, so somebody had to lose. On the flip side, Indianapolis needs to lose a few. For the past couple of years, Indy has dominated the regular season, only to fall short in January. Last year, their defense was awful and everybody wrote them off, ending as world champions. They're smart though; they'll wait to lose to non contenders, making their playoff birth easier.
While looking at the other players' picks in my weekly pool, I laughed to see that everyone but me picked Denver. I said to myself, "Well, at least I got one-up on that one". When you need last minute field goals to beat Buffalo and Oakland, you're not any good. Actually, the whole AFC West is no good. I have no idea who will win. Mark my words: the Raiders could win the division. They won't, but unless San Diego picks themselves up, it's up for grabs.
L.A. Times columnist Bill Plaschke said he started Derek Anderson over Donovan McNabb on his fantasy team today on Around The Horn. And people wonder why there are bloggers? Anyways, I was excited to see this game, and it turned out to be a good one. Well, up until the last second timeout turned into a blocked field goal fiasco. I wonder how good Oakland would be with Calvin Johnson? I picture JaMarcus Russell being a member of the Ryan Leaf QB Protection Program in about five years.
I love it when defensive guru head coaches have teams with nothing but offense. SI writer Michael Silver once said about Marvin Lewis, "If ever a man proved his worth as a future head coach, Marvin Lewis did it with this complete domination of the Giants in their 16 possessions: Punt, punt, punt, punt, punt, punt, interception, punt, interception, interception, punt, interception, punt, punt, punt, end of game". On that note, I will say this: If ever a man proved he is unworthy as a head coach, Marvin Lewis did it with his complete domination handed to him by the Cleveland Browns in their 13 possessions: punt, field goal, field goal, touchdown, touchdown, touchdown, interception, touchdown, touchdown, turnover on downs, touchdown, field goal, punt.
Did you see DeAngelo Hall's tirade during this game? Expect him to be chilling with Michael Vick during the next couple of games. The Falcons fans have to feel cheated, don't they? I mean, they have really been dealt a harsh hand. As for Carolina, I'm still not impressed. They almost lost to Atlanta, and got beaten down by Houston. Yet another example of how poor the NFC is.
They say Tom Coughlin saved his job with this game. Hardly. The Skins blew this one, but I guess I'll give New York props for hanging in there. The goal line decisions at the end of both halves were simply embarrassing. Joe Gibbs is putting the blame on himself, obviously protecting his young quarterback (take a note, Herm), but it was obvious to anyone who watched this game that Campbell was, as George Bush would say, The Decider. That's Campbell's new nickname, by the way. It's good to be a Cowboy.
Speaking of the Cowboys, another easy win. Can we trade the Bills to the NFC for them, since they obviously belong in the other league? Come Wednesday, if Rex Grossman is still the quarterback, I'm going to punch somebody in the face; and I'm not even a Bears fan. That's how strongly I feel about him. I can't wait for Lovie Smith's press conference: "We're 1 and 2 with Rex at quarterback. We're 1 and 2 with Rex at quarterback. Oh crap! We're 1 and 2 with Rex at quarterback! Griese will start on Sunday."
I must say, I am shocked that the Saints are this bad. And they are bad. I am also shocked at how good Tennessee is. This I don't get: in the fourth quarter, down by ten, with the Titans kicking off, Sean Payton didn't send Reggie Bush out there to receive? He even said before the game that he would send Reggie out there if the offense needed a spark. At what point does he pull that card? Young coaches are like young quarterbacks: for every outstanding decision, there are two horrible ones. Unfortunately, only the good ones make Sports Center.
*Heavy metal watch: I didn't notice any new bands this week. However, I'm pretty sure they play Slayer and Death during Raiders home games. I mean, why else would people act that way?
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