The halfway mark of the season has officially arrived and teams are playing at consistent levels now, some good and some bad. Most of the matchups were straight forward this week except for the egg that was laid in St. Louis by the Saints. I'm pretty sure there is something in the water in St. Louis. With many teams continuing there quests to the playoffs, Sunday was a day of put up or shut up for many of those teams.
Key Matchups
There was a possible AFC Championship game preview on Sunday as the Patriots took on the Steelers at Heinz Field. Coming off of the bye week, the Patriots were favored to knock out the Steelers but as soon as the game started, the Patriots were in a dog fight. Pittsburgh made it tough on Tom Brady early and often as he was sacked 5 times on the day and one of those was a fumble at the end of the game. Roethlisberger followed his week 7 performance with 365 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. With Hines Ward sitting the game out, Big Ben utilized his arsenal of young, speedy wideouts. Sanders, Wallace, and Brown combined for 207 yards and 1 touchdown on the day. Coach Belichick went for a risky onside kick in the fourth quarter with 2:35 remaining and all three of their timeouts. The Patriots failed to kick it 10 yards which allowed the Steelers to extend the game with great field position with a 23-17 lead. The Patriots really shot themselves in the foot in this game and at this point in the season, I'm not sure that their defense will improve much more than they already are. They need to get focused for the second half of the season.
The Sunday night game featured an NFC East divisional game between the Cowboys and the Eagles. The Eagles came into the game with a 2-4 record and needed a win to keep playoff hopes alive. Well they clearly knew what this game meant because they annihilated Dallas 34-7. The score was 21-0 with 10:15 remaining in the second quarter. Michael Vick was playing at the all-madden level and Tony Romo was on rookie level, if you can even call it that. The Eagles offense clicked as a whole and had the running game working also. LeSean McCoy rushed for 185 yards and 2 touchdowns. After Laurent Robinson scored on a long touchdown pass, along with Dez Bryant and Miles Austin, they went to the sidelines complaining to the coaches. What they were complaining about, nobody knows but it was probably Romo's play; you can bet on that. It's obvious that the Cowboys need to make a decision on Romo in the offseason and I'm sure Jerry Jones will make the right one.
Who Am I?
Once again it's time for another trivia question and this week should be a goodie. In case you are wondering, in "Who Am I?" I take on the role of an NFL player, current or retired, and give you his stats which will make you think a little while you continue reading. Hope you're ready for this one.
Throughout my career I have passed for 24,773 yards, 169 touchdowns, 118 interceptions, and 47 fumbles. I have a Super Bowl victory under my belt also. I have been debated on several times whether I'm good or not, but all I have done is lead my team to wins. I have only had one losing season. Please will somebody tell me, who am I?
Quick Spin
The Saints faced a winless Rams team that had the spirits of champions in the building with the St. Louis Cardinals coming on field to celebrate their World Series Championship. The Rams were without Sam Bradford for a second week but A.J. Feeley was efficient and with Steven Jackson, they rolled right through the Saints. Brees struggled on a day when he was sacked for 6 times and had 2 interceptions on the day. Brees tried a late game comeback but the damage was done. The Rams won 31-21 for their first win of the season.
After their Monday night collapse, the Ravens were on their way to another bad day against the Cardinals on Sunday. This was a tale of two halfs as the Cardinals had a 24-6 lead at halftime. In the second half, the defense said enough was enough and the Ravens started their comeback. Flacco also found a connection with Anquan Boldin on the day as he had 7 catches for 145 yards. The Ravens were too much for the Cardinals, who seems to have a difficult time playing 60 minutes of football. With only 3 points in the second half, the Cardinals lost 30-27 and dropped to 1-6 on the season.
The 49ers are rolling and they are the real deal. They took on the Browns in the Bay and continued to keep rolling. Frank Gore had a big day with 134 yards and 1 touchdown. Colt McCoy had another bad day as he threw 1 interception and 4 fumbles with 1 lost. He added 241 yards but it was not enough to challenge the 49ers. After the win on Sunday, the 49ers are at 6-1 and they look like they are going to push for a first round bye in the playoffs this year.
The Bengals made sure that they made the right choices in the draft by selecting Andy Dalton and A.J. Green because they are leading the offense into the next era. The Bengals took on the Seahawks in the return game for TavarisSeahawks. They are now 5-2 and tied for second place in the AFC North.
The NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award is Cam Newton's and he added on to his outstanding season as he faced fellow rookie quarterback Christian Ponder and the Minnesota Vikings. This game went down to the wire as both of the young quarterbacks were hungry for a win. Ponder may not win the rookie of the year award but he certainly will win games. He had 236 yards and a touchdown on the day. Newton on the other hand had 290 yards and a career high 3 touchdown passes. With an opportunity to win on the last drive of the game, Newton ran the ball for the leading score but the play was called back due to a Steve Smith penalty. The Panthers settled for a field goal but Mare missed and the Vikings won 24-21. These quarterbacks are leading their teams and very well might I add.
The Giants coming off of the bye week faced a winless Dolphins team. The Dolphins finally got the picture because they realized that they have nothing to lose and played relaxed and aggressive. They jumped out to a 14-3 lead but it was cut to a 4 point lead at halftime. Reggie Bush showed up to play as did Matt Moore. They had the Giants on the ropes and for the second consecutive week were facing their first win on the season. Eli Manning and the Giants didn't want to be the first team so they started rolling and sealed the victory 20-17. They now lead the NFC East at 5-2.
The Indianapolis Colts continued their tour of losses on Sunday as they battled the division rival Titans. Just like many teams have done against the Colts, the Titans cruised right by. Chris Johnson had another meaningless game but at least he's paid well. Hasselbeck has continued his consistent play for the Titans as he lead them to a 27-10 win. This has been a very revealing season for the Colts and you have to wonder how good they really are because without Manning, they are god awful.
In another AFC South showdown, the Texans put on their battle red to face the Jaguars. The Texans moved the ball with ease at times and at others they struggled. Blaine Gabbert continued his struggles and he clearly looks like the worst rookie quarterback this season. He threw for 97 yards on 10 of 30 passes and he had 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. The Texans coasted to a 24-14 win and are the clear favorites to win the AFC South.
The Redskins have finally arrived. They are playing as bad as many people predicted they would play and after losing to the Bills on Sunday are 3-4 with 3 consecutive losses. The Bills, on the other hand, are proving that they are not a hoax and they are playing playoff level football. Fitzpatrick has continued to be good and efficient and he is earning that contract extension that he just received. The Bills now lead the AFC East division and they are seriously challenging the Patriots.
The Denver Broncos showed up to watch the Lions put on a show because they certainly didn't show up to play. Tebow was just as bad as he was last week in the first half but this time around, he was bad the entire game. Matthew Stafford and the Lions stomped all over the Broncos and posted a 40 burger on the board with a 45-10 win. The Broncos are now at 2-5 and they are crossing their fingers and toe for Andrew Luck in April.
Monday Night Preview
Monday night will deliver an AFC West showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Diego Chargers. The Chiefs are on a hot streak and have won their last 3 games. They started the season off with 3 losses and lost star running back Jamaal Charles for the entire season. Jackie Battle has emerged to run the ball, Matt Cassel has looked better, and the defense has improved each week. They are taking it one step at a time and they will look to get win number 4 on Monday.
The Chargers are beginning to look like the team they have been for quite some time. They play to the level of the competition and that is not good but it's certainly not bad either. They have looked very polished with Phillip Rivers and at other times, not so much. They are looking to take a commanding lead in the division on Monday night but they have to flex their muscle and knock the Chiefs back down to reality.
Look for Rivers to get out to a hot start but the Chiefs will begin to keep up. The Chiefs will play well but turnovers are they key. Cassel and company can not turn the ball over and they must be efficient if they want to win. My prediction is that the Chiefs will do enough to win and will walk away with a 24-21 victory.
Who Am I? (Answer)
So, who am I with career numbers of 24,773 yards, 169 touchdowns, 118 interceptions, and 47 fumbles? I have also only had 1 losing season. I'm Eli Manning of the New York Giants.
Eli made a bold statement before the start of the season and he declared himself to be elite. I'm not sure if he is elite or not but he is definitely good. He also won a Super Bowl faster than his older brother Peyton Manning whose definitely elite. Eli is still young and his best years are ahead of him. I'd say he's off to a great start.
"Worst Luck" Race"
Who are the top 5 teams that are in position to get Stanford's QB Andrew Luck in next April's draft.
1.) Indianapolis Colts, 0-8
2.) Miami Dolphins, 0-7
3.) St. Louis Rams, 1-6
4.) Arizona Cardinals, 1-6
5.) Denver Broncos, 2-5
Last Thoughts...
Week 8 was full of several predictable matchups but you still have to play the game. Just ask the Saints. The Falcons, Bears, Packers, Jets, Raiders, and Buccaneers were all on byes and some of them needed it too. The Bucs are the same, slow team from last year and they have a tough road ahead. The Jets are still not great but they are playing much better. The Raiders need to get healthy and chemistry with Carson Palmer if they want to make any real noise. The Falcons also need to get healthy and focused if they want to win the NFC South. The Bears are playing good football but are in a very tough division. The Packers are still the champs, hands down! I believe Romo has played his last season for Jerry Jones' Cowboys. The Eagles are finally living up to the hype. The Redskins are a bad franchise and I'm not sure if they'll ever be good again. The Giants are coasting away with the division quietly. Matt Staford is leading the Lions into a great spot midway through the season. Ponder is playing the Vikings into respectability. Jim Harbaugh is doing what so many failed to do in San Fransisco and that is, WINNING! Pete Carrol needs to flex his muscle and get the Seahawks some good players in the draft. The Cardinals are regretting that Kevin Kolb trade now. The Rams are still terrible even with the win against the Saints. The Panthers may be losing but for what it's worth, they are doing it with style. The days of fearing the Saints are long gone. The Chargers are a good average team. I give the Chiefs kudos for battling back into the season. I'm not sure if he realizes it but Tebow is a guinea pig. The Jaguars need to take the draft serious next year. Peyton Manning is the MVP this year. Chris Johnson has an amazing agent. The Titans are going to try to catch the Texans but... the Texans have won the division by default. I guess Belichick knew his defense was terrible. The Bills may actually win the division. Will someone please pack Sparano bags for him? Thank you! The Steelers are settled in now. Flacco will see a quarterback drafted by Baltimore. Colt McCoy will get the same treatment as Flacoo. Cincy has made a nice team and they have plenty of draft picks to build with thanks to the Oakland Raiders and Carson Palmer.
Hope you have enjoyed reading and please comment. Thank you!
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