Archive
Wake Me Up When December Ends: The Dallas Cowboys end of season blues by Lloyd Vance
This December, the pressure will be on the Dallas Cowboys and QB Tony Romo to not go into their usual end of season “Swoon”
When most people think of the month of December, they think of spending the holidays with their friends and family. But lately in Dallas, the last month of the year has meant that it is time for a “Swoon” by the Cowboys. Since 2006, when quarterback Tony Romo took over as the Cowboys starter, much to the chagrine of fans and team owner Jerry Jones, Dallas’ record in December is 5-8 in the regular season. The Cowboys also have been outscored 314 to 239 in those 13 regular games during the month. To even further shine a spotlight on their end of season futulity, the Cowboys are 0-2 in the playoffs the last three years and have not won a playoff game since 1996.
I won’t rehash their woes since 1996, but the past 3 years are present a strong case that the Cowboys continually have the holiday blues. From 2006 to 2008, the Cowboys won three straight Thanksgiving games and came into the month of December with a winning records (8-3 in 2006, 11-1 in 2007, and 8-4 in 2008) only to crush their high expectations. To say the least, the month of December has been a disaster filled with untimely turnovers and losses to teams out of contention at the time that games were played (Lost to the Detroit Lions, record of 2-13 at the time, by the score 39-31 in Week 17 of 2006 and the Philadelphia Eagles, record of 6-8 at the time, by the score 10-6 in Week 15 of 2007).
In 2006, the Cowboys looked to be a strong contender to win the NFC East, however they finshed December with a record of 2-3 including two straight losses to the Eagles (Week 16 by a score of 23-7) and Lions (Week 17 by a score 39-31) to end the season. The “swoon” sent Dallas from a potential division winner to a 9-7 wildcard road team. Of course everyone knows that the Cowboys’ 2006 wildcard playoff game with the Seattle Seahawks ended with Romo fumbling a potential game-winning field goal snap causing the Cowboys to lose 21-20 in a true heartbreaker to then head coach Bill Parcells.
In 2007, the Cowboys were on top of the NFL with a record of 11-1 entering December and many were lauding new head coach Wade Phillips, receiver Terrell Owens, and Romo as a potential Super Bowl contender. However a 2-2 record in the season’s final month including a Week 15 loss to the Eagles (lost 10-6 to a down Birds squad that finished the year at 8-8) and a Week 17 loss to the Washington Redskins (lost 27-6) that set the stage for playoff disaster. After a bye week off, the overconfident Cowboys hosted the NY Giants (10-6 record) who snuck into the playoff as a wildcard. However the eventual Super Bowl champion G-Men pounded the Cowboys (Romo sacked 3 times) on their way to a comeback 21-17 win in Texas Stadium.
The 2008 season’s December swoon may have been the worst yet for the Cowboys. Entering the last month of the season, Dallas had a record of 8-4 and were in the hunt for the NFC East division title. However a record of 1-3 in December left no presents under the tree and no playoffs for the Cowboys. You hate to throw the term “Choke” around in NFL circles, as there is always the “Any Given Sunday” mentality throughout most of the league, but plain and simple the Cowboys folded at the end o f the 2008 season. You cannot blame them for losing a close road game to the eventual Super Bowl champion Steelers in Week 14 by a score 20-13. However their defeat in Week 17 to the Philadelphia Eagles showed their lack of “urgency” in the month of December.
After the Tampa Bay Bucs and Chicago Bears both lost earlier in the day to help the Eagles playoff chances, the stage was set for a “Win and Your In” regualr season finale between the Cowboys (then 9-6) and the Eagles (then 8-6-1) at 4:00 PM in Lincoln Financial Field. Playing with more urgency and purpose, the Eagles fueled by five turnovers pummeled the overrated Cowboys 44-6. The catalyst of the Cowboys demise was Romo as “Mr. September” was harassed into producing two turnovers (1 INT and 1 Fumble) including a fumble that was returned for a touchdown. The Cowboys finished the season leading the NFL in penalties and finished 30th in turnover margin. And to make matters even worse, the Cowboys continued to fight amongst themselves on the sidelines in the loss (T.O and the gang). Plus there was alledgely a skirmish between Cowboys FB Deon Anderson and LT Flozell Adams on the flight home from Philadelphia.
The pressure to win in December and beyond in 2009 will most assuredly be on Romo and head coach Wade Phillips — overall record as Cowboys head coach of 30-13 through the first 12 weeks of the 2009 season. There is a perception by some that the Cowboys lack of focus at the end of the season is due to Phillips’ “player’s coach” mentality, so you know he is definitely on the hot seat with Cowboys management.
Romo (signed a six-year, $67.5 million contract extension with $30 million guaranteed in ‘08) is also on the hot seat right along with Phillips and supposed up-and-coming offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. The Cowboys quarterback has had great success in the earlier months of the season (record of 30-7 as a starter from September – November since his first start in Week 8 of 2006), but at the end of regular season usually “What can go wrong, Does go wrong” for Romo – record of 5-10 in December and January including an 0-2 record in the playoffs.
Romo also has been the target of criticism at the end of the year, not just for his well-publicized trip to Cabo, Mexico with then girlfriend Jessica Simpson during the playoff bye week in 2007. But also for his untimely turnovers in games after November – passing numbers of 297-510, 58.2%, 3385 yards, 15 TDs, 20 INTs in 17 games including the playoffs. Simpson is long gone, so now Romo should have no excuses and should answer the bell this December
So with Sunday’s game at Meadows versus the NY Giants, it is “See you in December” time for the Cowboys and you know Jerry Jones is hungry for a playoff winner on the field of his new $1. 15 billion dollar stadium. In the Cowboys remining five games in 2009, everyone in the team’s organization will be under the gun to win. Curently the Dallas Cowboys (8-3) have a 1-game lead over the Eagles (7-4) in the race for the NFC East title. After feasting on the lowly Raiders on Thanksgiving, the Dallas’ next five games should be a lot tougher (@NYG, SD, @NO, @WAS, and PHI) so now the real fun should start in Big D.
Lloyd Vance is a Sr. NFL Writer for Taking It to the House and an award-winning member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA)
The Green Bay Packers are surprisingly the NFL’s Top Defense by Lloyd Vance
Led by DB Charles Woodson, the Green Bay Packers’ defense is currently ranked No. 1 in the NFL
Quickly name me the top defense in the NFL after 12 weeks of play…No it is not the Pittsburgh Steelers, Minnesota Vikings, Baltimore Ravens, or any other team that you would guess. Surprisingly, the league’s No. 1 ranked defense, in terms of yardage allowed, is the Green Bay Packers — average of 281.5 yards of offense per game. That’s right… the team that seemed to be in a shootout every week in 2008 (allowed 380 points with an average of 23.8 point per game) and lost badly twice this season to the Minnesota Vikings led by “You know who”, has now found some teeth on defense.
No doubt the infusion of new defensive coordinator Dom Capers and his new attacking 3-4 defensive scheme has grown roots with the Packers (7-4). The Pack now has playmakers on the defensive line (see Cullen Jenkins — 25 TKLs, 4.5 Sacks, 3 FF, and 1 INT) and secondary (see Charles Woodson) with their linebackers also getting better. Despite losing All-Pro’s CB Al Harris and OLB Aaron Kampman for the season to knee injuries, the Packers have found inventive ways to shutdown opponents. Since losing to the Bucs 38-28 in Week 9, the Packers have been on a roll and have allowed an average of only 14 points per game in their last 3 games (all wins).
The Packers are getting three-and-outs at a high rate – Opponents’ 3rd down conversion rate of only 33% (successfully converted 48/144 third downs) plus they are getting timely turnovers — 27 takeaways ranking Green Bay second behind New Orleans (32). Clearly the addition of true nose talk rookie BJ Raji (1st Rd pick – 9th overall) has made the transition to the 3-4 easier with the powerful rookie from Boston College and veteran Ryan Pickett providing the “fire hydrant” in the middle of the D-line that is essential to others in the front seven making plays. With their stout nose tackles leading the way, the Packers have allowed only two 100-yard rushers through 11 games — Bengals RB Cedric Benson and St. Louis Rams RB Steven Jackson in Weeks 2 and 3 respectively.
For sure the player that has benefited the most from the arrival of Capers has been perennial Pro Bowl player CB/S Charles Woodson. The former Heisman Trophy winner has turned it up several notches and may very well be playing the best football of his career. All one has to do is look at his current stats (54 tackles, 2.0 sacks, 4 FF, 1 fumble recovery, and 7 INTs) to see why the 12-year veteran was named the Defensive Player of the Month for November and is a strong contender for NFL Defensive MVP. Woodson’s seven interceptions are one away from his career best of eight picks in 2006 and his 2 TD returns off turnovers is already a personal best.
The pressure will be on Woodson to continue to make game-changing plays without his partner Harris, but I believe he will be up to the task. The road to the playoffs won’t be an easy one for the Packers as their five remaining games include 3 road games and features three 2008 playoff teams ( BAL, @CHI, @PIT, SEA, and @ARI). Other than the Ravens (6-5), who also run the ball too, the four other remaining teams that the Packers will play to end the season like to throw the ball a lot.
The next big test for the Packers will be this Monday as the nation gets to see their No. 1 ranked defense first-hand against the Ravens. Packers head coach Mike McCarthy said of his team’s defense, “You want to be ranked No. 1 at the end of the season, but I think our defense is on the right pace to be the championship defense that we anticipate we’d have here”. McCarthy then added about the challenge of facing the Ravens on Monday Night Football, “Our margin for error is going to be a lot less than it has been in the first 11 games because it’s December football now. This is the most important football that we’ll play all season.”
Current NFL Yardage Allowed Stats
Rush Pass Total
Green Bay 89.1 192.5 281.5
N.Y. Jets 108.2 175.7 283.9
Pittsburgh 74.9 213.5 288.4
N.Y. Giants 107.8 182.6 290.5
Denver 110.0 185.0 295.0
Lloyd Vance is a Sr. NFL Writer for Taking It to the House and an award -winning member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA)
Con-Vince-ing Performance by Lloyd Vance
With Sunday’s thrilling comeback win over the Arizona Cardinals, the “new” team-first version of QB Vince Young continues to open more eyes around the NFL
After Vince Young’s breakout career-high 387-yard passing performance in the Tennessee Titans last-second 20-17 win over the Arizona Cardinals including throwing the game-winner with no time left on the clock. Everyone needs to a look back in time to a crucial moment earlier this season. Let’s go back to Week 7 of the 2009 NFL Season, the Titans were on their bye week after enduring probably the most humiliating loss in the NFL this season in Week 6, a 59-0 pummeling by the New England Patriots. In the disastrous loss that took the former 2008 AFC South champs (13-3) to the depths of being called, “The Most Disappointing Team in the NFL” – sixth straight loss to open the season — a possible light switch clicked in the head of Titans head coach Jeff Fisher.
After former Titans’ starting quarterback Kerry Collins had one of the worst performances of any starting quarterback in NFL history (finishing with passing numbers 2 -12 for -7 yards, 1 INT, and a QB rating of 4.9 – probably the lowest ever). Late in the game, Fisher decided to insert former 2006 NFL Rookie of the Year, QB Vince Young, into the game. Young had not played much before that game in the snow, because he had lost his “swagger” in 2008 due to some well documented problems during and after the Titans’ season opener and quickly became a footnote as the Titans rose to the playoffs under Collins. All during the 2008 season, Young had endured arrows that he was too sullen and selfish to be the leader of the Titans again. But in the cold, ice, and snow of New England that day (October 18th), Young clearly started to heat-up. He became a team-first player as he swallowed his ego and pride to enter a no-win situation in a blowout game gone awry — finished with pedestrian numbers 0-2 for 0 yards and 1 INT plus 2 rushes for -1 yards.
V.Y’s numbers in New England that day didn’t even matter, after he showed some long-awaited maturity. With questions swirling around the Titans’ sinking ship at the time and Collins underperforming, before the cameras in the lockerroom after the humiliating loss, Young basically said “I will do anything that the coaching staff and team asks of me”. Those words sounded very cliché at the time, but Young was very serious that he just wanted the opportunity to show that he was still the same player who led the University of Texas to the 2005 National Championship. The former 3rd overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft just wanted a chance to show, that he was still a playmaker in the NFL and not the perceived malcontent potential bust that many were painting him out to be. While many pointed to his 2008 struggles and poor performance against the Patriots as signs that Young would soon be on another team in 2010. A small contingent, including yours truly, said give the former college football legend a “legitimate” shot to prove he could still lead the Titans once again.
During the Titans time away to heal during their Week 7 bye, many were wondering when Fisher would give V.Y a chance to give the team a much-needed spark. And to be honest with you…Why Not…considering that many NFL talking heads had already predicted that the Titans’ 2009 campaign was already over. However Fisher continued to be coy and still talked about Collins (completed 54.8 % of passes with 5 TDs and 8 INTs) as the Titans man under center. Then stepped in the one man whose opinion matters more than Fisher’s when it comes to the Tennessee Titans. Owner Bud Adams made it clear he wanted Vince Young to replace Kerry Collins. “I have been wanting (Fisher) to play Vince Young more because Collins has been having his problems out there,” Adams said. “I just think we need to find out how well (Young) can do.
Fisher finally relented when he saw that the new and improved Young was looking like his former mentor and hero, the late Steve McNair, in practices and in the lockerroom. Young had his head in the playbook and his feet firmly on the ground as he embraced possibly his last chance to be the Titans starting quarterback. Some doubted Young, but I knew the player that I had interviewed way back during the 2005 Heisman presentation – competitive fire burning in his eyes — had the gumption to show the world that he was still a “winner”. Young had won at every level he has ever played in from high school to college to the NFL (18-11 in 29 starts at the time) and now it was time to remind everyone. Even after the Houston, Texas native had led the Titans to a 30-13 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 8 for Tennessee’s first victory of the 2009 season, there were no “I told you so” moments from the now humble quarterback. Young stayed grounded and kept marching on from there and it didn’t matter that he had just endured 22 games without starting.
Fast forward to Week 12 in Tennessee, the Titans are down by a score of 17-13 late in the fourth quarter to the NFC West leading Arizona Cardinals and have 99 yards to cover with only 2 minutes, 37 seconds left on the clock. Sure Young had led the Titans to 4-straight wins over the past four weeks including a Monday Night thriller over the Houston Texans in Week 11, but this was too much of a daunting task for V.Y…right. In final moments, Young answered his critics with not only his legs, but his arm and mind. Young (27/43, 387 YDS, 1 TD, and 0 INTs) capped off an 18-play, 99-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to leaping rookie receiver Kenny Britt in the back of the end zone as time expired. The impressive part of the game-winning drive was the determination of the Titans’ starter. Young (23-11 as an NFL starter) completed 10 of 16 passes for 94 yards and ran for another five while converting three fourth-downs on the drive, including the winning touchdown on fourth-and-goal from the Cardinals’ 10.
It must have been deja-vu all over again for Cardinals starter Matt Leinart, who had lost the 2006 Rose Bowl to Young when they were both college hotshots for USC and Texas respectively, as No. 10 left the field with another comeback victory in his hands. Young had just won his 9th consecutive start going back to 2007 and he is now a perfect 5-0 as the Titans starter this season. But as the Titans’ new unquestioned leader pointed out after the game, it was a huge “team” win. “As the Tennessee Titans, I feel we fought to the finish,” Young said. Indeed it was a miraculous win for a franchise that has seem some great finishes. An almost stunned Fisher said in his post game press conference, “You guys don’t mind if I sit down and do this do you? OK. WOW! What a great finish!” We’ve had some finishes around here, but I can’t remember one like that. Just a tremendous finish.”
The Titans are now 5-6 and right in the middle of the AFC’s wildcard hunt — remaining games @IND, STL, MIA, SD, and @SEA — after almost no one, but themselves, thought they were still in the race. Young, RB Chris Johnson (his performance during the Titans’ 5-game winning streak cannot also be forgotten – on a pace for over 2,000 yards rushing), and a rejuvenated defense has led the Titans back into contention and it will be an interesting finish in Nashville. However you won’t hear Young pounding his chest over the last-second win over the Cardinals or any of the other Titans’ 4 wins during their current winning streak. I will for him… “Ha, Ha, Ha…Told you so”. But you cannot deny the spark and energy that V.Y has provided a team that was formerly on life suppprt this season.
“I thought Vince played great,” Leinart said after the game. “He made plays in that last series, so hats off to him. I thought our defense played phenomenally, he just made some plays.”
Lloyd Vance is a Sr. NFL Writer for Taking It to the House and an award-winning member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA)
Thanksgiving Football Equals Americana by Lloyd Vance
The Masters of Disaster (MOD) from a Turkey Bowl circa 1991
Football on Thanksgiving is an “Autumn Ritual” to me just like the phrase, “Can you please pass the gravy”. The game has aligned itself beautifully with the greatest holiday ever, in my opinion, and it provides an opportunity for fellowship by friends and family around America’s Game. “The Thanksgiving games are quite a tradition, not just in Detroit, but for America,” says NFL Network analyst Stever Mariucci, a Michigan native who participated in three Thanksgiving Day games as the Lions’ head coach in 2003-05. “I learned firsthand about the excitement in Detroit for the game. You enjoy playing in front of the home crowd. It’s special.”
Whether attending a hometown rivalry game – in my town growing up it is Abington (my alma mater) vs. friendly rival Cheltenham that goes back to 1915 (see all of the scores from this rivalry) – or playing in a “Turkey Bowl” touch football game with friends/family, or just watching the now three NFL games and other college games, Americans like myself cannot get enough Turkey Day football.
My most vivid memories of Thanksgiving are attending the hometown rivalry game in the early afternoon then going over to my paternal grandmother’s house for a celebration like none other with food like turkey, macaroni and cheese, stuffing, cranberry, candy yams and many other favorites while having good fellowship over food and of course football. When I was younger my grandmother’s television was a big cabinet black/white set and I vividly remember watching the Detroit Lions (usually lost) and Dallas Cowboys (usually won) play many Thanksgiving games on that set.
The earliest Thanksgiving game that I can remember was the Chicago Bears against the Detroit Lions in the Pontiac Silverdome November. 27, 1980. I remember this game, because Vince Evans was at quarterback for the Bears (rare to see an African-American quarterback at the time) and the great Walter Payton rushed 18 times for 123 yards and I think he even threw a pass. The ending was everything, as the Bears won an overtime thriller 23-17 when Bears kick returner Dave Williams returned the overtime kickoff for a touchdown, completing a Bears’ comeback from a 17-3 deficit.
My favorite Thanksgiving game of course involved the classic broadcasting team of John Madden and Pat Summeral commentating a Turkey Bowl classic on November 23, 1989 in Texas Stadium. This game dubbed “Bounty Bowl I” featured a Philadelphia Eagles 27-0 shellacking win over the hated Dallas Cowboys, which left me over-the-top giddy.
My joy came from the fact that as a one-time long suffering Eagles follower, I finally got to stick-it to the many stinking Cowboys’ fans in my family (brother and many cousins). Funny thing about Philadelphia, there are many “never have been to Texas” Dallas Cowboys fans who year after year love to talk about Super Bowl rings to hometown Eagles fans.
However this 1989 NFC East afternoon rivalry game was something extra special for me to watch as the Birds won handily and the Cowboys turncoats in my grandmother’s suburban Philadelphia home had to eat some crow with their turkey that day.
The story of the game was Buddy Ryan’s Eagles defense knocking the stuffing of Troy Aikman as they seemed to sack him a million times. The game ended with my favorite player Reggie White eating the ceremonial Madden Turkey Leg as the game’s MVP.
2009 NFL Thanksgiving Schedule
Green Bay Packers (6-4) at Detroit Lions (2-8), 12:30 PM (FOX) – Yes, everyone just like going to your grandmother’s house on Thanksgiving, the nation still must endure watching the uually pitiful Detroit Lions on TV on Turkey Day, even though it seems like forever. This year, in an old-time Thanksgiving Day traditional match-up, the Packers will travel to Detroit to face the Lions who maybe without QB Matthew Stafford (shoulder) and WR Calvin “Megatron” Johnson (hand, knee).
Oakland Raiders (3-7) at Dallas Cowboys (7-3), 4:15 PM (CBS) — Naturally America’s Holiday, Thanksgiving, will feature “America’s Team” as the Cowboys take on the dangerous Oakland Raiders in Jerry Jones’ billion dollar play pen. We will see if Turkey Day will be Cowboys QB Tony Romo’s last hurrah before his usual December swoon.
New York Giants (6-4) at Denver Broncos (6-4) , 8:20 PM (NFLN) — The G-Men continue their quest to return to the team that started 5-0 this season as they travel to the Rockies for a huge Thanksgiving night game against the Broncos. This game will surely have playoff implications in both the AFC and NFC as both were fast starters, but have shown inconsistency of late.
Lloyd’s Leftovers
- Lets talk about seating arrangements at the 2009 NFL Thanksgiving table. At the “Adult table” for playmakers are Vikings QB Brett Favre, Titans RB Chris Johnson, Colts head coach Jim Caldwell, Colts QB Peyton Manning, Eagles WR DeSean Jackson, Bills safety Jairus Byrd, Bears WR Johnny Knox, Vikings RB Adrian Peterson, Saints QB Drew Brees, and Broncos DE Elvis Dumervil. Spots at the “Kids table” for disappointments should be seated NY Jets QB Mark Sanchez, Cowboys WR Roy Williams, Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell, Eagles O-lineman Stacy Andrews, Bears QB Jay Cutler, Giants DB C.C Brown, Texans kicker Kris Brown, the Steelers’ coverage units, Bears DT Tommie Harris, and Broncos backup QB Chris Simms.
- There was a time that Thanksgiving football was defined in the African American community by rivalry games like Lincoln vs Howard. Here is an excerpt from a piece that I wrote on the subject… “The “outside world” of major white college football may have had traditional rivalries like Harvard-Yale, Ohio State-Michigan, and Notre Dame-Army. But to most African American football fans those contests had nothing on the annual Thanksgiving Day clash between the mighty men of Lincoln (PA) and their rival school Howard University. After their initial meeting in 1894, the annual Lincoln-Howard Thanksgiving game quickly became an autumn ritual.” Check out the rest of the piece.
- I am often asked, “Why are we subjected to the stinking Detroit Lions and hated Dallas Cowboys every Thanksgiving??” The reason is “Carpe diem” as these two teams both had the vision of matching College Football on America’s Holiday and seized opportunities to host football games when everyone else was afraid the crowds would stay away. The Lions were the first in 1934 and the Cowboys followed suit in 1966. The NFL also added a rotating third game in 2006 (Chiefs winning 19-10 over the Broncos) on Turkey Day to help boost their channel NFL Network. Our friends over at Mental Floss give some great background on the subject of NFL football on Thanksgiving.
- The oldest high school Turkey Day Game rivalry is in Massachusetts between Needham and Wellesley, dating back to 1882. Find out everything about Thanksgiving Football.
- You can now see the results for every NFL Thanksgiving game going back to the 1920’s (courtesy of the Pro Footballl Hall of Fame)
Lloyd Vance is a Sr. NFL Writer for Taking It to the House and an award-winning member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA)
2009 NFL Season – Week 12 Power Rankings by Lloyd Vance
Led by new starting quarterback Vince Young, the Tennessee Titans are climbing up this week’s NFL Power Rankings after four straight wins
With only six weeks left in the NFL Season, the intensity has surely picked-up around the league. With America’s holiday, Thanksgiving , upon us there are 23 teams with records ranging from 4-6 to 10-0 hoping to be thankful for one of the NFL’s 12 coveted playoff berths come this January. But there is still is a lot of football left to be played and as shown by Week 11’s upsets — Chiefs over the Steelers and the Raiders over the Bengals — nothing is guaranteed. So every NFL team better be prepared weekly as the separation into “Contenders” and “Pretenders” continues.
In looking at the current NFL standings here’s the breakdown: The “Elite” – Saints (10-0), Colts (10-0), Vikings (9-1), Bengals (7-3), Cowboys (7-3), Cardinals (7-3), Chargers (7-3), and Patriots (7-3); “Stuck in the Middle” inconsistent teams, who are caught in the NFL’s parity-filled middle and need to either join the playoff hunt or fall back — Broncos (6-4), Steelers (6-4), Jaguars (6-4), Eagles (6-4), Packers (6-4), Giants (6-4), Dolphins (5-5) Ravens (5-5), Falcons (5-5), Texans (5-5), Jets (4-6), Titans (4-6), Niners (4-6), and Panthers (4-6); The “Pretenders”, who are only a shade away from the league’s bottom rung – Bears (4-6), Bills (3-7), Redskins (3-7), and Seahawks (3-7); and lastly the “Ugly” (See at the 2010 NFL Draft) – Raiders (3-7), Chiefs (3-7), Lions (2-8), Browns (1-9), Rams (1-9), and Buccaneers (1-9)
Now on to the rankings for this week.
1. Colts (10-0) – I know that Indy was glad veteran kicker Matt Stover was on their sideline instead of the Baltimore Ravens as Jim Caldwell’s undefeated team pulled out another “W”. In a key AFC South game, QB Peyton Manning will lead the undefeated Colts into Houston to face a desperate Texans team looking to avoid another 8-8 season.
2. Saints (10-0) – Alright I won’t break into my “Who Dat,” chant this week, but in another offensive explosion Sean Payton’s undefeated team quickly disposed of the 1-win Bucs. The Saints are a perfect 10-0 for the first time in franchise history and with an incredible 369 points scored thus far, they are looking like the 1998 Minnesota Vikings or 1999 St. Louis Rams (you can choose) in terms of firepower. Next up is the much-anticipated, “Battle of the Bayou” on Monday Night football as the surging New England Patriots come to town looking to halt the undefeated Saints magical run.
3. Vikings (9-1) – Hard to believe with the Colts and Saints magical undefeated runs that the Vikings seem to be the forgotten team around the NFL. Last week it was the Seattle Seahawks turn to remember that this year QB Brett Favre and the Vikes are not messing around. In a NFC North divisional grudge match, the Vikings and Favre will host the inconsistent Chicago Bears and fickle quarterback Jay Cutler who reminds me a lot of a young No. 4 (takes too many chances that lead to INTs).
4. Patriots (7-3) – The Pats wiped the awful taste of their 1-point loss to the Colts out of their mouths by dismantling and muzzling the reeling New York Jets. In a statement game and the Week 12 Game of the Week, the Patriots and their second-guessed head coach Bill Belichick will look to re-establish themselves back to their lofty perch in the NFL when they take on the undefeated Saints on Monday Night Football.
5. Chargers (7-3) – The Bolts have now won 6 games in a row and have re-established themselves as the lead dog in the AFC West after destroying the reeling Denver Broncos. The Chargers will need to guard against a letdown when the tougher than their record Chiefs come to town for an old school AFL grudge that should bring back images of Hank Stram and Sid Gillman.
6. Bengals (7-3) — Marvin Lewis’ team may have been a tad bit overconfident as they were surprised by the dangerous Raiders in Oakland. Next up is “The Battle of Ohio” as heated rival, the Cleveland Browns, come to town fresh off finding their offense in a loss to the Detroit Lions last week.
7. Cardinals (7-3) – The Cards had to hang-on after building a big lead and then losing QB Kurt Warner in a physical win over the Seattle Seahawks. In one of Week 12’s feature games, the Cardinals will travel to the Music City to face the red-hot Tennessee Titans who are led by rising quarterback Vince Young (4-0 as a starter in ’09).
8. Cowboys (7-3) – It was a win, but man was it ugly as the Cowboys put together one last drive to put away the Washington Redskins who were undone by their kicker. Naturally America’s Holiday, Thanksgiving, on Thursday will feature “America’s Team” as the Cowboys take on the dangerous Oakland Raiders in Jerry Jones’ billion dollar play pen.
9. Steelers (6-4) – Mike Tomlin’s team surprisingly has lost two games in a row. The Kansas City Chiefs hung around and next thing you know some big plays led to a great overtime win. In a game that may define the Steelers season, Pittsburgh will need QB Ben Roethlisberger (head) to get back quickly as the 2008 champs travel to Baltimore to face their bitter rival, the Ravens.
10. Jaguars (6-4) – Despite a big effort by the Buffalo Bills led by WR Terrell Owens, the Jaguars continued their winning streak (3 games) and now look like a legitimate AFC wildcard contender. The Jaguars cannot rest on their laurels when they travel to the Bay to take on the dangerous Niners who are still in the NFC wildcard hunt.
11. Eagles (6-4) – The Birds ended their 2-game losing streak as QB Donovan McNabb and WR DeSean Jackson continued their big play ways plus Bears QB Jay Cutler overthrew everyone in an Eagles’ Sunday Night Football win. With an eye on keeping pace with the NY Giants and gaining some ground on the Dallas Cowboys, the Birds will host the tough Redskins in an NFC East grudge match.
12. Broncos (6-4) – What the “bleep” happened to the formerly 6-0 Broncos who were sent to their 4th straight loss in a bludgeoning by the AFC West leadting San Diego Chargers. In an NFL Network Thanksgiving night special, the Broncos will need to wake-up as the NY Giants come to town led by improving quarterback Eli Manning.
13. Giants (6-4) – After four straight losses, the Giants and fiery head coach Tom Coughlin coming off the bye had to work overtime to finally subdue the resilent Atlanta Falcons. The G-Men continue their quest to return to the team that started 5-0 this season as they travel to the Rockies for a huge Thanksgiving night game against the Broncos that will have playoff implications in both the AFC and NFC.
14. Packers (6-4) – The host Packers won the game over the inconsistent Niners, but the home win was costly as both CB Al Harris and OLB Aaron Kampman were lost for the season with knee injuries. In an old-time Thanksgiving Day traditional match-up, the Packers will travel to Detroit to face the Lions who maybe without QB Matthew Stafford (shoulder).
15. Ravens (5-5) – John Harbaugh’s team continues to fight till the end, but the NFL is all about “W’s” and this past week the undefeated Colts did just enough to leave their old hometown with a big win. If the Ravens are ever going to fully get into the AFC playoff race, they will need to wake-up and it starts this week as they host the Steelers in an AFC North grudge match.
16. Texans (5-5) – Unfortunately for the Texans, their kicker Kris Brown turned into “Shank-a-surus” at the wrong time as the Titans won a crucial AFC South road game in Houston. With possibly their season on the line, the Texans will host the undefeated AFC South leading Indianapolis Colts who could clinch the division with a win and a little help.
17. Dolphins (5-5) – On Thursday Night football, it was Run Ricky—Run Ricky time as the Dolphins rode their new Wildcat to a big road win over the Panthers. I wonder if Dolphins’ football czar Bill Parcels and Buffalo Bills receiver Terrell Owens, aka “The Player”, will get together for the Thanksgiving holiday as the Dolphins travel north to face the Bills.
18. Falcons (5-5) – Without tough running back Michael Turner (ankle), the Falcons just are not the same and it showed in an overtime road loss to the Giants. Next up is a must-win game as the Falcons host the energetic and dangerous Tampa Bucs in a possible letdown situation.
19. Titans (4-6) – Led by homeboy QB Vince Young and All-World RB Chris Johnson, the Titans (formerly the Houston Oilers) returned to their former hometown and won a close thrilling game over the host Texans. V.Y and the Titans will look to make it five in a row as they host the Arizona Cardinals in a game that could pit the starting quarterbacks from the 2006 Rose Bowl against one another again (Texas’ Vince Young and USC’s Matt Leinart).
20. Panthers (4-6) – It was a rushing fest on Thursday Night Football, but the Panthers had no answer for the Dolphins Ricky Williams in a tough loss. With their season on the line, the Panthers will look for their defense and Thunder-and-Lightning running back combo, DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, to answer the bell against the inconsistent NY Jets.
21. 49ers (4-6) – The Packers despite missing a couple key players thumped the Niners, who look like they will be looking for a new quarterback in 2010. In possibly their last chance to stay in the NFC playoff race, the Niners will look for some consistency against the surging Jacksonville Jaguars.
22. Bears (4-6) – After another bad outing, Chicago fans maybe looking for their receipt for inconsistent quarterback Jay Cutler who overthrew at least three WR’s on potential scoring plays in a SNF loss to the Eagles. In their last chance to get back in the NFC playoff race, the Bears will travel to Minnesota to face the surging Vikings and their multitude of offensive weapons.
23. Jets (4-6) – The J-E-T-S were no match for the angry Patriots, who were throwing the ball even when they had a big lead. I think rookies head coach Rex Ryan and QB Mark Sanchez are both understanding that it is better to say “nothing” and just play the game in the topsy-turvy NFL. In a battle of two desperate teams almost on the cusp of being eliminated from the playoff race, the hard-running Carolina Panthers travel to the Meadowlands to face the Jets.
24. Redskins (3-7) – The ‘Skins put up a tough effort, especially on “D”, in a game where they came up just short against the Cowboys….Thanks kicker Shaun Suisham. With their playoff hopes basically extinguished, we will see if beleaguered head coach Jim Zorn’s team can answer the bell in Philly while probably playing without big-ticket DT Albert Haynesworth.
25. Seahawks (3-7) – The Hawks are tumbling to the bottom of the NFL at an alarming pace and last week they couldn’t even capitalize on the Cardinals playing the second half without QB Kurt Warner (concussion). In Week 12’s “Giblet Bowl”, the Seahawks will travel to St. Louis for an ugly match-up with the 1-win Rams that will surely be blacked-out locally.
26. Bills (3-7) – Despite the best efforts of the NFL’s new fantasy football combo, QB Ryan Fitzpatrick and WR Terrell Owens, the Bills came up short to Jacksonville in Perry Fewell’s head coaching debut. In annual AFC East grudge match, the Bills will host the surging Dolphins and new Wildcat/former Toronto Argonaut RB Ricky Williams.
27. Chiefs (3-7) – Look what getting rid of a malcontent like LJ can do for you. The Chiefs led by new starting running back Jamaal Charles surprised the overconfident Pittsburgh Steelers in overtime sending the defending champs to their 2nd straight loss. In an old time AFL special, the Chiefs will travel to San Diego to face the surging Chargers.
28. Raiders (3-7) – With the addition of new starting QB Bruce Gradkowski into the line-up, the dysfunctional Raiders found their offense in an upset win over the bigheaded Cincinnati Bengals. The Raiders will try to win two consecutive games for the first time this season as the Men in Black travel to Big D for a Thanksgiving game against the Cowboys.
29. Lions (2-8) – In a game that was surprisingly the best game of Week 11, the Lions led by gritty rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford sent the surprisingly spirited Cleveland Browns further into the abyss. Yes… everyone just like going to your grandmother’s house on Thanksgiving, even though it seems like forever, the nation still has to endure watching the Lions on TV on Turkey Day. This year, heated NFC North rival, the Green Bay Packers, come to town looking to feast on the Ford Family’s team.
30. Browns (1-9) – QB Brady Quinn played courageously as the Browns and Lions clean-up Week 11’s “Toilet Bowl” in a close high-scoring game. This week in “The Sam Wyche Bowl”, the Browns will travel to Cincy for an AFC North grudge match with the angry Bengals.
31. Rams (1-9) – You have to hand-it to the spunky Rams as they fought the Cardinals to the bitter end even though they were badly short-handed due to injuries. Since injured quarterback Marc Bulger (broken leg) cannot go this week, it will be up to backup QB Kyle Boller to lead the Rams against the visiting Seahawks.
32. Buccaneers (1-9) – The undefeated NFC South leading New Orleans Saints let the Bucs score once then thoroughly spanked them. The Bucs will look for a spark from rookie quarterback Josh Freeman when they travel up the road to face angry rival, the Atlanta Falcons.
Lloyd Vance is a Sr. NFL Writer for Taking It to the House and an award-winning member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA)
The Bears’ Hester loses more than the game on Sunday Night Football by Lloyd Vance
Receiver Devin Hester literally lost his pants in the Bears’ 24-20 loss to the Eagles
One of the funnier moments from Week 11 of the 2009 NFL Season was the de-pants-ing of Chicago Bears WR/KR Devin Hester in his team’s 24-20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. After the Bears explosive receiver attempted to catch a Jay Cutler pass in the fourth quarter of the game, Hester had his pants pulled down by Eagles CB Dmitri Patterson.
Let’s just say that NBC’s national viewing audience saw Soldier Field eclipsed (i.e. Mooned) by Hester’s backside for a more than a few seconds. Many would say Hester’s mooning was his most exciting play so far this season. Once viewed as the NFL’s most dangerous return man, the now converted starting receiver has not been able to improve on his former NFL record return pace from earlier in his career.
In fact, the former two-time Pro Bowl returner has zero returns (punt and kickoff) for a touchdown over the last two years. Which has been a true surprise after the 4-year veteran needed only two returns for a touchdown at the start of the 2008 season to tie former tough return man Brian Mitchell’s NFL career record of 13 –- scored 11 return touchdowns (7 punt returns and 4 kickoff returns) in his first two seasons.
This season Hester’s return numbers are down again with 20 punt returns for 185 yards (9.3 ypr) and a long of 33 yards, plus one kickoff return for 26 yards. I know many Bears fans would prefer to have Hester’s explosiveness back more involved in the Bears’ special teams as his receiving numbers (52 receptions for 614 yards, 11.8 ypc, and 3 TDs in 10 games this season) are not considered starter-worthy despite former Pro Bowl quarterback Jay Cutler throwing the ball to him.
2009 NFL Season – Week 11 Preview by Lloyd Vance
RB Maurice Jones-Drew and the Jags will look to stay in the playoff hunt as they host the Buffalo Bills in Week 11
As the 2009 NFL Season moves closer to the third quarter pole and it is quickly becoming apparent that this season is going to come down to the bitter end (week 17) before everything is said and done. After 10 weeks of play, there are still the “Have’s” including two undefeated teams (Colts and Saints both 9-0) and the “Have Nots” (six teams with 2 or less wins). But there are also 15 teams currently caught in the league’s parity-filled middle (records ranging from 3-6 to 5-4) that still need to figure out, real fast, if they are joining or jumping out of the playoff hunt.
There are currently 17 teams at .500 or better, so over half of the teams in the parity-laden league have a shot for one of the NFL’s 12 coveted playoff berths. Two teams that are very much in the driver’s seat for two the NFL’s playoff spots are the league’s unbeaten teams – the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints. The Colts and Saints are just the third pair in NFL history to start a season 9-0, joining the 1934 Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears and the 1990 New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers. Winning early in the year is nothing new for the Colts, who are 9-0 for the third time in the past five years and have won a franchise-record 18 consecutive regular-season games — tied with the 2003-04 Patriots for the second-longest streak in NFL history. This week, the Colts will be pitted in “The Charm City Grudge Match” as they return to Baltimore for a battle with the Ravens (5-4). Colts rookie head coach Jim Caldwell said of his team’s good start, “We can’t be any better, but the fact of the matter is, there’s still a lot of work to be done.”
As great of a story the Colts run back up the NFL ladder without head coach Tony Dungy has been, an even better story this season has been the New Orleans Saints. With their 28-23 win over St. Louis in Week 10, the Saints reached a record of 9-0 for the first time in franchise history. Hard to believe, the Saints were 4-5 at this time last season. However this season with an embarassment of offensive weapons (QB Drew Brees, RB Pierre Thomas, scatback Reggie Bush, WR Marques Colston and others), the Saints have been the scoring machine of 2009 as they have put up an NFL-best 330 points (next highest is the Vikings with 271). This week the Saints have a dangerous NFC South game in Tampa Bay against a Bucs (1-8) who play better than their awful record. The Saints along with the Cincinnati Bengals (7-2 in 2009; 1-8 in 2008) and Dallas Cowboys (6-3; 5-4) are current division leaders who were in last place after Week 10 a year ago. Speaking of division races, the nine 2009 division leaders (Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers are tied for first in the AFC West) are a combined 63-18 (.778) through Week 10, which is 22 wins better than their records from a year ago at this time (41-40, .506).
For the second week in a row, the NFL’s weekly action began on Thursday night. This week the Miami Dolphins (5-5) behind veteran running back Ricky Williams powered their way passed the Carolina Panthers (4-6) for a hard earned 24-17 road victory – more on this game in the Week 11 review. Whenever I see that the NFL is playing games on Thursday Nights and the Thanksgiving holiday is approaching, I know that NFL bye weeks have concluded. In Week 10, the NY Giants and Houston Texans completed the NFL’s off-weeks until the playoffs. Without having byes and teams playing on short rest, teams have to study and prepare much quicker for their next week’s opponent. Players will also have to heal quickly, which is always a challenge in the NFL this time of the year as team’s rosters sometimes resemble a MASH unit.
But the good teams that have a chance to win the NFL’s championship rounds (Weeks in late November, December, and early January) will make the adjustments needed, will not turn the football over, and most importantly establish a running game on their way to the playoffs.
Since the real fun is beginning, I thought now was a good time to look at the remaining games for all of the NFL’s contenders (9-0 to 3-6 teams)
ARI (6-3) @STL @TEN MIN @SF @DET STL GB
ATL (5-4) @NYG TB PHI NO @NYJ BUF @TB
BAL (5-4) IND PIT @GB DET CHI @PIT @OAK
BUF (3-6) @JAC MIA NYJ @KC NE @ATL IND
CAR (4-6) @NYJ TB @NE MIN @NYG NO
CHI (4-5) PHI @MIN STL GB @BAL MIN @DET
CIN (7-2) @OAK CLE DET @MIN @SD KC @NYJ
DAL (6-3) WAS OAK @NYG SD @NO @WAS PHI
DEN (6-3) SD NYG @KC @IND OAK @PHI KC
GB (5-4) SF @DET BAL @CHI @PIT SEA @ARI
HOU (5-4) TEN IND @JAC SEA @STL @MIA NE
IND (9-0) @BAL @HOU TEN DEN @JAC NYJ @BUF
JAC (5-4) BUF @SF HOU MIA IND @NE @CLE
MIA (5-5) @BUF NE @JAC @TEN HOU PIT
MIN (8-1) SEA CHI @ARI CIN @CAR @CHI NYG
NE (6-3) NYJ @NO @MIA CAR @BUF JAC @HOU
NO (9-0) @TB NE @WAS @ATL DAL TB @CAR
NYG (5-4) ATL @DEN DAL PHI @WAS CAR @MIN
NYJ (4-5) @NE CAR @BUF @TB ATL @IND CIN
PHI (5-4) @CHI WAS @ATL @NYG SF DEN @DAL
PIT (6-3) @KC @BAL OAK @CLE GB BAL @MIA
SD (6-3) @DEN KC @CLE @DAL CIN @TEN WAS
SEA (3-6) @MIN @STL SF @HOU TB @GB TEN
SF (4-5) @GB JAC @SEA ARI @PHI DET @STL
TEN (3-6) @HOU ARI @IND STL MIA SD @SEA
WAS (3-6) @DAL @PHI NO @OAK NYG DAL @SD
Week 11 in the NFL will features:
Six divisional match-ups — Redskins at Cowboys, Chargers at Broncos (first place in the AFC West on the line), NY Jets at Patriots, Saints at Buccaneers, Cardinals at Rams, and Titans at Texans (Monday Night Football)
Some interesting reunions —
- The Tennessee Titans (formerly the Houston Oilers) return to their former home city to face the Houston Texans. Too bad this game couldn’t be played at the Houston Astrodome.
- Arizona Cardinals QB and former Rams’ Super Bowl winner Kurt Warner returns to the Edward Jones Dome to face the St. Louis Rams. Also remember the nomadic Cardinals once called St. Louis their home from 1960 to 1987.
- The Indianapolis Colts return to the Charm City again to play the Baltimore Ravens, but some Baltimore residents will never forgive the Irsay family for moving their beloved team 25 years ago. The Colts-Ravens game will also mark the first game in Baltimore for Colts kicker and former longtime Raven Matt Stover
- The New England Patriots will play host to the NY Jetsand their emotional head coach Rex Ryan, who got real mouthy after the Jets’ Week 2 win in the Meadowlands.
- The Niners will travel to Green Bay to face the Packers in a revival of one of the ‘90s greatest rivalries – who could forget their 1999 Wildcard Game where T.O caught the game-winner for San Francisco.
Some teams that I believe in must-win situations this week – Philadelphia Eagles (at Chicago), New York Giants (host the Atlanta Falcons), Houston Texans (host the Titans), Baltimore Ravens (host the Colts) and Dallas Cowboys (host the Redskins)
Featured Game
Buffalo Bills (3-6) at Jacksonville Jaguars (5-4), Sunday 1:00 PM ET (CBS) , Jacksonville Municipal Stadium
Broadcast Team: Bill Macatee and Steve Beuerlein
Surprisingly these two teams seeming to be going in opposite directions will meet for the fourth consecutive year – have split their last 4 meetings. To say the least the 2009 NFL Season has been nothing like what the young Bills thought it would be. They have had too many injuries, poor quarterback play, lack of production from their first round pick and a multitude of other problems through the first 10 weeks of the season. All the disappointment came to a head this week as 90-year old owner Ralph Wilson (wants to win now) fired former head coach Dick Jauron this week. Wilson had seen enough of his 3-6 team to know that a third 7-9 season in row would not be very popular in Western New York.
The Bills will regroup with interim head coach and defensive coordinator Perry Fewell at the helm. Fewell’s first order of business was re-installing heady former Ivy leaguer Ryan Fitzpatritck (38-77-362-2-4)as the team’s starting quarterback and benching Trent Edwards. The Harvard grad can run with the ball and seems to have found a nice repoirre with ticking time bomb receiver Terrell Owens (only 26 catches for 366 yards and 1 TD in 2009). Speaking of T.O, the mouthy one only needs 92 yards to pass former Colts WR Marvin Harrison for fourth all-time in receiving yards – currently has career numbers 977 catches for 14,488 yards, 14.8 ypc, and 140 TDs. However it is more than likely that the Bills will try to lean on their RB’s Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch in attacking a Jaguars defense that allows average of 357 total yards per game. The key for the Bills will be protecting Fitzpatrick behind a make shift O-line, but keep in mind the Jaguars only have 8 sacks as a unit this season.
With two teams that don’t play much defense, the real fun will be on offense. The Jaguars can match the Bills in terms of big names on offense, but no name is bigger than “Pocket Hercules” for the Jags. Running back Maurice Jones-Drew is putting together another Pro Bowl season and Sunday’s game should be a showcase for him. MJD’s numbers are amazing (169 rushes for 860 yards (2nd in AFC), 5.1 ypr, and an NFL leading 12 TDs) and he is a threat to take it to the house at anytime in the game. Jones-Drew also should get help from efficient quarterback David Garrard (178-292, 2088 yards, 7 TDs, and 5 INTs) and emerging receiver Mike Sims-Walker (39 catches for 603 yards, and 5 TDs). The player the Jaguars offense will have to keep an eye on his possible defensive rookie of the year safety Jarius Byrd. The second round pick from Oregon has been an unbelievable ballhawk producing an NFL leading 8 INTs including one in 5 consecutive games.
This game will also mark a homecoming of sorts for former Jags and current Bills players DT Marcus Stroud and CB Drayton Florence.
LV’s Pick: Though the Bills won their last meeting in September of 2008 by a score of 20-16 and they have a narrow 5-4 overall series advanteage, Buffalo has been a mess this season. As stated before Jauron is gone leaving Fewell, who has limited coaching experience, both their offense and defense has a ton of injuries, their quarterback is not a downfield thrower and T.O is about to have a T.O moment real soon. The Jaguars are on a roll at home — won three consecutive home games – and I don’t expect that to change on Sunday, especially with Jags head coach Jack Del Rio trying to save his own job. Jaguars 31, Bills 17
NFL Week 11
THU, NOV 19
Miami (5-5) over Carolina (4-6), 24-17 (NFL Network)
SUN, NOV 22
Washington at Dallas 1:00 PM (FOX)
Cleveland at Detroit 1:00 PM (FOX)
San Francisco at Green Bay 1:00 PM (FOX)
Pittsburgh at Kansas City 1:00 PM (CBS)
Atlanta at NY Giants 1:00 PM (FOX)
New Orleans at Tampa Bay 1:00 PM (FOX)
Buffalo at Jacksonville 1:00 PM (CBS)
Indianapolis at Baltimore 1:00 PM (CBS)
Seattle at Minnesota 1:00 PM (FOX)
Arizona at St. Louis 4:05 PM (FOX)
NY Jets at New England 4:15 PM (CBS)
Cincinnati at Oakland 4:15 PM (CBS)
San Diego at Denver 4:15 PM (CBS)
Philadelphia at Chicago 8:20 PM (NBC)
MON, NOV 23
Tennessee at Houston 8:30 PM (ESPN)
Lloyd Vance is a Sr. NFL Writer for Taking It to the House and an award-winning member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA)
2009 NFL Season – Week 11 Power Rankings by Lloyd Vance
After four consecutive wins, WR Legedu Naanee and the San Diego Chargers are moving up Week 11’s Power Rankings
With all byes completed for the 2009 NFL Season, now the real fun starts. There are 12 coveted playoff berths left to be claimed in the final 7 weeks of the regular season, so now is the time for teams to separate into “Contenders” and “Pretenders”. Whether a team is the Indianapolis Colts (undefeated along with the New Orleans Saints) or Tennessee Titans (rebounded with 3 straight wins after starting 0-6) there is still playoff hope for almost every NFL team.
In looking at the current NFL standings here’s the breakdown: The “Elite” – Saints (9-0), Colts (9-0), Vikings (8-1), Bengals (7-2), Broncos (6-3), Steelers (6-3), Cowboys (6-3), Cardinals (6-3), Chargers (6-3), and Patriots (6-3); “Stuck in the Middle” inconsistent teams, who are caught in the NFL’s parity-filled middle and need to either join the playoff hunt or fall back — Jaguars (5-4), Falcons (5-4), Eagles (5-4) Texans (5-4), Giants (5-4), Ravens (5-4), Packers (5-4), Jets (4-5), Bears (4-5), Niners (4-5), Dolphins (4-5) and Panthers (4-5); The “Pretenders”, who are only a shade away from the league’s bottom rung – Bills (3-6), Titans (3-6), Redskins (3-6), and Seahawks (3-6); and lastly the “Ugly” (i.e. These teams maybe looking to make themselves over by 2010 NFL Draft) – Raiders (2-7), Chiefs (2-7), Lions (1-8), Browns (1-8), Rams (1-8), and Buccaneers (1-8)
Now on to the rankings for this week.
1. Colts (9-0) – Fueled by Bill Belichick’s gaffe, Peyton Manning and the Colts seized the opportunity for a crucial AFC playoff separation win over the Patriots in the final seconds of the game. To remain undefeated for the 19th consecutive regular season game, Jim Caldwell’s team must be focused for their road trip back home to Baltimore to face an improving Ravens squad.
2. Saints (9-0) – “Who Dat, Who Dat is gonna beat them Saints”… another week and New Orleans keeps rolling. The Saints are now 9-0 for the first time in franchise history after disposing of the scrappy St. Louis Rams who stuck around for a little while. Next up Sean Payton’s team continues its tour of the NFL’s bottom rung as they travel to Tampa to face the 1-win Bucs.
3. Vikings (8-1) – The Vikes had the Metrodome rocking as QB Brett Favre and RB Adrian Peterson were all business in kicking the lowly Detroit Lions to the curb. With his contract extension in-hand, head coach Brad Childress will lead his team back to the dome to face the dangerous Seattle Seahawks.
4. Bengals (7-2) — Marvin Lewis’ team proved that they are one of the NFL’s elite teams by out-phyicalling the champion Steelers in Heinz Field. The Bengals are now 5-0 in the AFC North, but there is still work to be done. The Bengals will look to avoid a letdown as they travel to Oakland to face the very dysfunctional Raiders.
5. Patriots (6-3) – The Patriots fought their hearts out in Super Bowl XLIII ½ against the Colts, but in the end they were undone by their head coach Bill Belichick not believing in his “D”. The Pats will need to put Belichick’s 4th down gamble behind them as they host heated rival, the New York Jets and their emotional head coach Rex Ryan.
6. Steelers (6-3) – I guess Mike Tomlin’s team finally understands how it is to be the “hunted” now. The Bengals came into Heinz Field and physically beat-up the Steelers up in a crucial AFC North battle. With the thought that they are only 1 game behind Cincy in their mind, the Steelers will need to re-group as they travel to Kansas City.
7. Chargers (6-3) – After a quality win over the pass-happy Philadelphia Eagles, the Bolts have clawed their way back into playoff contention and a share of the AFC West lead. In one of Week 11’s biggest games, the Chargers will look to take control of the AFC West when they travel to Denver to face the suddenly reeling Broncos.
8. Broncos (6-3) – The Washington Redskins got on the same page real quick as they surprised the Broncos at FedEx Field. The Broncos and head coach Josh McDaniels will need to put their upset loss to the ‘Skins behind them as the hard-charging Chargers come to town for a crucial AFC West game.
9. Cowboys (6-3) – Just when I was about to say that the ‘Boys were back, they went to Green Bay and put out a lackluster effort in a bad loss to the Packers. Before making their Thanksgiving plans, the Cowboys will have to beat their longtime NFC East rival, the Washington Redskins.
10. Cardinals (6-3) – The Cards finally figured out how to get a home win as they turned back the scrappy Seattle Seahawks. Next up for QB Kurt Warner and the rest of the Cardinals is a return trip to St. Louis as the Cards try to remain a perfect on the road.
11. Jaguars (5-4) – Fueled by MJD, the “good” Jags were back as they pulled out another close one this time in the Meadowlands over the J-E-T-S. With the thought of continuing to win in mind, the Jags will need to win at home over the Bills and their new head coach Perry Fewell.
12. Texans (5-4) – Hopefully the bye week was a working one for head coach Gary Kubiak and GM Rick Smith as the Texans cannot finish with a record of 8-8 for third year in a row. In a Monday Night Football special, the Tennessee Titans (formerly the Houston Oilers) will return to Houston for an AFC South grudge match. Too bad this game can’t be played in the old Astrodome.
13. Falcons (5-4) – Mike Smith’s team continued their inconsistent ways as they not only lost RB Michael Turner (ankle) for a little while, but they also got run over by the Panthers. Playing without Turner will be tough as the Falcons travel to the Northeast to face an equally inconsistent Giants squad.
14. Eagles (5-4) – The Birds went to the West Coast for the second time this season and for the second time they came up short, this time in a loss to the San Diego Chargers. The pass-happy Eagles will need to find some balance as they attempt to stop their 2-game skid against the host Chicago Bears on NBC Sunday Night Football.
15. Giants (5-4) – After four straight losses, the Giants and fiery head coach Tom Coughlin badly needed their bye week to clear their heads. With their season on the lines, the Giants will host the Atlanta Falcons in a game that could have NFC wildcard implications.
16. Ravens (5-4) – John Harbaugh’s team thoroughly thumped the pathetic Browns on Monday Night Football. In a “Charm City” grudge match game, the undefeated Indianapolis Colts return to Baltimore for a battle with the Ravens.
17. Packers (5-4) – The host Packers thumped the inconsistent NFC East leading Dallas Cowboys as QB Tony Romo had no time in the pocket. In a game that could have future playoff implications, the Niners will travel to Green Bay this week.
18. Bears (4-5) – Thursday Night was interception night for Bears quarterback Jay Cutler as the Niners held on for a big win on NFL Network. Eagles QB Donovan McNabb returns to his hometown for a huge match-up involving two teams that right now are too inconsistent..
19. Jets (4-5) – The J-E-T-S squandered timeouts and opportunities as the Jacksonville Jaguars fueled by RB Maurice Jones-Drew made it over the .500 mark. Jets head coach Rex Ryan may have more to cry about this week as his team travels to New England to face an angry Patriots team looking for revenge from their earlier loss to the mouthy guys in green.
20. 49ers (4-5) – The Niners and running back Frank Gore did just enough to hold off the turnover prone Chicago Bears in a huge Thursday Night Football win. Mike Singletary’s team will look to get back to .500 and stay within striking distance of the division leading Cardinals when they travel to Green Bay this week.
21. Dolphins (4-5) – Tony Sparano’s team won “The Battle of South Florida” as they handled the reeling Tampa Bay Bucs, but they lost RB Ronnie Brown (foot) for the season. Next up it will be the ‘Phins turn to play on NFL Network Thursday Night football as they travel to Carolina for a ground battle with the Panthers.
22. Panthers (4-5) – Led by workhorse RB DeAngelo Williams, the Panthers rolled over the young and inconsistent Falcons. Expect to see a ground-churning affair when the Panthers and Dolphins play each other on NFL Network Thursday Night Football.
23. Titans (3-6) – Head Coach Jeff Fisher is now singing the praises of rejuvenated QB Vince Young, but it is the Titans Defense and All-World RB Chris Johnson (over 1,000 yards in 9 games) who really carried Tennessee passed the Buffalo Bills. The Titans will look to make it four wins in a row with V.Y under center as they travel back to Houston for a Texas Showdown with the Houston Texans.
24. Redskins (3-6) – The ‘Skins figured out how to run the ball again (see LaDell Betts), which really helped the entire team surprise the recently reeling Denver Broncos. In an NFC East grudge match, the Cowboys will host one of their bitterest rivals as the ‘Skins look to make it two upset wins in a row.
25. Seahawks (3-6) – The Arizona Cardinals gave the Hawks a taste of their former NFC West dominance as RB’s Beanie Wells and Tim Hightower ran all over them. In a make-or-break kind of game, the Seahawks will need to beat the red hot Vikings in the Metrodome to keep their flickering playoff hopes alive.
26. Bills (3-6) – The Titans ran all over the Bills and after the game, Bills owner told former head coach Dick Jauron to take a long walk off a short pier. With new interim head coach Perry Fewell now call the shots, QB Ryan Fitzpatrick and frustrated WR Terrell Owens will try to help the Bills gain a road victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
27. Chiefs (2-7) – New running back Jamaal Charles led the way for the Chiefs as they thumped the hapless Raiders. I hope the Chiefs enjoyed their little siesta playing the weak Raiders, because the Pittsburgh Steelers are coming to KC in a foul mood after losing at home to the Bengals.
28. Raiders (2-7) – The Raiders’ offense was inept again as the Chiefs pounded their way to an AFC West win over Tom Cable’s dysfunctional team. The Raiders have the misfortune of hosting the surging Bengals, but at least they will have new QB Bruce Gradkowski calling the shots and not struggling former 1st overall pick QB JaMarcus Russell.
29. Rams (1-8) – The undefeated New Orleans Saints powered right passed the poor Rams in a game where their hung around for a little while. The high-flying Arizona Cardinals and triggerman Kurt Warner return to St. Louis for a game that is sure to be ugly by the end of the first half.
30. Buccaneers (1-8) – After a great win the week before, the Miami Dolphins rolled right over the Bucs who probably should return to wearing their creamsicle orange uniforms. The NFC South leading New Orleans Saints will look to get to 10-0 when they travel to Tampa for a surprisingly dangerous game.
31. Lions (1-8) – The Minnesota Vikings returned from their bye week to thump the reeling Lions, who had no answer for All-World RB Adrian Peterson and the passing combo of QB Brett Favre and WR Sidney Rice. In Week 11’s hands-down “Toilet Bowl”, the Lions will host close neighbor the Cleveland Browns and I can smell the stench from this one all the way in Philly.
32. Browns (1-8) – QB Brady Quinn was atrocious in a Monday Night Football shutout home loss to the Baltimore Ravens. In a game that will truly tell the entire league who is the ugliest team on the block, the Browns will travel to Detroit for this week’s “Toilet Bowl”.
Lloyd Vance is a Sr. NFL Writer for Taking It to the House and an award-winning member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA)
2009 NFL Season – Week 10 Review by Lloyd Vance
Raiders receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey was one of Lloyd’s Lackey’s for Week 10 of the 2009 NFL Season
The 2009 NFL Season has finally reached the double-digit week number portion of the schedule. As the weeks keep fly by, the league keeps chugging along with a sense more than ever that soon enough playoff clarity will soon be upon us…well maybe. After 10 weeks of play, there are still the “Have’s” including two undefeated teams (Colts and Saints both 9-0) and the “Have Nots” (six teams with 2 or less wins). But there are also 15 teams currently caught in the league’s parity-filled middle (records ranging from 3-6 to 5-4) that still need to figure out, real fast, if they are joining or jumping out of the playoff hunt. This week also marked the last set of bye weeks with the Houston Texans and New York Giants both trying to heal-up for a stretch run, so now the “real” fun is about to start in the NFL.
Week 10’s headlines were dominated by a mega Sunday Night Football heavyweight match-up (Patriots-Colts) and a strong undercard (Bengals-Steelers, Eagles-Chargers, Cowboys-Packers, and Falcons-Panthers). But there was one common theme that I saw during Week 10’s fifteen games. Like Dorothy said in The Wizard of Oz, “There’s No Place Like Home”. For the first time in a while, we saw home teams including underdogs (Washington Redskins) fight back to regain home field advantage. In fact, home teams were a combined 10-5 this weekend thus proving that you must defend your home turf in order to succeed in the NFL. The trend started in the NFL’s first Thursday Night game of the season with the home team San Francisco 49ers beating the turnover prone Chicago Bears 10-6 on NFL Network.
The game other than Bears QB Jay Cutler’s devastating 5 interceptions was rather boring, but there was some excitement at the end. After Cutler and the Bears finally found their mojo – moved the ball all the way to San Francisco’s 12-yard line. The Niners needed a great goalline stand culminating in safety Michael Lewis’ game-ending interception to hold on for the win. After the game, Cutler took most of the blame for the loss and said, “It was tough. I have to apologize to the defense”. He added, “I think the offense as a whole has to apologize. They played a great game and kept us in there even through all the turnovers.” I know it was not Picasso, but to Niners head coach Mike Singletary he will take it as his team jumped right back into the playoff race. It will now be real interesting to see if the Niners can catch the NFC West leading Arizona Cardinals (lead by 2 games) or compete for a wildcard spot with teams like the Eagles, Giants, Falcons, and Panthers.
The Niners home win was nice, but any game talk this week revolved around the Colts and Patriots super match-up as the two heated rivals played for the 10th time since 2002, including playoffs. The Indianapolis Colts (9-0) continued their steady climb through their 16-game schedule by remaining undefeated by beating the New England Patriots by a score of 35-34 in an “Instant Classic”. Super Bowl XLIII ½, as some are calling it, was a thrilling game filled with plenty offense, solid defense, and strong quarterback play — two teams combined for 69 points and 884 combined net yards. The game came down to the last seconds with Colts QB Peyton Manning (28-44, 327 yards, 4 TDs, and 2 INTs) quickly hitting WR Reggie Wayne with a 1-yard touchdown strike with 13 seconds on the clock to comeback from a 17-point deficit and an improbable of victory. The Colts have now won 18 straight regular season games (2nd longest in NFL history) and have also won 11 straight home games (5-0 in 2009), which ties the second-longest home win streak in Colts’ history.
But this game will forever be remembered for one play that could have very well marked the end of the dynasty for the team that has dominated this decade in the NFL. New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick with the situation of a 4th-and-2 at his own 28-yard line and the Patriots clinging to a 34-28 lead with 2:08 left on the clock, decided to go for it. That’s right from very deep in his own side of the field, Belichick decided that his defense was not good enough to stop Manning from driving the Colts offense 70 to 80 yards for the winning score and disregarded an “obvious” punting situation. As you probably already know…Belichick now looks like the 2009 reincarnation of former Cowboys head coach Barry Switzer after gambling and losing. On the crucial play, Patriots QB Tom Brady threw to RB Kevin Faulk and the Colts defense stopped him short from converting the first down.
After the game Belichick simply said, “I was trying to win the game”. But his actions spoke much louder than his words. It seems with veterans DT Richard Seymour, SS Rodney Harrison, LB Mike Vrabel, and others no longer on the Patriots defense, that the former 3-time Super Bowl champions’ defense can no longer be counted as one of the best in the NFL. And apparently by his decision Belichick agrees too. I am still scratching my head as to “how” fBelichick’s confidence in his defense has fallen that now their “genius” head coach’s decision is the subject of a national debate. However the Patriots at a record of 6-3 and a 2-game lead in the AFC East are still firmly in the AFC’s playoff picture, but now there are more cracks in their armor. We will have to wait and see, starting with the NY Jets in Week 11, if the Patriots can rebound from this colossal moment gone awry. After the game, former Super Bowl-winning Colts head coach and current NBC football analyst Tony Dungy said, “In that situation…You have to punt the football”. I totally agree coach and I know in hindsight, Belichick does too, even if the “Pompous One” will never admit it.
Here’s the current division breakdown after Week 10:
NFC East – Dallas Cowboys (6-3) have a 1-game lead over the Eagles (5-4) and Giants (5-4)
NFC West —Arizona Cardinals (6-3) have a 2-game lead over the Niners (4-5)
NFC South — New Orleans Saints (9-0) have a 4-game lead over the Falcons (5-4)
NFC North — Minnesota Vikings (8-1) have a 3-game lead over the Packers (4-5)
AFC East — New England Patriots (6-3) have a 2-game lead over the NY New Jets and Dolphins (4-5)
AFC West — Denver Broncos (6-3) are tied with the San Diego Chargers (5-3). These two will square-off in Week 11 in Denver
AFC South — Indianapolis Colts (9-0) have a 4-game lead over the Houston Texans (5-4)
AFC North — Cincinnati Bengals (7-2) have a 1-game lead over the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3). The Bengals also hold the most important tiebreaker of head-to-head wins (2-0) over the Steelers
Before we move onto the Game Balls and Lackey’s for this week, here are some Lloyd’s Leftovers.
A changing of the guard in the AFC North – “WHO DEY…WHO DEY… Gonna beat them Bengals, Nobody”. The Cincinnati Bengals 18-12 road win over the Pittsburgh Steelers may have marked a complete turnaround from 2008 for Marvin Lewis’ team. The Bengals (7-2) have gone from the bottom of the AFC North with a 2008 record of 4-11-1 to sweeping former AFC North bullies, the Steelers (6-3) and Baltimore Ravens (5-4). The win marked the first time Cincy has swept the Steelers since 1988 and they are also 4-0 against both teams since the division’s inception in 2002. The Bengals now have a commanding 5-0 division record and I have to admit, you can now count me as one of their believers. The Bengals are now a complete team in all 3 phases of the game (offense, defense, and special teams) and it took a solid effort from each unit to pull off a win in tough Heinz Field. The Bengals’ defense is no longer under the radar (ranked 2nd in points allowed with 16.3 ppg) and more attention is sure to come after holding the Steelers’ offense to 226 yards and four Josh Reed field goals. The Bengals defense pressured Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger all game while forcing one interception and sacking Big Ben 4 times. The game’s offensive star definitely was Bengals rookie RB Bernard Scott, who scored the lone touchdown of the game with a 96-yard kickoff return in the first quarter – Steelers 7th return for a TD this year including three kickoff returns in their last four games. The news wasn’t all great for the Bengals as their leading rusher Cedric Benson left at halftime with a hip flexor causing Scott to fill-in in the second half (rushed for 33 yards on 13 carries and catch one pass for 21 yards). **Note with the news that Benson maybe out longer than expected, the Bengals signed RB Larry Johnson, who was recently released by the Kansas City Chiefs. Johnson (turns 30 on Nov. 19th) has rushed for 5,996 yards and 55 touchdowns over a 7-year career.
Injuries, Injuries, and more Injuries – I say it every week, “The NFL Season is a War of Attrition” and Week 10 really proved that point. The Philadelphia Eagles may have suffered the biggest blow of the week when RB Brian Westbrook suffered his 2nd concussion in less than 1 month in a close 31-23 loss to the San Diego Chargers. By all indications, the Birds’ mercurial runner may have quite possibly played his last game for this season. With the NFL’s recent poor history of combating concussions (see Congressional hearings regarding the handling of former NFL players’ concussions), the Eagles would be wise to put Westbrook on the self as his health is more important than anything else. The multitude of other frontline injuries included: Panthers OT Jordan Gross (ankle – season), Bengals RB Cedric Benson (hip), Bears TE Desmond Clark (neck), Niners LB Takeo Spikes (left hamstring), Browns WR/KR Josh Cribbs (neck), Dolphins RB Ronnie Brown (foot), Falcons RB Michael Turner (ankle), Broncos QB Kyle Orton (foot/ankle), Rams WR Keenan Burton (knee – season), Steelers DB Troy Polamalu (left knee), Saints CB Tracy Porter (knee) and Seahawks RB Julius Jones (bruised ribs).
Restoring the Roar – After a 0-2 start, many people around the NFL buried the Jacksonville Jaguars and their head coach Jack Del Rio. But getting back to the philosophy (run the ball, play-action passing, tough attacking defense, and good special teams) that served them so well in their 2007 playoff run, the Jaguars have jumped back into the AFC Wildcard race with a 5-4 record. This week the Jaguars again rode Maurice Jones-Drew aka “Pocket Hercules” (see Game Balls) to a huge 24-22 road over the NY Jets in the Meadowlands. Jones-Drew and QB David Garrard kept the Jets’ defense on their heels the entire game and the Jags were able to close-out the win on a short field goal after MJD had the most unselfish play of the 2009 season. The Jags still have to play the Colts (Week 15) and Patriots (Week 16), but four out of five of their other opponents have losing records.
What does $250,000 buy you….A one-finger salute – Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams pulled a “Bryan Cox” as he let the Buffalo Bills’ sideline have it. Adams, 86 years young, stuck up both out his middle fingers from the owner’s box during the Titans dominating 41-17 win over the Bills. I don’t know what the Titans’ owner was thinking as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was in attendance at the game and you knew the “sheriff” was going to lay down the law. The NFL wasn’t even thinking about only giving a little slap on the wrist for this one as Adams was fined $250,000 for “conduct detrimental to the league.” Goodell said on Monday, “I’ve said before we’re held to a higher standard in the NFL, that includes yours truly. It includes our owners. It includes front-office people. It includes the players. Those are things we’ll continue to emphasize. And if people violate them, we’ll deal with it.” Adams later apologized saying, “I got caught up in the excitement of a great day, but I do realize that those types of things shouldn’t happen. I need to specifically apologize to the Bills, their fans, our fans and the NFL”. One party note on this story. Wasn’t it not that long ago that the Patriots were fined 250K for “Spygate”. I guess cheating is just as bad as giving someone the finger…right.
Fisher hits a milestone – One item that happened in the Titans win over the Bills that was more important than Adams’ salute to the Bills was Titans head coach Jeff Fisher hitting a big milestone. Fisher became the 10th head coach in NFL history to coach 250 career games (regular and postseason) with one team. The Titans’ victory gave Fisher 136 wins for his career, tying him with Hall of Famer and former KC Chiefs coaching legend Hank Stramm for 20th all-time.
How about those Saints – The Saints defeated the St. Louis Rams 28-23 and improved to 9-0 for the first time in franchise history. The Saints also have scored an NFL-best 331 points, the fourth-most by a team in the first nine games of a season in NFL history.
Before we go to this week’s awards, our thoughts and prayers are with Seattle Seahawks owner and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen who is was recently diagnosed with non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.
Game Balls
Tennessee Titans RB Chris Johnson – Every week, the self-dubbed “Every Coach’s Dream” just amazes the rest of the NFL. In the Titans’ 41-17 win over the Buffalo Bills, Johnson rushed for 132 yards and 2 TDs with a 5.08 ypc average. The speedy back from East Carolina also had a Roger Craig-type performance catching 9 passes for 100 yards and marking the first 100-yard receiving and rushing game of his career. Johnson now leads the NFL with 1,091 rushing yards and is averaging 6.4 yards per carry. The 2nd-year back also joined Hall of Famer Jim Brown (1963) and Vikings RB Adrian Peterson (2007) as the only players in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards and average 6.4 yards per carry in a team’s first nine games of a season.
Honorable Mention
Jacksonville Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew – Pocket Hercules rushed for 123 yards and a touchdown (33 yards) in the Jags win over the NY Jets. Jones-Drew was the key ingredient to the Jags’ second win in a row from the start of the game. He ran the ball on Jacksonville’s first five plays and totaled 55 yards, including a 33-yard touchdown to open the scoring. But his biggest play wasn’t even a touchdown. To the delight of Jags head coach Jack Del Rio and the dismay of his fantasy football owners, Jones-Drew did not score an “easy” touchdown late to run out the clock and setup a game-winning field goal. MJD took a handoff at the 10-yard line on the game’s final drive and darted towards the end zone, but took a knee at the 1-yard line with 1:48 left (shades of Brian Westbrook in 2007). The Jaguars were able to run the clock down with the Jets out of timeouts and won the game on a short Josh Scobey field goal.
Green Bay Packers CB Charles Woodson – The former Heisman Trophy winner spurred the Packers defensive effort in a 17-7 home win over the Dallas Cowboys. Woodson was everywhere as Cowboys quarterback was in distress constantly. The former first-round pick from Michigan contributed 9 tackles, two forced fumbles, a sack and an interception as the Packers kept the Cowboys from scoring until late in the 4th quarter.
Indianapolis Colts QB Peyton Manning – It would not be a Game Balls report without putting the surefire 2009 NFL MVP on our list. Manning was his classic stoic self as the Colts fought back from a 17-point deficit to surprising beat the New England Patriots 35-34 in Sunday’s biggest game. Manning finished with numbers 28-44, 327 yards (reached 300 yards in 8 of 9 games this season), 4 TDs, and 2 INTs plus reached another big milestone in the win. The 3-time MVP quarterback won his 13th consecutive game when passing for 300 yards, tying NFL legend Y.A Tittle for the third-most consecutive wins when reaching the 300-yard passing mark.
San Diego Chargers RB LaDainian Tomlinson – Before the game started against the Philadelphia Eagles, Tomlinson was already a winner as he learned of his wife’s pregnancy with their first child. L.T then went out and rushed for 96 yards and two touchdowns – beset performance of the 2009 season — in the Chargers’ 31-23 win against Eagles. In the game, Tomlinson reached the milestone of recording his 145th and 146th career touchdown to surpass Hall of Famer Marcus Allen (145) for the third-most touchdowns all-time. Tomlinson also now has 12,145 career rushing yards moving him into 12th place for most rushing yards all-time.
New Orleans Saints RB Reggie Bush – The Saints are on a roll and so is their multi-threat speedster. Bush rushed for 83 yards on eight attempts, including a 55-yard run bursting through tackles in the Saints’ 28-23 win over the scrappy St. Louis Rams. He also scored one rushing touchdown and added a 15-yard scoring reception. Bush and the Saints are now 9-0 for the first time in club history.
Other Honorees: Arizona Cardinal QB Kurt Warner (Threw 2 TDs in the Cardinals’ 31-20 in against the Seattle Seahawks giving him 200 touchdown passes. Warner reached the mark in his 118th career game, becoming the fifth-fastest player in NFL history to accomplish the feat); Minnesota Vikings QB Brett Favre (Passed for a season-high 344 yards in his 300th consecutive start (including postseason) in a 27-10 win over the Detroit Lions. Favre’s 344 yards are the third-most passing yards in a game by a 40-year old quarterback in NFL history trailing only Hall Famer Warren Moon (409) and Vinny Testaverde (355); Buffalo Bills rookie safety Jairus Byrd (Registered his eighth interception of the season in a loss to the Titans. Byrd now has an interception in five consecutive games and is one of only two players since 1970 with an interception in five consecutive games in their first season in the NFL); Seattle Seahawks RB Justin Forsett (Rushed for 123 yards and a touchdown after starter Julius Jones’ left the game); Redskins P Hunter Smith (Threw his first career touchdown pass on a fake field goal as he connected with RB Mike Sellers on a 35-yard score); Kansas City Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles (Who needs LJ. Charles had his second-career 100-yard rushing day in the Chiefs win over the Raiders (18 rushes for 103 yards, 5.7 ypc, and 1 TD — 45-yard touchdown run on a fourth-and-1 play in the second quarter)
Lloyd’s Lackey
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick – C’mon did you think I was going to select anyone else after his horrible gambling mistake. Say it with me, “PUNT THE FOOTBALL”. I still cannot believe a head coach that has been to five Super Bowls (won 3) had such a brain cramp to be put in the same league as Barry Switzer.
Dishonorable Mention
Titans Owner Bud Adams – His aforementioned 1-finger salute to Bills was unnecessary. I hope it was worth the 250K fine from the NFL.
Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid – Some things never change as the Birds called 57 pass plays (55 passes and 2 sacks) while only running it 13 times in a bad road loss to the San Diego Chargers. They also squandered timeouts making it easy for the Chargers to burn the clock. As one of loyal and frustrated Eagles e-mailers wrote me, “Year 11 of a five-year plan”.
The Oakland Raiders – Another week, another embarrassment for Al Davis’s team. The Raiders were unable to overcome 10 penalties for 88 yards their loss to the Chiefs.. Several of the flags proved costly as three of them gave the Chiefs a first down and three more negated Raiders first downs. Also Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell was rightfully benched after an 8-23 for 64 yards passing performance. Hope beleaguered head coach Tom Cable has his resume ready for a possible UFL job.
Oakland Raiders WR Darrius Heyward-Bey – I wonder if the Raiders still would take DHB (10th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft) over emerging receivers Jeremy Maclin (Eagles) and Michael Crabtree (SF 49ers). Heyward-Bey had only 1 catch for 22 yards plus he helped the Chiefs close the game out too. With 30 seconds to play, fittingly Heyward-Bey had a pass clank off his chest to Chiefs S Mike Brown for a game-ending interception.
Week 10
Thursday, November 12
SF 49ers (4-5) over Bears (4-5), 10-6
Sunday, November 15
Bengals (7-2) over Steelers (6-3), 18-12
Cardinals (6-3) over Seahawks (3-6), 31-20
Chargers (6-3) over Eagles (5-4), 31-23
Chiefs (2-7) over Raiders (2-7), 16-10
Colts (9-0) over Patriots (6-3), 35-34
Dolphins (4-5) over Buccaneers (1-8), 25-23
Jaguars (5-4) over Jets (4-5), 24-22
Packers (5-4) over Cowboys (6-3), 17-7
Panthers (4-5) over Falcons (5-4), 28-19
Redskins (3-6) over Broncos (6-3), 27-17
Saints (9-0) over Rams (1-8), 28-23
Titans (3-6) over Bills (3-6), 41-17
Vikings (8-1) over Lions (1-8), 27-10
Monday, November 9
Ravens (5-4) at Browns (1-8), 16-0
Byes: Giants (5-4), Texans (5-4)
Lloyd Vance is a Sr. NFL Writer for Taking It to the House and an award -winning member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA)
2009 NFL Season – First Half NFL Awards by Lloyd Vance
Buffalo Bills rookie safety Jairus Byrd (#31) has been selected the Defensive Rookie of the First Half for the 2009 NFL Season
I always like to hand out the hardware after each quarter of the NFL season. However the players and teams receiving their just due better not forget that there are 8 more games to be played this season.
Head Coach of the first half: Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell – Became the first rookie head coach since Potsy Clark in 1931 (Portsmouth Spartans started 8-0) to start the season 7-0. Caldwell has done a great job keeping a veteran group of players on track despite numerous injuries. In speaking of his team’s 7-0 start and tying Clark’s record Caldwell said, “They’re not handing out anything for whatever record that is, we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us.” You gotta love that type of attitude. Honorable Mention: Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress, Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels, and New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton
Offensive Player of the first half: Indianapolis Colts QB Peyton Manning – Robo-quarterback (187-263, 2227 yards – 2nd in NFL, 15 TDs, 4 INTs and a 109.3 rating) has his team poised for their Week 10 marquee match-up with the New England Patriots. The Colts have a record of 7-0 and have won a franchise record 16 straight games going back to 2008. The three-time MVP (may soon be four) has thrown for over 300 yards in all but one of the Colts’ seven wins and has made household names of obscure receivers Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie. With 19 passing yards in Week 9 against the Houston Texans, Manning will become the first player in NFL history with 40,000 passing yards in one decade Honorable Mention: Saints QB Drew Brees, Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger and Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew.
Defensive Player of the first half: New Orleans Saints Safety Darren Sharper – What an incredible season for this recently turned 34-year old former free agent pick-up from the Vikings. The Saints are undefeated (7-0) and it has been their defense that has led the way – first in the NFL with 6 turnovers returned for touchdowns. Sharper looks like he is sure to be selected to his fifth Pro Bowl as he currently boasts stats of 26 TKLS, 0.5 sacks, 7 INTs (3 for TDs), and 10 passes defensed. Honorable Mention: Vikings DE Jared Allen, Eagles CB Asante Samuels, and Colts DE Dwight Freeney
Breakout Player of the first half: Cowboys WR Miles Austin — One of the 2009 NFL season’s best stories, Austin coming from tiny Monmouth (NJ) College has risen from a special teamer to finally getting his shot this season. In a Week 6 win over the Chiefs, Austin produced 10 catches for a franchise record 250 yards and 2 TDs (both 50-yard plus bombs) while saving the Cowboys’ hides with a 60-yard tackle-breaking game-winning TD reception in overtime. Austin then proved the Chiefs’ game was no fluke in a Week 7 win over the Atlanta Falcons (team-best six catches for 171 yards and 2 TDs). Out of nowhere Austin and his eye-popping numbers (26 catches for 563 yards, 21.7 ypc average and 6 TDs) have moved former starter Patrick Crayton to the bench. And almost everyone watching the Cowboys would agree that Austin and not disgruntled WR Roy Williams is Romo’s number #1 passing-catching option. Honorable Mention: Eagles WR DeSean Jackson, Niners TE Vernon Davis, Texans RB Ryan Moats, Eagles TE Brent Celek, and Broncos DE Elvis Dumervil.
Offensive Rookie of the first half: Minnesota Vikings WR/KR Percy Harvin – An explosive player that can beat you a variety of ways (Wildcat QB, Kickoff Returns, in the slot, and out wide). Harvin is one of the main reasons for veteran quarterback Brett Favre’s rebirth. Though not the biggest guy on the field (5’10, 190), this former Gator has game-breaking skills that have made Vikings head coach Brad Childress extremely excited. Harvin’s incredible numbers truly do show his versatility (28 catches for 369 yards, 13.2 ypc, and 3 TDs; 8 rushes for 39 yards; and 28 kickoff returns for 860 yards, 30.7 ypr, and 2 TDs including a magical 101 yards return for a touchdown against the Ravens in Week 6). Honorable Mention: Denver Broncos RB Knowshon Moreno, Philadelphia Eagles WR Jeremy Maclin, Baltimore Ravens OT Michael Oher and Chicago Bears WR Johnny Knox
Defensive Rookie of the first half: Buffalo Bills Safety Jairus Byrd – This former second-rounder from Oregon has been a regular starter at free safety and has made a huge impact on one of the NFL’s most underrated defenses. In Week 8, the October Rookie of the Month picked off two more passes against the Houston Texans tying an NFL record with three straight games of at least two interceptions (first rookie). Byrd now has 7 INTs in eight games (tied for NFL lead) and is inching closer to Carrier’s rookie record of 10 picks. Honorable Mention: Houston Texans LB Brian Cushing, Detroit Lions S Louis Delmas, Green Bay Packers LB Clay Matthews and St. Louis Rams LB Jim Laurinatis.
Comeback Player of the first half: Denver Broncos Safety Brian Dawkins – I wonder if the Eagles front office wants to rethink their contract negotiation strategy with Dawkins from this past offseason. The Broncos, youthful head coach Josh McDaniels, and new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan all thought that the 14-year veteran had more left in the tank and they were right. Dawkins (36) has been more than rewarded the Broncos for their faith as they have gotten off to an AFC West leading 6-1 start and the 7-time Pro Bowl player has been the quarterback of the Broncos’ defense (lead the NFL with 266.7 yards allowed per game). Dawk’s stats thus far are 46 tackles, 7 passes defensed, and 2 fumble recoveries. Honorable Mention: Minnesota Vikings QB Brett Favre, Philadelphia Eagles MLB Will Witherspoon, Tampa Bay Buccaneers TE Kellen Winslow and Minnesota Vikings WR Sidney Rice.
Team of the first half: New Orleans Saints – The NFC’s lone unbeaten team (7-0), the Saints are putting up record numbers offensively. Sean Payton’s team has scored an NFL-best 36 touchdowns — tied for the 3rd most through the first seven games in league history – and they don’t look they are going to slowdown anytime soon. While averaging an amazing NFL leading 39 points and 428.7 yards per game, quarterback Drew Brees is on pace for another 4500-yard plus season and 11 different Saints players have scored at least one rushing or receiving touchdown this season (led by WR Marques Colston – 6 TDs). The Saints also have had success running the football too as they lead the NFC with an average 153.3 rush yards per game. On defense, new coordinator Gregg Williams has brought some swagger to a unit that struggled allowing big plays in the past and their numbers show it (154 points allowed, 17 sacks and a +7 in turnover ratio). Honorable Mention: Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos, and Minnesota Vikings
Most Disappointing Player of the first half: Dallas Cowboys WR Roy Williams – It has been one year since the Cowboys traded for the former Lions star and he has not lived up to expectations, to say the least. Since joining the Cowboys 16 games ago, Williams’ numbers are nowhere near what was expected of him when the Cowboys gave up a number one draft pick for him (33 receptions, 447 yards, three touchdowns). Williams only has 14 catches for 249 yards and 2 TDs this season and I don’t want to hear any excuses about his ribs. Clearly breakout player Miles Austin has passed him as the Cowboys go-to receiver and the former University of Texas star better work on regaining the confidence of QB Tony Romo and dropping less passes (just 14 catches on 35 targets — 40% catch rate). The delusional Williams said of him being the Cowboys No. 1 receiver, “It’s just not even close. It’s not even funny. Not even close. I’m the number one receiver. But things are just going number two’s way”. Dishonorable Mention: Oakland Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell, Cleveland Browns QB Derek Anderson, and Tennessee Titans QB Kerry Collins
Most Disappointing Team of the first half: Washington Redskins – The NFL’s most dysfunctional team becomes a greater laughingstock weekly. The Redskins (2-5) have lost to formerly winless teams the Kansas City Chiefs (1-6), Carolina Panthers (3-4), and Detroit Lions (1-6). Their offense is only averaging 13.7 points per game this season and hasn’t scored more than 17 in any game despite playing facing six consecutive winless opponents (first team in NFL history). They are 4-11 in their last 15 games and owner Daniel Snyder inserted offensive consultant Sherman Lewis – hasn’t coached in the NFL in over 5 years) to call the plays over dead-man-walking head coach Jim Zorn. You have to feel for a defensive group that has allowed only 283.4 yards per game to rank 2nd in the NFC, but this team is in need of a house cleaning at the end of the season. Stay tuned as something stinks in the Nation’s Capital and it has nothing to do with politics. Dishonorable Mention: Oakland Raiders, Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Lloyd Vance is a Sr. NFL Writer for Taking It to the House and an award -winning member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA)
www.sportsjourney.com 