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NFL Week Six – Hits and Misses

Carson Palmer, who was sitting on his Barcalounger all season, has been sent from the Cincinnati Bengals to the Oakland Raiders. Personally, I thought that Jason Campbell who has a broken collarbone could be back to play in a couple weeks after surgery. I know that most of the “experts” are saying that it’s going to be closer to six weeks, but I thought with a relatively small incision and the fact that he is an athlete, he could be back out there a little bit faster. Anyway, I think that Carson Palmer going to Oakland is good for both Oakland and Carson Palmer. He throws a beautiful deep ball. He has several receivers to throw to. He has an excellent running game to take some of the pressure off of him. This could be an excellent trade for both teams.

Hits
Green Bay Packers – they just keep winning. They played an excellent first half and cruised to the finish line. Aaron Rodgers is arguably the best quarterback in the NFL right now.

San Francisco 49ers – I had chosen the Detroit Lions in this game. I thought their front seven on defense would control the line of scrimmage. The San Francisco 49ers were able to run the football much better than I thought they would. Again, Alex Smith is not overwhelming anybody but he is making enough throws to push the ball down the field. He’s staying away from stupid mistakes. He’s playing good solid football. Frank Gore is running the ball like he did two years ago. The San Francisco defense is making plays. Although Calvin Johnson had a good game, he did not have a great game. The 49ers managed to prevent him from getting any touchdowns. Matthew Stafford who threw the ball 50 times (an excellent sign of an inadequate running game) but looked dazed and confused most of the game. Why are the 49ers playing so much better this year than they did last year? Was Mike Singletary that bad as a head coach?

Baltimore Ravens – I do feel sorry for the Houston Texans. It seems to me that every time they seem to get close to being an elite team, something happens. Three weeks ago spirits were high in Houston. Now, not so much. The Baltimore Ravens played the kind of game they needed to play. They protected the ball. They played solid defense. They were able run the ball better than they have in the last couple of weeks. More importantly, I think they ran the ball well against a good defense. Ray Rice had over 100 yards. Joe Flacco turned in a solid performance.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers – I thought that the New Orleans Saints would pound the Tampa Bay Buccaneers into submission. I thought that we would see a combination of passing and running which would overwhelm Tampa Bay. That simply didn’t happen. On the final play of the game with New Orleans inside the 10 yard line and needing to score a touchdown the go-ahead, Drew Brees rolled out to his right and he never saw Robert Meacham open in the left corner of the end zone. It would’ve been almost impossible throw back across the field but he was wide open. In spite of this, I need to tip my hat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Josh Freeman rebounded from an absolutely terrible game last week and passed for over 300 yards and no turnovers. The Tampa Bay defense completely stopped any running attack that the Saints could muster. Drew Brees threw three interceptions, including one on the last play of the game. (more…)

By ecthompsonmd|2011-10-19T19:52:20-04:00October 19th, 2011|NFL|Comments Off

Al Davis

Today it was announced that Al Davis died earlier this morning. Al Davis was the heart and soul of the Oakland Raiders for over four decades. Al Davis is one of the main reasons that the NFL is the entertaining money machine that we see now. He was an integral part in the merger between the AFL and the NFL. This was a guy who loved to win. He will be deeply missed. You can read more here, here and here.

Morning Games
Philadelphia Eagles versus Buffalo Bills – What happened to the Buffalo Bills last week? A lot of people are saying that the Cincinnati Bengals are a lot better than we thought. Maybe. I think the Bills just had a letdown after beating the New England Patriots. They just couldn’t get up for the Cincinnati Bengals. The Philadelphia Eagles have been everybody’s whipping boys (we can’t forget the Cowboys as long as we are piling it on). As I see it, the Philadelphia Eagles have two major problems. First, they’re having a lot of difficulty in their offensive line. They are simply not protecting Michael Vick. They’re running the ball a little bit better than expected, but this may be because LeSean McCoy is a really good and fast running back. I think the Buffalo Bills are going to win this one.

New Orleans Saints versus Carolina Panthers – Although Cam Newton is proving to be much better than anybody thought he was going to be this early in his career, the Carolina Panthers still need a lot of work. I think both their offensive and defensive lines are somewhat suspect. It appears to me that the New Orleans Saints are figuring out how they’re going to win this year. The New Orleans Saints must be thanking the football gods for Darren Sproles. How the San Diego Chargers let him go is beyond me. Drew Breeze is completing 69% of his passes. They have the number two offense in the league, scoring almost 32 points a game. I just don’t see how this trend is going to be changed by the Carolina Panthers. I look for the Saints to avoid mistakes and win this one fairly easily. As an aside, I really would like to see the New Orleans Saints defense tighten up just a little bit. I’d like to see them create more turnovers like they did two years ago.

Oakland Raiders versus Houston Texans – With the death of Al Davis, this game takes on a new dimension. I think the Oakland Raiders are a team to be reckoned with this year. I like the way that they’re running the ball. I really like the way that Jason Campbell is throwing the ball. The injury Andre Johnson sustained really does hurt the Texans. I think Matt Schaub is playing well. Of course, I said this early last year, only to have him collapse at the end of the year. Getting Arian Foster back will help mitigate the loss of Andre Johnson. Foster ran extremely well last week. I don’t think he will run wild this week, but I think he will probably grind out close to 100 yards. I think this is going to be a hard-fought game but I’m giving the edge to the Houston Texans playing at home.

Kansas City Chiefs versus Indianapolis Colts – Every week there is a game that makes you wonder why the NFL is actually putting these two teams on the field together. The Kansas City Chiefs had high hopes at the beginning of this year. Unfortunately, their high-powered running attack took a huge blow when Jamaal Charles blew out his knee. Dexter McCluster is no Jamaal Charles. He’s somewhat small, so he’s not to be able to carry the ball 20 or 30 times a game. He is listed at 170 pounds. If the Kansas City Chiefs are going to play reasonable football this year, they need Matt Cassel to play better. He has to eliminate turnovers. The Indianapolis Colts are proving they’re not going to roll over. They played better last week that I expected but they still didn’t win. Curtis Painter played okay. He didn’t suck. Now, if he can play well, the Colts have an opportunity to win. I think that this game is a toss-up. It’ll be decided by turnovers.

Cincinnati Bengals versus Jacksonville Jaguars – Blaine Gabbert versus Andy Dalton. Who? Cincinnati appears to be playing winning football for the first time in years. They’re running the ball the way Marvin Lewis wants to run the ball. Cedric Benson is more of a disappointment because… playing football is a privilege. Being placed in jail for five days for an assault charge is completely unnecessary. I’m giving Cincinnati a slight edge. Look for Cedric Benson to be suspended next week.

Arizona Cardinals versus Minnesota Vikings – Have you noticed that Kevin Kolb has happy feet? He doesn’t seem to be able settle down the pocket. He seems to be nervous and jittery, yet he does make some throws. The Cardinals are running the ball fairly well. Donovan McNabb is having some trouble with his accuracy. He is spraying the ball all over the place. He has done this before in his career, but he has always been able to shake it off and play well. He may start off rusty but by the third and fourth quarter he’s throwing darts. That was several years ago. Now, he’s missing wide-open receivers. Unless he can shake the rust off his game, I just don’t see how the Minnesota Vikings are going to win many football games. I’m picking the Arizona Cardinals in a close one.

Seattle Seahawks versus New York Giants – I know that everyone is saying that the NFC East is one of the weakest divisions in football. I disagree. I think NFC East will get their act together over the next several weeks. Philadelphia, New York and Washington will figure out a way to play winning football. The Cowboys will go as far as Tony Romo will take them. The Giants are really beat up on their defensive frontline. They just got Osi Umenyiora back from injury. Justin Tuck has been in and out of the lineup since the beginning of the year. In order for the Giants to win they need these two guys to be playing well. As long as Eli Manning doesn’t turn the ball over, the Seattle Seahawks don’t have a chance in Giants Stadium. I’m picking the Giants by at least a touchdown.

Tennessee Titans versus Pittsburgh Steelers – This is going to be one of the best games on Sunday. Can the Pittsburgh Steelers turn around? Are the Tennessee Titans a legitimate elite NFL team? I think that the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line is the problem with Pittsburgh. They can’t pass block and they can’t run block. Until Pittsburgh gets this fixed, their team is going to struggle. The Titans are solid both in offense and defense. Matt Hasselbeck has been amazing. I see the Tennessee Titans winning this one.

Afternoon Games

Josh Freeman

Tampa Bay Buccaneers versus San Francisco 49ers – I have no idea how the San Francisco 49ers are 3-1. I do know that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers seem to be playing better week after week. Josh Freeman seems to be learning at an exponential rate. I think there is an opportunity for him to become an elite quarterback. On the other side of the ball, Alex Smith has never impressed me. Frank Gore is running okay, but not great. The offensive line for the 49ers is mediocre. The San Francisco 49er receivers, Vernon Davis and Josh Morgan, are not making enough plays. On the other hand, Tampa Bay is running the ball very well. I think Tampa Bay is going to win this one.

San Diego Chargers versus Denver Broncos – To me, this game comes right down to the Denver Broncos defense. Can the Denver Broncos contain Philip Rivers? The simple answer is no. The Denver Broncos defense is giving up an average of over 400 yards per game. I know Antonio Gates is probably not going to play, but San Diego still has too many weapons on offense. I need to mention that the Broncos offense is somewhat anemic. I look for San Diego to win this game going away.

New York Jets versus New England Patriots – It is hard to say that you have a must-win game this early in the season, but I think that’s one of the great things about the NFL. In the NFL you don’t play 120 games or 160 games. With only a few exceptions, every game counts. The New York Jets have not been able run the ball the way they want to and they haven’t been able to apply that suffocating defense. They’re just not playing as well as they did last year on both sides of the ball. New England’s a little soft on defense, but they make up for it by being outstanding on offense. Unless the Jets can figure out a way to slow down Tom Brady, they’re looking at another loss. I’m marking this up as a win for the Patriots. (Can anybody stop Wes Welker? Revis can and has.)

Green Bay Packers versus Atlanta Falcons – Last week, I said that Atlanta had to win in order to stay close in their division. As a matter fact, I went so far as to say that Atlanta had to win in order to prove to the NFC that they were still an elite team. So, they won last week. They have to do it again. If Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers come in and destroy the Atlanta Falcons, I’m not sure that the Falcons are going to be able to recover. I don’t think that Atlanta is running the football as well as they would like. I don’t think that Matt Ryan is getting the time in the pocket that he would like. I think that the Packers are clicking on all cylinders. The only way I can see for Atlanta to win this game is to create turnovers and integrate them early. It is possible that Aaron Rodgers may be in his Tony Romo (3 interceptions in the 2nd half), giving mood. Possible, but unlikely. I look for the Green Bay Packers to chalk up another win.

Monday Night Football
Chicago Bears versus Detroit Lions – I think that this has the potential to be the best Monday Night football game of the year so far. Both of these teams like to play fast and hit hard. Both of these teams have a long history. I really don’t think the Detroit is playing amazing football but they’re winning. I think Calvin Johnson will be covered from the time he gets off the bus to the time he gets back on the bus. I think that Julius Peppers and the rest of the Chicago Bears are cooking up some exotic blitzes to get some pressure on to Matthew Stafford. I’m still not believing in Jay Cutler. He looks harassed. Look for his harassment to continue against the Detroit Lions. This is going to be a good game. I think the Jay Cutler is too accident prone for me to lean towards the Bears. I’m looking for the Detroit Lions to go 5-0. (Pretty mind-boggling. The undefeated Detroit Lions. Wow.)

By ecthompsonmd|2011-10-08T14:09:28-04:00October 8th, 2011|NFL|3 Comments

Tim Tebrow might have been a great college football player. In time, he may be a great NFL quarterback. Right now, he’s not that good.
I have no idea what to expect from the New York Jets. One week they’re okay and the next week they’re awful.
I really don’t understand what’s going on with the Pittsburgh Steelers either. I have no idea why they didn’t play better today. Their defense was good but not great.
I thought the coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers told us that his team was the best in the NFC – NOT. They lose to the Detroit Lions when Detroit has a third string quarterback. Pitiful. Congrats to the Lions who have been playing hard all year.
As I see it, there are only two players who should be mentioned in the discussion for NFL MVP – Michael Vick and Tom Brady. By the way, when was the last time Tom Brady ran for 130 yards and threw for three TDs? Michael Vick’s performance today was off the chains.
San Diego? What’s the deal? You have one of the best quarterbacks in the league. You have one of the best defenses in the league. Yet you can’t play consistent football?
New Orleans Saints had to beat the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens have been almost great all year. The Saints are like a fancy sports car missing one spark plug. Neither team seems to have whatever it takes to go to the Super Bowl this year. Saints lose a close one.
Many in the windy city were thinking that this just maybe Chicago’s year. They seemed to be putting all of the pieces together. Then they played the Patriots. The Bears aren’t ready yet.

The Arizona Cardinals, the Carolina Panthers, the Cincinnati Bengals (who lost Terrell Owens to a knee injury today – his career may be over) and the Cleveland Browns need to start their own league called the Almost NFL.
Why can’t the Jacksonville Jaguars run the football when they need to? I don’t understand.
Peyton Manning plays great football when he has his own receivers he’s already worked with. No surprise here. I’m really sorry that Austin Collie got hurt again today.
The Kansas City Chiefs are going to the playoffs. They’re playing pretty good football. Jamaal Charles is one of the league’s best running backs.
Can someone explain what happened to the Houston Texans? They started the year playing so well. They were firing on all cylinders. Then… what happened? They just got tattooed by the Tennessee Titans. The Tennessee Titans! The Tennessee Titans haven’t been able to beat almost anybody the last three or four weeks.
The Atlanta Falcons may not be flashy but they figure out ways to win games. When push comes to shove, though, I don’t think they’re good enough to beat the Philadelphia Eagles in the playoffs.
Jason Campbell is not as bad as we all thought. As a matter fact, I never thought he was that bad. I just thought he needed the right team with the right quarterback coach. Oakland played through adversity today and beat the Denver Broncos who had no quarterback. Yes, this is another dig at Tim Tebrow.
The Miami Dolphins, the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers are all fighting for the award for the Biggest Disappointment of the Year. All three of these teams had high hopes at the beginning of the year only to lay an egg. To quote Deion Sanders, “the Dallas defensive secondary is atrocious.”
The two best games of the year were played today. If you didn’t see them you need to catch them somehow, some way. The New York Giants really dominated the Philadelphia Eagles for almost three quarters. The game should’ve gone into overtime. The New York Jets versus the Pittsburgh Steelers was another classic. Neither team played their best but both fought hard. I thought Ben Roethlisberger was going to pull off another last-minute heroic. If you love football you MUST see these two games!! They are the best that the NFL has to offer.
It really doesn’t matter who wins between the New England Patriots and the Green Bay Packers. The Green Bay Packers just haven’t played that well the last couple of weeks. I would be flabbergasted if the Packers win this game. Tom Brady and the New England Patriots are playing fabulous football (I really hate to say that). They are clearly the best team in the NFL… Right now.