NFL Playoffs - Wild Card Weekend

For the first time in the playoffs that I can remember, each team comes into the postseason with some sort of baggage - none more so, than on Wild Card weekend. As I go through this weekend's match-ups, these picks feel like crap shoots due to the fact how these games can go either way, and it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest.


Saturday's games:



Kansas City Chiefs vs. Indianapolis Colts (1:35 PM/3:35 CT, NBC) - In one corner - the Colts have won four of the last five games to close out the regular season and have won their first AFC South crown under head coach Chuck Pagano and QB Andrew Luck, and their second trip to the postseaon in two years. Despite losing their best WR in Reggie Wayne for the year and not having much of a run game (Indy's pickup of RB Trent Richardson from the Browns hasn't paid dividends), Luck has still found ways to win ballgames with the lackluster talent he has at his disposal. Also, the Colts' D under defensive coordinator Grey Manunsky has performed exceptionally well, especially the prodution from veteran OLB Robert Mathis leading with 19.5 sacks this season. In the other corner - the Chiefs, under Andy Reid, have experienced a major turnaround from last year's dismal 2-14 season. First, they've finally found much needed stability at the QB position with Alex Smith. He doesn't have the completion percentage or QB ratings like with a Peyton Manning or Phillip Rivers, but he doesn't make too many mistakes with the ball (only 7 picks this year) and he has a great supporting cast of talent at his disposal, from wideouts Dwayne Bowe and Dexter McCluster to a potent run game with Jamaal Charles. Unfortunately, Kansas City's really cooled off, from being unbeaten at the break, to going 2-5 since. Add in injuries to core defensive plays Linebackers Justin Houston and Tamba Hali, and their defense went from being the best and most feared in the AFC, to banged up and losing that fear factor.

My pick: Chiefs - I like what Luck has done this season, but there's just not enough offensively for me to back them. KC's going to have fresh starters (Reid rested his key starters last week vs. San Diego) and they're getting back at least Houston as their pass rusher. I see Smith continuing to play solidly and a big game by Charles against an average rushing Indy D.




New Orleans Saints vs. Philadelphia Eagles (5:10 PT/7:10 CT, NBC) - Amazing the difference one year can do for a team that was trending downward. Owner Jeffrey Lurie fired Reid after 14 seasons with the Eagles and coming off his worst season as a HC, going 4-12 in 2012, and facing uncertainty with Michael Vick as their starter. In comes former Oregon Ducks coach Chip Kelly with his spread offense and a promising QB in Nick Foles who took the reins when Vick wend down with another injury, and the Eagles end up winning 10 games and clinch the NFC East on the last week of the season at Dallas. Even more impressive than the first-year head coach winning a division crown and Foles' being a surprising success is the fact that the Eagles (with WR's Riley Cooper and DeSean Jackson, TE Brent Celek, RB LeSean McCoy) have an offense that rivals Drew Brees's and Manning's. Speaking of New Orleans, the Saints took a tumble the last five games of the season, losing the lead on the NFC South and a potential bye week as the no.2 seed in the NFC playoff seeding (that went to Carolina). Adding insult to injury, the Saints have historically had problems winning away from the Superdome (they're 3-5 on the road in the postseason). Still, Brees and his arsenal (WR's Marques Coulston and Kenney Stills; TE Jimmy Graham; and RB's Pierre Thomas and Darren Sproles) can still do serious damage. I'm expecting a shootout, even in the cold weather at Philly.

My pick: Saints - Philly's had an amazing run, but Foles is an unproven QB playing in his first postseason game, and Kelly's defense is going up against one of the elite passing attacks in football. Did I forget to mention that the Eagles on defense are dead last in opposing passing yards (289.8/game) and 29th in yards allowed (394/game)?

Thoughs From the NFL: Week 2

Third Time Isn't the Charm -- The most hyped game of Week 2 was the third match-up between Peyton Manning and his little bro, Eli turned out to be the most disappointing game I'll probably see all season. We've heard the chatter: in the two games both siblings have played, the elder Manning has prevailed, and in convincing fashion. Maybe this would be the year Eli can forge his own path and come on out from under the shadow of the great Peyton (the same Peyton that's won one Super Bowl title and has a magnificent postseason record of 9-11). Unfortunately, he's still the red-headed step-child, wanting to be taken seriously. Guess he'll have to take his argument that he's won two Super Bowl titles, won the game's MVP title twice, both times against Tom Brady and the Patriots, elsewhere. It's hard for me to cheer on the younger Manning brother and his New York Giants when Eli throws one interception after another (four in total), when there's no running game to keep drives going and a surprisingly absent pass rush to put the pressure on Peyton. Much like the lopsided score of 41-23, Denver's 2-0 and rolling, while New York is 0-2, and in trouble, fast. Actually, maybe not, because this brings up the next point......

The NFC (L)east -- This division quickly has all the makings of which team will be the most mediocre to win it. Will it be the Dallas Cowboys, who were leading at halftime, but coughed up the lead with two costly turnovers to lose to Kansas City? Can rookie head coach Chip Kelly and his dynamic, video game offense be enough to come out on top, despite a poor defense? Could New York go on another late-season run to save Tom Coughlin's job for a third time? Or is this division still Robert Griffin III's to lose? You could make a logical argument for each team, and have said argument challenged for the other team. I know it's only Week 2, but the NFC East, much like the AFC West, has a history of being a weak division over the last few years, and given the start the four teams have had, that doesn't look to change anytime soon. Speaking of starts...

Is Phllip Rivers Back? -- If you haven't followed the saga of Chargers football over the last few years, here's a brief synopsis: since their last playoff appearance in 2010, San Diego's gone 24-24, missed three straight appearances in the postseason, lost key pieces in the high powered Chargers arsenal (WR Vincent Jackson, OT's Marcus McNeill, Kris Dielman and Louis Vasquez, RB's LaDanian Tomlinson and Darren Sproles) drafted a near bust in Ryan Matthews in the 11th round of the 2010 NFL Draft, and Rivers himself has seen his style of play drop almost dramatically; he's thrown as many picks as he has TD's, taken more sacks, coughed up more fumbles (17 fumbles combined in the last three years) and had the lowest yards per game last year with 225.4 (in 2007, he had 197.0). This all resulted in last year the Bolts going 7-9, their first losing season since going 4-12 in the first year of the Marty Schottenheimer era in 2003, and Dean Spanos (finally) firing both Norv Turner and A.J. Smith. Since then, Tom Telesco replaced A.J as the General Manager, and rookie head coach Mike McCoy (formerly the offensive coordinator for Denver) taking Norv's place. In the early weeks of the 2013 campaign , Rivers looks to have turned a corner and returned back to the Philip Rivers of old: he's more comfortable in the pocket, he's got time to find his receivers and get the matchups he likes, and most importantly, he's trusting himself again. He's thrown 7 TD's to 1 INT (the one on Monday Night vs. Texas) and he's done something that I, as a fan, haven't seen him do in years: lead his team back to win the game. Sure, Nick Novak technically won the game last week vs the Eagles with his 41-yard field goal, but Rivers led the final drive to get the kicker into position.Drives are being sustained and Rivers is keeping the ball moving again (and Matthews is finally becoming dependable on carries -- 16 carries for 76 yards), and giving a really poor passing defense a break on the sidelines. Maybe it's early to say that Rivers has his groove back, but under McCoy and new offensive coordinator Ken Wizenhunt (yes, the same Wiz from his head coaching days at Arizona), but it's a great sign to see Rivers being the cocky hot shot that most of the league hates him for.

Steel Curtain Falling -- Let's not beat around the bush with this one: the Pittsburgh Steelers are in serious trouble, and don't expect it to get better anytime soon. Two loses, one vs. Tennessee at home, and a disastrous showing on Monday Night vs the Bengals, have the team and fans in panic mode. A breakdown of their stats can be found here, but here's the brief rundown: 30th in points scored (9.5), second to last in yards per game (236.0), and a run game, the team's bread and butter, is essentially non-existent. To put this into perspective, here's a screen shot of the Steelers when they run the ball.

I din't make that up. That's their line as it stands now.

Add to it, in-fighting between player personnel and offensive coordinator Todd Haley and the team banning younger player from playing ping pong and other recreational activities, and we have a team that's headed towards a nose dive, if they're not there already.

Thoughts from the NFL, Week 1: First Impressions

It's a new season, and it's time for my thoughts about what I saw in Week 1 from around the National Football League.

 * According to a report, members of the Redskins front office went to the Bahamas to celebrate making a trade with St. Louis in order to get the no.2 man in the draft, Robert Griffin III. I'm betting they're booking another trip after RGIII's fantastic debut against a Saints squad that went through a tumultuous off-season that included losing Sean Payton for one year along with star linebacker Jonathan Vilma, GM Mickey Loomis gone for half the season, and losing two no.2 draft picks in the second round for next year. To say that Griffin performed spectacular vs. New Orleans is an understatement: At the Superdome (I refuse to call it by it's new name, Mercedes-Benz stadium) Griffin tore it up, throwing for 320 yards and two TD's on a Saints defense that hardly got any pressure on him. this was a performance that was so good, that it's hard to believe he's a rookie in this league.

* As the old saying goes, "The more things change, the more they stay the same." This statement pretty much describes the New England Patriots to a "T". Tom Brady and Bill Belichick carved up the Titans on Sunday and proved that they're still at the top of the pack (even against a young team like Tennessee) and Oakland giving away yards like a neighbor gives out candy by the handful to kids on Halloween. While Brady went 23 of 31 for 236 yds and two scores, the offensive firepower surrounding no.12 proved to be too much for the Titans' D to handle: TE's Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Henandez combined for 119 yards over 12 catches, Brandon Lloyd made an impressionable appearance with 5 touches and 69 yards and Stevan Ridley had a monster afternoon, racking up 21 carries for 125 yards and a touchdown. In short: this is the Patriots team we all remember.

 * Whereas New England was raking up points, Oakland was impersonating the 2010 Chargers' Special Team woes, having two punts blocked, both ending up giving San Diego 6 points, via Nate Kadeing. Worse yet, their biggest weapon through the game, RB Darren McFadden, combined for 97 total yards and no TD's. To put this into perspective: McFadden rushed for 32 yards over 15 carries and ran for 86 yards in the air over the 13 times Carson Palmer threw him the pigskin. Not. One. Single. Score. Hell, it wasn't until the last minute of regulation when the Raiders put up 7 on the board, and by that time, the Bolts hung 12 points over the course of the 2nd half (and this was done without so much of a rushing attack, mind you!). The final score was 22-14, but don't be fooled: the Raiders looked like the Raiders of old: a team with waaaay too much swagger that they couldn't back up.

*As good as the Pats looked beating up a relatively young Tennessee Titans football team, Joe Flacco, the new no-huddle offense, and Baltimore's ever-terrific defense looked downright scary against the Bengals, who, coming off making a post-season appearance last year, just didn't stand a chance on Monday night. For months, Baltimore's been pounding home the opinion that Flacco is a top-tier quarterback, in the same breath as Eli, Brees, Rodgers and Brady. Personally, I don't think he's there quite yet, but Monday night's did impress greatly: 21 of 29 passing, 299 yds, and two TD's, all with their hyped no-huddle offense. Along with their always sturdy Defense, the Ravens, along with the Texans, well be the teams to beat in the AFC.

My take on "Tebow Time"

Let me say this about the Quarterback from Denver:  The man finds ways to win. He's got the team, the city, and the national sports media talking (usually positively or negatively). He's got the "it" factor, and he's clearly inspiring his teammates that they're still in the thick of it. Having said all that: we all need to come down from the Tebow-high (and Skip Bayless needs to stop blowing him in public on First Take) and realize why the Denver Broncos are in 1st place in the AFC West Division, and little of it has to do with Tebow: Denver's revamped defense, with the sensational rookie Linebacker Von Miller with 12 sacks leading the charge, and solid seasons by DE Elvis Dumerville, LB D.J. Williams, and the Broncos Secondary. Head Coach John Fox, who came in with a defensive unit that was the worst in football last year, has done an incredible job turning that group around. That, and having my Chargers losing 6 straight doesn't hurt one's chances either. And yes, Tebow's been terrific in the last 5-7 minutes of every game he's played so far this season, but he's been a terrible QB in the first 45-53 minutes he's played. He can't play this way vs. Tom Brady and the Patriots on Sunday and expect the magic to come in and save the day, despite New England's godawful defense (holding this year's dishonor for the worst defensive group of the year), and it sure as hell won't fly vs. James Harrison, Troy Polamalu and the Steelers in the postseason. The bigger question: Is Tebow a legitimate starter in the NFL? That remains to be seen. Right now, as Jim Rome would say, "Scoreboard, look up at it."

Week 14 Thoughts From the NFL - Part 1

This week, the Patriots assert themselves as the best in the NFL, the Chargers had their best weekend in football after they got manhandled by the Raiders, Minnesota's problems kept getting worse on Sunday and last night, and later i'll describe who's in trouble with three weeks left in the season and who will make it. But first, let me get to the big story of Week 14:



* As if the New York Jets had enough problems to worry about (Mark Sanchez throwing 5 INT's in his last three games, Braylon Edwards dropping catchable balls, the team getting steamrolled by Tom Brady in Week 13 and now getting punked by Chad Penne in Week 14) but now they have 'dirty cheaters' to add to their problems. Sal Alosi was fined and suspended by the League on Tuesday for intentionally tripping over Dolphins player Nolan Carroll. Today, we learned that the trip seen 'round the world wasn't just a coincidence.

Sal Alosi tripped up when he told the New York Jets his side of the story.

Now, the embattled assistant coach could be looking to save his job.

Alosi, New York’s strength and conditioning coach, was suspended indefinitely by the team Wednesday after he acknowledged that he told five inactive players to stand next to each other for a punt return, during which he tripped a Miami Dolphins player.

“As we continued our investigation, we discovered some new information,” general manager Mike Tannenbaum said in a conference call from the NFL owners meetings in Dallas, “and the players at the Miami game were instructed by Sal to stand where they were to force the gunner in the game to run around them.”

Not only did Alosi trip over a player...he asked 5 of his own guys to help him cheat. Of all the bitch moves one can make in the NFL, this is probably as low as you can go. Good on the Jets organization to indefinitely suspend this punk ass.

* After San Diego got the ass-kicked by Oakland a second time last week, last Sunday's divisional match up vs the Kansas City Chiefs was a must-win, do-or-die type game, a game I was sure the Chargers wouldn't win, because KC just doesn't make that many mistakes over the course of the season (credit Todd Haley for getting his boys primed and ready every single week). Then Matt Cassel had an emergency surgery to remove his appendix, and presto!, the Bolts shutout KC 31-0. Two things: 1.) The running game between Darren Sproles, Mike Tolbert, and Ryan Matthews rushed for 207 yards total. Where was this kind of attacks when we were facing the Raiders last week? The Bolts running games was non-existent as they ran for 21 total rushing yards vs. Oak-town. 2.) The Chiefs cannot be this terrible without Cassel leading the way. To put in perspective how bad they played - The Chiefs average in rushing yards per game is 165.4, the most in the NFL. Sunday's game? They rushed the ball for a grand total of 48 yards. Combined total yards that afternoon was 67 and only 5 first downs. If the Chiefs don't get back Cassel vs. the Rams on Sunday, they could be well on the outside looking in for the playoffs.

* Watching New England's embarrassing playoff loss to the Ravens last year, I thought that the Belechick dynasty had come crashing down...finally. I was wrong. Dead wrong. The team everyone is afraid to face in the playoffs is primed and ready to grab one more Lombardi trophy to an already legendary era in their history. Tom Brady and the New England Patriots are back, and they've crushed both the Jets 45-3 last Monday Night and the Bears on Sunday 36-7 on a snowy day in Foxbrough. Damn.

Week 12 Thoughts from the NFL - Part 1

Some thoughts from the week that was week 12:

* Two games lived up to their expectations, and more:

Green Bay v. Atlanta - that was a thrilling, action-packed match between two of, arguably, the best teams in the NFC. The Falcons won 20-17 thanks to a facemask call by the Pack on Special teams which set up the 30+ yard winning field goal. Two things stood out to me: 1. Matt Ryan won not with his arm, but by managing the game, and running Michael Turner down Green Bay's throat for a majority of the game. 2. As great as Aaron Rodgers played, he's doing the heavy lifting all on his own since Ryan Grant went on injured reserve early in the season. Without something that resembles a running game, the Pack won't get far in the playoffs.

San Francisco v. Arizona - If the Packers-Falcons was the Game of the Week, the 49ers-Cardinals was byfar the worst. In this corner: the Niners. The team that has gone through two Offensive Coordinators, three QB's, and picked to win the NFC West, started the season 0-5, even losing to the hapless Carolina Panthers, and got blown out by the Bucks at home 21-0, the first time in 33 years. In the other: the Cardinals. A team that was in Super Bowl XLII and almost pulled off a huge upset against the Steelers, but lost 27-23. The same team that put on one of the best Wild-Card Weekend games in postseason history vs. the Packers, before bowing out to the Saints in the next round. In short: without Kurt Warner, they're an awful team with no consistency at the QB position, no passing game despite having Larry Fitzgerald, no running game, and a defense that can't stop the run. The Niners kept they playoff hopes alive by embarrassing Arizona 27-6, now at 4-7, they're a game behind Seattle and St. Louis who are both 5-6. Jon Gruden said that if the winner from the NFC Worst finished 7-9 and win the division, that team has no business being in the playoffs, which, for the sake of the NFC Worst, doesn't happen, for it would be a shame that a team under .500 wins the division and makes the postseason, while a team out in the NFC South, North, or East finishes with a 10-6 record and has to wait 'til next year.

* Speaking of embarrassing, I don't know what was more pathetic: Derek Anderson's performance vs. San Fran, of the way he snapped at the press when the cameras caught him laughing with a teammate during the blowout.



Anderson's meltdown with the press wasn't as memorable as when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named of the Chargers exploded towards the local press, or the infamous "They are who we thought they were!", but these two have one similarity: we've never heard from these people again. Anderson's on that fast-track to NFL has-been glory.

* The Titans may have been blanked by the Texans 20-0 - and out of the playoff picture realistically, but the story is the brawl between CB Cortland Finnegan, perceived to be the dirtiest player in the game, and WR Andre Johnson, and how Johnson kicked his ass.

Week 11 Thoughts From the NFL

The race to the postseason has been one of fascinating speculation this year, as new faces and old veterans in virtually every division are in some form of a tight race. From the pathetic NFC West and the exciting NFC South, to the surprising AFC West, all the way to the neck-and-neck horse race in the AFC East, teams that are either leading their division, or are just right behind, are making their case as to why they should be in this year's playoff face. But which teams that won made a bigger statement? What was Raiders DE Richard Seymore thinking when he blasted Big Ben's chicklets? Is the Vince Young-Jeff Fisher relationship reached its breaking point? Here are my thoughts on the week was in the NFL.

* The Brett Farve era has finally come to a close. How fitting that its disappointing and scandal-filled end came at the hands of Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers as they trounced Minnesota 31-3? Brett had a legendary 20+ season in the NFL, including a Super Bowl ring and keeper of numerous records. Unfortunately, the image that Brett was this saint-like athlete on and off the field have been unmasked and standing before us is a pain-in-the-ass primadona who likes to send pictures of his junk to female reporters. Now that the spineless Brad Childriss has been the second head coach to get shitcanned in the middle of the regular season, the new intrem HC Leslie Fraizer needs to do the right thing and tell the Ol' Gunslinger that he's thrown his last pass: both a Viking and a quarterback in this league. We've had great times with Farve, but you're obviously done. Time to hand up the jersey, help give Minnesota's backup, Tavaris Jackson to become the team's new leader, and call it a career. To paraphrase farmer Hodgett in Babe: "That'll do, Brett. That'll do." I'll allow the Count to say a few words about the end of Brett's long and distinguished career, as he was a huge admirer of Farve as an athlete and as a person, as his love for #4 has been well documented on this blog time and time again.

EDIT From The Count: so #4 got a coach fired. Honestly since Childress sold his soul to #4 in the first place I have a hard time feeling sorry for the guy. Favre fails so often now that I don't even take much pleasure in it anymore. It's gotten to be Oh Favre failed...again. YAWN! I said this before I should thank the guy instead of ripping him. His presence in a Viking uniform kicked me off of that on coming train wreck before it completely crashed.

People debate whether or not Kurt Warner is HOF QB but say Favre is a shoe in. Let me ask you this. How good were the Rams after Warner left? How good is Arizona? Now after he left the Pakers are they worse than they were with Favre? The Jets? Now back to Jonathan's regularly scheduled post...

* Three teams made statements this week, and all of them were big:

New England spoke the loudest, as "the Rivarly" between Peyton Manning and Tom Brady came down to one play. Just as it looked like the Colts were about to come back after being down 31-14 at the beginning of the 4th quarter, Manning heaves a 4th down play....into the arms of New England Saftey Brandon Meriweather, sealing a 31-28 thriller at Foxbrough. Weeks ago, the Pats got blown out by the Cleveland Browns, many assuming that this wasn't the same team as year's past, and they're right. Defensively, its all a bunch of young guys who make key stops when they need to. Offensively, Brady doesn't have a Randy Moss to kill a team with the deep pass. It doesn't matter to Brady, because he has new, exciting players like TE rob Gronkowski and RB Danny Woodhead making plays. And Wes Welker is still the most explosive member of the Patriots offense, still making it happen, using his small size and fast feet to make defenders miss. If anything New England spoke with that win on Sunday, that they're still top dog in the AFC.

The Chargers also make a big statement on Monday Night Football vs. the Denver Broncos: they're back. Yes, it's time for more of that second-half magic the Bolts and Norv Turner are best-known for, and this time, Rivers is beating teams with guys like...Patrick Crayton and Seyi Ajirotutu and Mike Tolbert? Much like Brady, it doesn't matter if Legdu Naanee and Antonino Gates are on the field, anyone who's open for Rivers is a threat. the 29-23 win vs the Texans proved it, and yesterdays 35-4 beatdown on division rival Denver Broncs certifies it. Once 2-5, and looking up at Oakland and Kansas City weeks ago, now are tied with the Raiders for 2nd place, and within striking distance of the Chiefs. Can the Chargers turn the tables yet again and land their 5th consecutive AFC West title? Sure, why not? I've been dead wrong before about them being screwed when they've dug themselves a hole.

Speaking of the Raiders: I'll admit, they've got great pieces in this year's draft, and Darren McFadden is finally playing like he should be, but Sunday's 35-3 loss to the Steelers proved that they're not ready for prime time. They reason why they're not ready is because they're young D couldn't get pressure on Ben Roethlisberger and let him throw the ball up and down the field all day practically, and the QB switch between Bruce Gradkowski and Jason Campbell is only hiding a big problem with Oakland: they still don't have a very good QB that can lead this team.

* Vince Young is done for the season, and probably done as a Titan. After Young dislocated his thumb and was taken out by Fisher, he storms off the field after a 19-16 loss to the Redskins, throwing off his shoulder pads to the booing fans. Fisher tried to calm him down, but Young storms off on his Head Coach. Hours later, he's no longer the starting QB, he's been placed on injured-reserve, ending his season, and he's probably pissed off Jeff for the last time. After 5 five years, if you can't mature and grow as a player, then you have no business being in the NFL in the first place, which is a shame because Young was a dynamic player at Texas, and he led his team to a National Championship vs. Reggie Bush and the Trojans, and flashes of his excellent play have been seen while he had the starting gig. Immaturity and ego killed what could have been a very good athlete and QB for Tennessee.

Week Eight Thoughts From the NFL, Pt. 2

Some late thoughts about Week 8 before Week 9 starts.

* Is it any surprise that Randy Moss was cut from the Vikings? Minnesota already has one aging diva they have to put up with, so it was only a matter of time before #84 turned into a pain in the ass when the Ol' Gunslinger didn't throw the ball his way after two games - both of which the Vikings lost. Now he's going to either be a team play for the Tennessee Titans, or become the same mouthy asshole if Tennessee falters. Either way, he's someone else's problem now, and Minnesota remembered, in those two weeks, why they cut Moss in the first place all those years ago.

* Mike Shanaham has lost his mind. Last week, he pulled Donnovan McNabb in the remaining two minutes of the Redskins-Lions match, for Rex Grossman. Yes, the same Rex Grossman who was run out of Chicago on a rail, was McNabb's replacement. Washington lost that game. On Tuesday, Coach Shanaham was seen practicing with....JaMarcus Russell. I'm not sure which is more disheartning: Coach Shanaham resorting to overrated, shitty QB's to back up McNabb, or the ever-suspicious notion that Mike doesn't trust McNabb.

* After 8 weeks, we may not have a definitive favorite to go to the Super Bowl in Dallas, but we have a clear favorite for MVP honors this year: Phillip Rivers of my San Diego Chargers. Despite being on a 3-5 team, Rivers is 1st in Passing yards (2,649 yds), Average yards (8.7), and Yards/game (331.1). He's 2nd in completed passes (198), and tied with Peyton Manning for TD's (15), and comes in the top ten/top five in almost every statistical category for QB's. Rivers is taking his game to a whole new level this year, and when TE Gates, and WR's Legedu Nannee and Malcom Floyd get healthy and if the Chargers can build a winning streak within the next month, I may have to eat my own words, and that I would be very happy to do.

Week Eight Thoughts From the NFL, Part I

The Chargers (finally) get their shit together vs. Tennessee, while my Cowboys continue their decent into free fall. Across the Pond, Denver may have proved they are the worst team in the AFC, hope is rekindled at Ford Field, and the Steelers loss reinforces my belief that a dominant team in the NFL has yet to emerge. All of these topics will be discussed as I discuss the week was number 8 in the NFL.

* For all the bitching I have done against Norv Turner, I must give credit where credit is due: when the Chargers went into the locker room down 19-14, Turner told the ugly truth about this team: that in 2010, when the going got tough, the Chargers wave the white flag. Players said that Norv's face and words were all the motivation they needed to go out and beat Tennessee 33-25, snapping a tough three-game losing skid. The Chargers finally beat a quality team, but it doesn't change the lousy state of the Special Teams unit, as they coughed up a Safety at the start of the 1st quarter. Let's beat the Texans next Sunday, then maybe the Chargers have turned a corner. Until then, it's one win, and they're still playing catch-up against the Chiefs and Raiders

* Now, had my Bolts lost this game, I would expect Dean Spanos to do what Cowbowys owner Jerry Jones did when Dallas got it's clock cleaned by Jacksonville, 35-17: appolgize to the fans for their miserable performance thus far.

"I'm embarrassed," Jones said. "Of course I am. And to every fan, I should have and do take the ultimate, ultimate responsibility. I do. That's the way we're structured. That's the way I run it. There's no question that I have the plan and executing it to have the best players and the best coaching that we can have. I'm dumbfounded that we are 1-7."

Cowboy haters can piss all over this team all they want, but Jones took responsibility for this team's disastrous season, and that earns many kudos for this part-time Dallas shipper. Now if he could only fire Wade Phillips sometime this week....

* For the second time this year, the Detroit Lions have won a game, as they beat the Redskins 37-25. What's more impressive is the Lions D-Line, in particular, Ndamukong Suh - the same Defensive End who lit up the Big XII last year - and Kyle Vanden Bosch. Combined, the pair are a two-man wrecking crew, as both defenders have a combined 4 sacks on the day (there were 7 sacks total). They may be 2-5, but don't let that fol 'ya: they're no pushover. And to Mike Shanaham: I know Donnovan McNabb's been shaky as of late, but pulling him out with 2 minutes to go and you put in....Rex Grossman?! Are you serious?? What did you expect would happen, that he would transform into a competent QB in that drive?? Just for making that move alone, you deserved to lose.

Week Six Thoughts From the NFL

* I don't know which team is in a bigger free fall: the San Diego Chargers, who suffered yet another road loss to a team with promise in the St. Louis Rams, or the overrated Dallas Cowboys, making claims that they would be the first team to ever host the Super Bowl in their house. Let's look at the similarities: both Dallas and SD have monster talent on both sides of the ball (Tonly Romo, Miles Austin, Jason Whiten, DeMarcus Ware, Igor Olshansky for Dallas; Phillip Rivers, Antonio Gates, Ryan Matthews, Shaun Phillips, Quentin Jammer for San Diego), both were heavily favored to win their respective divisions again this year, and both have coaches that I personally like, but have proven that they're not HC material (Norv Turner should stick to being a play-calling genius, while Wade Phillips needs to be going back to out-coaching the OC upstairs in the coaching booth.) Both teams also lack discipline - San Diego can't win the games they're supposed to win against gimmie teams like Oakland and Kansas City; Dallas can't quit making dumb, costly penalties, and both teams are near the bottom of the barrel after six weeks, wtih another 10 left to go. One huge differnce separates these two lackluster teams: everytime the Chargers have found themselves in this position, they've been able to get their shit together, and win when it counts in Late October and going into November and December. Dallas wins in Novemeber, but crumble in December. Unfortuately, both teams share another common similarity - both teams windown of opportunity may have closen on them for this year.

* Everyone in the AFC West is damaged goods. The Chargers can't win a game on the road to save their lives (and this was after they had the leauge-best 7-1 record on the road last year) and guys like Malcom Floyd, Antonio Gates, Larry English are injured; the Raiders still have QB issues, despite talented draft picks. The Chiefs have a young and explosive talent at the Secondary, Kickoff Return, and Running Back, but with youth comes not knowing how to play in Nov. and December, and the Broncos just flat-out suck. So let's take out Oakland and Denver, and what we have left is a rejuvinated Kansas City club vs. Norv Turner, once again, looking for a miraculous winning streak to fend off fans who want noting more than bitch loud and long enough to convince him that he made a mistake, fire Norv, and hire Jon Gruden or Bill Cower.

* A quick thought on last Sunday's helmet shots: I understand the need for a LB to take the first shot they see - hell, it's one of the first things they are taught at Training Camp. I love seeing hits like that, as long as the other guy who took the shot doesn't end up in a stretcher. What I don't like seeing are the kind of hits that could seriously injure or kill a player on the field, like the one we saw from James Harrison of the Steelers. Time to take the foot off the peddle...just a little bit. Americans love hard-hitting defensive players, but we don't like to see one of our guys dead on the gridiron. BTW: if the NFL is freaked about tackles, they're gonna have a heart attack if they extend the regular season to 18 weeks.

Week 5 Thoughts In the NFL

* I don't know what to say, or where to start with the Chargers. This is the fourth consecutive time San Diego has started 2-3 under Norv Turner. What fustrates me as a fan is that 3 of the 5 losses came agains shit-kicker teams like the Chiefs, Seahawks, and now the Raiders. Our Special Teams unit is a mess, as they've made guys like Leon Washington (Seattle) and Dexter McCluster (Kansas City) look like the next Devon Hester and Darren Sproles by comparison. Next week is a revived St. Louis team, and their star rookie QB, Sam Bradford, again on the road. I haven't been a staunch defender of Turner, but if his team loses next Sunday, and the Bolts miss the playoffs, I can honestly say that no fan will want to go to a Charger game until Norv is removed from his post.

* If there's one thing that infuritates me more than the Chargers handing a win to Raiders, its how far the Dallas Cowboys have fallen this year. It's not just the that excessive celebration penalty that Jason Whitten got flaggged for wich cost the team yards on their kickoff in the 4th quarter, it's how badly the D played agianst Vince Young. It's the stupid and penalty-killing drives that Tony Romo's been producing. (the holding call with 03 seconds left in the season opener vs. Washington and yesterday's fiasco.) It's been costly turnovers. The talk coming out of Dallas was that this was a Super Bowl Contender, that Jerry Jones's team would be the first in NFL history to host the big game in their house. They're far from it, and, like the Chargers, they need to quickly find themselves.

* We're five weeks into the season, and they're isn't a clear favorite. Teams like Dallas, San Diego, Indy, and New Orleans are all struggling and/or dealing with injuries. Minnesota is 1-3, even with Randy Moss back with the Vikings. Kansas City is a surprising 3-1, but they have a young Secondary and an average QB that will come back to earth late in the season. The Texans, at 3-2, are the real deal but I don't see them beating the Colts twice. You could make the case that the Steelers are probably the favorites, based on a healthy Troy Polamalu and the return of Big Ben after serving a 4 game suspsension, or on the Jets, with the stellar defense, and continuing growth of Mark Sanchez. There's just hasn't been a big game where you can clearly see a favorite.

* Speaking of the Vikings, after the Jets win over the Vikings 29-20 last night, is it fair to say that Minnesota's dead, and that Farve should have stayed on his farm in Missisippi, doing whatever it is Brett does in his spare time (other than sending pics of his "junk" to women in the locker room)?

Week Four Thoughts in the NFL

* Jay Cutler was who I thought he would be: an overrated QB on a team, getting by with stellar D from Brian Urlacker and Julius Peppers. #6 got manhandeled by Tom Coughlin's D-Line in last night's 17-3 beatdown. Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck looked like tigers ready to pounce on Cutler's punk ass every chance the pair got, and did: He got sacked 9 times before he left the game with a concussion, six of those times he was sacked by Umenyiora and Tuck alone. What's even more imppresive: the Giants D held Chi-town to 110 yards of total offense, did not attempt a single 3rd down conversion in 13 attempts, and limited the Bears to 6 first downs. Sure, they're 3-1, but that's a team with many question marks, and with a rough schedule starting after their Bye Week on the 31st of this month, they need to answer those questions, and soon.

* Ex-Charger bunning back LT had 19 carries and rushed for 133 yds. as the Jets pistol-whipped Buffalo, 38-13. Its what he said that I found very interesting. (paraphrasing)

When we sat down with LT on Friday, he said that for the last two years with the Chargers he was injured in the first game of the year and never felt right after that. He said that this is the first time he's felt healthy since mid-2007.

Huh. I thoguht Tomlinson said once that the problem was that the O-Line sucked since mid-2007. Despite all that, Tomlinson was still the leading yards rusher in 2007, with 1474 yards, averaging 4.7 a carry, and was still selected to go to the Pro-Bowl. I totally believe you, Tomlinson. It was the O-Line (although there is some truth to it) and not the fact that you weren't getting your touches and that Norv Turner took away the keys and made Phillip Rivers the main focus of the team. Right.

* Despite the Special Returns Teams collapse in Weeks 1 and 3, the biggest surprise this season for the 2010 Chargers has been their defense. They are currently allowing 235.5 yards/game - the best in the NFL. With the injury to Shawne Merriman and losing 7x baby daddy CB Antonio Cromarte and ILB Tim Dobbins via free agency, I thought we'd have troubles at the Linebacker and Cornerback position. Linebackers Shaun Phillips and Kevin Burnett, and replacement Cornerback Anton Cason are thriving. Sunday's 41-10 beatdown of the Cardinals was further proof, especially in the LB corp. 9 total sacks yestersday, 4 for #95 alone. And what more can I say about Antonio Gates? 7 catches for 144 yds, two TD's, and he became just the 7th TE in NFL History to have over 500 catches for his career.

* Before yessterday's Redskins-Eagles match, Philly fans gave Donnovan McNabb a standing ovation. Three hours, a game-ending rib injury to Michael Vick and a 17-13 loss to the visitng Redskins, most of them had to be thinking: "Why the hell did we let McNabb go?"

Late Edit: How the hell are the Dolphins 2-1? Chad Penne did not look great out there tonight, and in the 3rd Quarter, the Patriots' Special Teams and Tom Brady outscored Miami 38-7 in the 2nd half winning 41-14 on Monday Night.

Week One Thoughts from the NFL

As we get set for the season premier of ESPN's Monday Night Football, here are some thoughts about Week 1 in the NFL.

* The call which screwed the Lions has got to be the dumbest rule in pro-football. Ok, it's #2, compared to the Brett Farve Rule that has been instated for future post-season games. The Count said it best: "If you cross the goal-line with the ball it is a fucking touchdown." Going for the all-or-nothing longball without making a first down attempt didn't help their cause at all, and neither did losing Matthew Stafford.

* The more things change, the more they stay exactly the same. Even when Oakland dumped JaMarcus "Ryan Leaf" Russell, picked up an average quarterback in Jason Campbell, and got some decent picks in the Draft this year, Raider Nation still witnessed the same team that's committed to sucking, as Chris Johnson and Vince Young smoked the Raiders 38-13. As Dennis Green would say, "They [Oakland Raiders] are who we thoguth they were!"

* Matt Schwab, Arian Foster and the Texans made a statement game against the Colts. Foster blew past the Colts for a team-record 231 yards and 3 TD's. Peyton put up some of the best #'s of his career (40-57, 433 yds, 3 TD) as the Colts run defense just looked like they had their thumbs stuck up their asses.

* Dallas...I don't even know where to start with this group. Tony Romo couldn't finish of a couple of promising drives. Dez Bryant dropping key passes. Alex Barron called for holding as Romo capped off what would have been a game-winning touchdown to Roy Williams with 03 seconds left in the game. That damn fumble recovery that went for a TD to finish the 1st half...Ugly game by Dallas, but a nice start for Donnovan McNabb who went 15-32 and 171 yards in his Redskins debut. Which leads me to...

* I know it's only one game, but from the look of Kevin Kolb's outing vs the Packers, it leads to believe just what the hell was Philadelphia was thinking when they have McNabb the boot? Granted, he wasn't the first choice of Philly fans, but performed consistently well in the regular season, led them to a Super Bowl appearance in 2004, and a couple of Conference title games while he was an Eagle.

Late edit from The Count: