I really, really like the matchups in Week 9, with virtually every game featuring teams that are at a crossroads in their season. Before we get to the picks, I have a few sports notes to discuss:
1. Sad, awful news out of Washington regarding third year corner Carlos Rogers, who fell to a horrid knee injury in Sunday's massacre in New England. Rogers tore his ACL and MCL and is done for the year. This isn't the sort of injury you see a lot of cornerbacks suffer, simply because it's the kind of thing that generally happens around heavy contact. London Fletcher piled into Rogers knee while they were making a tackle, and you knew instantly that it was going to be bad news. Hopefully he can recover in time to see the field in 2008, but I guess I'd be surprised. Apart from the fact that I'm a Skins fan, I hate seeing season ending injuries, especially to young guys who seem on the cusp of establishing themselves.
2. The Los Angeles Dodgers seem likely to land Joe Torre as their manager. I think that's great. I like Torre, and I couldn't be more happy he's left the Yankees. Now there's virtually nothing left on the Yankees for me to give a shit about, they can all go to hell as far as I'm concerned. I hope Joe kicks ass in LA while the Yankees thrash around like morons.
3. The NBA season opens tonight. Every year this feels more and more like a rude interruption to the NFL season. Look, I'm not granting the NFL any special rights to the fall/winter, post-baseball period, but honestly, only hard-core NBA fans are going to give a shit about what happens in these first . . .oh . . .9-11 weeks of NBA action, when the NFL season is just starting to take shape and the playoff picture is coming into focus. I love basketball and I'm a big NBA fan, but frankly, until the Skins season is done and the NFL is down to the last few games, I couldn't care less what happens on the hardcourt. Wake me up in February.
4. One more critique of the Skins/Pats "game" (or maybe several. Screw you.): I told myself I wouldn't listen to Washington sports radio this week. As my friend Nate pointed out, every week after a Redskins loss, especially a grueling, awful loss like Sunday, all sports radio in Washington is a gloomy, boring, doom-fest filled with angry phone calls and monday morning quarterbacking. I forgot about that this morning on my way to work, and I noticed something different going on: the "they were just a better team" reasoning is in full swing for Redskins fans, and there's nothing I hate more than the "they were just a better team" excuse. Look, yes, it's true, the Patriots are simply a better team, but I hate to see the Skins let off so easy by their fans. The Redskins have an NFL roster full of NFL players, same as the Patriots, and there's just no way you lose by 45 points in the NFL and the only reason is what the other team did on the field. As far as I'm concerned, the final score of that game was 24-0, because it was at the point that both teams went to their locker rooms at halftime at this score that the game was over. Everything else that happened after that didn't effect the final result, just the final score. The Patriots were smarter, more prepared, and in a few cases, physically superior, but if you can't take an NFL roster and at least play a competitive half of football against ANYBODY, ANY NFL TEAM EVER, the final result has a lot more to do with your own failure than the superiority of your opponent. I really hate to see pundits and fans let the Skins off the hook like this. What should we expect if our beloved Skins make it all the way to the Super Bowl, or have we already given up on that idea? Should we expect them to lose by 45 points in a game in which they NEVER competed because we've already decided the Patriots are just the better team? Or maybe we should be looking at the coaching staff and wondering at what point they decided this was the case. Was it halftime, or was it 3 weeks ago? Because the way the Skins playcalling went in this game, there was never any indication they felt they belonged on the field in the first place. The coaches had the white flag up from the opening whistle, and the Patriots did exactly what they get paid to do, what NFL fans DEMAND they do, which is mercilessly pound a team that doesn't belong on the field with them.
Ok, I'm over it. No really. On to the picks!
Denver @ Detroit
In one man's opinion, both teams have a lot to prove in this game. Sadly, that'll likely be that case for the Lions the whole rest of the way, even if and when they secure a playoff berth. The fact that they've won a couple of tough games hasn't kept me from doubting them, and that's probably true of most NFL fans. They've got a winnable home game here against a Denver team that struggles to put points up, and let's not forget that Detroit is one of the NFL's best at forcing turnovers. Cutler has played several sharp games in a row, but like many other rocket-armed young quarterbacks he has a tendency to force passes into tight areas, a habit that might kill the Broncos in this one. Add to that the fact that Detroit has relied more and more on a healthy Kevin Jones to establish the ground game, and Denver is one of the NFL's worst rushing defenses, and this one has Lions victory written all over it. Even though I went a respectable 9-4 last week, I don't quite feel brave enough to go out on a limb with the Broncos.
Lions over Broncos, 24-20 The Broncos have been close in most of their games this season, let's keep that trend alive.
San Francisco @ Atlanta
This is a rare opportunity for the Falcons to get a win, plain and simple. For the 49ers, if they have any chance at all of getting their season back on track, they desperately need to win every one of these types of games. We'll get a chance to see what Bobby Petrino can do in an off week to get his team prepared to play, and we'll see if the Niners can get their offense going against one of the NFL's weaker rush defenses. If they can't, they're done. The Falcons already know they're playing for the future, but they want to get a win when they can, and this definitely looks like one of those games. I also think this is one of the tougher games to call. Joey Harrington has been spotty this season, alternating a few nice games with several truly bad ones, but I kinda sorta believe in him as a quarterback, and I think with two weeks to prepare and no reason to look over his shoulder any longer, he can get the ball going against San Francisco's banged-up and not-that-good-when-healthy defense. I also think the Niners have the best player on the field in Frank Gore, and he's due a breakout performance. I also think Mike Nolan is the better coach, and the Niners are the more desperate bunch. I hate to pick the 49ers on the road. Shit.
49ers over Falcons, 21-16 That might seem like an odd score, but that's four scoring drives for the Falcons and three for the Niners, with the 49ers converting touchdowns on all of their trips to the red-zone because they have the superior running game.
Cincinnati @ Buffalo
This is an opportunity for me to test my loyalty to the Bills. I've like the Bills the whole way, I still like them, I really want them to win this game. They're also at home, have the better record, have more to play for, and are the tougher team. Why will Cincinnati give this game away? Because they know they can beat the Bills, and for a team as soft and erratic as the Bengals, that's a formula for a loss. A lot depends on whether Rudi Johnson is healthy and plays, whether Chris Henry is able to make an impact after missing half the season while serving his suspension, who starts at quarterback for the Bills, and game-time weather. Let's assume Rudi plays at full speed, Chris Henry plays at full speed, and Edwards starts at quarterback for the Bills. I've got to go with the Bengals. But Losman might start, Rudi hasn't been healthy in 4 weeks, and Chris Henry still hasn't been cleared to play, plus he hasn't seen game action all season. Fuck it, GO BILLS!
Bills over Bengals, 17-14 This is me REALLY going out on a limb. The Bengals are so explosive offensively, and the Bills are so NOT explosive, and neither team has much of a defense. Ah jeez.
Carolina @ Tennessee
For the sake of discussion, we're going to pretend there's any reason the Panthers can win this game. They have a couple of nice running backs, one helluva receiver, and at least 45 other guys with honest-to-goodness real beating hearts in their chests. On the other side of the ball, the Titans have a pretty wack, anemic offense, the strongest run defense in the NFL, a knack for creating turnovers, and one of the best head coaches around. In case you were keeping score, the pretending stopped after one sentence.
Titans over Panthers, 20-13
Green Bay @ Kansas City
Green Bay just keeps on rolling along. They really are a professional bunch, and I'm growing increasingly fond of their receiving corps. The Chiefs, on the other hand, are coming off their bye, and if Herm Edwards is who I think he is (they are who we thought they were!), the bye week is a perfect opportunity to get worse as a football team. Arrowhead used to be a super tough place to play, but the Chiefs dropped a disgusting disaster of a game to Jacksonville a few weeks ago at home. Green Bay is a tough defense and Kansas City is an anemic offense. The Chiefs have an equally tough defense, but Green Bay has enough of an offense to win games. Plus, I can't handle the Chiefs playing anything like .500 ball.
Packers over Chiefs, 24-12 I'm now 3-2 in picking home teams so far this week. Not a great sign.
San Diego @ Minnesota
San Diego is on fire at the moment, whereas Minnesota is playing like real crap. I never, EVER thought I'd say this, but Brad Childress needs to get back to an even split in carries with his running backs. Without a doubt, Adrian Peterson was more effective when he and Chester Taylor were giving different looks and paces to the defense. Also, the Vikings need to commit to the run, and that's easier to do when you can divide 40 carries between two stud running backs. Fantasy people might like the idea of Peterson getting 25 carries a game from here on, but the platoon really seemed to be working. This is a big game for the Chargers, who can move two games above .500 and take command of their division with this win. I think they'll get it.
Chargers over Vikins, 27-13
Jacksonville @ New Orleans
Under most circumstances, I'd be taking the Jaguars in this one. They've got the better running game, the better defense, and through the first 6 weeks of the season, at least a push at quarterback. But with Quinn Gray in there, I think I'll go with the Saints. Congratulations to Gray for winning his first start last Sunday, he played well enough to win and the Jags beat a worthy foe. The Saints aren't much better than the Bucs, if at all, but I just can't imagine the Jaguars putting together consecutive wins under Gray. The Saints are playing great football right now, and this tough team is sandwiched between a few pushover opponents on their schedule. This would be a great "pick-up" win for them, and the fact that they get 'em at home gives them a boost.
Saints over Jaguars, 23-14
Washington @ New York Jets
We're going to learn a lot about the Redskins in this one. Perhaps more than any other team in any other game this weekend, the Redskins have a lot to prove. They've looked shaky in all but one win this season, stayed close in two losses, and then had the chicken-shit outing of all time last Sunday against the Patriots. The Jets are a poor, poor team that will likely be starting their backup quarterback, and they have almost nothing to play for this season. Washington, on the other hand, can either get back in the playoff picture with a convincing win, or relegate themselves to the also-ran department with either a baloney victory or, God forbid, a loss. The Jets have no pass rush, so the Skins can try to get a little rhythm going in their passing game. The Jets have very little explosiveness on offense, so the Skins defense should get back to their dominating ways. Will they show the toughness to beat up an inferior team, or will they play down to their competition, take a lead into halftime and spend the second half trying to sneak away with it? I'm hoping for the former, otherwise it'll be another long second half of the season in Washington. The formula should be simple: if the Redskins get three scoring drives in this game and limit turnovers, they should win. Let's hope they don't stop there.
Redskins over Jets, 20-10
Arizona @ Tampa Bay
In my opinion, this is the toughest game to call all week. Tampa Bay really needs a win, but they seem to be nose-diving a bit, especially coming off of a very disappointing loss on Sunday in which they played pretty poorly in all facets of their offense. Arizona had a bye, but who knows what that means in the Wisenhunt era? Wisenhunt has proven himself to be a capable NFL coach through his first seven games as head man, but he's still marching out an injured quarterback, on the road, against a hungry Tampa team that needs a win to hang on to their playoff hopes. I expect Garcia to rebound, I think another week in the system will allow Michael Bennett to boost the running game a little more, and I think the home crowd will give Tampa a push. On the other hand, I think Arizona has the superior offense and a very dangerous defense, and my instincts tell me the bye week will have done them a lot of good. Shit. Shit shit shit.
Bucs over Cardinals, 24-21
Seattle @ Cleveland
Again we have a "strong" team coming off of a bye week, on the road, against an upstart team with a little momentum. Clevland has a lot of talent on offense, enough that they don't even have to play an A game to put up 21 points. Seattle has a nice offense too, they seem to be able to pass the ball up and down the field with ease. Neither team scares anybody too bad on defense. You know what? I like the Cleveland fans, I like their offensive weapons, I like their momentum. I don't like Seattle on the road, I don't like their running back situation, and I don't like their fragile nature. I'm taking the Browns.
Browns over Seahawks, 31-27
New England @ Indianapolis
This should be one hell of a game. The way I look at it, New England's average margin of victory is a bit of a bogus statistic. No team in the last couple decades has run up the score as mercilessly as the Patriots. I don't fault them for it; in fact, I love it. But my point is, I don't think the Patriots are 25 points better than all the teams they've faced this season, I just think they're still out there gunning for the endzone long after most teams would have packed their starters on ice, and a few of their opponents had already conceded defeat. Indianapolis still doesn't scare me with their defense, but I just know they aren't afraid of the Patriots. Dungy sure as hell isn't afraid of the Pats, Manning sure as hell isn't, nor is Harrison, or Reggie Wayne, or Joseph Addai, or Dallas Clark. Bob Sanders sure as hell isn't afraid of a nuclear weapon, let alone a football team. This should be a HELL of a game. I do think the Patriots are the best team in the NFL, but I also think they're more fragile than the Colts. They haven't played in a close game this season, they've never had a reason to doubt or struggle. That said, I'm sticking with the best team. I don't want to be the asshole that picked against the team that's wiping out the NFL in historic fashion.
Patriots over Colts, 37-31
Houston @ Oakland
This is a tough game to call because who the hell knows what's going on with these two teams. Houston is in full-blown tailspin mode, no longer healthy at any offensive position and not able to stop anybody on defense. Oakland is a team without an identity, and that's to be expected when you have a first year coach and an unclear quarterback situation. I'd like to think the home game favors the Raiders, but they took a loss to the Chiefs at home earlier this season. That said, there's very little reason to pick the Texans to win anything. Here it is: if Schaub can stay upright and in the game, the Texans ought to win. He's probably the difference maker in this one. Neither team has much of a receiving corps, and while the Raiders probably have the superior backfield, you wouldn't really know it from watching them the last few weeks. They're turnover prone and suspect on defense.
Texans over Raiders, 23-20 Look who I've taken on the road: San Francisco (ugh), Green Bay in Arrowhead, Norv Turner's Chargers, a Skins team that just lost by more than six touchdowns, a team that's visiting the undefeated reigning Super Bowl champs, and the Houston Texans. My God. Update 11/1: Sage Rosenfels is getting the call for the Texans. Strangely, I'm not changing my pick. It's a pride thing. Either way, don't expect a blow-out.
Dallas @ Philadelphia
Do I dare pick an upset special? Do I? Hmmmmmm. Believe it or not, I'm still suffering from the "can't pick against the Eagles" affliction that has plagued me since Week 1. Dallas is coming off of a bye week and has a very talented team. They can't afford to drop this game a week before their showdown with the Giants, when first place in the NFC East could be on the line. The Eagles are 1-2 at home this season: does that mean they're weak at home, or are they just due? Philly's offense has been moving the ball very well for a couple of weeks in a row, they just can't seem to find the endzone for shit, which is surprising given that Donovan McNabb has a brilliant, BRILLIANT career quarterback rating inside the 20. If L. J. Smith is back healthy, that recent trend could change. Lincoln Financial Field is supposed to be a tough place to play. Man oh man, what to do, what to do. Fuck it. It's the upset special.
Eagles over Cowboys, 34-27
Baltimore @ Pittsburgh
There's no reason the Ravens should win this game. How will they move the ball? They have no offense at all, and Pittsburgh has a hell of a defense. Both teams need the win. This could very well be a highly entertaining Monday night game, these AFC North contests are usually tough and close. Pittsburgh has more playmakers on offense, and the defenses are a push. Roethlisberger just needs to avoid turning the ball over. If the Steelers can put two touchdowns on the board early, they should win.
Steelers over Ravens, 17-9 I'm not giving the Ravens any touchdowns. They're so bad in the red-zone.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Monday, October 29, 2007
Fascinating Times II
I never really believed the Redskins would beat the Patriots on Sunday, and I was careful to temper all my optimism by limiting it to hoping the Redskins would just compete. Well, they didn't compete. In the end, I wasn't really all that shocked. I was right about one thing, which I wrote to Bill Simmons on Saturday: in the end, the Patriots were, in fact, looking right past the Redskins, in much the same way a steam-roller driver looks right past a squirrel that wanders into his path, leaving a giant smear of his victim in his wake. You see, I've learned that it doesn't so much matter whether a good team looks past a lesser foe, what matters is whether that foe is able to do anything about it. I was really depressed and distressed about the epic thumping the Redskins took on Sunday, but then a good thing happened: I watched Evil Dead and fell asleep with The Simpsons Season 2 going on my DVD player. Now, I suddenly don't really give a shit about the blasting the Skins took from the Patriots, the utter humiliation. That's their problem. I've learned that they stink, but not so bad as they've stunk in recent years, and I can live with that.
Let's take a look at the games from this weekend. I thought it was a pretty good Sunday, full of excitement, and the league seems to be taking shape a little bit. Road teams went a whopping 9-3 on Sunday! What the hell?!
Colts over Panthers, 31-7
My Pick: Colts over Panthers, 28-20
The Colts got the road show started by overcoming a slow, sloppy start by Manning to easily shut down the Panthers. Joseph Addai had a monster game, and in the end, the Colts did exactly what they should have done, which is take it to the Panthers by a wide margin. The Panthers fans probably expected a loss in this one, but just like we Skins fans, they're probably quite troubled by the final margin. Now the bad news for Indy: the Patriots are coming to town. There are only a couple of teams and coaches who I think have a chance of getting a win over New England, and Indianapolis is at the top of that list. Go Indy! By the way, how great a coach is Tony Dungy? He gave his players Monday and Tuesday off this week, the first time all season they've had two days off in a week. I love it. This guy oozes professionalism and quiet confidence in his team. They might lose the game, but it won't be because their coach limps in with his tail between his legs and his balls on a shelf (do you hear that, Redskins?).
Steelers over Bengals, 24-13
My Pick: Steelers over Bengals, 31-24
Well, stick a fork in the Bengals, and stick a fork in Marvin Lewis. My next hobby will be to look around the NFL and predict which franchise will land Lewis as their next defensive coordinator. Some smart-guy on ESPN labeled the Bengals the NFL's most immature team, and he was exactly right. You know, there are worse defenses in the NFL than the Bengals, and there are many, many worse offenses. The Bengals don't lose because they have a weak defense or an erratic offense, they lose because they don't have a friggin' clue how to win a football game. They're just a collection of individuals on offense, each man is an island. They've got no identity, no guts, no balls. It's time to blow it up in Cincinnati. The Steelers needed this win, now they just need to develop some consistency on the road.
Lions over Bears, 16-7
My Pick: Bears over Lions, 24-17
Great win for the Lions, who are starting to look like a legitimate playoff team. The Bears aren't exactly . . .well . . .much of anything, but they also aren't the Rams, and a road win to take the series against the big-shit in your division is a big deal for last year's bottom dweller. For the second week in a row, the Lions won a tough, ugly game against a team thought to be tougher and more physical. Against all odds, I actually like the Bears. They're tough and scrappy, and they just refuse to lie down. The poor play of Cedric Benson, the awful play of Rex Grossman, and the up-and-down play of Brian Griese have not been enough to convince this bunch that they're a cellar-dweller, and that's a credit to Lovie Smith.
Titans over Raiders, 13-9
My Pick: Titans over Raiders, 20-10
Yuk, what a hideous game. The Titans need more from Vince Young, plain and simple. The Raiders are doing what most thought they would, which is lose ugly games. I'm happy the Titans won the game, but that was an awful, ugly, unwatchable game.
Browns over Rams, 27-20
My Pick: Browns over Rams, 34-20
This one was closer than I thought it might be, but the result was predictable. The Rams played tough in the first half and showed some life. Most importantly, Stephen Jackson looked great. Then he went down with a back injury, and in the end, this might be the worst offense by Scott Linehan in his short term as head coach of the Rams: what's the point of rushing your superstar tailback out there in a lost season? A groin injury that costs you 5.5 weeks of football is nothing to sniff at, and if it turns out that letting Jackson go out there in week 8 caused the back injury, that's got to be the nail in Linehan's coffin. Good win for the Browns, great performance from Derek Anderson and Braylon Edwards. It's getting harder and harder to imagine a circumstance in which Brady Quinn sees the field this season. Anderson is a free-agent after this season, so I think the likeliest scenario is a sign-and-trade. The Browns better get something for him when they let him go. It'd be a crime to put him back on the bench, or even bullshit around with some "open competition" at the spot in the offseason. Anderson is one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL through 8 weeks, there's no way he should be competing with a second year player for his job in the off-season.
Eagles over Vikings, 23-16
My Pick: Vikings over Eagles, 24-21
It's hard for me to imagine this Eagles team consistently losing, so I'm never shocked when they win, especially not against teams like the Vikings. There's officially no reason to play Kelly Holcomb over Tarvaris Jackson. The Vikings won't be doing anything through the air with either guy, you might as well start the kid and let him run around a little. The Eagles have actually had one of the NFL's toughest run defenses this season, so it's not exactly a shocker that the Vikings failed to control the clock and dominate on the ground, but once again Brad Childress failed to make even a token commitment toward that cause. Just a reminder: when the Raiders wanted to win a game by dominating on the ground, they ran the ball 45 times for almost 300 yards. When you're choosing between Kelly Holcomb and Tarvaris Jackson at quarterback and you've got the NFL's leading rusher and he's not even the guy that led your team in rushing last year, maybe you want to run the hell out of the ball. Childress doesn't know what the hell he's doing.
Giants over Dolphins, 13-10
My Pick: Giants over Dolphins, 31-17
Ha ha, what a shitty game! London, we give you the N-F-L!!!
Bills over Jets, 13-3
My Pick: Bills over Jets, 21-20
Man do the Jets stink. I was glad to see Losman come in the game for the Bills and immediately hook up with Lee Evans on an 80-yard touchdown strike that iced the game. That's what the fuck I'm talking about. I've got nothing against Trent Edwards, but if the rumors from Buffalo are true and the Bills are favoring Edwards so they don't have to pay Losman a lucrative deal in the off-season, you can forget about me ever rooting for the Bills again. I know that franchise is in trouble, I know they're planning games in Toronto to try to make a little money and keep the team in Buffalo, I know there's a lot of talk about moving this team to LA. That's all a shame; I really like the Bills franchise and I love that there are a few teams in small markets in the NFL. But if they hose the NFL's 11th rated passer in 2006, a young, talented player with a bright future, to save a few bucks on a mid-round rookie they'll eventually have to pull the same stunt on in a few years, they don't deserve to stay in Buffalo. They're selling their fans and players up the river, and that's a crock.
Chargers over Texans, 35-10
My Pick: Chargers over Texans, 31-17
The truth is, I couldn't be happier that the Chargers seem to have turned things around a little. I like most of their players, I even have a soft spot for Norv. On the other hand, the poor, poor Texans are spiraling down to the bottom of the AFC. What a shame. For a team that had real hopes for their 2007 season, they're looking at a long, long second half. You know a "playoff hopeful" is in big trouble when you look at the box score and wonder how you ever thought they were going to win games in the first place. That's the Jets, Niners, Texans, and Bears for ya.
Jaguars over Bucs, 24-23
My Pick: Bucs over Jaguars, 20-10
What a huge disappointment for the Bucs, who really needed this game. I'm telling you, their injuries are really catching up to them. There's only so much Jeff Garcia can do to win a game. This is an equally huge win for the Jaguars, who went from Wild-Card driver seat to top-10 draft pick in the span of one ugly sack of David Garrard. They don't need to win every game with Quinn Gray, they just need to stay close to the pack, and Jack Del Rio, the son of a bitch himself, had a game plan to get it done. They pounded the hell out of the football, played their asses off on defense, and didn't let the young guy lose it for them. Jeff Garcia threw three picks in this game, which is bound to happen when both teams, the media, and everyone in the stadium knows the outcome of the game is going to come down to him making big throws over and over again into one of the NFL's toughest defenses. The Bucs might need to start worrying about their post-season hopes.
Patriots over Redskins, 52-7
My Pick: Patriots over Redskins, 31-21
The Redskins players gave it their all, and fuck you if you say otherwise. They didn't miss tackles, they didn't half-ass it, they didn't kill themselves with penalties. They got their asses handed to them by a better team, and their coaches called one of the worst games in Redskins history. The Skins came out in the exact same defensive look they used in the last 4 games, a white-flag of surrender when you're playing against the best team in the NFL in any season. The Patriots did exactly what you'd expect them to do, which is take the underneath stuff and march right up the field. Did the Redskins respond, did they adjust, did they throw in a wrinkle to mix it up? No. At no point in the game did Joe Gibbs or Gregg Williams pull their heads out of their asses long enough to notice that every Patriots first down came on a 5 yard pass underneath the linebackers to a speedy receiver who easily outran the first defender. In a game where the Redskins desperately needed to control the clock, they allowed the Patriots to dink and dunk their way up the field all day long, including an 8 minute drive to start the second half. In a game where the Redskins desperately needed to force turnovers, they had the perfect defensive plan to never force Tom Brady to look downfield or force anything. What was the Redskins offensive game plan? Apparently, they had the brilliant idea of throwing receiver screens and hitches over and over again, allowing the Patriots defenders to come forward to the ball all day long. Did they ever challenge the safeties? Did they ever EVER try to work the middle of the field? No, not once. Of all the games the Patriots have played this season, that was the first time any coaching staff has simply laid down in front of them and thrown up the white flag. To think that a collection of prideful players would go out and bust their asses against a superior opponent, and have their pussy-ass, bitch-made coaches have their tails between their legs and surrender so utterly is absolutely inexcusable. My brother thinks the Skins need to fire someone immediately after that embarrassing showing, and I'm afraid to point the finger on that one, but I'll say this: this is no longer your grandfather's NFL, when you go out there and try to make it look like you're having a hard time moving the ball up the field. And when I say "your grandfather", I am of course speaking to Joe Gibbs' grandchildren. Anyway, I'm over it. As Manny Ramirez would put it, it's not the end of the world. The Skins are a game above .500 with a contest against the god-awful Jets in Week 9.
Saints over 49ers, 31-10
My Pick: 49ers over Saints, 23-17
Yeesh, how bad are the 49ers? They are flat-out terrible, one of the truly awful teams in the NFL. They're absolutely killing Frank Gore this season. I was pretty psyched about Mike Nolan as a head coach at the start of the season, but the Niners seem to have taken a mighty step backwards this season, and it's not because they had to start Trent Dilfer for a few games, though that didn't help. It's good to see the Saints building a little momentum, the NFC could use a few good teams down the stretch. Drew Brees is doing what he can to make people forget about his play in the first four weeks of the season, and Colston seems to have come alive as well. The Saints have some winnable games down the stretch, they might still be in the running. The NFC South, NFC West, and AFC West are the three divisions that can't seem to straighten themselves out, but if the Saints keep playing the way they are right now, they should have no problem taking the South, which is by far the most injured and blown-up in the NFL.
Packers over Broncos, 19-13
My Pick: Packers over Broncos, 23-17
Hey, this was a really entertaining game! The Packers found a way to win, and that was some call on the first play of overtime to make it happen. I love that attitude in a close game, the balls to call a play action pass and take a huge shot way down field against an elite cover corner. I also thought the Broncos looked good for a second weekend in a row, though they still have some obvious trouble scoring points. Brandon Marshall looked great in the last 3 minutes, you kind of wonder why the Broncos don't make a more concerted effort to get him the ball early in the game. This is two weeks in a row where his second half production has been solid after a first half in which he basically was a non-factor. The Broncos got a taste of their own medicine Monday night, losing the game in a flash on the final play. Anyway, good game, well worth the Monday night showcase in a week that had very few entertaining, close games.
Now, let's talk coaches.
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NFC East
You know what? I'm giving the old turd his place at the top for another week. Even though his Giants were sloppy and ugly, they still got the win, and Tom Coughlin has his team in a good position headed into their bye. They get two weeks to prepare for division and conference power Dallas, so we'll get a chance to learn a little more about the makeup of this team and Coughlin's abilities as a head coach. They played an ugly, awful game in London, let's hope that's not a trend. Grade: C+
Of course we'll let Wade Phillips stay in second place. I'm excited to see how his team looks coming off their bye week against a desperate Eagles team. If the Cowboys are caught looking past Philadelphia to their Week 10 showdown against New York, they could take a disappointing road loss that might sink them into second place in the NFC. I trust ol' Wade to keep these guys on track. Grade: N/A
Fuck it, because they won, and in winning, did not LOSE BY 45 POINTS, I'm giving Andy Reid and his Eagles a bump. They've got to solve their red-zone troubles, especially now that their defense is playing pretty well and they're mostly healthy. It's not too late for them to start making a little noise in the NFC East, they just need some momentum. They got a good win over a tough Vikings team on the road on Sunday. Grade: B
Joe Gibbs coached about the worst game I've seen in all the years I've been watching the NFL. No, his team didn't kill themselves with penalties. No, they didn't have bad clock management. No, they didn't come out lifeless. The playcalling was sad, pathetic, hopeless crap, and it was pretty clear to me that the Redskins didn't bother to game-plan for the Patriots at all. They used the same defensive look for the fourth week in a row, they failed to adjust when the Patriots were exploiting the underneath area of the field, and they had no offensive gameplan whatsoever. It was really a disgusting, depressing showing, and Gibbs and the entire coaching staff ought to be ashamed. Grade: F- (and that's as low as limbo sticks get.)
NFC North
Mike McCarthy's Packers keep finding the way. They won an ugly but entertaining primetime game on the road to keep pace with the Cowboys at the top of the NFC. There are two great compliments you can give a coach, in my opinion: 1) They win games by coaching to the strengths of their players, and 2) They consistently find ways to win. That about sums up McCarthy's term as head coach in Green Bay. Grade: B
It just has to be Rod Marinelli next. The Lions got a big division victory at home against the Bears, taking the season series and keeping themselves in the playoff hunt. They've established the running game in the last two weeks and preserved Kitna's health a little longer, and like McCarthy, Marinelli's team is finding ways to win football games. Grade: B+
Gotta go with Lovie Smith here. His Bears lost a winnable road game and are sinking out of the playoff picture, but they keep fighting, and they will the rest of the way. He certainly didn't do anything to make me think Brad Childress has surpassed him as a head coach for the season. Grade: C
And bringing up the rear we have the aforementioned Brad Childress. I think Childress might be listening to the pundits and fantasy football types a little too much. His backfield platoon was on fire, then he pulled the plug and the running game sucked. It also doesn't help when you have Kelly Holcomb firing about 10 too many passes, but that's nothing new for these Vikings. For whatever reason, Childress just doesn't want to commit to the run, and it's costing his team winnable games. Grade: C-
NFC South
Without a doubt, Jon Gruden is still at the top of this list. Even though his Bucs have dropped a couple of games recently, the fact that they're even in the discussion of playoff teams is really something. They should have beaten the Jags, who were starting Quinn Gray at quarterback, and if they had, they'd be back in the driver's seat in their division. Now they've got another tough home game coming against the Cardinals, and if they drop that one, it might be panic time in Tampa. Grade: C+
John Fox ought to look over his shoulder right about now. Though the Bucs are sliding a bit, the Saints are racing up the standings and have several winnable games in a row. There's no shame in losing to the Colts, but they took a real beating, and they're just a mess right now. If they can get back on track in Tennessee somehow, they have a chance of hanging around the playoff picture, but it doesn't look so good. Grade: C
The Saints are back on track, it seems, and I'm giving the credit to Sean Payton. The offense, which was really stinking up the joint in the first four weeks, seems to have found some rhythm, and the defense is playing quality football. They've got a relatively easy schedule for a few weeks, so they could really make up some ground in the playoff hunt. Sunday's game against Jacksonville had the look of being the only really tough matchup for them in several weeks, but with David Garrard out, the Saints are in prime position to take that one, too. Grade: B+
NFL fans will learn a little more about Bobby Petrino as an NFL head coach when his Falcons host the struggling 49ers on Sunday, after their bye week. There will no longer be a quarterback controversy in Atlanta, but has Petrino already wrecked the confidence of his starter by benching him too early? Can Atlanta solve their rushing problems? Will their defense have improved? Can they get healthy against the dismal Niners? We'll see, but I, for one, am not very optimistic. Grade: N/A
NFC West
Yeesh. Not much is going right in the NFC West, a division that was suppposed to be on the up-and-up in 2007. I'll be leaving Ken Wisenhunt at the top of this list until the Cardinals implode or the Seahawks catch fire. His team was off this Sunday, we'll see what he did with the two weeks to prepare for a crucial road game in Tampa Bay. Grade: N/A
It's only because the two guys behind him are either nose-diving or woefully incompetent that Mike Holmgren gets to stay in second place. It wasn't too long ago that his Seahawks looked like one of the most poorly coached teams in the league while dropping a humiliating loss to the Saints at home. Holmgren has had two weeks to prepare for his showdown with the soaring Browns in Cleveland, and his Seahawks are a healthy team. They need to figure out their running game and develop some consistency. Grade: N/A
What the hell has happened in San Francisco? Suddenly, Mike Nolan looks like one of the real duds in the NFL head coaching ranks, and the wheels have come off of his Niners team. They can't get any passing game going at all, and because of that, Frank Gore has absolutely nowhere to run. They need to get healthy against the Falcons on Sunday, or Nolan might lose his job. The offense in San Francisco has been abysmal since week 1, and ultimately it falls to Nolan to get things adjusted and working. Grade: D
What can you say about the Rams that hasn't already been said? They stink, and Scott Linehan is probably going to lose his job. Stephen Jackson played less than a half of "healthy" football before succumbing to a back injury on Sunday, the latest setback to the most disappointing offense in the NFL. The Browns are an explosive team and are playing good football, but this was one of very few games left on the Rams schedule that they had a real shot of winning. They played well in stretches, and their offense showed some life, but they just couldn't pull it off. Grade: C+
AFC East
Bravo, Bill Belichick. Bravo. Grade: A+
Not only is Dick Jauron the second best coach in the AFC East, he might be the favorite for coach of the year. He's doing a hell of a job with a young and very injured roster, and they got another great win on Sunday, taking the series from the awful Jets. Grade: B+
There's no way around making this a tie at the bottom. Cam Cameron's Dolphins played the Giants tough in London, but they didn't do shit with the ball and couldn't score in the double digits, while Eric Mangini's Jets took an ugly loss to the Bills. Both guys stink, and haven't gotten crap from their teams this year. As far as this week goes, both guys earned their losses. Grade: D
AFC North
There's no reason to move Mike Tomlin from the top. His Steelers took care of business on the road against a division foe, and now they're really running away with the North. They've got some tough games left, but they've got all the pieces to be a player in the post-season. Grade: B+
Romeo Crennell gets to keep his spot after his Browns did their job on the road against the winless Rams. They probably should have put this one away earlier and more definitively, but they're cruising along right now, beating the teams they ought to beat and building momentum. Grade: B
The Ravens were on a bye, but the Bengals sure didn't do anything to catapult Marvin Lewis ahead of his old boss, Brian Billick. The Ravens have a tough road game in Pittsburgh coming up on Monday night, and with two weeks to prepare, the Ravens ought to have a gameplan that gives them a chance to win. They're hanging on to respectability right now, and another loss here might make them an after-thought. Grade: N/A
The Death Clock is ticking on Marvin Lewis in Cincinnati. Stick a fork in their playoff hopes. For such a young team with so much Pro Bowl talent, you wouldn't expect to hear anyone suggest that it might be rebuilding time, but they seem to have a bad mix of players and poisonous chemistry in Cincy. Hopefully Marvin will get another shot down the line somewhere, but I think his time is up for the Bengals. Grade: D
AFC South
The Colts went into Carolina and thumped the hapless Panthers on Sunday, just as you'd expect a group coached by Tony Dungy to perform. Then he made the awesome, brilliant move of giving his players two days off this week. That's a not-too-subtle statement of absolute confidence from Dungy, and I think his players will really respond. He's not saying the game is in the bag, he's saying he doesn't need to coach 'em up for this game, that he's confident they'll be prepared to play and play well. Good for him. Grade: A
Jeff Fisher's Titans won an ugly, awful game in which they and their young quarterback played terribly. That's what great coaches do: they win games even when their teams don't play especially well. They'll probably need a better effort against the Panthers on Sunday, and I expect they'll get one. As we've learned in past seasons, the Panthers don't handle scrambling quarterbacks too well. Grade: B-
Jack Del Rio got a huge win on the road on Sunday behind his back-up quarterback. That was just great for them. That's all I have to say about that. Grade: A
The Texans continue to spiral downwards. They've reached the point where they are no longer able to gameplan around their lack of playmakers and their injuries. This must be pretty frustrating for Gary Kubiak, who has seen his team go from respectable to chump in the span of a few weeks. They really got their asses handed to them on Sunday Grade: C-
AFC West
Bloody hell, it looks like Norv Turner has elbowed his way to the top of this division. I'm not convinced he's a better coach than Lane Kiffin, but it's gotten too hard to prove he isn't, and because his team should enjoy a cakewalk to the division title from here on, he's got to get some credit for whatever role he played in turning things around. They pounded the Texans on Sunday and look like they've got some real momentum. Grade: A
From here on, it's a crapshoot. I guess I have to give the nod to Herm Edwards because his punchline Chiefs didn't lose on Sunday, something that distinguishes his nauseating bunch from the two other cellar-dwellers in his division. That these guys are even near .500 is an insult to football. Grade: N/A
I'm still giving the nod to Lane Kiffin, although whatever magic he was working earlier in the season seems to have worn off. I think he's a better coach than Herm Edwards, but Edwards has his awful team playing .500 football, whereas Kiffin's bunch have really fallen off. Their offense seems to have stalled altogether. Grade: D+
I crapped on Mike Shanahan several weeks ago, as I've crapped on him for most of the season. The truth is, Shanahan is the only coach in this division I'd be excited to have in Washington, and I truly think he's a better head coach than the rest of these guys. Give Kiffin a year or two and he'll be up there. But Shanahan's Broncos just don't score many points, they can't stop the running game for jack, and they're what, 6 points from being 0-7? That's not much to hang your hat on. Grade: C+
Let's take a look at the games from this weekend. I thought it was a pretty good Sunday, full of excitement, and the league seems to be taking shape a little bit. Road teams went a whopping 9-3 on Sunday! What the hell?!
Colts over Panthers, 31-7
My Pick: Colts over Panthers, 28-20
The Colts got the road show started by overcoming a slow, sloppy start by Manning to easily shut down the Panthers. Joseph Addai had a monster game, and in the end, the Colts did exactly what they should have done, which is take it to the Panthers by a wide margin. The Panthers fans probably expected a loss in this one, but just like we Skins fans, they're probably quite troubled by the final margin. Now the bad news for Indy: the Patriots are coming to town. There are only a couple of teams and coaches who I think have a chance of getting a win over New England, and Indianapolis is at the top of that list. Go Indy! By the way, how great a coach is Tony Dungy? He gave his players Monday and Tuesday off this week, the first time all season they've had two days off in a week. I love it. This guy oozes professionalism and quiet confidence in his team. They might lose the game, but it won't be because their coach limps in with his tail between his legs and his balls on a shelf (do you hear that, Redskins?).
Steelers over Bengals, 24-13
My Pick: Steelers over Bengals, 31-24
Well, stick a fork in the Bengals, and stick a fork in Marvin Lewis. My next hobby will be to look around the NFL and predict which franchise will land Lewis as their next defensive coordinator. Some smart-guy on ESPN labeled the Bengals the NFL's most immature team, and he was exactly right. You know, there are worse defenses in the NFL than the Bengals, and there are many, many worse offenses. The Bengals don't lose because they have a weak defense or an erratic offense, they lose because they don't have a friggin' clue how to win a football game. They're just a collection of individuals on offense, each man is an island. They've got no identity, no guts, no balls. It's time to blow it up in Cincinnati. The Steelers needed this win, now they just need to develop some consistency on the road.
Lions over Bears, 16-7
My Pick: Bears over Lions, 24-17
Great win for the Lions, who are starting to look like a legitimate playoff team. The Bears aren't exactly . . .well . . .much of anything, but they also aren't the Rams, and a road win to take the series against the big-shit in your division is a big deal for last year's bottom dweller. For the second week in a row, the Lions won a tough, ugly game against a team thought to be tougher and more physical. Against all odds, I actually like the Bears. They're tough and scrappy, and they just refuse to lie down. The poor play of Cedric Benson, the awful play of Rex Grossman, and the up-and-down play of Brian Griese have not been enough to convince this bunch that they're a cellar-dweller, and that's a credit to Lovie Smith.
Titans over Raiders, 13-9
My Pick: Titans over Raiders, 20-10
Yuk, what a hideous game. The Titans need more from Vince Young, plain and simple. The Raiders are doing what most thought they would, which is lose ugly games. I'm happy the Titans won the game, but that was an awful, ugly, unwatchable game.
Browns over Rams, 27-20
My Pick: Browns over Rams, 34-20
This one was closer than I thought it might be, but the result was predictable. The Rams played tough in the first half and showed some life. Most importantly, Stephen Jackson looked great. Then he went down with a back injury, and in the end, this might be the worst offense by Scott Linehan in his short term as head coach of the Rams: what's the point of rushing your superstar tailback out there in a lost season? A groin injury that costs you 5.5 weeks of football is nothing to sniff at, and if it turns out that letting Jackson go out there in week 8 caused the back injury, that's got to be the nail in Linehan's coffin. Good win for the Browns, great performance from Derek Anderson and Braylon Edwards. It's getting harder and harder to imagine a circumstance in which Brady Quinn sees the field this season. Anderson is a free-agent after this season, so I think the likeliest scenario is a sign-and-trade. The Browns better get something for him when they let him go. It'd be a crime to put him back on the bench, or even bullshit around with some "open competition" at the spot in the offseason. Anderson is one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL through 8 weeks, there's no way he should be competing with a second year player for his job in the off-season.
Eagles over Vikings, 23-16
My Pick: Vikings over Eagles, 24-21
It's hard for me to imagine this Eagles team consistently losing, so I'm never shocked when they win, especially not against teams like the Vikings. There's officially no reason to play Kelly Holcomb over Tarvaris Jackson. The Vikings won't be doing anything through the air with either guy, you might as well start the kid and let him run around a little. The Eagles have actually had one of the NFL's toughest run defenses this season, so it's not exactly a shocker that the Vikings failed to control the clock and dominate on the ground, but once again Brad Childress failed to make even a token commitment toward that cause. Just a reminder: when the Raiders wanted to win a game by dominating on the ground, they ran the ball 45 times for almost 300 yards. When you're choosing between Kelly Holcomb and Tarvaris Jackson at quarterback and you've got the NFL's leading rusher and he's not even the guy that led your team in rushing last year, maybe you want to run the hell out of the ball. Childress doesn't know what the hell he's doing.
Giants over Dolphins, 13-10
My Pick: Giants over Dolphins, 31-17
Ha ha, what a shitty game! London, we give you the N-F-L!!!
Bills over Jets, 13-3
My Pick: Bills over Jets, 21-20
Man do the Jets stink. I was glad to see Losman come in the game for the Bills and immediately hook up with Lee Evans on an 80-yard touchdown strike that iced the game. That's what the fuck I'm talking about. I've got nothing against Trent Edwards, but if the rumors from Buffalo are true and the Bills are favoring Edwards so they don't have to pay Losman a lucrative deal in the off-season, you can forget about me ever rooting for the Bills again. I know that franchise is in trouble, I know they're planning games in Toronto to try to make a little money and keep the team in Buffalo, I know there's a lot of talk about moving this team to LA. That's all a shame; I really like the Bills franchise and I love that there are a few teams in small markets in the NFL. But if they hose the NFL's 11th rated passer in 2006, a young, talented player with a bright future, to save a few bucks on a mid-round rookie they'll eventually have to pull the same stunt on in a few years, they don't deserve to stay in Buffalo. They're selling their fans and players up the river, and that's a crock.
Chargers over Texans, 35-10
My Pick: Chargers over Texans, 31-17
The truth is, I couldn't be happier that the Chargers seem to have turned things around a little. I like most of their players, I even have a soft spot for Norv. On the other hand, the poor, poor Texans are spiraling down to the bottom of the AFC. What a shame. For a team that had real hopes for their 2007 season, they're looking at a long, long second half. You know a "playoff hopeful" is in big trouble when you look at the box score and wonder how you ever thought they were going to win games in the first place. That's the Jets, Niners, Texans, and Bears for ya.
Jaguars over Bucs, 24-23
My Pick: Bucs over Jaguars, 20-10
What a huge disappointment for the Bucs, who really needed this game. I'm telling you, their injuries are really catching up to them. There's only so much Jeff Garcia can do to win a game. This is an equally huge win for the Jaguars, who went from Wild-Card driver seat to top-10 draft pick in the span of one ugly sack of David Garrard. They don't need to win every game with Quinn Gray, they just need to stay close to the pack, and Jack Del Rio, the son of a bitch himself, had a game plan to get it done. They pounded the hell out of the football, played their asses off on defense, and didn't let the young guy lose it for them. Jeff Garcia threw three picks in this game, which is bound to happen when both teams, the media, and everyone in the stadium knows the outcome of the game is going to come down to him making big throws over and over again into one of the NFL's toughest defenses. The Bucs might need to start worrying about their post-season hopes.
Patriots over Redskins, 52-7
My Pick: Patriots over Redskins, 31-21
The Redskins players gave it their all, and fuck you if you say otherwise. They didn't miss tackles, they didn't half-ass it, they didn't kill themselves with penalties. They got their asses handed to them by a better team, and their coaches called one of the worst games in Redskins history. The Skins came out in the exact same defensive look they used in the last 4 games, a white-flag of surrender when you're playing against the best team in the NFL in any season. The Patriots did exactly what you'd expect them to do, which is take the underneath stuff and march right up the field. Did the Redskins respond, did they adjust, did they throw in a wrinkle to mix it up? No. At no point in the game did Joe Gibbs or Gregg Williams pull their heads out of their asses long enough to notice that every Patriots first down came on a 5 yard pass underneath the linebackers to a speedy receiver who easily outran the first defender. In a game where the Redskins desperately needed to control the clock, they allowed the Patriots to dink and dunk their way up the field all day long, including an 8 minute drive to start the second half. In a game where the Redskins desperately needed to force turnovers, they had the perfect defensive plan to never force Tom Brady to look downfield or force anything. What was the Redskins offensive game plan? Apparently, they had the brilliant idea of throwing receiver screens and hitches over and over again, allowing the Patriots defenders to come forward to the ball all day long. Did they ever challenge the safeties? Did they ever EVER try to work the middle of the field? No, not once. Of all the games the Patriots have played this season, that was the first time any coaching staff has simply laid down in front of them and thrown up the white flag. To think that a collection of prideful players would go out and bust their asses against a superior opponent, and have their pussy-ass, bitch-made coaches have their tails between their legs and surrender so utterly is absolutely inexcusable. My brother thinks the Skins need to fire someone immediately after that embarrassing showing, and I'm afraid to point the finger on that one, but I'll say this: this is no longer your grandfather's NFL, when you go out there and try to make it look like you're having a hard time moving the ball up the field. And when I say "your grandfather", I am of course speaking to Joe Gibbs' grandchildren. Anyway, I'm over it. As Manny Ramirez would put it, it's not the end of the world. The Skins are a game above .500 with a contest against the god-awful Jets in Week 9.
Saints over 49ers, 31-10
My Pick: 49ers over Saints, 23-17
Yeesh, how bad are the 49ers? They are flat-out terrible, one of the truly awful teams in the NFL. They're absolutely killing Frank Gore this season. I was pretty psyched about Mike Nolan as a head coach at the start of the season, but the Niners seem to have taken a mighty step backwards this season, and it's not because they had to start Trent Dilfer for a few games, though that didn't help. It's good to see the Saints building a little momentum, the NFC could use a few good teams down the stretch. Drew Brees is doing what he can to make people forget about his play in the first four weeks of the season, and Colston seems to have come alive as well. The Saints have some winnable games down the stretch, they might still be in the running. The NFC South, NFC West, and AFC West are the three divisions that can't seem to straighten themselves out, but if the Saints keep playing the way they are right now, they should have no problem taking the South, which is by far the most injured and blown-up in the NFL.
Packers over Broncos, 19-13
My Pick: Packers over Broncos, 23-17
Hey, this was a really entertaining game! The Packers found a way to win, and that was some call on the first play of overtime to make it happen. I love that attitude in a close game, the balls to call a play action pass and take a huge shot way down field against an elite cover corner. I also thought the Broncos looked good for a second weekend in a row, though they still have some obvious trouble scoring points. Brandon Marshall looked great in the last 3 minutes, you kind of wonder why the Broncos don't make a more concerted effort to get him the ball early in the game. This is two weeks in a row where his second half production has been solid after a first half in which he basically was a non-factor. The Broncos got a taste of their own medicine Monday night, losing the game in a flash on the final play. Anyway, good game, well worth the Monday night showcase in a week that had very few entertaining, close games.
Now, let's talk coaches.
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NFC East
You know what? I'm giving the old turd his place at the top for another week. Even though his Giants were sloppy and ugly, they still got the win, and Tom Coughlin has his team in a good position headed into their bye. They get two weeks to prepare for division and conference power Dallas, so we'll get a chance to learn a little more about the makeup of this team and Coughlin's abilities as a head coach. They played an ugly, awful game in London, let's hope that's not a trend. Grade: C+
Of course we'll let Wade Phillips stay in second place. I'm excited to see how his team looks coming off their bye week against a desperate Eagles team. If the Cowboys are caught looking past Philadelphia to their Week 10 showdown against New York, they could take a disappointing road loss that might sink them into second place in the NFC. I trust ol' Wade to keep these guys on track. Grade: N/A
Fuck it, because they won, and in winning, did not LOSE BY 45 POINTS, I'm giving Andy Reid and his Eagles a bump. They've got to solve their red-zone troubles, especially now that their defense is playing pretty well and they're mostly healthy. It's not too late for them to start making a little noise in the NFC East, they just need some momentum. They got a good win over a tough Vikings team on the road on Sunday. Grade: B
Joe Gibbs coached about the worst game I've seen in all the years I've been watching the NFL. No, his team didn't kill themselves with penalties. No, they didn't have bad clock management. No, they didn't come out lifeless. The playcalling was sad, pathetic, hopeless crap, and it was pretty clear to me that the Redskins didn't bother to game-plan for the Patriots at all. They used the same defensive look for the fourth week in a row, they failed to adjust when the Patriots were exploiting the underneath area of the field, and they had no offensive gameplan whatsoever. It was really a disgusting, depressing showing, and Gibbs and the entire coaching staff ought to be ashamed. Grade: F- (and that's as low as limbo sticks get.)
NFC North
Mike McCarthy's Packers keep finding the way. They won an ugly but entertaining primetime game on the road to keep pace with the Cowboys at the top of the NFC. There are two great compliments you can give a coach, in my opinion: 1) They win games by coaching to the strengths of their players, and 2) They consistently find ways to win. That about sums up McCarthy's term as head coach in Green Bay. Grade: B
It just has to be Rod Marinelli next. The Lions got a big division victory at home against the Bears, taking the season series and keeping themselves in the playoff hunt. They've established the running game in the last two weeks and preserved Kitna's health a little longer, and like McCarthy, Marinelli's team is finding ways to win football games. Grade: B+
Gotta go with Lovie Smith here. His Bears lost a winnable road game and are sinking out of the playoff picture, but they keep fighting, and they will the rest of the way. He certainly didn't do anything to make me think Brad Childress has surpassed him as a head coach for the season. Grade: C
And bringing up the rear we have the aforementioned Brad Childress. I think Childress might be listening to the pundits and fantasy football types a little too much. His backfield platoon was on fire, then he pulled the plug and the running game sucked. It also doesn't help when you have Kelly Holcomb firing about 10 too many passes, but that's nothing new for these Vikings. For whatever reason, Childress just doesn't want to commit to the run, and it's costing his team winnable games. Grade: C-
NFC South
Without a doubt, Jon Gruden is still at the top of this list. Even though his Bucs have dropped a couple of games recently, the fact that they're even in the discussion of playoff teams is really something. They should have beaten the Jags, who were starting Quinn Gray at quarterback, and if they had, they'd be back in the driver's seat in their division. Now they've got another tough home game coming against the Cardinals, and if they drop that one, it might be panic time in Tampa. Grade: C+
John Fox ought to look over his shoulder right about now. Though the Bucs are sliding a bit, the Saints are racing up the standings and have several winnable games in a row. There's no shame in losing to the Colts, but they took a real beating, and they're just a mess right now. If they can get back on track in Tennessee somehow, they have a chance of hanging around the playoff picture, but it doesn't look so good. Grade: C
The Saints are back on track, it seems, and I'm giving the credit to Sean Payton. The offense, which was really stinking up the joint in the first four weeks, seems to have found some rhythm, and the defense is playing quality football. They've got a relatively easy schedule for a few weeks, so they could really make up some ground in the playoff hunt. Sunday's game against Jacksonville had the look of being the only really tough matchup for them in several weeks, but with David Garrard out, the Saints are in prime position to take that one, too. Grade: B+
NFL fans will learn a little more about Bobby Petrino as an NFL head coach when his Falcons host the struggling 49ers on Sunday, after their bye week. There will no longer be a quarterback controversy in Atlanta, but has Petrino already wrecked the confidence of his starter by benching him too early? Can Atlanta solve their rushing problems? Will their defense have improved? Can they get healthy against the dismal Niners? We'll see, but I, for one, am not very optimistic. Grade: N/A
NFC West
Yeesh. Not much is going right in the NFC West, a division that was suppposed to be on the up-and-up in 2007. I'll be leaving Ken Wisenhunt at the top of this list until the Cardinals implode or the Seahawks catch fire. His team was off this Sunday, we'll see what he did with the two weeks to prepare for a crucial road game in Tampa Bay. Grade: N/A
It's only because the two guys behind him are either nose-diving or woefully incompetent that Mike Holmgren gets to stay in second place. It wasn't too long ago that his Seahawks looked like one of the most poorly coached teams in the league while dropping a humiliating loss to the Saints at home. Holmgren has had two weeks to prepare for his showdown with the soaring Browns in Cleveland, and his Seahawks are a healthy team. They need to figure out their running game and develop some consistency. Grade: N/A
What the hell has happened in San Francisco? Suddenly, Mike Nolan looks like one of the real duds in the NFL head coaching ranks, and the wheels have come off of his Niners team. They can't get any passing game going at all, and because of that, Frank Gore has absolutely nowhere to run. They need to get healthy against the Falcons on Sunday, or Nolan might lose his job. The offense in San Francisco has been abysmal since week 1, and ultimately it falls to Nolan to get things adjusted and working. Grade: D
What can you say about the Rams that hasn't already been said? They stink, and Scott Linehan is probably going to lose his job. Stephen Jackson played less than a half of "healthy" football before succumbing to a back injury on Sunday, the latest setback to the most disappointing offense in the NFL. The Browns are an explosive team and are playing good football, but this was one of very few games left on the Rams schedule that they had a real shot of winning. They played well in stretches, and their offense showed some life, but they just couldn't pull it off. Grade: C+
AFC East
Bravo, Bill Belichick. Bravo. Grade: A+
Not only is Dick Jauron the second best coach in the AFC East, he might be the favorite for coach of the year. He's doing a hell of a job with a young and very injured roster, and they got another great win on Sunday, taking the series from the awful Jets. Grade: B+
There's no way around making this a tie at the bottom. Cam Cameron's Dolphins played the Giants tough in London, but they didn't do shit with the ball and couldn't score in the double digits, while Eric Mangini's Jets took an ugly loss to the Bills. Both guys stink, and haven't gotten crap from their teams this year. As far as this week goes, both guys earned their losses. Grade: D
AFC North
There's no reason to move Mike Tomlin from the top. His Steelers took care of business on the road against a division foe, and now they're really running away with the North. They've got some tough games left, but they've got all the pieces to be a player in the post-season. Grade: B+
Romeo Crennell gets to keep his spot after his Browns did their job on the road against the winless Rams. They probably should have put this one away earlier and more definitively, but they're cruising along right now, beating the teams they ought to beat and building momentum. Grade: B
The Ravens were on a bye, but the Bengals sure didn't do anything to catapult Marvin Lewis ahead of his old boss, Brian Billick. The Ravens have a tough road game in Pittsburgh coming up on Monday night, and with two weeks to prepare, the Ravens ought to have a gameplan that gives them a chance to win. They're hanging on to respectability right now, and another loss here might make them an after-thought. Grade: N/A
The Death Clock is ticking on Marvin Lewis in Cincinnati. Stick a fork in their playoff hopes. For such a young team with so much Pro Bowl talent, you wouldn't expect to hear anyone suggest that it might be rebuilding time, but they seem to have a bad mix of players and poisonous chemistry in Cincy. Hopefully Marvin will get another shot down the line somewhere, but I think his time is up for the Bengals. Grade: D
AFC South
The Colts went into Carolina and thumped the hapless Panthers on Sunday, just as you'd expect a group coached by Tony Dungy to perform. Then he made the awesome, brilliant move of giving his players two days off this week. That's a not-too-subtle statement of absolute confidence from Dungy, and I think his players will really respond. He's not saying the game is in the bag, he's saying he doesn't need to coach 'em up for this game, that he's confident they'll be prepared to play and play well. Good for him. Grade: A
Jeff Fisher's Titans won an ugly, awful game in which they and their young quarterback played terribly. That's what great coaches do: they win games even when their teams don't play especially well. They'll probably need a better effort against the Panthers on Sunday, and I expect they'll get one. As we've learned in past seasons, the Panthers don't handle scrambling quarterbacks too well. Grade: B-
Jack Del Rio got a huge win on the road on Sunday behind his back-up quarterback. That was just great for them. That's all I have to say about that. Grade: A
The Texans continue to spiral downwards. They've reached the point where they are no longer able to gameplan around their lack of playmakers and their injuries. This must be pretty frustrating for Gary Kubiak, who has seen his team go from respectable to chump in the span of a few weeks. They really got their asses handed to them on Sunday Grade: C-
AFC West
Bloody hell, it looks like Norv Turner has elbowed his way to the top of this division. I'm not convinced he's a better coach than Lane Kiffin, but it's gotten too hard to prove he isn't, and because his team should enjoy a cakewalk to the division title from here on, he's got to get some credit for whatever role he played in turning things around. They pounded the Texans on Sunday and look like they've got some real momentum. Grade: A
From here on, it's a crapshoot. I guess I have to give the nod to Herm Edwards because his punchline Chiefs didn't lose on Sunday, something that distinguishes his nauseating bunch from the two other cellar-dwellers in his division. That these guys are even near .500 is an insult to football. Grade: N/A
I'm still giving the nod to Lane Kiffin, although whatever magic he was working earlier in the season seems to have worn off. I think he's a better coach than Herm Edwards, but Edwards has his awful team playing .500 football, whereas Kiffin's bunch have really fallen off. Their offense seems to have stalled altogether. Grade: D+
I crapped on Mike Shanahan several weeks ago, as I've crapped on him for most of the season. The truth is, Shanahan is the only coach in this division I'd be excited to have in Washington, and I truly think he's a better head coach than the rest of these guys. Give Kiffin a year or two and he'll be up there. But Shanahan's Broncos just don't score many points, they can't stop the running game for jack, and they're what, 6 points from being 0-7? That's not much to hang your hat on. Grade: C+
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