NFL Week 10: The Mighty Have Fallen

Just a few weeks ago we were ready to crown a few teams because of their remarkable play. Now some of these teams once considered mighty have began to fall from their throne and the usual suspects have started to reclaim what was theirs.

By week 7, the hottest teams in the NFL were the Chiefs, Steelers, Ravens, and the Giants. They all appeared to be headed in the right direction and on a pace to collide in divisional championships. This weekend was unkind to all of these teams as they were beaten rather easily by teams that have begun their upstart.

Every week we listen to talk radio, ESPN analysts, and sports personalities over glamorize NFL franchises. One week Pittsburgh is the greatest team since the game has been invented. The next week the Giants are destined to win the Super Bowl. Then you will hear someone murmur how great the Ravens are and that they will surely be the AFC champions. The reality of the situation is that there is so much parity in the league that you can never really tell who is going to win. It is a matter of structure, will to win, coaching, and a little luck.

Who would have thought that the Jacksonville Jaguars would have a winning record after nine games? Granted luck has played a part in that, but I always say “You have to put yourself in position for luck to even matter.” So hats off to the Jaguars for their success.

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Cowboys Fans: Hope Is Not All Gone But It Is On Life Support

John Kitna is now the starting quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. Let me first say that I by no means think he is as good as Tony Romo but I think this might end up being a good thing. I know it sounds kinda crazy and I have had a few drinks since Tony Romo went down last night but let me explain.

First John Kitna is a pretty good passer. He has a live arm and if given the reps can be a reputable replacement. He doesn't have the skills that a Tony Romo possesses but he offers a glimmer of hope. Now Jason Garrett will not feel obligated to throw the ball 50 plus times a game. The Cowboys game plans now should consist of shortening the game. That would mean running the football more. 

The defense can't quit like they did on Monday night versus the Giants. They played like they saw a ghost and the last two touchdowns by Jacobs and Manningham were unacceptable. Once Kitna started catching up to the flow of the game he showed he could still play. 

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NFL 2010 Week 2: It’s Early But There Are A Few Teams To Keep An Eye On

Week 2 of the NFL season is telling the real fans of football who can play and which teams are legit. Regardless of what was said about you at the beginning of the season, you have to put up or shut up in the league that doesn’t take anyone or anything for granted. Two weeks are proof that anything can happen with proper preparation, good coaching, and perfect execution in all three phases of the game.

A few teams have started out 2 – 0 and others are now 0 – 2. There is no doubt that starting good is important to ticket sales and ownership perceptions of teams, but how you finish is more important than how you start. Some of the teams that we have seen this year so far aren’t showing any signs of improvement while others look much better than the EXPERTS had given them credit for.

Summary of Week 2

The Green Bay Packers are as good as advertised. The Packer’s even without Ryan Grant are pretty darn good. Aaron Rodgers is solid and the Packers have a slew of wide receivers that they can throw at you. The surprising thing is the Packers defense. They are fast and aggressive. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Packers are playing their final game in the new Texas Stadium, although it is highly unlikely without a solid running game.

The York Jets have the Patriots number. For some reason the Jets are one of the few teams that can control Randy Moss (Mr. Outside) and Wes Welker (Mr. Inside). Mr. Revis gave up one touchdown to Randy Moss, but the Jets shut Mr. Outside down as he only had 2 catches for 38 yards.

The Dallas Cowboys offense is anemic at best. Everyone knows that I love the Dallas Cowboys but their offense has been bad the past few games. For some reason Tony Romo’s delivery looks awkward and his accuracy isn’t what it used to be. If Romo doesn’t pick it up, the Dallas Cowboys will be in

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2010 NFL Week 1: A Week In Review

Week 1 of the NFL Season is almost in the books and there are a few things that I learned this weekend. When I blogged last week about my 20 guarantees for this NFL Season, I caught a little flack for a few of my statements but it looks like I might have been on point for most or all of the predictions that I made.

The opening week of the NFL season is usually full of intrigue. You usually have an upset, a team that gets destroyed, and a few players that take the league by surprise. This years opener was more of the same. The week will conclude tonight with two games on Monday Night Football which has become a staple over the last few seasons. Although week 1 is not complete, I want to give you my assessment of the opening weekend.

1. The Offensive Line Play in the NFL is below standard. I saw more holding than I think I have ever seen in NFL games this weekend. I think offensive linemen have gotten too heavy, so they don’t have the footwork that they used to have.
2. You might want to take the Seattle Seahawks and Pete Carroll seriously. Yeah I know they beat up on the San Francisco 49ers but the Seahawks looked convincing in doing so. It is amazing what Pete Carroll has done with this team in such a short amount of time. I also cannot believe the resurgence of Mike Williams. I guess with a little structure any team can get better.
3. Michael Crabtree quit on the 49ers. Watching Michael Crabtree run routes yesterday made me sick to my stomach. I am not a 49ers fan, but I can tell when a player is bull jiving when running routes. It won’t take long for Mike Singletary to get him in gear or he will be watching and not playing.
4. Jason Garrett is the worst offensive coordinator in the NFL. This guy has weapons beyond weapons, but he is a gimmick play machine. The thing is he doesn’t have to be. He has the most potent running attack in the league but he is hell bent on passing the ball on every down.
5. Chris Collinsworth has a man crush on Fat Albert Haynesworth. Collinsworth seemed to point out every time Albert did something wrong. It is apparent that Collinsworth had been instructed to point out Haynesworth’s bad plays and insubordination by someone at NBC last night. But Chris took it too far last night. Mr. Collinsworth if you were paying attention there were no defensive linemen in the photo, just linebackers and defensive backs. So Chris STFU.

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The 5 Reasons the Dallas Cowboys Should Be Concerned In 2010

Updated on Tuesday, October 26, 2010 at 9:38AM by Joe Simmons

The Dallas Cowboys have looked like a very ordinary team this off season. They haven’t looked at any point in the pre season like a team that is ready to erupt. Of course it’s pre season, and of course they are keeping it as we say in coaching terms “vanilla”, but you should still see some signs of explosive capability in all three phases of the game at some point.

The Cowboys weren’t that active in preseason roster moves and the only major additions to the team were through the draft. As a lifelong Cowboys fan it pains me to see some of the things that I have seen this off-season. When I started blogging I said that I would call things the way I see them without any bias.

So here is my take on the 5 reasons the Cowboys should be concerned in 2010:

1. The Kicking Game is unproven. Letting Nick Folk go last year made since because he had lost his confidence and needed a change of scenery. The Cowboys didn’t address this issue in the draft or free agency; they chose to address it by promoting kickoff specialist David Buehler. He has not been a field goal kicker at any point in his professional career and has not had to even handle the pressures of clutch kicking in college either. Having an unproven kicker can cost you many games in the NFL.

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