NFL: Thanksgiving Day Review

Green Bay def. Detroit 34-12:

Pretty quiet first half, followed by an offensive explosion by the Packers towards the end. The Lions had a meagre 83 yards in total offense three minutes into the third quarter. Their running game never got off the bus, it seems, and as a result, Matt Stafford was called upon to throw the rock 43 times, completing only 20 of those attempts for a lone TD and 213 yards. He also threw 4 INTs. I understand that the Lions are not exactly in a good place offensively, but a 30.5 QB rating is terrible, as is Stafford's TD to INT ratio. Stafford will be good...as soon as he is no longer required to force throws into bad places because a) the offensive line can't protect him and b) the running game is a non entity.

On the other side of the football, the Packers tried their best to lose the game in the first half, turning over the ball and missing a FG attempt. In the end, their offense won the day. Despite little in the way of offensive line talent, Aaron Rodgers, the most sacked QB in the NFL this year, put up strong individual numbers today - 28/39 for 348 yards and 3 TDs - which will please anyone who has him starting as their fantasy QB. Of course, it's the Detroit D so we shouldn't get too excited!

The Galloping Gobler award handed out by FOX was one by Donald Driver. He had a lazy 7 receptions for 142 yards and a score, a nice 20.3 yard-per-catch average. Let's not forget, people, that this is the same trophy that Emmitt Smith decided in 2002 looked like Cris Collinsworth. In 2007, Brett Favre won it. When asked by Joe Buck about the excitement of getting such a prestigious trophy, Favre replied, "Well, I guess it's better than not getting it."

Dallas def. Oakland 24-7:

Wow, the NFL schedulers are owed a case of Bud from Jerry Jones and the Cowboys. Their last four Thanksgiving Classic opponents have been Oakland, Seattle the NY Jets, and, back in 2006, Tampa Bay. Not exactly tough match-ups either at the time or right now. That explains why the Cowboys haven't lost since 2003 in regulation and 2005 in OT.

You kinda had the thought that maybe the Raiders, who've killed giants including Cincinnati and Philadelphia this season, might have a shot. They seem to have found some life with new QB Bruce Gradkowski, who is somewhat less horrible (but still horrible) than the man he displaced, JaMarcus Russell. Unfortunately, no one told the Raiders that they were supposed to play the spoiler this Turkey Day. They were down 17-0 before they got on the board, Gradkowski's lone TD of the day.

Tony Romo, on the other hand, threw for two scores and 304 yards, while the Dallas D did their job, getting to Gradkowski three times. Romo should thank Miles Austin, who had 7 receptions for 145 yards and a score. Apparently disgruntled receiver Roy Williams - a new T.O.?? - scored the other from Romo, and Felix Jones ran one in, taking it a whopping 46 yards. So much for the Raiders defense being their best unit. Doesn't say much about the offense, does it?

While not as...interesting as the Galloping Gobler over on FOX, Miles Austin won CBS' All-Iron Award for MVP.

Denver def. NY Giants 26-6:

The tale of two teams who started out really well, and have faded terribly in the month or so since. The Giants started out 5-0, the Broncos 6-0. Coming in, both teams were 6-4. New York had won last week, the Broncos hadn't won since they were undefeated at 6-0. Whoever lost this game was always going to find it tough to get to the playoffs. Both teams have lost handy grasps on their respective division titles, so Wild Card berths were the only hope.

Much as it pains me to say as a proud Big Blue supporter, the Broncos played all over the top of the Giants. Kyle Orton looked a little like QB we saw leading the team to a 6-0 start. Their running game was good. The Giants simply could not stop them. Their defense was excellent. Dumervil got Manning 3 times, and Brian Dawkins led from the front, like everyone knew he could. That players-only meeting apparently worked.

As for the Giants, their effort on offense was just as poor. Manning was 20/40 for 230 yards, no scores and one INT. Orton went 18/28 for 245 yards, a TD and an INT. Basically, though, he just needed to hand the rock to Corell Buckhalter (51 yards) and Knowshon Moreno (88 yards and a TD) and watch things happen. Perhaps this will be the win that gets the Broncos back on track. They certainly looked a different football team tonight as compared with the last few weeks. More like the impressive team that beat Dallas and Cincinnati and New England on the way to 6-0. We shouldn't make plans to cricuify Josh McDaniels just yet.

Brandon Marshall won the NFL-N MVP Award, but half of America couldn't see the game, so it hardly counts!

NCAA College Football: Rivalry Weekend Players Of The Week

There've been so many stand-out performances on this crazy final week of the college football regular season, so I have a few candidates from three categories - runners, receivers and QBs. Let's roll:

Passing:

Todd Reesing, Kansas: 37/55, 498 yards, 4 TDs and 1 INT
Riley Skinner, Wake Forest: 30/40, 391 yards, 5 TDs
Jerod Johnson, Texas A&M: 26/33, 342 yards, 4 TDs and 1 INT
Tony Pike, Cincinnati: 32/46, 399 yards, 6 TDs
Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame: 23/30, 340 yards and 5 TDs

Rushing:

Toby Gerhart, Stanford: 205 yards and 3 TDs on 29 carries (7.1 yard average)
Curtis Steele, Memphis: 232 yards and 4 TDs on 19 carries (12.2 yard average)
Colt McCoy, Texas: 175 yards and 1 TD on 18 carries (9.7 yard average)

Receiving:

Dezmon Briscoe, Kansas: 14 receptions for 242 yards and 2 TDs (17.3 yard average)
Danario Alexander, Missouri: 15 receptions for 234 yards and 1 TD (15.6 yard average)
Golden Tate, Notre Dame: 10 receptions for 201 yards and 3 TDs (20.1 yard average)

Sheesh, that Border War was a football match and a half!!

NFL: Week Ten Review

San Francisco def. Chicago 10-6: A game both teams really needed. San Francisco managed to steal the W, but they were far from convincing. It's fair to say that this wasn't the greatest way for the NFL Network to begin their late-season slate of Thursday night games. Actually, it's a wonder that the crowd managed to stay awake during this snoozer. Jake Cutler threw 5 INTs on the night and could scarcely get the Bears offense rolling when he was actually able to hold onto the football. The Bears defense is a shadow of it's former self. It's almost sad to see. Lovie Smith might be in trouble in the Windy City.

Minnesota def. Detroit 27-10: A sloppy game of football, where the Vikings had given up 10 penalties midway through the third quarter, including some big ones on defense that extended Lion drives. The Vikings looked like they wanted to be anywhere but inside the Metrodome this afternoon and it showed in their execution. Even the normally excitable Brett Favre seemed bored with the football game. A win is a win, but it wasn't a victory that would be striking fear into the hearts of their opponents down the road.

Miami def. Tampa Bay 25-23: The Battle of Florida was more notable for an injury to Dolphin Ronnie Brown than for any explosive football. The Bucs couldn't back up their surprise victory - their first for the season - last week vs. Green Bay. There's plenty more pain in future for Tampa Bay fans. Dolphins faithful might be feeling something similar is Brown, a key cog in their Wildcat machine, is out for any stretch of time.

Jacksonville def. NY Jets 24-22: Just as their cross-town Giants showed promise early and are falling apart, the Jets seem to have the same disease. They lost to a not-very-good Jacksonville team today. All those who started hailing Mark Sanchez as an instant NY legend, nicknaming him "Sanchise" must feel pretty stupid, really. No one from USC is enjoying very much right now. At least there isn't the malcontent that infested the team this time last year when Eric Mangini was in charge.

Cincinnati def. Pittsburgh 18-12: If you didn't believe in the Bengals before today, I'm sorry, but there's no room left for you on the Cincy Band Wagon. We're all full - and I'm riding up the front. The Bengals have always had the talent. It's been injuries that have held them back in the past. With Carson Palmer going strong, the Bengals look a different team. Cedric Benson's injury will be closely monitored, as will Troy Polamalu's. So nice to have competition in the AFC North. Well, Mike Tomlin might not think so, but I certainly do.

New Orleans def. St Louis 28-23: New Orleans are going to lose in a stinker. I can see it happening sooner rather than later. The Saints have played bad teams and not exactly shone over the last few weeks. One day, it's going to come back and bite them. There's never an 'easy' game in the NFL. Right now, the Saints don't look as good to me as they did earlier in the year. From my vantage point, they are simply going through the motions, maybe a little complacently. They need a strong win against a good team to get the zip back. Still, a win is a win.

Tennessee def. Buffalo 41-17: Vince Young obviously makes a difference to the Titans. Okay, maybe not as much as a rampaging Chris Johnson, but the presence of the former Texas Longhorn (and Tennessee fiurst round pick) is encouraging. This football team is playing in very much a rejuvinated fashion. This is more like the team we expected to see at the start of the year. Three wins on the trot is good, but the Titans have dug themselves too deep a hole to claw out of this year. The less said about the Bills the better. It seems like Buffalo, NYJ and Miami are going out of their way to lay down and hand over the AFC East title to New England. The Patriots will take it, too.

Washington def. Denver 27-17: I thought Denver would bounce back nicely after two cosnecutive losses to good football teams, and beat a Washington Redskins outfit who will not be descrived as 'good' in Season 2009. Instead, the Broncos faltered for a third week running, and have slipped from a lofy 6-0 perch to 6-3, and suddenly they look rather vulnerable. I'll put this out there now: another Denver loss next week or the week after and it might be all over for the Broncos. Especially with San Diego hot on their heels now...

Carolina def. Atlanta 28-19: I thought Atlanta would take care of this one easily, but Jake Delhomme, who is as hot-and-cold asKaty Perry, decided to have a big day, ably backed up by DeAngelo Williams and Johnathon Stewart. That trio are probably saving John Fox's neck.

Kansas City def. Oakland 16-10: JaMarcus Russell got benched. That's certainly a blessing for Oakland fans...until you realise that your backup is crazy-looking Bruce Gradkowski. The Raiders D made Matt Cassell's offense look better than it is...and the KC defense hounded Russell until his benching. Really, a game that means little, except for some high draft picks.

San Diego def. Philadelphia 31-23: San Diego are coming and Denver should be very worried. The Chargers got out to a big lead and held on as McNabb and the Eagles stormed home, though it was to no avail in the end. The AFC West is suddenly back on, and the Chargers/Broncos showdown at Mile High on Sunday afternoon suddenly looms as crunch time for both teams.

Arizona def. Seattle 30-20: The NFC West is one of the worst divisions in the NFL and it's hard to get excited about anything when two division rivals get together to slug it out. There's a reason why these teams only ever attract the #4 broadcast crew from FOX. No one really cares. It's a shame seeing Matt Hasselbeck, once an elite QB, suffer amidst a terrible offense. Amazing to think that the Seahawks were in the Super Bowl in February of 2006. So much has changed - and gone downhill - since then!

Green Bay def. Dallas 17-7: It seems like no one wants to win the NFC East. First the Giants implode after a 5-0 start, then the Cowboys get a run, defeat Philly...and lose to a medicore Green Bay team. The Cowboys could have taken a handy lead in the division with a win today, but 5 sacks of Tony Romo, an impotent offense and problems hanging onto the football put an end to all of that. It was a real momentum sapper of a loss for Dallas, and perhaps a turning point win for the Pack, who handed Tampa Bay their first W of the season last week. Aaron Rodgers was hassled, as usual, right through the game, but he converted some big third downs and did enough to ensure he scored a win at home. Just what the doctor ordered.

Indianapolis def. New England 35-34: We've become accustomed to thrilling games when the Patriots and the Colts get on the field together. There's no doubt this rivalry is the defining one of the naughties, like the 49ers vs. Cowboys was back in the 1990's. New England and Indy always delivers a headline moment. It's a testament to Peyton Manning and the Colts offense that they managed to get back into this game, despite a poor showing early. Manning led them down the field to score points when they most needed them. Down by 17 points at one stage, the never-say-die attitude of Manning and Reggie Wayne and co ensured another grandstand finish.

Of course, they were helped by a crazy play call from Bil Belichick on a 4th & 1 with just over 2:00 to play in the game. Coach Bill should have played the field position game and punted the football away. Then he took a time-out to set up the play, and didn't have one left with which to challenge the perhaps dubious on-field ruling of New England not making the first down marker. You can't give Peyton Manning a short field and two minutes to get a score. The MVP is going to pick you apart every time.

Plenty will be written and said about Belichick's decision through the week, especially because he is normaly so tactically sound with his play calls. The time-out and the subsequent fourth down attempt were very un-Belichick in the way it all happened. Very sloppy, and not what we're used to from BB. The earlier dubious call was the ball from Brady that was nearly intercepted and taken the other way for 6. I don't know what happened, but something did, and people will be second-guessing Belichick all week.

My other question is why did Brady look for Kevin Faulk on that fourth down play? Sure, he's a pressure valve, has been for a long time and is a good and reliable receiver out of the backfield, but when Randy Moss and Wes Welker have combined for nearly 300 yards receiving on the day, you surely have to hedge your bets and throw the ball to either one of those two. I mean, it's not as if the Colts D has had much success in shutting them down for the prior 58 minutes of the football game. It makes you wonder...

An unbelievable ending to a game that New England probably deserved to win. They were the better team on the night, and the Colts defense simply couldn't stop Randy Moss and Wes Welker. You figure these two teams will meet again - perhaps in the AFC Championship Game. The important thing to note from this contest is that Indy have all but sewed up home field (should that be dome?) advantage, which will mean a lot. A dome team having to play in outdoors in the elements the winter months are always at a disadvantage. Here's hoping the sequel, if it happens, will be just as good as the original.

NCAA College Football: Week Ten Review

Wild, Wild West

You've gotta love the PAC-10 right now. I'll go out on a limb and say that it's the most competitive FBS conference in the nation. That said, It honestly seems like no one wants to win it this year. There has been so much chopping and changing at the top out west. Early in the season, we were all surprised that USC's defense was as good as they were after the losses they'd sustained with graduating seniors and everyone assumed, after wins vs. Ohio State and Notre Dame (two wins that don't have as much cred now) they'd continue their dominance in the conference. Washington happened.

And then Oregon happened. The way the Ducks put it on the Trojans - rammed it down their throats, actually - in Eugene on Halloween Night was impressive in every way. The way the Ducks played, we all thought that it was probably just as well for Texas and Florida or Alabama that they wouldn't be facing them in the BCS National Championship Game. Everyone, myself included, was high on the Ducks. And with good reason. They dominated in every facet of the game against USC. It seemed like Oregon would run over the rest of their schedule (perhaps with a little trouble against cross-state rivals Oregon State) and end up smelling roses in Pasadena on January 1, 2010, most likely beating up on an inferior Big Ten opponent.

Suddenly, that's all down the drain. Stanford put Oregon to the sword, to the tune of 52-41 further complicating the Pac-10 title race. The defense that had held USC to a record-low total yardage count in the Pete Carroll era were hopelessly outgunned by a Stanford run game that did everything to Oregon that Oregon had done to USC seven days earlier. Perhaps that is what makes the victory so shocking. I don't know what happened to the Oregon Ducks unit that beat SC. Whether the team had been reading too much of it's own press or simply expected Stanford to fold up and go easy, I don't know. I bet Chip Kelly doesn't, either.

It was a shocking victory in many ways. Don't get confused by the final score. This game was over in the first half, when the Cardinal, doubtless shocking their hometown fans, jumped out to a game-winning 31-14 lead. Toby Gerhart, the star RB for Stanford, managed 223 yards and 3 TDs on the ground aginst what we thought was a pretty good D. That total is a school record. QB Andrew Luck backed up the run game with an impressive 12/20 for 251 yards and 2 TDs. Stanford are now bowl eligible for the first time in 8 years, and they are an attractive team after that win.

As for Oregon, the big question remains this: what happens if Oregon State, who have some Gerhart-like runners on their roster, beats Oregon in the Civil War Game at the end of the season. Then, if USC continue to win - they'll have to get over Stanford, too - the Trojans may end up back at the Rose Bowl. Suddenly a season that showed so much promise for Oregon is now fraught with all sorts of danger.

Oh, Charlie

Hootie & The Blowfish lead guitarist Mark Bryan is now a solo artist of some acclaim. One of the singles off his new album, End of the Front, is entitled "Oh Charlie." It pretty much sums up what most people are thinking following Navy's stunning win against the Irish in Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday. The crazy thing is that after nearly four decades of Irish dominance in this series, the Middies have won two of the last three meetings between the schools, both of them inside Notre Dame Stadium. It was seen as a massive shock when they beat Notre Dame two years ago in the triple OT belter. Now, with the way things are going, it might seem a shockl when the Irish beat Navy!

Everyone knows what you're going to get when you face Navy. You have a QB and a fullback who'll carry most of the load on the ground. They won't throw it very often. For whatever reason, the Irish couldn't stop the run when they knew damned well that the Midshipmen were going to run and run and run. The spread offense is what it is, and you don't expect a Jimmy Clausen-like bullet down the middle very often. So you stack the box, forget about the pass, get peneteration into the backfield and stop the runner in his tracks. Simple, right? Apparently not. The Irish

I'll say it now: Charlie Weis is on extremely thin ice in South Bend. If he thought things had been difficult in the past, it's nothing to the pressure he'll be getting this week. Irish Nation are already tiring of Charlie's promises and his lack of results. They are high on Bearcat coach Brian Kelly. Not to take anything away from the Navy victory, but a team like Notre Dame with BCS aspirations, has no business losing to a school with very flew blue-chip athletes like the Middies. Notre Dame should never have given up a 52-yard TD pass to a team like Navy! .

It's as simple as this: the Notre Dame program is in trouble. BIG trouble. They still have Stanford and Pittsburgh on their schedule - two red hot football teams. This season is going to get worse in South Bend. You can just imagine how the Panthers and Cardinal are quivering with delight about setting their offenses up against the Irish, when Notre Dame's defense gives up 348 to Navy! To NAVY! I can't believe I'm actually typing this.

With Jimmy Clausen likely gone to the NFL next year, the Irish will not be able to rely on their hot-shot QB, who is only now maturing as a signal caller, to bail them out of trouble next year. It will be a bleak few years for Notre Dame as they break in another new and untested QB. Not only has the loss cost the Irish a BCS bowl berth, it's likely put an end to Jimmy Clausen's Heisman credentials and to the ND career of Charlie Weis. Enjoy your new life as an offensive coordinator in the NFL, Charlie!

Oklahoma

If I were to put together a list of the biggest dissapointments of the season, Oklahoma would be right up there. What started off as a season where the Sooners expected to fight for the Big 12 title and a berth in the National Championship Game started terribly with Bradford's injury and the first-week loss to BYU in Arlington. It got worse when the Sooners lost to Miami in Land Shark Stadium and, in only his second game back from injury a handful of weeks later, lost Sam Bradford for the season and the game to Texas at the Cotton Bowl, doubtless the most painful loss a Sooner football team can have.

Add to that the disastrous Nebraska loss from Saturday - something I never saw coming, not in a thousand years; the Huskers are a team in disarray, too - and and you have a terrible body of work for Bob Stoops to consider over the long summer. Landry Jones might be "Bradford-esque," but he's still young and I don't see it yet. He's been good in patches, but downright terrible at other times. Of course, a summer spent with the first-team offense will do him a world of good. Still, it'll be a long road back for the Sooners, and there's no guarantees that they won't drop a couple more games yet...

The ugly reality of Season 2009 is that Oklahoma are going to end up in a mid-range bowl game and people will forget all about them by the middle of December. It'll be all about Texas and Oklahoma State in the Big 12 and in the national title picture. It's a shame for Sam Bradford, that his final season, one with so much hope, has ended with him going under the knife in Norman, OK. If nothing else, it'll be a good lesson to those who're tossing up coming back for another college season or going straight to the NFL. Theoretically, Bradford has another season of eligibility, but there's no way known to man that he'll make the same mistake twice.

Bradford's is a case of a brilliant player not completely coming into his own on the football field. This could have been the crowning glory: another Heisman and a National Championship title. Instead, he'll be watching like the rest of us when the #1 and #2 BCS teams go head to head in Pasadena on 7 January. The game suffers because of that.

Kitch's Player of the Week:

Not for the first time in Season 2009, the award goes to Houston's record-setting QB Case Keenum. Keenum is a combination of Graham Harrell and Colt Brennan on speed, and he needs to be, because he's getting absolutely no help from a defensive unit that's one of the worst in the country. It falls to Keenum every week to bail out the D, and he does it with relative style and ease. It means he has to throw the ball upwards of 50 times a game. His week ten numbers were 40/60 for 521 yards and 3 TDs.

Here's a scary fact: in back-to-back wins over Southern Miss and Tulsa, Houston has allowed 88 points, falling to 116th nationally (out of 120 teams) and 96th in scoriong D. It's a good thing that Keenum's been on fire, throwing for 1100 yards, and just one pick in those two victories. He carries this team.

His Heisman stocks are looking better and better.

NFL: Week Nine Review

Early Sunday Games

Atlanta def. Washington 31-17. Clinton Portis was concussed late in the first quarter and did not return. Bring on another week of speculation and second-guessing in Washington. News today that the Browns are sounding out Mike Holmgren. Maybe the Skins should be calling up Mike Shanahan to do the same. Things are not going to get any better in Washington while an in-too-deep Jim Zorn is still in charge.

Arizona def. Chicago 41-21. Kurt Warner threw 5 TDs. Jay Cutler threw three, all to his TE Greg Olsen for Olsen's first ever multiple-TD game. After a terrible effort last week, when people were suggesting that he was too old for the gig, Warner comes back in a vintage way. Chicago seem to be a team with no exact idea of what they want to be doing offensively. They were impotent for most of the game today.

Cincinnati def. Baltimore 17-7. The Bengals continue their impressive run with a victory over a team who were impressive themselves last week. The Ravens seem to be hot-and-cold. This was their week to be cold. The Bengals are the story of 2009, in my opinion. The Ravens drop to 4-4 in a competitive division. It'll be a long road back for the Ravens.

Indianapolis def. Houston 20-17. A hard-fought game, but the type that the Colts like to play. They ground out the victory on the back of yet another 300-yard game from Peyton Manning. If he isn't league MVP this year, they need to fire the people who vote on such awards. You'd have to have the Colts as AFC favourites. Who'd have thought there'd be a real possibility of a Cincinnati vs. Indianapolis AFC Title Game? Not me!! As for the Texans, well, they show that they're really not far away from being competitive enough to beat the big teams in the league.

Jacksonville def. Kansas City 24-21. The Jags nearly, oh so very nearly, snatched defeat from the jaws of victory when they allowed the Chiefs to score 15 in the last quarter. Matt Cassell gets better every week, but there simply aren't enough weapons on offense to enable him to do much more. It's sad to see an obviously talented QB waste away at a 1-7 football team. The same could be said for Mike Vrabel on defense. KC is not the send-off a possible HOF'er should have been given. The Jags can't be taken seriously when they can barely beat a woeful 1-7 team.

New England def. Miami 27-17. The Wildcat wasn't so wild today. Tom Brady threw for 332 yards and a solitary TD, which was about a 100 yards and a score better than Miami. As teams learn to choke up their Wildcat looks, the Dolphins are going to need a QB who can jam the ball in on a regular basis and get results in the end zone. At the moment, Chad Henne isn't doing that for the 'Phins. Unfortunately, he's probably their best option at QB right now. The Patriots are in an interesting place at 6-2, but not with a real signature win this year. The tilt against the Colts should start to show us just how good the Pats are.

Tampa Bay def. Green Bay 38-28. Yes! You did indeed read this correctly. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in their ugly throwback uniforms, finally have a win. It seems that there will be no winless teams in the NFL this year. The Packers must've had a brain fart on D in the last quarter, because they let the Bucs score 21 points. Rookie QB Josh Freeman threw for 2005 and 3 TDs, but it was a blocked punt attempt on special teams returned 31 yards for a score by ever-reliable Ronde Barber and a 35-yard INT return for a TD by Tanard Jackson with 00:35 to go that sealed the win. Aaron Rodgers threw for 266 and 2 TDs. But those three interceptions didn't help!

Late Sunday Games

San Diego def. NY Giants 21-20. New York football is going off the rails quicker than you can say 'Eli Manning interception!'. The Jets and Giants started out well, showing some promise. The Jets quickly took a nosedive. The Giants are doing so rapidly, too. On this occasion, they did everything they needed to do to win the football game. They were dominant in every facet of the game, except the one that really matters - the scoreboard. Eli Manning was sharp. The receivers, led by Steve Smith and Kevin Boss, had good days. The defense only gave up 21 points and shut down LT (22 yards on 12 carries) and the running game.

On the flip side, Phillip Rivers threw 2 INTs and the Chargers defense gave up more than 100 yards on the ground yet again. Still, Rivers came up with a clutch TD toss late, to snatch the game from the hands of the Giants. Where to for the Giants from here? They're running into one of the toughest schedules in the league and will likely lose the lead of the NFC East and another loss puts them on the outer as far as a Wild Card berth goes.

Seattle def. Detroit 32-20. In this battle of NFC cellar dwellers, the Seahawks rode Matt Hasselbeck and their defense, who capitalised on some mistakes from Matthew Stafford, to a 12 point win. Not much of the run game to be seen in this one. Hasselbeck threw the ball 51 times, and Stafford 42. Seattle rise to 3-5 and the Lions sink back to 1-7, fighting for mediocrity with Tampa, Kansas City and others. It's probably fair to say that there wasn't a heck of a lot of interest in this contest outside of Michigan and Washington State.

New Orleans def. Carolina 30-20. Well, the Saints escape with another W. They are fast becoming the Iowa Hawkeyes of the NFL. Drew Brees wasn't spectacular, and the defense let Carolina skip out to a 14-3 lead, thanks to some monster runs from DeAngelo Williams. He was over 100 yards before the first half came to a close. The problem is that the Panthers couldn't capitalise and close out the game. Teams should know that if the door is a little ajar for the Saints, their quick-strike offense is going to slam it open pretty quick. They did enough to win, but that's all. The Panthers fall to 3-5 and will no doubt be subjected to more questions about the future of coach John Fox and QB Jake Delhomme.

Tennessee def. San Francisco 34-27. Wow, after Vince Young was inserted into the Titans line-up, they've looked like a completely different team. Of course, their efforts over the past two weeks have been helped by monster days from RB Chris Johnson. He's the best player on the roster and showed it today with a 184-yard, 2 TD display. Former #1 draft pick Alex Smith is back to his old tricks. He threw 3 INTs along with 2 TDs and didn't look like the same QB who came off the bench two weeks earlier to engineer a San Francisco comeback. So there's probably now going to be a quarterback controversy in San Francisco. It's like shuffling the deck chairs on Titanic, though. The 49ers need to reassess and think about drafting a QB better suited to their offense in the 2010 draft. Chances are, they'll have a fairly high pick to work with.

NFL: Week Eight Review

They Might Not Be Giants After All:

It wasn't a good weekend for the teams I support, with the Giants taking their third consecutive pounding. The Philadelphia Eagles, beginning to look like their old selves - that is, my friends, NFC powerhouses - harassed Eli Manning all day, forcing a couple of picks and some poorly thought out throws. Their defense was on fire. As was their offense. They put up 40 points on the Giants, while allowing only 17 to Eli and the Big Blue offense.

The big thing is that they managed their 40 without ace running back Brian Westbrook who remained inactive after a concussion last Monday night in Washington DC. We haven't seen Donovan McNabb play this well since 2004, when the Eagles won the NFC and went on to play New England in the Super Bowl. Back then, Donovan had a real WR star in Terrell Owens. He has two more this year, in rookie Jeremy Maclin and super sophomore DeSean Jackson.

Those kids are as fast as any two wide-outs in the league. They make me think of Boldin and Fitzgerald out in Arizona in that they are a tandem who can make big plays every time they get the football. They can burn you like few others. McNabb must love having them to throw to. They have TO's talent without all the rubbish that comes along with #81. Imagine how good the Eagles might be when Westbrook comes back? After all, a balanced offense is what we're all about in the NFL circa 2009.

The Giants, on the other hand, are in free fall. Eli Manning started out this year looking as though he'd have a career year. These last three games, he's looked like the uncertain QB that started for Big Blue in 2003-04-2005. He throws bad balls, and that old Eli pout is back. I really thought we'd seen the last of that. Their running game isn't getting much. Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw aren't the effective double act they were last year. The red zone offense has been horrible, too. You can't expect to win football games when you kick more field goals than you score touchdowns in the red zone.

That's just the offense. The defense is equally as terrible. We thought they looked Who knew that having Aaron Ross and Kenny Phillips out would expose the secondary as much as it had. The Eagles ratcheted up big play after big play on Sunday, just as New Orleans and Arizona have done in previous weeks. Those guys can't get back quick enough for Tom Coughlin's team, but is it too late? The way Dallas and Philly are coming on, it may well be. At least Giant fans can take solace in the knowledge that Big Blue will never be quite as woeful as Washington are at the moment.

Back to earth:

Well, it had to happen eventually. The Denver Broncos have finally lost a game. I had a feeling that they would find the going tough against a desperate Baltimore Ravens outfit, but never expected the 30-7 blowout that we witnessed on Sunday. The Ravens needed the win they got pretty badly. When you start 3-0 and come back to be 3-3 in a division that's surprisingly competitive this year, falling back to 3-4 would almost be the death knell for your season. The Ravens D played lights-out and Joe Flacco did enough to ensure that the Ravens scored a crucial home win. Ray Rice is fast becoming a superstar in the NFL. They have a balanced offense in Baltimore, and I believe that they'll figure in the AFC again this year.

As for Denver, all is not lost. Kyle Orton had a bad game, but he's shown that he can bounce back from those easily enough. Lose another game - at home on Monday night vs. Pittsburgh - and things might start to look a little shaky for the boys from Mile High. The defense gave up TDs for the first time since Opening Day, and the offense weren't allowed to flourish by a stifling D. The good news for the Broncos is that they won't be facing a defensive unit as ferocious next week. Oh wait, yes they will. Pittsburgh won't make it any easier. The real good news is that they're almost a dead certain lock for the AFC West. When your only competition struggles to beat the woeful Oakland Raiders, they don't deserve a playoff berth.

Power outage:

San Diego Chargers, c'mon. Sure, you got back to .500 with a lacklustre victory against the hapless Oakland Raiders on Sunday. Really, you're not that good because you should have totally blown them out like other teams have been doing all year - except Philly - and you didn't. If there'd been a different QB to JaMarcus Russell under centre for the Raiders, the game might've been more interesting. After their first TD drive off a Russell INT, the Chargers didn't so much win the contest as much as Oakland did everything they could to lose it. Don't get too excited by LT'd double TD day. Anyone can pound the rock in against that Oakland D. Oh, except Philly.

So, keeping that in mind, Shawne Merriman, what's with the "Light's Out" dance when you sack JaMarcus? Save it for when you sack Tom Brady or Peyton Manning or someone. Remember your opposition and the position you are in the standings. Also remember what your GM said! A performance like that from the Chargers against a good team and it'll be lights out for the Bolts. Not a happy place in San Diego right now. Luckily they have the Giants this coming Sunday. A trip to the Big City might be just what they need!

The Return to Lambeau:

What an entertaining game of football Minnesota vs. Green Bay was. Brett Favre has always had a flair for the dramatic and a sense of occasion. Remember that Monday night game against Oakland just after his father died? He threw for 300 yards and 5 TDs in the first quarter. Remember the Super Bowl against New England or the Minnesota vs. Green Bay game from a few weeks back, or any number of rivalry games Brett played as a Packer vs. the Chicago Bears.

Sunday afternoon in Lambeau was no different. You know that Brett Favre shines on the biggest stage. He showed us just what he's capable of, picking apart the Packers defense with some bullet-like throws. He's like Benjamin Button, aging backwards, and certainly benefiting from having Adrian Peterson in the back field, a weapon he didn't have with the Jets last year. It was almost sad to see Favre trotting onto Lambeau wearing a Vikings jersey. It was like that sort of terrible Halloween costume. You know the type, there's one at every Halloween party.

It was Fright Night for the Packers for the first half. 47 total yards and what felt like 4 dozen sacks on Aaron Rodgers by that Minnesota defense that's better than advertised, ladies and gentlemen. They are mean, lean and love hitting the QB. There's no way Aaron Rodgers isn't challenging Ben Roethlisberger for the title of most sacked QB in the league right now. Still, the former Golden Bear came out impressively in the second half. His offensive line found what they needed to and Rodgers made some good throws. Pity that the Pack gave Minnesota too much of a lead to have a real hope of pegging it back. They did successfully execute an onside kick, which made it the second successful onside kick of the day, after the Giants did the same in Philly. How often does that happen?

But there's no doubt that Sunday in Lambeau was, as has always been the case, all about the great man wearing #4. It's just a shame that he was wearing purple this time around rather than green and gold. If he goes into the Hall of Fame as a Viking, Green Bay have a valid reason to lynch both Brett and GM Ted Thompson. This was a relationship that never should have ended. Sure, it must've been tough seeing Favre in a Jets jersey last year, but nothing compared to seeing him wearing Viking purple this year and stepping out onto the field he'd made his own, in front of the fans who have turned him into an American icon.

Sunday was sad for that reason and because something unthinkable happened, something that I never thought I would ever witness: Lambeau Field and the Packer faithful booed Brett Favre.

BCS Ranking Comments (2-11-2009)

The new BCS standings are as follows:

1. Florida
2. Texas
3. Alabama
4. Iowa
5. Cincinnati
6. TCU7
7. Boise State
8. Oregon
9. LSU
10. Georgia Tech
11. Penn State
12. USC
13. Pittsburgh
14. Utah
15. Houston
16. Ohio State
17. Miami (FL)
18. Arizona
19. Oklahoma State
20. Cal
21. Wisconsin
22. Notre Dame
23. Virginia Tech
24. Oklahoma
25. South Florida

My thoughts:

They got it right with Texas leapfrogging Alabama. I expect the 'Horns to stay there, as 'Bama will have a tough game against LSU this weekend. Here is the criminal injustice in this situation. Oregon are ranked below Iowa. Oregon blew out the #5 team in the nation. Iowa barely snuck home against Indiana, who're not ever mistaken for a national football power. It makes ZERO sense. If I were the guy responsible for the BCS computer, I'd have topped myself weeks back.

Then you have Notre Dame, who've lost to the only ranked team they played, USC, (or maybe it's two; maybe Michigan were ranked when they beat the Irish) and have beaten cream puff teams, usually as a last-gasp effort. How do they get ranked in there at #22? Show me their signature win. Oregon has the USC victory. Florida has LSU. Miami has Oklahoma. USC has/had Ohio State. Houston has Oklahoma State. Georgia Tech has Virginia Tech. Tell me who Notre Dame has? Michigan State? Not likely. Washington State? Hell no. Holy War vs. Boston College? Get outta here!

The thing that gets me is that if you have two 10-2 teams eligible for the Fiesta Bowl at-large bid - projected to be USC and Notre Dame - you figure the Irish will get the nod for prestige sake. That leaves a pretty good USC team, who've beaten some reasonable football teams and who have had a tough schedule, out in the cold. That makes no sense, either. I'm not just saying that as a USC fan. I'd be saying it no matter what team got passed over for an average Notre Dame team. Tell me if you think I'm wrong here, but based on their schedule, the Irish don't deserve a BCS bowl berth. As I said, point me in the direction of their signature win. They have a highway robbery-style arrangement locked in with the NCAA and it's rubbish. Call me when they get a proper schedule and play a few more ranked teams. Send them to the PAC-10, even.

No love for Houston, either. I'm officially campaigning for Case Keenum. Keenum for Heisman! Can I get a "hell yeah!" for that?

NCAA College Football: Week Nine Review

Trojan Woes:

The Southern California stranglehold on the PAC-10 is over. USC are nowhere near as good as we thought they were. I might have been sipping at the Kool Aid and wearing the rose-coloured glasses (how sadly ironic!!), but they are right off now. The Trojans were hopelessly outclassed by a VERY good Oregon Ducks team. If you ask me, the Ducks are right back in the mix for a National Championship berth. I'd have that at 4 or 5 in my BCS Rankings, if I were the one issuing said rankings. Matt Barkley played pretty well for a team that was basically bad. The defense will get another year older and another year wiser. The Trojans will be back, but it was a Quack Attack in Eugene tonight. The Trojans problems in Oregon continue. They haven't won in that state since 2005.

BCS Puzzlers:

Speaking of BCS Rankings, I'd also have Texas jump ahead of Alabama. The Tide were idle this week and Texas just put a nice Texas-sized smack down on the Oklahoma State Cowboys in Stillwater, OK. Colt McCoy seems to be back on track, after a shaky effort two weeks prior in the Red River Rivarly game vs. Oklahoma in Dallas. Regardless of where they are placed now, you figure that Texas will win the Big 12 and slip into the National Championship Game in Pasadena as the #2 ranked team, following either Florida or Alabama losing in the SEC title game.

One team who needs to drop a few positions is Iowa. Sure, they're undefeated at the moment, but the fact of the matter is that they are not a consistent football team. They fall behind and have to rely on rallies to get them back into the lead. They trailed Indiana by 24 points at one stage today and Ricky Stanzi threw 5 INTs in the game. He was horrible and for the most part, Iowa were outplayed by a not-very-good Indiana team. Those are not good stats for a team who have National Championship Game aspirations. We'll learn a lot about the Hawkeyes before the season is out. Their game Ohio State will be mighty interesting!!

On the rise: the TCU Horned Frogs. They do nothing but keep winning and although the Mountain West isn't a BCS conference, there are more good teams in there than in some BCS conferences (Hello, Big Ten). They'll be in a battle royale with the Boise State Broncos for the at-large BCS bowl game berth this January, and as long as the Broncos keep riding in on the coat tails of their first up victory vs. Oregon, we're assured at least some sort of controversy when the final BCS standings are released in early December. And we'll say it again, as we say it every single year, that there should be a playoff system in college football - and we'll also say that this is no way to decide a national championship at this level. And nothing will happen for another year.

Halloween SEC Showdown:

Well, the old Halloween Saturday showdown in Jacksonville between the Florida Gators and Georgia Bulldogs has been won and done for another year. It's been an interesting series these past few years. There was the 'Dawgs' famous rushing the field after a TD two years ago. Apparently that got up the nose of Urban Meyer and the Gators, because last year, late in the midst of a Gator 49-10 rout of Georgia (the worst loss in the history of Georgia under Mark Richt) because he called two TDs late during that game to preserve the clock and try to score some more points. So you KNEW something had to go down this year. It happened early, with Georgia running out in black helmets and pants for the first time ever.

It was supposed to be a spark. Mark Richt thought that maybe it was a way to get his team going. There were some who thought that the Bulldogs had some sort of a shot after we all saw a sloppy Florida effort over the last couple of weeks. The showdown became a letdown. There's a stat line that shows where the 'Dawgs have lost 16 of the last 19 against Florida. Make that 17 of the last 20. The Bulldogs were horribly out-matched today, losing to Tebow and the Gators 41-17. Not quite as bad as last year, but pretty bad just the same. Hasn't been a good year for Georgia. Imagine what Georgia Tech might do to these guys?

Oh, and just for something different, because we haven't had a Gator record being broken in...well, probably at least a week, Tim Tebow passed Herschel Walker for the lead all-time with his 50th rushing TD. Add into that a completion percent of over 65%, more than 2000 yards rushing and you've got a sure-fire first round College Football Hall of Fame candidate. No doubt about it. The Gators roll on, can improve a little more, and can think about Alabama in the SEC Championship Game this time next month. 'Bama have LSU next Saturday. Can't wait for that!

Rolling Along Nicely:

Under the radar at #15 are the Houston Tigers out of Conference USA. You've heard me talk about these guys before. They beat highly-fancied Big 12 opponents Texas Tech and Oklahoma State. The Cowpokes were ranked #5 before that loss. Houston keep running up the wins, the scores and - hopefully, if the Heisman Trophy voters have any sense at all - ballot points for college football's most prestigious and important individual accolade. They won a barn burner vs. Southern Miss by 50-43, breaking a 43-43 tie with a last-minute TD drive.

Which brings me to...

Kitch's Player of the Week:

Sorry, Jeremiah Masoli (and a dozen other Oregon players), but none of you get the nod this week, despite a lights-out effort vs. USC. The winner...well, he wants this award more than he wants the Heisman Trophy does Houston's record-setting QB Case Keenum whose performance against Southern Miss went like this: 43/53 for 559 yards and 5 TDs. Throw in ten rushing yards and you've got a stand-out candidate for Kitch's Player of the Week.