Thoughts and observations from Week Three of the 2011 NFL Season:
Could not have been happier with my New York Giants and their effort against Philadelphia today. It was the first time these two teams had faced off since the Miracle - or disaster, depending on what colours you wear - at the Meadowlands last December where the Eagles scored 28 in the last 8:00 of play to win a game they should never even have been close in. So what to the Giants do today? Come out, the heavy underdog, and beat the Eagles 29-16. QB Eli Manning looked like the Super Bowl XLII MVP today, with a handy stat-line: 16-23, 254 yards and 4 TDs after missing on some of his early throws. It was a case of big-play momentum for the Giants. They had 5 plays of 25 yards or more. 3 of those went for touchdowns.
On the flip side, the Philadelphia Eagles, who lost star QB Michael Vick to a broken right hand, and then lost the football game. No disrespect to QB Mike Kafka, but the kid from Northwestern, who took his first career reps last week vs. Atlanta, doesn't scare people like Vick does. If Vick has a long time on the sidelines, the season might be drastically different to the one that the Eagles were hoping for.
Chicago had 13 yards rushing in a 27-17 loss to Green Bay. That equates to 1.1 yards on 12 rushes. No wonder the Bears aren't winning football games. When no one takes their run game seriously - and no one does, not even their own offensive play callers, clearly - it's easy to always play the pass and intercept QB Jay Cutler, which the Pack did 2 times today. The Bears are second-last in the league with 161 rushing yards in 3 games.
So, Tom Brady is human after all. The Patriots QB threw for 4 TDs, but also 4 INTs, a shocking number for a guy who backed up 500+ passing yards in Week One with 400+ passing yards in Week Two, as the Buffalo Bills - yeah, you read that right - beat the Patriots 34-31 on a last-second field goal. The 4 picks tied a career-worst for Brady, and the killer, perhaps, was Drayton Florence's 27-yard interception return for a touchdown with 10:22 left. You just don't see Brady throw four picks very often.
Anyone who wants to jump on the Detroit Lions bandwagon, please feel free. But hurry, because spaces are filling up. Down 20-0 against division rivals Minnesota, it looked like the woeful Lions of old. Until QB Matt Stafford, not like the woeful Lions QBs of old, took charge and led Detroit back to a 26-23 OT win. In case you hadn't already figured it out, Stafford - 32-46, 378 yards, 2 TDs- is the real deal.
Carolina score their first win of the season, and the great irony of that 16-10 triumph over the Jacksonville Jaguars is that rookie QB Cam Newton had rather a sub par day, going 18-34, 158 yards and one score. When they lose, he seems to dial up ridiculous numbers. But they have a winning effort and he seems almost mediocre. It might be a strange season in Carolina.
Great scenes in Orchard Park, NY as the Buffalo Bills ended a 15-game losing streak against the Patriots that dated to 2003, on a last-second Rian Lindell's 28-yard field goal was good, and excited Bills fans - who haven't had much to cheer about for too many years - stormed the field in scenes reminiscent of an underdog college team beating the number one team in the land. This win shows the NFL that the Bills might be for real. Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Harvard QB, certainly is, again playing Houdini, leading his team back from a 21-0 deficit, for a late win. That's two weeks in a row. It must be hard on the hearts of all Bills fans.
Ben Roethlisberger looked particularly glad to be leaving Indianapolis with a win. There is no way to describe his protection on the offensive line other than this - diabolical. He earned his keep tonight. The big uglies up front did not. Three sacks and a world of hurt all night long. The Steelers survived rather than won the game tonight in Indianapolis. It was an inspired effort from Dwight Freeney and company. Pittsburgh should count themselves very lucky...and also buy Sean Suisham dinner.
About time someone in Indianapolis decided to give QB Curtis Painter a shot. No way were the Colts going anywhere with Kerry Collins under centre. And instant results, the former Purdue Boilermaker leading the Colts on an 80-yard drive to tie the football game late. At least, if nothing else, Painter had that Indy offense at least competitive.
Most Valuable Player: New England WR Wes Welker, who caught 16 balls for 217 yards and 2 touchdowns. Oh, and he had a 19 yard run, too.Not a bad day at the office, despite the Patriots losing.
Least Valuable Player: Minnesota's defense. This team has had double-digit first half leads in three straight games and manage to choke and give it up. They're 0-3 and in deep trouble, stone motherless last in the NFC North.
Ben Roethlisberger looked particularly glad to be leaving Indianapolis with a win. There is no way to describe his protection on the offensive line other than this - diabolical. He earned his keep tonight. The big uglies up front did not. Three sacks and a world of hurt all night long. The Steelers survived rather than won the game tonight in Indianapolis. It was an inspired effort from Dwight Freeney and company. Pittsburgh should count themselves very lucky...and also buy Sean Suisham dinner.
About time someone in Indianapolis decided to give QB Curtis Painter a shot. No way were the Colts going anywhere with Kerry Collins under centre. And instant results, the former Purdue Boilermaker leading the Colts on an 80-yard drive to tie the football game late. At least, if nothing else, Painter had that Indy offense at least competitive.
Most Valuable Player: New England WR Wes Welker, who caught 16 balls for 217 yards and 2 touchdowns. Oh, and he had a 19 yard run, too.Not a bad day at the office, despite the Patriots losing.
Least Valuable Player: Minnesota's defense. This team has had double-digit first half leads in three straight games and manage to choke and give it up. They're 0-3 and in deep trouble, stone motherless last in the NFC North.
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