411's NFL Round Up 11.11.08: Week 10 Edition

Posted by Emmett Wilks on 11.11.2008

McKenzie goes down, Patriots keep getting hit with injuries, DeAngelo Hall gets released, Al Michaels knows the rules, the Game of the Week, Player of the Week, Bust of the Week, and more! It's all in the Week 10 edition of the NFL Round up!

Welcome to week 10 of the NFL Round Up! We have a lot to talk about, so enough nonsense and let's just get right into it!

INJURY REPORT

Saints CB Mike McKenzie will be out for the rest of the season following a fracture to his knee cap. The Saints pass defense, which has been questionable at best this year, now loses one of its few consistent players in McKenzie. The Saints, a team already a long shot in the deep NFC, will be hard pressed to overcome this loss.

The Patriots continue to roll out the injured players this season, as LB Adilus Thomas broke his arm and is done for the 2008 season. The outside LB has started every game for the Pats, whose defense has been instrumental in holding together the Pats season. With so many key players down, it is a wonder how the Pats are playing so well. But alas, they sit atop the AFC East. While a loss, it is not an insurmountable one for New England, whose depth a the backer position is better than perhaps anyone's in the NFL.

QUICK NOTES

After a wild up and down season with the Raiders, corner DeAngelo Hall was released by Oakland a signed with the Redskins before the weekend finished. Hall, a two time Pro Bowler, never was able to live up to the "Al Davis standard" of play. Hall is an excellent NFL corner. But not all corners can be put into any defensive scheme and succeed. Hall's style of off coverage was not adept to the bump and run of the Raiders. The unfortunate thing for Oakland fans is that Davis, in his infinite wisdom, thought that Hall could play the "Raiders scheme." He couldn't, and now the Raiders wasted a huge chunk on money for a guy who gave them only half an NFL season. With the Redskins, Hall could provide a big boost for a team very close to top flight contention. As for the Raiders pass defense, well, they nabbed 4 interceptions this weekend without Hall in their 17-6 loss. So, perhaps this was a divorce that benefited all parties involved.

Kudos have to go to Sunday Night Football commentator Al Michaels for being just about the only one outside of the Giants sidelines to know the rules regarding an illegal forward pass. The play in question, which saw Giants QB Eli Manning toss what seemed to be a pass over the line of scrimmage, was challenged and overruled. I sat at home, and along with everyone I spoke to, thinking that was an illegal pass. But indeed Manning's foot was clearly on the line of scrimmage, and the whole body, feet and all, must be past. Great challenge by the Giants, the very well may have been the play of the game. I was not so happy about the Brandon Jacobs fumble. Replays suggested to me that the ball was stripped by the Eagles on the fourth quarter TD plunge from Jacobs. Did I think it was a fumble? Yes. Should it have been overturned. That's where I am forced to say no. If there is area of NFL Replay rules that is typically enforced well, it is the notion of "indisputable evidence" to overturn a ruling on the field. No replay showed by NBC would have made me overturn the ruling on the field.


Al Michales (right) and John Madden helped settle a very confusing call in Sunday Nights match-up

Certainly a tough night for the officials in Philly. The NFL crews have been under strong scrutiny this entire season, much of which is grossly unfair. Honestly, so many of these "analysts" and "commentators" who continually ridicule the officials are sitting at home, watching the games in HD televisions, which 20 different angles of slow-motion replays at their disposal. The ref crews on the NFL field are watching a game unfold at rapid fire pace, and are only afforded the advantage of replay from coaches challenges. All in all, the NFL officials do a very solid job all in all. Are there some egregious mistakes made? Of course, but to call the NFL officials this season "atrocious" or other words I have heard thrown around this season is just wrong.

And to stick with the Giants-Eagles game a little more, that was not the best called game of Andy Reid's career right there. Back-to-back lost challenges (losing both time outs in the process), running twice in a row on a must convert situation in the fourth quarter, and an offense that was totally out of sync for most of the first half. At the end of the day, players play, and the Eagles were not on their A game Sunday, but I am sure Reid is doing plenty of second guessing after this one.

For the reporter who asked Pats coach Bill Belichick about not being able to rest his starters for a short week of practices; have you ever watched an NFL game? What a stupid, uneducated question to ask a coach. Belichick was noticeably annoyed by inquiry, dismissing it rather quickly (as he should). The ability to "rest your starters" is such a rare occasion in the NFL. A team is lucky if it can pull off that accomplishment, putting the game away early, once a season. If that! The question also showed great disrespect to the Buffalo Bills, who were TIED with the Pats for the AFC East lead going into the game. If you are going to ask an NFL coach a question, please have some knowledge about the NFL game before you do.

WEEK 10 BREAKDOWN

GAME OF THE WEEK


Indianapolis Colts 24 Pittsburgh Steelers 20

Don't know if there has been a tougher week to pick the game of the week than this one. Eagles-Giants, Titans-Bears, Packers-Vikings and Broncos-Browns all had legit cases for one reason or another. For the second week in row, the Colts win has put them at the Game of the Week spot. This game for me has officially made the Colts back in the mix with the AFC. The Colts, who had not won in Pittsburgh in 40 years, took advantage of three Ben Roethlisberger mistakes to climb back into the playoff hunt. The game was a must win for the Colts, and a "really wanna" win for the Steelers, who continue to have the Ravens creeping up on them in the AFC North.

What really put this game on top of the others this week was the truly fundamental football played. No other game this week featured better tackling, coverage, blocking, and scheming that this game. The Broncos-Browns game was just a defensive nightmare of missed tackles and ugly coverage. Titans-Bears was a really good defensive game, but the offense was well below the defense. And the Giants-Eagles game did leave a small bad taste in my mouth due to the controversial calls I spoke of earlier. For the Steelers-Colts however, both coaches, the Colts Tony Dungy and the Steelers Mike Tomlin, called solid games. Their players performed those respective game plans was well as anyone could hope for. The difference came down to the mistakes of Big Ben. The first two picks, which were both forced throws, both led to Colts touchdowns. Aside from those plays, the Steelers played very well offensively, protecting Roethlisberger better than he had been all season (1 sack from Freeney and not as much pressure as he's seen most of the season).

OUTLOOK

The Steelers are at a tough position right now. Tied for the AFC North lead with Baltimore , they face a tough next few weeks against the always dangerous Chargers, Bengals (maybe not that tough), Patriots, Cowboys (likely with Tony Romo, Ravens, then the still unbeaten Titans. Not an easy path at all. But the everything considered, I don't know of any other division leader in a better position. The biggest competitor remains the Ravens, who are still fielding a rookie at QB, and other division foes like the Bengals and Browns are now regulated to spoiler at best.

The Colts meanwhile have bounced back from an early season drop-off. With newly healthy Marvin Harrison back (two dropped TD's and all), a resurgent Dwight Freeney, and a healthy Bob Sanders, the Colts are indeed back. And with their upcoming schedule, they may be more of a threat than one would think of a 5-4 team. As I mentioned a week ago, the Colts face just one team with a winning record the rest of the season ( Tennessee in week 17). With two must win games in the bag, the Colts are in a better position than any other wild card team (they will not make up the ground in the AFC South) for the coveted playoff birth.


PLAYER OF THE WEEK

OFFENSIVE


Adrian Peterson-


The week of the running back, Peterson played perhaps the best game of his career. His 30 carry, 192 yards and 1 TD helped end the Vikings 5 game losing streak against the Packers. Running with a power, quickness, and speed like no other back, Peterson carried the Vikings in the fourth quarter. In the fourth quarter, he was running as strong, if not stronger, than he did in the first. For the game, he topped the 1000 yard mark for the season, and again solidified himself as the best young back in the NFL today.


Runner Ups


Brandon Jacobs- Behind footballs best offensive line, Jacobs fought, bruised, and bullied his way to 126 yards on 22 carries, and two TD's in the Giants hard fought win over the Eagles, 36-31.


Thomas Jones- Jets RB is benefiting mightly from a newly retooled O-line, rushing for 149 yards, 3 TD's in 47-3 route of the Rams.


DeAngelo Williams- With ZERO help from the passing game, Williams rushed for 140 yards and a TD to help the Panthers survive a 17-6 game against the Raiders.



Jay Cutler- Has been on a roller coaster ride this season with the Broncos. His 447 yards, three TD's on 24-of-42 passing was a career day, and again puts him among the new "star" QB's in the league.


DEFENSIVE


Another season, another Pro Bowl-caliber year for Ray Lewis

TIE

Ray Lewis-

Just when you thought he was on the downside, he rises like a phoenix. Lewis, arguably one of the best LBs to ever play the game (don't even bother saying it ain't so folks) played his best game in years on Sunday, abusing the Texans all game long. Lewis recorded 8 tackles, deflected two passes, and had two of the Ravens 4 interceptions as the Ravens, rookie QB and all, cruised to a 41-13 win.

Julius Peppers-

After an abysmal 2007 season, Peppers has regained his form and is back in dominate fashion. Even though he was playing the Raiders, he notched three sacks, seven tackles, and two forced fumbles. For the season, Peppers has been nothing short of sensational for one undoubtedly one of the NFC's best teams, the Panthers.


Runner Ups

Eric Barton- Jets veteran LB paced a stout defensive effort with 8 tackles and a sack, as the Jets pummeled the Rams, 47-3.

Ty Warren- Patriots defensive front, led by Warren, harassed Bills QB Trent Edwards all day, forcing two picks and sacking him twice (one by Warren)


BUST OF THE WEEK

Jake Delhomme-

I love the guy, and think he is as important to his team as any QB in the league. But no one should be allowed to play this poorly and still come away with a W for his team. I know it was the Raiders, who deserve to lose anyway, but Delhomme was just plain awful. After the games opening TD drive, Delhomme completed just six passes the rest of the game, and throw 4 interceptions. He would finish the day 7-of-24 passing for 72 yards. Luckily for him, teammate DeAngelo Williams played great, but this was not a win you are going to want to but on your career tape.

Andy Reid

The bad calls were mentioned above, and the Eagles will have to fight and claw their way back into contention this season. I also wanted to throw Donovan McNabb here as well, but his three TD's did help him make it out of the Bust House. This week at least.

BIGGEST SURPRISE OF THE WEEK

The Bills have lost their way.

I was really up on the Bills this season, especially early. Over the last few weeks however, they have receded back into a middle of the road team. QB Trend Edwards started the year poised, confident, and accurate, helping forge a 5-1 start to the year. Over the first 6 weeks, he was throw just two picks. In the last three, he has tossed 5, all losses. The special teams have not been providing the big plays they once were early in the season, and the defense, while still decent, has not been able to make up the slack. A three game losing streak has now put them at the bottom of the AFC East, and the rest of the division looks like they are now playing up, while Buffalo is playing down. Kind of a bummer for a team who was looking very good early in the year.

LEAST SURPRISING DEVELOPMENT

Daunte Culpepper could not provide win for the Lions while coming off the street.

For all those people who said that this was Detroit's best week for a win cause Daunte was there, seriously. How anyone expected a guy to come off the street like Culpepper (not literally off the street, but you get the meaning), and suddenly make the team more competitive is just silly. The Lions looked poor, as they have all season. Perhaps Culpepper's veteran experience can lift the Lions to at least one win this year, but to think that his appearce would all of sudden make everything better is just silly.


That's it for me folks, have a great week!!