411's NFL Round Up 11.18.08: Week 11 Edition

Posted by Emmett Wilks on 11.18.2008

The Giants make a big statemtent over the Ravens, someone actually wants to coach the Raiders, and the Eagles and Bengals play one of the worst football games ever. All this, plus news and notes from around the NFL in this edition of NFL Round Up!

Greeting to everyone and welcome to the Week 11 Edition of NFL Round Up! A very good weekend for me, as it was my 24th birthday. I enjoyed it with my new wife at Connecticut's Mohegan Sun Casino. It is quite a place for those who haven't been. Took in dinner and the Smashing Pumpkins concert. Very strange show for the music fans out there. Had spurts of about 10 minutes where it was one of the best shows you would ever see, follwed by 20 minutes of solo/jam sessions that made no sense and went no where. That, and not hearing Bullets with Butterfly Wings and 1979 was very disappointing. The end was actually met with a spattering of "boos", but I was not prepared to go that far. For those looking to see Billy Corgan and the Pumpkins, just be forewarned. But this is a football column, so, onto the Round Up!

QUICK NOTES


Former Giants head coach Jim Fassel is going back to school, especially writing a cover letter to Raiders owner Al Davis, expressing his interest in coaching the beleaguered franchise. According to ESPN, Davis received a handwritten letter expressing why he believes he would be right for the organization. I say why not! Fassel possesses a decent coaching record with the Giants (60-56-1), and did lead a team to the Super Bowl. With the Raiders in total chaos (offensive coordinator Greg Knapp was stripped of play-calling duties by Davis this week), why not give the reins to a guy who really wants the challenge. Fassel is more than capable of being a coach, and this is without question a team who needs something different to its approach.



Hey Jim, if you want to deal with that mess, be my guest

Why can't college teams leave coaches alone until the season is over? According to sources at the University of Tennessee, the school's athletic department has contacted both Bucs coach Jon Gruden and Bears coach Lovie Smith about interest in the soon to be open head coaching job. The school has essentially fired current head coach Phillip Fulmer earlier this year. These schools still maintain the facade of "higher learning institutions." When it comes to athletics, what do schools believe they teach their students and student-athletes when they court coaches and convince them to abandon their contracts and responsibilities? The entire Bobby Petrino fiasco in Atlanta put a bad taste in my mouth about how collegiate athletic departments have handled their business in the last few years, and Tennessee's current exploits are not making matters any better. For the record, both Gruden and Smith have expressed no interest in the job.

Somebody pass a game ball over to Broncos FB/LB Spencer Larsen who started offense, defense, and special teams this weekend for Denver. He is the first two-way starter in Bronco's history. Injuries on both offense and defense forced coach Mike Shanahan to make the move. Larsen finished the game with 7 tackles, but no offensive stats. Playing just one way in the modern NFL is a totally draining experience, and for a front seven guy to go on both sides of the ball is pretty special.

As for the blown Troy Polamalu non-interception for a TD, who cares! The Steelers won the game when he grabbed possession. The only thing the TD would have mattered for were the Vegas gamblers and the stat line for the future Hall of Fame safety. Winning is not the biggest thing, its the only thing, and that is what the feisty and driven Steelers team did against the Chargers.

In what is only good news for the NFL, the Rooney Family will still be in control of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The class organization in all professional sports had a scary moment when three of the four Rooney brothers were interested in selling their share of the team. Now, Dan Rooney and his son, Art II, will buy from the other family members, obtaining 80% control of the company. The Rooney family's class and stability in professional sports is unrivaled, and the NFL would not be the same place without them. Great to see them sticking around.



Dan Rooney and his family have been invaluable to the NFL and the city of Pittsburgh

A few fun stats came out of the weekend. The one that has caught a lot of attention was the 11-10 score of the Steelers-Jags game. That score has never occurred in the over 12,000 game history of the NFL. Pretty cool! Also, Ravens kicker Matt Stover set a record by kicking his 327th consecutive point after attempt. That is actually really impressive that nothing has gone wrong on an extra point in 327 straight times.



GAME OF THE WEEK



New York Jets 34 New England Patriots 31



The football weekend started off with a bang as the Jets seized first place in the AFC East with this overtime victory. When kicker Jay Feely knocked through his game winning field goal, it was the first time the Jets exclusively owned first place since November of 2001. The Pats meanwhile are in a very unfamiliar place, looking up at a division foe, still unsure about exactly how good a team they can be. The game was a tale of two halves. The first was controlled by the Jets, who jumped out to a 24-6 lead before the Pats narrowed the score to 24-13 at the half. The Patriots again displayed holes in their offensive line that are becoming more and more glaring. Not since the Super Bowl, when the NY Giants defensive line ran rough shod over the Pats has the offensive line looked so weak. Two of the Jets three sacks came from up the middle of the line, going through the guards and centers. Nose tackle Kris Jenkins, who has been making a Defensive Player of the Year argument, and DT CJ Mosley played the Patriots backfield all night. For the Jets offensively, it is now becoming very apparent that the Brett Favre trade has worked out exceedingly well. For the day, Favre went 26-of-38 for 258 yards and 2 TD's, no turnovers. The rushing attack, lead by Thomas Jones has seen a huge upgrade with the revamped offensive line. And Leon Washington is hands down one of the finest return men playing in the league today.

The second half would be an entirely different affair. There are just not enough praises that can be put on the job Patriots QB Matt Cassel has done for New England . No, he is not the caliber player of injured Tom Brady. His mission was to be a solid game manager, a task he has far surpassed after this game. Cassel 's career day was set to the tune of 30-of-51 passing, 400 yards, 3 TD's and a critical 62 yards rushing (leading the Pats team). Cassel 's pass to WR Randy Moss with one second left on the clock was the best throw and catch of the year. The Pats defense, lead by the sensational rookie Jared Mayo played brilliant football. Though Favre and company took care of business in overtime, taking the opening possession down the field for a game winning field goal, not enough positives can be said for how the Jets played in the first half, and the Pats in the second. Just a great football game.



OUTLOOK

The Pats road is a hilly road after this with games that will challenge them, and games that are for the taking. The very hungry Dolphins and Steelers make up their next two weeks, and rest assured, the Pats (and Dolphins for that matter) won't be forgetting the whooping the Fins delivered back in Week 3 to the Pats. After the Steelers, the Pats hit the road against two bad ball clubs in Seattle and Oakland . They will then close out the regular season against the surging Cardinals and tough Bills. Not an ideal situation, but a manageable one. Cassel has now become the leader of this team. His arm, athleticism, and growing poise have become an invaluable component to the Patriots. It was just not enough for what is now a very dangerous Jets team. Favre has entered into that misunderstood and at times scorned term of "game manager." I have written before that this distinction has very little negative connotation in my book. Favre is not being asked to rekindle his MVP seasons of the late 90's. Rather, he is part of a very good rushing, passing, and special teams scoring apparatus. This Jets team is indeed a force to be reckoned with in the NFL. The rest of their year is very similar to the Pats for the Jets. They travel to Nashville next week for a date with the unbeaten Titans, followed by the disappointing but still dangerous Broncos. They close the regular season with the Bills, Niners, Seahawks, and Dolphins. After the Titans, they will enter each game as the likely favorite. Like the Pats, the most dangerous games will be within the division, as the Fins and Bills, still in a playoff hunt, will be very, very dangerous indeed.

It is just too stunning to think the Pats could be kept out of the playoffs, and I don't think they will be at home come January. The only difference is they are likely going to be snagging a wild card birth. While most were certain that Baltimore or Pittsburgh would claim a wild card from the AFC North, Baltimore 's embarrassing loss to the Giants may put a halt to their playoff aspirations. With the Colts getting hot, we will now likely see the wild cards coming from the AFC South and East, with the Pats taking the East. For the Jets, this was the biggest regular season win in years, and could prove a watershed moment in the career of Eric Mangini. The path is not set, but the AFC East is theirs for the taking. My money has them holding on till the end of the season.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Offensive

NY Giants offensive line-

Two weeks ago, I named this unit player of the week, with some minor reservations about giving the award to an entire unit. After what I watched on Sunday, I have zero problem. 207 rushing yards against a team that was allowing under 70 a game! Kareem McKenzie, Chris Snee, Shaun O'Hara Rich Seubert, and David Diehl are playing at a level that has not been seen since the Broncos Super Bowl teams a decade ago. Ray Lewis and company were simply driven off the ball, kept on their heels and thoroughly embarrassed by the rushing assault. By the end of the first quarter, RB Brandon Jacobs had more rushing yards (70), than the Ravens had been averaging a game (65.4).

Runners up-

Kurt Warner- Cardinals QB may very well be awarded the most stunning MVP award ever, if you don't count his first win back in 1999. Against a feisty Seahawks team, Warner went 32-of-44 for 395 yards and a TD.

Peyton Manning- Without him, this team could very well be 3-7. Lead yet another comeback against the Texans, passing for 320 yards and two TD's


Carolina Panther offensive line- Yeah, it may have been the Lions, but 264 rushing yards, two backs over the century mark, and 3 rushing TD's is pretty impressive no matter who you play.


Steve Slaton- Texans running back did his part for the Texans in their loss to the Colts, rushing for 156 yards and a TD on just 14 carries.

Defensive

Kris Jenkins-

The Jets nose guard abused the middle three of the Pats offensive line. Without the scramble yards of Pats QB Matt Cassel, the Patriots had just 63 yards rushing. The highlight came during the second quarter, when Jenkins burst through the line on a third-and-one to stuff running back Heath Evans for two yard loss, which lead to a 4th down sack from teammate CJ Mosely, who beat the one man in front of him. Why was he facing only one man? Because Jenkins was warranting the attention of a double team to keep him out of the backfield. For many great defensive linemen, your best games can be the ones where you barely make a dent on the stat line. Though regulated by coach Mangini to the sidelines for most of the fourth quarter, his impact in the first half is what put the Pats in their "come from behind" position.


Jenkins has been a phenomenal aquisition for the Jets

Runners Up

James Harrison- Steelers linebacker had 4 tackles, intercepted a pass, and had a sack for a safety. He does this nearly every week, and needs to be recognized as one of the NFL's best.

Jared Mayo- Was nothing short of brilliant in the Pats tough loss to the Jets. The rookie LB was involved with 20 tackles, forcing a fumble, and playing solid pass defense. The future is very, very bright for young Mayo.


BUST OF THE WEEK


The Philadelphia Eagles and the Cincinnati Bengals

A freaking tie. Are you kidding me? At least the last NFL tie back in 2002 between the Falcons and Steelers was an entertaining football game. This was a mess of all sorts. Five turnovers (4 by the favored Eagles), sloppy passing, poor blocking, and just badly executed offensive football. Don't let Donovan McNabb's 391 yards fool you. They came between the redzones, and he was completely ineffective when it mattered. Cincy was not blameless in the mess of a game. Their offense missed many opportunities throughout the game, including a wide open TJ Houshmandzadeh that would have perhaps lead to a winning field goal late in regulation. With the loss disguised as a tie, the Eagles likely kissed away any legit shot for the playoffs, and the Bengals only put themselves in better draft position with this mini nightmare. And as for McNabb's lack of understanding about overtime rules; I'll give him the benifit of the doubt on that one. People are suggesting he was playing for the second OT. No, he was trying to win the game whenever he could, so I won't make too big a deal out of this one. But that doesn't mean I didn't think he was terrible, which he was.

Runner Up

Ray Lewis- From player of the week to the bust house. Played among the worst games of his career. Was blocked, out of position, and faked out a number of times against the great Giants rushing game.

BIGGEST SURPRISE

Bears defense all but collapes

While the Bears have seen many inconsistencies in their offense over the last few seasons, they still had the talented defense and special teams to stay competetive. Even in games where they should not be. Not on Sunday, as the Bears played their worst defensive game in years. It was the biggest collapse they had seen in this season, the most points allowed since last year's similar debacle to the Detroit Lions. The Packers rushed for 200 yards, and QB Aaron Rodgers tossed 227 yards and two TD's. The scariest part was not so much that they were outcoached, but that this talented (or believed talented) group was simply outclassed. This was supposed to be a tight game, but it proved nothing of the sort for the entire affair. Chicago and Green Bay are still tied for the division lead at 5-5, along with the Vikings. But a loss like this leaves a bad feeling in the locker room, one that may be too much for them to overcome.

LEAST SUPRISING THING

With the Tennessee Titans unbeaten, Mercury Morris is again on the interview circut talking about the 1972 Dolphins

Morris, a part of the two headed rushing monster (Larry Czonka the other) for the only unbeaten team in the NFL, the '72 Dolphins, is again starting to talk about an unbeatable team. Morris was always a bit of a character, but can be very irratating when he brings up that team. Every year, Morris is typically the spokesperson of the '72 Dolphins Morris has been very complementary of the 2008 Titans. While he was not overly supportive of the 2007 Patriots (actually more critical), he sees a lot of similarities in this year's Titans with the '72 Fins. Both were defensive teams with solid rushing attacks. Neither is overly fancy or flashy. Morris made the great point, stating that no one really thought they could do it. While just about everyone is convinced that the Titans won't run the table, perhaps we should listen to Mr. Morris and remember that he and the Dolphins proved that anything is possible.

That's all for this week folks. Have a good one and I'll see you again next week!