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The Armchair Quarterback


 NFL Thoughts: Week 9
 

Another week in the NFL has baffled me. The Bears lose at home to a 1-win team. The Vikings allow less than 10 points to a 2-win team and still manage to lose the game. Umm...ok. Whatever. The motto for the league ought to be, "Don't bet on us"!

Thoughts for the week's action:


Chiefs 31 /Rams 17
Bulger played great again. The defense stunk again. How long must Ram fans suffer these defensive collapses? Also, despite Ram fumbles helping the Chiefs dominate the first half, the refs helped give away the game for good in the second half. Isaac Bruce was flagged for a bogus offensive pass interference that negated a 3rd down conversion as the Rams were driving to tie the game up. Next Chief possession, they flag the Rams defensive back for a bogus defensive pass interference. Both replays showed they were blown calls. Game, set, match. The Chiefs go on to score again and the game is over. It's tough enough to win when you dig your own hole but when the refs go ahead and shovel dirt on top of you it's impossible.


Redskins 22 /Cowboys 19
Bill Parcells said in a post-game interview (about their failed two point conversion attempt early in the game) that he goes by a chart to plan out his two point conversion attempts. Chart? I just want to know who this genius is that came up with this "chart". Probably the same guy that gave former Ram coach Mike Martz tips on calling time outs. Two point conversion chart? It's the most moronic thing I have ever heard of. Any sane person should know that you don't go for two points until the 4th quarter when you know you will need them. Still, the Cowboys lost partly because of this, so despite being bugged by the fact that a future hall of fame coach making millions of dollars should know better, I'm giddy with the thought that the Parcells might use the "chart" the rest of the season.
Dallas won't feel any better about it but it's a fluke win for the Skins. Terrell Owens, dropped a sure TD pass (keep em coming dorkwad) and Vanderjagt's blocked field goal at the end followed by a face mask penalty (another gift by the refs who should have awarded five yards for it but inexplicably gave them 15 yards---and the win) ensured another victory for a team that didn't deserve it. ---Somehow I'll fight through the injustice of this one.


Dolphins 31/ Bears 13
So I guess Chicago was teasing us last week with another blowout win and a great game by Grossman. Now we know the Cardinal game wasn't just a fluke. 2 out of the last 3 weeks the Bears defense has looked pretty average and Rex G. has looked like Aaron Brooks. It's not time to panic but it is time to stop printing those Bear Super Bowl champion t-shirts. For now.


Giants 14 / Texans 10
How do the Giants keep winning ugly like this? If style points were required for victories, NY would have as many losses as wins.


Colts 27 / Patriots 20
This was weird for me to watch. Pleasantly surprising-- but weird. I expected much more running from Dillon and Maroney. Oh sure they gashed the Colts for quite a few 5+yard runs but I kept expecting the 20 and 30 yard breakout runs. I also expected Brady to outplay Manning, but Payton showed that he is the reason Indy is 8-0. He is the MVP of the league. Nobody is more important to their team in my opinion. If he ever has a bad game they'll lose because their defense isn't good enough to bail him out. So considering that I'm a "glass is half empty" kind of guy when it comes to the Colts, I'm still skeptical that they can make it to the Super Bowl with that D. By the way how weird was that to see Vinatieri miss two field goals in a stadium where he made so many? What's up with that? Perhaps he is secretly still on Belichick's payroll. Or maybe Belichick did some Manchurian Candidate type brainwashing before he let him go. It's possible.



Saints 31
/ Bucs 14
Drew Brees is perfect for a "west coast" attack. He excels in the short to mid-range throws and he manages a game really well. Sometimes that west coast style can bug me but when it works how can you knock it? No rushing attack? No problem if your passing game doubles as a running game as well.


Chargers 32 / Browns 25
Not as close as the score indicates but still not a banner game for the Bolts. Too many penalties and too many stalled drives. Still Tomlinson was awesome. Again. And Rivers was efficient enough for the win. Considering how several good teams lost when they shouldn't have over the last two weeks, I'm ready to cut San Diego some slack.


Broncos 31 / Steelers 20
Did you hear that? That was the sound of a Super Bowl champion team crashing and burning. Also in the distant background you can make out the faint sounds of a QB controversy. Listen, it's kind of catchy. Charlie. Charlie. Charlie. When the call goes out for Charlie Batch to start for your team you know it's time to throw in the terrible towel. Pittsburgh might scrape back to .500 by the end of the year, they may even go on a bit of a winning streak for 4 or 5 games, but there is not a chance in hell they catch the breaks like they did last year and make the playoffs.


Lions 31
/ Falcons 14
I recorded this one to see if Vick could keep up his all-world play on the ground and the air. He got half of it right. Still he didn't lose this game by himself. The Falcon defense got shredded by Kitna and Kevin Jones. Quit cackling Mike Martz. I mean it. Stop it. Anybody have a shotgun?

Bills 24 / Packers 10
When Green Bay turns the ball over a lot they always lose. End of story. Favre has to have mistake free games from himself and his teamates to win. Nice game though by Ahman Green and Donald Driver.


49ers 9 /Vikings 3
Yeah. Capture the magic.


Jaguars 37 / Titans 7
Vince Young throwing the ball 36 times doesn't bode well for Tennessee. Meanwhile Jags QB, David Garrard played well enough that he should probably start the next game. And Byron Leftwich should keep his trap shut and realize that he's in a good spot. He's recovering from injury and the backup guy is always liked more. So as soon as Garrard struggles, he's sitting pretty. Unless Garrard doesn't struggle. Then he's screwed.




Ravens 26 / Bengals 20
Second straight week Palmer is outplayed by an inferior passer. That's embarrassing. The Bengals are bad on defense, bad on offense and receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh did act like a little baby out there on that final 4th down play for Cincy. But to be fair it was absolutely a pass interference that should have been called and it did cost them the game. Another blown one by the refs. That's at least two games today possibly decided by a referee messing up calls on pass interference plays. Still, just like the Rams, the Bengals really should be playing better than this and if they really want to point the finger they better pull out a mirror. They've sucked.

Posted by The Armchair Quarterback at 12:19 AM - 1 Comment   Add a Comment  
 

 NFL Picks: Week 9 & a rant about Louisville
 

Just a quick note about last night's West Virginia/Louisville game. Great game. Loved it. Tons of offense and very exciting players. Pat White, Steve Slaton, Brian Brohm are future NFL players and are as good as anybody in the country. The two team's defenses? Not so much. But to say Louisville couldn't compete or even possibly even beat Michigan or Ohio St. is flat out stupid. I would think it would be a game just like this where both offenses march up and down the field at will. If Louisville wins out they deserve to be playing for the national title. Ok then. Now that I've said my peace here's the NFL picks for the week:

^ = home team
Rams^ over the Chiefs
Sure the Chiefs and Larry Johnson are playing well lately, but the Rams are at home and that's the kicker for me. They'll get shredded again against the run but Bulger is playing well enough that the Rams will outscore the Chiefs.

Giants^over the Texans
It's time to stop talking about Tiki Barber's retirement and start talking about how well he's playing. He and Brandon Jacobs are enough of threat that Eli Manning can occasionally hit a receiver.

Jaguars^ over the Titans
Leftwich or Garrard? Doesn't matter because the defense will win this game.

Bucs^ over the Saints
Tampa will surprise another team. This time it will be Brees and the boys.

Cowboys over the Redskins^
I really want to pick against the Cowboys on the road this week but the Redskins haven't given much reason for optimism this year.

Bears^ over the Dolphins
Another mauling.

Bills^ over the Packers
Tough one to call. I'm going with Buffalo at home.

Bengals over the Ravens^
The Bengals get back on track by beating a tough defense.

Falcons over the Lions^
Does Vick continue to impress? Against the Lions I say yes.

Vikings over the 49ers^
I want to say the 49er defense is going to improve. But that would be stupid.

Steelers^ over the Broncos
A week more to clear the cobwebs and Roethlisberger ends up giving the Broncos their second straight loss.

Chargers^over the Browns
Over before it starts.

Patriots^ over the Colts
Game of the week of course. It's the Colt's run defense that will finally kill them. Maroney and Dillon will rack up huge yardage and Brady will get the best of Manning again.

Seahawks^ over the Raiders
Raider resurgence? Maybe not.


Last week: 8-6 (57%)

Overall: 78-35 (69%)
Posted by The Armchair Quarterback at 11:59 AM - No Comments   Add a Comment  
 

 NFL Thoughts: Week 8
 

Here's what I thought about this week's action:

Chargers 38 / Rams 24
As a Ram fan this game was a painful reminder that their defense is still an Achilles heel. They couldn't stop the run at all and Rivers passed the ball effectively when he needed to. Still, despite my team getting spanked, I'm strangely optimistic. I consider the Chargers one of the better teams in the league and yet the Rams were able to still move the ball on them. And you know who Bulger reminds me of? Drew Bledsoe. No not the dude in the visor that's standing on Dallas' sidelines, but the early version in New England that picked apart defenses. Like that younger Bledsoe, Bulger is immobile but fairly accurate and a has good pocket presence. Which means of course the Rams better enjoy his production while it lasts. Charge QB Philip Rivers has that same feel behind center but obviously has more mobility. I continue to be impressed with him.


Colts 34 / Broncos 31
I'm sure all of Denver was saying the same thing I was when the Bronco's Mike Bell broke that big run and they went down and scored their last TD in this game. --- "Scored too fast, left too much time for Manning". So of course Manning carved them up and set Vinatieri up for the game winner. Best game of the day to watch in my opinion. Plenty of Manning to Reggie Wayne (10 rec, 138 yards 3 Tds) --which is nice to see because he really is nearly equal to Harrison in talent---plus like Harrison he seems like a nice guy. Also plenty of camera shots of Mike Shanahan giving us the usual creepy eyes --- an added bonus during Halloween time. The Broncos have to kick themselves over this one because Plummer played great (for the first time all season), and their running game shredded the Colt defense (not a shocker). Had their defense played up to par they win this in a laugher.


Falcons 29 / Bengals 27
If Vick keeps this up he and his Falcons may just be back on my "must Tivo" list. I don't think it's a stretch to say that Vick is on fire. He has never had two weeks like this his entire career (7 passing TDs). This is the QB we thought we were getting when the hype began 5 years ago. He was going to revolutionize the position as a threat with his legs and arm. Somewhere between balls being thrown at guy's feet or overthrown by 15 yards that promise got a bit waylaid. Now it's back and what are we to think? Is it all just a big tease before he crashes back to his one-dimensional self? Since I'm really not a Falcon guy, I don't give a crap. But as a football fan I'll enjoy it while it lasts.
Seriously though would you have bet Vick would have a better passing day than Palmer?


Cowboys 35 / Panthers 14
We would be silly to write the Panthers off this season but they sure are a weird team so far aren't they? They gave the Cowboys a little help with all their mistakes but still I'm mildly impressed with the performance of Tony Romo. He's mobile and made some nice throws. If he turns out to be decent the rest of the season and helps send Dallas to the playoffs I may just have to stick my head in a blender.


Ravens 35 / Saints 22
It's no surprise that Reggie Bush didn't break out against the Baltimore defense. Still his rushing stats for the season are a real disappointment so far. If he ends up as just a receiving threat from here on out then he won't be quite the steal of the draft that New Orleans thought he was. The worst thing about this win is that now Raven coach Brian Billick's already inflated ego just got bigger. I'm not buying the offensive genius tag he got years ago in Minnesota. His Baltimore years have effectively popped that balloon. So the fact that they scored 35 this week doesn't exactly have me quaking in my boots if I'm playing them next. Also, if you tell me that you think Jamal Lewis is back to his old self then I'd have to call you a liar. Not to your face of course.


Raiders 20 / Pittsburgh 13
So that's a little weird. Oakland just beat the Super Bowl champs. The Raiders starting QB, Andrew Walter, was 5 for 14 and an interception. That's right. 5 complete passes. Stew on that one for a minute Pittsburgh. After looking fantastic last week (at least until he looked not so fantastic being carried off the field) Roethlisberger played like he couldn't remember his own name let alone the playbook. Yes that was the Raiders you lost to Ben. No I didn't stutter. Yep, the one with Art Shell coaching.


Bears 41 / 49ers 10
I guess Grossman is not one to dwell on the past is he? After one of the worst QB performances I've ever seen (last week), Rex returned to his 06 form and torched the 49er defense. That is if you want to call what they had out there as 'defense'. The 49er offense is slowly coming along but their defense is definitely a long way from competing. Chicago meanwhile still boasts a ferocious "D" and as a team they are the class of the NFC.


Giants 17 / Bucs 3
Plaxico Burress and his one handed TD snag was the catch of the day. Everything else about this game was forgettable.


Packers 31 / Cardinals 14
So when does Dennis Green get canned? Soon? The end of the season? Leinart's game against Chicago was such a tease. Now he's had two straight crapola games. Bummer for him. Meanwhile, I love that Packer RB Ahman Green had another good game. And who the hell is Vernand Morency? All he did for the Packers was average 9 yards a carry on his way to 101 yards. If Favre can get that kind of running game consistantly then the Packers are back in business. ----Of course it was Arizona. And they suck.


Chiefs 35 / Seahawks 28
Gracias K.C. That was a much needed Seattle loss for Ram playoff hopes. They kept me guessing though after they decided to make it interesting in the 4th quarter. Still, how about the backups QBs in this game? Huard's been playing like a starter this year (continues to amaze me) but Seneca Wallace showed some good instincts out there as well. He made some dumb mistakes but overall Seattle has to be encouraged by his play. They will need that in the next few weeks. Seattle is still a very good team. They are hurting with injuries right now but I'm not counting them out yet. If they can survive a couple of game without their stars they'll be primed for a stretch run. Damn them.


Jaguars 13 / Eagles 6
Was this as ugly as that score sounds? How have the Eagles fallen so low after a great start to the season? I'm baffled by their poor play. I know Garrard is going to get support to supplant Leftwich as the Jags QB but I'm not convinced he would be the answer either. He's had plenty of opportunity to impress before and he just seems to have valuable backup written all over him. But if your backup is better than your starter ( a real possibility in Jacksonville) then what do you do? Anyway, nice game by Fred Taylor (15 carries 103 yards) and another great game by the Jags' defense.


Titans 28 / Texans 22
Didn't watch a lick of this but apparently the Sage Rosenfel era has started in Houston. I mean has David Carr ever thrown 3 TDs in 17 minutes before? Start looking over your shoulder dude.


Browns 20 / Jets 13
Maybe I was wrong when I called Plaxico Burress' grab the catch of the day. The Jet's Chris Baker sure made a heck of reception at the end of this game. And I do think it was a reception. He would have come down in bounds in the endzone if he hadn't been pushed out. Terrible call by the refs that screwed the Jets. This is one of those stupid things that need to be fixed in the rulebook. Because it's a judgment call it's not reviewable. Say what? This seems like a classic example of what should be reviewable. What the hell is replay for if not to help calls like this. Time for a rule change.
Posted by The Armchair Quarterback at 11:57 AM - 1 Comment   Add a Comment  
 

 NFL Picks: Week 8
 

Lots of games I'm interested in this week. Bengals/Falcons, Saints/Ravens, Chargers/Rams, Colts/Broncos are the ones that will be "must watch" status for me. Last week's picks didn't turn out so well (under 50% right) but I'm ready for a comeback. Without further adieu then:

^=home team


Bears^ over the 49ers
Was last week's game a hiccup for Grossman? The Bears should now know that you can't take any team lightly.

Bengals^ over the Falcons
Vick looked good last week but I'm taking Cincy at home.

Packers^over the Cardinals
So which Cardinal team will we see this week, the one that should have beat the Bears or the one that made the Raiders look playoff worthy? I'm going with something in between.

Titans^ over the Texans
Vince gets his revenge for draft day snubbing.

Seahawks over the Chiefs^
I never thought whether or not Damon Huard started would affect how I picked a game. I was wrong. If Huard plays I'm going with the Chiefs. But if it's Croyle as the starter against Seneca Wallace for the "Hawks" then is Larry Johnson the deciding factor? I say no. Seattle wins in the battle of the backup versus the backup to the backup. Still I'll check in on Saturday and see if Huard's status has been updated. If he plays this pick changes Saturday night.

Saints^ over the Ravens
This will be another tough test for the Saints. Brees can't make mistakes or this will be a battle of field goals that they may lose.

Giants^ over the Bucs
I don't think Tampa's luck continues this week.

Eagles^ over the Jags
Speaking of luck, the Eagle's mojo has to change right? How do they keep losing on the last play of the game? The Jags have been decimated by injuries and it's going to hurt them again.

Chargers^ over the Rams
Why am I picking against my team this week? Merriman wants to work out some roid rage frustration, that's why.

Steelers over the Raiders^
Even if Charlie Batch were to play I'd still make this pick.

Jets over the Browns^
I haven't seen anything in the Browns this year to make me believe in them.

Colts over the Broncos^
Defense versus offense. Considering the Colts are on the road I should probably go with the defense. But I won't.

Panthers^over the Cowboys
It's a good time to play the Cowboys. They are still a good team but it will take a few games for Romo to get settled.

Patriots over the Vikings^
The Vikings came through for me last week against the Seahawks. Can they do it again against another team I despise? I hope so but I just don't pick against the Patriots very often. It's easier on my psyche.

Last week: 6-7 (46%)

Overall: 70-29 (70%)

Posted by The Armchair Quarterback at 12:29 PM - 2 Comments   Add a Comment  
 

 Mid-Week NFL Thoughts
 

Random thoughts floating around in my noggin:

--Romo over Bledsoe? Who cares. As long as the "Boys" lose and I get more camera shots of Jerry Jones ready to cut his own fingers off, I'm good. A nervous and distraught Jerry Jones is much less creepy than a giddy Jerry Jones. Trust me on this one.


--I'm a semi-Charger fan but even so, Shawne Merriman's steroid defense is sounding lame. Aren't you sick of the "I didn't read the label on my supplement" defense? Can somebody please be a man and just admit they cheated and got caught? It's not hard. I mean I admit it when I get caught doing something stupid. On Sunday I snuck out of a church meeting and caught the second half of the Colts game. I got busted by the wife and totally took the heat like a man...or at least I didn't buckle at the knees and break into tears. That came later. Still you get the point. I told her the truth-- " I like football more than church". I even felt better after saying it. See Shawne, other than the fact that millions of dollars are on the line, our situations aren't so different. Come clean brother, come clean.


--I don't agree with or even want to read everything Peter King writes (anyone remember the dissertation on his bowel movements?) but Mr. Starbucks does occasionally write something that stikes a harmonious chord whith me. His article on Monday discusses Giant Running Back Tiki Barber in detail. Specifically he calls Barber the best back in the land since 2004 and lays out a statistical chart to prove it. The Ladainian Tomlinson apologists are up in arms I'm sure over this. You hear over and over L.T. being called the best running back in football. It's sacrilege to suggest otherwise. After all, every announcer including Joe Theismann declares it to be so. Now I'm a big fan of Tomlinson and I agree that he is a great one, and even was the best back in football for a couple of years. Those years being 2002 and 2003. But bottom line, Barber is just as multi-talented, just as important to his team and statistics aside (although they are better too) he has been the better RB since 2004. So I think Peter King is right when he talks about Barber's place in football. But as alluded to earlier, I also think Peter King needs to lay off the Triple Grandes a bit more. Not only do I not want to know where he took his last dookie while he was on a plane but I also don't really care for his opinion that it makes sense for Tiki Barber to retire after this season. The idea is that we should all respect somebody's decision to walk away at the top of their game especially if that someone happens to be a banner human being with limitless potential in other areas. Screw that. It upset me when Barry Sanders retired, it angered me when Michael Jordan retired (the first time) and I'm pretty sure it would have pissed me off if I had been alive when Jim Brown retired. So while I don't put Tiki Barber up with those guys in terms of talent or career impact, he's still too damn good to retire. Some guys hang on too long and it's sad to see but I think it's a sin to leave when you're the best. At his age he's got another season or two left in him and then a whole life of living rich and sipping coffee on the broadcast set with King Latte.
---Of course I'm a selfish football fan and admittedly not worried about his health in those years ahead of him. Damn him for being so concerned about how he's going to get out of bed in ten years. I hate you Tiki Barber.......And I love you. -----I promised myself I wouldn't cry about this. Where are those freaking tissues when you need one?
Posted by The Armchair Quarterback at 1:09 AM - 1 Comment   Add a Comment  
 
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Age: 38
 
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