Forgive the cliche, but these Baltimore Ravens, they're a weird team and they've got me all muddled up. First time all season I've seen them play and they disappoint, albeit against one of the best teams in the NFC, the Giants.
The phoneme rookie Joe Flacco, who was perfect for a stretch these past few weeks, came fast and sudden back to Earth, throwing two picks (one returned for a touchdown) while the vaunted Raven defence looked old and decrepit against the continual running attack of the Giants.
Take that 77 yard rush by Ahmad Bradshaw against at the start of the fourth: Lewis over-attacked his man and was woefully out of position. Bradshaw got a nice block and boom, hit a seam (or daylight, or whatever cliche you like most) and it was damn close to a touchdown.
So what happened to the Ravens defence? Up until that game, they were good against the run... but they couldn't make stops. The Giants line was carving into them, opening holes for both Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs. Their linebacking corps was thusly overworked - sometimes it looked as if they didn't know what to do. They bit early and found themselves attacking the line earlier.
Which helped him had a solid passing day (13 of 23, for 153 yards, one TD and one INT), but remember - it was the rushing that decided this game. It gave the Giants an early lead, helped them keep the Ravens off the field and was the major reason they won.
Where do they go from here? Down, way down. They’re six and four, but a bad six and four. They’ve already gotten to beat up on helpless teams like Cleveland, Cincinnati, Oakland and Houston. To my eyes, their only solid win was over Miami, back in October. One gets the idea that maybe they've already peaked as a team.
We'll soon find out if they're wheat of chaff, for here comes the hard part of their schedule: Philly, Pittsburgh, Dallas and Jacksonville. Four teams they'll be hard pressed to beat. It’s likely they’ll still finish second in the North, but it’s unlikely they’ll make the playoffs.
*****
Once again, Houston and Indianapolis had a wild shootout affair. And just like last time, it ended with a Houston miscue.
For reasons what I don't quite grasp, bottom-of-the-barrel Houston always comes out swinging against the Colts. In a game where defence meant almost nothing for the majority of the game, both teams racked up yardage and points: Houston had over 350 total yards and Indianapolis had 474 yards, with Payton Manning throwing for 320 of them.
Think about that: 320 passing yards. That's more then Oakland, Chicago or Cincinnati managed all day. That's a monster day, yet he only had two majors. One might think that he would have had more scores... but one would be wrong. You don't get that many yards without a strong running game, one that makes the linebackers cheat up and plug holes. And Joesph Addai's line for today (105 yards, one TD) reflects this.
Houston, on the other hand, had a more balanced game: 177 on the ground, 179 in the air. And although Rosenfels had a quiet day, he played well - except for his last drive. He completed 70% of his passes and helped engineer a good game for the Texans: they were outplayed on the other side of the ball by a wide, wide margin (nearly a ten minute difference in time of possession, for example) yet they were in the game right until the end.
But the end was the same as last time, although not quite as heartbreaking for Texan fans. Rosenfels was picked off, for the first time in the game, with just 38 seconds on the clock. But other then that, it was a good drive - quick outlet passes, moving the chains, not eating a lot of time of the clock.
All in all, it was fun game to watch. I like the Texans; they're a lot better then they get credit for. At least sometimes, anyway. In a year or two they could be a team to watch. And the Colts look like they're back. Forget the Titans being undefeated, the Colts have a good shot at the division in my books.
*****
A tough, physical game in Pittsburgh came to an odd close, with the league’s first 10-11 score. Pittsburgh looked good throughout, and the final score doesn’t reflect how well they did actually play.
It’s odd. With a low score, it’s easy to think this was a defensive battle. But it really wasn’t. It was a slogging kind of game, one where both teams went on long marches.
Ben Roethlisberger looked great for the first half, at one point throwing for something like 10 of 11. He finished the game with 31 completions and 308 yards.
But yet, their passing game was lacking: he didn’t throw for a major and was under constant pressure: he was sacked four times. The majority of his completions went to (no surprise) Hines Ward, who finished with 11 catches and 124 yards.
One might think that when the Steelers dominated so much that they’d have won easily. But it was a weird game: Pittsburgh was able to move around the field with ease, but didn’t get into the end zone all game, unless you count an early safety.
No, it was San Deigo, who despite having half the yards the Steelers did, a six minute difference in time of possession and a lousy game from Phillip Rivers (15 of 26, 159 yards and two INT) led for most of the game and led late.
It was all about LT on this snowy, ugly day in Pittsburgh. He scored the lone touchdown of the day, a three yard score up the middle, and it was the most important score of the day. LT spent a good chuck of the match pounding the ball up the middle, never for much, getting chunks of turf stuck to his helmet.
This was latest in a string of odd games for the Chargers, who seem to be getting more then their share of bad breaks this season. That missed call against Denver; a heartbreaking comeback by Carolina in week one; that surprising Miami upset, when the Dolphins broke out everything in the playbook.
The Chargers are now four and six, second in the AFC West. That’s two wins behind both Denver and anybody likely to win the wild card. But don’t count them out: they’ve only lost one game at home thus far – and four of their next six are at home. They can still bounce back.
*****
Other Notes: After jumping to the Cincinnati/Philadelphia game, Fox cut away again from an overtime game. When will the NFL realize that cutting to a close game, then cutting away as per some anarchic rules, doesn't serve make any sense? What's the point of going to going to it, getting the viewer invested in it, then leaving them hanging? I suppose there's the bonus aspect of it - but wouldn't going to an extended postgame show serve the viewer just as well? ... The Seahawks didn't play well, but they certainly took advantage of their chances: they scored three touchdowns on drives of less then 20 yards ... Somebody on the Raiders has to, absolutely has to show Jamarcus Russell how to manage a game. The Raiders last drive, where Russell hung around and watched time tick away was maybe the worst clock management I've seen this year. If the Raiders want him to pan out, they should really look to finding him a mentor, since he doesn't seem to be learning on the job… Can the Titans go undefeated? Who knows – their rushing game is looking atrophied, but their passing game is dynamic. Just when one thinks they’ve got them figured out (a clock controlling team that outsmarts you), they shift gears and become some other beast entirely. If I had to bet, though, they’ll lose two of their last three, when they let Collins rest up for the playoffs.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Abbreviated NFL notebook
Green Bay / Tennessee
The first real contender the Titans faced turned into their first real tough match, one that sent them to overtime. Their two-running back system (Johnson and White) helped them move the ball, but the Packers were smothering.
But they kept pounding and pounding, chipping away (okay, too much cliché). They moved down the field, a few yards at a time, moving quietly into FG range.
This is why they haven’t lost a game yet: they don’t need to air the ball out to move around. They can run the ball, run it well, and grind down the defence, tiring out the front four and the linebackers. They can control the clock this way, and with a quarterback who knows how to call a game, they can win games they otherwise wouldn’t.
I’m as big a fan of Vince Young as the next guy, but this is what separates him from Kerry Collins. When he played for the Longhorns, he was their running game, for the most part. He didn’t have to worry about controlling the clock, or at least not as abstractly; Young’s sheer athleticism was enough that he could often scramble out of bounds and stop the clock if need be.
But that doesn’t work in the NFL. The lines are too big, too powerful. I’m sure it was overwhelming, especially now that defences are keyed into what he can do. He’s going to have to learn to call games if he wants to excel at his position, and there aren’t many people better to learn it from then Collins.
Cleveland / Baltimore
Last year, we saw one of the best games of the season between these two, one that featured a kick bounce out of the season. An instant classic, perhaps.
Sunday, we saw Derek Anderson lead the Browns back, moving them deep late in the game – and getting picked off, cementing the Baltimore win.
It’s a neat change from the usual rivalries, and one that’s especially fitting: the old Browns moved to Baltimore.
Anyway, this game most likely marked the end of the Derek Anderson era in Cleveland – one that had it’s highs (a playoff appearance last year, a couple thrilling shootouts) and some lows (an 18 of 32 and two interception night against Pittsburgh earlier this season).
Anderson, when he appeared last year, was a bit of a bright flash. After Charlie Frye flopped in the season opener, Anderson took over and made an immediate impression in a shootout against Cincinnati: over 300 yards in the air and five majors in a 51-45 win. From there the Browns tore it up, finishing 10-6, same as the division-winning Steelers.
But since then his stock has been dropping like a rock: the Browns lost their first three games and Anderson’s numbers are down across the board. It doesn’t help that the Browns are looking more and more like a team headed to the cellar – so why not give the rookie some time?
Other notes:
This week seemed to be the backup’s revenge week: Backups had big days in Pittsburgh and Chicago, while it looks like starters in San Francisco, Detroit and Cleveland may be gone. Have to wonder though – after a solid game against the Bears, is it fair to yank out Orlovsky for Culpepper? Remember, Culpepper hasn’t been effective since he blew out his knee… What’s happened to the Raiders? They’ve fallen so far, even from last year. Against a decent Falcons team they looked like a bunch of scrubs – only 77 yards! Indescribably awful.
The first real contender the Titans faced turned into their first real tough match, one that sent them to overtime. Their two-running back system (Johnson and White) helped them move the ball, but the Packers were smothering.
But they kept pounding and pounding, chipping away (okay, too much cliché). They moved down the field, a few yards at a time, moving quietly into FG range.
This is why they haven’t lost a game yet: they don’t need to air the ball out to move around. They can run the ball, run it well, and grind down the defence, tiring out the front four and the linebackers. They can control the clock this way, and with a quarterback who knows how to call a game, they can win games they otherwise wouldn’t.
I’m as big a fan of Vince Young as the next guy, but this is what separates him from Kerry Collins. When he played for the Longhorns, he was their running game, for the most part. He didn’t have to worry about controlling the clock, or at least not as abstractly; Young’s sheer athleticism was enough that he could often scramble out of bounds and stop the clock if need be.
But that doesn’t work in the NFL. The lines are too big, too powerful. I’m sure it was overwhelming, especially now that defences are keyed into what he can do. He’s going to have to learn to call games if he wants to excel at his position, and there aren’t many people better to learn it from then Collins.
Cleveland / Baltimore
Last year, we saw one of the best games of the season between these two, one that featured a kick bounce out of the season. An instant classic, perhaps.
Sunday, we saw Derek Anderson lead the Browns back, moving them deep late in the game – and getting picked off, cementing the Baltimore win.
It’s a neat change from the usual rivalries, and one that’s especially fitting: the old Browns moved to Baltimore.
Anyway, this game most likely marked the end of the Derek Anderson era in Cleveland – one that had it’s highs (a playoff appearance last year, a couple thrilling shootouts) and some lows (an 18 of 32 and two interception night against Pittsburgh earlier this season).
Anderson, when he appeared last year, was a bit of a bright flash. After Charlie Frye flopped in the season opener, Anderson took over and made an immediate impression in a shootout against Cincinnati: over 300 yards in the air and five majors in a 51-45 win. From there the Browns tore it up, finishing 10-6, same as the division-winning Steelers.
But since then his stock has been dropping like a rock: the Browns lost their first three games and Anderson’s numbers are down across the board. It doesn’t help that the Browns are looking more and more like a team headed to the cellar – so why not give the rookie some time?
Other notes:
This week seemed to be the backup’s revenge week: Backups had big days in Pittsburgh and Chicago, while it looks like starters in San Francisco, Detroit and Cleveland may be gone. Have to wonder though – after a solid game against the Bears, is it fair to yank out Orlovsky for Culpepper? Remember, Culpepper hasn’t been effective since he blew out his knee… What’s happened to the Raiders? They’ve fallen so far, even from last year. Against a decent Falcons team they looked like a bunch of scrubs – only 77 yards! Indescribably awful.
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Raiders outlast Longhorns in a Texas shootout
Back and forth, back and forth. It was a see-saw-like finish on Saturday night, when the Texas Tech Red Raiders outlasted the Texas Longhorns in an instant classic.
There was a comeback, a controversial call, fans all over the field and a finish which I believe may already be airing on ESPN Classic.
Early, the matcgh was all Raiders, with them getting on the board every way they could: a safety, a field goal and a major. Their defence held the Longhorns offense to just three yards after the first quarter and held them to only two field goals at the half – but the game quickly turned into a Graham Harrell/Colt McCoy duel, the kind football doesn’t see nearly enough of.
Down 22-6 at the half, Longhorns quarterback Colt McCoy led his team to a near improbable comeback, driving down the field with seeming ease: 58 yards in two and a half minutes; 91 yards in 14 seconds; 80 yards in just over four minutes. McCoy was airing the ball with ease, making huge plays and spreading the Raiders defence thin. He would finish the night with two touchdowns and almost 300 yards passing, the majority of them in the second half.
That 91-yard touchdown seemed to send a message: Texas was still in this game, and the Raiders pounded back in response. They moved to the Texas 12, where a touchdown would have sealed the win. But after a 15-yard penalty and three straight incompletions later, they settled for a field goal. 32 – 26, for Tech.
So the Longhorns were still in the game, then. McCoy passed and ran them all the way down to the Texas five-yard line, where Foswhitt Whittaker ran in the go-ahead major: 23-22 Texas, with just 1:29 left. Then Harrell took the Raiders on his back.
Four straight passes led the Raiders to the Texas 28. Game over, right? After all, they needed just a field goal, something they had been hitting all game. Simple, no risk involved. But on Harrell’s next pass, the ball took a funny deflection – one that was almost picked off by Texas. A lucky break for the Raiders.
Harrell followed it with a pass to his right, to Michael Crabtree along the sidelines, who ran it in for a touchdown with only a second to play. Fans come pouring onto the field from all over, crowding the players and forcing the goalposts to get lowered. All the while, the replay booth is checking the catch: did Crabtree step out of bounds?
As it turned out, he didn’t, the extra point was good and the field had to be cleared again. One second left… Well, stranger things have happened. But not tonight: the kickoff was lateralled, then fumbled and Tech came up with it and the win.
Brent Musburger, one who has been prone to hyperbole, called the finish unbelievable. Indeed, it was one of the better – the best, even – finishes so far this season.
Plus, it was both a huge upset and a huge night for the Raiders. Just look at the numbers: 579 total yards, with McCoy throwing 474 of them. Two recievers with over 125 yards reciving. Nearly 37 minutes of possession. 32 first downs. One turnover. One hell of a finish.
And a win over the number one ranked team in the country.
There was a comeback, a controversial call, fans all over the field and a finish which I believe may already be airing on ESPN Classic.
Early, the matcgh was all Raiders, with them getting on the board every way they could: a safety, a field goal and a major. Their defence held the Longhorns offense to just three yards after the first quarter and held them to only two field goals at the half – but the game quickly turned into a Graham Harrell/Colt McCoy duel, the kind football doesn’t see nearly enough of.
Down 22-6 at the half, Longhorns quarterback Colt McCoy led his team to a near improbable comeback, driving down the field with seeming ease: 58 yards in two and a half minutes; 91 yards in 14 seconds; 80 yards in just over four minutes. McCoy was airing the ball with ease, making huge plays and spreading the Raiders defence thin. He would finish the night with two touchdowns and almost 300 yards passing, the majority of them in the second half.
That 91-yard touchdown seemed to send a message: Texas was still in this game, and the Raiders pounded back in response. They moved to the Texas 12, where a touchdown would have sealed the win. But after a 15-yard penalty and three straight incompletions later, they settled for a field goal. 32 – 26, for Tech.
So the Longhorns were still in the game, then. McCoy passed and ran them all the way down to the Texas five-yard line, where Foswhitt Whittaker ran in the go-ahead major: 23-22 Texas, with just 1:29 left. Then Harrell took the Raiders on his back.
Four straight passes led the Raiders to the Texas 28. Game over, right? After all, they needed just a field goal, something they had been hitting all game. Simple, no risk involved. But on Harrell’s next pass, the ball took a funny deflection – one that was almost picked off by Texas. A lucky break for the Raiders.
Harrell followed it with a pass to his right, to Michael Crabtree along the sidelines, who ran it in for a touchdown with only a second to play. Fans come pouring onto the field from all over, crowding the players and forcing the goalposts to get lowered. All the while, the replay booth is checking the catch: did Crabtree step out of bounds?
As it turned out, he didn’t, the extra point was good and the field had to be cleared again. One second left… Well, stranger things have happened. But not tonight: the kickoff was lateralled, then fumbled and Tech came up with it and the win.
Brent Musburger, one who has been prone to hyperbole, called the finish unbelievable. Indeed, it was one of the better – the best, even – finishes so far this season.
Plus, it was both a huge upset and a huge night for the Raiders. Just look at the numbers: 579 total yards, with McCoy throwing 474 of them. Two recievers with over 125 yards reciving. Nearly 37 minutes of possession. 32 first downs. One turnover. One hell of a finish.
And a win over the number one ranked team in the country.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)