Monday Morning Hangover Archive

NFL Week 15 Recap

Chris C

– December 21, 2009Posted in: Monday Morning Hangover

Like watching the second-to-last episode in a thrill-packed drama series, or the 2^nd movie in a trilogy, week 15 of an NFL season can be a frustrating one for fans. You know they’ll be little guaranteed, few final results, and in the back of your mind it’s hard to be completely focused knowing the last image for the week is guaranteed to be a cliff-hanging “To be continued…”

Rarely do the Monday-morning conclusions of week 15 stand firm at seasons end. Teams once thought dead find themselves in the playoffs, while others with seemingly insurmountable leads find ways to get an early vacation.

Despite its inconclusiveness, week 15 of this NFL season turned out to be the most dramatic yet. Seven games were decided by a scoring drive in the final two minutes or in overtime. Eleven of the fifteen games played were decided by a total of 46 points. While some questions were answered…. five of the eight divisions have now crowned champs… the game-by-game intensity this Sunday was unmatched by any weekend this season.

In San Diego the Bengals and Chargers both had chances to clinch their respective divisions with a victory. It was hard not to root for the Bengals, playing their first game after the tragic death of wide receiver Chris Henry.

No Cincinnati player appeared more affected by Henry’s passing than close friend Chad Ochocinco. After catching a 49-yard touchdown pass in the 2^nd quarter, the usually well-rehearsed Ochocinco appeared unsure of what to do next. After a moment of hesitation, Ochocinco dropped to one knee, pointed to the sky, and simply looked upward. It was a touching moment from a player usually recognized for chuckle-worthy antics and disproportionate fines.

The emotional effort was not enough to secure a victory, however, as a 52-yard last-second kick by Nate Kaeding put San Diego on top, 27-24. Hope is not lost for the Bengals, who still hold a one-game lead over Baltimore in the AFC North.

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Tags: nfl week 15, nfl week 15 monday morning quarterback, nfl week 15 recap, nfl week 15 review

NFL Week 14 Recap

Chris C

– December 14, 2009Posted in: Monday Morning Hangover

Week 14 is almost done and now were only three weeks away from the playoffs. It should be a great to watch as many of the playoff races will come down to the final Sunday. Now to my recap of Week 14 in the NFL:

Pursuit of Perfection

Another week down and another week closer for the Saints and Colts in their pursuit of perfection. The Saints went down to the wire again, winning by three over a Falcons team without Matt Ryan and Michael Turner. In doing so the Saints clinched a first round bye and can wrap out home filed advantage with one more win. Meanwhile, the Colts jumped out and early on the Broncos and held on late to preserve the victory. The win clinched home home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Now get prepared for to hear the should they sit their starters or not debate, which will be debated at nausea by analysts and expects in the upcoming weeks. They’ll go back and forth bashing Caldwell for resting his starters and praising Payton, but both coaches are making the right decisions with their respective teams.

Jim Caldwell has said he will follow suit set forth by Tony Dungy and rest his starters, but early word is it won’t occur until Week 16 against the Jets. This strategy hasn’t worked out for the Colts in the past, but I have no problem with it. Their defense has been ravaged by injuries all year and they can’t afford another one especially to someone like Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis.

Sean Payton has stated his team is going for 16-0 and won’t rest his starters. I like the move by Payton especially with a team like the Saints. This team doesn’t have much playoff experience and isn’t as battle tested as the Colts. They need every game to prepare for the playoffs.

Playoff Races Heating Up

With only three weeks remaining in the regular season we still don’t know who will be playing come January and who will be on their couches watching. In the NFC the Saints and Vikings are all but assured of locking up the first two spots. The Cardinals should take the NFC West and the Packers will likely take one of the wild card spots. That leaves the three NFC East teams fighting for the last two spots. After last night’s victory the Eagles now lead the division by a game over the Cowboys and two over the Giants. The Eagles should make it one way or another barring a collapse and then it all comes down the the ‘Boys and Giants. Despite being up one game the Cowboys are at a disadvantage as the Giants hold the tiebreaker and the Cowboys have games against the Saints and Eagles still left. As much as I’d like to pick the Cowboys as I believe they’re a better team than the Giants, I have to give the Giants the last playoff spot which will end Wade Phillips tenure in Big D.

The AFC has the Colts and the number one seed with the Chargers and Bengals two and three, depending on how their game turns out this week. Then it gets interesting. The Pats hold a one game lead over the Dolphins and Jets, but have the easiest remaining schedule and should win the division. The wild card is anyone’s guess as there are realistically five teams fighting for two spots. Denver is in sole possession of the five seed and if it can win two out of its next three they should be fine. The other spot is currently occupied by Jacksonville, who are tied with the Dolphins, Ravens, and Jets with the Steelers, Texans, and Titans still breathing. My best guess is that the Ravens run the table and finish 10-6 to claim that spot.

Quick Takes

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NFL Week 13 Recap

Chris C

– December 7, 2009Posted in: Monday Morning Hangover

What a week of football. The best we’ve had all season. No doubt about it.

Following the conclusion of tonight’s game we will officially be 3/4 of the way through the season. The playoff picture is starting to crystallize, but don’t get too carried away yet. If we look at the standing after the halfway point we’d see the Steelers, Broncos, and Patriots near the top and now only one of those team may make it. We’d also see the Packers sitting at 4-4 coming off a loss to the previously win less Tampa Bay and now they haven’t lost since and are in line to make the playoffs. It should be a thrilling stretch run to say the least and I didn’t even mention we have two teams making a run at perfection.

Now to my recap of Week 13 in the NFL:

Super Bowl Hangover

After Sunday’s loss to Oakland its fair to say the Steelers won be unleashing hell in December. Now on the heels of the their fourth straight loss the Steelers may be watching the playoffs at home this season.

They now sit at 6-6 and are in a logjam in the AFC Wild Card picture. They are one game behind sixth place Jacksonville, behind Baltimore, and tied with the Dolphins, Jets. In all likelihood the Steelers will need to win out if they want to make the playoffs.

They start out with a gimme this week against the Browns on Thursday Night. After that they’ll have to step up their game. The Packers and Ravens come into town and then they finish the season at Miami, in what could be a win and your in scenario.

The return of Troy Polamalu would certainly increase their chances. Without Polamalu the Steelers defense isn’t the same. They have no play makers other than him and their weaknesses are exposed.

They also have to worry about their red zone woes. On their first three tips there on Sunday they resulted in: interception, field goal, and failed fourth down conversion. Perhaps it’s just a down year for the Steelers. After their last Super Bowl they finished 8-8 the next year and with that schedule coming up it looks like they might fall to the same fate. When Bruce Gradkowski is ripping apart your secondary it doesn’t bode well for your future chances.

End of an Era?

Another loss in Sunday for the Patriots and now paranoia is tangible. Every New England fan will tell you this isn’t the same team that won three Super Bowls back in the day. They know it’s not their year and that this is a quasi-rebuilding year for them.

With their third loss in the last four games the Pats now only have a one game lead over both the Dolphins and the Jets. The mystique that they once had is now all but gone. The connection between Randy Moss and Tom Brady seems a little off. Since the passing game isn’t as great as it once was the running game is now being exposed. The Patriots have got away for years with a bunch of decent, no name running backs, but now the true lack of a 20 carry a game guy is hurting the Pats.

However, the main concern with this team is their defense, mainly their secondary. They simply can’t stop anyone through the air. Mixing journeyman and young players seems to finally caught up with the Pats. The combination of Leigh Bodden, Darius Butler, and Jonathan Whitile is getting embarrassed by opposing offenses. Davone Bess did his best Wes Welker impression against them on Sunday, coming up with key catch after key catch.

Perhaps Belichick saw this coming when he shipped Richard Seymour right before the season started. Knowing they couldn’t win it all, he wanted to get something for him while he could and build for the future. For now the Pats will still likely make the playoffs and they always can make a run, but they won’t go anywhere playing the way they are now.

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Tags: nfl week 13, nfl week 13 monday morning quarterback, nfl week 13 recap, nfl week 13 review

NFL Week 12 Recap

Chris C

– November 30, 2009Posted in: Monday Morning Hangover

Another week of football in the books. Well almost, we still have the Saints-Pats tonight, which should be a dandy.

Were inching closer to the playoffs as were starting to see who are the contenders and pretenders.

Now onto my recap of Week 12 in the NFL:

Concussions Taking a Toll

Concussions have always been a cause for concern in the NFL. It has been one of, if not the most, controversial and debated injuries. They have cut short many player’s careers such as Troy Aikman, Steve Young, and many, many more and recent studies have shown it has caused major damage for players in their post-playing careers. But it isn’t until recently that were seeing a change in the way they’re handled.

A few weeks ago news broke that there would be independent neurologists on the sidelines and they, not the team, will decide if the player can go back into a game. Also Jay Glazer reported yesterday that Roger Goodell is on the verge of reworking the stipulations of if a dinged up player can return to a game making them much stricter.

Yesterday we saw the first real ramifications from all this talk. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger didn’t play on Sunday Night despite practicing all week. He was only suffering from concussion like symptoms yet he was held out of the game. Remind you that the Steelers were playing the division rival Ravens and were on a two game losing streak. Their loss sent them to third place in the division and on the outside looking in on the playoffs. Is there any chance Roehtlisberger would have sat out this game even last year? I doubt it. A similar situation took place in Arizona with Kurt Warner. Warner was cautiously not brought back into the game last week and was fully expected to suit up this week, but after waking up with a sore neck on Sunday, they held him out.

In addition to Roethlisberger and Warner, Clinton Portis and Brian Westbrook are also dealing with concussions right now with their teams handling them differently. The Eagles let Westbrook come back early from one a few weeks ago only to suffer another concussion and now may be out the remainder of the season, possibly his career. Portis suffered a concussion earlier this month and hasn’t played in the past three games and won’t play this week, and maybe even the remainder of the season.

While some fans and fantasy owners may not like this new caution when dealing with concussions it is long overdue. We tend to forget these are humans beings just like us and they have families and a life after football. When you look at what has happened to players such as Ted Johnson, Harry Carson, and Wayne Chrebet, football seems unimportant.

Comebacks a Plenty

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Tags: nfl week 12, nfl week 12 monday morning quarterback, nfl week 12 recap, nfl week 12 review

NFL Week 10 Recap

Chris C

– November 16, 2009Posted in: Monday Morning Hangover

Colts Wayne Catches Winning Touchdown in Indianapolis

A wild Week 10 in the NFL capped off by a thrilling and controversial ending in the Pats-Colts game.

Were inching closer to the playoffs as teams are falling out and stepping up.

Now onto my recap of Week 10 in the NFL:

Pats Gamble, Colts Capitalize

The game of the year lived up to it’s billing as we were treated to a trilling finish in Indianapolis as the Colts rallied from 13 down in the final minutes to win in the final seconds. With the victory the Colts are now in the drivers seat for home field advantage, while the Pats are still two games up in the AFC East. Now much has been made about Belichick’s decision to go for it on fourth and two on his own 28 with two minutes left. It’s easy to second guess now that it backfired, but I actually liked the decision.

Giving Peyton Manning the ball with 2 minutes and a timeout is like giving him an eternity. There was no doubt in my mind he would have drove them down for a score and I’m sure the same thing was going through Belichick’s mind. If the Pats convert and I still think Faulk got the first down, I don’t think I’ve ever seen the refs make a spot like that, Belichick is a genius. Everyone would be saying just another great call by Belichick. This call reminded me of the time a few years back when Belichick took a safety against the Broncos. When he did it everyone was criticizing him, but it worked out in the end and he was praised for the call. Now different circumstances but similar in the sense that they were both unconventional. This is type of coach Bill Belichick is. The same guy that we come to love and praise for years. He’s got the stones to do something this bold and he’ll take the heat for it failing. But I still feel if he could go back he’d make the same call.

New King in the AFC North

Lost in the shuffle behind the Pats-Colts game was the Bengals taking down the Steelers in Pittsburgh. Without Cedric Benson for most of the game the Bengals were able to win a tough, grind it out game that we have come to expect the Steelers win over the years. The Bengals out Steelered the Steelers. I have to give credit to the Bengals defensive that was pressuring Roethlisberger all day and shut down Rashard Mendenhall. The Bengals are no effectively two games up on the Steelers and could be looking at a first round bye. Tell someone that before the season started and they wouldn’t though you were crazy. That’s the beauty of the NFL.

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Tags: nfl week 10, nfl week 10 monday monring quarterback, nfl week 10 recap, nfl week 10 review

NFL Week 9 Recap

Chris C

– November 9, 2009Posted in: Monday Morning Hangover

Another week in the books in the NFL season. We are now officially half way through the regular season. Every team has played eight games, except for the Giants and Texans who have played nine. I’ll have my mid-season awards up later this week, but in the meantime here are my thoughts on week 9 in the NFL:

Undefeateds Hold On

How can you not love those creamsicle throwbacks?

Once again both the Colts and Saints were tested, but overcame obstacles and won.

The Colts got rather lucky in this game escaping because of a missed field by Kris Brown as time expired. Peyton came out firing and threw 40 passes in the first half with Dallas Clark as the main beneficiary, catching 14 passes. Matt Schaub was not able to take advantage of the depleted Colt’s secondary and tossed two picks. Last week’s star, Ryan Moats, was a big disappointment for the Texans. After receiving 16 carries he only delivered 34 yards and fumbled on the one-yard line into the end zone.

The Saints on the other hand remained perfect after not playing their best game for three weeks in a row. The Saints got down early, but Carolina could not put them away settling for two short field goals. The Panther did however expose a possible Achilles Heel for the Saints. DeAngelo Williams ripped them up, as did Michael Turner last week. That could prove to be a lingering problem for the Saints.

Giant Loss

The Giants lose once again, this time blowing a six-point lead with less than two minutes remaining. The loss puts the Giants at 5-4 heading into their bye, on a four game losing streak. The bye week will let get healthy but they need to get to what they do best; running the football and rushing the passer. Brandon Jacobs simply isn’t getting enough touches and the trio of Osi, Tuck, and Kiwi need to start playing better.

One of the storylines of this game was the Eli-Rivers trade during the 2004 NFL Draft. It must have been sweet for Phillip Rivers, who has gotten more than his share of flack, to get some revenge on the team traded him five years ago. The end provided some poetic justice as the three players the chargers received in the Manning trade all played a vital role in the final minutes. Rivers threw the game tying touchdown pass. Nate Kaeding kicked the extra point to give the Chargers the lead. Finally the game ended on a Shawne Merriman sack, his second of the day.

Bengals Maul Ravens

After looking rejuvenated last week in a dominating rout of the Broncos the Ravens came crashing back to Earth this week. The loss puts them two games behind the Bengals and in reality three games because of the tiebreaker. With one of the toughest remaining schedules it looks like the Ravens will be golfing in January. After this win it’s now time to put the Bengals were they belong, among the AFC’s elite. They play Pittsburgh next week and if the Steelers lose tonight a win next week would put the Bengals in the driver’s seat in the AFC North.

Cowboys Ridin’ High

The highly anticipated NFC East showdown came down to the wire but the Cowboys came out on top. A hue win for the ‘Boys who vindicated their late season loss to the Eagles last year. They are now in sole possession of first place and all of the naysayers of Tony Romo and Wade Phillips have suddenly disappeared. It still all comes down to December for the Cowboys. While this win is great they still need to prove they can win late in the season and in the playoffs.

Game Balls

Josh Freeman

It’s not often a quarterback completes 14 for 31 and winds up in the Game Ball section but Freeman was a different case. In the throwback creamsicle uniforms (which were awesome by the way) his first start he passed for three touchdowns, leading a fourth quarter comeback and gave the Bucs their first win 11 games.

Kurt Warner

Redemption for Warner this week, who landed in the Lame Duck Section last week. His five td passes tied a career high as the Cards picked up a huge win on the road.

Chris Johnson

Johnson ran for 135 yards and two scores leading the Titans to their second win a row. He is a threat to score every time he touches the ball and had a 80 yard td called back.

Lame Ducks

Aaron Rodgers

Rodgers did account for three touchdowns but killed the Packers with his three interceptions. He was also sacked six times, bringing his league leading total to 37. While the Packers o-line isn’t great by any stretch, Rodgers has to take some blame for holding on to the ball too long.

Kris Brown

The usually reliable kicker missed a 42 yarder as time expired as the Texans failed to force overtime. A crushing loss for the Texans, who now face an uphill battle to make the playoffs.

Stat of the Week:

The Buccaneers, who hadn’t scored more than 21 points in a game this season, tallied 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter.

Stat of the Week 2:

The defensive touchdown the Saints scored on Sunday marked their eighth defensive score of the season. The Cleveland Brown on the other hand, have only scored five offensive touchdowns this entire season.

Quote of the Week:

Redskin’s cornerback, DeAngelo Hall, talking about Falcons coach Mike Smith after a late hit by LaRon Landry on Matt Ryan that resulted in a melee on the sideline:

“After that, coach Smith came over to me, talking (expletive) to me, saying they were going to kick my (butt). I stay in Atlanta during the offseason, so if Mike Smith wants to see me, he can definitely find me.”

He went on to say:

“I’m going to get on the horn with commissioner Goodell and we’re going to figure out a way how to nip this in the bud. It’s different with me coming in trying to break stuff up and as a strength coach, if you coming at me and you’re trying to get licks, that ain’t how you do things.”

Quote of the Week 2:

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Tags: nfl week 9, nfl week 9 monday morning qb, nfl week 9 recap, nfl week 9 review

NFL Week 8 MMQB

Chris C

– November 2, 2009Posted in: Monday Morning Hangover

The moment we’ve all been waiting for finally came on Sunday. Brett Favre returned to Lambeau Field, the place he called home for 16 years, as a visitor and was meet with a chorus of boos from the beginning to end. But in the end Favre got the last laugh as the Vikings won and are in total control of the NFL North. Now onto my thought on the week of football:

4 For Favre

brettwins Brett was back and better than ever on Sunday tossing four touchdowns in the 38-26 win. The game looked like it would be a blowout until the Packers conjured up a late comeback that was ultimately put down by Favre and the Vikings. The Vikings now sit at 7-1, a comfortable three and a half games over the Packers who now face an uphill battle to make the playoffs. The Pack won’t win if they can’t keep Aaron Rodgers off his back. He hit the ground six times on Sunday adding to the NFL leading total.

Raven Rebound

With their season on the line the Ravens stepped up in a big way. Their vaunted defense which had been nowhere to be seen this season showed up and held the previously unbeaten Broncos to just seven points. They set the tone by sacking Kyle Orton and the first play and didn’t let up the entire game. For the Broncos, they were going to lose eventually and there’s no shame in losing in Baltimore. It doesn’t get much easier for them though as they have Pittsburgh on Monday Night Football next week.

NFC East Shuffle

The division has taken a sudden turn of events this past few weeks. The once promising Giants now sit in third place after dropping their straight game, this week an embarrassing loss to the Eagles. Their secondary is getting burned repeatably and their pass rush hasn’t been the same. Meanwhile those Eagles, after dismantling the Giants, are tied at the top of the division with the red hot Cowboys.

The Eagles offense is scary with more weapons than Donovan McNabb has ever had. DeSean Jackson can score anytime he touches the ball and rookie Jeremy Maclin has emerged as a reliable target on the other side. Remember that they dropped 40 points on the giants without Brian Westbrook!

The Cowboys have turned their season around the past few week thanks largely to the play of Miles Austin. The receiver has ignited the offense and Tony Romo, who finally has a go to receiver. The Cowboys and Eagles square off next Sunday Night for first place in NFC East.

Vince Shines

It took seven games but the Titans finally have their first win of the 2009 season. Behind the play of Vince young and Chris Johnson the Titans took it to the Jags 30-13. Vince was solid completing 15 of 18 passes for a touchdown and added 30 yards on the ground. He gave the Titans another weapon and extended the play with his legs. While his solid play is good for the Titans it may not bode well for Jeff Fischer, who resisted playing Young only to give in to owner Bud Adam’s demands this week.

Game Balls

1. Ryan Moats

Moats came to the field on Sunday not expecting more than a handful of carries, but when Steve Slaton fumbled for the seventh time this season he was thrust into action and responded. He finished the day with 126 yards on 23 carries and three touchdowns as the Texans overcame an early deficit to defeat the Bills. He has at least earned a share of the carries going forward.

2. Reggie Wayne

The rest of the Colts team may not have been on their top form but Reggie Wayne certainly was. He tied a career high with 12 catches for 147 yards and a score despite not practicing the entire week! His touchdown catch from Jo Addai in the fourth quarter put the Colts ahead for good as the Colts narrowley avoided defeat.

3. Steve Spagnuolo

The rookie head coach gets his first career win and snaps the Rams 17 game losing streak. Good for Spags, who can be a great coach in this league. It was the Lions but the Rams will take anything they can get.

Lame Ducks

1. Derek Anderson

Anderson put up yet again another stinker. Anderson had a 10.5 qb rating bringing down his season rating to 36.2. Eric Mangini finally benched him for Brady Quinn in the fourth quarter but heading into the bye Mangini wouldn’t commit to a man.

2. Kurt Warner

In the Cardinals-Panthers game once would have figured if one quarterback where to turned the ball over six times it would be Jake Delhomme but that wasn’t the case on Sunday. The culprit was Warner, who threw five picks and lost one fumble, in the loss while his counterpart Delhomme was turnover free.

Stat of the Week: A Brett Favre related stat:

His four touchdown performance on Sunday marked the 21st time he’s passed for at least four touchdowns in a game tying him with Dan Marino for the most all time.

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Tags: nfl week 8, nfl week 8 awards, nfl week 8 mmqb, nfl week 8 quotes, nfl week 8 recap, nfl week 8 review, nfl week 8 stats, nfl week 8 storylines

NFL Week 7 Monday Morning Quarterback

Chris C

– October 26, 2009Posted in: Monday Morning Hangover

A rather strange week in the NFL. There were a few close games but the real stat is that there were 6 games decided by 28 points or more. That was the first time it happened since 1970. This year more also has three unbeatens at this point in the season (Saints, Colts, Broncos), the first time it has happened in NFL history. Now onto my thoughts on week in football.

Defense Huge in Pittsburgh

The game of the week lived up to the hype as we rewarded with a great game to watch. The game was close in the fourth quarter and the Steelers defense took over scoring defensive touchdowns of 77 and 82 yards, reminiscent of James Harrison’s return in the Super Bowl. The Steelers have now won 4 in a row after starting out the season 1-2.

The Vikings meanwhile, shouldn’t be too upset about the loss. The secondary, without Antoine Winfield, played well and Sidney Rice looks like the real deal at receiver. But I have to question the Vikings play calling. They passed the ball 51 times to only 23 runs. When you have Adrian Peterson at running back and your passing almost twice as much as your running your not going to win many games.

Saints Comeback

With the Saints down 24-3 late in the first half it looked like they were headed toward their first loss of season. Then Drew Brees lead a furious comeback and showed why the Saints are one of the best teams in football. Once again Darren Sharper came up huge with another pick six and is only one behind Rod Woodson for the all time record.

For the Dolphins the Wildcat was great but again it can’t win them the game. This loss was similar to the Colts loss in week 2 where they simply couldn’t the Colts quick strike offense. They need to get some impact receivers to help out Chad Henne. Ted Gin Jr has not looked thepart and had a couple of key drops on Sunday.

Giants in Trouble

After getting embarrassed in New Orleans last week the Giants failed to rebound against the Cardinals. They have now lost two in a row after starting the season 5-0. Looking back on their schedule their only quality win is over the Cowboys so maybe their not as good as we all think. Eli Manning and the receivers really struggled. Eli threw as many picks (3) as he had the entire season and Mario Manningham continued to drop passes. Do the Giants miss Plaxico Burress?

The Cardinals are starting to look like the team that went to the Super Bowl last year. Their run defense is the best in the league and their pass defense which struggled early in the season has been fantastic the past two weeks. It wasn’t a typical Cardinal win though. They didn’t air it out as much as normal and instead ran the ball fairly well. Beanie Wells looked good and should be in line for more touches going forward.

QBs Benched

Both JaMarcus Russell and Shaun Hill rode the pine on Sunday. For Russell it was about time. His three turnovers in the first quarter against the Jets were terrible and this wans’t even his worst showing of the season. But Bruce Gradkowski didn’t do much to make this a controversy. It appears that Russell will reclaim his starting gig this week .

The other quarterback benching went a little different. During halftime Shaun Hill was benched in favor of former first overall pick, Alex Smith. With the 49ers trailing 21-0 Smith led a remarkable comeback that came up just short as th 49ers lost by three. He threw for over 200 yards and 3 touchdowns, all to Vernon Davis. His play will give Mike Singletary a lot to think about this week. I think Singletary rides the hot hand and goes with Alex Smith.

Game Balls

1. Miles Austin

After setting Cowboys records in his first game as a starter Miles Austin came to play again on Sunday finishing with 6 catches for 172 yards and two scores. He, not Roy Williams, who finished with one catch, is looking like the number one receiver the Cowboys desperately need. He has given the Cowboys a spark and has them sitting nicely at 4-2.

2. Cedric Benson

This was a revenge game for Benson, who was cut by the Bears after being drafted 4th overall in 2005. He put in a workmanlike effort rushing 37 times for 189 yards and a score. Even with the Bengals up 45-10 late, Benson stayed in and finished off the Bears running with power and determination.

Lame Ducks

1. Josh Johnson, JaMarcus Russell, Jake Delhomme

The quarterback trio combined for nine turnovers on Sunday, all in losing efforts. At least Johnson looks to be benched and the other other two are in very hot water.

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Tags: adrian peterson trucks william gay video, mark sanchez hot dog video, nfl week 7, nfl week 7 monday morning quarterback, nfl week 7 recap, nfl week 7 review

NFL Week 6 Monday Morning Quarterback

Chris C

– October 19, 2009Posted in: Monday Morning Hangover

A wild week 6 in the NFL. We had two big upsets, Raiders and Bills, and one huge shellacking by the Pats. Now let’s get to my thoughts on the week in football.

A Giant Surprise

Another win for Brees and the Saints has them atop the NFC.

What was supposed to be the game of the week, and even the year, turned out to be a complete dud. The Saints dominated the game in every facet and made the Giants look pedestrian. The Giants couldn’t get any pressure on Brees and he made them pay carving them for 369 yards. It’s clear now the Saints are the class of the NFC but the jury is still out on the Giants.

Vikings Living Large

A wild game in Minnesota that came down to the final seconds. The Vikings looked like they had the game all but won but the Ravens came storming back in the fourth led by Ray Rice, who has been terrific this season. The loss is the third straight for the Ravens who are now 3-3 after starting 3-0 but the good news is they have a bye this week to recoup. The defense is not the same this year and looks old and misses Rex Ryan. The Vikings while 6-0, have started to make a habit of blowing leads and it hasn’t backfired yet but if they keep it up it will catch up to them.

Tom Terrific

The breakout game everyone was waiting for from Tom Brady finally came Sunday. Brady tore up the Titans, throwing 380 yards and 6 touchdowns in just over a half of play, in the 59-0 blowout. I wouldn’t expect Brady to revert to his 2007 form though. The Titans were without their top 3 cornerbacks and were starting young, inexperienced players.

The Titans were flat out embarrassed though. They have clearly given up on the season and have quit on Jeff Fisher. They have a number of flaws and several of the defensive stars, Keith Bullock, Jevon Kearse, and Kyle Vanden Bosch, are fading fast. It’s been the same story for weeks in a row for the Titans.

Bengals Tamed

The Bengals came crashing back to earth and there were no fourth quarter heroics this week for the Bengals. They were beaten bad in the trenches all day long. To make matters worse they lost defensive end Antwan Odom, who had 8 sacks, for the season. I’m also concerned about the offense. Carson Palmer has gotten a free pass this season because of the comebacks but after looking at his stats he has only one more touchdown than interception and has a completion percentage under 60 percent.

Zorn Stripped

The Redskins were again embarrassed on Sunday and have now given the Lions, Panthers, and Chiefs their first wins of the season. Zorn decided to bench Campbell in favor of 37 year old Todd Collins at halftime who was even worse than Campbell.

After the loss Zorn was forced to give up play calling duties in order to save his job for a few more weeks. Newly hired offensive assistant Sherman Lewis, who has been out of the league since 2004, will take over play calling. Zorn has been over his head since he took over the job, having never even been a coordinator in the league, and the Redskins should have realized that when they hired him.

Sanchize? Can we take that back?

Oh what a difference a few weeks makes. It only seemed like yesterday Sanchez was the toast of New York and now he’s the punching bag. That’s what you get playing in New York; it’s a double-edged sword. He was downright awful against the Bills but thankfully he gets the Raiders next week to rebound but that’s what he said a week ago about-facing the Bills.

Even more bad news for the Jets could come soon. Pro Bowl nose tackle and heart of the defense, Kris Jenkins, left the game yesterday and Rex Ryan classified his injury as “probably severe.” No Jenkins in the middle creates a huge gap in the middle of the Jets defense.

Game Balls

Jermon Bushrod

This could go to the entire Saints offensive line but especially Bushrod did a fantastic job keeping Osi Umenyiora in check, keeping Brees off his back and allowing him all day to throw in the pocket.

Sidney Rice

Rice caught 6 passes for a career high 176 yards in the win over Baltimore. His biggest play was his 58-yard bomb form Brett Favre with the Vikings trailing late in the fourth which led to the game winning score.

Lame Ducks

Mark Sanchez

The rookie turned in a performance that was bad even by JaMarcus Russell and Derek Anderson standards. His five interceptions crippled the Jets and leaves this team at a crossroads after such a promising start.

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Tags: NFL, nfl week 6, nfl week 6 monday morning quarterback, nfl week 6 recap, nfl week 6 review

NFL Monday Morning Quarterback: Week 5

Chris C

– October 12, 2009Posted in: Monday Morning Hangover

Week 5 is in the books, save for the Monday Night game, which should be a good one. We had a little bit of everything in week 5: some blowouts, close games, and some upsets. Now let’s get onto my thoughts on week 5.

How bout them 5-0 Broncos

The pupil take takes down the teacher, as the Broncos come from behind to shock the Patriots and move to 5-0. Kyle Orton threw for over 300 yards and Brandon Marshall hauled in two touchdowns in the 20-17 win.

McDaniels was fired up after the big win.

They shut down Randy Moss, only yielding one catch to him. Moss ended up with as many interceptions as catches.

The loss for Belichick dropped him to 8-7 against his former assistants, a shocking stat.

Orton, whose record as a starter is now 26-12, looked like Brady out there engineering drives of 90 and 98 yards in the second half to spur the comeback. The Broncos also finally got Eddie Royal involved this week as Royal finished with 10 catches after coming into the game with 8 on the season.

Josh McDaniels has shut up the critics, including myself, who chastised the young coach in the pre season and it’s clear he is a great coach and has this Broncos team as an AFC contender. They have a huge game next week against San Diego on Monday, in which they can seize control of the division.

The Broncos are definitely serious contenders in the AFC but one still has to winder whether if they’d be the Super Bowl front runners if Jay Cutler was still in town?

Don’t forget about the Bungals

Who what have thought the week one showdown pitting Cincinnati and Denver could loom large in the AFC playoff picture?

With another win, the Bengals sit alone atop the AFC North with wins away wins over Pittsburgh and Baltimore.

The real key for the Bengals though, has been Cedric Benson. The rejuvenated back has been the centerpiece of the Bengal’s offense and has transformed the Bengals into a run first team. Carson Palmer hasn’t been asked been asked to do too much and the 120 yard performance of Benson snapped the Ravens 39 game streak of not allowing a 100 yard rusher.

They have now won three games in a row all by three points and all against divisional opponents. While they stand at 4-1 I’m still not completely sold on the Bengals. They got a couple favorable calls late in the Raven’s game that extended their drive and Shayne Graham missed the overtime winner against Cleveland.

Undefeateds Roll

The Giants, Colts, and Vikings all rolled to easy victories this week to improve to 5-0.

The Giants absolutely embarrassed the Raiders and had David Carr in before halftime. For the first time this season JaMarcus Russell had a completion percentage over 60%.

Peyton Manning continued his aerial assault of opposing defenses in the Colts romping of the now 0-5 Titans. The Titans are a mess right now and we finally had a Vince Young sighting!

The Vikings continued their dominance and Jared Allen wrecked havoc all day long for Kyle Boller. Also Brett Favre starts 5-0 for the first time in his career.

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