WHAT I SAW TODAY IN THE TV BUNKER
I saw 5 NFL coaches who have to be sweating the grim reaper come season's end. Let's start with Cincinnati's Marvin Lewis. Going into the locker room at halftime, the homestanding Bengals led 1-8 Buffalo 31-14. The mighty Bills scored 35 unanswered 2nd half points to humiliate the Bungles 49-31. This Cincinnati team swept their divisional opponents on the way to the AFC Central crown & a playoff berth. They added Terrell Owens & Jordan Shipley to their passing game, the pair have combined for 97 catches & 9 touchdowns. Why can't this team close anybody out when the have a lead like today? They can't run the ball, hardly at all. Cedric Benson had 92-yards at half with a touchdown(only his third of the year). After the half, he was held to 32-yards. Carson Palmer has become a turnover machine, throwing two more picks today giving him 13 for the season. Benson lost a second half fumble that was returned for a touchdown. I see nothing positive coming from the Bungles this season, Marvin has to go.
Anyone think Carolina's John Fox will be coaching the Panthers next season? Fox has a 1-9 team that has admittedly had several key injuries, but it's a team that has failed to score a 1st half touchdown this season. That's unreal, you'd think they could luck into one or two somewhere. John might be a head coach in another NFL city, but it won't be in Carolina.
How on earth does Houston owner Bob McNair risk another season with Gary Kubiak at the helm? His team folded yet again late in the 4th quarter, losing to the Jets 30-27. Losing the last four games, they were ahead or tied in the 4th quarter in three of the losses. The breakdowns in the secondary were so fundamentally wrong, the Texans look more like an undisciplined college team than one paid tens of millions to perform at a very high level.
Mike Singletary......need I say more? Shutout at home today 21-0 by Tampa Bay ought to be the last nail in the coffin. This team is in complete disarray & they don't have a serviceable quarterback for any on-field leadership. The Niners have a decent talent level, but the coordinators aren't giving them much of a chance to win. Clean house now.
I believe Minnesota's Brad Childress won't survive the month of November as head coach of the Vikings. Not only are they 3-7, but the arguing amongst teammates & coaches on the sideline is embarrassing to owner Zygi Wilf. A new stadium is on the docket right now & this team isn't creating any excitement amongst voters & fans. I think he'll be gone before the 1st of December. Think Brett Favre isn't wishing his teammates that flew to Hattiesburg would have just let him be in retirement? I was a huge Favre fan, but grew tired of him when he became a Jet, now sadly, I think he got what he deserved.
Did you catch the "new & improved" Oakland Raiders in Pittsburgh today? The Steelers put a 35-3 beatdown on Oakland. The Raiders were held to 182-total yards. One of the leagues' leading rushers, Darren McFadden, was held to just 14-yards on 10 carries. They turned the ball over 3 times & all-pro defensive tackle Richard Seymour was ejected in the 2nd quarter for a sucker punch on Steeler QB Ben Roethlisberger. Look for a hefty fine for Seymour. Even 15 penalties for 143-yards by the Steelers didn't help Oakland. As much as things change, some stay the same, Oakland is still a long way from being a serious contender.
Vince Young may have burned his last bridge in Music City. He injured a tendon in his throwing thumb & was replaced by Rusty Smith in a tie game with the Redskins. Vince wasn't happy watching Smith go 3 for 9 with a pick & after Washington won the game in overtime, he began throwing pieces of his uniform, including his shoulder pads, into the stands as he went to the locker room. When coach Jeff Fisher heard of Young's strip tease, he asked for him to come to his office. Young was already gone, no shower, no speaking to reporters, just gone. Backup Kerry Collins is injured & he's 37-years old, so unless Rusty Smith can really be counted on for more than a clipboard holder, the Titans are going to need a another real live quarterback. Randy Moss has exactly 1 reception for 4-yards since signing with Tennessee. I know owner Bud Adams loves Jeff Fisher, he has the longest tenure with one team in the league, but Fisher might be in danger too.
The Sunday night game was frightening with all the helmet-to-helmet hits, the field was littered with prone Eagles & Giants. Jeremy Maclin, having a great night, had his head slammed to the turf, kick returner Ellis Hobbs was clobbered in a H.T.H. hit, lying motionless for over ten minutes. Eli Manning had one of his "Mr. Hyde" nights, three interceptions & a crucial fumble late in the 4th quarter. The Giants were awful on offense, they managed only 208-total yards. But their defense kept Michael Vick contained for most of the game & the G-Men led 17-16 with less than 5-minutes to go in the game. A 50-yard TD run by LeSean McCoy & a 2-point conversion put the Eagles ahead 24-17. With just over 4-minutes remaining, Eli Manning scrambled for a crucial 1st down but fumbled while diving on the ground. Since he was untouched by Eagle defenders, he was still able to get up & run, so the fumble counted. Game over.
Some of these 1st & 2nd round quarterbacks taken in the last three drafts are already producing big returns. Atlanta's Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, Matthew Stafford(when he's healthy), Josh Freeman, Colt McCoy & Sam Bradford have really made an impact with their teams. Bradford set an all-time NFL rookie record with 170 pass attempts without an interception. He threw one late in the 4th quarter today, but he is the real deal, I love watching him work. Steve Spagnolo should follow Tampa's lead & get Bradford a pair of top flight receivers. All of these quarterbacks are just what their teams need to build around, I wish the Chiefs had one of them.
Best division in the league? The NFC South with Atlanta(8-2), New Orleans(7-3) & Tampa bay(7-3). The worst? Easily the NFC West with Seattle(5-5), St. Louis(4-6), Arizona(3-7) & San Francisco(3-7). This is one of the main reasons the Chiefs are able to make a run at the AFC West title, they play all four teams in this horrid division.
The AFC game of the day was the Colts & Patriots. It was a matchup between the two best quarterbacks in the league & both are playing at a very high level while surrounded by patchwork lineups. After fighting back from a 31-14 4th quarter deficit to make it 31-28, the Colts mounted one last drive to either win or tie the game in the closing minute. Already in field goal range, Peyton Manning got greedy & tried to hit Pierre Garcon inside the 10-yardline. The throw was a little short & New England cornerback James Sanders made a leaping interception at the six with 30-seconds remaining. The Colts have won 12 or more games 7 straight seasons. Currently at 6-4, Indy needs to run the table to keep this lofty streak alive, but with their extensive injury list, I don't see that happening.
Anyone think Carolina's John Fox will be coaching the Panthers next season? Fox has a 1-9 team that has admittedly had several key injuries, but it's a team that has failed to score a 1st half touchdown this season. That's unreal, you'd think they could luck into one or two somewhere. John might be a head coach in another NFL city, but it won't be in Carolina.
How on earth does Houston owner Bob McNair risk another season with Gary Kubiak at the helm? His team folded yet again late in the 4th quarter, losing to the Jets 30-27. Losing the last four games, they were ahead or tied in the 4th quarter in three of the losses. The breakdowns in the secondary were so fundamentally wrong, the Texans look more like an undisciplined college team than one paid tens of millions to perform at a very high level.
Mike Singletary......need I say more? Shutout at home today 21-0 by Tampa Bay ought to be the last nail in the coffin. This team is in complete disarray & they don't have a serviceable quarterback for any on-field leadership. The Niners have a decent talent level, but the coordinators aren't giving them much of a chance to win. Clean house now.
I believe Minnesota's Brad Childress won't survive the month of November as head coach of the Vikings. Not only are they 3-7, but the arguing amongst teammates & coaches on the sideline is embarrassing to owner Zygi Wilf. A new stadium is on the docket right now & this team isn't creating any excitement amongst voters & fans. I think he'll be gone before the 1st of December. Think Brett Favre isn't wishing his teammates that flew to Hattiesburg would have just let him be in retirement? I was a huge Favre fan, but grew tired of him when he became a Jet, now sadly, I think he got what he deserved.
Did you catch the "new & improved" Oakland Raiders in Pittsburgh today? The Steelers put a 35-3 beatdown on Oakland. The Raiders were held to 182-total yards. One of the leagues' leading rushers, Darren McFadden, was held to just 14-yards on 10 carries. They turned the ball over 3 times & all-pro defensive tackle Richard Seymour was ejected in the 2nd quarter for a sucker punch on Steeler QB Ben Roethlisberger. Look for a hefty fine for Seymour. Even 15 penalties for 143-yards by the Steelers didn't help Oakland. As much as things change, some stay the same, Oakland is still a long way from being a serious contender.
Vince Young may have burned his last bridge in Music City. He injured a tendon in his throwing thumb & was replaced by Rusty Smith in a tie game with the Redskins. Vince wasn't happy watching Smith go 3 for 9 with a pick & after Washington won the game in overtime, he began throwing pieces of his uniform, including his shoulder pads, into the stands as he went to the locker room. When coach Jeff Fisher heard of Young's strip tease, he asked for him to come to his office. Young was already gone, no shower, no speaking to reporters, just gone. Backup Kerry Collins is injured & he's 37-years old, so unless Rusty Smith can really be counted on for more than a clipboard holder, the Titans are going to need a another real live quarterback. Randy Moss has exactly 1 reception for 4-yards since signing with Tennessee. I know owner Bud Adams loves Jeff Fisher, he has the longest tenure with one team in the league, but Fisher might be in danger too.
The Sunday night game was frightening with all the helmet-to-helmet hits, the field was littered with prone Eagles & Giants. Jeremy Maclin, having a great night, had his head slammed to the turf, kick returner Ellis Hobbs was clobbered in a H.T.H. hit, lying motionless for over ten minutes. Eli Manning had one of his "Mr. Hyde" nights, three interceptions & a crucial fumble late in the 4th quarter. The Giants were awful on offense, they managed only 208-total yards. But their defense kept Michael Vick contained for most of the game & the G-Men led 17-16 with less than 5-minutes to go in the game. A 50-yard TD run by LeSean McCoy & a 2-point conversion put the Eagles ahead 24-17. With just over 4-minutes remaining, Eli Manning scrambled for a crucial 1st down but fumbled while diving on the ground. Since he was untouched by Eagle defenders, he was still able to get up & run, so the fumble counted. Game over.
Some of these 1st & 2nd round quarterbacks taken in the last three drafts are already producing big returns. Atlanta's Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, Matthew Stafford(when he's healthy), Josh Freeman, Colt McCoy & Sam Bradford have really made an impact with their teams. Bradford set an all-time NFL rookie record with 170 pass attempts without an interception. He threw one late in the 4th quarter today, but he is the real deal, I love watching him work. Steve Spagnolo should follow Tampa's lead & get Bradford a pair of top flight receivers. All of these quarterbacks are just what their teams need to build around, I wish the Chiefs had one of them.
Best division in the league? The NFC South with Atlanta(8-2), New Orleans(7-3) & Tampa bay(7-3). The worst? Easily the NFC West with Seattle(5-5), St. Louis(4-6), Arizona(3-7) & San Francisco(3-7). This is one of the main reasons the Chiefs are able to make a run at the AFC West title, they play all four teams in this horrid division.
The AFC game of the day was the Colts & Patriots. It was a matchup between the two best quarterbacks in the league & both are playing at a very high level while surrounded by patchwork lineups. After fighting back from a 31-14 4th quarter deficit to make it 31-28, the Colts mounted one last drive to either win or tie the game in the closing minute. Already in field goal range, Peyton Manning got greedy & tried to hit Pierre Garcon inside the 10-yardline. The throw was a little short & New England cornerback James Sanders made a leaping interception at the six with 30-seconds remaining. The Colts have won 12 or more games 7 straight seasons. Currently at 6-4, Indy needs to run the table to keep this lofty streak alive, but with their extensive injury list, I don't see that happening.
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