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Power rankings revisited: Week 7 October 26, 2009 1:00 PM
The Cardinals' victory over the Giants had barely ended when an Arizona fan sent a pre-emptive strike at the ESPN.com power rankings scheduled for Tuesday. "Watch this," Leesters wrote. "Everyone will now say that the Giants really aren't good, and the Cards still won't be taken as a Top 10 team in this league." They'll be a top-10 team on my ballot, Leesters. This was a defining victory. Arizona, 3-0 away from University of Phoenix Stadium, can now reasonably expect to finish with a winning record on the road (trips to St. Louis, Detroit and Tennessee remain). The chart shows how the four ESPN.com panelists voted last week, with my votes listed before those of John Clayton, Matt Williamson and Jeff Chadiha. Red shading identifies teams that lost in Week 7. Four top 10 teams lost, clearing the way for others -- Arizona among them, at least in my view -- to make a charge. What to do at the top? I'll keep the Colts first and the Saints second, most likely, although I would not argue against New Orleans as the top team. I've had the Colts first for a while and they have held up their end. Both teams rallied to beat the Dolphins in Miami. The discussion continues below. First, the power rankings revisited ... The reckoning: Five games featured lower-ranked teams defeating higher-ranked teams:
Welcome to Loserville: The Browns, Chiefs, Rams, Bucs, Raiders and Bears lost by a combined score of 228-33. Bye weeks for the Titans, Lions, Seahawks and Jaguars might have limited the damage. Doing 120 in the southbound lane: Chicago, Carolina, Oakland. And to think, some knucklehead included Jay Cutler on his MVP Watch list within the last week. It won't happen again, at least for a while. Northbound in a hurry: Dallas, Arizona. Both improved to 4-2 with victories over 2008 playoff teams. The Bengals deserve mention here, too. They were already ranked in the top 10, though, so there wasn't as much room for movement north. My early favorite for the No. 1 spot: Indianapolis, again, but the Saints' recent success against a tougher schedule is making me reconsider. An impressive Saints victory over the Falcons in Week 8 might be enough even if the Colts win again (and they likely will, against the 49ers). Don't blow it, Saints. Read comments or leave a comment October 26, 2009 11:31 AM Posted by ESPN.com’s James Walker
Here are seven notes and observations from Week 7:
Read comments or leave a comment The hype level for Favre-Packers II October 26, 2009 8:16 AM Posted by ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert
I’m of the opinion that Favre-Packers II won’t be quite as big of a deal as Favre-Packers I. (And no, it’s not ONLY because Sunday’s game will be televised on a network other than ESPN.)
We’ve already hashed through all of the issues, except for the minor detail of Brett Favre standing on the visitor’s sideline at Lambeau Field. We’ve heard Favre talk about his feelings of revenge, or lack thereof, and thoroughly discussed the direction the Packers have taken since parting ways with him. So I hereby pledge to hype this Sunday’s game only to an excessive, but certainly not obnoxious, degree. There’s a difference. Trust me. I think the moment Favre jogs onto the field Sunday afternoon will be dramatic. So will fans’ reaction the first time his name is called. And we know that none other than Green Bay mayor Jim Schmitt himself is trying to organize a “tasteful” recognition of Favre’s arrival. But in speaking about the matchup after the Vikings’ 27-17 loss at Pittsburgh, Favre seemed pretty ambivalent about the sideshow. “I’m glad that part is over and done with,” Favre said. “My career with Green Bay speaks for itself and the games I played in Lambeau Field -- it’s a special place -- and that won’t change. Now, for three hours I’ll be on the other side. Do I know what that will feel like? I have no idea, because I’ve never been on the other side. … It will make a good story this week -- Favre going back -- but it’s really about our team. That’s what I’m focused on.” It’s going to be a fun week. I’ll make sure of that. But I’m not sure if we’re talking all-time wild. Maybe just really crazy. Read comments or leave a comment Wrap-up: Cardinals 24, Giants 17 October 26, 2009 12:51 AM Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
 
The Cardinals aren't supposed to travel across the country and beat the Giants in the Meadowlands -- yet that's exactly what happened. The Giants have lost two consecutive games and that cushion they had on the Eagles and Cowboys in the NFC East has all but vanished. Since leading his team to a Super Bowl in 2007, quarterback Eli Manning has usually bounced back from poor performances, but he's put back-to-back clunkers together against the Saints and Cardinals. He had a chance to atone for his poor effort late in the fourth quarter Sunday, but he floated a ball on the sideline that was intercepted by Cardinals cornerback Antrel Rolle. The Cardinals did a nice job of bringing pressure up the middle and Manning rarely had an opportunity to step into throws. He spent so much time at the line of scrimmage checking out of plays, that he never seemed to get in a rhythm. His 62-yard touchdown pass to rookie wideout Hakeem Nicks gave the Giants a 14-7 lead in the first half, but the Giants weren't able to build on that lead. The Cardinals' secondary was banged up in the second half, which should have allowed Manning to feast on inexperienced players. Instead, he went at veterans Bryant McFadden and Rolle. The Giants trailed 24-14 in the fourth quarter, but then they started moving the ball. They could have made it 24-21 but wide receiver Mario Manningham dropped a certain touchdown pass. It's a disturbing trend with Manningham -- and it's going to eventually earn him a spot on the bench. The Cardinals held Steve Smith in check most of the evening but he broke through late in the game. He made a brilliant catch to keep a drive alive late in the game and he probably should have drawn an interference penalty on the play before Rolle made the game-sealing interception. Cardinals cornerback Michael Adams was covering Smith in the middle of the field and he never turned around to actually make a play on the ball. He was face-guarding Smith -- and it worked. The Giants defense did a nice job of taking away the deep ball and pressuring Kurt Warner. All-Pro wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald finished with six catches for 83 yards, but the Giants can certainly live with that. I thought the Giants' defense played well enough to win, but the offense simply made too many mistakes. The fumble by Ahmad Bradshaw with just over four minutes left in the game was an absolute killer. Bradshaw had just rumbled for 14 yards when he was stripped of the ball. The Giants would have had the ball in Cardinals territory with plenty of time to work with. Instead, they needed a desperation drive starting near their own goal line. Running back Brandon Jacobs returned to his punishing ways in running for 76 yards on 13 carries, but the Cardinals did a really nice job of bottling up Bradshaw. In fact, the run he fumbled on was his longest carry of the game. The thing that would worry me the most about the Giants is the fact that the Cardinals' offensive line pushed them around in the fourth quarter. Defensive end Justin Tuck had to leave the field because of an injury and suddenly the Giants were on their heels. It's acceptable to go on the road and lose to the undefeated Saints. Losing at home to a team from the NFC West is not a good sign for this team. In time, the Giants will get cornerback Aaron Ross (hamstring) and linebacker Michael Boley (knee) back on the field. But for now, this is a vulnerable team. It's hard to imagine a three-game losing streak by a Tom Coughlin team, but it's definitely something that could happen with a game in Philly looming. The fact that the Cowboys won a big game against a quality NFC opponent further reduces the Giants' margin for error. This team is having an identity crisis right now, and they need to get it figured out. Read comments or leave a comment Wrap-up: Cardinals 24, Giants 17 October 26, 2009 12:00 AM Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando
The Cardinals claimed a watershed victory to reaffirm their status as the team to beat in the NFC West, in case there were still doubters.
Known for their glitzy passing game, the Cardinals showed grit in persevering despite severe injury problems in the secondary. Closing out the Giants on the road would have been impressive even if strong safety Adrian Wilson and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie had been available. Getting the job done with both players sidelined in crunch time stands as a tremendous achievement, no matter the Giants' deficiencies at wideout. The Cardinals are 3-0 on the road for the first time since 1982. They are 4-2 overall and likely to reach 5-2 after facing the Panthers at University of Phoenix Stadium in Week 8. Arizona still has tremendous potential for improvement as rookie running back Beanie Wells becomes more comfortable in the offense. Wells ran hard and ran well against the Giants. The Cardinals showed versatility on offense, a key to their postseason surge last season. The heart Arizona showed on defense was the difference. Antrel Rolle's game-clinching interception provided a fitting end given all the injury problems in the secondary. The Cardinals were trusting Ralph Brown and Michael Adams in coverage late, and they still beat a good team on the road. The defensive staff deserves credit, too. Secondary coach Teryl Austin had to be sweating out the final minutes given the obvious personnel deficiency. Coordinator Bill Davis kept the blitzes coming and his players executed them effectively. This is the sort of victory that brings a team together. Read comments or leave a comment Dolphins ensure time not on their side again October 25, 2009 11:55 PM
The Dolphins were forcing turnovers, ripping off untouchable runs, wringing the league's best quarterback and most powerful offense Sunday in Land Shark Stadium. The Dolphins were working over the mighty Saints, up by 21 points heading toward halftime. "It was ours," Dolphins running back Ricky Williams said of the momentum, a surge he helped create with touchdown runs of 4 and 68 yards on back-to-back carries in the first quarter. Then the Saints hit one play. Drew Brees threw deep down the seam to Marques Colston for a 20-yard gain. The play was ruled a touchdown on the field. The replay booth reviewed it, and found Colston was down at the 6-inch line with five ticks left. The Saints had no timeouts. The clock would start running as soon as the ball was set. Kicker John Carney and holder Mark Brunell were taking their marks. But the Dolphins called a timeout. What a break for the Saints. Brees and the rest of the offense charged off the sideline like a scene out of "Braveheart." Brees crashed into the end zone -- not for a field goal, but a touchdown -- with two seconds left on the clock. A game-changing touchdown. The type of touchdown that boomerangs momentum. The type of touchdown that was worth so much more than four bonus points. "It was a turning point," Dolphins safety Yeremiah Bell said. "They got seven points instead of three. That hurts, too. I don't really know what happened in that situation, but it happened. "It ended up turning out pretty bad for us in the second half." New Orleans dominated, crumpling up Miami's hopes like a candy wrapper. Thirty-six points later, the Saints finished well ahead of the Dolphins, 46-34. "It just seemed like they took off," Bell said. Dolfans will look at each result that makes up their team's 2-4 record and justify they should be 4-2, with a pair of victories over otherwise undefeated opponents. The Saints (6-0) and the Indianapolis Colts are among the elite this year, and the Dolphins should have beaten them both. Yet they did not. As Dolphins football operations boss Bill Parcells once famously said, "You are what your record says you are." The Dolphins choked away those games on their home field. Both defeats were epic in how they unraveled. No team this year has blown a 21-point cushion and lost. The last time a team led by at least 21 points but lost by at least a dozen was 22 years ago, when the Saints beat the San Diego Chargers 41-24 after trailing 24-3. The Colts loss was historic. They failed to win despite holding the ball for 45:07, the greatest time of possession for a loser since the stat became official in 1977. Maybe the Dolphins are the NFL's best 2-4 club. They certainly were the best 0-3 team when they stumbled out of the gate. The Dolphins have shown flashes of playoff-caliber football. They'll compete all season long, but if they think they're good enough to give away points and make the playoffs, they need a reality check. They self-destruct. They miss way too many tackles (look up footage of safety Gibril Wilson) and drop way too many passes (Ted Ginn at the top of the list). They get eaten alive by tight ends. Young quarterback Chad Henne won't always play like an All-Pro (two interceptions returned for touchdowns Sunday). The Wildcat isn't unstoppable (Ronnie Brown: 16 carries for 48 yards). They commit too many silly penalties. Their injury list is growing. Top cornerback Will Allen left the game with a knee injury and reportedly will miss the rest of the season. And on Sunday their coach made a rare gaffe that might have cost them the game. Tony Sparano called the timeout that helped the Saints get back into the game. "We played pretty well in the first half except for the last drive and kind of gave away some momentum there, allowed them to get a touchdown," Dolphins outside linebacker Jason Taylor said. "They should have had only a chance for a field goal there." The Saints won much more comfortably than by the four points the Dolphins allotted them two seconds before halftime. But Sparano's decision to call a timeout and allow the Saints' potent offense back on the field was significant. "If you could've been in here at halftime," Brees said of the Saints locker room, "it was 'Hey, we have them right where we want them.' To get to the six-inch line and come out of with a field goal would have been disappointing." Saints coach Sean Payton said he intended to kick the field goal. Carney and Brunell were on the field for what they hoped would be an extra point, but when the replay spotted the ball outside the goal line and referee John Parry announced the clock would run as soon as the whistle blew, nobody in a black jersey flinched. But Sparano did. He was emphatic in ordering linebacker Channing Crowder to call a timeout because "we wanted to be in the right personnel, and we called a time out to bring in the right personnel," Sparano said, even though he should have waited to see if Brees would sprint off the sideline to stop the clock. Brees wouldn't have. "We were getting lined up," Carney said. Brees claimed they were going to run it all along, but that comes off as wishful lobbying on his part. Besides, with the ball on the goal line and players on the sidelines not permitted to stand beyond the 35-yard line, all of the Saints offensive players would have needed to be world-class sprinters to get on the field, in formation and set for a second to either run a play or stop the clock. "If no one calls timeout," Payton said, "they're going to whistle it ready for play and it's got to be snap, hold, kick. ... We were prepared to kick it initially. Obviously, we had enough time after the timeout was called to give some thought to that and change our minds." Given the final score, would 24-6 at halftime been any safer for the Dolphins than 24-10? Does the second half fall apart the way it did if the Saints don't find a spark? There was an evident flicker after Brees plunged into the end zone. He reacted as though he were auditioning for the WWE. "That is how they get hot," Dolphins nose tackle Jason Ferguson said. "So that's what they did." There's no guarantee Carney even makes the field goal. He missed an extra point later in the game. But the touchdown happened. Both sides believed it swung momentum and transformed the game. "We can't give a team that chance, and this is our second time getting a learning experience from that," Ferguson said. "I am sure it's in our heads, but we have to fix it." Read comments or leave a comment Bengals' Palmer is all the way back October 25, 2009 10:44 PM
CINCINNATI -- Warming up on the sideline, Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer threw an errant pass that slipped through the fingertips of teammate Chad Ochocinco. When the ball proceeded to hit a bystander, the receiver quickly pointed to his quarterback and said it was Palmer’s fault the unsuspecting person was plunked in the back.
That pass didn’t count, but the Chicago Bears probably wished that it had. It was the only poor throw Palmer made all evening. When it mattered on the field Palmer was nearly perfect. He completed 20 of 24 passes for 233 yards, five touchdowns and a career-high 146.7 passer rating in Cincinnati's 45-10 blowout win over Chicago. The Bengals haven’t looked this good in a long time, and neither has Palmer. After missing most of last season with an elbow injury, it's not only safe to say Palmer is back -- he’s all the way back. "Carson, he was on fire today," Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said. "Lately, he’s moving and really doing a nice job." The Bengals (5-2) are fighting for respect and gradually earning it. After their previous four wins came down to the final possession, this was by far the most complete performance by Palmer and Cincinnati. "We always thought it, but we just haven’t proved it," Palmer said of being a dominant team. "We proved it on both sides of the ball. We can shut a team down and go down the field time after time." The Bears (3-3) were overwhelmed by Cincinnati’s offensive onslaught. Entering the game, Chicago had given up only six touchdown passes. But Palmer’s strong arm and pinpoint accuracy added five more to the Bears’ total. Four of Palmer’s touchdown passes came in the first half as Cincinnati took a 31-3 lead at intermission. The final 35-point margin could have been worse if Palmer hadn't been pulled and the Bengals didn’t take their foot off the accelerator early in the fourth quarter. Bengals tailback Cedric Benson also had a career-high 189 rushing yards against his former team. Cincinnati punted only once (in the fourth quarter), and the game marked the most yards (448) and points allowed (45) by Chicago’s defense all season. "[Offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski] had to be like a little kid in the grocery store," said Ochocinco, who led Cincinnati with 10 catches for 118 yards and two touchdowns. "When you execute like that, and you run and you pass and everything is working ... " Bears quarterback Jay Cutler threw for 251 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions in a lopsided duel with Palmer. Playing from behind didn’t suit Cutler well, as the gunslinger mentality took over and he began forcing bad throws. It was the opposite of Palmer's calm precision. This was expected to be a highly competitive game between two playoff hopefuls. But the wide margin of victory makes you question whether the Bengals are still underrated, the Bears are overrated, or a little bit of both. The Bengals remain one of the league’s surprise teams and are tied for first place in the AFC North with the defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2). Cincinnati holds the head-to-head tiebreaker with Pittsburgh heading into its bye week. Cincinnati’s next game will be a big division rematch against the Baltimore Ravens (3-3) on Nov. 8. "To get to this point and be at this position, we’re happy and proud of where we are," Palmer said. "But we’re not at all satisfied, and not at all done. We still have a lot to do." Cincinnati continues to shift its status from a sleeper to a legitimate contender in the AFC with every big win. If Palmer continues to play like he did Sunday, anything is possible. Veteran offensive guard Bobbie Williams has played a lot of games with Palmer in his six years in Cincinnati. He said Sunday against Chicago was one of the best, if not the best, performances he has seen from his quarterback. When Williams was asked how far Palmer can take the Bengals this season, Williams’ response was simple. "All the way to February 7," Williams replied, highlighting the date of Super Bowl XLIV. Read comments or leave a comment Whatever happened to Michael Turner? October 25, 2009 10:02 PM
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Since right about the time he toted the ball for the 376th time last season, it has been fair to ask if perhaps the Atlanta Falcons wore out Michael Turner.
The question no longer is just fair. It’s necessary. The man who carried the Falcons to the playoffs last season hasn’t gone much of anywhere this season. After running for 1,699 yards last year, the days of triple-digit rushing yards have dried up. Turner has hit the 100-yard mark only once this season, and that was back in Week 2 against a Carolina team that essentially was playing without defensive tackles. So is Turner facing the same fate as all those other running backs who went into big declines after carrying 325 or 350 times in a season? Let’s go straight to the best source. “I’m still healthy,’’ Turner said after a 37-21 loss to Dallas on Sunday. “It’s not a health issue. I still feel fine.’’ But Turner and the running game haven’t been looking fine and what happened against Dallas may have demonstrated there’s a problem that’s getting worse instead of better. Turner carried 18 times for 50 yards. That’s a 2.8 average, which would translate into a 0.8 if this were a grade-point average. “Concerned? I don’t know that I’d use that word,’’ Turner said. “But it is something we need to get better at.’’ Apologies to Turner, and I fully realize the Falcons were without injured fullback Ovie Mughelli and backup running back Jerious Norwood, but I will use the word concerned. The Falcons should be extremely concerned about their top running back and their running game in general. Not even the seven carries for 68 yards by backup Jason Snelling was enough to give the Falcons anything close to a passing grade on the ground, and we’ll touch on the passing too, because it wasn’t very good. Matt Ryan was 19 of 35 for 198 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Uncharacteristically, he made bad decisions and, just as uncharacteristically, he got poor protection. But I’m going to go ahead and place the blame for Atlanta’s offensive struggles on the running game. It’s supposed to be the core character of the offense and it hasn’t been close to that all season. The lack of productivity in the running game is throwing everything out of whack. When Turner’s not running clock, that means a defense that really isn’t all that talented has to spend a lot more time on the field and that’s a problem. Worse yet, what happened with Turner and the running game wasn’t just a blip. It’s a growing and very disturbing trend. Even in last week’s win against Chicago, Turner carried 13 times for 30 yards. Glance back at the opener against Miami, where he carried 22 times for 65 yards or the Week 3 loss to New England, where he gained 56 yards on 15 carries. “We’re not running the ball nearly as effectively as last year,’’ coach Mike Smith said. “It’s something we’ve been working on and will continue to work on.’’ (Read full post) Read comments or leave a comment Wrap-up: Saints 46, Dolphins 34 October 25, 2009 9:19 PM Posted by ESPN.com’s Pat Yasinskas
  We came into Sunday talking a lot about how the Saints had never trailed this season. Not once in five games.
Then, a funny thing happened and the point became moot. The Saints went down to Miami and fell behind early and kept falling behind. They were down by 21 points and, now, we’re going to talk some more about trailing. This time, it’s in a totally different context. The Saints became the first team this season to win after trailing by 21 points. And they didn’t just come back and win. they came back and won by 12 points. When’s the last time that happened? Well, ironically, the Saints were the last team to trail by 21 points and come back to win by 12. According to Elias Sports Bureau, the Saints trailed the San Diego Chargers 24-3 and came back to win 41-24. That game was on Dec. 20, 1987. Let’s file that stat away in the stack of impressive stats the Saints are compiling in what, so far, has been a magical season. It’s still way too early to talk about the Saints going undefeated (even though I’ve heard from a lot of fans who think that’s a possibility). But I will say that, in special seasons, you sometimes can make special things happen when you win the games it looked like you had lost. One more sign that this season could end up being really special for the Saints. Read comments or leave a comment October 25, 2009 9:06 PM Posted by ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson
  Oakland coach Tom Cable said after Sunday’s game that JaMarcus Russell will remain Oakland’s starter and he will play next Sunday at San Diego despite being benched in the second quarter against the Jets.
That’s understandable, because the Raiders want the 2007 No. 1 overall draft pick to succeed. But the decision Sunday to sit Russell can’t be underscored. It shows Oakland is willing to bench Russell if it has to. Cable indicated that Russell was out of sorts Sunday. Russell was taken out after he was intercepted twice and he lost a fumble. Russell struggled for virtually all of the first six weeks of the season. Still, Oakland was reluctant to yank him. Had his backup, Bruce Gradkowski, played better Sunday, perhaps Cable wouldn’t have been so quick to decide to put Russell back in next week. Gradkowski showed some spunk, but the journeyman backup couldn’t lead Oakland to a score, either. If Oakland, 2-5, was playing better as a team, perhaps the Raiders would stick with Gradkowski or even try to reunite with Jeff Garcia (whose return is unlikely after he recently criticized the team). But it doesn’t seem like the Raiders are going anywhere. Yes, there are more problems than just Russell. The team gave up more than 300 yards rushing to the Jets. Sandwiched between Oakland’s 13-9 win over Philadelphia last week was four defeats by a total of 134-16. Sunday’s loss was the worst loss in Oakland’s home history. Defensive end Richard Seymour, who earlier in the week predicted the Raiders would make the playoffs this season, said Sunday they couldn’t beat an Oakland high school team. All can’t be pinned on Russell. He needs to be given more time (I’d say the rest of this season) before Oakland decides it has to pull the plug on him for good. Still, it appears that Russell is headed toward being a failure. Sunday’s move sure smacked of a preview of the future in Oakland: The Raiders playing with a quarterback other than Russell. Read comments or leave a comment Rapid Reaction: Saints 46, Dolphins 34 October 25, 2009 8:09 PM Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham
 
MIAMI -- Please forgive me. I'm a little dizzy as I write this. And I'm short of breath. This was an exhausting, thrilling game to watch. But I'm sure the Miami Dolphins didn't find the result too entertaining. The Dolphins blew a big lead at home and were thoroughly overtaken in the second half by the New Orleans Saints, who remained undefeated with a rousing 46-34 victory in Land Shark Stadium. The Saints posted 36 points in the second half. The Dolphins answered with 10 points in the third quarter, but came up empty in the fourth. The AFC East's defending champs are 2-4. The feeling in their locker room must be similar to Week 2, when they held the ball for more than 45 minutes but lost by four points to the Indianapolis Colts on "Monday Night Football." The Dolphins were borderline dominant in the first half, especially when you consider the opponent. They rolled to a 24-3 lead before the Saints scored a touchdown with two seconds left before recess. Ricky Williams scored two touchdowns, including a career-long 68-yard run. Miami's defense knocked Drew Brees around, sacked him three times and intercepted him twice. He had a 29.4 passer rating in the first half. But a different Saints offense emerged from the tunnel for the second half, and the Dolphins couldn't trade punches with a real contender. Brees finished 22 of 38 for 298 yards and one touchdown with three interceptions. He did sneak in for two touchdown runs, including a momentum-changing play with two seconds left in the first half. The Saints were going to rush a field goal with the clock about to run out after a replay challenge. But the Dolphins called a timeout, allowing the Saints to put their offense back on the field. Miami quarterback Chad Henne, after a great game two weeks ago against the New York Jets and a bye to prepare for the Saints, completed 18 of 37 attempts for 211 yards and no touchdowns. He threw two interceptions, both of which were returned for touchdowns. Henne's receivers didn't help him with multiple bobbled balls. Williams added another touchdown in the second half, giving him three scores for the first time since he played for New Orleans in 2000. He finished with nine carries for 80 yards, keeping him on pace for a 1,000-yard season. Read comments or leave a comment October 25, 2009 8:06 PM Posted by ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert
 
Holay-molay. (Not sure what that means but I like how it sounds.) I don’t think you can get embarrassed more thoroughly than what happened Sunday in Cincinnati. Chicago fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter, 31-0 in the second quarter and both teams had emptied their bench by the start of the fourth quarter. Adding to the insult was the career day of Bengals tailback Cedric Benson, who rushed for 189 yards on 37 carries against his former team. I’m not sure what to be more alarmed about. Should it be the rare collapse of the Bears’ run defense? The total subversion of their own pass defense, which gave up five touchdown passes? Or another unsettling performance from quarterback Jay Cutler, who threw three interceptions and again had trouble containing his emotions on the field. (Throwing your hands in the air after an interception, as Cutler did on the ball that sailed over tight end Greg Olsen’s head, suggests you think the receiver didn’t run that right route. Poor form.) There’s no doubting the Bengals are a fierce team this year, but to get blown out with such force suggests some serious problems for the Bears. You can look forward to a week of discussion about whether the Bears’ offseason coaching overhaul, culminating in coach Lovie Smith’s shift to defensive play-caller, should be considered a failure. You could point out that last season the Bears worked themselves back into playoff contention after absorbing a 37-3 drubbing in Week 11 at Green Bay. But that was so last year. Read comments or leave a comment As usual, Chargers bounce back October 25, 2009 8:00 PM
KANSAS CITY -- Philip Rivers drove home from the San Diego Chargers’ practice facility Wednesday night, knowing everything was going to be OK. Coming off a bitter home loss to the AFC West-leading Denver Broncos less than 48 hours earlier, the Chargers were crisp, deliberate and focused as they began their work week in preparation for Sunday’s game at Kansas City. The fresh, relaxed, productive approach lasted all week.
“That was so encouraging,” Rivers said Sunday. “We could have slumped around practice all week, feeling sorry for ourselves. But we went out and had our best week of practice. We knew it was time.” The Chargers followed up their most productive week of preparation with their best overall game of the season. San Diego hammered Kansas City 37-7 in a driving rainstorm. The Chargers were dominant in all three phases of the game. They jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and were never challenged by the still green Chiefs, who were unable to parlay the good vibes of their first win last weekend at Washington. While the Chiefs couldn’t put together a modest winning streak, San Diego was determined not to lose a third straight game. San Diego has become famous for bouncing back, and Rivers is hoping Sunday’s win signifies the Chargers are starting their annual resurrection early. In 2007, San Diego started 5-5 before winning six straight and the AFC West title. Last season, the Chargers became the first team to make the playoffs after starting 4-8. It took a four-game winning streak and a historic collapse by Denver. The Chargers are now 3-3, but still trail the Broncos, who were idle Sunday, by three games. “We can’t chase anyone,” Rivers said. "We just have to take care of ourselves and hopefully look up in a month and we’ll be closer [to Denver]." Rivers has no explanation but he does believe the Chargers tend to play their best when they have to. “I think guys on both sides decide to take care of their individual jobs,” Rivers said. “There is no magic call or magic solution. So instead of waiting for it, guys just take control of their own situations. I think we play our best when we do that." Rivers said he and several other leaders on the team, including tight end Antonio Gates and linebackers Stephen Cooper and Shaun Phillips, were in communication this week, making sure that players from both sides of the ball were in good spirits and ready to bounce back from the Denver game. “There was no question about it, when the practice week started,” Rivers said. "Guys are relaxed. They just knew things weren’t that bad.” A balanced offense is a winning formula: The Chargers had their most balanced offensive game of the season. The Chargers entered the game tied for last in the NFL in rushing. All of San Diego’s offensive production was coming from Rivers, who is having an outstanding season. Rivers carried the load again Sunday. But at least he had help. San Diego had 135 yards rushing. LaDainian Tomlinson had 71 yards on 23 carries, but one run was for 36 yards. So it would be premature to categorize Tomlinson as being at full strength considering he had 35 yards on 22 carries. But Tomlinson played well enough to allow backup Darren Sproles to be a factor as a change-of-pace back. Sproles had 41 yards on the ground and he broke a 58-yard touchdown on a short pass. San Diego, which scored touchdowns on only two of five trips to the red zone, made huge plays in the passing game. Rivers completed 18 of 30 passes for 268 yards. He threw three touchdowns and he was not intercepted. Receiver Vincent Jackson had 142 yards on five catches. He had two 51-yard catches as he and Rivers continue to become one of the best deep-ball combinations in the NFL. Chargers play safety blitz dance: The Chargers got creative in an attempt to create some pass rush. The Chargers had their safeties blitz extensively and it was very effective. San Diego had four sacks. Safeties Eric Weddle and Steve Gregory (who was playing nickel cornerback) each had one sack. Phillips had two sacks. “We came out with an aggressive approach,” Weddle said. “I think it caught them off guard and we were able to do some nice things. The key is staying aggressive. We’re better when we play that way.” San Diego has been making changes in the secondary in recent weeks. Before the Denver game, starter Clinton Hart was cut out of the blue and rookie Kevin Ellison was made a starter. This week, Gregory took over for 2008 top pick Antoine Cason at nickel. The moves have worked. Ellison, a sixth-round pick from USC, has played well in his two starts. Gregory had an interception to go with his sack. Cassel gets sloppy: Kansas City quarterback Matt Cassel had been very good in his past four games, but he struggled Sunday. Cassel, who went 153 straight passes without throwing an interception, threw three interceptions in a span of eight plays. He completed 10 of 25 passes for 97 yards. The Chiefs used a hurry-up offense in the second half, but still couldn’t get much going. Kansas City coach Todd Haley was not happy with any aspect of his team, especially on offense. “Disappointed, mad,” Haley said, describing his thoughts. “I’m the head coach of the team. I’m running the offense and we've got to be better than that. We’ve got to be better protecting, we’ve got to be better run blocking, we’ve got to be better catching the ball, we can’t be tipping it to them and we’ve got to be better at quarterback.” If there was a bright spot for the Chiefs, it was backup running back Jamaal Charles gaining 33 yards on four carries. Starter Larry Johnson had 49 yards on 16 carries. Watch for Charles to get more playing time if Johnson can’t get going. Read comments or leave a comment Silver linings for Vikings in a loss October 25, 2009 7:55 PM
Posted by ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert PITTSBURGH -- I’m just going to say it. I thought Minnesota played better in its 27-17 loss Sunday at Pittsburgh than it did last week in a victory over Baltimore. Ooohhh. I feel so contrarian.
The difference in Sunday’s game was two turnovers the Steelers returned for touchdowns in a span of 5 minutes, 23 seconds of the fourth quarter. In both instances, the Vikings moved the ball deep inside Steelers territory and were threatening to take a late lead. “Kind of fluke deals,” Vikings coach Brad Childress said of the two plays: LaMarr Woodley’s 77-yard fumble return and linebacker Keyaron Fox’s 82-yard interception return. “What are you going to do?” said defensive end Jared Allen. “You win some and you lose some. Their defense outscored our defense at the end of the game. I don’t know what else to say. There’s really not a whole lot else. There’s not much else we can do. We held [their offense] to 13 points. That should be enough to win.” That was as close as anyone came to pointing fingers in Minnesota’s postgame locker room, and most players and coaches repeated the same mantra. “We’re disappointed,” Childress said, “but not discouraged.” Really, it’s hard to do anything but whistle and tip your cap when two linebackers grab the ball and weave their way to the end zone, especially when you consider the superior individual efforts required on both plays. (See below.) The Vikings answered Woodley’s play with an 88-yard kickoff return from rookie Percy Harvin, but they ran out of time after Fox returned the Steelers’ lead to 10 points. Sound familiar? Last week, Minnesota jumped to a 14-0 first-quarter lead over Baltimore and was outplayed thereafter. Had it not been for the fourth-quarter heroics of quarterback Brett Favre, and a missed 44-yard-field goal on the game’s final play, the Vikings would have registered their first loss a week earlier. I didn’t mind telling you that last week, and I don’t mind suggesting the Vikings put on a more impressive showing Sunday in staying with a Steelers team that seemed primed to blow them out of Heinz Field. With cornerback Antoine Winfield sidelined, it was fair to question how the Vikings might fare against a Steelers passing offense that entered the game ranked second in the NFL. But other than some particularly atrocious tackling on Mike Wallace’s 40-yard touchdown, the Vikings' defense was surprisingly effective. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger completed 53.8 percent of his passes for 175 yards, or about 120 yards less than his per-game average this season. “I thought we played a great game,” cornerback Cedric Griffin said. “We let a few plays go, but at the same time, collectively we played a pretty good football game against a really good team.” Favre and the offense did its part by maintaining possession for nearly 37 minutes despite a relatively quiet afternoon from tailback Adrian Peterson (18 carries, 69 yards). If you want to quibble, you could argue the Vikings erred by not handing Peterson the ball four times on the goal line during a third-quarter possession. You know I never hesitate to question Childress’ decisions, but in this case I wasn’t offended. Even Peterson said: “Well, I did get two cracks at it.” The Steelers have one of the NFL’s best run defenses and they weren’t giving up much Sunday. Peterson’s first two plunges into the line, one negated by penalty, netted nothing. Favre, meanwhile, entered the game as the NFL’s top red-zone passer. The Vikings certainly didn’t draw up the third-down play to target backup tight end Jim Kleinsasser, but the Steelers covered up the rest of Favre’s options. Overall, however, the Vikings offense rolled up 386 yards and converted 50 percent of its third-down attempts. Add those figures to Harvin’s special-teams touchdown, along with a defense that seemed to have the Steelers figured out, and you have the ingredients of a huge victory. In essence, the game came down to two plays, turnovers with especially painful repercussions. “To think coming into this game that … we were going to have two [turnovers] for touchdowns going their way?” Childress said. “Hats off to those guys. You never know which one of those 70 plays is going to end up being the play.” Let’s take a closer look at each play: Return No. 1 Left guard Steve Hutchinson was matched up on defensive tackle Brett Keisel. “I was just riding him around the pocket,” Hutchinson said. Favre said he was planning to throw a pass to receiver Sidney Rice: “I don’t know if we were going to have any success with the play. But I was going to give him a high throw in the back of the end zone.” The play might have taken too long, Favre said, and he might have held the ball too long. Hutchinson said he didn’t know until later than Keisel had poked the ball out of Favre’s hands at about the 14-yard line. The ball bounced backward and Woodley scooped it up at the 23-yard line. Hutchinson tried unsuccessfully to grab Woodley’s feet at the 33-yard line, and Woodley stepped inside Favre at the 40 before breaking into the open field. Return No. 2 On a second-down play at the Steelers’ 19-yard line, the Vikings called a screen pass to receiver Chester Taylor. “I think it was a good call,” Favre said. “We were moving the ball extremely well at that time, and things happen.” Again, Keisel made the key play. He recognized the screen immediately, moved laterally down the line of scrimmage and drilled Taylor just as the ball arrived. Indeed, Taylor said, “I got hit in the process of catching the ball.” The ball slipped through his hands and into the Fox’s. Hutchinson missed Fox at the 24-yard line. “I guess I’m not a linebacker,” he said. Left tackle Bryant McKinnie lost his pursuit angle and Favre slid before he could attempt a tackle on the right sideline. Those two plays ensured the Steelers’ victory, and let’s be clear: No one awards style points for victories. Every game is important, but if you choose to look at Minnesota’s season from the big picture -- and when they’re 6-1, I think that’s OK -- you saw more encouraging signs for its long-term future in Sunday’s loss than you did in a victory last week. That’s probably why you didn’t see too many people bent out of shape after the game. If you’re going to lose -- and every team in the history of the NFL has except for one -- there’s no shame if it comes in a close game on the home field of the Super Bowl champions. “Things like that happen,” Childress said. “I’m proud of the way guys competed. Don’t like the result. [But] it’s been a resilient group from the standpoint of coming back and wanting to improve.” Read comments or leave a comment October 25, 2009 7:50 PM Posted by ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert
 
Green Bay has emerged from a soft portion of their schedule with two lopsided victories and sole possession of second place in the NFC North. That’s the bottom line after Sunday’s 31-3 cakewalk at Cleveland, which followed last week’s 26-0 shutout of Detroit. I’m not sure if there is a worse tackling team than the Browns, who missed multiple chances to stop tight end Spencer Havner and receiver Donald Driver on their 45-yard and 71-yard touchdown receptions, respectively. But quarterback Aaron Rodgers wasn’t sacked for the first time all season and got by on a season-low 20 passes, thanks in large part to a season-high 202 rushing yards. A few of you were upset because I didn’t give the Packers more credit for last week’s victory over the Lions. So I’ll say this: We’ve seen some encouraging things from Green Bay the past two weeks. If they’re legitimate improvements, they’ll show up next Sunday in what will be a huge division game against Minnesota. A victory over the Vikings would pull the Packers within a half-game of the division lead at the season’s midpoint. Let the hype begin! Read comments or leave a comment |
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