RealGM Analysis
NFC
• The Ted Thompson - Green Bay Packers
"On a night where some explosive runs could of helped a bunch (Randall) Cobb was nowhere to be found. Mix in a couple bad drops and some miffed kickoff returns and that's just a bad night for him. The mean reason why he finds himself here though is because he should of been the star of the second half. With the Packers going into short passes and running plays this should of been up Cobb's alley. Instead he performed a disappearing act."
(via Devin Shanley/Acme Packing Company)
• The Phil Emery - Chicago Bears
“For as much scrutiny as the Bears' offense has faced in the past few weeks, their defense is continuing to play classic Rod Marinelli football. Sunday, the Bears sent four or fewer pass-rushers on 86 percent of quarterback Sam Bradford's drop backs. Still, they sacked him five times and intercepted him twice in those situations. In their two victories this season, the Bears have held opposing quarterbacks to 50 percent completions, no touchdowns and four interceptions via their standard pass rush. We've discussed many times how valuable an effective four-man rush is. The Bears can devote maximum personnel to coverage, among many other advantages. Overall, the Bears lead the NFL at the moment with 14 sacks.”
(via Kevin Seifert/ESPN)
• The Martin Mayhew - Detroit Lions
“That's not to say there weren't any positives from Sunday's game, because running back Mikel Leshoure's performance was certainly not a negative. He made his regular season NFL debut by running for 100 yards and one touchdown on 26 carries. That's only good for an average of 3.8 yards per carry, but Leshoure really impressed me with his running style. He never shied away from contact, and he usually ran a defender over before being taken down.
“Leshoure also showed he can be a threat in the passing game, as he had 34 yards on four catches. Although he's a power runner, in space he can juke defenders to make them miss. He's a very versatile player, and he brought a lot to the Lions' offense on Sunday.”
(via Sean Yuille/Pride of Detroit)
• The Rick Spielman - Minnesota Vikings
“While it would be a stretch to say that it was a performance for the ages, Christian Ponder (+3.3) put forth the kind of display that made you truly think he could lead this Vikings team to success. With just four negatively graded passes, he avoided the mistakes that could have allowed the 49ers back into the game while taking what San Francisco were giving him. His two touchdowns passes to tight end Kyle Rudolph were impressive but it was his long scramble for a score that stood out the most. On 1st-and-10 with 5:39 left in the first half he took off when faced with pressure, making a nice cut to turn upfield before running through an attempted tackle by Donte Whitner and diving towards the goal line. It was the exclamation mark on a day where his decision making was as good as it has ever been, and he used his talents when the opportunities presented themselves.”
(via Gordon McGuinness/Pro Football Focus)
• The Jerry Jones - Dallas Cowboys
“As the old saying goes there is no “I” in team, well Cowboy fans it also looks like there is no “O” in Dallas. After watching Tony Romo get beat up by a Buccaneers team that gave up over 600 yards in total offense the prior week to the NY Giants, and struggle against a very average Seattle team, I think it is time to ask – just what is wrong with the offense in Dallas?”
• The Jerry Reese - New York Giants
“Andre Brown excelled in place of Ahmad Bradshaw, rushing for a total of 184 yards in the last two games. He has ignited the running game, running hard and being patient for holes to open. He has secured a role even when Bradshaw returns.
“The offensive line has survived the loss of David Diehl and given up just one sack in the last two games while getting the running game going. Will Beatty and Sean Locklear are getting the job done at the tackle positions.“
(via Ohm Youngmisuk/ESPN)
• The Howie Roseman - Philadelphia Eagles
“The numbers speak for themselves. The Eagles called 46 passing plays and 17 runs. Andy Reid tried to explain the lunacy with this:
"We thought that we could throw the ball and do a better job in that area." He added that in hindsight, the Eagles could have run the ball more. Duh. And the Titanic could have avoided that iceberg too.
“Passing 73 percent of the time is crazy, especially when the Eagles single best player is their running back. It really is impossible to justify such a disparity. Even Andy doesn't really try. And to make matters worse, the Cardinals weren't blitzing Michael Vick like crazy as it appeared at first glance. After breaking down the game, it's apparent Arizona defensive coordinator Ray Horton had a strong game plan that fooled the Eagles quarterback and offensive line (namely center Dallas Reynolds in his first career start) repeatedly.”
(via Jordan Raanan/Bleeding Green Nation)
• The Bruce Allen - Washington Redskins
“The Redskins have to find a way to get their passing attack to be more successful, if they want to win football games. More performances like on Sunday, can't be acceptable if the Redskins want to improve on their win total from last season. Now this is by no means laying the blame at Griffin's feet. He's just one part of the equation (and obviously has been immensely effective for the Redskins running game), as the offensive line, receivers and Redskins coaches all are partly to blame. What this does go to show is that the Redskins passing game is trending (pretty quickly at that) in the wrong direction, and one player can't do it alone.”
(via Steve Shoup/Hogs Haven)
• The Trent Baalke - San Francisco 49ers
“We’re used to coming away impressed with the 49ers’ quartet of linebackers, but while all of them graded positively on Sunday, they failed to make the big plays that usually make them stand out. Outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks (+3.3) finished the game strongly with two fourth-quarter force fumbles but also went through the middle of the game without really making his presence felt (especially rushing the passer). Opposite Brooks, Aldon Smith (+1.8) was able to take advantage of rookie left tackle Matt Kalil (-2.1), registering four quarterback hurries against him, but his lofty pressure totals were ably assisted on other occasions, as the Vikings struggled to deal with him stunting inside Charlie Johnson, and opted not to pick him up on a couple of occasions. Inside, neither Patrick Willis (+1.3) or Navorro Bowman (+0.3) had a particularly bad day, combining for 10 defensive stops, but again there was a lack of plays that grabbed your attention from two players we’ve grown accustomed to seeing them from. When you consider the Vikings’ line focused on getting bodies on Justin Smith and Ray McDonald, giving the 49ers’ linebackers less shedding to do than we’ve seen at times, the results weren’t quite what we would have expected.”
(via Gordon McGuinness/Pro Football Focus)
• The John Schneider - Seattle Seahawks
“Outside of the final hail-mary debacle, the Seahawks' defense was the real story of the game, for me. Seattle's attacking pass rush sacked Aaron Rodgers eight times in the first half and had him pressed on nearly every play. Chris Clemons played out of his gourde on the outside, grabbing a ridiculous four sacks, four quarterback hits, and four tackles for a loss; Brandon Mebane was unblockable on the inside, racking up two sacks and three quarterback hits, and rookie Bruce Irvin added two sacks and three quarterback hits.”
• The Rod Graves - Arizona Cardinals
“We've come to expect this type of game from Acho, but Quinton Groves and O'Brien Schofield both had themselves pretty good games on defense. Schofield had one of the first sacks on Vick, and overall seemed to have a pretty good day rushing off the edge. Quinton Groves continues to revive his career in the desert, as he collected another sack today, as well as nearly blocking a second punt. Acho once again played very well, and while he was not credited with a sack, he was right there for one of a few plays. These young gentlemen are doing everything in their power to prove that the OLB position is not the weakness on the Cardinals defense."
• The Les Snead - St. Louis Rams
“A lot of the praise is being pointed at the secondary, and for obvious reasons. Last season, the Rams secondary made young wide receivers look like pro-bowlers. Without providing you with too much statistical heartburn I’ll mention Torrey Smith and Jordy Nelson, and then move on. The 2012 [upgraded] secondary, after week one’s multi-INT, single TD performance against Matthew Stafford, deserved our respect.”
(via Turf Show Times)
• The Thomas Dimitroff - Atlanta Falcons
“Michael Turner's second half explosion on the ground has given the Falcons at least an appearance of a balanced offense again, which forces teams like the Carolina Panthers to prepare for the run. That's a little less time spent on slowing down the passing game, which is the no-so-secret juggernaut here.”
(via Dave Choate/The Falcoholic)
• The Marty Hurney - Carolina Panthers
“In my opinion, the read option did not have much success due to the athleticism of the Giants front four. Rather than having to read a 320 lbs. 1 technique, Cam had to read a 270 lbs. 7 technique, who was almost equally athletic as Cam. Combine that with the relative ease with which the Giants front four handled the Panthers O-Line, and it is easy to see why the option and the running game struggled as it did. In a similar move, the Giants also occasionally dropped one of their DE's to spy on Cam, and to contain his escapability. The Giants played a lot of Cover 2 so as to take away the deep passing game; this opened up curl routes and crossing/out routes. The Panthers also had success using the skinny post in the slot.”
• The Mickey Loomis - New Orleans Saints
“Almost every game the Saints have lost since he came to New Orleans have had one thing in common: You know the Saints are going to lose when Drew Brees gets that look in his eyes. Call them Jay Cutler-eyes, but they're the eyes of an athlete who knows he doesn't have what it takes to dig any deeper. In the 4th quarter yesterday the clipboard was gone, the meetings with Daniels to go over formation pictures was gone, the spark was just gone. Brees looked like every other wanna-be quarterback on a losing team, sitting on the bench, isolated and angry. I'm sorry folks, but if Brees is the key to the Saints success and the best he can do is pout when things go bad, well then, get ready for a 3-13 season.“
(via Jack Sharkey/Canal St. Chronicles)
• The Mark Dominik - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
“The offense couldn't do anything with the field position, as nothing seemed to click. Josh Freeman took two sacks, and threw many more poor passes on third down. Meanwhile, the Bucs appeared to fall in love with the "run Doug Martin up the middle" play, resulting in his rushing for 53 yards on 19 carries, or just 2.8 yards per carry. Not because Doug Martin wasn't running well, but because the offensive line failed to get much movement, and the opposing defense could predict what was coming after 8 straight runs up the middle on first down. Playcalling was incredibly conservative, even when the Bucs were down two scores and it was clear that running up the gut was not picking up yardage.”
AFC
• The Bill Belichick - New England Patriots
“After every season, Bill Belichick instructs all of his assistants to do an extensive study, using video, statistics, and anything else they need to come up with suggestions to improve their unit.
“Maybe Josh McDaniels got a little too ambitious when he returned after Bill O’Brien left for Penn State.
“It’s one thing to want to run the ball more. The Patriots at times last season didn’t run the ball enough. New England could stand to do more of “winning to run” — going to the ground with the lead — than “running to win.”
“You could also understand the desire to use more tight ends in the offense, especially after addressing depth there in the offseason.
“And, sure, Edelman, because of his ability in the open field with the ball in his hands, and to block in the running game, certainly proved worthy of more playing time.
“Tinkering is always welcome. The Patriots can always get better by finding ways to be more efficient.”
(via Greg A. Bedard/Boston Globe)
• The Mike Tannenbaum - New York Jets
“After playing inconsistently for his first two years in the league, Kyle Wilson has steadied in Year 3. He has been solid in coverage and had an interception in Week 1 against Buffalo.
“He'll likely be asked to match up against an opponent's No. 2 receiver with Cromartie taking the top wideout.
“Wilson understands that he will be a target for opposing QBs. He also understands that he alone can't fill Revis' shoes.
"Everybody will be asked to do a little bit more. Obviously, me, a little bit more (but) we're just going to do this as a team," he said.
“Rex Ryan seems confident that Wilson can get the job done. "We drafted Kyle Wilson to basically be a No. 2 corner and that's the way he's going to play that role," Ryan said. "I'm confident in Kyle."
• The Buddy Nix - Buffalo Bills
“Buffalo’s offensive line has now gone the first three games of the season without allowing a sack. Rookie left tackle, Cordy Glenn (+1.9) has surpassed expectations and was very good again this week, allowing only one QB hurry and no hits in the game. Even more impressive was the interior of the Bills’ line. Left guard Andy Levitre (+1.5), center Eric Wood (+2.7) and right guard Kraig Urbik (+2.5) each played every snap in the game and didn’t allow a single hurry, hit, or sack. Part of the credit must also go quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick who was very decisive and got the throws out on time. On the few occasions where he was hurried, Fitzpatrick managed to make plays and complete passes.”
(via John Castellane/Pro Football Focus)
• The Jeff Ireland - Miami Dolphins
“I didn't like the Dolphins offensive play-calling in the fourth quarter on Sunday. As I wrote in my column today offensive coordinator Mike Sherman, with approval from coach Joe Philbin, abandoned the running game that had been working quite nicely for three quarters.
“Sherman abandoned it when Miami was leading in the game. He did so to the tune of some eye-popping statistics for run-pass ratio. And then there was something that was not in the column that the Dolphins did that made it all the more puzzling:
“Not only did Sherman go away from the running game which was working well and is the team's strength but when he did run the football I believe the Dolphins were giving it to the wrong guy.”
(via Armando Salguero/Miami Herald)
• The Kevin Colbret - Pittsburgh Steelers
“Ever since the Steelers hired Todd Haley, everyone wondered when the new offensive coordinator would have his first big blowup with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
“It may happen sooner rather than later because Roethlisberger and Haley weren't on the same page Sunday in Oakland. They apparently weren't on the same playbook.
“After throwing for 384 yards and four touchdowns, Roethlisberger acknowledged to reporters that he pulled out old plays when they used the no-huddle in the second half, presumably the ones from old friend Bruce Arians' playbook.
"There were plays out there that I called that weren’t in our playbook,” Roethlisberger said. “I know it sounds crazy; things we’ve had from years' past that guys were on the same page with and it worked.”
• The Ozzie Newsome - Baltimore Ravens
“Sunday night's come-from-behind 31-30 victory may have exorcised those demons once and for all. QB Joe Flacco calmly brought the team back from the brink of disaster first by finding WR Torrey Smith for a clutch TD pass to bring the Ravens within two points..
“The old Ravens lose this game, almost every time. In fact, most fans actually expected them to find a way to disappoint and end up a 30-28 loser Sunday night. The fact they won surprised Ravens fans as much as it shocked Patriots fans, and sorely disappointed Steelers fans.”
(via Bruce Raffel/Baltimore Beat Down)
• The Mike Brown - Cincinnati Bengals
“Jay Gruden is not just "Jon's little brother" anymore. For those who were hoping/predicting a sophomore slump from Andy Dalton, it just isn't going to happen on Gruden's watch. What's masterful about the situation, is that it has come with a number of personnel decisions that seemed questionable at the time. You could file electing to go with Kevin Zeitler over David DeCastro, Andrew Hawkins over Jordan Shipley as the slot receiver and not investing heavy money in an outside free agent wide receiver to pair with A.J. Green as eyebrow-raisers.
“Look at how all of those have played out though. Dalton has been the most sacked quarterback in the league in the early stages, but he's still getting things done and there have been opportunities for BenJarvus Green-Ellis to make a few plays. The wide receiver decisions have worked out marvelously. Hawkins has been a major factor in all three games and both Brandon Tate and Armon Binns are making plays.
“Perhaps the greatest thing about Gruden's playbook this year is the creativity. We had heard that the team was using a very limited playbook last season because of the lockout and having a completely new offensive system and new personnel. Gruden, Dalton and company all have more confidence in running more complex plays. The Mohamed Sanu wildcat pass and multiple sweeps and reverses were things that we didn't see much of last season, nor did we see them in the Bob Bratkowski days.”
(via Anthony Cosenza/Cincy Jungle)
• The Tom Heckert - Cleveland Browns
“Just as you would expect from a rookie quarterback, it has been an up and down season so far for Brandon Weeden (-3.4). Weeden was dreadful in Week 1, fairly good in Week 2, and once again below average in Week 3. Weeden thrived with his intermediate throws, completing 5 of 6 passes thrown between 10-19 yards downfield in this game. There were plenty of good throws, but where he struggled most was on his deep attempts. There were a few opportunities where his receiver beat the coverage and Weeden missed a potential touchdown because he was off target, or more accurately late with the pass. He will need to become more consistent if he is going to be a big time quarterback, but there were at least signs of encouragement in this game.”
(via John Castellane/Pro Football Focus)
• The Rick Smith - Houston Texans
“Other signs that this year may be a bit different? How about Matt Schaub taking a (dirty) wallop and coming back one play later? How about J.J. Watt continuing his blistering pace with another 2.5 sacks? How about New England being under .500 for the first time since the franchise's second month of existence? And how about a good shot at 4-0 when 12-point underdog Tennessee enters a loud, rocking Reliant Stadium?”
• The Ryan Grigson - Indianapolis Colts
“Sure, (Andrew Luck has) Reggie Wayne and a host of other receiving targets. But what else? An offensive line that has been bad (although today was easily their best performance of the season). Not much of a running game. And a defense that gives up 185 yards on the ground and an 80 yard touchdown pass with less than a minute left after Luck had set up the go ahead field goal. The coaching wasn't very good today either. Even Adam Vinatieri missed a 36 yard field goal.”
(via Josh Wilson/Stampede Blue)
• The Gene Smith - Jacksonville Jaguars
“For Blaine Gabbert to make big strides in his second year, he needed three ingredients:
Better coaching.
Better protection.
Better receiver play.
“I think he’s getting the coaching. The protection is OK, because with offensive line injuries the team is game-planning to minimize threats, which takes away from other areas. Headlined by Justin Blackmon, the receivers are dropping way too many passes.“
• The Ruston Webster - Tennessee Titans
“The clearest sign of change was at safety, where Jordan Babineaux returned as a starter, pushing Robert Johnson to the bench. Babineaux, who had a combined 31 snaps over the first two weeks, was in for 96 — every defensive snap — against the Lions. Johnson, who’d played a combined 141 snaps over the first two weeks, was in for just 18. The move was one many Titans fans had been clamoring for, but it’s hard to say it made a difference based on just one week. With both safeties playing very deep because of the Calvin Johnson threat, Lions quarterbacks Matt Stafford and Shaun Hill tore up the Titans primarily with short- and mid-range passes, piling up 450 yards, three touchdowns and a combined passer rating of 118.9. Overall, the Lions piled up 583 yards of offense and averaged 6.3 yards per play.”
(via John Glennon/The Tennessean)
• The Reggie McKenzie - Oakland Raiders
“From the outside looking in, the play of the offensive line and Darren McFadden would validate the zone blocking scheme and each player's role in it. But Dennis Allen has maintained he never faltered in his belief in the zone scheme.
"I've always had confidence in the zone running scheme," said Allen. "Like you saw today it really just takes one crease for Darren to get an opportunity to break a big run. We have confidence in it. I thought our offense played outstanding today. I was very pleased with the way that they played. We have confidence in what we're doing on offense."
(via Levi Damien/Silver and Black Attack)
• The John Elway - Denver Broncos
“This no huddle style hurry up offense benefits from the thin Denver air. One of the most disturbing trends to me has been how long it has taken the Broncos to go to the no-huddle at home. I understand away, when silent counts are required, it can be very difficult but at home when crowd noise shouldn't be a factor running the no-huddle should be a staple of this offense and currently it is not.”
• The Scott Pioli - Kansas City Chiefs
“What a day for Jamaal Charles. He had a career-high 33 rushes for 233 yards including a game changing 91-yard run for Kansas City’s only touchdown of the day, along with six receptions for 55 yards. He didn’t have to make many guys miss, and forced only a single missed tackle on the afternoon, but Charles hit the holes hard when he found room to run. Credit the line for opening many of those running lanes for Charles. Jon Asamoah (+5.5) and Ryan Lilja (+4.0), filling in at center for much of the game, dominated the Saints’ front seven. The downfield blocking wasn’t too bad either: late in the third quarter, wide receiver Terrance Copper put a big-time block on Roman Harper that sealed him inside, and allowed Charles to turn the corner for a 40-yard gain.
“For as well as he played, it seems that Charles may not be fully healthy. He was dangerously close to being caught from behind on the TD run and failed to finish his other long run, opting to cut back instead of trying to outrun Malcolm Jenkins–two things I don’t think we see from a completely healthy Charles.”
(via John Maney/Pro Football Focus)
• The A.J. Smith - San Diego Chargers
“Of all the things that the Chargers absolutely, positively, cannot have happen in 2012, it's the return of midseason 2011 Philip Rivers. Unfortunately, that's the Rivers we saw on Sunday. Rivers' 2 INTs were both terrible decisions that had the effect of putting the Chargers in a 3-score hole at halftime, and later effectively ending the last chance the Chargers had to get back in the game. Both also came as a result of trying to force the ball to Antonio Gates, and in both cases, Rivers missed open receivers on both plays (see One Big Play Below). The stats reflect the utter futility of Rivers' day: 55% completion percentage, and a miserable 4.6 yards per attempt. Lastly, for the first time in a regular season game since Rivers became the starter, the Chargers failed to produce a touchdown.”
