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From The SkyboxNFL GM Notebook: 32-Team Week 4 Reactions
By Christopher Reina NFC • The Ted Thompson - Green Bay Packers “This week they were going up against a rather punch-less Saints’ pass rush, but I don’t care. In the NFL you play who you play and if an offensive lineman shuts down his opponent that’s all you can ask for. More impressively, these two were able to put their nightmarish start to the season behind them for at least a game and a half now and create a cleaner pocket for Aaron Rodgers to pass in. That deserves some praise at the very least.” (via Devin Shanley/Acme Packing Company) • The Phil Emery - Chicago Bears “The offensive line faced a formidable task Monday in protecting Jay Cutler against the No. 1 ranked defense of the Dallas Cowboys, led by linebacker DeMarcus Ware, who was expected to give left tackle J’Marcus Webb more than he could handle. “For the most part, however, the Bears held up in protection, allowing just two sacks and very little in the way of pressure. Ware managed to notch a sack. But Cutler helped with the protection by stepping up into pocket or sidestepping rushers and delivering the ball quickly. Offensive coordinator Mike Tice also helped by calling a game in which the Bears first established the run, before going to the air. Tice put in plays that called for shorter drops and quicker passes, in addition to a few designed bootlegs that allowed Cutler to throw on the move. “ • The Martin Mayhew - Detroit Lions “For the second week in a row, the Detroit Lions surrendered both a kickoff return and punt return for touchdowns. “On Sunday's opening kickoff, Minnesota Vikings return man Percy Harvin fielded the ball deep in his own end zone, started left to right, found a seam inside and quickly turned it up field, taking it back 105 yards untouched. "The ineptitude of the special teams units has typically mild-mannered kicker Jason Hanson angry." • The Rick Spielman - Minnesota Vikings “Christian Ponder did a lot better job IMO moving into and around the pocket. Rollouts are OK here and there but I just don't like seeing a QB do it all the time. At least to my eye, I didn't see him move from phantom pressure this game (which it seems like he did the last 3 games at least once), and considering the nightmare that Detroit's front line can be, I think he reacted admirably.” • The Jerry Jones - Dallas Cowboys “Tony Romo is not the problem so don’t even start with blaming this loss all on him. The Cowboys quarterback made three mistakes Monday night and that was being careless with the football on the Lance Briggs touchdown return and the two fourth-quarter interceptions. Those plays obviously hurt the Cowboys but they weren’t the sole reason for this loss. Yes, Romo deserves blame, but not all of it. “Romo and Dez Bryant have to get on the same page. I can’t see the Cowboys ever reaching the postseason until that happens. Bryant had his second career 100-yard game Monday night but it could’ve easily been a 200-yard game if he would’ve hauled in a few more very catchable balls. The two weren’t on the same page on Romo’s first interception. Romo signaled to Bryant before the snap, Bryant nodded. But the two weren’t running the same play. Bryant ran deep and Romo threw short. The result: Pick-six." (via Jon Machota/Dallas Morning News) • The Jerry Reese - New York Giants “Yes, the rookie first-round pick (David Wilson) seems like a jittery, unreliable mess right now lined up in the backfield. As a kickoff returner, though? What an incredible weapon! I can't remember the Giants ever having a night like returning kickoffs during the Tom Coughlin era as head coach. Wilson returned six kickoffs for an average of 36 yards per return. He had returns of 36, 48, 45, 53 and 37 yards. For reference, the Giants had one kickoff return of longer than 40 yards all of last season. Wilson already has three, and is averaging 30.2 yards per return." (via Ed Valentine/Big Blue View) • The Howie Roseman - Philadelphia Eagles “Make no mistake about it- last nights game was huge for Michael Vick. It was a turning point in this young season- could Vick rebound and deliver a solid performance without turning the ball over? The answer last night, as he managed the game to perfection, was a resounding yes. Vick finished the night only 19/30 for 241 yards and a touchdown, but the fact that he got that much behind an offensive line that was getting absolutely dominated by the Giants is a miracle. Vick was running for his life on most plays, but unlike the past few weeks, Vick did a great job of knowing when it tuck it and run, and when to just throw it away. There was no across he body passes or throws into triple coverage. If Vick can play this style of game- not dominating or flashy, but effective and simple- the Eagles are going to be a very hard team to beat. (via Eliot Shorr Parks/Bleeding Green Nation) • The Bruce Allen - Washington Redskins “You knew the kid was talented, and he had shown he was capable of moving the ball late in games. But what Griffin did against the Buccaneers under extreme pressure — with the radio in his helmet having gone out, the game on the line, only one time out (which was needed for a field goal try) – was impressive. Running the Redskins’ no-huddle offense and calling plays on his own, Griffin moved his team right downfield. He completed three consecutive passes, and then ripped off a 15-yard run and spiked the ball. Kory Lichtensteiger jumped offsides, moving the ball back five yards, but Griffin remained calm (teammates said he acted just like he did on the opening possession of the game) and completed a seven-yard pass to Santana Moss in the middle of the field, setting Cundiff up for a 41-yard field goal. In addition to that poise, Griffin put up impressive numbers again, completing 26 of 35 passes for 323 yards, and rushing for 43 yards and a touchdown on seven carries. The other aspect about his performance that stood out was, after running a lot of option plays and shot-gun and pistol formation schemes in the first three games, Griffin got the job done in a more traditional-style offense. He looked just as comfortable in that attack as he did running the schemes that the Redskins implemented from his Baylor days. You keep thinking that eventually, Griffin will have a rookielike performance. But not yet.” (via Mike Jones/Washington Post) • The Trent Baalke - San Francisco 49ers “The Jets’ 12 possessions ended with seven punts, four turnovers and a blocked punt, and their rushing total (45 yards) barely surpassed the passer rating of quarterback Mark Sanchez (39.9). After a hiccup in the previous Sunday’s loss at Minnesota, this unit returned to form. Aldon Smith (two sacks), cornerback Carlos Rogers (two fumble recoveries) and the duo of Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman (18 combined tackles) played starring roles.” (via Eric Branch/San Francisco Chronicle) • The John Schneider - Seattle Seahawks “Seattle's defensive ends had no sacks in the game despite the fact St. Louis was starting backup Wayne Hunter at left tackle. Quarterback Sam Bradford didn't spend much time in the pocket, getting the ball out quick.” (via Danny O’Neil/Seattle Times) • The Rod Graves - Arizona Cardinals “After the Miami Dolphins’ fourth-ranked run defense stifled the Cardinals to just 20 yards on the ground in the first half, it was time to regroup. Miami knew it could stop the Cardinals on the ground and it dared the home team to win Sunday’s game through the air. “That’s exactly what the Cardinals did, improving to 4-0 with a 24-21 win in overtime at University of Phoenix Stadium. “If there was anyone who benefitted from the Cardinals’ change in offensive philosophy mid-game it was Andre Roberts, who finished with 118 yards on six receptions and a career-high two touchdowns in his first multi-score game since college.” (via Josh Weinfuss/AZCardinals.com) • The Les Snead - St. Louis Rams “The Rams averaged just 2.8 yards on 27 rushing attempts, which is even less than the 3.8 yards per carry Seattle's defense was allowing coming into this game. Thankfully, the Rams stuck with the run in spite of the stats to help the line in pass protection.” (via Ryan Van Bibber/Turf Show Times) • The Thomas Dimitroff - Atlanta Falcons “Matt Ryan had been hit and hurried an absurd number of times. The offensive line, for all its problems, just needed to hold up one more time. Roddy White said Matt Ryan told him he was going to launch the ball as far as he could, and he needed him to go get it. “Boy, did he ever. In a pass that went nearly 70 yards in the air, Roddy White's catch was a testament to the kind of player that he still is. In a year where Julio Jones received a ton of hype in the preseason, Roddy White continued to be the top 10 (5, even) that he's been for the past few seasons.” (via Caleb Rutherford/The Falcoholic) • The Marty Hurney - Carolina Panthers “The most encouraging thing from Sunday's game was the emergence of the Panthers pass rush. They were facing an offensive line in Atlanta who have done an excellent job this season keeping Matt Ryan protected, and yet they looked completely over-matched by Carolina's defensive ends. (Sunday) was Charles Johnson's breakout game for the 2012 season. Finishing with eight tackles, and 3.5 sacks, Johnson was the thorn in Atlanta's side for much of the game. He was consistently impacting plays, and was all over the field.” (via James Dator/Cat Scratch Reader) • The Mickey Loomis - New Orleans Saints “The Saints' pass rush was horrible against the Packers. New Orleans' defensive line failed to generate any consistent pressure on Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who had been sacked a league high 16 times coming into the game. “But no Saints players were able to beat Green Bay tackles Marshall Newhouse and Bryan Bulaga. “Despite having placed an emphasis on disrupting the Packers' passing attack, the Saints failed to record a sack.” (via Nakia Hogan/The Times-Picayune) • The Mark Dominik - Tampa Bay Buccaneers “Josh Freeman is working in a new offense with new players around him and a new philosophy. None of that accounts for accuracy. Freeman has always been inaccurate in the intermediate routes (15-20 yds) and he isn't getting better. “If anything, he's getting more inaccurate because of he continues to throw behind the wide outs. “Freeman is at least developing touch on his deep ball but he doesn't use the big gun until desperate times call for desperate measures. “Free is also struggling with his decision making to run. He doesn't slide when he should and then he slides when he shouldn't. “It's disturbing as Freeman appears to have regressed all the way back to his rookie season. QB coach Ron Turner and Offensive Coordinator Mike Sullivan are going to have to build the fourth year quarterback from the ground up.” (via JC DeLaTorre/Bucs Nation) AFC • The Bill Belichick - New England Patriots “I liked how the Patriots stashed rookie free-agent running back Brandon Bolden on the roster. Starting tailback Stevan Ridley and backup Shane Vereen were garnering all of the headlines in training camp. But Bolden quietly impressed the Patriots and made the 53-man roster. New England didn't use Bolden much in the first three weeks and suddenly unleashed him against the Buffalo Bills. Bolden led New England with 137 yards and a touchdown. There was little film on Bolden and he caught the Bills off guard.” • The Mike Tannenbaum - New York Jets “Finding winners from this game was a tough task, but LaRon Landry continues to play well for the Jets. He had seven tackles and a pass defended. He was part of limiting 49ers tight end Vernon Davis to two catches on the day. GM Mike Tannenbaum is taking a lot of shots right now, but Landry was a good signing.” (via Brian Costello/New York Post) • The Buddy Nix - Buffalo Bills “Chan Gailey endorsed defensive coordinator Dave Wannstedt's schemes for Sunday's 52-28 loss to the New England Patriots in Ralph Wilson Stadium. “The Bills allowed 33 first downs, 19 of them on the ground and surrendered 580 total yards. The Patriots trailed by two touchdowns in the third quarter before scoring 45 more points.” • The Jeff Ireland - Miami Dolphins “Mike Sherman's play-calling puzzled me in crunch time again this week. Last week the Dolphins offensive coordinator went away from the running game in the fourth quarter and they blew a lead. “This week, the Dolphins had a 21-14 lead with 3:45 to play. The team just converted a first down on two running plays. Sherman runs on first down again. Then on second down and eight from the Arizona 43 yard line he runs again, right?. It only makes sense against a defense that was blitzing right up the middle all day, right? You want to run clock, right? “Nope. Sherman called a pass." (via Armando Salguero/Miami Herald) • The Kevin Colbret - Pittsburgh Steelers “(Rashard) Mendenhall, the leading rusher for the past three seasons, provides hope to the NFL's second-worst rushing attack (65.0 yards per game). But he's definitely not a guaranteed solution. “Even general manager Kevin Colbert said in February that the Steelers weren't counting on Mendenhall for the 2012 season because he had ACL surgery in January. This isn't like Adrian Peterson coming back and giving you 84 yards rushing in his first game from knee surgery. Peterson is an athletic freak of nature. “Mendenhall, though, will make the Steelers' run game better (yes, I know, it really can't get much worse). For the past three seasons, Mendenhall gave the Steelers a middle-of-the-pack ground game. He averaged 70.4 yards rushing per game and scored 29 touchdowns. Over those three seasons, the Steelers' run game was ranked: 19th, 11th and 14th.” • The Ozzie Newsome - Baltimore Ravens “The passing game has come along nicely and quarterback Joe Flacco his the leading passer in the AFC. Most of our offensive weapons have been able to contribute on some level or another from Deonte Thompson returning kick-offs and Jacoby Jones proving his worth on offense to the usual suspects like Ray Rice and And Anquan Bioldin doing their thing year in and out. The two biggest surprises with the offense have been the emergence of Joe Flacco and his chemistry with second year receiver Torrey Smith who is playing like a true number one receiver and at a Pro Bowl level. “Yes everyone on the offense seems to be clicking, the biggest problem so far has been the offensive line.” • The Mike Brown - Cincinnati Bengals “BenJarvus Green-Ellis had 26 carries for 82 yards, but everyone remembers the fumble he had in the end zone midway through the third quarter. The running game needs to establish more consistency but Green-Ellis also needs to practice better ball security. Nice blocks by Kevin Zeitler and Andre Smith on Dalton’s 1-yard TD sneak during the second quarter.” (via Joe Reedy/Cincinnati Enquirer) • The Tom Heckert - Cleveland Browns “The Browns' run game is still very pedestrian. While Trent Richardson did have a much better outing this week against the Ravens than he did at home against the Bills, this team still needs more of from him. We know what he's capable of from the game against the Bengals. Cleveland needs more of those kinds of performances. With Shurmur at the helm, the scheme isn't likely to change. Richardson has to make plays. Short yardage goal-line touchdowns are good, but game long rushes for only six and seven yards is disappointing.” (via Jon Steinchomb/Dawgs By Nature) • The Rick Smith - Houston Texans “One secret to J.J. Watt’s success is that the Texans have so many terrific players on defense, it’s difficult for offenses to double-team him." “A lot of Watt’s success came against Titans guard Leroy Harris, who wasn’t all that impressed. ““(Watt) is not anything special,” Harris said. “He’s just persistent at what he does. And if you use bad technique, he’ll exploit. I locked him down most the game except those two plays (sacks).”” (via John McClain/Houston Chronicle) • The Ryan Grigson - Indianapolis Colts “Reggie Wayne, 33, is the longest-tenured Colts player — he was the 30th overall pick in the 2001 draft — but there’s little evidence of his talent declining. Wayne’s 23 receptions are tied for the fourth-most in the NFL, and the most he’s had after three games in his 12-year career.” (via Mike Chappell/Indianapolis Star) • The Gene Smith - Jacksonville Jaguars “What is likely to ultimately cost Gene Smith is job however, is just poor roster construction overall. The problems on the Jaguars when Gene Smith took over were long-term answer at the quarterback position, the wide receiver position, and a pass rush. In the fourth year of the "four-year plan" the problems on the Jaguars are still long-term answer at quarterback, the wide receiver position, and a pass rush. “Not counting the 2012 draft, because it's still even a bit early to judge that one, Gene Smith has netted just two players who I consider "good". Left tackle Eugene Monroe and cornerback Derek Cox. Outside of those two players, the draft picks have been average to poor, across the board.” (via Alfie Crow/Big Cat Country) • The Ruston Webster - Tennessee Titans “Tennessee entered the game with the worst rushing attack in the league, while the unbeaten Texans were ranked fifth against the run. “But Chris Johnson and the Titans had by far their most productive running game of the season despite the one-sided loss. Johnson’s 141 yards marked the first time in nine contests he went over 100 yards. “Titans coach Mike Munchak said one big reason for the output was the number of carries. Johnson ran 25 times against the Texans, as opposed to the 33 combined carries he’d had in his first three contests.” (via John Glennon/The Tennessean) • The Reggie McKenzie - Oakland Raiders “How is it Dennis Allen has no clue how to attack his former team and head coach? Did he over think things? Did John Fox pull a double switch on him? Who knows, but Allen was completely outcoached by his former head coach.” (via Levi Damien/Silver and Black Pride) • The John Elway - Denver Broncos “The Broncos dominated this game, amassing over 500 yards of Offense. At one point, Peyton Manning had 11 straight completions. He finished with 338 yards passing and a 130.0 Rating. “Willis McGahee ran for 112 yards and a score, averaging 5.9 yards per carry. Demaryius Thomas had a fumble while attempting to transfer the ball to his outside hand during a long run off a quick screen pass, but rebounded to have another 100+ yard day with 5 catches for 103 yards. More importantly, he only had one drop. “Eric Decker finished with 7 receptions for 79 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown catch. “Ronnie Hillman got some extensive playing time during the mop up period and finished with 10 carries for 31 yards and two catches for another 32 yards, showing a little sample of why he was drafted.” • The Scott Pioli - Kansas City Chiefs “There is a very strong argument to be made that Scott Pioli should be canned. He’s made many mistakes since taking over as GM. He was wrong about Matt Cassel. He was wrong about Todd Haley. He reached for Tyson Jackson. He whiffed on nearly the entire 2009 draft. He indirectly traded Tony Gonzalez for Javier Arenas. For a man that preaches organizational stability, he’s allowed a revolving door at offensive coordinator and two head coaches in less than four years. He was exposed and embarrassed in an article by former Kansas City Star reporter and columnist Kent Babb, for running a work environment that was unpleasant and according to some accounts, abusive.” (via Patrick Allen/Arrowhead Addict) • The A.J. Smith - San Diego Chargers “This is the defense they said they could be. This is the defensive coordinator he said he would be. “Certainly not six takeaways every game, but playing with abandon, forcing the action. “Not since Shawne Merriman was healthy and Shaun Phillips was younger and Antonio Cromartie’s talent outweighed his folly have the Chargers had this kind of ability coursing throughout their defense. ““We haven’t had a lot of playmakers in the past few years,” outside linebacker Phillips said. “Now we’ve got so many guys that can come in and generate plays.” “Speed and athleticism are the ingredients for game-changing plays on defense. And after a week of straying, of playing soft out of respect for the offense they were facing, first-year coordinator John Pagano cooked up a beautiful dish of turnover surprise.” (via Kevin Acee/San Diego Union-Tribune)
Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans, Washington Redskins, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers Discuss Send Feedback Buy Tickets NFL GM Notebook: 32-Team Week 3 Reactions
By Christopher Reina 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.” • 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.” • 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) “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.“ • 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.” • 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) “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 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. • 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.” • 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.”
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By Christopher Reina NFC • The Ted Thompson - Green Bay Packers “It's amazing: two of the "bad" things from last week's post end up in the good section this week. Clay Matthews was a monster, throwing J'Marcus Webb and Jay Cutler around like the cow in Twister on his way to 3.5 sacks. The rest of the front seven finally got in the act, adding 3.5 of their own. Then the pressure got in Cutler's head, forcing four interceptions, some of which were terrible throws and others which were nice plays by the defensive backs. After a dismal performance last week, seeing the defense step up in the passing game was a welcome sight.” • The Phil Emery - Chicago Bears “Regardless of your personal feelings on that "pouty" "whiny" "crybaby" "quitter" (okay, far more words were used, but these are the only ones I can really put on the front page) Jay Cutler, the offense made a significant investment to not only improve the offense, but to change the entire complexion of the offense - from one that mostly plods along behind Matt Forte rushes, Matt Forte screens, Matt Forte on the flat, and Matt Forte on a wheel route (and maybe the occasional 15-yarder to Johnny Knox or 12-yarder to Earl Bennett) to one powered by big pass plays, as evidenced by their nine 20+ yard offensive plays against Indianapolis. “But in order for those big pass plays to get off the ground, there either needs to be time available through blocking or time created through misdirection, of which on Thursday the Bears had neither and on Sunday they had aplenty. The Bears spent both opening plays of each game with a play-action pass attempt, each of which resulted in a sack. That can't continue this season.” (via Steven Schweickert/Windy City Gridiron) • The Martin Mayhew - Detroit Lions “Detroit switched offensively from a pass-first team to a running squad, carrying the ball 26 times for 82 yards against San Francisco. Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford's longest completion prior to the fourth quarter was a 24-yarder to receiver Calvin Johnson. Stafford hit running back Joique Bell on a 50-yard completion late in the final quarter. (via Anwar S. Richardson/MLive) • The Rick Spielman - Minnesota Vikings “For the second consecutive week, quarterback Christian Ponder revived the Vikings' chances with an aggressive fourth quarter. Sunday, he threw two touchdown passes in less than five minutes of the fourth quarter to erase a 20-6 deficit. Granted, his seven-yard scoring pass to Stephen Burton was tipped twice before caught. But through two games, Ponder has demonstrated encouraging efficiency in pressure situations.” • The Jerry Jones - Dallas Cowboys “Dez Bryant struggled catching passes in the second half of games last season. On Sunday at Seattle, Bryant didn’t catch a pass in the first half. “Tony Romo targeted Bryant four times in the first half and he didn’t make one catch. He dropped a pass in the first quarter. “Bryant finished with three catches for 17 yards, all in the third quarter. After his first catch early in the third quarter, he fumbled the ball. Right tackle Doug Free was able to make the recovery to keep the Cowboys’ drive alive. ““There were plays I should have made and I didn’t,” Bryant said. “You just got to move on from it.” “Bryant went almost 53 consecutive game minutes without making a catch from the end of the Giants’ game to the third quarter against the Seahawks. (via Brandon George/Dallas Morning News) • The Jerry Reese - New York Giants “So, this is why the Giants kept Andre Brown around for the past couple of years. And why they cut D.J. Ware at the end of the preseason. With Ahmad Bradshaw sidelined by a neck injury and the Giants not trusting rookie David Wilson for more than spot duty (during which he dropped a pass) Brown had the best day of his NFL career. He carried 13 times for 71 yards, a lot of that coming on hard, impressive running right up the middle.” • The Howie Roseman - Philadelphia Eagles “The stat sheet will tell you Michael Vick threw another 2 picks in this game, but that belies how he actually played. Only one of the picks was his fault and overall he looked a lot more like the QB we expected to see coming into this season. He was 23-32 for 371 yards and 2 TDs (one rushing, one passing) and overall looked much more in control. There were a few nervy moments and maybe a near pick to Ray Lewis, but Vick clearly saw the field better and looked a lot more comfortable despite the fact he was under decent pressure all day and hit far too often. “As we've heard time and time again though, QBs are really judged in the clutch and Michael Vick has delivered in a big way for the second straight week. And this wasn't against the Browns either, this was the Ravens, a legit Super Bowl contender and one of the best defenses in the NFL.” • The Bruce Allen - Washington Redskins “Our defense is every bit the unit that caused us all to worry this summer. Scoring 30 points per game on offense is not going to be enough to put us in the 'W' column most weeks because it seems we will be giving up that much on defense. You have to give Sam Bradford his due, and I think you have to respect the way Danny Amendola bounced back from his early mistake to literally impregnate our defense. In nine months, we will likely be introduced to an infant that has Jim Haslett's eyes and Amendola's facial hair. If our defensive plan is to put Perry Riley on the slot guy in the flat, this season is going to be VERY LONG.” • The Trent Baalke - San Francisco 49ers “In the final offensive scoring drive, Michael Crabtree was the key player as he showed why his combination of hands, athleticism, awareness and vision had so many people excited about him coming out of Michael Crabtree. Crabtree may not have the size of a Calvin Johnson or the speed of an in-his-prime Randy Moss, but he would appear to have elite level awareness at this point in his career. It is a receiver's job to know where the yard markers are, but we've seen more instances than we can count where a 49ers receiver has come up short because they simply got in position a yard short of the first down marker.” (via David Fucillo/Niners Nation) • The John Schneider - Seattle Seahawks “In Brandon Browner and Richard Sherman, the Seahawks have two of the biggest, tallest and most physical corners in the game.. • The Rod Graves - Arizona Cardinals “In all facets of the game, our team was clicking and executing the game plan. On defense, we were able to get to Brady and sack him using only the base four pass rushers; Horton knew how effective Brady was against the blitz and made sure to rarely dial up any blitzes, while still creating pressure with his schemes. On offense, we were able to keep Brady off the field with long methodical drives, especially early on in the game, and keep the time of possession fairly close. Finally, on special teams we were able to win the battle of field position, block a very important punt in the Patriots end zone, and disrupt the protection on the Patriot's potential game winning field goal attempt. All in all, it was an excellent team game, top to bottom.” • The Les Snead - St. Louis Rams “The one thing that worked best was the way Brian Schottenheimer's play-calling provided a fascinating reminder to anyone with a short attention span just how darned talented Sam Bradford still is. He may have been the young gun with the golden arm who entered the Edward Jones Dome on Sunday afternoon with his name and his reputation relegated to the depths of the credit lines of this highly touted showdown of two of the NFL's most promising young quarterback talents, yet ultimately he emerged with top billing. “Sunday afternoon's Duel in the Dome against the Redskins' prized rookie phenom Robert Griffin III went to Bradford on all cards. Bradford threw for more yards than RGIII (310 to 206), completed more passes (26 of 35 to Griffin's 20 of 29), had more touchdowns (three to one), had a better completion percentage (74.2 to 68.9) and a better pass efficiency rating (117.6 to 86.3). And oh yes, he topped RGIII in the most significant category of all, which was playing a significant role in leading the Rams to their first victory of the young season.” • The Thomas Dimitroff - Atlanta Falcons “It's not just the speed of those offensive assets that makes the Falcons so effective, it's the speed at which Atlanta operates. I usually like to watch a team for four games before I make an evaluation on an offense. I think it takes that long before you can get a broad template of what teams are trying to do. But Week 1 in Kansas City painted a pretty clear picture of what the Falcons want to do with the ball -- strike hard, and fast. And opposing defenses better have the oxygen tanks ready on the sideline. “The no-huddle offense is nothing new for the Falcons, but in Week 1 Ryan really took it up a notch.” • The Marty Hurney - Carolina Panthers “Brandon LaFell is one of the more subtlety maligned players on the Carolina Panthers. It's not that fans think he's bad, it's just that any compliments he gets are normally veiled in backhanded slights, and labored justifications on why he isn't as good as he looks. On Sunday he finished with six receptions, for 90 yards, and looked every bit like a receiver who has taken another step since last season. From year one to year two LaFell improved his hands, now in this next step he's becoming a complete receiver. His footwork is better, his route running is improved, and he has better awareness.” • The Mickey Loomis - New Orleans Saints “Drew Brees did his best to carry the team, but once again, he tried to do too much. He completed 31 of his 49 pass attempts for 325 yards. He had a touchdown pass on the Saints first drive, but that was it. A horrible pick six was thrown on the team's second drive, and another interception came late when the Saints tried to come from behind.” • The Mark Dominik - Tampa Bay Buccaneers “The talk should cease immediately - Aquib Talib is not a Pro Bowl corner. That much became evident on this day when he was abused by Nicks, surrendering 10 receptions for 199 yds and a touchdown. We should no longer kid ourselves that he is anywhere near an upper echelon cornerback in this league. Talib is average and against a player like Nicks, average gets you beat.” AFC • The Bill Belichick - New England Patriots “The hallmark of Bill Belichick teams when they are playing their most efficient is two things: They don’t lose the game, they make you win it; and they capitalize on your mistakes. Yesterday they did neither. “On a day that was perfect for football, the Arizona Cardinals played imperfectly but the Patriots played worse. One could argue nobody really won yesterday, the Patriots simply lost more effectively than the Cardinals, dropping a regular-season home opener for the first time since 2001 because they couldn’t protect their punter, couldn’t protect their quarterback, couldn’t run efficiently when it was most needed, couldn’t catch a two-point conversion, couldn’t follow the rules at the most critical juncture, and couldn’t make a 42-yard field goal to win as time expired. “For once the vastly overused phrase “all three phases of the game” applied, although frankly this loss had few defensive fingerprints on it. But if you exonerate the defense and throw in curious offensive play-calling you’d have three failed phases, so there you go.” • The Mike Tannenbaum - New York Jets “Most troubling, the Jets’ defense, the foundation upon which this season will be built, could not get the Steelers off the field when they had to. The Steelers converted on 8 of 15 third-down attempts, and Roethlisberger completed 24 of 31 passes for 275 yards and 2 touchdowns, helping them dominate the time of possession by 14 minutes. That is a deficit that the Jets’ offense is simply not explosive enough to make up for.” • The Buddy Nix - Buffalo Bills “Well, I'm finally seeing what Buddy Nix had in mind when he handed C.J. Spiller's name to the commissioner in April 2010. Two weeks into his third pro season, Spiller is showing the full array of talents that infatuated Buffalo's personnel men when he was running rings around college defenders at Clemson. “Spiller showed glimpses late last season when he filled in for Fred Jackson. But what he's done in the first two weeks of this season has grabbed the attention of football fans all over the nation, who have to be wondering if they're seeing the arrival of the game's next great back. Yes, a budding star.” • The Jeff Ireland - Miami Dolphins “Reggie Bush and Ryan Tannehill shined together in Miami's 35-13 trouncing of the Oakland Raiders. Bush ran for 172 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries. Tannehill threw for 200 yards, two touchdowns (one running, one passing) and had a career-best 91.0 passer rating. They embody the biggest hopes of what the Dolphins can be -- this year and in the future. “Miami is a rebuilding organization. But these are the games the Dolphins must win to begin turning their franchise around.” • The Kevin Colbret - Pittsburgh Steelers “Ben Roethlisberger was masterful in whatever anyone would like to call that offense. Not taking anything away from Todd Haley's game-plan, which scored on five of the team's nine drives, but third downs were owned by Roethlisberger. “And Haley took the leash off his stud quarterback, throwing the ball 31 times compared to 28 runs, that percentage leans more toward the pass, and with each passing game, that proportion seems more in line with a winning formula than the other way around. (via Neal Coolong/Behind The Steel Curtain) • The Ozzie Newsome - Baltimore Ravens “I am one of the biggest Joe Flacco fans around, but he had a bad game. He missed guys, he forced a couple of throws, one of which was a momentum changing interception. He just seemed out of rhythm. He had some pressure, but not insurmountable. The O-line is what it is this season. Not great, but young and athletic. But again, the O-line, so far has not been horrid. Except for Birk. He spent more time on his back than…, well you get the gist… “And not all Joe’s fault. The receivers had occasional moments of brilliance, but for the most part they were not creating separation.” “The Bengals came into the season seeking a Robin for A.J. Green’s Batman. Andrew Hawkins was not in that picture. Maybe he still isn’t. But you can bet that if Hawkins were not front and center in every game plan on Sunday morning, he was by Sunday night. Guys like that, you just have to get them the ball.” • The Tom Heckert - Cleveland Browns “In the season-opening loss against the Eagles, the Browns defense played well enough to win and the offense flopped. In the Week 2 loss at Cincinnati, Cleveland's offense broke out with rookies Trent Richardson and Brandon Weeden while the defense and special teams faltered. “Unlike last season, the Browns have already shown potential on both sides of the ball. The challenge for Cleveland is to put together a complete game.” • The Rick Smith - Houston Texans “The Texans’ one-two punch worked exactly as advertised. The Texans showed their run blocking was sure and that they have one of the best backfields in the NFL. ““I see him break a run and I’m chomping at the bit and thinking I could outdo that,” running back Ben Tate said of Arian Foster. “Then I go out there and break one and then he’s out there (thinking) ‘I could outdo that.’ So it’s a good, friendly competition out there and also helps this team go. So I think it’s very important for both of us.”” • The Ryan Grigson - Indianapolis Colts “Bruce Arians was calling the plays not to lose instead of calling the plays to win, and when coaches do that, they lose most of the time. At least, they deserve to. “But Bruce Arians has this quarterback who is pretty good. I don't know if you've heard about him, but his name is Andrew Luck. And Arians got really lucky that he had Luck as his quarterback today (sorry, couldn't resist), because if the Colts had lost today, Arians would be taking a lot of heat for his conservative coaching.” • The Gene Smith - Jacksonville Jaguars “The Jaguars offense on Sunday was a dumpster fire and there's not much more I can use to describe it. Quarterback Blaine Gabbert was off much of the day, the offensive line struggled to hold their blocks against the Houston Texans front, and the Jaguars wide receivers struggled to catch the football and get open.” • The Ruston Webster - Tennessee Titans “Coming off the bench last season, quarterback Jake Locker managed to avoid costly mistakes. “As an NFL starter for the first time, however, the second-year pro made two critical mistakes in the season opener against the Patriots, losing a fumble that was returned for a touchdown and throwing an interception. “He made another one against the Chargers, as his first pass of the game was intercepted by safety Eric Weddle. Six plays later the Chargers took a 14-0 lead, putting the Titans in catch-up mode.” • The Reggie McKenzie - Oakland Raiders “There is a laundry list of problems for the 0-2 Raiders, and second on the list is probably the tackling. (Running game No. 1. Lack of any defensive playmakers is also high on the list.) “Oakland made Reggie Bush look like Barry Sanders on Sunday, and couldn’t stop a Miami offense with a rookie quarterback making his second start, an undersized running back and no front-line receivers.” • The John Elway - Denver Broncos “Our defense has the potential to be elite. Forget the garbage 3rd and longs Big Ben converted for a sec. We saw the ability to pressure with the front 4, the ability to stop the run with the front 7, and the ability to blanket receivers from our secondary. All we need now are less mis-communications, more discipline on the edge, and more comfort with JDR and his new defense working together.” • The Scott Pioli - Kansas City Chiefs “When it was time for the Chiefs to pick a new head coach after the 2011 season, I was one of the few who went against the grain in suggesting that Crennel was not the best choice. In addition to the fact that he had been unsuccessful in the top job before, many of the things that doomed Todd Haley’s tenure in KC – namely blowout losses – were failures on Crennel’s part as well. Getting torched for lopsided losses is as much the defensive coordinator’s fault as it is the head coach’s. Crennel has now presided as DC over two seasons of disgustingly poor defensive play in the opening games. “Although he engineered big wins in the last three games of the season, not much else stands out in his resume other than the fact that he is from the New England system and the players seem to like him.” • The A.J. Smith - San Diego Chargers
San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans, Washington Redskins, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Diego Chargers, IQ Discuss Send Feedback Buy Tickets Explaining TRC (Total Rushes/Completions)Michael Lombardi believes examining the total number of rushes and completions 'determines the execution of your football team.' Quarterbacks Becoming Bigger, YoungerQuarterbacks have always had to be tall enough to throw over the line, but the newer generation is becoming heavier and more athletic. Here are the heights, weights and ages of Week 1 quarterbacks in 1972, 1982, 1992, 2002 and 2012. NFL GM Notebook: 32-Team Week 1 ReactionsThe return of Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers made human, Robert Griffin III's outstanding debut, Lions/Eagles survive and more. Opening Day Quarterback StartersThe NFL is living in a golden age of quarterbacks where the one common denominator of winning teams is a strong passing game. NFL Scoop: 32-Team Week 2 ReactionsThe Jets, Colts, Falcons and Raiders were amongst the 0-1 teams to pick up their first win of 2010. NFL Scoop: 32-Team Week 1 ReactionsWith the exception of the MNF double-header, Week 1 is in the books and the reviews are in. |