Following an exciting first round, we break down the favorite picks, most pleasant and biggest surprises, most under-appreciated pick, worst move and more.
Peyton Manning, Mario Williams, Mike Wallace and Carl Nicks headline an intriguing free agent class that can shift the balance of power this offseason.
The Eagles seemingly came out of nowhere to sign Nnamdi Asomugha as they eye a trip to the Super Bowl.
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$.01 --Since I now live in Houston, I?ll lead with the home team. It was a great and emotional victory for the Texans over their eternal nemesis, Peyton Manning and the Colts. Two things stood out for the Texans: Arian Foster is most certainly capable of being the featured RB, and Mario Williams has taken his play to a new level. They also won a game where Andre Johnson was largely invisible, which is an important step.
Having said that, I think this game was more about the Colts and what looks like an impending decline in Indy. Quite simply, they were dominated at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. They are undersized and play like it, and their lack of aggression and tenacity is a big problem. Give some credit to the Texans for playing an inspired game, but these Colts were a little too easy to push around for my liking. If that happens again next week, win or lose, Indianapolis is not going to win a playoff game...if they even make it.
$.02 --Another big statement in the AFC emanated from New England, where the Patriots walloped the Bengals in a game that wasn?t nearly as close as the 38-24 final. Tom Brady had enough time to brush his hair on every pass, and the Bengals defensive front never caught onto the rhythm of the game. As I wrote in their season preview, I think the Patriots are embracing the role of not being the overwhelming favorite or media darling. They made a pretty good Cincinnati team look pretty bad, and I suspect they are going to do that to some other teams as well.
For the Bengals, this game revealed a real quandary. Carson Palmer put up decent numbers, but the stats overstate his performance. He was not sharp with many of his throws, and he continually stared down his receivers with little regard for the defense. Palmer also tended to move himself into more trouble when he tried to buy some time with his feet, like he had no feel for the rush. TO had a couple of bad drops, but that?s not out of the ordinary. Sadly for Bengals fans, I?m afraid this type of performance isn?t out of the ordinary for their very ordinary QB.
$.03 --The Sunday nighter revealed much of what I suspected about the Redskins: their defense is excellent, Donovan McNabb is an upgrade, Mike Shanahan understands how to manage and call a game, and the running game can be very good.
It also revealed my worst fears about the Cowboys: the OL is a penalty-plagued disaster of immobility, the inside LB play is substandard, and they?re still prone to the most untimely gaffes this side of Clark Griswold. This is exactly the balm that the Skins needed to silence all the Haynesworth controversy and build positive momentum for the rest of the season.
Special kudos to DC?s DC Jim Haslett for isolating Brian Orakpo on clearly overmatched Alex Barron on the final play. For Dallas, well, next week?s game with the Bears suddenly becomes a must-win, not just for avoiding an 0-2 start but to salvage any sort of belief that last year?s success was not a fluke and the same old underachieving Cowboys that have marked the last decade are rearing their ugly head once again.
$.04 --Still looking for a surprise playoff team? Look no further than Nashville, where the Tennessee Titans looked very sharp in pounding the mistake-plagued Raiders. The Titans are perfectly constructed to be a difficult matchup for pretty much any opponent; they are fast, very physical, and chock full of players with high football IQs. As long as Vince Young avoids making the mistakes that sometimes mar his performance--like the bad early fumble--this team is going to be a very difficult team to beat. Rookie DE Derrick Morgan looked unblockable at times, and the defensive front made life miserable for Raiders QB Jason Campbell all day long. This is a very composed, business-like team with a strong coach. It also helps that Chris Johnson is the best RB in the league at making something out of nothing, a trait he does better than any runner since Barry Sanders.
$.05 --I?m trying real hard to reconcile my feelings about the Lions-Bears game. As longtime readers know, I am a Lions fan dating back to the Billy Sims days. To watch that game-winning TD taken away was excruciating and a flat-out embarrassment for the NFL and the officiating crew. I?ll even concede that by the letter of the law it was an incomplete pass. But I can find you at least 6 other catches in just the early games Sunday that were less complete than that pass and allowed. Wes Welker?s second TD in the Pats/Bengals game is a great example--his second foot never touched the ground, the ball clearly wasn?t across the plane of the goal when his first foot landed, yet the officials ruled it a touchdown. It taints what was otherwise a very impressive performance by a very improved Lions defense, spearheaded by Kyle VandenBosch, who would have merited defensive player of the week in a victory. The latest Matt Stafford injury will be a big problem though. I was bitterly disappointed in Lions OC Scott Linehan for going into shutdown mode with Shaun Hill in the game in relief. Hill is a confident veteran that has played well enough in the past, but Linehan completely took the ball away from him until the final drive. Hopefully Linehan saw enough in that impressive spurt to let loose on the reins and let Hill look more than 5 yards downfield while Stafford rehabs.
$.06 --One of the subtleties that I saw emerge over the weekend was an increase in defenses trying to rush the passer between the tackles. It didn?t produce great sacks totals in most cases, but I noticed a lot more concerted effort to disrupt timing and get pressure in the face of the QB. It makes sense, since most teams have their pass protection geared to handle the outsides. The Chicago/Detroit game and the Atlanta/Pittsburgh games were both great examples of teams seizing upon rushing the 1 and 2 gaps quite effectively. It sure helps to have interior linemen that can make that happen. It will be interesting to see if this pervades and what sorts of protection adjustments the offenses will make in response.
$.07 --5 NFL quickies:
1. I feel terrible for Texans LB Connor Barwin, whose ankle was shattered in a nasty fall early in the opener. Barwin worked unbelievably hard to get bigger and improve his fluidity this offseason and was ready to make a big progression in his second season. Early reports are that the injury could be career-threatening.
2. Still feeling confident about running away with the NFC West, Niners fans? One for fifteen on 3rd down is the epitome of ineptness, and it also reflects Alex Smith?s utter inability to scare a defense on 1st and 2nd downs. That is not going to change until he proves otherwise.
3. The Browns/Bucs game was an ugly affair of two very weak offenses. Neither team got more than one first down on any drive after the middle of the second quarter. It was like watching synchronized swimming for non-swimmers. The Browns defense looked very good, however.
4. David Garrard: I bet that felt real nice. He turned in the best performance you didn?t see on Sunday, completing almost every pass he wanted to (16-21 but with two intentional throwaways) and looking poised and relaxed behind a very solid OL. Special mention to Jags punter Adam Podlesh for two beautiful boomers that pinned the Broncos deep early and decidedly tilted the field.
5. I still wonder how Wes Welker?s second TD catch could possibly be called a TD, especially in light of the Calvin Johnson play. The ball briefly crossed the plane in the air as Welker seized it from the air, but when his first foot landed the ball was clearly not across the goal line. His second foot never landed before he was back to almost the 1 yard line. In ?the process of completing the catch? he was never in the end zone. Methinks that if the jerseys were reversed, so would the outcomes and that?s a freaking shame for the NFL.
Son of former NFL player Craig ?Ironhead? Heyward, and it shows in his football IQ and physical prowess. Very powerful for his build, as his body looks 20 pounds lighter than his weight. Long arms that extend with power. Very good using his hands and shoulders to get off blocks. Has the quickness to play end or slide inside and play 3-technique DT, could make a very good 5-technique in a 3-man front. Strong tackler that wraps what he hits. Very comfortable in space for a big man, drops into coverage with ease. Good nose for the ball, moves thru trash well. Holds backside containment well. Has shown the ability to blow up the TE chip block. Gets around the corner with quickness but can crash inside and has a good repertoire of pass rush moves. Good motor, stays positive when not making plays. Strong locker room and sideline presence. Doesn?t play with the nastiness that some coaches will want.
Early Forecast: Heyward is one of the best all-around defensive linemen in years with no real holes to his game. His versatility and athleticism make him a surefire top 10 pick, perhaps top 5.
$.09 --5 college quickies:
1. Great win for James Madison, one of the premier FCS programs, in taking down the Hokies in Blacksburg. For the Hokies, this is as bad a loss as App State over Michigan. Just when Frank Beamer starts getting all the national love that?s been long overdue...
2. No player has been better than Michigan QB Denard Robinson thus far. His ability to deliver an accurate throw under duress has been a very pleasant surprising development.
3. Hey SEC teams--there?s this invention called an airplane that allows you to travel outside your region and play actual competition on the road before the conference schedule. Look into it!
4. Most impressive team of the weekend was Oklahoma, which absolutely annihilated Florida State. Landry Jones looks a whole lot like Sam Bradford.
5. The flip side of that FSU defeat is just how terrible the ACC looks. No ranked teams--deservedly--other than a punchless Miami team that got trounced by Ohio State, and two lower-rung teams, Duke and Wake Forest, played a basketball game on the football field. Humble hypothesis: both East Carolina and Houston from CUSA would win the ACC Coastal division.
$.10 --A week ago I opened up my family?s new local football allegiance to suggestions from readers. We are now moved into the Houston area and need a unifying fandom to resolve our Ohio State/Michigan schism that is forcing our children to take sides in what will be a foreign war. Thanks to all for the suggestions, many of which were amusing and well-thought. The overwhelming majority was for Texas, but one fair reader reached me with his argument for TCU. Congrats to Brian Schott, who nailed my love for the color purple, my son?s love of amphibians, my wife?s desire to swim against the current, and my daughter?s growing love of the word ?touchdown?. We?re heading out today to find some Horned Frogs gear!
