Week 12 Review of the NFL

The Saints go marching in

Let the debate begin. Who will be the MVP? Drew Brees or Aaron Rodgers. After seeing how easy both of these quarterbacks make it look on a weekly basis, I’m convinced that these two have now dethroned Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. For a decade the debate was between Brady and Manning. Now the candidates are different. Drew Brees made the Giants look like a terrible team by himself. Now I know that he has great players to throw to, but you have to have a good quarterback to get the ball to them. Everyone is now expecting and wanting a rematch of the Saints and the Packers for the NFC Championship in January. I wouldn’t mind seeing that. It’s better than seeing LSU play Alabama again for the BCS Championship. New Orleans doesn’t seem to have any problems scoring points, but their defense needs to get back to their championship ways if they are to even get to the NFC Championship game. Ever since winning the Super Bowl two years ago the Saints defense has been ineffective to say the least. But I’m still impressed by the offensive onslaught they continue to put out.

The fall of Ndamukong Suh

I was one of Suh’s defenders. He brought a style that was right at the line of being called dirty, but to me it didn’t cross that line. However, as I was watching the Packers begin to run away with the game on Thanksgiving. I noticed that there was a fracas happening near the line of scrimmage. Sure enough, Suh was in the middle of it. But what I saw on the replay was Suh stomping on a Packers lineman’s arm. Immediately I thought there was no way I can defend this guy anymore. He has crossed that line. You don’t step on or kick a guy. That in football is a big no-no. Suh’ explanation afterwards was even worse. Trying to say you lost your balance and ended up stepping on the guy’s arm was pretty pathetic. The tape doesn’t lie. You tried to convince yourself that you did nothing wrong, but in the end you’re the one who needs to face the facts. You even met with the commissioner Roger Goodell a few weeks ago to talk about what you can and can’t do on the field. And you requested the meeting. You’re lucky you were only suspended for 2 games because there were a lot of folks that wanted to gone for a much longer time. Tone it down and don’t talk anymore.

We have our first coaching change

A few weeks back I said that the Miami Dolphins were going to be the first team to fire their head coach. Yeah, I got that wrong. Jacksonville finally let go Jack Del Rio. What was strange is that at the same time owner Wayne Weaver announced that he was selling the team. Now I’m not going to get into the conversation about the Jaguars future in Jacksonville. Honestly I don’t see it anymore. But I was a bit perplexed by the timing of the firing. You have less than half a dozen games left in a lost season. Now was the best time to let Del Rio go? Of course giving the ultimatum of getting into the playoffs or lose job wasn’t a good idea. And neither was the idea of letting QB David Garrard go just before the season started. If you want to win, don’t announce that and then let Garrard go to save some money. That doesn’t really give any of your fans a sense that you want to win. Alas Del Rio was let go after 9 seasons on the job. It’s amazing to think that one of the leagues youngest franchises has only had two head coaches throughout its history. Now they will be looking for their 3rd, but this time with a new owner and maybe a new city to play in.

Week 11 Review of the NFL

Tebowing

I have to admit that I am now caught up in this ‘Tebowing’ craze. You can go to my twitter account and see for yourself. Regardless of that, Tim Tebow is winning football games. That’s all that should matter, right? All of his mechanics are way off and he doesn’t seem to be comfortable in the pocket. All of that doesn’t matter though as he continues to win games. The Oakland Raiders were caught off guard in their blowout loss to the Broncos. And the New York Jets seemed to forget that Tebow can run the ball better than most quarterbacks. I’ve had my doubts about Mr. Tebow, but I am becoming fascinated with this team. They are playing at another level ever since he was named the starter. It’s also interesting to see how Denver’s VP of football operations John Elway and head coach John Fox handle all the media coverage. Both clearly didn’t want Tebow, but he is giving Denver some hope of making the playoffs this year. Also I’m beginning to get a little irritated about the religious discussion surrounding Tebow. He has every right to talk about his religion. As do those who say he shouldn’t talk about it as much. When has it ever become a problem in sports to mention Jesus Christ? If I’m not mistaken many athletes have done it before Tim Tebow came along. If you don’t like it fine. He’s playing football, not trying to convert you. That includes you Jake Plummer. I could be jumping the gun when I say this, but don’t be surprised if you see Tim Tebow hosting a playoff game this year. Imagine what that will do to the Broncos plans for the future.

‘Da Bears’

It’s time we start to discuss the Chicago Bears. They are currently on a five game winning streak. They handled Philadelphia, Detroit and San Diego with ease. There doesn’t seem to be any stopping the Bears in their pursuit of division rival Green Bay. That is until it was revealed after their win against San Diego that QB Jay Cutler broke his thumb. Now in the ultra competitive NFC, this should be a major problem. Just when Cutler was on fire now the Bears have to turn to QB Caleb Hanie. The same Caleb Hanie who almost led the Bears to the Super Bowl last year when Cutler was knocked out of the game with an apparent knee injury. Now that I’ve jostled your memories, this shouldn’t be a problem at all. The Bears have a good defense and a great special teams. Those two groups have carried them in the past and should get them into the playoffs again. Once there they’re hopeful that Cutler can return, but until then you will see heavy doses of RB Matt Forte. Which could be a bad thing considering that he wants to get paid. He really doesn’t have a choice, but I can guarantee that if he holds up and continues to perform, Forte will get that massive extension he’s been looking for.

I need help with the NFC East

I picked two teams out of the NFC East to make the playoffs this year. They were the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys. Now I’m not so sure there will two teams making the playoffs out of this division. The New York Giants were at the top, but they appear to be in another second half collapse which will probably cost Tom Coughlin his job at the end of the year. The Dallas Cowboys are playing great right now, but they have a fairly easy schedule the rest of the way. Can we take them seriously? The Philadelphia Eagles have been terrible. Michael Vick is banged up and the defense is being run by a former offensive line coach. Try to explain to me how that was a good idea. I’d love to know. And I won’t even talk about the Washington Redskins who have all sorts of problems that don’t involve their defense which has been great. It looks like the Cowboys will take the division, but after watching the Eagles this past Sunday, I’m not so sure. What I mean by that is I can’t figure out which team is going to show up. The Cowboys played to lose once again in Washington. The Giants took the Eagles for granted at home no less. Now watch next week as the Cowboys will probably lose to the Miami Dolphins at home. The Eagles will also lose a must win home game against the New England Patriots. And the Giants will forget that the New Orleans Saints are a pretty good team on Monday night. I’ve given up trying to make heads or tails of the NFC East.

Week 10 Review of the NFL

Time to consider San Francisco as a legitimate contender

I would like to first disclose that I’m a Niners fan. If you don’t know by now, you do now. Anyway the Niners are contender right now and for the rest of the season. Their 8-1 record might be flawed playing in the weakest division in the NFL, the NFC West. However, they’ve only played one division opponent so far and that was back in Week 1. Now that they’re getting into the soft part of their schedule it’s to be expected that they can easily finish with a pretty good record. All but two of their final 7 games are against division opponents. Those other two opponents are Baltimore and Pittsburgh. San Francisco has already beaten Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Detroit and most recently the New York Giants. I’ve said it before that QB Alex Smith is finally being brought along the right way and isn’t being asked to do everything for once. RB Frank Gore has been great although he was injured against the Giants, but the Niners have been winning because of their defense. If you haven’t heard of LB Patrick Willis than I suggest you go to nfl.com and start watching some videos. This guy is a beast. He’s been the mainstay of an ever improving defense that has now become elite. For all the true Niners fans that have been through some rough years, that time looks to have finally passed. Go Niners Go!

How far can Houston go?

To answer, they can go pretty far. They have two great running backs in Arian Foster and Ben Tate. WR Andre Johnson will be back healthy before the season is done. However, with the recent news of QB Matt Schaub’s foot injury his season appears to be over. That could put a halt to the Texans playoff hopes, but in the weak AFC South I don’t think it will. Besides the Texans have been winning 4 straight games thanks to their rushing attack. Their defense is playing well and adjusting to the 3-4 scheme put in by Wade Phillips. Remember they don’t have DE/LB Mario Williams either who is out for the year with a torn pectoral. Houston so far has been pretty resilient to the injury bug, but they will have to play perfect football without Schaub. Backup QB Matt Leinart should be all right, but he failed miserably in Arizona and hasn’t started since. Houston needs to hope that Leinart has learned to just manage the game and not try to win it on every play.

The Lions and Bills are who we thought they were and I didn’t let them off the hook

To take a memorable quote from Dennis Green the Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills are pretty much what we thought they were. Two teams that were riding high early in the season, but have fallen flat of late. Both are in danger of falling completely out of the playoff picture as well. Thankfully for Buffalo, New England and the NY Jets haven’t been playing great either and they are all still neck and neck with each other. Detroit on the other hand play in a very competitive conference where they had to win this last week against their division rivals the Chicago Bears. They were outplayed in every facet of the game. Why do you still kick the ball to Bears WR Devin Hester is unthinkable still, but the Lions have no running game with RB Jahvid Best sidelined with a concussion. It’s not so much that Best can run between the tackles, but he opens up the field for everyone else. As a result QB Matthew Stafford is being pressed more and more. WR Calvin Johnson has become a non-factor. And the defense has been on the field for far too long. Both the Bills and Lions still have time to turn it around, but we’re already going into Week 11.

Where Do We Go From Here?

Before I continue with this column, I want to make some things perfectly clear. This is solely my opinion that is based on facts of the investigation against former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky (pictured left). If you would like to read the grand jury transcript, you may. Also it is my opinion based on the actions of certain administrative officials. Namely Athletic Director Tim Curley, Vice President Gary Schultz, President Graham Spanier and Head Coach Joe Paterno. It is a disturbing case that we all should take a step back and ask ourselves, ‘Where do we go from here?’

I get that Joe Paterno has known Jerry Sandusky for over 40 years. But did he really know him? According to the grand jury transcript as far back as 1996, Sandusky was inappropriately involved with a young boy in the locker room shower at Penn State university. The first investigation took place in 1998, while Sandusky was still on the coaching staff at Penn State. No criminal charge was brought against Sandusky at that time.

In 1999, Sandusky retires from Penn State, but is still allowed access to the campus facilities. The following year a janitor observes Sandusky sexually assaulting a young boy in the football teams locker room shower. Amazingly no report is filed. In 2002, then graduate assistant now wide receivers coach Mike McQueary witnesses Sandusky sexually assaulting a young boy in the locker room shower of the Lasch Football Building.

McQueary, according to the transcript, calls his father. Then he tells head coach Joe Paterno, who in turn tells Athletic Director Tim Curley what McQueary had told him. Curley calls McQueary in to hear what McQueary had seen. Also present was vice president Gary Schultz. Both Curley and Schultz say they will look into it. Mind you this was in 2002.

The only action taken by Penn State in 2002 was that Sandusky’s locker room keys were taken away and the incident was reported to the Second Mile charity, a group foster home founded by Sandusky in 1977. Three years later in 2005 Sandusky is involved with yet another young boy and remains in contact with him over a three year period.

Not until 2009 is an investigation finally underway after one of Sandusky’s victims comes forward to report inappropriate touching over a four year period. Sandusky in 2010 retires from his role in The Second Mile for personal reasons. Sandusky is finally charged with 40 counts of sexual assault on November 5th of this year.

Now after all the facts have been laid out, I want to say that all of these accusations are alleged against Jerry Sandusky. He is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Do you see how all of this looks? I don’t think Paterno really knew this guy. Plus even with the knowledge of an alleged incident that took place in the locker room of the football team, what does Paterno do? He gives it to the Athletic Department who in turn doesn’t even report it to the police. Now Paterno certainly did more than nothing, but you mean to tell me he couldn’t follow up with the Athletic Department?

Of course right at the top of this is the now former Athletic Director Tim Curley and Vice President Gary Schultz. They are both being charged with perjury in this case. How do you not give this information to the police? Next in line is former President Graham Spanier who was gutless in not owning up to the mistakes of this administration and taking some responsibility. You’re the president of the university for God’s sake.

Next is Joe Paterno. Now I wouldn’t be piling on him as much if he didn’t have a mini pep rally after he released a statement saying that he would retire at the end of the season. If you haven’t seen that video, I suggest you do. I know that he’s 84 years old, but you would think that a man who has that many years under his belt would have known that was not the time nor the place to be holding a pep rally on your front lawn when there are victims of your former assistant whose lives will never be the same.

His quote from that pep rally told me exactly how he feels about the situation.

“The victims or whatever they want to say I think we ought to say a prayer for them. Tough life when people do certain things to you. Anyway you’ve been great.”

Yeah and you weren’t in those 3 minutes on your lawn Joe. To me I think that what has happened or alleged to have happened at Penn State is one of the biggest scars on our society as a whole. Former Penn State player and current ESPN analyst Matt Millen brought it up on ESPN earlier in the week. How can we as a society move forward if we allow someone, anyone to do what was alleged to those children?

For me it’s a no brainer. You see something happen, whether it be someone stealing something, beating someone up or verbally abusing them. You yourself can either do something about it or speak up and report it. It’s as simple as that or so I think it is.

Paterno basically had to go. When you respond to the board of trustees at Penn State by saying you will retire at the end of the year when they announce they’re going to review your position as the football coach. You can’t as an institution of Penn State’s stature have Paterno continue to coach and then have him hold a postgame press conference being asked questions about the sexual assault case. That can’t be allowed to happen.

Paterno should have followed up with the Athletic Department to see what they were doing. As should current wide receivers coach Mike McQueary. I can say the same thing about McQueary. He should have followed up with the Athletic Department and if he wasn’t satisfied with their investigation, go to the police at that point.

Mike McQueary shouldn’t be allowed to coach either. It’s only fair that with Paterno being let go, McQueary should have the same fate. Paterno was honest when he said in his statement,

“This is a tragedy. It is one of the greatest sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more.”

The sad part is he didn’t. How do you let Sandusky continue to be around the facilities for 9 more years after an allegation was brought to your attention? Now he will have to live with that forever. As will McQueary, Tim Curley, Gary Schultz, Graham Spanier and others who didn’t do enough to stop these alleged assaults before it got out of hand.

Forget about football in this situation. This is far bigger than any game. This pulls at us as individuals. What do you believe in? Whatever that may be will you stand up for what is right? We have to learn from our mistakes and make sure that nothing like this can ever happen again. I’ve mentioned it in other posts that there is evil in our world. We have to confront it if we are to truly be a strong and just society.

Week 9 Review of the NFL

After some pretty dismal weeks of games there were finally a slew of games during Week 9 that are worthy of mention. The Giants and Patriots rekindled some memories of Super Bowl XLII. The Packers and Chargers put on a scoring frenzy in the rain. And the Ravens and Steelers put on a show in primetime Sunday night.

NY Giants v New England

It has been become apparent halfway through the 2011 season that Giants QB Eli Manning should now be on everyones list of top 10 quarterbacks in the NFL right now. Almost all of the Giants wins this year have been a result of Eli leading them on game winning drives. That’s an amazing stat and speaks volumes to Eli and the struggles of the Giants. They are still a good team, but becoming an elite team is still a long way off. Beating Tom Brady and a porous Patriots defense is one thing. Their remaining schedule includes games against San Francisco, New Orleans, Dallas (twice), Philadelphia, Green Bay, Washington and the NY Jets. The Giants of late have been known to have second half collapses, but if they can escape with a .500 record for their remaining games they will be in position for a playoff spot. Eli Manning is having his best season so far, but the eyes will be watching him more closely with eight games remaining.

Green Bay v San Diego

I figured this game would be a shootout all the way through. However, Chargers QB Philip Rivers threw two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns early and the Packers were up 21-7. The halftime score of 28-17 continued to put a damper on my thought of a good offensive show. Now the reason why I thought it was going to be an offensive show is because of both teams defenses. Green Bay gives up a lot of yards and some big plays every now and then. The Chargers can’t consistently stop the best offenses or the average offenses in the NFL. Green Bay is among the elite offenses if not the elite offense. Sure enough the second half proved my point about an offensive shootout. Aaron Rodgers threw two 4th quarter touchdowns to put the Packers up by 21 points with 10 minutes left. But San Diego did make it interesting answering with two Philip Rivers touchdowns to WR Vincent Jackson. Green Bay still won 45-38. For the most part the game wasn’t that close, but in the end it was exactly what I expected going into last Sunday.

Baltimore v Pittsburgh

The game everyone wanted to see was the Ravens vs Steelers. Two teams that don’t like each other on or off the field. A rivalry. Who says rivalries are dead? This game was good, but it certainly changed at the start of the second half. The Ravens were in control through the first three quarters up 16-6. However, Pittsburgh was playing at home and played excellent football on offense and defense at the start of the 4th quarter. Back to back touchdowns in the 4th quarter gave the Steelers a 20-16 lead. Not ideal, but that forced the Ravens to score a touchdown to win the game. Field goals weren’t going to matter anymore. But a boneheaded delay of game penalty late gave Baltimore life as the Steelers took themselves out of field goal range and punted the ball back to the Ravens. Amazingly Ravens QB Joe Flacco had a game winning drive of 92 yards that resulted in his only touchdown pass to rookie WR Torrey Smith who earlier in the drive dropped a touchdown pass. A great game ended on a great note. Also it meant that the Ravens had swept the Steelers for only the second time in franchise history. The only other time was 2006. It was a big game for both teams and it put a nice finishing touch on a great football Sunday.