Quick Hits: Week 3

Desean Jackson lit it up and Matthew Stafford celebrated the first Lions victory since 2007 in Week 3

Written by:MJK

Life on Mute:

For Terrell Owens this should all come as no surprise. None of it.  He chose Buffalo after being released from Dallas this past off-season. He should have known right away what he was about to get himself into. Even though it may have been the ONLY fit, it was FAR from a perfect one. T.O needed a rebranding and what better place to do it than upstate New York! The city? I could imagine. But Buffalo? This was a mistake.

Over the years, the oft outspoken Owens has given the sports world countless amounts of video and soundbytes. He has provided us with a weeping display of affection for former quarterback Tony Romo, implied that Jeff Garcia was gay, feuded with teammates, performed a public ab workout that would put Tony Horton to shame and cried wolf on a failed “suicide” attempt in 2006. What a ride it has been. 

So now after T.O was held without a catch this past weekend for the first time since his rookie season, and failing to live up to POST-game expectations here-he has the audacity to chime in with this blurb on a popular radio show.

“I'm just trying to do the best job I can do as far as answering the questions and trying to be a better teammate and not try to throw people under the bus.”

Huh? Come again? Well at least some sort of accountability is visible here. But this just isn’t right.  It’s like Thanksgiving dinner without turkey or Christmas without a tree. One always comes with the other, and his week 3 performance errr lack thereof had meltdown written all over it. Much to my dismay it never came.

T.O humbled? Its irony redefined.  T.O silenced? An oxymoron of epic proportions. This is not his…well, his bag baby and I can’t say that I like it. Of course with every negative T.O backdrop that he has bestowed upon himself, the contrary always makes it difficult for me to shake the image of a young Terrell Owens making one of the greatest plays that I have been able to witness in my lifetime. It’s just a shame that the memory seems so jaded now.

This façade that T.O is now trying to convince us of is garbage.  We should all know how this story will end.  We are three games into the 2009 season and I can’t really say I blame him for taking the high road.  But what if it happens again next week? What if he only has 40 catches by week 10? This is a ticking time bomb that is bound to explode at any point. I wish I could say I am exaggerating but there is a track record here that never seems to fail. And the thing is, I think that is exactly what Buffalo wants. Hell, its what I want. Whatever gets people in the seats right?

So to T.O, “Too” or simply Terrell Owens: Please quit trying to convince us that at 36 years old, in what seems to be the twilight of your career, you are suddenly changing your ways.  Then again a few more doughnuts in the stat sheet and you may not have a choice.  I have a feeling the best is still to come. “Getcha popcorn ready.” 

Not only is it ready T.O, its buttered up and salted to perfection…lets sit back and enjoy the uncertainty of your volatility one delicious kernel at a time.

Big Ups:

Brett Favre, QB, Minn- It really pains me to lead off with The Immortal.  His retirement/comeback sideshow every offseason has become tiresome and annoying. But the game-winning throw he made versus the 49ers was Vintage. That’s right, with a capital V.  Greg Lewis’ toe tapping catch in the endzone was equally impressive as the Vikings improved to 3-0. This is the electricity that Minnesota was hoping Favre would bring to the table and through three weeks he has yet to disappoint.

Detroit Lions- Talk about getting off the proverbial schneid. After 19 consecutive losses the Lions finally got the monkey off of their back and put one on the Washington Redskins.  The scene would have been confused for a Super Bowl victory for any other team after Detroit came back onto the field to show of support for all of their fans who have stuck with them. Very classy indeed. Still, head coach Jim Schwartz seems to have this team in the right mindset after trying his very hardest to downplay the significance of a week 3 victory.  The Lions now have more wins on the season than Tennesee, Carolina and Miami combined. All three were 2008 playoff teams.

Desean Jackson, WR, Philly- The super quick Jackson is showing why he presents matchup problems for many defenses around the league.  His speed allows him to get separation from opposing players so fast, it is almost impossible to catch up to him once in the open field.  Last season, I compared Jackson to the build and skill set of a young Steve Smith (Car.) And I am not backing down from this now. He may not possess the strength of Smith but his size, speed and flamboyance matches up almost perfectly.  He scored for the third straight week against Chiefs while piling on a career high 149 receiving yards. The somersault into the endzone was my personal favorite.  Whats more impressive is that he is putting up hefty numbers without Donovan McNabb throwing him the ball. Expect big things from Jackson this season.

Low Downs:

Washington Redskins: Well this must be an all time low.  The Redskins were barely able to squeek out a victory against the lowly Rams in week 2 and proceeded to follow that up by losing to a team that had not won a game since 2007.   It is simply inexcusable and now the fingers are being pointed everywhere. Clinton Portis has been virtually non-existent and Jason Campbell has been far from consistent (although he had a good day versus the Lions, it didn’t equal a victory). Head coach Jim Zorn is now officially on the hottest seat in the NFL.  I think he will be fired before week 10.

Byron Leftwich, QB, TB: This sure got ugly fast.  After a week 1 performance that showed promise, Leftwich finds himself benched and out of a starting job once again.  He has never been able to find his groove as a starting quarterback in the NFL and his 7-for-16, 22 yard and a pick performance versus the Giants didn’t do him any favors.  He has already been declared an inactive 3^rd quarterback for week 4’s game.

Larry Johnson, RB, KC: Compounded by a Chiefs team that is arguably the worst in the NFL, “Grandmama” has yet to get his wheels turning in what seems to be final chapter of his days as a running threat.  Sure, we have seen signs of this since the 2007 season when he missed 8 games due to injury, but this season Johnson has taken it to another level.  He is averaging just 2.5 yards per carry and looking very pedestrian between the tackles. The calls for second year back Jamaal Charles are getting louder and I think he will have the more productive season when it is all said and done.

Injury Hits:

Frank Gore, RB, SF- What a difference one week makes. After ripping off over 200 yards in week 2, Gore tested a tender ankle that forced him to leave the game versus the Vikings after just 1 carry for 4 yards. This makes you wonder if he was even healthy enough to try and go in the first place.  Regardless, initial reports say that he should be out for at least 3 weeks.  This makes rookie Glen Coffee the man in the bay and if his pre season was any indication, he should be able to pick up where Gore left off.

Chad Pennington, QB, Mia-  Pennington was placed on injured reserve on Tuesday, ending his season with another shoulder problem.  Look for Chad Henne and NOT Pat White to take over under center.  The Dolphins also went out and traded for Tyler Thigpen (formerly of the Chiefs) and he should assume the backup role immediately with the potential to be starting very soon.

Dwayne Bowe, WR, KC- Just when I thought things would get rolling for the 3^rd year receiver, his hamstring tightens up on him.  This is clearly concerning considering hamstrings are the most fickle of injuries, and tend to linger longer than other injuries.  Hopefully, Kansas City gives Bowe the rest he needs to heal so he can come back strong.  Look for Mark Bradley to continue to see more targets as a result.

Felix Jones, RB, Dal-  This guy has the injury blues.  Last year he missed 10 games with a bum hamstring and toe and now he will miss a chunk of time with what is being reported as a sprained PCL in the knee.  He has shown flashes of brilliance when given the opportunity, but to be labeled as “injury prone” after only a year in the league is disheartening.  Tashard Choice should now take over as the feature back and may have a bit of success if he can pick up where he left off last season. Marion Barber’s status still remains up in the air.

Dwight Freeney, DE, Ind- The Colt’s defense takes hits like this every season, which is why it shouldn’t be surprising that they struggle on that side of the ball so often.  Freeney is widely regarded as one of the most feared pass rushers in the game, but has been hit with the injury bug the past few seasons.  This will create opportunities for offenses to further exploit an already average defense.  Look for teams to be able to gash this run defense a little easier in the next few weeks. 


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