NFL Week 3: Recap

Written by: D.Wash.

Lions End Losing Streak (AKA: ‘Bout Damn Time)

For the past 21 months, the Detroit Lions have been the laughing stock of the league. They hadn’t tasted victory since December of 2007 and became the first team in NFL history to go 0-16 in 2008. After Sunday though, Detroit fans can wear their Silver and Honolulu Blue with pride once again as the Lions finally got a win. Sure, they beat a Washington Redskin team that has vastly underperformed and it doesn’t look like that will change any time soon. A win is a win though, and this team really needed it to gain some confidence. Props to the Lions. The Redskins on the other hand need to get on track if they plan on going even .500 this year, which is looking increasingly unlikely with each passing week.

Maurice Jones Drew Proves size Doesn’t Matter

MJD may only be 5-7, but I’d be afraid of anyone who could pull off a performance like he did on Sunday. He led the Jags to victory over the Houston Texans with a spectacular performance of 113 yards and 3 TDs. He’s one of those guys who refuses to go down on first contact.  Watching him carry the Jags to victory over quality teams like the Texans show why the Jags decided to make him the main feature of the backfield (and offense) this year. The Texans, a talented team, could use an easy win to right the ship. The Raiders at home next week is just what the doctor ordered.

New Pats Offense, Old Pats Results

After losing to the Jets, people in New England went crazy. Did it mean that the Patriots dominance over the NFL was over? Was the Patriots offense really as bad as it looked against the Jets? Was Tom Brady never going to be 100% because of his injury?  The Pats answered every question with a resounding “No” on Sunday. In the Patriots 25-10 win on Sunday, the offense rededicated itself to the rushing attack and it worked very effectively. Fred Taylor ran for 105 yards, a great performance against a solid Falcons defense. The running game set up the passing game, allowing Brady to complete 60% of his passes for a total of 277 yards.  The Pats defense also looked good, limiting Michael Turner to 56 yards and Matt Ryan to just under 200 yards.  If the Patriots can keep playing like this, with a solid running game and stone wall defense, then it could help Tom Brady better ease into the game and become the player that we all know and love. At the very least, it will win games… and that’s what matters in New England.

Sanchez Produces Against Titans Defense

As the weeks pass by, people (myself included) keep expecting Mark Sanchez to start making rookie mistakes and look bad. Yet as the weeks pass by, Sanchez continues to look more and more impressive. Though you could argue that the Jets running game or defense won the first two games, you can’t deny that Week 3 was all Sanchez. The star rookie threw for 171 yards and two scores (and ran for one rush TD) on Sunday, making a very experienced and skilled Tennessee secondary look below average. The Jets defense was also key in their victory as they not only kept Chris Johnson out of the endzone (Johnson did run for 97 yards but no TDs), but they also held Kerry Collins to a dismal 40% completion percentage. All of that equaled a big win for the Jets, solidifying their spot among the best teams in the NFL.

Favre = A Vikings Victory

By all means, the 49ers should’ve won this game. They limited the Vikes to 94 rushing yards in the game. Vernon Davis caught 7 balls, including 2 for touchdowns. They even returned a blocked field goal attempt for a touchdown. Last year that would’ve ended in a big 49er victory over the Vikings. The Brett Favre pickup in the offseason changed everything though. The Vikings didn’t need a 100 yard rushing game out of Peterson on Sunday. They didn’t need to shut down the Niners offense. When it comes down to the last play of a game, there are few men living or dead that you would rather depend on than Brett Favre. On that spectacular last play, Favre dodged defenders and finally threw 32 yards into the end zone only to have it caught by Greg Lewis for the game winning score. It was a play that Tavaris Jackson and Gus Ferrotte wouldn’t even dream of making, but Farve isn’t Jackson or Ferrotte. Favre doesn’t just dream of making those plays, he believes he can do it all the time. That’s why the Vikes picked him up, and that’s why the Vikes are superbowl contenders.

The Bengals Beat the Steelers!?!?!?

I don’t know exactly what to make of this. The Bengals trailed by 11 points going into the 4^th quarter and instead of merely flopping and collapsing as the Bengals of years past have, they buckled down and executed two touchdown drives in the final quarter while holding the Steelers scoreless. Their last TD came with 14 seconds left on the clock when Carson Palmer threw 4 yards to Andre Caldwell for a score. All the numbers should’ve equaled a Steeler victory, as they out gained the Bengals by 100 yards in the game. Still, it’s Cincinnati who walks away with the win. Was it because Troy Polamalu was out due to injury? Possibly. Carson Palmer was able to sneak in a couple tight throws that would’ve been difficult with Troy’s presence in the secondary. But what ifs aren’t important right now. What’s important are Ws and the Bengals earned it this week over the Steelers… That still sounds weird.

Rivers Off to Surprisingly Good Start, Chargers Offense Off to Surprisingly Bad Start

Most people figured that Drew Brees would be leading the league in passing at this point. If not Brees, than Manning, Brady, or Warner were all popular household names. Few people would’ve expected that it would be Phillip Rivers. Including his 300 yard performance on Saturday, Rivers has thrown for 991 yards this season. He’s hit a number of receivers and has looked very efficient. Despite that, the Chargers were forced to attempt 4 field goals in their win over the Dolphins. They were unable to perform in the red zone and had the Dolphins offense been able to play well, they would’ve beat the Chargers rather handily. Darren Sproles didn’t look electric against the Dolphins defense and Phillip Rivers couldn’t throw the ball into the end zone. If they don’t shape up soon, they could be in some trouble against the harder teams on their schedule (Pittsburgh, New York Giants, and Philly to name a few).

Indy Shuts Down Cards Offense

The Cardinals appear to be suffering from a superbowl hangover, lets all act surprised. The Pass rush from Indy was effective, and because of it Kurt Warner was forced into two interceptions and Larry Fitzgerald was kept out of the endzone. The running game couldn’t get started (no surprises there) and a team that averaged just short of 27 points per game last season, could only manage 10 on Sunday night. Peyton Manning was impressive yet again as he threw for 379 yards and 4 TDs. Donald brown was perhaps the biggest surprise of the night, as the rookie ran for 40 yards and took a catch and run 72 yards down the field and almost into the end zone. Donald Brown split carries evenly with Joseph Addai, a promising strategy so far that has kept both backs fresh and effective. It works, and the Colts will get W’s because of it.

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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