Coming off a feel good weekend like the one we just had, I wanted to come in and talk about the football weekend that was. It was another exciting weekend in college football, highlighted by a couple of classic rivalry matchups in ND-UM and USC-TOSU. It is great to have the NFL back in action as well. There is really nothing like the NFL. It's the undisputed king of sports in this country. It's a 21 week marathon but most of the time it's a do or die sprint. And this is a season that has incredible potential, as there will be many teams with the potential to be a factor as the season begins to take shape. There are storylines all over the league, and those storylines all began to stew yesterday. Browns fans were blessed with an unbelievable morning to tailgate with friends and family and a perfect day to watch a ball game. Unfortunately, aside from our guy Josh Cribbs' brilliance, it was clear fans are going to have to be patient and enjoy the journey that is the 16 week season. But it's hard not to be excited for what's in store this season. Here are some things I saw this weekend.
1. I know I was very much not alone in my unending and annoying praise of Matt Sanchez. I wrote about it several times on YOUGOTJC, and used the phrase "I'm putting all my chips in the middle with this guy" several times at bars and among friends. But, I think I am gonna be right about this guy. I feel good about it. I get these feelings about players and can just see when guys have that IT factor. And I think he showed some people his skills and intangibles this weekend, as the Jets came in to Houston and knocked off a sexy sleeper team like the Texans. His numbers were nothing special, and his defense came to play. But he was poised as hell, and was a great leader. And his biggest stat was that he was 10 of 16 on third down (7 of his first 7). That's a Peyton Manning or a Big Ben type number. That's a great stat. And that really shows the kind of skills he has. If you wanna be a great quarterback in the league, you gotta get it done on 3rd down. He is gonna have some bumps in the road, no question. But I think he is the type of guy that you can really build a franchise around if he stays healthy and keeps the swagger that makes him tough.
2. When are we start locking Big Ben into the top quarterbacks in the league discussion? Because he's the 3rd best quarterback in the league. End of discussion. The guy is an incredible player. He's clutch. He makes every big play. And he does it consistently. He's 300 pounds and he never gets sacked. It's incredible; you can't tackle him, you can't touch him. When the money's on the table, like it was late in that Titans game and in overtime, he is a beast. He had to play lights out or the Steelers were gonna lose, and he was incredible in that second half and OT session. I was drinking a little during that game, but from where I was sitting, the Steelers are gonna be in the Final 4 again this season, with a great chance to get back to the Super Bowl. The Steelers have 22 outta 22 starters back on their team. They are tough and nasty and have a blue chip coach. It will be a nice battle between them and the Ravens this season.
3. Tate Forcier--my new favorite player! How bout his performance against the Irish Saturday. That guy has some juice huh? He had a great game, and locked in and torched Notre Dame in that 4th quarter. Ran the ball hard in the middle of the field. That Notre Dame scrub defensive end is still laying in the backfield after Tate shook him off his feet and ran 35 yards right down the middle for a 4th down touchdown in the fourth quarter. He made all the throws he needed to make. Converted the tough 3rd and 4th downs. And of course made that great touchdown throw to end the game. He was a monster at least on this day. Gotta remember he's playing against Notre Dame. Wesley Matthews, one of the stayovers from the Lloyd Carr era ran a great route on that TD. Did anyone else see that? He ran my favorite route. That 8-10 yard, I'll call it a "switch route," where you sell an in route and then shuffle it to an out route. It's a great pattern. You're seeing it more and more cause its hard to cover. But I feel very good for Rich Rod. Guy was taking shots from everyone. No love. Really was getting a raw deal because everyone and their mother breaks that 20 hour rule. Hell, John Carroll breaks that 20 hour rule. Just bombarded by retrarded people from Michigan. And he just compartmentalized it, beat the crap outta the first team he played, and scored a HUGE win Saturday. He called a great game (he calls the plays, and did at WVU too), trusted his guys and let them make the plays to win the game. He's gotta keep digging in and getting his kinda guy (legally and ethically) and he'll be in good shape. The Big Ten is in trouble if he gets a couple more horses in there.
4. On the other side of that coin you have Notre Dame. Tough loss. That was a much bigger loss for them than it was win for Michigan. It sets them back again as they try to get back in the picture in college football. And yea, I know that's a silly thing to say. "JC, they're Notre Dame, the most popular and famous college football team ever." But that said, they are not even in the college football discussion, and haven't been since they lost to Ohio State in that Rose Bowl. Chaz Weis has done a terrible job. His style has turned everyone off. His model is bad. I don't care what you say. He has been there for 5 years. And the only success he has had has been with players he didn't recruit. I expect him to be shown the door after this season. His arrogance hasn't allowed his teams to achieve what they might achieve with a better leader. This is a long argument for another time. Here's what I do know. They cannot consistently beat anyone in the top 40 of college football. Period. Jimmy Clausen can spin it. He can really zip it. ALL OVER THE FIELD. Every level. He can really throw the ball in the middle of the field. Michael Floyd and Golden Tate are great players, with Floyd being far and away better. Have you guys noticed how those guys don't run routes? Floyd runs zero routes. His terrorizing week last week and this week have all come by just jogging down the field awaiting a jump ball. Tate usually just runs that 9 route or a simple hitch. I think that's a weird thing to see. I think that's kind of an NFL trick though. I can't really figure it out. My dad and I have talked about it. But look for that next time. Floyd just runs out there down the field and waits for the ball.
5. Cincinnati, when it's all said and done is gonna be top 5 in the country and beat whoever they play in their BCS game by 2 touchdowns. They are a really good team, and have a very good coach. They eviserated Rutgers last week. I know that's not saying much, but the way they did it showed me that they can matchup and compete with some of the more elite teams. Look for them to be undefeated and look for head coach Brian Kelley to get the next big head coaching opening.
6. The Ohio State Bucks dominated the line of scrimmage all game against USC, and were in a great position to win that football game. Gotta tip your cap to Matt Barkley and the offense of USC on that last drive. That was a ballsy clutch 90 yard performance. Joe McKnight woke up and performed to his talent level, hitting on some huge plays and crucial 3rd down conversions. As usual, Pete Carroll had the biggest stones in the room, and went for and converted big 4th down plays. I thought it was interesting how alert and active Pete Carroll was in the offensive play calling down the stretch. In years past, he has let Lane Kiffin and Steve Sarkisan, (two pretty good coaches by the way) do their thing and make the decisions. You saw a different Pete Carroll, as he was very active in the timeouts and on big downs with Jeremy Bates, the new OC. Hats off to them. Pete Carroll does stuff like this all the time it seems. Keep an eye on the name Jeremy Bates. I have been watching him pretty closely the last few seasons. He is an up and coming guy. Knows a lot about offenses. Don't be surprised if he has his own gig within the next 3 seasons. Very bright and good.
7. Donovan McNabb cracks a rib. Just a classic situation. Wouldn't have it any other way huh? Who plays QB in Philadelphia again? Note to self: If this thing is painful for Donovan and he has to sit a game, do not watch Sportscenter for the next 3 weeks.
8. The Ravens can really play. Joe Flacco can really play. John Harbaugh can really coach. Man, the Browns live in a tough neighborhood and it's gonna be a tough block for a long time.
9. The only college football game I liked betting this week was BYU. I liked this game last Monday morning. Getting 0-1 Tulane after a program changing win, only laying 17. I pushed this game hard to some of my gambling friends. I hope they listened and won some money. BYU 54 Tulane 3.
10. My vaunted fantasy team, Marlo Stanfield, comprised of Tony Romo, Deangelo Williams, Greg Jennings, Ray Rice, Cadillac Williams, Eddie Royal, Brett Celek, Mason Crosby, Fins D, cruised to a 130-88 victory. This is my first NFL fantasy league. I intend to skate to an easy league victory.
No comments:
Post a Comment