Week 1 Observations

[Chilly]

**WARNING: WALL OF TEXT INCOMING**

 

Thanks to the miracle of having multiple TVs side by side, I got to watch some extra games this weekend.

 

PHI vs HOU was a strange game in the fact that Carr and Houston looked great for the opening series, then just sucked. My roommates (Texans fans) by the end of the second series were ready to give up on the team again.

 

Donte' Stallworth looks great with McNabb. He looks really natural as a #1 WR and made some good catches. McNabb is also much healthier then last season. It was the old Donovan that we know and love, not the new Donovan.

 

Buckhalter was a nice change from Westbrook and really looks like he's fully recovered from injuries too. I didn't realize how good of a backup he is for Westbrook and the diversity that he brings to the table.

 

Carr looked a bit better then he did last year, and I think having Moulds as the #2 WR is really helping them. Houston's O-line is still complete crap, but Carr at least had more outlets that he felt comfortable getting the ball to, and it showed.

 

The style of play for the Texans really didn't change much from last year, even with Kubiak as the head coach. Houston still can't block or run the ball, and they're a one-dimensional offense. Not as bad as last year, mind you, but still bad. They'll be up near the top of the draft again, if not at the top.

 

On defense, Demeco Ryans is a monster for Houston. He was flying around all came and seemed to always be near the ball unless it was a long bomb from McNabb. I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up winning defensive rookie of the year this year as long as he is consistent.

 

Bunkley was just kind of there. He wasn't bad, and wasn't good, just took up space. I think his role this year will just be to get Kearse freer from the OL. Philly's LBs are the strength of the defense, and their CBs are the weak spot. A good passing team that isn't one-dimensional will pass all over the Eagles this year. I thought the pass rush was average considering their opponent.

 

I also watched TEN vs NYJ. All I can say is wow. I did not expect Vince Young to look as good as he did. He only played one series, but as soon as he came into the game the whole team seemed more confident. Vince handed the ball off a couple of times before his first completion. After that, they got a few 5-10 yard, quick passes.

 

One of Vince Young's passes was especially good, when he completed it even though he knew he was going to take a hit. He even celebrated a small bit after that pass, and you could tell he was getting comfortable.

 

Vince looked like a pocket passer, which surprised me. His passes were sharper and crisper then what I remember at UT.

 

Until his last throw. He had 1-on-1 coverage on the outside for a touchdown, but underthrew the ball and it was picked off.

 

Still, I was skeptical of Vince being able to go from a one-read UT offense to a multiple-read pro offense, but all of the decisions I saw him make were to single coverages, never forcing a ball. His one mistake wasn't reading a defense but underthrowing a ball, something which I've seen him do once in a while at Texas too.

He's showing signs of being the special player that I think he can.

 

The game as a whole was a sloppy, crappy game. Collins looked horriffic in his first start, much more then the stats indicate. Both teams are bad, but in the end Tennessee's defense was just so bad that the NYJ won.

 

TEN's defense has a good front 7, but they can't stop the pass for the life of them. Bulluck is still as good as advertised, as is Vilma. Both were all over the field. Other then that, no one really impressed me on either defense.

 

And thank God we didn't draft Mike Nugent. Missed XP, 2 missed FGs, all from short distances.

 

I don't have anything to say about Dallas vs Jax that hasn't already been said other then Matt Jones looked good today as a WR. He's a big guy that can outplay most smaller DBs. One bad part though is Leftwich was having problems putting the ball where this would happen.

 

The Manning bowl was fun. I was hoping NYG would pull out the win. Eli is not as good as advertised. Without Burress, he would have looked pretty bad. He needs to learn ball placement on his throws. Peyton also didn't look that good. He could have easily had 4 interceptions if it wasnt' for some dropped balls. I wonder if the whole brother thing really did effect both of their games.

 

Tiki's as good as ever and is really the Giants' offense. Without him, their offense would not be nearly as good as it was last night. Both defenses are average. If this game is any indication as to how this year will go, I only think that the Giants have a real shot at going to the superbowl. Indy will get beat by a team that can run the ball and has a good pass defense.

 

Buffalo/Miami is a huge game for the young Bills, and strangely (unlike previous years), I'm confident that the Bills will play well enough to make it a game. Not necessarily confident that they'll win, but that they will come out and play hard.

 

I think a win would be a huge step forward for this team. A win will build confidence that the Bills can win. After a couple wins in a row, I really think that this team will build the swagger that they WILL win every week. Thats what I like about young teams - its a lot easier to do this with younger players then veterans. Also, I think JP needs to get some of that confidence in him as well. I think an 8-8 year would do wonders for this squad.

 

That being said: Is it Sunday yet damnit?

[Rubes]

Nice observations, thanks.

 

The only other game I kept my eye on was the Denver-St. Louis game. Both of those teams looked like crap.

 

Plummer looked about as bad as I've seen a quarterback play. I was actually thankful to have JP over this guy. He single-handedly gave St. Louis the game, although the Rams could do absolutely nothing with the ball except kick field goals. It seemed like neither team wanted to win that game.

[Chilly]

Nice observations, thanks.

 

The only other game I kept my eye on was the Denver-St. Louis game. Both of those teams looked like crap.

 

Plummer looked about as bad as I've seen a quarterback play. I was actually thankful to have JP over this guy. He single-handedly gave St. Louis the game, although the Rams could do absolutely nothing with the ball except kick field goals. It seemed like neither team wanted to win that game.

769702[/snapback]

 

Yeah, I was wondering about that game as I was following the box score.

 

Was Plummer bad moving in the pocket or was it mental mistakes in reading coverages/timing of the defense?

 

I'm not surprised St. Louis couldn't move the ball with a brand new O-scheme, but I was surprised at how bad Denver seemed from highlights.

[scribo]

Any comments from the Cowgirls-Jags game? I thought TO looked very good, especially when it mattered. But Drew sucked, and I will be surprised if Tuna doesn't make a change at QB in the next two weeks. Jones looked decent, but he runs so damn high that is only a matter of time before he returns to his second home, the recovery ward.

 

The Jags impressed me, and I think they are the real deal. They have a very big, powerful WR corps, and I think that will allow them to stay in every game no matter who they are playing. Their biggest weakness is that they have Mike Tice on their coaching staff.

[Gavin in Va Beach]

Any comments from the Cowgirls-Jags game? I thought TO looked very good, especially when it mattered. But Drew sucked, and I will be surprised if Tuna doesn't make a change at QB in the next two weeks. Jones looked decent, but he runs so damn high that is only a matter of time before he returns to his second home, the recovery ward.

 

The Jags impressed me, and I think they are the real deal. They have a very big, powerful WR corps, and I think that will allow them to stay in every game no matter who they are playing. Their biggest weakness is that they have Mike Tice on their coaching staff.

769746[/snapback]

 

 

On the Cowboys game, that reversed INT only demonstrates how utterly fugging terrible the officiating has gotten in the NFL. The defensive player CLEARLY had his arm under the ball when he hit the ground, bobbled it briefly, and then got it back under control. The ball never touches the fricking ground...AND THAT SENILE REF REVERSED IT! I thought you were only supposed to reverse a call when there was clear, indisputable evidence. Not only wasn't there, but it was clearly a legit INT. Unfuggingbelievable.

 

It's time for full-time refs who have to train their asses off year round because these current jokers are getting worse every year...

[smokinandjokin]

Plummer looked about as bad as I've seen a quarterback play. I was actually thankful to have JP over this guy. He single-handedly gave St. Louis the game, although the Rams could do absolutely nothing with the ball except kick field goals. It seemed like neither team wanted to win that game.

769702[/snapback]

 

Plummer is the modern-day Dave Kreig. He keeps both teams in the game.

[scribo]

On the Cowboys game, that reversed INT only demonstrates how utterly fugging terrible the officiating has gotten in the NFL. The defensive player CLEARLY had his arm under the ball when he hit the ground, bobbled it briefly, and then got it back under control. The ball never touches the fricking ground...AND THAT SENILE REF REVERSED IT! I thought you were only supposed to reverse a call when there was clear, indisputable evidence. Not only wasn't there, but it was clearly a legit INT. Unfuggingbelievable.

 

It's time for full-time refs who have to train their asses off year round because these current jokers are getting worse every year...

769749[/snapback]

Bingo. I saw the same thing.

[smokinandjokin]

On the Cowboys game, that reversed INT only demonstrates how utterly fugging terrible the officiating has gotten in the NFL. The defensive player CLEARLY had his arm under the ball when he hit the ground, bobbled it briefly, and then got it back under control. The ball never touches the fricking ground...AND THAT SENILE REF REVERSED IT! I thought you were only supposed to reverse a call when there was clear, indisputable evidence. Not only wasn't there, but it was clearly a legit INT. Unfuggingbelievable.

 

It's time for full-time refs who have to train their asses off year round because these current jokers are getting worse every year...

769749[/snapback]

 

That was a horrible overturn. It only took Bledsoe two more plays to get picked again though...

 

I'm being serious here- not trying to be shallow or crass- I believe the NFL should put a white stripe on the football, a la NCAA. There are a lot of black players in the skill positions who are the guys catching passes and making interceptions. I have seen several replays where you have a less-than-perfect camera angle, and you cannot distinguish what is the player's arm and what is the ball. A player in short sleeves could have the ball cradled but it might not look that way.

 

I hope that doesn't sound horrible...I honestly can remember at least one situation where a stripe definitely could've helped. Not in the example from yesterday that Gavin is talking about, that was just a rediculous overturn. I dunno, maybe it's something to consider, maybe not.

[RuntheDamnBall]

Plummer is the modern-day Dave Kreig.  He keeps both teams in the game.

769757[/snapback]

Spot-on analysis.

[Gavin in Va Beach]

Bingo. I saw the same thing.

769765[/snapback]

 

 

How's that saying go, just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you.

 

There's no way I would say that the NFL is fixing games, but I'm starting to wonder if maybe they aren't trying to "nudge" them here and there. I wonder what that blind old fart was told when he put on the headset before reviewing the play? Maybe to look the other way to make the game more "competitive"?

 

Even that theory sounds ridiculous. Sure some referee somewhere would feel guilty and spill the beans. But still I wonder...

[MRW]

On the Cowboys game, that reversed INT only demonstrates how utterly fugging terrible the officiating has gotten in the NFL. The defensive player CLEARLY had his arm under the ball when he hit the ground, bobbled it briefly, and then got it back under control. The ball never touches the fricking ground...AND THAT SENILE REF REVERSED IT! I thought you were only supposed to reverse a call when there was clear, indisputable evidence. Not only wasn't there, but it was clearly a legit INT. Unfuggingbelievable.

 

It's time for full-time refs who have to train their asses off year round because these current jokers are getting worse every year...

769749[/snapback]

I thought it MIGHT have touched the ground, but I agree with you that it was a horrible overturn. There definitely wasn't a clear shot that showed it hitting the ground.

[Beerball]

On the Cowboys game, that reversed INT only demonstrates how utterly fugging terrible the officiating has gotten in the NFL. The defensive player CLEARLY had his arm under the ball when he hit the ground, bobbled it briefly, and then got it back under control. The ball never touches the fricking ground...AND THAT SENILE REF REVERSED IT! I thought you were only supposed to reverse a call when there was clear, indisputable evidence. Not only wasn't there, but it was clearly a legit INT. Unfuggingbelievable.

 

It's time for full-time refs who have to train their asses off year round because these current jokers are getting worse every year...

769749[/snapback]

That the one where the guy took 2-3 steps with the ball, gets tackled and fumbles when he hits the ground? That was a total BS call if I'm thinking of the same one as you.

[Rubes]

Yeah, I was wondering about that game as I was following the box score.

 

Was Plummer bad moving in the pocket or was it mental mistakes in reading coverages/timing of the defense?

 

I'm not surprised St. Louis couldn't move the ball with a brand new O-scheme, but I was surprised at how bad Denver seemed from highlights.

769732[/snapback]

 

 

Uh, yes...he was bad in all facets of quarterbacking. But I'd say mostly poor decision-making killed him in that game.

 

There were so many awful turnovers, I can't even remember them all. But St. Louis was so undeniably pathetic on offense it was hard to fathom.

[Corp000085]

i saw the cowboys game and parts of the arizona/49ers game...

 

 

Jags looked TERRIBLE to start... maybe even worse than that pats looked in their 1st half. However, its year 2 of bledsoe in dallas, and he's fitting right into his formula of suckage after he builds hope his 1st year. The cardinals game was actually entertaining. the cards will be as good as warner/leinhart can play. The 9ers are a young team and almost had the win. They'll both be good in the next couple of years.

[H2o]

My week 1 observations:

 

Atlanta Falcons- Scary team if Vick keeps not turning the ball over. Especially with a vastly improved defense by the acquiring of one John Abraham.

 

New York Jets- To all the experts who said Chad was done and they were going 3-13 just ahead of us to pick first in next year's draft, they're already a 3rd of the way there

 

Denver Broncos- I can already hear the chants of "Cuuuutler, Cuuuutler"

 

Baltimore Ravens- Watch out SB 41 because they now have an O to go with that vaunted D if McNair can stay healthy. Shown by scoring 27 on Tampa without giving up a single point.

 

Philly- What difference a year and the release of a Pro Bowl version of cancer makes. McNabb, fantastic. But Donte Stallworth was even better.

 

The Bills- You hate to watch your team lose a game like that, knowing they very well could have won, but I was still happy with the way our team looked. Better than last year I have to say.

 

New Orleans- And so the Bush era begins. Reggie looked pretty good with Duece as a quality counterpart.

 

San Francisco 49ers- I was EXTREMELY IMPRESSED by Frank Gore. He was a beast yesterday fo'real. Alex Smith looked impressive also. Granted they were playing the Cardinals, they definitely showed they're headed in the right direction. And Vernon Davis is going to be a Pro Bowl TE very soon, if not this year.

 

Arizona Cardinals- Edge's debut? Ehhhhh, he was OK. But let's talk about the Kurt Warner, 1999 version, sighting yesterday. I know it was the San Fran D, but this could turn into "The Greatest Show Part Deux"

 

Indy- I'm not even going to acknowledge what they do in a regular season game. Let's see what happens when the playoffs start.

 

NY Giants- Eli looked pretty good, Tiki again impressive, Shockey good in the second half, Plaxico plays well but needs to get his head right. The refs robbed them of any chance they had to win with the Offensive PI call late in the 4th. Total garbage.

 

Jacksonville- How bout them Jaguars?!?! They looked really good on both sides of the ball.

 

Dallas Cowboys- Ahahahahahahahaha You guys have Drew Bledsoe as your starting QB. Nuff said. Not even TO can help you now. Where's Michael Irvin? I got a couple of things I wanna talk to him about.

 

New England-

 

Cincy- Man, even with all of the felons, I think they truly got better all the way around. When Housyamama gets back opposite #85, they're going to be hard to even think about containing.

 

To all of the other teams I didn't mention,

 

I'm done for this weekend's analysis