Halfway there

Eight weeks down, nine to go. Essentially the midpoint of the season. And really what a lackluster week of football this was. Three games featured a pair of winnings teams: in one, the Pats won by 45; in another, the Colts won by 24; and in the third, the commentators were Ian Eagle and Solomon Wilcots, demonstrating the unpopularity of the matchup (TB-Jax).

For the Niners, it was more of the same from last week. Pitiful. Pathetic. Poor play lining the entire home game against the Saints. A really awful job on defense, and while ASmith put together a couple good drives, the offense isn't trustworthy at all right now. It really can't get much worse than this.

And that's why I have hope.

2-5 is never good, and nothing from October inspires any sense of a turnaround. But now it's November. A big fat nine games remain. And looking at the remaining opponents (Arz, StL, Sea, Atl, TB, Car, Min, Cle, Cin) it's NOT impossible. Honestly, how many of those nine teams are locks to make the postseason? Can't the Niners find a way to win six of those games, regardless of where they're played? If the Niners can sweep the division games, I still think they can win the NFC West with an 8-8 record. That's my hope. I'm not saying they'll go to the Super Bowl or make anyone forget the Montana Niners. But a turnaround is not impossible. Keep the faith. Looks extremely improbable right now. But it ain't over.

Meanwhile, not even a soccer field and London rain can stop the Giants, although a 3-point win against Cleo Lemon's Dolphins won't make anyone believe the Giants are actually better than the Cowboys. Either way, I think it's fair to say the G-men and Cowpokes are the two best teams in the NFC right now. The Redskins and Eagles just aren't there yet, in terms of consistency. Jason Campbell can't be trusted yet in a big game, certainly not to win, but even to play well. The collective lousy play of Carolina (winless at home???), Atlanta, and TB has opened the door for the Saints to steal the South. Incredible win by the Pack tonight, while the Lions showed they can hold their own. Meanwhile, the Bears and Rams are on the clock...only ten minutes this time.

The real power in the NFL still lies in the AFC, as evidenced this week. I'm not concerned about the dregs of the leagues; it's the different layer of class that resides in the AFC. The Colts and Pats POUNDED a pair of NFC playoff hopefuls. The Steelers and Chargers round out an indomitable top 4 in the league, all ahead of Dallas. Essentially, New England, Indy, Pitt and SD can win anywhere against any other opponent. Moving to the next layer, as of now I would trust Tennessee, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Cleveland, and Baltimore over the NFC's "upper middle" class of Green Bay, Detroit, Seattle, New Orleans, and Tampa. There's just a completely different amount of trust here. You feel the NFC teams can collapse at any time. The AFC teams play better defense and have better running games. That's a good formula.

Basically, the AFC will feature a fun playoff race, whereas the NFC will generate more of a "whoever wants it can have it" feel. But hey, only one half has gone by. A lot can change.

Last words...I mean, here we are. The best regular season game in history? Certainly the most-hyped. This probably deserves its own post, but given all the drama with the Pats running up the score and Brady going after Manning's record and conf. champ. game homefield at stake...this is going to be amazing. Honestly, Week 8 in the NFL basically didn't exist. You just got the sense that the entire league was looking ahead to this matchup. For good reason. And of course, the teams held serve by combining for a 69-point margin of victory. They come in with guns blazing. Indeed, here we are.

NFC vs AFC

After reading Neeraj's post, I had to respond to two incredibly poor comments amongst an otherwise solid post. First of all, the Niners are done. I'm a big fan of Frank Gore, but you need a passing game in this year's league, and they don't have it. As bad as Arizona and Seattle are, both are better than the Niners. Its ok Neeraj, my Eagles are saving a spot for your Niners in the first half of the draft. The other big thing is this whole concept that the AFC is sooo much better than the NFC. I just don't get this. While New England and Indy are obviously far and away the best two teams in the league, there is a huge falloff after that. The Steelers are good, but obviously not great with losses to Denver and Arizona. Who else is good in the AFC? Jacksonvillle? Again, you need a passing game to win this year. Baltimore? Got dismantled by a rookie-led Bills team. San Diego? Maybe, but they managed to find a worse playoff coach than Marty, so no thanks. Meanwhile the NFC might not have a superstar team like the Pats or Colts, but good luck figuring out who the 6 playoff teams are going to be. Any of the non-Eagles teams from the NFC East could make it, you've got Detroit and GB brining respectability back to the North, and the South is always a dogfight. If you look at interconference games, the AFC has won 14 and the NFC has won 12, so while they clearly have an advantage, don't sell me this "The NFC is terrible" nonsense anymore.

It's not over

Horrible game on Sunday. No way we were gonna lose to the Giants. That's what I thought when they announced the schedule months ago, and after the outstanding draft and quality FA signings, in addition to the Tiki and Coughlin scenarios, I was feeling extremely confident. Add to this the first two games of the season, and I'd say you were a fool if you thought the Giants would win this one by 18.

However, it is what it is. The Giants can continue to ride this easy schedule to a 6-2 mark and a few wins away from clinching a playoff spot in a very weak NFC. For the Niners, it ain't over. It can't be. It isn't. Things will change. They have to. ASmith will definitely be back for New Orleans. Gore will be fine. The defense will get hot again. Still got ten games to go, and none of them are impossible. This is rock bottom. Losing to the Giants? It doesn't get any worse.

Just one game back of the Seahawks, and man is that NFC terrible. Really no standout games this week; we knew the Cowboys were good, we knew the Rams were terrible. Everything else in between was quite ho-hum. No huge wins or killer losses, although I credit the Eagles and Cardinals for bowing out of the playoff race so early. Helps to clarify some things, at least. Lions? 'Skins? Bears? Vikes? Teams that be beaten anywhere anytime. But hey now, don't count the Saints out of the South. On the other hand, home games against the Falcons should not be close. It's still the Cowboys' conference.

So the Pats and Colts travel down to Florida into places that developed into mild houses of horrors for those two franchises, and they blew the doors off of each one. Not good for the rest of the AFC. Titans have been very sloppy the past few weeks. I definitely want to see KC make the playoffs over the Ravens. This is such a good conference; despite a big loss by Jacksonville, the Jags, Steelers, and even the Texans are playing far better than most AFC teams. Still not impressed by the Broncos or Bengals despite two big wins at home by both.

Last words...does it get any better than November 4? Final score of That Game: 52-49? It's really amazing to think of how Brady and Manning have transformed these two franchises. I remember the days of the old AFC East when Jim Kelly and Dan Marino were making the playoffs while Hugh Millen's Pats and Jeff George's Colts were stuck at the bottom. Complete 180 now. Memorable playoff clashes, broken records, Super Bowl rings, smart coaching, clutch play...this just might be the best regular season game we've ever seen. And it's still thirteen days away. Don't anyone miss it.

Like lambs to the slaughter...

Fresh off the beatdown of the hapless Falcons, the Giants prepare to bury the Niners deeper than Jimmy Hoffa in the Giants Stadium end zone. Yes, the Giants have beaten lowly teams such as the Jets and Falcons, but they also beat Washington and have played 2 NFC "elite" teams in Dallas and GB (the former of which was a 3 point game until the very end.) The Niners have walloped such creampuffs as St. Louis (by 1 point) and Arizona (3 points) while going down to "powerhouses" like Baltimore and Seattle. There is no comparison of the schedules. In addition, the Giants have a confident Eli Manning and a 3-headed RB monster, a (soon to be) Pro Bowl wide receiver with 8 TDs, and an angry defense that is coming into its own and boasts the most sacks in the league. San Fran has two QBs who are completing under half of their passes and have thrown exactly 2 TDs to this point (and 4 picks; not a good ratio.) Frank Gore is averaging a whopping 3.6 yards per carry, and the SF defense scares no one. The Niners will be lucky to escape with a score within 14 points of NY.

Thanks Bye

Much-needed bye week for the Niners. Looks like ASmith will be healthy despite experiencing some pain. Just hope that pain doesn't spread to the audience on Sunday. Either way, three straight losses to tough teams is not fatal, but also not the mark of a winning team. This upcoming game will be a statement game for both squads.

The other team I'm referring to is of course, the Giants. Now say what you want about this team making the playoffs and winning the division but let's get real now. The Giants' last two wins came against the Jets and Atlanta? Come on. Yes they'll destroy the Dolphins in London too. But I don't wanna hear anything about how this team is a force in the NFL. The schedule will toughen up and I frankly don't expect the Giants to do the same. They have to prove me wrong on Sunday.

Kind of a dry week in the NFL, with the exception of Pats-'Boys. The result is about as self-explanatory as you can get. Yes the Cowboys are still the team to beat in the NFC, but once the Pats get past the Colts on November 4, I mean, the undefeated talk can begin. Dallas fought hard, and I think they'll win the NFC easy, but no one's gonna forget how the Pats dominated on Sunday. Still leaves a stamp of doubt on the Cowboys' title chances.

What's evident now is just how terrible the NFC is. No winning teams in the NFC West. Vinny Testaverde is a starting QB for a "quality" team. The Redskins played a horrible game in Green Bay and lost by just three. The Bears' D gives up 34 points to a Vikings team at home? Honestly, nine or ten of the twelve best teams in football play in the AFC. And yet, the NFC will get five of those postseason bids. Yikes.

You gotta like what the Jags are doing this year, playing smart football and taking chances on offense. What a Monday night game against Indy next week. Good job by the Ravens and Chargers, righting the ship with consecutive wins. VY should be fine; the Titans (not the New York Titans) are still a playoff team. Chiefs and Browns are intriguing. Bengals and Dolphins, not so much. Speaking of the 'Fins, just how horrible of a coach is Cam Cameron?

Last words...if the Pats get by the Colts on November 4, obviously much of the talk will center on the Pats running the 16-0 table. Will Belichick rest his starters, how they overcame the videotaping, the rejuvenation of Randy Moss, etc. But how's this for a thought: this Pats' season may be the greatest season for any NFL team that we'll ever see. This is an absolutely unstoppable offense, and no QB is better at his craft than Brady. The defense continues to grow stronger now that Rodney Harrison is back and Adalius Thomas is making plays. Simply put, there are zero weaknesses. I'd be shocked if they lose, even in Indy. When your only chance to win is to hope for injuries or suspensions, you know you're facing a team for the ages.

Retool

It's tough writing about football on a day where the Glynn's Gangstas 3-year franchise is now officially retired. The men and women who played on this team were warriors. But the NFL does go on, and with five weeks in the books, it's time to forecast what the rest of the season will look like.

I'll start with the Niners, and I suppose there could be a moral victory here for hanging tough with an '06 division champ, but, no. It's a loss. A bad loss at home to a shaky team. Yes Dilfer got us a TD, but when we absolutely needed ten yards for a manageable FG, he couldn't deliver. So now we're 2-3, limping into a much-needed bye week. The saving grace is that the NFC West is once again proving to be a lousy division, what with the Seahawks getting kicked out of Pittsburgh and the Rams giving up 34 points at home to the Cards. Will any of these teams win a playoff game?

Big comeback by the Giants today. I don't get how they flipped the switch for three straight wins, but I still think the Giants are a last-place team. Are they just on a hot streak, or is this a sign of things to come? I'll go with the former. At least the Bye didn't beat the Eagles this week.

How will the AFC look the rest of the season? Pats and Colts, of course. But gigantic wins today for Pitt and SD; the Steelers proving that they are the third-best team in football (yes, over the Cowboys), and the Chargers quieting pundits who thought there'd be a changing-of-the-guard in the AFC West. Still, don't put it past the Bolts to finish a mediocre 9-7, what with Norv Turner and all. It's time to anoint the Titans as a "lock" for the postseason. Yes they're only 3-1 but VY doesn't know how to lose football games. The race for the sixth AFC spot will come down to the Ravens and Jags. The Broncos can take a hike, while the Bengals and Texans aren't ready to compete with the big boys.

Just when you wanna kick em out, the Bears find a way to save their season. Once again that NFC North takes a big twist and turn, and while the Packers sound like a confident pick, the Sunday Night loss will always keep 'em hearing the Chicago footsteps. Then again, I could see the Bears finishing 7-9. How 'bout that NFC East? I had a feeling the Redskins had it in 'em. Tough game for the Bucs, while the Panthers continue to play their strange brand of football. I think Tampa is the more trustworthy team to take the South, while the 'Skins will battle the Panthers, Bears, Seahawks, and Cards for the wild-card spots (yes I STILL like the Niners to win the West).

Last Words: No no New Orleans, no! 0-4? Really? The 'aints? At this time last year, they were 4-1 and playing like an offensive juggernaut. A good portion of the city was brought to life, and for a perennially awful franchise, it was terrific to see some success. But I suppose this year is the hangover, with the Deuce injury and Brees playing like the young Drew Brees. Tough fall for them; maybe they can play the role of dangerous spoiler down the stretch, but I for one miss last year's Saints.

Bring back the ugly unis!

and while you're at it, get us a new coach. i know this seems like a knee jerk reaction, but i've been thinking this for 3 years now and its time for Andy Cheesesteak to look elsewhere. He has proven time and again that he is incapable of making game time changes. The single biggest error he makes each and every week is that he still refuses to acknowledge the strength of a run game. With the passing game struggling this year, its magnified that much more. Last night Correll Buckhalter of all people led a rushing attack that averaged over 5 yards per carry, while the passing game averaged 2.5 yards per carry. Despite this and a game that was never out of reach until the end of the game, we still did not get to 20 carries. Secondly, anyone watching the game last night could see two things: Justice could not block Osi by himself and McNabb looked scared behind that offensive line. So did Reid adjust, putting in max protection or more run plays to help McNabb get in his rhythm? No, he continued to call 5 and 7 step drop backs, many of which ironically had play-action to give the Giants blitzers more time to get to McNabb before he could even get set. Finally, McNabb just doesn't look right. He is tentative and slow on his feet, and his accuracy is bad even for him. I'm not saying its time for the Kolb era to begin, but at the rate we're going it might be better for McNabb to focus on healing that knee so he's ready for next year. The sad part is the defense is playing amazingly well this year considering half our secondary is hurt and we have a bunch of nobodies or old slow vets in the front 7. Maybe the bye will fix things but right now I'm just ready to have a coach who acknowledges the strength of a run game and Reid just isn't that coach.

Bonus post re: Kris Jenkins rant

Reprinted in its entirey, my favorite part is the line about Tampa Bay:

*****

In perhaps the most emotional locker room outburst in franchise history, Kris Jenkins ripped his teammates. Jenkins wasn’t asked a question to start the outburst and he wouldn’t take questions at the end. But here’s the entire text of what he had to say in between:

"You all ready (clears throat)? All right, I’m going to be honest. I think the players owe the fans an apology. I would be as upset as they are if I had to sit in the stands for four hours and look at that garbage. I’m going to be honest with you. That’s what it was, garbage.

I apologize to you Pat because I didn’t put everything out as far as the issue (in an Observer story last week, where Jenkins challenged his teammates to handle prosperity better). This is our issue as a team. As a team collectively, we have no heart. We have no energy. We have no drive. Football is about pride and passion. I’m going to repeat that again. Football is about pride and passion. The pride and the passion that you have for this game makes you want to win. It’s not about the money. It’s not about looking the part. It’s not about standing on the field so everybody can see you on TV and that you look good. It’s about pride and heart. If you have those two, if you win or lose, you’re going to look like a football team.

That’s why we have issues with prosperity. That’s why we have issues when things look good. That’s why we can’t get enough together to look and act like a football team. This is not a 9-to-5 job. This is a game. It is a street fight. It is a gladiator sport and I apologize that sometimes I don’t look the part for what people want me to be. I’m not the weight that everybody wants me to be. But when I step on that field, what you are going to see is pride and heart because I value this game. I love it and that is what is frustrating me. We don’t have that.

We went out there and I felt embarrassed. I walked out the little line or whatever you come through to go play and I walked out and basically, in certain way, I challenged their team. And I challenged my team, because when you step out there like that and you do something like that, you better back it up and we didn’t. We got broke off. We really got broke off and I’m embarrassed to say so.

Right now, my heart hurts. It really does. It’s hard to sit there week after week and go through this. This is what’s not being addressed. Week in and week out, we might say this and we might say that or we need to change this. It’s not that you can’t pay for pride and heart. It might good when you look at the stats or when you look at someone’s 40 time or you look at everything else. But it doesn’t matter how many skills you have. It doesn’t matter how good you look when you catch a pass or when you run the ball or when you tackle somebody or cover somebody.

It’s not going to matter if you don’t have those two things, because this is the NFL. It is the National Football League. It is a professional sport and you have people out here, such as myself, who love this game enough that they’re going to put it all out on the field.

Tampa Bay came and they did that and they royally broke their foot off in our butt. I have nothing else to say. I’m upset about this, but I wanted to say that."