Saturday, October 29, 2016

By The Pigskin Of Our Teeth, Week 6: Off the Mark


Get well, Coach. Big ups to Dick Enberg, sure.


We got the old Bronco helmets, too? NICE. Chargers will get the ball first. What's left of them, anyway. Nice over the shoulder grab by Tyrell Williams. Antonio Gates, still doing things. Melvin Gordon's already having a better year than he did last year. Touchdown Hunter Henry. Maybe he'll replace Gates someday. Guitar shop B-roll? Oh, OK, it's a local joint. That's good punt coverage. Chargers moving the ball well so far, but it's the first quarter. 4th and inches and the Chargers are going. I don't think Gordon got there. I'm wrong! First down Chargers. Chargers have a new holder after Sunday's debacle. A 10-minute drive? Lord. Hey, a Broncos first down. Wait, what's this? That ball hit Benjamin. This'll get challenged if DeCamillis is paying attention, and as a special teams guy, I'd imagine he is. So Benjamin waved everyone else off, then let the ball hit him in the leg. Got it. Challenged, won, Broncos ball. JOEY BOSA LIVES! DAT SPIN MOVE THO. Still, they'll get a field goal out of it. Fumble! Chargers ball! Ha! Tracy Wolfson just mentioned Kubiak's kid's tweet. Field goal is good. 16-3 Chargers. Obligatory Future Of The Chargers In San Diego discussion. Another field goal makes it 19-3 Chargers. Nantz invokes the Witching Hour. That's three big plays in a row by Booker. Then he makes a smooth one-handed catch. Siemian just... it's like he wanted to pull that throw back but didn't.

McManus from 56... no good.

Holding on the Broncos... in the end zone! Safety! And Mike McCoy is way too ecstatic about that. THE CHARGERS MUFFED THE FREE KICK. If you're wearing a lineman's number, get away from the ball in that situation. It's Broncos ball at midfield.
Touchdown Broncos. DeCamillis is mad about something. Don't do anything stupid now, Chargers. Like getting sacked for -11 yards. Nantz: "They've been the best 55-minute team in football this year." That was a great run by C.J. Anderson, helped by terrible Chargers tackling, that won't count because of a hold. Then a sack. Thomas FUMBLES! Chargers ball! Put his helmet right on the ball. That's beautiful. That's a bizarre onside ki—oh. Let's try again. Broncos recover!

Now they have a shot at a Hail Mary. Oh my God. KNOCK IT DOWN! Praise be. (Chargers 21, Broncos 13)

Signal Finder: PHI @ WSH, KC @ OAK, DAL @ GB, ATL @ SEA (end)

You know, just when I think I have the NFL’s over-the-air scheduling rules figured out, we don’t get Ravens-Giants opposite Eagles-Redskins here. I suspect it has something to do with overlapping secondary markets or some incomprehensible foolishness. But yeah, we’re getting Chiefs-Raiders at 4. Anyway, this Odell Beckham-kicker’s net thing is starting to go too far.

First play of the game and Wentz's jersey is already ruined. This new offensive line is... struggling so far. And I don't like Jalen Mills against DeSean, either. I wonder how many spare jerseys are on the sideline. Wentz is under all kinds of pressure. First and 20? Sure. Lynch discussing how Cousins has missed a lot of opportunities in the passing game even though they've won 3 in a row. Not much has happened for either offense so far. Kenny Albert doesn't know how many carries Wendell Smallwood had. That's four, not two. GAH! Ah crap. Matthews almost made a great one-handed catch. DeSean just outran Mills there.

Touchdown Crowder and if that keeps up, we can end this early. Hey, an Eagles first down. The Eagles cannot afford to keep going three-wide against this rush with a rookie at right tackle. Wentz may not survive.

Somehow Cousins got put of the pocket and scraped for the first down. Who the hell is this? That’s not a horse collar. This is becoming brutal on both sides. This was not the week for DeSean to get pissy about not getting the ball. And no one was covering Vernon Davis on that touchdown. They flagged the jump shot? Fuck this rule. SPECIAL TEAMS!! Lord knows they needed something.

Double reverse! What’s Crowder doing? He was down. (He WAS down, right?) Holy crap, he wasn’t. And they can’t challenge that. Has Crowder passed Garcon on the depth chart? Is this a Cole Beasley-Terrence Williams situation? Intercepted! TOUCHDOWN JENKINS!

What’s equally concerning is Matt Jones - Washington’s worst running back is going wild against this defense. DeSean just dropped a touchdown. Lynch on McLeod: “He’s up in New York somewhere...” They’re doing this with slants and posts, mostly. Lot of routes that cut inside. Three straight passes? Really? Then Fletcher Cox does something stupid for the second straight week to keep an opponent’s drive alive. Seriously, they have two time outs. RUN THE BALL. Finally they do but it appears to be stuffed. And Jones walks in on the next play.

There are holes everywhere. Lynch: “There is no gap control right now.” It feels like every Eagles penalty today has come at a bad time. Cousins throws into too-tight coverage and Jenkins almost had that one, too. Only giving up a field goal feels lucky. Big V still out there, but the first two Eagles runs have been to the left. Wentz with the keeper for the first down. Wentz somehow escaped, got hit, and found DGB, who made a nice one-handed catch. It won’t count, though. Uh, maybe? 3rd and 21 and this isn’t happening. Sproles makes a rare bad decision on a punt, picking it up inside the 10 with no running room. Wentz GUNS it to Matthews! Hey, a Zach Ertz sighting. Sturgis field goal is good and somehow this is a seven-point game. As bad as these penalties have been, they’re not the biggest problem here.

Cullen Jenkins is still in the league? Don’t get that third-down call, either. Then Ertz has the ball bounce off his hands. They have to kick this. It’s good. Hey, the Eagles got a stop. That’s huge. Agholor with a tough catch on third down. Can’t take that sack, rook. OK, he had no chance on that one. Eagles punt because fourth and 24 isn’t on this roster. (Truth be told, it’s on the other sideline.) Matt Jones finds yet another hole and that’s that.

This is in reference to the pattern where the Redskins’ last home game before Election Day is tied to whether the incumbent party stays in the White House. Note that it did NOT happen four years ago. (Redskins 27, Eagles 20)

Yep... The Super Bowl loser’s curse is back. crosses off Panthers (Saints 41, Panthers 38)

The Packers’ color scheme just doesn’t allow for attractive alternates/throwbacks. They’re like a neon version of Virginia Tech in that regard. No Bryant again for the Cowboys. Doesn’t seem to matter, though.  Packers out here cheating. Touchdown Beasley and then some unpleasantries as Burnett picked up the ball and got rocked. They’re reviewing this. The ball breaks the plane, he’s touched down, then it comes out. I think he’s already on the ground and the refs agree. Eddie Lacy hurdling people. That wouldn’t have happened last year. The Wishbone? Really? Brennaman and Aikman were convinced the Packers were going for that fourth down. 

And about four plays later he throws a pick. Oh, Peppers hit his arm as he threw the ball. Wait, they’re calling it a fumble, so the streak remains intact.

You still can’t give Rodgers that much time. Although if nobody’s open... But a face mask negates the sack and it’s first down Packers. Aaron missed that one. Another fourth and short and McCarthy pulls up again. The kick’s good, but still. Yeah, that’s pretty blatant illegal contact. Prescott takes off, then just flat drops the ball. Somehow, a colleague recovered. Lacy with another hurdle! Again, too much time for Rodgers and he finds Adams. Lot of confusion here. How are the Cowboys even out of time outs this soon? That pass was a heat check, and Claiborne paid the price on that collision. Going for this fourth and 5 makes sense, despite what we’ve seen from McCarthy previously and despite it ultimately not working. Defender falls down and Williams gets free for 42 yards, which leads to a touchdown on the next play. Did the Packers get this off? And considering Rodgers threw it short, why did they bother? 17-6 Cowboys at the half. That interception was crazy. Rodgers never looked anywhere else. Here’s another reason Mike McCarthy is a bad coach: Whatever’s wrong with this offense, and Rodgers in particular, he hasn’t done anything to fix it. Big run by Elliott.
Adams makes a tough catch and pays for it as Sean Lee clocks him. He eventually walks off. This pass to Janis is going to be close. First down Packers. And why are they going to Jeff Janis here? Ty Montgomery has nine catches today? Really? Rodgers on a designed run... FUMBLE! Cowboys ball! This is unbelievable. Lacy was on the sideline. (Turns out he was hurt.) Now THAT is an interception. Packers cash in with three more. Another. Packers. Turnover. Favre agrees with Aikman. And this Prescott thing is real now. This isn’t a mirage. I don’t know why the Packers kicked the extra point down 12 but that’s another discussion entirely.


(Cowboys 30, Packers 16)

Earl Thomas with the interception! I’m not quite sure why the Falcons were throwing there but Jones didn’t do a great job of getting his hands on it. Yeah, Sherman got away with that one. Quinn’s STILL mad. (Seahawks 26, Falcons 24)

Adam Vinatieri will never die. Again, it’s nice to see Lamar Miller in an offense that actually uses him. Osweiler is STRUGGLING.

Wait, who’s calling time out already? It’s the second series! Was it an official time out? Because neither of the teams are missing a line under their logos. Lechler barely got that punt off. Running backs don’t last as long as Gore has. They just don’t. That’s a hold. Touchdown Colts! Good job by Doyle to get open on the fake. It’s weird to see the Texans’ defense without Watt. That catch by Hilton! Hey, the Texans hit a pass play finally. They have too much talent to be such a bad offense, especially outside. They don’t really need their tight end to catch passes. Just let Luck run free, why don’t you. Oh, that’s a bad decision and that interception will stand. 13-3 Colts at halftime. As Cris said, at least the Texans are running the ball effectively. Do Wilson, Miller and Brown really all have the same agent? (They don’t.) That’s a hold at the very least. Oh, they called PI. Touchdown Texans and this is a game. Missed the extra point! There were five of those? GOSTKOWSKI missed one? What the hell, Al. Big sack by Mercilus and Clowney (!!) is negated by a face mask on said sack. Now this is close.

Did the Colts go for it there? And why were they in shotgun with Frank Gore on your team? Wow. Mercilus with a sack that counts. And Osweiler immediately throws to a not-at-all-open Hopkins and Vontae Davis intercepts it. Then Luck runs untouched into the end zone.

Oh God, NBC. Way to rub it in with the Osweiler/Siemian salary comparison.  Touchdown Texans! Miller just did a spot-on Barry Sanders impression and this game isn’t over yet. Luck is getting beaten up as badly as Wentz was earlier. The Texans are gonna get the ball back. Miller AGAIN. TOUCHDOWN!! And how big is that missed extra point now? Al just jinxed me on that. This is a legit dilemma here. What do you do? The Texans kick it and it’s good and we’re.... gulp... tied. 

Luck has 49 seconds, two time outs, and Viniatieri. That is... not a catch. The Colts give up.  They could have used another time out. I wonder what happened to it. OVERTIME.

Luck gets sacked AGAIN. NOW it’s sudden death. JAELEN STRONG LIVES! Here comes Novak. It’s GOOD!  Fire everybody. (Texans 26, Colts 23, OT)


Arians coached Bowles at Temple 30 years ago. Dude’s been around. Hey, Palmer’s back. Third play, fumbled snap. OK. Fitzgerald! These are two struggling offenses (how the hell do the Cardinals have zero points in the first quarter this season?) but only one quarterback is in any danger of being benched, I think. That’s not much of a punt. You can’t stop David Johnson, you can only hope to contain him, but the Jets barely managed that. Touchdown Cardinals. The Jets shouldn’t be this bad offensively, either. I don’t understand that skee-ball graphic. Why was that done? Just a poor throw by Fitzpatrick on another failed third down tonight. That’s not much of a punt, either. And that guy’s definitely loose. Gruden wondering if the Jets could switch to one of their other three quarterbacks, noting that they’re the only team with four. Then Forte drops a pass on another third down. This is awful. 
Good catch by Marshall under duress. Is that a fumble? The Jets don’t seem to think so since they’re just kind of lazing around. There’s 11 seconds left, guys! OK, there we go. They review it and say it’s incomplete, so we’re back to 24 seconds. Fitzpatrick gets pressured and can’t find anyone for another third down failure. 

Have they gotten even one tonight? This is what, seven penalties in a row? Bad football is bad. McDonough’s brother works for the Cardinals? I didn’t know that. Three touchdowns for David Johnson. The Jets are...putting together a drive? Am I seeing this? Why did Fitz throw it right at the rushing linebacker? And more pressure leads to an interception and the end of this drive.
Palmer got lucky there. I'm surprised the Cardinals are still throwing so much. Is this a touchdown? Yes. Yes it is. Here comes Geno. “Injured.” Heh. He looks...not God-awful so far. Then that happened.

(Cardinals 28, Jets 3)

RANKINGS
TOP 4:
1. Minnesota (5-0): Bradford hasn't had this good a start since college
2. New England (5-1): Almost at full speed. Almost...
3. Dallas (4-1): Oh, no...
4. Seattle (4-1): It still counts

BOTTOM 4:
29. Chicago (1-5): Just trade Cutler already
30. San Francisco (1-5): This is going to take a while
31. N.Y. Jets (1-5): The Fitzpatrick era needs to end
32. Cleveland (0-6): Who thought this was a good idea?



Posted by at No comments:

Saturday, October 22, 2016

By The Pigskin Of Our Teeth, Week 5: In Need of a Jump Start

Is this Drunk History? And they don't even play in the city anymore. Stanton instead of Palmer tonight for the Cardinals. Three punts, no completions. This is where we are with these two teams. No wonder nothing's happened yet. Gabbert's so bad. No accuracy whatsoever. No way John Brown saw Cromarty coming on that punt. Stanton not doing much either. It occurs to me that Phil Simms is the best quarterback in the building tonight. That's a face mask.


Rick Porcello's throwing better than these two clowns tonight and he just gave up three home runs.
Interception! Fitzgerald! Touchdown Cardinals. Wait, when did the 49ers score? Did I seriously miss it? I legitimately don't remember. Was I watching baseball? I mean, I've forgotten how bad these Thursday night games always are. Apparently Jeremy Kerley caught a touchdown pass before the Gabbert pick that led to the Fitzgerald score. I said this last week: Kerley's been there six weeks and is the 49ers' best receiver.




Jesus, Chip. Slow down, motormouth. 7-7 at halftime. That was a mistake. Oh, that's the Davis from Auburn who returned the missed field goal against Alabama? Huh. He's better than that. Running Into The Kicker call on the 49ers will take this field goal off the board and give the Cardinals a first down at the 4. Touchdown David Johnson. Johnson's loose again. Touchdown Fitzgerald! Gabbert's best plays this season have all come while running. Touchdown Carlos Hyde. Thanks for that, Jay Feely.
This just in: Gabbert just threw an interception. The Cardinals won't get a touchdown here, settling for three. 24-14. Johnson just ran through the 49ers' defense again. And again. That's another touchdown and that should do it.


Why are people still making excuses for Blaine Gabbert? I guess with Tebow in baseball, they need someone. (Cardinals 33, 49ers 21)

Signal Finder: NYJ @ PIT, PHI @ DET, NE @ CLE (end), WSH @ BAL (end), CIN @ DAL

Tom Brady with four games less rust? Against the Browns? Please. Oh, God, no. Now Kessler's hurt?
The problem with this is they can't put Terrelle Pryor at quarterback because then they won't have any receivers.


What else do you want me to say here? A rested Brady killed these guys.


(Patriots 33, Browns 13)

NO!! NOT THE PRISON JERSEYS!!! NOOOOOOOOO!!! This is also a bad time to not have Revis. See? Sick throw by Roethlisberger and Coates roasted his man. Marshall with the circus catch! And that should have been intercepted — the coverage was good. This is a great two-minute drill by the Steelers. And it gets paid off with the Jesse James touchdown. Calvin Pryor just saved a touchdown on that punt return. Coates just had a touchdown fall through his hands. Tough to settle for three after an opportunity like that but the Steelers do. 17-13. Nick Mangold going off the field? That's also bad for the Jets. Roethlisberger finds Brown because that's what he does. Why are the Jets punting here down two scores? This has not been a well-coached game by the visitors. Steelers just walking it down now. (Steelers 31, Jets 13)

Tate in the backfield? OK. Stafford has way too much comfort. Tate again? I forgot Boldin's on the Lions now. Touchdown Lions and that was disturbingly easy. Then the Eagles steal that play for Huff and it gets  a first down. Did that pass bounce off Agholor's helmet? The Eagles look rusty after a week off. Yep, that's a penalty. Can't touch a sliding quarterback. And Tate in the backfield pays off with the fake, allowing Riddick to stroll into the end zone. Let's downgrade "rusty" to "clueless" after that.

Wentz putting together a good drive here. Sproles! So many fakes being called so far. They're not gonna get this off. Nope. They regroup and Wentz finds Mathews for a touchdown. Why is Theo Riddick unstoppable? Don't challenge spots, Doug. So the Eagles actually won that challenge, but it doesn't matter because the Lions are going for 4th and 1. Stafford gets it anyway. The Eagles can't cover any Lions running back. Cox ripping Stafford's helmet off draws a flag and negates a third-down sack. That jet sweep is unstoppable. And Stafford finds Marvin Jones in the end zone. That drive was extended by two mistakes and that's what happens. That's not a chop block by Sproles. Nice catch by Jordan Matthews that gets canceled out by a penalty that doesn't make sense. NOW what are they doing? Oh, they picked up the flag, which was clearly the right decision. 


3rd and 36? Christ. Wentz finds Ertz to get into field goal range, at least. Good after some Lions timeout jackassery. 21-10 Lions at the half.


Green-Beckham got away with a face mask on that stiff-arm. Wentz with the "Excuse me" flip to Huff for the touchdown. Did the Lions get caught by their own picks? Looks like it. Fumble? Fumble! Eagles ball! DGB had a shot at that one but that's a difficult catch to make. The Lions' kickoff returners are making poor choices. Fourth and short for the Lions at the Eagles 43. Still can't stop Riddick. That, however, is a good stop. That's a good angle from the end zone showing that the defender's foot was on the line, saving the Eagles 19 yards in field position. That pass protection. How is a guard that far downfield in the first place? The refs haven't been great today but the Eagles really haven't helped themselves. Another Sturgis field goal gives the Eagles the lead. Four-minute offense time. So much passing. Mathews fumbles! Lions ball! How are the Lions out of time outs? What are we looking for? If the guy who knocked the ball back inbounds was on the sideline?


There's absolutely no way to overturn this, and they don't. Stafford running maybe note the smartest thing. Tate gets to the 10, and then Mills hits him in the head. Charles Davis thinks they flagged Bennie Logan when it was actually Mills. The Lions... do not take a lot of time off the clock. The problem now is Wentz hasn't had to do this in a very long time. And he throws an interception on the first play. I don't think Agholor knew the ball was coming. And why throw deep on the first play of the drive into tight coverage?  (Lions 24, Eagles 23)

Hoyer throws for almost 400 on you and you still win? You lead charmed lives, Colts. (Colts 29, Bears 23)

Yeah, one foot inbounds only works in college. You can't ask Mike Wallace to work in the middle of the field like that. (Redskins 16, Ravens 10)

I mean, y'all did this last year, too, Falcons, and we know how that ended up. I'm just saying. (Falcons 23, Broncos 16)

Phil Simms loves purple, doesn't he? Nice mouthpiece, Whitehead. I thought the Bengals' defense was good. Is Bryant playing? I guess not if Whitehead's making catches. Zach Martin just killed a guy on that Elliott touchdown. Now, the Bengals' offense can do plenty of work against this Cowboys alleged D. Or not, at least not on this drive. Man, the Bengals' front is getting destroyed right now and there's no help in the secondary, either. Another touchdown. No?? Illegal shift? LOL. Then the Bengals commit a penalty and give the Cowboys new life. Prescott runs in untouched.


Burfict is a defensive leader? That's a terrifying thought. Simms is absolutely right, with one caveat: The Cowboys aren't playing man-to-man because nobody on their roster can cover A.J. Green man-to-man. And yet the Bengals still haven't looked in his direction. What am I seeing right now? This Bengals defense is getting gashed. Witten looking spry on that catch and run. Beasley scores untouched. It's 21-0 and it could easily get a lot worse. I... might have thought about going for that 4th and 1, actually. It's far past time to panic. It's amazing that this trash Cowboys secondary has managed to keep Green completely silent. There he is! Nantz was as excited as anyone. Good defense by... Morris Claiborne? What is happening here? Nugent MISSES the field goal! This is wild. Oh Lord. Elliott just took it 60 yards to the house on the first play of the drive. 28-0. Now Jeremy Hill, who seems to have barely played today, is holding his chest like he's having an attack. Pretty sure Dalton's the Bengals' leading rusher today. They're working on Hill's arm. Bengals still not doing anything. The Cowboys got Cole Beasley being covered by a defensive end on 3rd and 9. You can guess how that turned out. Then they hit Elliott out of the backfield for 32 more. Prescott... fumbles? That's his first turnover and the Bengals finally get a break. FALL ON THE BALL YOU IDIOTS. The Bengals are... driving? Wilcox just gave Green the Triple H spinebuster. Touchdown Bengals! Brandon LaFell caught it, which is a story in itself. (Cowboys 28, Bengals 14)

Dear Lord, Chargers. Dear. Lord. The Chargers have tried, but man, they're so decimated by injuries. And then THAT happens. Tom McCarthy's calling NFL games. CBS must be desperate. That's a fantastic punt. Dexter McCluster's on the Chargers now? Hm. Just throw it deep. Seriously. (Raiders 34, Chargers 31)

I just figured out what else I don't like about NBC's bastardization of "Somethin' Bad": No Miranda! It just doesn't sound right with Carrie carrying the vocals by herself. I'm with Al: I'd take the ball if I were the Giants and won the toss. Man, the Packers are living' right with that kind of scheduling. Lacy with the energy to fight for more yards. What exactly was Davante Adams doing there?
Rodgers has so much time. Nobody must be open. So he runs for it and gets it. Nelson lays out for the touchdown catch.


Must be freezing up there. It's only October 9! Lot of confusion here on this possibly touchdown. Offsetting penalties, so no score. Then an interception. So we've got a flag on this, too, and this is similar to what happened to Nick Foles against the Redskins a few years ago. Can't interfere with the punt returner, dudes. Lacy just trucking people. Then he runs into former college (and high school, too, apparently!) teammate Landon Collins. This is close for Adams. Refs discuss and rule he got to the end zone.


That could be Jenkins' second pick tonight. It's definitely the second time Adams has misjudged a pass. Giants ball.


Man, if Tye catches that, he walks into the end zone. And the Packers get a sack-fumble on the next play. Uncanny. Field goal ends the first half. 17-6 Packers. As Cris is alluding to, I'm surprised we haven't heard more from Cruz tonight. The Giants again making good use of their eight-deep running back depth chart, but they still can't cash in. That sack hurt. Where's Lacy? This drive has been mostly James Starks, The Packers have to kick this and they do. 20-9. This is a catch, right? Yeah, that's a catch. That's pathetic, Giants. No. 22 just carried half your team about eight yards. Giants hold the Packers to an other field goal but they're running out of time. Eli almost threw another terrible interception. I mean, technically he did, but Burnett dropped it when he hit the ground. "There is no foul on the play. There is no play." Wait, what? Beckham! Beckham? Oh this one is CLOSE. I think it stands. Touchdown Giants. Careful with that net! Short pass to Starks, who fumbles? But the Packers recover. Hmmm.


The Giants aren't going to get the ball back, are they? Perhaps they should have tried an onside kick. (Packers 23, Giants 16)

Kind of amazed this game's being played and that this field is playable. Panthers come in quite shorthanded — no Cam, no Stewart. No Doug Martin tonight? Jacquizz Rogers getting all the run early. And now, a kicker the Bucs traded up to draft. Hey, he made it. Anderson’s not happy with Brown after that incompletion and is letting him know it. SPEED 2 muffed the punt and it's Buccaneers ball. False start screws up a 3rd and short. That's good defense right there. Aguayo again. CLANG! Still 3-0. Hey, a Greg Olsen sighting. Tip drill interception and it's Bucs ball AGAIN. Literally nothing has happened in this game. Winston fumbles? Oh, the Bucs got lucky to get that ball back. Evans with two straight catches before limping off. Winston rushed that throw and we're trying another field goal. This one's good. Big catch by Olsen, getting open and getting out of bounds at the Tampa 20. The Panthers have time to take one shot into the end zone. Settle yourself, Coach. They did! Good job, Rivera. Gano misses! 6-0 at halftime and this has been awful. The Panthers have had no running game tonight, so they're going to need those big plays from Olsen and Benjamin wherever they can get them. Olsen again and it's first and goal. Somehow Anderson threw a pass too high for Benjamin. Fourth and goal and they're going for it with no Cam? Did he make it? Apparently! Is this a catch? I don't really think so. And it's not. Olsen's having a quarter. Touchdown and THAT was quick. Drive took 1 minute, 45 seconds. Here come the Bucs with a big play of their own. Touchdown Mike Evans! The Bucs are going for two here, as they should. Got it!


That was an ill-advised Cam Newton impression by Anderson and it cost them the ball. The Bucs needed to capitalize on that and they didn't. The Panthers got both lucky that wasn't intercepted and unlucky that Olsen fell, or he may still be running. Why is Chris Conte still in the league? Whitaker almost scores the same way he did score earlier, but his stretch comes up short. Interception Brent Grimes! Why would you call a pass play there when you're running over them? And here come the Bucks. That'll be 15 more yards after the big catch by Evans. That's some stupidity right there by A.J. Klein. Gruden: "330-pound man goes flying out of the pile, something happened." McDonough now pointing out that the Bucs can't necessarily rely on their kicker. Bad decision by Winston but he got away with it. Aguayo misses AGAIN! This is unbelievable. The announcers are now wondering why the Buccaneers ran on third down before that. Dirk Koetter playing for a tie, obviously.


Why are the Bucs running the ball? Medical time out? The hell is going on out there? Oh, clock issue. Gruden's as incredulous as I am that Evans was left uncovered. I'm still wondering why he's the only wide receiver on the field. Strong throw by Winston to Vincent Jackson. Wait, he's not out of bounds. What's going on here? Win or lose, this is terrible play calling by Koetter. Here's Aguayo again, for better or worse. IT'S GOOD!


(Buccaneers 17, Panthers 14)

RANKINGS
TOP 4:
1. Minnesota (4-0): All warriors need rest
2. New England (4-1): Eh, Gronk’s a little rusty still
3. Dallas (4-1): Oh, no...
4. Seattle (4-1): It still counts

BOTTOM 4:
29. Chicago (1-4): I mean, seriously, that’s a waste of a godlike performance
30. San Francisco (1-4): Just a listless effort
31. N.Y. Jets (1-4): What happened?
32. Cleveland (0-5): Brian Sipe is next
Posted by at No comments:

Saturday, October 15, 2016

By The Pigskin Of Our Teeth, Week 4: Lost Roads

Explain yourselves, Dolphins. Sam Wyche is watching, for God's sake.

Still, better the orange than the teal, I guess. Meanwhile the Bengals just look boring. Their uniforms, not this drive, which is cooking so far. They've hit about everything. Well, until that incompletion. That ended quickly. Field goal is good but something's happening afterwards. A fight? Already? You're not the Steelers! Nantz: "Nobody was happy about that win on Sunday." Hey, Burfict's back. Kenny Stills! That's literally all he's good for.
That's a great catch by A.J. Green. He's abusing this Howard kid. And Byron Maxwell's already been benched, so expect that to continue.


Was that a reverse? Touchdown Green. Don't bring it ou... ohhhh. That was CLOSE. That's the thing about Jeremy Hill — he's not very elusive. If you trap him behind the LoS, it's over. The Dolphins don't have anyone who can handle Green. He just threw that guy off his back. Fourth and 1 and they're going for it? OK. Good effort by Hill and he... got it. Ah jeez. Tannehill just dropped it. Bengals recover. And Ozumah can't hold on to that 3rd down pass and it's another field goal attempt. Great clock management, Dolphins.


It's the second half, which means it's Tannehill stat-padding time. No one bought that play fake. Dunlap almost got him. This is by far the longest drive of the night for the Dolphins. And that sack just brought it to a screeching halt. They're out of field goal range. The Dolphins still haven't solved their A.J. Green problem. And the Bengals still haven't solved their "we can't finish a drive" problem. That's a ridiculously dumb roughing the punter penalty on the Dolphins. The ball was gone four seconds ago. And Hill makes them pay with a big run. ANOTHER field goal? Jeez. Good thing the Dolphins suck. IS that the first Jarvis Landry sighting tonight? It's the fourth quarter! Nantz about to jinx the hell out of Tannehill here. Yup. Landry making moves. Is something starting to happen here? It's still only a two-score game. WELP. Interception. That's that, I guess. (Bengals 22, Dolphins 7)

I figured Lady Gaga was a lock for a future Super Bowl halftime after crushing the national anthem last year. I didn't think it would be this soon.

I appreciate the use of British people for the voice overs in the London games, if nothing else. Touchdown Dorsett and that is a failure of coverage. Luck's father was a bigwig in the World League? Hm. Is that a Frankfurt Galaxy banner? It is! One yard and then he goes out of bounds? That's a waste. Best thing Colts could have hoped for there. Hilton didn't get that? Hm. 4th and 1 — Incomplete! Great closeout by the defender. I'm surprised Luck didn't run for it himself — he had an opening. And Trent Green said he had a more open receiver on the left sideline. All that and the Jaguars still have to punt? This is why they're the Jaguars. You can't take a sack, Luck.


Jaguars... win? (Jaguars 30, Colts 27)

 Signal Finder: CLE @ WSH, SEA @ NYJ, CAR @ ATL (end), OAK @ BAL (end), DAL @ SF, LA @ ARZ (end), NO @ SD (end)

This was supposed to be Griffin vs. Cousins. :( Hey, Stacey Dales is working the sideline. And Washington's working the rest of the field. Touchdown Jordan Reed and that was way too easy.
That ends a 9-for-9 start by Cousins. Touchdown Reed. I don't think I've seen the Browns actually run a play. Nice interception by Jamar Taylor. Touchdown catch by Terrelle Pryor (who was the superior college quarterback) and we're tied. The Browns can't stop this offense, and they can't stop Reed in particular. Of course, they then get a good stop to force a field goal. Now Parkey's on to tie it. Good. 17-17 at halftime. The Browns look energized. False start on a field goal? False start on the KICKER? That's so Browns. Still, it's good. That's the second big run Crowell's had in this half. And again on a catch and run. Dude is running wild and the tackling has been a joke. FUMBLE. Cousins has to throw that away. As Gannon said, that's how Colt McCoy happens. Norman just picked Kessler, who shouldn't have thrown to Pryor anyway.


Matt Jones! Who? MATT JONES. 31-20 now. Double coverage on Pryor? That's how talent-poor this Browns team is. Three straight turnovers? OK. (Redskins 31, Browns 20)

Wait. 17-4? GLITCH!


Gotta say, though, a two-safety game would have been awesome. (Texans 27, Titans 20)

Nice catch by... Jimmy Graham? THERE'S BEEN A JIMMY GRAHAM SIGHTING! The Seahawks' biggest problem today is going to be handling the Jets' defensive line.


And later, after Marshall moves to the slot and then out of it, he roasts Sherman.

I'm not sure how Baldwin survived that hit. Welcome to the Seahawks, C.J. Spiller. Three guys hit Fitzpatrick and he STILL got that pass away. I still haven't seen the roughing. I'm not saying it didn't happen, just that the replay angles were all bad. That's a blown coverage. Touchdown Seahawks. Burkhardt: "Not sure what can stop [Wilson] at this point. It hasn't been the Jets." Fitzpatrick gonna Fitzpatrick? Wait, it hit the ground. And actually that doesn't happen if Marshall doesn't fall down. Bilal Powell just saved the Jets, if only for the moment. Touchdown Marshall! Jimmy Graham flies seaplanes? Isn't he kind of... large for a pilot? Touchdown... Jets? "HIS HAND WAS GOING FORWARD!" LOOOOL. Who was that? Lynch thinks it was Earl Thomas. He also thinks he's wrong. And apparently, Thomas is wrong. This'll stand. Onside kick will lead to nothing. The Jets are running out of time. Interception Fitzpatrick but it probably wouldn't have made a difference. (Seahawks 27, Jets 17)

Oh, NOW they take Cam out of the game and into the concussion protocol. Jones again! He has THREE HUNDRED YARDS?!?! And apparently Derek Anderson has come in and this is an eight-point game now. Well, he just threw a floater that got picked off. Is the Super Bowl losers' curse back in effect? (Falcons 48, Panthers 33)

Flacco under pressure almost throws a crippling interception. The Ravens will absolutely try a field goal from midfield with Justin Tucker. I'm legit surprised they're not doing it. Incomplete. That's a good win for the Raiders right there. (Raiders 28, Ravens 27)

No Bryant? Oh boy. Well if the man can't run it's pretty pointless. Cole Beasley is "a matchup nightmare for any defensive back"? Slow down, Troy. Slow WAY down. Ugly throw by Prescott and the only reason it wasn't intercepted is because the defender didn't see it until the last second. Bailey MISSED? It's the apocalypse. You know this Cowboys defense isn't any good when Blaine Gabbert is doing things against it. That said, Chip's calling too many keepers. Touchdown Jeremy Kerley, who the 49ers got from the Jets after the third preseason game and may be their best receiver.

The Niners still have a few guys on defense. That's a good punt. What's this? A challenge? Dunbar's foot is on the goal line; this'll be a touchback. Seriously, this is way too many quarterback runs. Hyde bounces it outside for the touchdown. That was doomed from the start. Joe and Troy aren't buying the roughing call afterward. OK, it was after the whistle. Buck: "Mark that." Touchdown Williams and I'm not sure how he caught that in the first place. That's because 49ers fans can't get to the stadium or afford tickets, Joe. The Cowboys are crushing this two-minute drill. Williams not playing close enough to the edge again. Touchdown Cowboys and we're tied. That was brilliant. Wait, Vin Scully and John Madden were broadcast partners? That's nuts. Hyde breaking through. Whoa! That's some serious zip on that pass from Gabbert to Celek. Well, that's something. Buck just noted that Siemian (and now Paxton Lynch), Wentz, and Prescott all have former quarterbacks as their head coaches. (He also may have been right about that roughing penalty earlier, as this game seems to have turned on it. We'll see how it plays out.) The Cowboys are upset and think Bethea hit Witten early, but that's a bang-bang play. Bowman down. Non-contact? That's literally never good. And once again we're seeing the problem with Chip's system: This defense looks tired. Elliott just ran right through it. Then he scored and the Cowboys take the lead.

Well, until that. That's a terrible misfire by Gabbert and the Cowboys get it. We got a hot mic? An open door or something? Because something's up: the crowd's suddenly a lot louder than the announcers and the on-field noise. Seriously, Colin Kaepernick can't be worse than this. And Chip still hasn't beaten the Cowboys at home. (Cowboys 24, 49ers 17)

Yeah, they have to run 10 seconds off the clock because of this injury. That's a key tackle to keep Fells inbounds. Interception? Not an interception. But that is. The Rams are 3-1? (Rams 17, Cardinals 13)

Do people even remember Brees with the Chargers at this point? That's Kuhn's third touchdown today? Jebus. I agree with Ronde — the Chargers let him score so they could get the ball back. Getting sacked won't help matters. Neither will fumbling the snap. Nor a long pass that goes off the receiver's fingers on 3rd and 22. An interception? Forget about it. (Saints 35, Chargers 34)

ANOTHER weather delay in Tampa? Seriously? First MRSA, now nature. This all feels like a sign. (Broncos 27, Buccaneers 7)

Chiefs start off going downfield. It works. Steelers start off going REALLY downfield and show the Chiefs how it's done. Le'veon Bell back. Passing on 3rd and 2? That's a penalty. So is that. 2nd and 20? Sweet. DHB ALL ALONE. Touchdown Steelers. Someone blew a coverage. They're going for two? Hm. Jamaal Charles also back, at least in theory. Interception! Smith needed to put some more on that pass. Jones almost scored.

And Antonio Brown does. Now they're kicking the extra point. Strange. Knile Davis fumbled? Shocking. Touchdown Brown and this is getting out of hand quickly. This is also the exact situation you don't want to be in with a guy like Alex Smith as your quarterback.
Sadly, they won't. "Give Me The Night"! Groovy.


Travis Kelce on the sideline is not a good sign if you're a Chiefs fan. Steelers are getting methodical now. Touchdown Road Dogg! Is that rain? It is. The Chiefs are gonna try a field goal here? Bad snap! No good.

Now we're at 36. Grand. That's a catch? OK, sure. Tomlin doesn't think so and we'll have a challenge. Confirmed. That may be the only thing that goes right for the Chiefs tonight, as Kelce just dropped a touchdown. Chiefs to go for it on 4th and goal from the 3. Dropped!

Somehow we went from Vin Scully to Don Rickles. Yes, it's still 36-0.

Chiefs gonna try this again. Touchdown! Kid bobbled it, bounced off two guys and stretched into the end zone. BELL BACK. Then Williams walks in and that's a white flag. I'd be sitting both quarterbacks down at this point. I wonder if they did this piece on this Chiefs lineman doctor planning to use it. This memes segment was not planned on Thursday, I can tell you that. Well, the Steelers have listened to me, at least. Ah, garbage time. (Steelers 43, Chiefs 14)

JoJo's still around? Huh. Moss is taking blowing that horn way too seriously. Good kickoff return by Harris. Nice job, Vikings coverage units. That's a muffed punt and it's Vikings ball. Seriously, what the hell happened to Cordarrelle Patterson? Dude looked like the next Moss his rookie year. This caught the Giants off guard. Asiata vultures a touchdown, as he does. Good thing the Giants kept eight running backs because now they need them. Is someone gonna cross midfield tonight? Eli just threw the ball into the turf for no real reason. Gruden thinks he was expecting Rainey to go out for a screen but he didn't. Strange-looking work on JPP on the sidelines there. Bradford finds Diggs in space. Touchdown Kyle Rudolph. Bradford just looks... comfortable. The thing on Beckham is now everyone knows you can get in his head, and everyone's going to try.

But then he may have just baited Rhodes into doing what he thought he did the play before. This is odd. This isn't gonna work, Giants — the Vikings are too disciplined to fall for this. Vikings running the Wildcat in 2016? Asiata shouldn't try to turn corners. Let's be quicker coming back from break, guys. You almost missed a play there. Now everyone's confused. That was almost a race to see who would have to burn a time out first. And now the Giants get hit with a delay of game. Field goal is still good. Walsh misses, this time indoors. Uh-oh. Eli saw the blitz and tried to adjust, but that's a terrible throw regardless of whether Beckham ran the right route or not. Walsh gets that one.

Good job by Eli to find Will Tye and get out of the end zone. 17-3 Vikings after 3. Paul Perkins? Paul Perkins! And he is TIRED. Darkwa punches it in. Rudolph takes advantage of bad coverage. It was probably you, Collins. Bradford just picking apart what's left of the Giants' secondary. Touchdown McKinnon and THAT was fast. I'm not sure the Giants were ready for that. Eli throws... incomplete. The rest is just marking time. (Vikings 24, Giants 14)

RANKINGS
TOP 4:
1. Minnesota (4-0) -- Yeah, I don't believe it, either
2. Pittsburgh (3-1) -- That's how you do vengeance
3. New England (3-1) -- Kind of an "incomplete", but remember who comes back next week?
4. Denver (4-0) -- Though I'm not sure if 16 points per game is sustainable

BOTTOM 4:
29. Jacksonville (1-3) -- Maybe they should move to Vegas
30. Miami (1-3) -- They just can't get it right
31. San Francisco (1-3) -- Blaine Gabbert still doesn't belong in this league
32. Cleveland (0-4) -- May have to get Bernie Koasr out of retirement soon




Posted by at No comments:

Sunday, October 2, 2016

By The Pigskin Of Our Teeth, Week 3: Crossed Vision

Osweiler! Brissett! THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL! Christ. Nice to see Lamar Miller somewhere where he'll actually get used. Pats just dodged a bullet on that muffed punt. Brissett is one of many recent Florida QBs who never got better at Florida but found Great Success somewhere else. It's the same phenomenon that has kept Jeff Driskell out of baseball. It's been as expected so far. Is Gronk playing? Oh, he's dressed, so probably. Running on 3rd and 9? You do you, Texans. Edelman gets interfered with and he may have to play quarterback at some point tonight. Option!


Rodney Harrison's getting a "Football Life"? That barrel was smaller than I thought. Gronk sighting on 3rd and 1 and they go to him but it's too high. Another fumble on a kick? Yeah, that ball's out and the Patriots should get the ball here. Brissett! That's a terrible attempt at tackling by 29. WRAP UP. Osweiler just threw an unfortunate pick.


That's how you return a kick, Texans. This game has slowed to a crawl. It's like they're playing in molasses. Oh, right, this is Wilfork's return, too. Pats are driving. Amendola! Brissett has plenty of time until he didn't. Now they're working on his hand on the sideline. ANOTHER fumble? Christ. Touchdown Blount, eventually. This is awful.


THE TEXANS HAVE CROSSED MIDFIELD. ALERT. ALERT. And they don't score. Wonderful. At least their defense has been OK tonight.
Now what is it? 2nd and 37?


Touchdown Blount and he's hanging with the Minutemen. There's still eight minutes left? The hell with this. I gotta work in the morning. (Patriots 27, Texans 0)

Signal Finder: DEN @ CIN; WSH @ NYG; CLE @ MIA (end of regulation); PIT @ PHI; SD @ IND (end)

That's not a fumble at the end of that? Perhaps I shouldn't have sat Jeremy Hill in fantasy today.
And still, the Bengals can't get out of their own way. That's the second penalty they've committed on third down. And another one. Now it's first and goal for the Broncos. Bengals got lucky to not give up a touchdown there. Dudes are getting drilled out here — A.J. Green just took a shot. And Siemian's the guy who's been taking most of those hits. Fumble on the punt return? Let's find out.


Jones doesn't think so. That's close. I'm not sure I can overturn that. These refs don't. Nice throw by Siemian to Sanders for the touchdown and Jones has had a bad last two minutes. That's a good grab by Uzamoh. Jeremy Hill's making me regret sitting him. That's his second touchdown today. Are they gonna overturn this Latimer catch? This is taking a long time. They... don't overturn it. Sanders walks into the end zone. Extra point is BLOCKED. There's no reason this catch and fumble shouldn't stand, but the Bengals have lost a lot of these this season already. They get this one, then two sacks later it's 3rd and 22. Oh, wait, now it's 3rd and 28. Dalton maneuverability! And he slid to boot. This kid looks like he knows what he's doing. Touchdown Broncos! They go for two and... no. Three-and-out was the opposite of what the Bengals needed there. Good Lord, that throw from Siemian. And now the Broncos get a pick off a deflection. (Broncos 29, Bengals 17)

The refs are taking no shit today, apparently. We'll see. Why are Norman and Justin Pugh having words? Pugh's the left guard. The hell's this? Someone screwed up fielding that punt and it's Giants ball for the moment. How you hold during a muffed punt is beyond me but the Giants are at the opposing 30. Sterling Shepard's been impressive so far. Touchdown Giants. And Breeland's hurt, which will not help Washington. Don't kick off out of bounds. Washington moving the ball on the ground. Oops. Well, they got three there. Big run by 43. Oooh, Norman almost picked Eli right in front of Beckham. Touchdown Shepard! Third down has been downright cruel to Washington this season. Another field goal. That's a good route on — wait for it — 3rd down by — wait again — Beckham against — one more time — Norman. Fumble? Giants recover but it's a big loss. Eli just got creamed. Crowder ran about 100 yards to return that punt 52 yards. Now they're going backwards. Another field goal. That's a weird camera angle. Vereen fumbles? Who's got it? Giants. And yet ANOTHER bad third down for Washington, as an illegal contact penalty bails the Giants out of 3rd and 14. Touchdown! Oh, look, Chris Baker being a jackass. That's never happened before. 4:06 left in the second quarter and DeSean catches his first pass. That may have been his first target, too. There he is again for the touchdown! Oh, the ball came out? I think Pereira's right and this will stand. Wait, DeAngelo Hall's being carried off? They're running out of defensive backs. Vereen fumbles again and Washington gets it back. Now the Giants are the ones making mistakes. That's why DeSean only runs post patterns. Very strange clock management by Jay to end this half. And Cousins gets sacked and they run out of time. Should have kicked the field goal.


Third and 15 for Washington  and we all know how this ends. OR DO WE? Is Crowder actually their best player?
Cruz! Then Eli throws an interception into coverage in the end zone. Incomplete? This needs to be challenged and overturned because I think that's a pick. Stands? I don't like that. Big break for the Giants, who now kick a field goal to retake the lead. That's big time by Jordan Reed to reach behind him and salvage that. FAKE PUNT!! That's a great throw. Why isn't he the quarterback? Crowder's like 5-foot-9. That's not fair to ask him to do that. Field goal and Washington regains the lead. They're gonna get Norman for a shoulder to Shepard's helmet. Beckham! Beckham again! It's getting heated over there. Interception! And again Eli throws into coverage but that's also a great play by Dunbar, who also caught the fake punt pass.

BLOCKED PUNT! OFFSETTING PENALTIES. The Giants have been killing themselves with penalties. Another Beckham back-to-back. Norman can't cover him but he owns so much space in his head he can subdivide.


Another poor read by Eli and he was lucky that one wasn't picked off. Was that incomplete? Field goal puts the Giants back in front. Whatever happens on this drive, the Giants are going to have time left on the clock after this. 3rd and 3 and Matt Jones loses a yard. Field goal is good. Giants are tracking. INTERCEPTION.


Eli's made some bad decisions today and that will be the last one. (Redskins 29, Giants 27)



There's your MVP. TANNEHILL FUMBLES. BROWNS BALL AT THE 30. Hey, it's Cody Parkey. Not. Even. Close. Is he still hurt? That's so Browns.




The Browns deferred? O...kay. Well, they got a turnover. That went... as expected. Jay Ajayi for the win! (Dolphins 30, Browns 24, OT)

Roethlisberger had plenty of time on that throw to Rogers and the Eagles can't afford that. No pressure from the Eagles front until that sack. Markus Wheaton just dropped a touchdown. LOCKED! That's big. Celek running tough. Sproles! Flag? NO flag. Graham almost stripped Roethlisberger before Hicks got in his face on that third down. Tailgaters! Lot of quick-hitting plays for the Eagles here, with the quick screen to Huff and then the Smallwood run that he almost broke. How did Jordan Matthews score untouched there? Hopefully the Eagles will outscore the Mets today. Jesus Christ. Coates! That's been happening quite a bit this year. Cox just wouldn't let go of Roethlisberger there. This one isn't blocked. Wentz gets out of bounds with great haste. Burton's in the area, arm going forward — that's incomplete. This isn't a great Eagles secondary but you wouldn't know it because the front seven is doing work.




That's a great screen pass to Burton for the first down. Great blocks and setups. But this drive won't last. 13-3 Eagles after a fast first half.
SPROLES! Simms: "He fooled you three times." Nice throw on the run by Wentz. And was that Green-Beckham who threw the last block that allowed him to score? I think it was. These are the Steelers, guys. This is real. The Eagles are challenging this Brown catch on the sideline for... some reason. Confirmed. The Eagles have been gradually getting a little more pressure. Man, two almost-interceptions.


But running in to the kicker will make it 4th and 5. And Jenkins probably should have picked THAT one off. Turnover on downs!


Smallwood's given this running game a boost on this drive. Temple's Tyler Matakevich on that tackle. Touchdown Smallwood! This is shocking. I remember that 2008 game. Really weird game. Ben got his ass kicked. It's amazing what a defense can do when it's not on the field for 40 minutes. Back to back sacks and the second one turns into a fumble and it's Eagles ball. That's good defense on DGB but he still almost caught it. Barner with a big run. More of him, too, please. And then he goes in for the touchdown! The Steelers' defense looks a step slow. This playoff for the Tour Championship is what the kids these days call "lit."


(Eagles 34, Steelers 3)

The Colts would kill for a 1 o'clock local start. Or would it be noon there? And they go to London next week!


Wait, what? Put some time on the clock then. This won't work. (Colts 26, Chargers 22)

I'm Sorry You Had To See That: SIX interceptions?? Jebus. That's a benching, right? (Chiefs 24, Jets 3)

No Cutler tonight? Ouch, Dez. That's not the natural motion for the human leg. Two rookies in the Bears secondary? That may not matter. Beasley got trucked. Good Lord. Fox (who is NOT Lovie Smith) is challenging the spot? He's gonna get this. Elliott converts the 4th and 1. Bryant back in. The Bears didn't draft Leonard Floyd to cover people. That's dangerous. It's a touchdown, yes, but it's also dangerous. That is a face mask. It gets weird when a new quarterback starts favoring a different receiver than you're used to. That's what's happening with Prescott and Beasley, and Terrence Williams getting frozen out.


So the Bears screwed up an onside kick. Grand. What's left of them can't contain Prescott. Touchdown Morris. This might be over soon.
Tirico's probably doing this Arnold Palmer tribute at least 50 percent off the cuff.
So the Bears may have almost fumbled the second-half kickoff. Three and out. Hey, there's Terrence Williams. This next drive's going a little better, though. A little.


Bears going for it on 4th and goal from the 2, as they should trailing by 21. Touchdown! That's a fumble and it's Cowboys ball. Elliott just hurdled a dude. Touchdown. Wait, are the Bears driving here? Touchdown Miller. I'm very surprised the Bears didn't onside kick this, given that what's left of their defense hasn't done much to slow down the Cowboys' offense. Or not. There's your first Kevin White NFL highlight. How did he catch that? This is only happening because the Cowboys' defense is terrible. But not terrible enough to not be able to hold off Brian Hoyer, clearly. "A lot of people are being pushed to the edge right now." I see you, Al Michaels. Hey, the Cowboys actually won a home game. (Cowboys 31, Bears 17)

Did Marques Colston finally retire? Saints come out moving the ball. OPI for that? I... don't know. CHICANERY! The Saints pull out a flea-flicker that doesn't fool 41 but it's still caught. That's probably roughing the passer, sure. Touchdown to Coby Fleener, who the Falcons still haven't found. Some poor decisions were made by the Saints on that punt return, and it cost them the ball. And the Falcons cash in.


Freeman is cutting these dudes up. Not that that's surprising. Hey, there's Jairus Byrd! Don't you guys miss Malcolm Jenkins?


That pass interference penalty though. Good job, Saints defense. /sarcasm. I think Gruden's right — I don't think Julio Jones has caught a pass yet. They just ran the Arnold Palmer "This Is SportsCenter" spot. Aw man, Stuart Scott was in this one, too. What's this here now? He's on top of like, two dudes. Call is changed to touchdown Falcons and they're running things right now. 57 yards from Will Lutz. GOOD! Gruden: "John Harbaugh never recommended players to me!" 28-17 Falcons at the half.
No pass rush from the Falcons. Gruden: "All three levels are getting leveled."


That's good work by Lisa Salters on the "Julio Jones doesn't have a catch yet" point. Falcons going for 4th and 1 because why not? This Saints defense can't stop anyone. They couldn't stop Tulane tonight. Three touchdowns for Tevin Coleman, who scored this one untouched. I'm not sure who's playing worse defense tonight: the Saints or Donald Trump. The Saints need this drive and they're getting it. Wait, John Kuhn's not with the Packers anymore? That just seems wrong. I'm with McDonough — it's way too early to chase points. I'll say this — the Saints are putting up a better fight at this point. Matt Ryan keeper? Careful, Icarus. My God he's slow. Hey, the Saints held!
These Katrina stories have been moving. Cool that this guy who was working concessions on the Monday Night game 10 years ago works for ESPN now. There's a pick six by New Orleans native Deion Jones. More Fleener. See, this is an offense that you can just put any old skill position player in and it'll hum. A lot of that is down to the quarterback running it. Touchdown Ingram, and it looks like the Saints caught the Falcons off guard. The Saints still need some kind of stop. And they let Matt Ryan run for 18 yards. Unbelievable. Dwight Freeney's still around? (Falcons 45, Saints 32)

Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)