Showing posts with label NFC West. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NFC West. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

JETS LOSE CONTROL OF THEIR OWN DESTINY, FALL TO FALCONS 10-7

JETS LOSE CONTROL OF THEIR OWN DESTINY, FALL TO FALCONS  10-7 
by TJ Rosenthal for Football Reporters Online

If you've been around Gang Green nation long enough, then Sunday's 10-7 loss to Atlanta in the game's final minutes should come as no surprise. No franchise in the NFL snatches defeat from the claws of victory with it all on the line (The Houston Texans haven't been around long enough but their resume IS growing) more often, year in year out, than the J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS. Need proof? Please. It would be like reading you the Dead Sea Scrolls. We'd be a light year into the future by the time we were done with THAT laundry list.

Recent debacles in the past twenty odd years include 1986, when the Jets went from  from 10-1 to just a 10-6 wildcard entry. Then falling at Cleveland during the divisional playoffs in OT thanks to Mark Gastineau's idiotic late hit on Bernie Kosar . The 1994 Dan Marino fake spike play, and ensuing tailspin that sent the first place Jets led by  Pete Carroll, to oblivion.USC would soon follow for the guy who during the "milk it, milk it" Bruce Coslet era, motioned to Pete Stoyanovich the choke sign after a miss. The Dolphins star kicker then hit a game winning bomb moments later. The Jets were up 10-0 in Denver in the AFC Championship under Bill Parcells in 1999, only to watch John Elway rally the Broncos to their first world title. 

How about 2008? The Jets were 8-3 and alone in first, until Brett Favre started throwing the ball like Pat Ryan. The 9-7 finish ended the bizarre Favre- Eric Mangini marriage. Now this. A chance to control destiny vanishing into the the endless Meadowlands swamp. This after fighting for a month to get back into the AFC playoff hunt. The Jets botching three field goals were the culprit. Three! They held the struggling Atlanta offense to 3 points all day, only to allow a Matt Ryan to Tony Gonzalez TD with 1:15 left. Mark Sanchez? The rookie made some timely plays in his return from two knee injuries that have him resembling Joe Namath in the knee brace department. However, three more interceptions helped lead to another crushing loss that now leaves the Jets needing a win against the undefeated Colts in order to have life during the final week. Yikes.

It didn't have to be this way. The 7-6 Jaguars lost on Thursday. The 7-6 Dolphins lost on Sunday. The Jets were right there. Safety Kerry Rhodes symbolized the team's frustration." This (bleep) is crazy, man. We (bleeping) got exactly what we wanted and we couldn't get it done." 

When Sanchez (18-32 226 1TD 1int) hooked up with WR Braylon Edwards for a 65 yard TD pass, the Jets took 7-3 lead.  It stayed that way until the final minute. The Jets vaunted ground game however was bottled up for most of the day as the Jets had trouble adding to the lead,. Thomas Jones managed just 52 yards, as the Jets tried to attack one of the leagues worst pass defenses. The plan backfired. That's because three FG attempts were wasted. One because of a high snap, the other a Kellen Clemens drop, the third was on Feely. 

The inability by the Jets to tack on more, gave life to an Atlanta team that was eliminated from playoff contention Saturday night, thanks to the Dallas win over the then 13-0 Saints. Falcons QB Matt Ryan, back from a toe injury that had kept him out two games, engineered a drive that left the Falcons with a fourth down inside the ten with just over a minute left. The whole stadium knew where the ball was going, to soon to be hall of fame TE Tony Gonzalez. It did, as a zone full of Jets encircled him, too far to disrupt the first TD in 34 possession against the Jets. What a time to let that happen. Sanchez threw an interception shortly after that sealed the Jets fate. 10-7 was the final.

The Jets defense has now had the lead three times going into the game's final five minutes. The result has been 0 for 3. Losses to Miami on Monday night, Jacksonville and the Jones Drew kneel, and now Atlanta. Two for three would have equalled a first place tie with the now not so unbeatable New England Patriots. One win would mean an 8-6 record and control of their own destiny. 
Instead it's win and get help. The 7-7 record is not all the defense's fault. Maybe
 too much was expected of Sanchez too early. The interceptions have been piling up since September. Signs of a rookie QB's growing pains that the Jets may have tried to will away by all of the preseason talk about a killer defense and run first approach to the year.

Nonetheless, the recent three game win streak that left the Jets first in rushing and defensive yards allowed, regenerated hope that seemed lost during the mid season swoon that saw the once 3-0 Jets fall to 4-6.. Now hope is fleeting again. If you follow the Jets, you are well accustomed to watching a team that loses the game BEFORE the big game. Yet it's in the club's DNA to both tank in an Atlanta type game, yet show up and steal the Indy one. Rex Ryan who said "we're out of the playoffs after the loss retracted his statement , admitting on Monday that he was "dead wrong." Ryan's no math major but who could blame the single minded focus that comes with gearing up to run the table. 

Now there's a new table to run. A two game table. It's now over. However, because of the tragic loss to Atlanta, the final run will have to start with 14-0 Indy, if the Jets want to still be talking about 2009, not 2010 next Monday. A tall order. As Jet fans fasten their seat belts once again this Sunday, they know that in all likelihood, Peyton Manning and co. will ensure that it will be for the last time in '09. Then again, if you follow the Jets, you have been witness countless times to the fact 
that nothing EVER goes as planned.

A LOOK BACK AT THE THREE KEYS TO ATLANTA:

JET D FORCING TURNOVERS:  Jet D was hot coming in, but forced the big goose egg. Atlanta picked off Sanchise 3 times.

THROW IT SMART NOT SCARED:  We asked for 50 percent completion , we got it at 18-32. We asked for 200 yards and got that at 232. Smart? Three picks for Sanchez, again. Some timely throws but in all, too many mistakes. The missed FG"s exposed the Int's.

WATCH WOODHEAD: We felt that the Jets super conservative passing game would be aided by the emerging Wes Welker, Wayne Chrebet type. Rookie slot WR/RB Danny Woodhead DID get more involved but the opportunities missed in the kicking game again nullifies the good what  Woodhead's increased role could provided.

follow TJ Rosenthal on twitter @ thejetreport

Sunday, December 20, 2009

COWBOYS VS. SAINTS: IN-DEPTH RECAP OF ONE OF THE BEST GAMES OF THE YEAR

COWBOYS VS. SAINTS: IN-DEPTH RECAP OF ONE OF THE BEST GAMES OF THE YEAR
By William Queen-Contributing Writer-Football Reporters Online
 
Jumping the gun, the Cowboys defense came out and were clearly faster than they had been in previous weeks. They stopped the Saints first drive and, in response, centered the ball around their main talent Marion Barber and Miles Austin, leading them to the end zone.
 
7-0 Cowboys
 
On the ensuing possession, Dallas held New Orleans yet again and, thanks to a nice punt return and phenomenal play-calling, the Cowboys took a little more demanding 14-0 lead.
 
14-0 Cowboys
 
New Orleans took over and, though Reggie Bush broke a 25-yard run, their drive ended in a questionable defensive play on a good ol fashioned Drew Brees bomb. Yet, the game continues.
 
Dallas picks up right back where they left off, as quarterback Tony Romo probably could have taken a nap in the pocket and still would’ve had time to throw a strike to Miles Austin. However, somebody forgot to tell Cowboys coach Wade Phillips that your expose to kick field goals on 4th down, as they attempted a 4-yard first down. He got lucky; the refs got flag happy on the saints secondary and the drive was extended. This did not turn out being a good thing for the Cowboys though; two of the next three snaps resulted in Tony Romo eating dirt. So, the Boys’ were forced to punt.
 
Following the defensive stand, the Saints drove down the field, ultimately resulting in a Garrett Hartley field goal.
 
14-3 Cowboys
 
Dallas was then plagued by penalties their next drive and the Saints took over at their own 9-yard line with just under four minutes left in the half. That’s when Drew Brees, well, showed why he’s being considered in the league’s MVP voting, driving the Saints all the way down near field; but that’s as far as they would get. Brees threw interception the following play, which completely erases the whole “being considered for the MVP” statement a few sentences ago.
 
But, thanks to the stupidity of Wade Phillips and the Dallas play-calling, they passed the ball two of the next three plays from scrimmage, as opposed to winding the clock down, which ultimately gave Brees and company another shot at scoring with a little more than 1:15 left.
 
Then, another twist was added to the game, as Drew Brees fumbled the ball and was recovered by the Cowboys with 45 seconds left. This time, the Cowboys took a shot at the field goal and went up 17-3 at the half.
 
17-3 Cowboys
 
Halftime Numbers Report:
The Cowboys are four for eight on third downs, as the Saints are maintaining a big fat 0 under third down conversions. Numbers remain close offensively, the only difference being two New Orleans turnovers; holding the Saints to a mere 3 points. New Orleans looks to be picking it up in the 2nd quarter offensively, out gaining their 1st quarter offensive yards total 35-101. For the Cowboys, almost the opposite; their 1st to 2nd quarter ratio being 101-28.
 
Miles Austin started off the half with a dropped pass. But, it seems that every time he drops one he’ll make up for it with a first down; he converted two plays later. Later in the drive, Marion Barber ran one in from three yards out to finish of Dallas’ stoic drive.
 
24-3 Cowboys
 
New Orleans responded with a heck of a kick return, bringing it all the way back to the 36-yard line. However, a dropped ball in the end zone and a Cowboys sack left the Saints offense to a self-destruct-like drive. Yet, a 10-yard holding penalty dug them out of their own hole, giving the Saints a fresh set of downs. But, nothing doing, as the Saints just ended up right back where they started; 4th and 18.
 
Leading 24-3 with just less than minutes left in the 3rd, Dallas looked to put the game out of reach early with another touchdown. They made it all the way down to the 50-yard line before the Saints decided they wanted to play defense and forced them to a punt.
 
The next drive, Brees looked like a brand new quarterback; the one we’ve been used to seeing the last 13 weeks. He started to relax more in the pocket and throw more accurate passes, thus resulting in their first touchdown of the game, ran in by Mike Bell from a yard out.
 
24-10 Cowboys
 
With the score 24-10 now, the Saints 12th man came back to life, helping the Saints defense hold Dallas to back-to-back punts; giving them another chance at the comeback.
 
They didn’t disappoint. Driving the ball all the way down the field Drew Brees style, the Saints scored on a seven-yard wide receiver screen pass and, more importantly, cutting the lead to seven and giving them a better shot at what has the potential to be the best comeback of the decade.
 
24-17 Cowboys
 
Though the Saints didn’t fare as well as before, as the Superdome watched in grief as Romo led the Cowboys down the field on a time-consuming drive that ultimately ended in a cowboys field goal attempt. Dallas looked to take a game-securing ten-point lead off a chip shot of a field goal from 24 yards out. But hold the phone! They missed it! Hitting off the right crossbar, the ball fell short in the endzone, adding even more drama to the Saints pursuit of an undefeated season.
 
The offense took the field and nothing went their way the first three plays. Nothing. Facing a 4th and 10 with just over a minute left, this was perhaps the most nerve-racking moment of the season thus far. Yet, the magic Carries on, as Drew Brees converted to Marques Colston. Flirting with the clock, Brees carefully tiptoed down the field, using every break he could find. It took nine plays to get 38 yards and suckin up two minutes and four seconds. Later in the drive, on first and ten from the Cowboys 42, Drew Brees was hit as he threw and was ruled an incomplete pass, bringing the clock down to a lonesome twelve seconds. Second and ten, Brees dropped back and was hit by Cowboys defender DeMarcus Ware and fumbled the ball, recovered by Dallas with six seconds left; sealing off the game and the hopes of New Orleans undefeated season.
 
Final Score: 24-17 Cowboys
 
What This Means:
For one of the first times ever, the real story is how this affects the losing team in the New Orleans Saints. Expectations aren’t very high for the Saints; they’ve only been to the playoffs three times in their 42-year history. But, maintaining a 13-0 undefeated record up to this point, it was all or nothing. Iff they win, the spirit lives on. And if the lose, it just brings back memories of their losing history. Though it shouldn’t be that way, that’s how it is.
 
Losing this game takes an enormous amount of pressure off the Saints as they advance into the postseason. I mean, just look at the Vikings, nobodys talked about them ever since ending their six-game streak to the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier this season; they’re 11-2! But in the end, this shows us a lot about this thriving Saints team. Being able to overcome a 21-point deficit in the second half and rally all the way back to within seven points and have the game coming down to the final play; this is a tough football team. Their star tight end was even out. The defense turned their game around and the offense picked it up. And though they lost, this teams knows how to fight.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Singletary Doesn't Play Around

Singletary Doesn't Play Around

By J [The Gambler] Gamble For Football Reporters Online
 
Mike Singletary doesn’t care what the critics say about his brash tactics. He knows what it takes to win and he plans on embarrassing his team to victory, if he has to.
 
The Hall of Fame linebacker and ferocious leader of  the 85’ Bears - widely recognized as the NFL’s best modern day defense –took over for Mike Nolan in 08’. Nolan was known for defending his player’s shortcomings. He was also infamous for his 18-37 record in four and a half seasons as 49er’s head coach. Nolan’s tolerance of: losing, juvenile tactics and immature, selfish behavior, wore thin on fans and management.
 
Singletary’s approach couldn’t be more different. He asserted his leadership and control in unprecedented fashion, publicly berating and then banishing star Vernon Davis to the locker room following a 15-yard penalty for tapping an opposing player’s helmet.  
 
Generally, players are never openly reprimanded on the side lines, so for Singletary to tell Davis to take the long walk into the locker room in front of thousands of fans was shocking. It also showed Singletary was willing to do anything to get SanFran back on the winning track. I mean, he hit the ground running. In his inaugural game as head coach, Singletary dropped his pants and pointed to his buttocks during halftime of a 34-13 loss to the Seahawks. He was uninspired with his team’s play and graphically let them know. He was blasted in the media for that as well. The most genius part is how he continued to berate them for several minutes with his pants around his ankles. It was surely a sight imprinted in the mind of his players forever.
 
If Singletary can also imprint his championship pedigree, then these stories will become that of legend. It has been a while since the NFL had an animated coach like a Jerry Glanville, Bill Parcells, Bum Phillips or Buddy Ryan. Singletary’s “man-to man”, iron-fist approach is a refreshing change from the modern–day coaches who allow individual players to run amuck of the rules and team philosophy.  
 
With his team steadily improving, building an identity, and coming off a 24-9 thrashing of first-place Arizona, Singletary has eased on the shock value. The passion and animated aggression remains. His intelligence, even as a player, has always been his greatest asset.   The 49er defense displayed all of these traits on Sunday, sacking Kurt Warner four times and picking him twice.
 
The pundits, who called Singletary’s actions inappropriate, have to be rethinking things. Others said the rich, sensitive athletes of today wouldn’t take well to his coaching style, and strict code of accountability. Singletary knew he couldn’t change his team’s current losing culture, unprofessional antics, and lazy work ethic, without getting everyone’s attention. And boy did he ever.
 
With the verdict still out on Alex Smith, The 49er’s lack a big-time quarterback. They have relied on aggressive defense, shrewd play-calling and the feet of Frank Gore, to show growth at 6-7 with slight playoff hopes. It seems the old warrior knows what he is doing. Why wouldn’t he? During his illustrious career he won Division titles, Pro Bowls and a championship. He was a hands-on defensive signal caller and relentless ball hawk. The rebirth of every franchise begins with a money quarterback, smothering defense and a process of devotion to excellence. The 49ers have two of the three, and a perfect head dude in Singletary.   
 

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

What I Saw in Week 10




[Late Monday Night Edition]
Tuesday Morning Huddle
 
What I Saw in Week 10

By David Ortega for Football Reporters Online


Vikings quarterback still fantasy stud…. 
When the season started quarterback Brett Favre was not on anyone’s radar as a number one fantasy quarterback. At 40 years of age, Favre’s better days looked to be in the rear view mirror or so we thought. In Favre’s last four starts he is averaging 300-yards passing per game with eight touchdowns and only one interception.

Marvelous McNabb throws for a mile…. 
The Eagles quarterback played very well on Sunday, but no matter how often he threw (55 times) or who he threw the ball to (seven different receivers) it wasn’t enough. While the Eagles fell McNabb’s numbers rose with 35 completions for 450 yards in the air and two touchdowns in a week 10 loss to the Chargers.

Action Jackson will not be stopped…. 
If you drafted running back Steven Jackson, but had second thoughts because the Rams offense is just bad pat yourself on the back for sticking with the stud. The St. Louis Rams may be 1-7, but that is not stopping “Action” Jackson from having a big season. On Sunday Jackson turned in his third straight 100-yard rushing game with 176 total yards against the Saints. Only twice has Jackson totaled less than 100 yards and for the season he has 1,146 yards of total offense ranking second behind Chris Johnson.
 
Worst of the Worst

When it comes to the Raiders-Chiefs rivalry, the Silver and Black know very little about home-field advantage. Thanks primarily to an inept offense that converted just 12 percent (2/16) of third downs, completed just 13 of 32 passes, and turned the ball over twice, the Raiders lost for the seventh straight time at home against the Chiefs. The Raiders are now 2-7; how did they win two games?


Jury is still Out

Has the Broncos offense finally turned the corner? Well after a fast start on Sunday against the Redskins, it certainly appeared that McDaniels had made the necessary adjustments and the offense was finally right. This was all until disaster struck. After watching Orton complete 11 of 18 for 193 yards and two touchdowns in the first half, the Broncos offense completely disappeared with backup Chris Simms in the game for the injured Orton. With a big matchup with San Diego in week 11 and Simms the likely starter, the offense might regress some before taking any more forward steps. The Jury is going to remain out on Denver’s “Patriot’s West” offense, at least until a healthy Orton returns.



10 Things I Remember From Sunday
(Week 10)

1. The Panthers used their two-headed monster out of the back-field to take down the Falcons; Stewart and Williams combined for 174 yards and two touchdowns.
2. One of my “Four Horsemen” Sidney Rice puts up 201 receiving yards against the Lions secondary.
3. The Titan’s running back Chris Johnson plays like a stud in a league of his own totaling 232 yards and scoring two touchdowns against the Bills.
4. The Redskins offensive line just blew holes into the Broncos defense all day to the tune of 174 yards on the ground.
5. Despite their recent struggles through the air, the Broncos and quarterback Kyle Orton came out gun-slinging in week 10; Orton passed for 193 yards in the first half before leaving with an injury.
6. The “Old man” in Arizona Kurt Warner took a while to get started, but once he did he was unstoppable completing 29 of 38 passes for over 300-yards and two touchdowns.
7. The Bengals defense showed up on Sunday against Big Ben and the Steelers recording four sacks and a forced fumble in their 18-12 win.
8. Steven Jackson is a one man wrecking crew in St. Louis rushing for 131 yards and catching nine balls for another 45 yards.
9. Who is Brandon Gibson, likely the next Waiver wire darling after catching seven passes for 93 yards.
10. Peyton Manning is still Peyton Manning; Sunday night against the Patriots he passed for 327 yards with four touchdowns.