NFL Splinters | Week 3 2009

By Paul Gotham

Contenders,  Chrissie Hynde, and The Promised Land

Three weeks in the books, and seven teams have yet to lose: the NY Jets, Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, New York Giants, New Orleans Saints, Minnesota Vikings.

It comes as no surprise to see the Colts, Ravens, Giants, Saints, and Vikings on this list. Indy showed last week that time of possession can be overrated. This week the Arizona Cardinals’ defense actually made some tackles (as opposed to the Dolphins grabbing at air last week). Peyton and company put together some sustained drives en route to a 31-10 drubbing of last year’s Super Bowl participant. 15 minutes of possession equalled 27 points versus Miami. 31 and change = four touchdowns and a field goal in the desert. Manning used six different receivers – five of whom caught more than one pass. Four different Colts caught passes and went to the house – Reggie Wayne, Joseph Addai, Dallas Clark, and Pierre Garcon.   The Colts play at home against Seattle in week 4. The Seahawks should leave the neon jerseys at home. Quoting the better half: “Uh…ewwwwww.” Okay, so she has had better ones.

Some picked Baltimore  to represent the AFC in this year’s Super Bowl. The Ravens are doing their best to make those pundits look good. Bear in mind,  Baltimore has feasted on the Chiefs and Browns. It’s a little surprising KC put a 24-spot on the board. Then again, it was week 1. The Browns offered little resistance this weekend.  Brady did not look  like ‘The Mighty’ Quinn.  Challenges lie ahead. Tom ‘Terrific’ (Gag!) and the Patriots host the Ravens next weekend, and the resurgent Bengals (oxymoron alert?) pay a visit in week 5.

New Orleans showed yesterday they can also play defense.  The Saints, averaging 46 per game, touted the highest scoring offense in the league coming into the game with the Buffalo Bills. For 50 minutes yesterday, Drew Brees and company managed to put just 10 points on the scoreboard at Ralph Wilson Stadium.  The Saints D held the Bills to 7; check that the Saints D held the Bills offense to 0. Buffalo used some chicanery with a fake field goal.  The New orleans offense exploded for 17 points in the final ten minutes.

Old man Favre still has the touch.#4 found Greg Lewis in the back of the end zone with :02 remaining, and the Vikings remained undefeated. Let’s see…Green Bay at Minnesota next week. That should be interesting. Throw in there the possibility of the Detroit Tigers having to play at Minnesota against the Twins for the AL Central crown and next Monday could be a wild one.

The G-Men haven’t lost. Of course, I have seen wet rags put up a better fight than the Buccaneers did yesterday. Check this one out – Tampa Bay managed 86 yards of total offense. The Bucs failed to convert on third down…ALL DAY.   Eli completed passes to five different receivers while Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs combined for over 200 yards on the ground. Derrick Ward, on the other hand, who used to play for the Giants but now wears a Bucs jersey? He rushed for two yards. Not so easy when you don’t have the Giant line opening holes.

How much longer before we find out if  Denver really has ‘brass in pocket?’  Sure, the Broncos are 3-0. Their wins? Cleveland, Oakland, and Cincinnati. The crazy thing is the Broncos have held their opponents to 16 points. Yeah, you read that right 16 points!!! The next closest total is the Jets with 33 points. In fact, Denver has allowed just one touchdown all season.  Tony Romo and the Cowpokes visit Denver next week, and then Tom ‘Terrific’ pays a visit. Ya know what? maybe, I should have put Martin Chambers as the sub-title.  That band would have been nothing without him on the skins.

Mark Sanchez is showing he’s not a boy; he might just be a man, and he has Jets fans dreaming of the Promised Land.  With the Pats in week 2 and the Titans in week 3, many had the Jets opening the season at 1-2. And rightly so. Rex Ryan would have been happy with 2-1. 3-0 and Rexy has to be giddy.  Giving up 33 points in three games and one of those games against the Pats – the Jets might be for real. Since they play home games in Jersey, Bruce can offer a little more advice: “Blow away the dreams that tear you apart – Blow away the dreams that break your heart -Blow away the lies that leave you nothing but lost and brokenhearted.”

In case you’re wondering – I am not a Jets fan. The Bruce stuff just worked with them.

Bob Geldof understands the Bills

Before there was Live Aid, and before he shaved his eyebrows, Bob Geldof fronted the Boomtown Rats. The Rats had this catchy little tune called – ‘Tell Me Why I Don’t Like Mondays.’  Dick Jauron might change those lyrics to: Tell me why I don’t like fourth quarters…I wanna shoo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oot the whole quarter down.  In their two losses, the Bills have given up 32 points in the fourth quarter. In the other six quarters of their two losses? 20 points. Ouch!

The T.O. effect is a real thing. Terrell Owens throwing temper tantrums in Dallas and Philly was amusing.  As yesterday’s game entered the fourth, T.O. hadn’t caught a ball. The tension was palpable. Like a bomb ready to blow just sixty miles west on the thruway. Not that I know anything about football, but for the love of God, can we get him some touches. Let’s try something short. Maybe a quick slant in or an out pattern. Everything to Owens yesterday was 15-20 yards down the field. Oh, and another thing – if you are going to run the hurry up, then do it.  None of this – getting to the line, looking over at the sidelines for  five seconds, checking the wrist band, and then going. Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of the hurry up?

D3 Power

Remember the name Pierre Garcon. The second-year receiver has 7 receptions for 136 yards and two touchdowns for the Colts. Garcon’s college? Mount Union. Who is Mt. Union you ask? Ask any member of the St. John Fisher Cardinals. The Purple Raiders of Mt. Union have dominated D3 football for the last decade.

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