By TLarner
This week was full of divisional rivalries, and tonight is no different. Check out what happened on Sunday, then sit back and watch two NFC North opponents battle to stay undefeated.
Fly Eagles Fly
Is Michael Vick on fire or what? The seemingly unstoppable quarterback made his second start as an Eagle in Jacksonville. He has proved his old critics from Atlanta wrong, those who said he couldn’t develop into a quality passing QB. Vick hit DeSean Jackson for a 61-yard score in the first quarter. He found Jeremy Maclin in the end zone twice, one of 16 yards and another for 45. While he was hot in the pocket, Vick wasn’t going to end without showing off his wheels. He ran 17 yards through the Jaguars defense for his fourth touchdown.
Vick finished with 291 yards passing and 30 yards rushing. Jackson had 153 yards receiving. The defense sacked Jacksonville quarterback David Garrard six times; two from Pro Bowl end Trent Cole. The Jaguars offense was unable to get anything started. The highlight of the day was Josh Scobee’s lone 51-yard field goal. Garrard threw for 105 yards and a pick. Maurice Jones-Drew ran for 88 yards.
K.C. Masterpiece
The Kansas City Chiefs are arguably the biggest surprise so far in 2010. On Sunday, they crushed the 49ers 31-10. The Chiefs’ offense and defense both contributed to the win. Matt Cassel threw for 250 yards and three touchdowns. Offensive weapon Dexter McCluster began with a 31-yard reception for a score in the second quarter. After a San Francisco field goal, the Chiefs added 24 unanswered points. Dwayne Bowe brought in a 45-yard pass, and Cassel’s favorite target Tony Moeaki caught an 18-yard pass, both for touchdowns. Thomas Jones, who had 95 yards on the ground, punched in another touchdown in the fourth quarter. San Fran QB Alex Smith was able to find Josh Morgan for a score with little over a minute left in the game.
Jamaal Charles of the Chiefs added another 97 yards rushing and 57 yards receiving. Outside linebacker Tamba Hali had a career-high three sacks and a forced fumble. Corner Brandon Flowers picked off Smith once. 49ers’ running back Frank Gore was held to 43 yards rushing, but had over 100 receiving. Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis both had three receptions.
Patriot Games
The New England Patriots defeated the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. Although this isn’t anything new (14th straight victory over Buffalo), the Bills effort on the road against an AFC East rival was noteworthy. Buffalo almost doubled the amount of points they scored in their first two games as they fell 38-30. After dropping to 0-2, Coach Chan Gailey named Ryan Fitzpatrick the starting quarterback over Trent Edwards. In the second quarter, rookie C.J. Spiller scored the first touchdown of his short NFL career with a five-yard reception from Fitzpatrick. Danny Woodhead added his first career touchdown with a nifty 22-yard run, and the Patriots entered the half with a 17-16 lead. In the third quarter, Tom Brady had all day to find a well covered Randy Moss for his second touchdown of the day. On the ensuing kickoff, Spiller went 95-yards on the return to keep the deficit at one, 24-23. New England followed with 14 unanswered points, including a seven-yard run by BenJarvus Green-Ellis. Steve Johnson hauled in Fitzpatrick’s second TD with just over four minutes remaining. However, on his final drive, Fitzpatrick overthrew his intended receiver and was picked off for the second time.
Brady ended 21-27 for 252 yards and three scores. New England ran for 200 yards, lead by Green-Ellis with 98 yards and Woodhead with 42 yards. Rookie tight end Aaron Hernandez led the team with six catches for 65 yards. Marshawn Lynch had 79 yards rushing for Buffalo. Roscoe Parrish had a team high 83 yards on five catches. Fitzpatrick ended 20-28 for 247 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions, and apparently the Bills’ starting job for the season. On Monday, Buffalo announced Edwards was released, leaving Brian Brohm as the second team QB.
Charlie’s Angels
Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback Charlie Batch must have someone watching over him. He went from fourth string to starter this week against Tampa Bay because of injuries to Byron Leftwich and Dennis Dixon. While Ben Roethlisberger continued to serve his suspension, Batch made his first start since 2007. He found receiver Mike Wallace for two 40+ yard touchdowns. Wallace was able to beat rookie Cody Grimm (Who replaced Tanard Jackson after he was suspended until next season) for his first touchdown. His second came off what looked like a dropped interception in the end zone off of Tampa Bay corner Aqib Talib. Veteran Hines Ward added a third touchdown from Batch. Rashard Mendenhall ran for 143 yards and a score to take some pressure off of the 35-year old QB. Defensive lineman Brett Keisel returned a Josh Freeman interception 79 yards in the fourth quarter to seal the deal.
The Buccaneers’ only touchdown drive came after backup Josh Johnson replaced Freeman after the pick six. Former Oregon Duck LeGarrette Blount rushed for a touchdown late in the game. Blount had six carries for 27 yards. Freeman finished 20-31 for 184 yards. Rookie receiver Mike Williams had five catches for 55 yards. Batch went 12-17 for 186 yards with two picks in addition to his three touchdowns for Pittsburgh. The Steelers’ defense recorded four sacks.
Remaining Scores from Sunday:
- Tennessee-19
- New York Giants-10
- Cincinnati-20
- Carolina-7
- Baltimore-24
- Cleveland-17
- Dallas-27
- Houston-13
- Detroit-10
- Minnesota-24
- Atlanta-27
- New Orleans-24
- Washington-16
- St. Louis-30
- Indianapolis-27
- Denver-13
- Oakland-23
- Arizona-24
- San Diego-20
- Seattle-27
- New York Jets-31
- Miami Dolphins-23
Game of the Week: Green Bay at Chicago
(From 9/24 article)
The Week 3 Game of the Week is a battle between two undefeated teams on Monday Night Football. NFC North rivals Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears will fight to for the number one spot in the division. The Packers, led by Aaron Rodgers, have been dominating just as expected. However, the Bears are one of the surprise teams three weeks into the season.
Green Bay was a preseason favorite to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. Last week, they dominated the Buffalo Bills in a 34-7 win. Strong defense has been a big reason for the team’s success in the past few years. So far in 2010, the Packers defense ranks third in the league in yards allowed per game (253.0) and first in sacks (10). Outside linebacker Clay Matthews leads the league with six sacks. The offense was dealt a significant blow when starting running back Ryan Grant was placed on injured reserve with an injured right ankle. Grant, who had surgery on Tuesday, had rushed for at least 1,200 yards in each of the past two seasons. Brandon Jackson has stepped in for Grant, while John Kuhn has also earned some time in the backfield.
Chicago’s 2-0 start has shocked many. After finishing last season 7-9, the Bears are off to their best start since 2006 when they went to the Super Bowl. Offensive coordinator Mike Martz has worked wonders with an offense that was little more than horrible in 2009. Quarterback Jay Cutler, who led the NFL in interceptions last season, has completed 68.8% of his passes for 649 yards and five touchdowns in the first two weeks of 2010. His 121.2 passer rating is currently the best in the league. Pro Bowl linebacker Brian Urlacher, who suffered a season ending wrist injury in Week 1 in 2009, appears to be back to full strength. His defense has allowed a mere 28 yards per game on the ground. Defensive end Julius Peppers, Chicago’s big offseason acquisition, recorded his first sack as a Bear in Week 1 against Detroit.
Key Matchup: Aaron Rodgers vs. Jay Cutler
This game is all about the two starting quarterbacks. Neither team has done a great job on the ground, so this game will most likely be decided through the air. Aaron Rodgers has proved he was the right man to replace Brett Favre in Green Bay. In the past two seasons, he has thrown for over 8,400 yards and 58 touchdowns. He is off to another good start in 2010 with 443 yards and four touchdowns. He also has a rushing touchdown. While Chicago is 27th in passing yards allowed, they have only allowed one touchdown compared to three picks.
Jay Cutler struggled mightily in 2009. He led the NFL with 26 interceptions after two good years in Denver. In his second year in Chicago, he looks like a whole new man. His completion percentage is up eight percent, and he has only one interception so far. His 649 yards ranks third in the league. Cutler has spread the ball around well, too. All seven players who have been targeted have at
least five catches. Cutler has a tough challenge ahead of him this week. The Green Bay defense has allowed only 116.5 passing yards per game. Opposing quarterbacks average a 67.9 passer rating.
Prediction
As anticipated, Green Bay has started off the 2010 season on the right foot. The Bears have done a great job exceeding expectations so far. However, their luck runs out this Monday night. The Packers have done a great job getting after the oppositions quarterback. Chicago has questions at left tackle with Chris Williams nursing a hamstring injury. If Clay Mathews can get to Cutler, it will be a long day for the Bears. Aaron Rodgers should have another good game as usual. I don’t expect a high scoring affair as both teams have been playing good defense this year, but Green Bay will leave Chicago 3-0.
Have NFL Splinters? Share them here.
The Steelers must be out to prove you don’t need a great, or good, or competent QB to win games games in the NFL. They were talking on PTI today about bringing Roethlisberger off the bench when he comes back. WOW!
I’m trying to imagine the Patriots defensive meeting today. They might set a record for mfs in a 30 minute time period.
Slinging Fitzy – he will make a nice stop gap. Could the Bills get “Luck”y?
Charlie Weis getting it done in KC.
How much longer before the adrenaline wears off in Seattle and Petey comes back to reality. Should we tell the tale of Coach Fredo.
I found it perplexing that Seattle handed the coaching/front-office car keys to Carroll this past winter for two reasons. First, it’s always weird when NFL teams pay huge money to lure successful college coaches when the jobs are so fundamentally different. It’s the distant cousin of Hollywood’s allowing star actors to direct (with a similar track record of success). So you excelled at a job that’s 75 percent recruiting and 25 percent strategy, you’ve been basically playing the “Pro” level of “Madden” and now we’re asking you to jump to “All-Madden” without a safety net, and you have no feel for the other 31 NFL rosters because you haven’t been following our league at all. This should work great!
Second, Carroll became the Patriots’ coach the same year I launched my http://www.bostonsportsguy.com website. He did such a dreadful job that a reader once e-mailed me, “Pete Carroll answers the question of why Fredo was never given control of the Corleone family,” followed by my immediately nicknaming Carroll “Coach Fredo” for the rest of his tenure. As it turned out, the comparison was an insult to Fredo. It took Carroll two years to destroy a Super Bowl team, and after he left, it took the Patriots two years to win a Super Bowl. You couldn’t do worse.
I specifically remember thinking to myself in 1999, “Pete Carroll is definitely not meant to coach professional football or pick the players.” I didn’t think Carroll was meant to coach football, period. His USC experience revealed that he’s meant to recruit 18-year-olds, hop around on the sideline, pump his fists, do the rah-rah routine, design fun defenses and give likable news conferences. We already saw this routine in the NFL: His name was Herm Edwards. It’s not going to work.
And now, a moment of silence for the passing of the Trent Edwards era in Buffalo.
ESPN is reporting that a few teams are interested in signing him. Huh?
C’mon Casey…. A few teams can use him.. He will be in their instructional videos on what NOT to do as a NFL quarterback.
Did the Cowboys have a ” Ahh, Hold on a second” moment yesterday??? Wally’s Texans seem to come back down to earth pretty quickly yesterday thanks to Wade Phillips and the boys..
How bad do the Giants look? Eli threw a ball left handed for an interception yesterday? That helmet catch is making me sicker by the week.
I think the Bills cutting Edwards should be listed in Performance of the week. It’s about time they made a move forward.
Da Bears!!!! Their luck does not run out (yet). Who in their wildest dreams thought the three undefeated teams after 3 weeks would be the Steelers, Chiefs and da Bears????
Boy, did Aaron Rogers look GREAT or what?
Smitty … it was not Wade Phillips who beat the Texans. Wade only beats himself.
Hahaha. YES! The only thing Wade can bring down to size is the number of donuts at the local Krispy Kreme.
You play to win the game!
The Jacksonville Jaguars claimed Trent Edwards off of waivers. Do they expect him to compete with David Garrard? Garrard has also played rather poorly this year. He only had 105 yards and a pick against Philly, and the Eagles pass defense gave up over 300 yards to the Lions backup QB.
I’m not shocked at the results of the MNF game. Green Bay had 17 penalties!! They gave away two picks on the final drive, one called back because of roughing the passer, and one on pass interference. And all game they talked about how McCarthy wanted to eliminate stupid penalties. And Clay Matthews, get a hair cut!