Some people, mostly in the New England area, think Bill Belichik is a genius. Others believe he is a cheat. Obviously you don’t win three Super Bowl rings, go undefeated in the regular season and lose a fourth Super Bowl without something working between the ears.
It’s gospel on this blog that I believe that Jack Del Rio inherited the title of Worst NFL Coach upon the retirement of Herm Edwards.
The roles were some what reversed this week.
By now everyone has hashed, rehashed and regurgitated Belichick’s decision to go for the first down against Payton Manning and the Colts Sunday night. My two cents: punt the ball and let Manning earn it. Don’t give him a short field to work with.
On the flipside, Del Rio instructed running back Maurice Drew-Jones not to score in the closing minutes of the Jacksonville Jaguars game against the New York Jets. Drew-Jones took a knee at the one instead of plunging in to the endzone. The Jets had no time outs left and the Jags only needed a field goal to win. They ran out the clock, kicked the FG and won the game.
Those two games show the fine line between genius and idiot. If the Patriots get the first down and win, Belichick is the toast of the town and hailed a gutsy genius. If the Jags miss the field goal, fumble the snap or some other slapstick error, Del Rio probably gets closer to earning his pink slip.
As it stands, the Patriots may have lost any chance at gaining home field advantage through out the playoffs. Unless they collapse completely, they should win their division. The Jags, despite Del Rio, remain in the hunt for a wild card spot and also achieve the tie breaker over the Jets.
Dysfunction Junction, What’s Your Function?
The are bad teams (Chiefs, Lions, Rams) and then there are the problem children of the NFL…Browns, Redskins and Bills.
Incompetence and dysfunction rule the roost in those franchises. The Browns currently hold the lead after firing the GM and Eric Mangini’s antics now catching the eye of the NFL Players Association.
Not to be out done, Ralph Wilson fired Bills head coach Dick Jauron while I started writing this last night. I find the time odd. He had the best opportunity to do so during the open date. Instead Wilson does it on Tuesday, promotes the defensive coordinator to interim coach and expects the team to be prepared to play this Sunday.
I understand pulling the plug on a coach but there are better ways to handle things. Firing a coach during the week isn’t the best way. The move proves the level of chaos going on in Buffalo.
Old Man Wilson styles himself a man of the people. He is the only owner who votes against relocation anytime a team wants to pick up and move. He’s voted against teams moving every time. It’s a nice gesture and pretty meaningless. Remember this is the same owner who is playing regular season games in Toronto and might be rumored to move more games, if not the franchise, to Toronto.
With that kind of doublespeak, it’s no wonder his franchise is swirling down the toilet. Chaos breeds chaos. Wilson, 91, needs to step back and let a younger man run his team. Hands off is generally the best way to go. Just sign the checks and watch the books, Wilson and enjoy your last few years in this life.
And on the Field of Play
Things in Denver seem to hit a wall. After a blazing 6-0 start, the Broncos now have lost the last three. The latest was to division archrival San Diego. The ESPN Football Today podcast, with Mike Green), brought up an interesting point about the Broncos. They pointed out that Denver’s defense isn’t all that young. The tough games they played against the Ravens and Steelers may have taken a toll on the older bodies. Now they really haven’t recovered and will continue to wear down as the season progresses.
Say what you want about the 18-12 score, I still thought it was an entertaining game between the Bengals and the Steelers. No offensive touchdowns usually mean a dull game (Browns 6, Bills 3). Both teams played solid defense and left it out on the field. There was plenty at stake for both teams. Bengals solidified their hold on the AFC North and one game away from sweeping the division. They put themselves in position to compete for a bye in the playoffs. While not out of the divisional race yet, the Steelers must start thinking wildcard. It would take a dramatic Bengals collapse for them to win the division.
Just when you think the Cowboys are making a strong push, the December Boys make a midseason showing. The ‘boys blew a chance to put some distance in the division between themselves and the Giants and Eagles. More curious is why they didn’t use the three headed monster of Tashard Choice, Felix Jones and Marion Barber. Instead the Green Bay defense harassed Tony Romo for the better part of the game.
The free fall continues for the Jets. After opening with a three game win streak and the swagger of coach Rex Ryan, the Jets aren’t looking the like the dark horse playoff team anymore. One scout on I read stated that it would take defensive coaches about three games to figure out rookie Jet quarterback Mark Sanchez. Right on schedule, three games into the season is where the slump begins.
Line of the Week - Charles Woodson CB Green Bay Packers
Two forced fumbles, 9 tackles (2 for a loss), 1 sack, 1 Interception
JeMarcus Russell Player of the Week
This week it goes to a coach. Bill Belichick. Come on man, at least make Payton Manning drive the length of the field.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment