Nfc north reports regular season

VIKINGS

As the Boss says, '...at the end of every hard earned day people find some reason to believe.' And Viking fans, we may be disappointed, but we have many Reasons To Believe this morning.

Stock Market Report, after the jump.

Star-divide
Blue Chip Stocks:

Adrian Peterson, RB. Adrian Peterson ran with anger, purpose, and violence last night, but it wasn't enough. One thing the Vikings were able to do, at least on a fairly consistent basis, was to run the ball effectively. Last year, it seemed that every other run was for no gain or a loss, and I didn't see that last night. Well, except when Albert Young carried the ball.

Visanthe Shiancoe, TE. Shiancoe was Favre's favorite target last night, and he came up huge, including the lone Vikings TD. I can't go one enough about Shiancoe's transformation here in Minnesota. He arrived from New York known as Jeremy Shockey's back up, dropped a lot of passes his first season, but has become arguably a Pro Bowl level player. He was the only reliable receiver Favre had on the field last night, and has emerged as a deadly red zone threat, as evidenced last night.

Chad Greenway, EJ Henderson and Ben Leber, LB's. The starting linebackers were all over the place last night, and EJ Henderson was flying around. Holding the Saints to 14 points was an impressive achievement and Leber, Greenway, and Henderson played a big part of that.
Sound Investments:

The Offensive Line. There were a couple of breakdowns, but overall, I thought the line played well. John Sullivan acquitted himself well, considering he had virtually no playing time in the pre-season. When Bryant McKinnie went out with a finger injury...that required he be carried off on a cart, WTF?...Phil Loadholt moved to the left side and Ryan Cook was inserted on the right side. My immediate thought was...unprintable. Loadholt got schooled on the first play he was in on the left side, but after that, both Loadholt and Cook were fine. Considering the situation they were put into, I had no problems with their play. Favre had time most of the night to make throws, and Peterson had holes to run through. Really, what more can you ask for?

Leslie Frazier, Defensive Coordinator. The Vikings had some breakdowns on defense, yes, and the first drive of the Saints was disconcerting, but overall I thought that was a tremendous gameplan that limited the high powered Saints offense to 14 points at home. The Saints were unable to run the ball for most of the night, and Drew Brees looked confused at times, which is something that rarely happens. The Vikings as a whole need to get better in several areas, defense included, but if Frazier can get the defense to hold teams to 14 points or less every week, they'll be an 11 or 12 win team.
Junk Bonds:

Bernard Berrian and Percy Harvin, WR's. They needed to step up last night, and didn't. Harvin and Favre misfired on a couple of throws that could have been big plays, and Berrian dropped a critical third down pass on a drive that ended up being a field goal when the Vikes really could've used a touchdown. The Saints played in zone coverage most of the night, and the receivers were unable to find the seams in the zone or get separation from the defender on a consistent basis. These guys are too talented to perform this way every week, and they'll be back, but last night was a very forgettable performance for both of them.

Brett Favre, QB. Favre had decent stats and a sweet TD pass to Shiancoe, but threw a horrible interception and looked out of sync with his receivers. He overthrew or underthrew several open guys, and seemed to checkdown to the backs and tight ends quite a bit. I don't know if he was unsure of where the receiver was going to go and hesitated to throw the ball, or if the receivers were covered, but Favre looked out of sync with his receivers all night long.
Buy/Sell:

Buy: The Vikings run defense for three quarters.

Sell: The Vikings run defense in the fourth quarter. When they absolutely needed a stop, they couldn't get it, and the Saints ran out the clock. Is there a reason that the VIkings didn't adjust to the inside cutback? Anyone?

Buy: Greg Camarillo's clutch third down catch. Nice play by a guy that was brought in to do just that.

Sell: Greg Camarillo barely seeing the field. Was there a reason he wasn't in there? Favre was inaccurate, and Camarillo has hands like glue. Seems like he should've been a bigger part of the offense last night.

Buy: Percy Harvin being fully healthy. Andrea Kremer reported that when he collapsed on the practice field, his heart stopped. That just sends chills up and down my spine, and I immediately think about Korey Stringer. But it sounds like they found out that he has sleep apnea, which was the trigger for is migraines, and they're treating him for that. Honestly, that was the best new I heard all night.

Sell: Not using a 100% Percy Harvin on more misdirection plays. Last year the Vikes had a lot of formations where Harvin would go in motion, and they would either fake a handoff to him or give him the ball. WIth Favre and Harvin unable to connect through the air, I thought the Vikings might try and get Harvin more involved in the offense that way. They didn't, and my fantasy team suffered for it. Thanks, Chilly.

Buy: The Vikings running game.

Sell: The Albert Young part of the Vikings running game. He looked slow, tentative, and easy to tackle. Other than that, he looked great.

Buy: Punt and Kick Coverage. Overall, I thought the Vikings did a good job against two of the better returners in the NFL, especially Reggie Bush on punt returns. K Ryan Longwell had good distance and hangtime on his kicks, and the cover team did just that.

Sell: Blocked Extra Point. Flat out unacceptable.

Buy: Antoine Winfield. He got burned on one play that I can think of off the top of my head, but he was a big part of the defense playing so well last night. Man, when he goes to tackle someone, they don't get away. Glad to see him back healthy.

Sell: The rest of the cornerbacks suited up last night. Once Chris Cook and Cedric Griffin get back healthy, I firmly believe that the Vikings will have a very talented group of CB's. However, Asher Allen is the weak point. he got burned for the first score, and receivers got behind him all night. If a couple of balls don't get dropped, the Saints could've put up a lot more points.

Buy: Taylor Swift on the pregame. Seriously, I'd pay a lot of money to be able to...nevermind.

Sell: Dave Matthews. Didn't sound so good live, but that could've been distortion because of the TV feed. And maybe he's a really laid back guy, I don't know, but the dude looked absolutely BAKED last night.

So week one is in the books. The Vikes are 0-1, but come home to the Mall of America Field at the Hubert H. Humprey Metrodome to face the Miami Dolphins in 10 days. The extra time allows Cook and Griffin to get healthy, and hopefully Toby Gerhart as well. I'm not nearly as distressed over this loss. Like I said, there's room for improvement, but there's also some good things that came out of last night's game. This defense is for real, the passing game will get there, and the o-line and Adrian Peterson look to be back in tthe 2008 form. Favre and the receivers will be ready to go for Miami, and I expect Dolphin on a Stick for football dinner next week.

SKOL!

http://www.dailynorseman.com/2010/9/...-market-report

So, the season opener has come and gone. The Vikings, unfortunately, sit at 0-1 after opening night. . .not optimal, to be sure, but in no way is everything doom and gloom in Minnesota right now. At least, it shouldn't be, anyway. After all, the Vikings held the best offense they're going to see all season to two touchdowns, despite not having anywhere near optimal personnel on the defensive side of the ball. Their offense also looked out of sync, which is something else that will change as the season progresses.

Starting with the positive, we'll look at the defense. The Vikings went into this game with only three healthy cornerbacks, as well as a guy making his first NFL start at safety in Husain Abdullah. . .and he was rotating into a cornerback position against multiple-receiver sets. This is not going to be the case all year, to be sure. Chris Cook, who was outstanding in camp and likely would have started had he been available, could be back as early as our match-up with the Miami Dolphins, and it appears that Cedric Griffin could be back at almost any time, given the fact that his status was listed as "questionable" prior to the season opener.

Yet, despite those personnel shortcomings in the secondary, they actually played some relatively solid football after getting torched on the game's opening drive. And, please, don't give me anything about how many opportunities the other team "missed." Missed opportunities don't mean anything. . .if they did, the Vikings would have hung a 50 spot in last year's NFC Championship Game, and Thursday night's game would have been played in Minneapolis. The fact of the matter is that the scoreboard says that the Vikings held their opponent to 14 points. For a defense that entered the game as short-handed as the Vikings did, they held their ground much better than many folks expected them to. When Cook and Griffin are back and the Vikings can move Asher Allen to the dime role instead of pushing him out there as a starter, the Minnesota secondary is going to be just as solid as the Minnesota front seven. . .and that's going to spell huge trouble for opposing offenses.

Star-divide

Speaking of offense, allow me to rave for a moment about the abilities of one Visanthe Shiancoe. When the Vikings gave this guy a huge contract before the 2007 season, everyone kind of wondered what the heck was going on. He was a guy that rarely got on the field for the New York Giants, and caught very few passes before coming to Minnesota. And for the first year and a bit of his contract with the Vikings, he was a disaster. . .struggling to get open, and dropping way too many passes when he did. But after the game against the Indianapolis Colts in 2008, a light came on in his head, and he's been one of the best tight ends in football ever since. His TD catch on Thursday was his 19th in the last 33 regular season games. . .and, just as a reminder, the only two NFL players that have more over that time are Larry Fitzgerald and Randy Moss. He was the only reliable target Brett Favre had on Thursday night, and made two outstanding catches to get Minnesota their lone touchdown.

Which brings us to the rusty, out of sync offense. Rest assured, ladies and gentlemen, the Minnesota offense is not going to be this awful all season. No way. There's too much talent on this offense for that to happen. Yes, the majority of this has to do with Brett Favre not being at training camp, and not having a couple of cupcakes to get himself asserted against first before moving on to the tougher challenges. It showed in the fact that he was off on his timing with the receivers that were out there, and was somewhat apparent on the interception he threw. . .although, on that throw, the only way that Shiancoe getting assaulted could have been more obvious is if Jodie Foster and a pinball machine would have been involved. That portion of things is entirely on Favre, to be certain. . .but the blame doesn't fall completely on him, either.

For example. . .what the heck happened to the running game in the second half? I mean, other than us abandoning it completely. In the first half of the game, Adrian Peterson touched the ball a total of 15 times for 74 yards (57 rushing yards on 13 carries, and 17 yards on two receptions). He then carried the ball on the first three plays of the second half for another 20 yards. From the 13:54 mark of the third quarter until the end of the football game, Adrian Peterson touched the football three more times for 10 more yards, and didn't have a single touch in the entire fourth quarter of play.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is un-freaking-acceptable. And it happens with this team way, WAY more often than it should.

In the first two games of last year, when Favre was still getting acclimated to the Vikings' offense, Adrian Peterson had performances of 25 carries for 180 yards against Cleveland, and 15 carries for 92 yards against Detroit. In those two games, Favre went 14/21 and 23/27 passing the ball, respectively. On Thursday night, Peterson was still averaging around five yards per carry, and more often than not was picking up very good yardage when he got his hands on the ball. . .and our passing game clearly wasn't what it's going to be later on in the season, which one would think would have us running the ball more than throwing it. However, inexplicably, that wasn't the case.

The best player on our football team didn't touch the football in the entire final quarter of play. Try to wrap your head around this for a minute. I mean, this isn't like Larry Fitzgerald or Andre Johnson going an entire quarter without a catch. You can take away a wide receiver. . .you can't take away a running back. Just turn around and hand the guy the damn ball, for crying out loud. I'm not as anti-Brad Childress as I used to be, by any stretch. . .but this is one of those things that frustrates the hell out of me about him. He falls in love with the pass, even when it clearly isn't there, at the expense of not giving the best running back in football the pigskin.

For the next two games, this offense needs to run through Adrian Peterson. Not Brett Favre. Maybe by the time the bye week gets here, the passing offense will finally be in shape and we can sling it around a little more, but right now the offense needs to slam Adrian Peterson at opposing people so the defense can get a rest. . .we saw them wear out at the end of Thursday night's game, and that has to be the exception rather than the norm.

Also, like many of you, I found the lack of Greg Camarillo on Thursday night disturbing. The Vikings needed a guy out there that could find the open spots and get his hands on the ball, and that's what Camarillo does. I know he and Favre don't have a lot of time together yet, and hopefully that will change, too. And, please, if we're not going to put the guy out there as a receiver, put him out there to return punts. . .I'm already tired of Bernard Berrian and his Nick Davis-esque adventures back there, seriously. Watching Berrian try to return punts is, to borrow a phrase, like watching Saimiri sciureus attempt to copulate with a football. I know, Berrian returned a punt for a touchdown once. . .in the same game that saw Tarvaris Jackson throw four touchdown passes. Yeah, tell me that lightning doesn't strike the same place twice.

So, there you have it. . .the season opener is in the books, and we can sit back tomorrow, fire up the ol' Sunday Ticket (if you have access to that sort of thing), and watch whatever games we want. I know that I'll be looking at Miami/Buffalo to try to get a feel for next week's opponent, and there are a lot of other intriguing match-ups tomorrow as well.

And then, a week from tomorrow, we'll be ready for football from the Metrodome for the first time this year. . .and, hopefully, our first victory of the year as well.

But that's all for tonight, folks. . .enjoy what's left of your Saturday, and we'll have an open thread up here tomorrow morning for your football discussing pleasure.

http://www.dailynorseman.com/2010/9/...ok-back-at-the

 

BEARS

A few of the WCG staffers were chatting yesterday before the Bears-Lions game, and I made a comment about wanting our team to look good. I realized that Detroit was not going to be a pushover, as they had added too much talent in the last couple of years to not be bothersome. So, win or lose, I was really hoping that we would not be stumbling, bumbling, falling down, missing tackles, dropping passes, etc. My hope was that we would look sharp, like a real NFL football team.

And for the most part, I would say we did. Sure there were some miscues, but there will be miscues in the first game of the regular season. Overall, there was a crispness to our offense, and our defense swarmed to the football with great regularity. We won, and despite what others may say, we looked pretty good doing it.

Star-divide

- Danieal Manning looked good on KORs just as he did last year. There was one return where he managed to run directly into a pile of Lions players, but otherwise looked solid.

- Lance Louis may have gotten beaten a few times, but he also won a few battles as well. He looked very aggressive yesterday, and I saw him fighting 5-7 yards downfield a few times. Pleasant surprise.

- Matt Forte has got his sexy back. And by sexy, I mean his speed. He showed his typical shiftiness and elusiveness, but his offseason surgery really put the turbo-boosters on. He showed his speed early, and even showed it later in the game as well, which is a sign of good conditioning.

- Lions DT Ndamukong Suh is a grown man. If he stays healthy, he will be a force to be reckoned with for the Lions for years to come.

- Frank Omiyale, I am rooting for you big guy. But, it does not help your case one bit when we are in our first goal line situation of the game, and I see your big butt get driven straight backwards into the backfield. Please don't do that anymore.

- We cannot count on Greg Olsen to tackle anyone if we throw an interception.

- I do not like DJ Moore being on the football field. While he did make one really nice play, making a line of scrimmage tackle on a straight handoff to the fullback, he also got tossed around like a ragdoll when he was in the thick of things. If the coaches want him to play pass coverage, fine. But, if the expectation is for him to provide run support as well, he's going to get killed.

- When Forte fumbled the ball in Q2, did you see Olin Kreutz "make the tackle"? And I use quotation marks, because that was only a tackle by statistical definition. Kreutz got PLOWED by whomever that large gentleman was that picked up the fumble and ran with the ball.

- I like Anthony Adams. I have always liked Adams, and I think he makes us a better football team when he is on the field. He plays very, very hard, and has great speed. He won't be dominant, but he will be disruptive.

- Henry Melton looked good on KO coverage.

- Game ball: Urlacher and Briggs. If they keep that pace up all season, they'll both be in Hawaii after the season. Complete domination.

- Speaking of LBs, Pisa Tinoisamoa knocked some heads yesterday. He wasn't making big plays like Urlacher and Briggs, but he was taking on some lead blockers with a fury, and freeing up his teammates to make the plays.

- I was so happy to see Jay Cutler getting outside the pocket on pass plays. Some were by design, and some were him scrambling. He looked awesome outside of the pocket for the most part. Also, did you all see the crispness of Cutler's passes? That dude can throw a beautiful football, and showed surprising accuracy for the most part yesterday.

- Overall, the OL did not perform up to standard. They did do well in pass blocking (at times), but the run blocking was terrible. On short yardage situations, we saw our guys get plowed over. I am very encouraged, however, to see a lot of misdirection (traps, pulls, crosses) being called by Mike Martz. He knows that our run blocking is bad, so he didn't try to just mow people down very much. Great use of angles, lanes, and crosses, in my opinion.

- Now, a few miscues that were very impactful: Peppers hit Stafford in the noggin on a 3rd down play, which in turn gave the Lions a 1st down. That lead to the Lions TD. Olsen fumbled. Forte fumbled. Cutler fumbled. Cutler INT'd. Aromashodu dropped a TD pass. Manning dropped an INT. There were other miscues, but had those not occured, we might have seen a larger margin of victory (I'm thinking blowout).

Overall, even with the miscues, our beloved Bears looked pretty damn good against a Lions team that will surprise some folks this season. Here's hoping we got all the rust knocked off , and that we will come out grinding in Dallas next week.

And for fun, here are some links:

David Haugh's reaction to the game.

Dan Pompei's reaction to the game.

Steve Rosenbloom's reaction to the game.

Quick stats:

Jay Cutler: 23/35, 372 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT, 108.3 Rating

Forte/Taylor: 26 rushes, 79 yds (3.04 avg), 0 TDs

Forte: 7 rec, 151 yds, 2 TDs

Aromashodu: 5 rec, 71 yds

Knox: 3 rec, 52 yds

Briggs/Urlacher: 18 total tackles

Bowman/Tillman/Manning: 14 total tackles

Peppers: 1 sack, 2 QB hits

Maynard: 5 punts, 4 inside the 20.

Now that you've had time to process, what's your perspective?

http://www.windycitygridiron.com/201...-things-jotted

My list of what the Bears defense had to feel bad about Sunday:

They let the Lions go nearly the length of the field with the game on the line and would have given up a game-winning touchdown if not for the grace of an NFL rule that needs to be changed.

That's it.

And my list of what the Bears defense had to feel good about Sunday:

They held the Lions to 14 points and gave up only three drives of more than 11 yards all game. If the Bears defense does that every week, this is going to be an exceptional football team.

2. Brian Urlacher is back. He was a force Sunday, and he lifted the performances of those around him. Lions fullback Jerome Felton dropped a pass when he heard Urlacher's footsteps. Urlacher also had a sack, three tackles for a loss, four other tackles and a quarterback hit.

3.The Bears held the Lions to a 29 percent conversion rate on third downs. This was the defense's biggest concern heading into the game. Last year, the Bears allowed opponents to convert 41.2 percent of third downs. In preseason, the Bears allowed opponents to convert 45.8 percent on third downs.

4.They were downright rude to the opposing quarterbacks. Julius Peppers knocked Lions starter Matthew Stafford out of the game with a brutal takedown in the second quarter. He also got the ball out on the play. Previously, Peppers was called for roughing the passer because he took Stafford down by the head.

Peppers played like it was 1985, even if he talked like it was 2010.

Asked about sending Stafford to the x-ray room, Peppers said, "That's not something I want to be proud of. I wanted to make the tackle and get the fumble, but I don't like to hurt guys like that."

Peppers even sought out Stafford after the game to see if he was OK.

The Bears held Lions quarterbacks to a 59.8 passer rating, and hit them five times.

5.They allowed the Lions one yard per carry. Run defense was and is a concern. But it wasn't a problem Sunday, when highly touted rookie runner Jahvid Best ran for only one first down all game.

6.They came up with takeaways, and takeaways are the lifeblood of this team. In addition to Peppers' strip/sack, cornerback Charles Tillman had an interception and Lance Briggs had a strip sack on the goal line.

Briggs had an outstanding game. "Lance is a Pro Bowl player," coach Lovie Smith said. "He plays like that always."

So there is a lot more to feel good about than feel bad about.

The woe-is-me crowd will be quick to point out that it was only the Lions. Fair enough. But they couldn't undress the Packers Sunday because they were in Philadelphia.

The Bears defense did what it had to do. The defense fattened up a bit on backup Shaun Hill, but we shouldn't completely pooh-pooh Hill. He came into the game with a career passer rating of 87.3 and a won-loss record of 10-6 as a starter. By comparison, Jay Cutler came into the game with a career passer rating of 83.8 and a won-loss record as a starter of 24-29.

The Lions' last drive was concerning. It was concerning that no one stepped up in eight plays to prevent a touchdown, other than referee Gene Steratore.

Of course, the Bears were trying to give up the underneath pass and play it safe. Their goal was to keep the Lions in front of them and keep them in bounds so the clock would run. The plan almost backfired when Lions receiver Calvin Johnson made what appeared to be a phenomenal catch.

That plan should be reviewed moving forward.

"I probably envisioned us a little bit better than this," Peppers said. "We had a couple of mistakes early we shouldn't have had, and they scored touchdowns on us. Once we get those things cleared up, there's no telling how good we can be."

If it was perfection you were seeking from the Bears defense, you would have been disappointed. Otherwise, you should have been pleased.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports...,364233.column

The Bears' offensive line successfully took the focus off their pass protection issues Sunday. But they did it by raising questions about their run blocking.

Against a big, physical Lions front, the Bears' line didn't get much movement. Bears running backs averaged only 3 yards per carry.

But what was most concerning was the line's performance in short yardage.

In the fourth quarter, the Bears had a first-and-goal on the Lions' 1-yard line after linebacker Lance Briggs had a sack and fumble recovery.

But the Bears failed to budge the Lions on a first-down Matt Forte run attempt. On second down, Jay Cutler had to throw the ball away because he was under pressure. On third down, the line didn't get any movement on another Forte rush that went nowhere. And on fourth down, Forte was stuffed for no gain.

"We have to stick it in," left guard Roberto Garza said. "One yard, we have to get the job done."

The Lions have been a lot more difficult to move since adding 320-pound Corey Williams and 307-pound Ndamukong Suh in the offseason. But that doesn't excuse the Bears' lack of execution.

"It's a battle of wills down there," center Olin Kreutz said. "It's man on man. Your coach can't help you. They stopped us. I don't want to take any credit from them, they beat us man to man. They have some big bodies, but we do too. Every NFL team does. We just have to win man to man. … Down there, low man wins. That's on all of us."

The offensive linemen took the blame, and they expect that critics will blame them as well.

"When you don't score as an O-line down there, it's personal," Kreutz said. "We think about it. We know everybody is going to harp on the negative. We'll deal with that as an O-line this year. We've gone into our bunker. We know what people think of us. We'll keep fighting. We know every game there will be a negative and people will harp all over that. We understand that. There will be something to prove every game."

Speaking of harping on the negative, the line also gave up four sacks. If they do that every game, Cutler will be sacked 64 times.

In defense of the line, Cutler dropped back 39 times, and he threw for 372 yards. So believe it or not, the line was doing some things right.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports...,7959405.story

 

LIONS

As I sit here staring at a blank page, I feel as if I scarcely have the heart to start writing. Today's game has rocked me to my core as a Lions fan. When Stafford went down, I honestly got nauseous. No lie. I think that's a sign that I have a real problem, but that's another discussion best left for a future psychotherapy session. I watched all the hope and optimism that I've carried since the end of the 2009 season come crashing down as hard as Julius Peppers on Stafford's shoulder. All the cheering and excitement came to an abrupt halt and the vision of Shaun Hill warming up after halftime chilled me to the bone. Little did I know, that disturbing mental snapshot was not going to be the worst sight of the day. Still clinging to the hope that Stafford would emerge after a quick, precautionary MRI to lead this team to a victory, my heart sank deep into my chest as he emerged from the tunnel... no pads and his arm in a sling under his shirt. For nearly the entire third quarter, I sat motionless... staring at the television, completely comatose.

A few weeks back, I playfully commented in someone's fanpost about a nightmare scenario with Stafford going down for the year. Now I was staring at that scenario in week one. In my mind, there was no worse situation. This was it. The season is lost. My optimism was completely drained from my body. Right or wrong, that is the way I felt. My mind started to reel at the thought of all of the lost progress losing Stafford would mean. I came unraveled.

Star-divide

As the defense started to step up in the fourth quarter, I did manage to come out of my fog a little. The thought of winning the game started to creep back into my numb mind. The back and forth emotions continued as the game came down to a few shots at the end zone. As I watched Calvin go up into the air and come down with the football - in bounds - I jumped from my couch, screaming at the television in sheer exhilaration (which my kids found hilarious)... feeling like maybe all is not lost. Wait. What? The ruling on the field was what?

Snap back to reality... oh, there goes gravity... (insert the clip from the movie "Fight Club" where Edward Norton's character realizes he is Tyler Durden here...)

A part of me simply wants to fall to my knees with arms reaching to the sky, screaming "Why? Why? WHY!?!?" What in the hell have we done to deserve such cruelty and suffering? Why don't we deserve to catch a break every now and then? Can the football gods not smile down on us once in a while? I just want to play the victim here. We didn't get beat because of talent today. We got beat because of a key injury and horrible rule. We are a better team than the Bears. In fact, if Stafford had not gotten hurt and we go into the half up 17-10 or better yet, 21-10, we easily win. The final score would likely have been 27-13 or something like that. But that didn't happen. Instead, the football gods decided to once again strike down our chances to be successful this year. I just can't understand it.

Never has a lost felt so empty or a season felt so lost so early. One play has changed the course of our entire season. Like I said, if Stafford had not gotten hit, fumbled and gotten hurt, we'd have won the game today and I'd be feeling very different right now. In fact, I'd be feeling pretty damn good. But instead, I'm feeling something disturbing. I feel like never wanting to watch another Lions game again. I feel like this has finally happened one too many times. How many lost seasons can I endure? How many countless hours in the offseason can I spend devoted to this team only to have the season seemingly gone after one half of football? I just feel sick. I understand that we have fifteen more games and the season is not over, but I simply can't change the way I feel at this particular moment in time.

I'm not even going to get into the call at the end of the game. It's an exercise in futility and it is the rule. As many have already said, it is an idiotic rule and it will likely be brought into the spotlight like the infamous Tom Brady "tuck rule", but that gives me absolutely no solace right now. None at all. Even if we won this game, the reality still would have to set in that Matthew Stafford could be out long term and the way Hill played today, gives us little hope considering our schedule. Yes, that is a pessimistic view, but my wounds are very deep right now. I truly hope that things aren't as bad as they appear, but right now the uncertainty is disconcerting at best.

So, as much as I really don't want to delve back into this one, I'll give my...

Thoughts on the Game:

* As I always did last year, I'll start with the quarterbacks. And it really sucks that I have to use the plural form of the word. Before the injury, Stafford was hit and miss and the offense was very vanilla. I expected that, however. Offenses are usually a little slow to get in sync in week one and typically take some time to iron out the kinks. But the bottom line with the Stafford-led offense is that they got into the end zone twice. That's all you really need to know. Shortly before the injury (and the Forte sideline tightrope miscue), it was 14-3 and we were primed to go into the half up by two scores.
* Once Hill entered the game, the entire offense fizzled. In fact, until the last drive, they had one first down the entire second half. One. Are you kidding me? I don't know if it was Linehan's bland playcalling or the lack of leadership under Hill, but something was certainly off. Watching that offense in the second half certainly gives me absolutely no faith that this offense will be explosive with Hill under center.
* Where the hell were our wide receivers today? Calvin showed up in the fourth quarter, but where was he the rest of the game? One measly catch by wide receivers in the first half? That's not good enough. I don't know whether to blame the receivers or Linehan. The Lions sure came out ready to dink and dunk and check-down all game. Like I said, I can't tell whether that was the plan or if the receivers simply weren't getting open. Stafford had time in the first half, so it appears that the receivers simply weren't doing enough to get open. If Calvin is going to take the jump to elite, he's got to do more to make plays.
* The other day, I commented on a fanpost that I was having nightmares about Julius Peppers going up against Jeff Backus. I can't remember who, but one of you chimed in and told me I had nothing to worry about. Care to restate that claim?
* I do have to say the bright spot today was the defense. The injury and bad rule aside, the defense played one of the best games of football I've seen a Lions' team play in a long time. Take the two long Matt Forte touchdowns out of the game and it would have been absolutely dominant. They were put in awful field position all day long and still stood firm. They got pressure, hustled, got turnovers and just tackled... really well, for the most part. In fact, I don't remember more than one or two times complaining about missed tackles.
* This defensive line will wreak havoc on weaker offensive lines... that much is sure. But I was actually impressed by the secondary. They made plays, tackled well and for the most part, kept the offense in front of them. I was very impressed - all things being relative to my fairly low expectations. Staying on the theme of defense, I just wanted to highlight a few players that I thought really played well today:
o Kyle Vanden Bosch - Not since Chris Speilman have we had a Lions player with such a motor. The guy is non-stop and a real force. I am so glad we picked up this guy.
o Ndamakong Suh - He was double-teamed all day long. I watched him a lot today and he was nothing short of superb. One of the strongest players, pound-for-pound, I've ever watched. This kid is going to be one of the best defensive tackles to ever play the game. Take that to the bank!
o Sammie Lee Hill - Hill outperformed Corey Williams today... easily. Williams occupied space, but Hill was a real force. He was disruptive and dominant. A change in starters could happen soon.
o Louis Delmas - Just confirmed all our suspicions that he is going to be special. He's so quick and his angles are just perfect.
o Turk McBride - This kid really impressed me today. He was fast and powerful off the edge and played very well against the run.
o Alphonso Smith - For a guy who has had one week to get ready, he played very well. He's a sure tackler and didn't make any huge mistakes. I think we got an absolute steal. If he could provide value in a game a week after his trade, imagine what he'll be worth to this team next year!
* Actually, there were very few liabilities on defense today. I thought everyone out there played well today. There was a lot fewer containment issues and guys did a great job of staying with their assignments. This secondary is going to be susceptible to the big play, but today they did a good job of bending but not breaking. I would also be remiss if I did not mention that goal line stand. That was one of the most impressive displays of heart and physicality I've ever seen. Watching Gunther walk around and give the guys a quick pound on the pads gave me goosebumps. Once again, kudos for the defense being a bright spot on such a dark day.

As of right now, a part of me is still clinging to the delusion that maybe Stafford's injury isn't too bad. As I write, the optimistic reports are that he is out 2-3 weeks. If he can come back after the bye week, I guess that's better than what could have been. But still... I am so pissed that this kind of thing always seems to happen. After watching our defense today, I think we had a chance. Without Stafford, I'm just not optimistic. If we are 0-4 at the bye week, it's going to be tough to go into Giants Stadium on the road and win. A 1-0 start today, then facing a potentially Kolb-less Eagles team next week would have given us some momentum and a chance to do something special this year. I'll admit... a little piece of me was left on Soldier Field today.

http://www.prideofdetroit.com/2010/9...icroscope-week

We will know more about just how much time Matthew Stafford will miss later today, but right now speculation suggests that he could be out for as long as the next six weeks. An exact determination will not be made until Stafford has an MRI and X-rays this morning, but the Lions' own speculation is where the six weeks estimate is coming from.

The Detroit Lions are bracing to be without Matt Stafford for four to six weeks after the quarterback suffered a shoulder injury in a season-opening loss to the Chicago Bears, according to a league source.

I've seen some reports that suggest Stafford could miss only the next two weeks, but again, this is all based on speculation. Until the tests are done on Stafford's injured shoulder this morning, we won't know how long the Lions will be without him.

Looking at the upcoming schedule, Stafford would be out until Halloween if he misses six weeks. The sixth and final week of his recovery would come when the Lions are on a bye, setting him up to return seven weeks after experiencing the injury.

If the damage to Stafford's shoulder turns out to be much more minimal than originally thought, Stafford could return in time for the Vikings game on Sept. 26. Believing that would be taking the extremely optimistic approach that Stafford will be out only two weeks, though, and right now I just have a hard time trying to be positive about this situation.

http://www.prideofdetroit.com/2010/9...injury-to-keep

I thought our D-line played great and our secondary was solid with a lot of promise.. I think our biggest need as a team right now without a doubt is LBer.. The Bears RB's out of the backfield killed us and I don't think any of our LBers made many plays behind the LOS.. Hell I don't even think our LBers as a group had 10 tackles combined Zack Follet was a complete disaster out there, Landon Johnson looked like a backup and Julian Peterson looks like he is on his last legs..

http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=93&f=1801&t=6362489

 

PACKERS

From Mike McCarthy's post-game news conference:

Ryan Granthad an ankle sprain, and he did not return, so I can’t tell you exactly how long he’ll be out. Also,Cullen Jenkins had a broken hand, he did return with a cast. Justin Harrell, it looked like he had a significant knee injury and he did not return. AndNick Collins had the bruised ribs there in the fourth quarter and he did return.

And that's the end of the return of Harrell. Greg Bedard's tweet informs us that "significant injury" means "season-ending." It's not his fault he keeps getting hurt, but staying healthy is a talent too, and he just doesn't have it.

Jenkins already returned during the game, and his pass pressure up the middle was a big reason why the defense held on. Also, with the injuries to Harrell, if Jenkins hadn't returned, then NT B.J. Raji and DE Ryan Pickett would have played nearly the entire game without substitution. Collins's injury took place on a big 3rd down incompletion that forced the Eagles to settle for a FG. Not a game deciding play, but huge for momentum. Right now, I'd expect they'll both play next week, but either of them could easily have a set back.

Unfortunately it's unclear about Grant. He clearly wanted to return, he was pacing up-and-down the sidelines for the entire 2nd half, but the medical staff took away his helmet so he wouldn't. He did have a boot on by the end of the game, but he was still wearing both shoes during the third quarter. Everyone will be watching to see how his ankle responds to treatment next week.

http://www.acmepackingcompany.com/20...es-against-the

If history means anything in game analysis, then this was a big victory for the Green Bay Packers. The win reminded me of the opening win over the Eagles in 2007 when CB Jarrett Bush made a big fumble recovery on special teams to set up the game winning field goal. The 2006 Packers would have never beaten a team like the Eagles, so it meant something was different that year, and obviously it was because the Packers returned to the NFC Championship game. Also, QB Aaron Rodgers's poor performance (by his standards) reminded me of his opening game in 2009 when he only threw for 184 yards against the Bears. He didn't have 2 INTs last season, but his play had the same lackluster feel.

I had been thinking about how the Eagles must be one of their toughest road opponents this season. But actually the Packers 2010 schedule is brutal on the road, and they have to play four road games against teams that made the playoffs last season (Eagles, Jets, Vikings, and Patriots) while only two 2009 playoff teams at home (Cowboys and Vikings). A win is always good, but the brutal road games will continue.

I covered injuries in an earlier post.

It was a strange game overall. I expected the offense would look great and they struggled. I thought the defense would shut down the run, but the Eagles ran for over 7 yards/carry (largely due to non-called scrambles by QB Michael Vick). The Eagles special teams, led by one of the best coaches in the NFL (Bobby April) should have shined, but they were out played by the Packers. And while the 2009 injured prone Packers only committed 2 penalties, it was the Eagles who committed 10 penalties.

If the Packers offense rebounds (a safe assumption), LB Clay Matthews continues to dominate his opponents, they keep the penalties to a minimum, and the special teams continue to excel, the Packers will remain on pace for an excellent season.

My selective play-by-play analysis is after the jump.

Star-divide

Play-by-play quotes from NFL.com:

First Quarter:

(13:28) (Shotgun) 4-K.Kolb sacked at PHI 24 for -8 yards (52-C.Matthews).

Not only was it good to see Matthews get back into action, immediately, after his long preseason layoff, it also was a sign that QB Kevin Kolb was holding the ball a little too long.

(10:35) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass short left to 89-J.Jones to 50 for 7 yards (21-J.Hanson).

I digress on a nice third down reception by WR James Jones, but why do announcers start gushing about a player after one good play? Troy Aikman said Jones was good enough to be a No. 1 or No. 2 WR on many teams. Um, no. This could be a breakout season for Jones, but he's never played like a No. 1 or No. 2 WR so far in his career.

(8:33) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass deep middle intended for 88-J.Finley INTERCEPTED by 21-J.Hanson (27-Q.Mikell) at PHI 30. 21-J.Hanson to PHI 47 for 17 yards (88-J.Finley).

(3:41) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass incomplete deep middle to 88-J.Finley. PENALTY on PHI-55-S.Bradley, Defensive Pass Interference, 10 yards, enforced at GB 24 - No Play.

Well the Eagles came up with a good strategy to stop TE Jermichael Finley. When he lines up in the slot, just have the tight end in coverage run back and keep up (i.e. don't turn around to see the ball). That forced Rodgers to throw it over the linebacker, which gave SS Quintin Mikell enough time to run from one hashmark to the other and break up the pass. Unfortunately, the safety has to come over to help, because the linebacker isn't looking for the ball (which led to the pass interference call at 3:41) and it also creates another problem for the defense, which I'll get to later.

Second Quarter:

(15:00) 12-A.Rodgers sacked at PHI 36 for -7 yards (58-T.Cole).

Both LT Chad Clifton and RT Mark Tauscher looked bad during the 1st quarter, but this was the last sack of the game for the Eagles. Clifton and Tauscher are not elite players, but they're better than they played in the first quarter. They'll be fine as the season goes on.

(11:34) (Shotgun) 4-K.Kolb sacked at PHI 30 for -9 yards (90-B.Raji).

A small coming out party for NT B.J. Raji. He showed why they moved him to nose tackle. He was too much for the Eagles center to handle, and along with DE Cullen Jenkins and Matthews on stunts up the middle, the Eagles interior line was often schooled. However, their interior offensive line didn't play well during the preseason either.

(11:06) (Shotgun) 4-K.Kolb pass deep right intended for 10-D.Jackson INTERCEPTED by 21-C.Woodson (38-T.Williams) at GB 35. 21-C.Woodson to GB 45 for 10 yards (18-J.Maclin). Philadelphia challenged the loose ball recovery ruling, and the play was REVERSED. (Shotgun) 4-K.Kolb pass incomplete deep right to 10-D.Jackson (38-T.Williams).

That was a terrible decision by Kolb. Maybe he can improve with more experience, but all his pass attempts went towards receivers covered by CB Charles Woodson or CB Tramon Williams, with little success.

(8:53) 8-T.Masthay punts 48 yards to PHI 22, Center-61-B.Goode, fair catch by 10-D.Jackson.

A quiet victory for the special teams. P Tim Masthay had a couple great punts, and a couple bad ones, but he did a good job keeping WR DeSean Jackson near the sidelines, and the special teams were great in punt coverage.

(7:42) (Shotgun) 4-K.Kolb scrambles left end to PHI 19 for 1 yard (52-C.Matthews). FUMBLES (52-C.Matthews), ball out of bounds at PHI 19.

Kolb has got to get rid of the ball if he wants to survive in the NFL. Maybe QB Donovan McNabb, and certainly Vick, could have ran away from Matthews, but not Kolb.

(6:07) 25-R.Grant left end to PHI 37 for 18 yards (27-Q.Mikell). GB-25-R.Grant was injured during the play. His return is Probable.

Man! RB Ryan Grant injures his ankle right as he was getting warmed up.

(1:52) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass short right to 80-D.Driver for 6 yards, TOUCHDOWN. The Replay Assistant challenged the pass completion ruling, and the play was Upheld.

A great pass and a great catch. It seemed like a quiet day for WR Donald Driver, and this was his big play, but Rodgers targeted him 7 times, 2nd behind only WR Greg Jennings, and Driver caught 5 for 30 yards. He had the opportunities, but he didn't break any big runs.

(1:42) (Shotgun) 4-K.Kolb pass incomplete short right to 10-D.Jackson (52-C.Matthews).

And the Eagles trainers and coaches let Kolb come back on the field with a concussion. Somehow he managed to complete two attempts.

(:03) 2-M.Crosby 56 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-61-B.Goode, Holder-8-T.Masthay.

What a great kick, and the type he rarely made last season.

Third Quarter:

(14:53) 7-M.Vick scrambles left end ran ob at PHI 46 for 23 yards.

OK, the defense had a lot of problems with Vick, but as Williams said they didn't game plan for him either. And they couldn't make the adjustment at half because Kolb played the final series of the 1st half. I'm willing to give the defensive coaches a mulligan. It's a rare situation when you switch from a game plan involving a QB in Kolb who is rarely a threat to run to Vick. And I'd probably feel differently if Vick had completed the come back rally.

(11:34) 12-A.Rodgers pass incomplete short right to 80-D.Driver (22-A.Samuel).

The TD drive almost ended before it began. CB Asante Samuel is an aggressive player who will jump routes, which sometimes leads to big plays for the offense when he misses. That should have been an INT for him, but he couldn't hang on.

(10:08) 30-J.Kuhn up the middle to PHI 14 for 12 yards (42-K.Coleman).

(8:40) 30-J.Kuhn up the middle for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

I've watched a lot of little handoffs to FB John Kuhn lead to nothing, so I was surprised they worked on this TD drive.

(4:29) 25-L.McCoy up the middle for 12 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

This one is going to get the defensive coaches fired up. Raji got blocked. LB Nick Barnett got blocked. Collins missed the tackle, and SS Morgan Burnett missed it to. At least four chances to stop him failed.

2-D.Akers kicks 72 yards from PHI 30 to GB -2. 87-J.Nelson to GB 49 for 51 yards (53-M.Fokou).

Nice return by WR Jordy Nelson, and surprisingly great special teams blocking. I'm stunned how much better the special teams played in this game vs. last season or even since the preseason.

(2:03) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass deep left to 85-G.Jennings for 32 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

Remember back to the INT on the pass intended for Finley. On the replay, you can see the Eagles deep safety jump all over the route to Finley, which he did again in this play. And Rodgers told Jennings to change his route if the safety jumped towards Finley again. Which he did, and led to an easy TD after CB Ellis Hobbs did nothing to slow Jennings down, and failed to keep up with him deep. The safety eventually came back over into the play, but it was far too late.

Fourth Quarter:

(11:00) (Shotgun) 7-M.Vick sacked at GB 17 for -8 yards (58-F.Zombo).

(10:29) 7-M.Vick pass deep left to 18-J.Maclin for 17 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

A tale of two undrafted rookies. LB Frank Zombo was given a rare opportunity to replace LB Brad Jones, and he responded by running right past LT Jason Peters, and was able to wrap up Vick before he could escape. On the next play, CB Sam Shields was finally tested by the Eagles offensive coaches, and he responded with a circular coverage style that left WR Jeremy Maclin open by a couple steps in the end zone.

(9:25) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass deep middle intended for 80-D.Driver INTERCEPTED by 29-N.Allen at PHI 39. 29-N.Allen to 50 for 11 yards (80-D.Driver).

It's too bad because Driver appeared to be open. I can't remember Rodgers ever air mailing a pass that badly before. Maybe the wet ball was causing him some problems.

(5:56) (Shotgun) 7-M.Vick pass incomplete short middle to 10-D.Jackson (36-N.Collins).

The Packers defense is on its heels, and Vick fails to find any of the open receivers in time, and they settle for a FG. It had to have been a huge momentum changer.

(2:46) (Shotgun) 7-M.Vick sacked at PHI 46 for -3 yards (52-C.Matthews).

I thought Matthews was going knock another QB out of the game when he threw Vick to the turf.

(2:00) (Shotgun) 7-M.Vick up the middle to GB 42 for no gain (52-C.Matthews).

I'm in awe of Matthews on this 4th down stop. He shook off the block of TE Brent Celek, then RB LeSean McCoy, and then stuffed Vick for no gain.

http://www.acmepackingcompany.com/20...feat-eagles-27

The big picture

The kind of adversity that stares every NFL team in the face at some point during a 16-game season was there for the Green Bay Packers in Week 1. Their star quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, wasn’t himself. He uncharacteristically threw two interceptions and was sacked three times. Their starting running back, Ryan Grant, left the game late in the second quarter with a badly sprained right ankle and did not return. Two of their four defensive linemen — Justin Harrell (knee) and Cullen Jenkins (broken hand) — left with injuries and only Jenkins returned. Yet the Packers showed their moxie and came up with just enough plays to eke out a victory in place where they hadn’t won in nearly 50 years. That bodes well for a team with lofty expectations.
Thumbs up

In some ways, Clay Matthews didn’t do his team any favors by knocking Eagles starting quarterback Kevin Kolb out of the game when he hit him from behind late the second quarter. With Kolb sidelined for the second half because of a concussion, Vick gave the Packers fits. He was far more effective than Kolb, who managed just three first-half points in his first game as the Eagles’ full-time starter. In his place, Vick killed the Packers with his feet, rushing for 103 yards on 11 carries, and was even decent through the air, throwing for 175 yards and a touchdown. But when the Packers absolutely had to stop him, they did. Clinging to a 7-point lead, the defense went back to work with 4:13 remaining. Vick drove the Eagles to the Packers’ 42-yard line, where he faced a fourth-and-1. With the 2-minute warning to think about it, Eagles coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg did what all 69,144 fans in the stadium figured: they called for Vick to sneak it. But Matthews capped his monster game by throwing a blocker out of the way and dropping Vick for no gain.
Thumbs down

Apparently having the starting offensive line work together for the majority of training camp wasn’t enough. The start of this game looked like many of those early-season games last year when Rodgers got beat up. Veteran tackles Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher, the guys who stabilized the line and helped end the sack problems halfway through last season, were the main culprits. Twice, Tauscher gave up sacks, both on bull rushes. He got overpowered by defensive end Juqua Parker on the Packers’ second series of the game, and Parker beat Tauscher with the same move for another sack on the next series. In between, defensive end Trent Cole beat Clifton and dropped Grant for a 2-yard loss on a running play. In the second quarter, Cole beat Clifton around the edge and got the third sack of Rodgers. Things stabilized in the second half, but veterans like Clifton and Tauscher shouldn’t put their quarterback in such danger.

Play of the game

By now, players should learn to protect the ball when cornerback Charles Woodson is around. But Eagles running back Eldra Buckley didn’t, and he paid the price. On the third play of the third quarter, Woodson punched the ball away from Buckley from behind, and cornerback Tramon Williams recovered it for the Packers. It set up a touchdown that gave the Packers a 20-3 lead.
Turning point

It was only three points, but when it comes on a franchise-record, 56-yard field goal as time expires in the first half, it’s a big three points. Mason Crosby’s dead-center kick on the final play of the second quarter gave the Packers a huge lift and a 13-3 lead going into the locker room.
Did you notice?

♦ In his first NFL regular-season game, Tim Masthay averaged 41.5 yards (net) and 38.0 yards (gross) with 3.8 seconds of hang time on four punts. The first three were perfectly placed toward the sideline, preventing the Eagles’ dangerous return man DeSean Jackson from doing any damage. He fair-caught the first two and had a 4-yard return on the third one. Those three punts averaged 4.04 seconds of hang time. Masthay’s only sub-par punt was his last, a 37-yarder with 2.9 seconds of hang time down the middle that Jackson returned 10 yards.


♦ Jarrett Bush, not Pat Lee, was the dime (sixth) defensive back.

♦ The Packers, who were plagued by penalties last season, had just two for 15 yards against the Eagles.
By the numbers

2: Interceptions thrown by Rodgers, who had only seven all of last season. It was just the fifth multi-interception game since he took over as the starter in 2008.

51: Yards Jordy Nelson gained on his longest kickoff return, nearly matching the Packers’ longest return (54 yards) last season.

11/11/1962: Before Sunday, date of the Packers’ last victory in Philadelphia.

http://packersnews.greenbaypressgaze...venated-Eagles

Perhaps it was a blessing the Green Bay Packers outside linebacker missed all four preseason games because of a pulled hamstring. This way, defensive coordinator Dom Capers could wait to unveil his plan to expand Matthews’ role until it really mattered. If Sunday’s game at Philadelphia was any indication, future opponents must account for Matthews like they do with cornerback Charles Woodson. That is, they will have to know where he is at all times.

In the Packers’ season-opening 27-20 victory over the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field, Capers seemingly used the second-year pro every which way he could. Matthews lined up at his new spot on the left side, but at times he went back to his old spot on the right side. He also lined up in the middle, flip-flopping with an inside linebacker or a defensive end.

The result was a near-dominant performance — two sacks, a team-high 11 tackles, a forced fumble and a pass breakup.

“I don’t know if it’s ever a blessing but I told him after the Family Night, if he was going to pull a hamstring, that was the time to do it,” Capers said. “We needed him to be back for this opener, and you saw the impact he had on the game for us. So it’s nice to see him back out there. He makes some of those defenses work a little bit better.”

Matthews should have had a third sack, but Eagles quarterback Kevin Kolb managed to escape and scramble for 1 yard before Matthews stripped the ball away and knocked it out of bounds. His pass breakup should have been an interception and possibly a return for a touchdown, but it slipped through his hands.

“I was rushing a little bit on the right, a little bit on the left,” Matthews said of his new role. “And I saw a few eyes (on Eagles’ players) wondering, ‘What’s going on out here?’”

Capers didn’t show much in the preseason partly because Matthews was out and partly because he wanted to keep things vanilla, leaving many to wonder just how much this defense had actually improved from last season. But as has been Capers’ style since he took over the Packers’ defense in 2009, he had something special cooked up.

Matthews was the cornerstone of the plan. Capers decided to use exclusively sub packages — mostly nickel (with a fifth defensive back) but occasionally dime (with a sixth defensive back) — and didn’t play a single snap of his base. Because of that, he went into the game with only four defensive linemen active. He lost one when Justin Harrell went down with an apparent season-ending knee injury in the second quarter and another temporarily when Cullen Jenkins broke a bone in his left hand before he returned with a club cast.

The plan was further challenged when Matthews knocked out Kolb (concussion), which forced the scramble-happy Michael Vick into the game. Matthews chased Vick until the end, finally stopping him on fourth-and-1 at the Packers’ 42-yard line with 2 minutes left to seal the victory.

“We were a little nervous coming into this game (because of) the repetitions our defensive unit did not have with everybody there,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. “I’ll tell you, I thought it was a very gutty performance by our defense, especially in the second half. Clay’s a big part of that.”

Matthews, who had a team-high 10 sacks last season as a rookie when he played exclusively at right outside linebacker, got his first sack in one of Capers’ new formations. Matthews actually lined up as an inside linebacker while Brad Jones played the left outside spot and Jenkins was furthest outside on the right. It came on a third down on the Eagles’ first series and forced a punt. His second sack, which came on the critical final drive for the Eagles, came on a stunt in which he cut inside. He was so gassed after that play that he had to take himself out of the game, but he said his hamstring gave him no trouble. He sat out only one play and returned for the fourth-and-1 sneak.

“Everyone was concerned about him playing on the left side,” Capers said. “When you’ve got a guy like him, you’ve got to do with him like what you do with Charles.”

Safe to say, Matthews liked his new role.

“I’m not trying to sound bad but with the talents I possess, I feel like I can bring a different look wherever I’m coming off, whether it be the right, left or middle,” Matthews said. “Wherever they want to put me, I’ll do my best.”

http://packersnews.greenbaypressgaze...rorizes-Eagles

“I played terrible, probably about as bad as I can play,” Rodgers said. “It has got to get better. I missed a lot of throws that I could make in my sleep.”

His pedestrian 73.1 passer rating wasn’t the worst of his career, but only once last season did he post a lower number. Rodgers threw a pair of interceptions, missed open receivers and struggled to get the offense in sync.

Yet the good news for Rodgers is that despite his struggles, the Packers claimed a 27-20 victory in a hostile environment and city where they haven’t won in nearly 50 years.

It says something about the Packers’ overall talent and mettle that when their best player came out firing blanks, they still found a way to win.

The notion that the offense would be required to carry the team on its shoulders this season was shattered. There is no question that unit, along with Rodgers, will have better days.

But it has to be reassuring for the Packers to receive a huge boost from their defense and special teams and prove this is no one-trick pony.

“That’s what a team is for,” linebacker Nick Barnett said. “Sometimes a side of the ball or a phase of the game is down, and the other side has to step up and play. I thought we did a good job of doing that.”

The much-maligned defense, which for the past eight months has been blamed for the Packers’ first-round playoff exit, came to play in the first half by giving up just three points and three first downs.

The major concerns about the pass rush (five sacks) and inexperienced secondary were largely set aside. While Eagles backup quarterback Michael Vick made things interesting by helping to generate 17 second-half points, the Packers’ defense shut him down with the game on the line.

“We knew we still had a great defense, regardless of what the situation or what the preseason tells you,” receiver Donald Driver said. “Those guys went out and won the game for us and we needed that.”

The offensive load was also lightened by the special teams units, which turned in one of their best overall performances in years.

Jordy Nelson’s 51-yard kickoff return, for example, set up the offense at midfield for a relatively short touchdown drive.

“I remember being in the huddle and I told the guys, ‘If we can get the ball out here every single possession, I mean, this is like stealing,’” receiver Greg Jennings said.

The pressure on the offense to score every time it had the ball was lifted.

Even if some of the cylinders were knocking, Rodgers guided the Packers to scores on four straight drives — a touchdown and field goal to end the first half and two touchdowns to start the second half. That wound up being enough points to overcome a dreadful fourth quarter that produced 12 total yards and one first down.

Rodgers was unhappy about that, but what does it say about a team capable of overcoming such adversity?

“It says we have a pretty good team,” Barnett said. “Aaron, he can’t win all the games by himself. We’ve got to be able to adapt and do like we do today, and kind of support him as well as he supports us.”

Pretty good might be a major understatement.

http://packersnews.greenbaypressgaze...day-by-offense

 

yeah he was. he was flying

 

VIKINGS

If you shoot yourself in the foot enough times, you're eventually going to blow off all of your toes. That's exactly what happened to the Minnesota Vikings this afternoon at the Metrodome. Four Minnesota turnovers. . .all from the same source. . .doomed the Vikings to their first home loss since the 2008 playoffs and dropped them to 0-2 on the season, already two full games behind both the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears.

Going into their bye week, the Vikings can be no better than third in the NFC North. . .and with the way the Vikings and Lions have both played in the first two weeks of this season, next Sunday's game can't really be considered a "gimme" by any stretch, either.

In the first two games of this season, Minnesota's opponents have had 22 possessions. In those 22 possessions, the Viking defense has yielded only three scores, all touchdowns. As a team, the Vikings have only allowed 14 points in each of the first two games. Had you told me prior to the start of the season that Minnesota's defense would allow three scores in the first two games, yet our record after those two games would be 0-2, I would have thought you to be insane. But, sure enough, that's exactly what's happened through the first two weeks of the 2010 season.

So, the defense isn't the problem, to be certain. That only leaves one possible source for problems. . .and, man, is it ever a problem.

Star-divide

So now that we've established what the problem is, let's attempt to narrow it down even further.

I can tell you who the problem is NOT, at this point, and that's the young man that wears #28 in purple. Through the first two games of this season, Adrian Peterson is averaging nearly 5 yards per carry every time he's handed the football, and he's showing outstanding ball security thus far, having not even given the impression that he was anywhere near fumbling on 47 carries through the first two games. He was incredible today, particularly in the second half, finishing today's game with 28 carries for 145 yards and Minnesota's lone score.

I can also tell you that the problem is NOT Visanthe Shiancoe. The big tight end is pretty much the only player on the Minnesota roster that can get open on a regular basis, and hang on to the ball when it hits him. Yes, he had one drop on the final drive, but I'm not going to hate on him for that. Not considering the fact that in Minnesota's first two games, he has ten catches for 162 yards and Minnesota's only receiving touchdown of the season. He's a tight end that's averaging more than 16 yards per catch, for crying out loud. . .how can that guy be faulted for Minnesota's performance thus far?

To put Shiancoe's numbers into perspective, Minnesota's entire wide receiving corps. . .Percy Harvin, Bernard Berrian, Greg Camarillo, and Greg Lewis. . .have 13 catches for 129 yards. Combined. Today, they had nine catches for 83 yards, meaning that Shiancoe outgained all of them by himself. Consider, for a moment, that after Minnesota's Week One performance, the Dolphins had to know that Shiancoe was the only guy on the Minnesota roster that could get open, and his numbers become even more remarkable.

So, Peterson is making his case to be thought of among football's best backs. . .not that he ever should have been out of the conversation. . .and Shiancoe is making a case to be mentioned in the Witten/Gonzalez/Clark/Gates class of tight ends, because he certainly deserves it to this point. We know who not to blame, because Peterson and Shiancoe don't deserve to be saddled with the blame for the way this team has played for the first two weeks.

Who does deserve it? I think we know who. . .but we're going to leave that conversation for tomorrow. Possibly later on tonight, I'm not sure. For now, I need to sleep this off, I think. I still can't believe what I spent three hours watching this afternoon.

http://www.dailynorseman.com/2010/9/19/1698192/at-least-the-twins-are-good

And the Stock Market Report. After the jump.

Star-divide
Blue Chip Stocks:

Adrian Peterson, RB. One of two bright spots on the offensive side of the ball so far in this young season is Peterson. He ran like a man possessed on Sunday, but couldn't get into the end zone when he absolutely had to. Still, Peterson has been the only reliable, consistent weapon in the VIkings aresenal to this point. There are issues with the concept we like to call in the blogosphere 'The Forward Pass', but Peterson has been the reason the Vikings have been in a position to win the game, at least from an offensive perspective.

Defense. Lito Sheppard gave up the long pass to Brandon Marshall on the first play of the game, but did okay for the rest of the game, including a nice pass break up late when the defense needed to make a stop. The front four had noticeably more pressure on Chad Henne than they did on Drew Brees last week, and they got two big turnovers when they really needed to get one. They also stopped Miami late in the game and put the offense in position to win, giving them time and field position. Now, if they can just throw 14 shutouts, we're going to the playoffs, baby!!

Visanthe Shiancoe, TE. So far, Shiancoe has 10 catches for 162 yards in two games. The top four wide receivers on the Vikings (which is akin to saying the four best Barry Manilow songs are...) have 13 catches for 129 yards. And when Favre needed to make a throw to get a first down at the end of the game? He looked towards Shiancoe. Granted, the throw was five feet behind the Big Fella, but Brett's heart was in the right place, if not his accuracy.
Sound Investments:

Hi, Glenn Beck here. You know, with the apocalypse of an 0-2 start staring you Viking fans square in the face like a rabid Pit Bull, you need to think about your future. Did you know that Barack Obama passed a law that makes it ILLEGAL for Brett Favre to throw a touchdown pass, and is secretly appointing members of the Green Bay Packers into his administration? DID YOU? It's just a matter of time before the Football Apocalypse hits, and YOU NEED GOLD. Gold never drops in value, IT ONLY GOES UP. Get my brochure from Goldline, because when the Apocalypse hits next week after the Detroit loss, you'll need to find shelter in a storm. And gold it is, because there isn't anyone on your team that you can look to and say hey, that guy's a sound investment right there.
Junk Bonds:

Any Running Back Not Named Adrian Peterson: I had this crazy theory during the past off-season. I thought...just stay with me here...that if the worst thing you lost from your offense was the backup running back, you were in good shape. Crazy, right? What kind of idiot thinks that? I understood the contribution that Chester Taylor made, but I really thought that someone would step up and fill the vacuum. I didn't even think it was a vacuum, but more of a lingering question that would be answered as training camp went on. Yeah, not so much. But I also have to ask, would Chester Taylor have made the difference in these two games? I can't say for certain that he would've, but would he have more than three catches for 16 yards, like Albert Young and Toby Gerhart combined? Yeah, I think so. And I didn't like the trade with Detroit on draft day to give them Minnesota's first round pick for a chance to drop down and get Gerhart, although I liked the Gerhart pick, and I still do. But the Lions used that pick to draft Jahvid Best. Sigh...

Every Wide Receiver On The Roster: You guys all suck right now. You know it, we know it. Get better. Now. What happened to the explosiveness from Percy Harvin? Last year, every time he touched the ball, I thought he had a 50-50 chance to house it. Now, he can't even get open, and his kickoff returns are average. I also thought Bernard Berrian would be better. And he would be better, if his hands weren't shoved up his *** as he ran his pass patterns. And for the love of Odin, just start Greg Camarillo already. He can't be any worse than what's out there.

Oh, and I now fully support trading for Vincent Jackson. Two faced? Yes. Hypocritical? Sure. But screw you guys for judging me.

Brett Favre: You suck right now. You know it, we know it. Get better. Now. Get Satan on the phone and extend that deal you made with him for one more season, stick some pins in your Ted Thompson voodoo doll, slap somebody on the *** and run away laughing, I don't care. But you look like you just don't care and are going through the motions. Find something to motivate you. I don't care what it is, but find it. Maybe Zygi will give you another $7 million if you ask really nice.
Buy/Sell:

Buy: The offensive line play. They gave Favre enough time and opened some very good running lanes for Adrian Peterson. The line looks more and more like the 2008 version and not the substandard 2009 version. Now, if we could only find the 2009 passing offense, and not the 2008 version.

Sell: Every punt returner on the roster. Bernard Berrian, apparently, is allergic to the football as a wide receiver and a punt returner. Which really sucks, since he's paid handsomely to get a lot of arm tattoos hold on to the football. Greg Camarillo had a couple of decent returns, but he also had a fumble that could have been even more disastrous than Sunday already was. Why, exactly, was Darius Reynaud traded again? What's that? For no discernible reason? Oh, okay. Good to know.

Buy: Jim Kleinsasser's catch. He didn't catch the ball so much as his hands swallowed the football. Sauce, football safely secured, then performed an atomic elbow on Planet Earth, hooked the leg, and got the three count for the most exciting finish to a WWE match EVAH, winning the Intercontinental Belt in the process. Other than AP's Edwin Moses impersonation, it was the play I cheered the loudest.

Sell: The 4th and 1 stuff on the goal line by Miami. That sucked. Hat's off to Karlos Dansby, though. Nice play. Bastard.

Sell: The two goal line interceptions by Bad Brett. Those sucked. One wasn't his fault, that was more on Percy Harvin and his imitation of SuckySuck the Runaway Juggling Circus Clown, although it was a crappy throw. The other one was a WHATTHEHELLWEREYOUDOING? moment if ever there was one. Terrible, terrible throw.

Buy: The late fourth quarter defensive stop. The Vikes defense needed to get off the field and give the offense enough time on the clock to drive down and win the game. The defense lived up to their end of the bargain. Again. The offense sucked. Again.

Sell: The decision not to go for the field goal on the opening drive. With the way the offense has been struggling, I think they needed to get the points on the board.

Sell: The run defense for about a quarter and a half. For awhile it looked like the Manson Family vs. the Tate/LaBiancas (too inappropriate?). The good guys were just getting gashed and couldn't stop the Dolphins run game. Tony Sparano has the Wildcat perfected, and the Dolphins ran wild against a normally stout run defense.

Well, Viking fans, Sunday was a tough pill to swallow. 1-1 would've looked a lot better than 0-2, but I don't even want to contemplate what happens if the Vikes lose at home to the Lions next week and end up at 0-3.

http://www.dailynorseman.com/2010/9/20/1699067/stock-market-report-week-2

As we all know from watching yesterday's. . .ahem. . ."performance," the Minnesota Vikings are 0-2 on the young NFL season, which is at least one game worse than many of us expected this team to be at this point. The fact that the Vikings have lost their first two games ordinarily would not, in and of itself, be reason to panic. However, the way they've lost their first two games certainly hasn't been pretty. While Minnesota's defense has, for the most part, played incredibly well despite being short-handed in the backfield, the offense has been nothing short of terrible, save for the impressive play of running back Adrian Peterson and tight end Visanthe Shiancoe.

The culprits are numerous on this team, but I'm going to narrow it down to three main ones. And, before you read any further, be forewarned that this is going to be an overwhelmingly negative and possibly overly cynical look at the current state of the 2010 Minnesota Vikings. If you want rainbows and kittens and meadows and such. . .just skip this one. Make no mistake. . .I think that this team has the potential to turn things around in short order, and I'll reflect that going forward.

But right now? It's time to vent a little bit.

Star-divide
I'm going to start off with Brad Childress and his amazingly crappy play calling. It started with the very first drive of Sunday's game, and kept going right on toward the end. On Minnesota's first drive, they moved the ball very well with a nice mix of runs and passes, and took it down to the Miami 25-yard line, where they wound up facing a 4th and 2 situation. Keep in mind, we're five minutes into the game here. Also keep in mind that Minnesota has a kicker that's pretty much automatic and in field goal range from the moment he parks his car at the Metrodome and starts walking to the locker room.

Keep in mind, this wasn't 4th and a couple of inches. . .this was fourth and a full two yards. The Vikings were in this situation with an offense that struggled to put points on the board in the season opener and had a chance to put their opponents in an early hole to start the game. But rather than take the automatic three points by Ryan Longwell. . .and, yes, I'm at the point where I just automatically put a "3" on the board every time I see Longwell take the field because, hey, that's what Ryan Longwell does. . .Childress decided to attempt to send a message to the Miami defense by trying to convert and continue the drive towards the end zone. That message was rudely returned to sender, as Miami defensive lineman Randy Starks batted Brett Favre's pass down at the line of scrimmage, and the Vikings turned the ball over on downs. A little less than five minutes of game time later, Chad Henne completed Miami's one significant offensive drive of the afternoon, finding Brian Hartline for a 5-yard touchdown pass and giving the Dolphins a 7-0 lead.

With last year's Minnesota offense, going for it in that situation might have been the right idea. But this isn't last year's offense, as we've seen thus far, and it's not even close. . .this more closely resembles the offense from the first year of the Childress regime, particularly the ineptitude of the passing game. When an offense is struggling to score points like Minnesota currently is, you need to take the points when they're available. Teams know full well that the Vikings, at this point in time, have exactly one competent receiving threat, and that's how they're defending this offense. The problem is, they're absolutely not making adjustments to that change. They still seem to be under the impression that things that worked last year are still going to work. . .sorry, folks, until we have the same players we had last year, changes are going to have to be made.

One last thing on Childress' play-calling, and it's the same thing I've been saying for the entire Childress era. The Vikings have, approximately, eleventy billion dollars invested in the left side of the offensive line between Bryant McKinnie (who probably doesn't deserve it) and Steve Hutchinson (who absolutely, positively does). You also have a guy in Jim Kleinsasser who is capable of crushing anything and anyone he sees as a blocker. Why, on the biggest play of the game, do you insist on running behind Anthony Herrera and Phil Loadholt rather than lining Kleinsasser up next to McKinnie and Hutchinson and plowing into the end zone? Yeah, the other team might be able to see that coming. . .what, exactly, are they going to do about it? Nine times out of ten, the answer is "not a damn thing."

Speaking of receiving threats, we know that the entire group has been putrid through the first two games. Percy Harvin has had a myriad of problems, including a strained hip that was found in an MRI on Monday. Greg Camarillo is still getting a grip on the playbook. Greg Lewis is. . .well, he's Greg Lewis, people. Seriously. Nice guy and everything, but he's not a guy you rely on. But there's one guy that, from all that I've seen and heard, has absolutely, positively no excuse at this point in time.

Bernard Berrian has been a slug through the first two games of this season. Nothing short of utterly pathetic. In fact, there was one play in particular yesterday kind of summed up Berrian's new attitude, and that of the Viking offense in general. It came in the fourth quarter, right after the Vikings had forced the Dolphins to punt and Camarillo had gotten a decent return to the Minnesota 34. Favre took the first snap of the drive, rolled to his right, and heaved one deep for Berrian.

Now, don't get me wrong. . .this was a stupid, stupid throw for Favre to make. (Believe me, Favre wasn't blameless for yesterday's game. . .I just haven't gotten to him yet.) He knew from the second he got the play call in the huddle that, coverage be damned, he was going to go all Rex Grossman "unleash the dragon" on that play. As soon as the TV cameras panned to Berrian and we saw that there were two Dolphins in the picture, we knew just how dumb it was. However, there's an old axiom in football that I heard Phil Simms repeat on ESPN Radio this afternoon. . .it was about a different game, but the same thing still applies here.

Any deep pass that's intercepted is the fault of the wide receiver.

Why? Because as the receiver in that situation, there's a very simple flowchart you have to run through when a deep pass is thrown in your direction. You simply ask yourself, "Can I catch this pass?" If the answer is "yes," then you go up and make every effort to catch the pass. However, if the answer is "no," you go from trying to make the catch to trying to knock the ball down. Berrian made absolutely zero effort to do that. . .he just kept running as though the ball was magically going to find its way around the two Miami players and into his hands. And to make things worse, after the ball was intercepted by Jason Allen, rather than pursuing the play and trying to stop him, the first thing that Berrian did was turn around to the referee and start complaining for a flag.

Dude, you are not Randy Moss. . .you are not Andre Johnson. . .you are not Brandon Marshall. . .and, therefore, you are not getting that call. It doesn't matter if you were bumped, which is debatable at best, you're not drawing the flag there. Shut up and do your job.

Which brings me to Favre. Let's make no bones about this, people. . .#4 was freaking terrible yesterday. You can make all the excuses you want, but the guy was outright awful. He seems lost without Sidney Rice. . .which, after years of watching him make every schmoe receiver in a Packer uniform he played with look like an All-Pro, seems almost implausible. (Don't believe me? I've got two words for you. . .Bill Schroeder.) The arm strength may still be there, certainly, but in the first two games of this year, he really hasn't done a whole lot to show that 2009 was anything but a lightning in a bottle-type of season.

And the worst part? The only way that he could appear to be more disinterested is if he was standing back in the pocket thumbing through a copy of the most recent Field & Stream. There doesn't appear to be the hint of even a spark at this point, let alone the fire that was burning last season. And if that's the way he's going to look all season long, and the way he's going to attempt to make this offense work all season long, then he should pack up the tent and head on home. If he can come out and show that he's actually interested in leading this football team, then that's another matter.

Now, that part is going to anger some of you, because apparently criticism of our quarterback is verboten. But ask yourself this. . .without the racial component that got into one of the FanPosts yesterday (which, if it's revisited, is going to get you an insta-ban. . .you've been warned): If Tarvaris Jackson had thrown those same two interceptions in Berrian's direction that Favre did yesterday, you'd be shredding him right now, wouldn't you? You're damn right you would be, and with good reason.

I watched members of Packer nation make every excuse in the book for Brett Favre for a decade and a half. Of the numerous interceptions he threw in a Green Bay uniform, I believe that exactly three were his fault. (Well, until he was no longer a Packer, when that story changed, but that's something for another time.) I gave those people a measurable ration of crap for making those excuses. And, now that he's in Minnesota, I guess I'm expected to do the same. Well, to channel Dana Carvey channeling George H.W. Bush. . ."Not gonna do it. Wouldn't be prudent! NAH GAH DAH!" If other people want to try to excuse this sort of play, that's fine. That's not a me problem. . .that's a them problem. I'll be grateful for the season that Favre put together in 2009 for as long as I'm a fan of the Minnesota Vikings. . .but it's now 2010, we're about a week away from getting this entire season flushed straight down the crapper, and Favre's play, particularly this week, is one of the bigger reasons for that as of right now.

So there you go. If you want to vent, that's what this is for. If you want to disagree, that's fine. Go right ahead. But that's the way I see things over the first two weeks of this season. . .a season that, just 11 days ago, had a ton of promise, and is now on the verge of going up in a big puff of purple and gold smoke. I'm not happy, and I know that most of you aren't happy, either. We damn well shouldn't be happy with the way things have gone thus far, and all we can do is hope that it turns around.

http://www.dailynorseman.com/2010/9/20/1700549/where-we-push-out-the-jive-before

 

BEARS

The Chicago Bears have won four straight games, and have started the season 2-0 for the first time since that magical year of 2006. The first victory of this season came against the Detroit Lions, and many fans were thinking out loud about how we would never have won that game against a quality opponent.

To go into Dallas and beat the Cowboys in their home opener should quell a lot of the criticism. It was a hard-fought battle, but the Chicago Bears played nearly mistake-free football, and raised a lot of eyebrows in the NFC with the victory. Are the Bears really legit this season? We'll see.

A few things that I wrote down during yesterday's contest:

Star-divide

- Johnny Knox's 42 yards opening kickoff return was beautiful. Nice way to open the game on the road.

- Brandon Manumaleuna is a big boy, and needs to keep developing into a FB. We'll need him on the goal line.

- Jay Cutler was sacked on the second play of the game. The Bears then caled a timeout. Why?

- 3rd and 13, Cutler throws a 6 yard completion before getting hammered by Demarcus Ware. Way too short of a completion.

- Tommie Harris was drawing double teams early, and seemed to be freeing up space for Anthony Adams and Matt Toeina. Not sure why the criticism towards Tommie in the game threads last night. If he is getting doubled all game, then he is being effective by default.

- The defense showed up early in this game as well, with Lance Briggs making a huge tackle for a loss, and Charles Tillman/ D.J.Moore teaming up for the games first INT.

- Bears opened up second series in the Wildcat formation, but shifted out of it pre-snap. Hmmm.

- Chris Williams getting hurt early did not do any favors for Cutler. Omiyale did okay at times at LT, but Shaffer does not need to be on the field for extended periods of time.

- Jay Cutler slid head-first on his early scramble in the 1st Quarter.

- Corey Graham had a great ST tackle on kickoff coverage.

- Matt Toeina was playing ver aggressively in the middle next to Tommie. Anthony Adams was also flying around making plays. Between those two guys, we've got a pretty good rotation.

- Towards the end of the first quarter, we started seeing more 1-step drop and super-fast passes from Cutler (quick toss to Hester, and the TD pass to Olsen with an empty backfield). If you can't hold your ground on the OL, then you have to just neutralize the pass rush by running plays that get the ball out of Cutler's hands instantly. Nice playcalling.

- With Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs getting all of the attention, Pisa Tinoisamoa was also getting involved in the fray. If he can stay healthy, he is going to really be a bright spot on the defense.

- Danieal Manning played more aggressivley than I have ever seen him play. He was all over the field, and was lowering the boom on some ball carriers.

- Speaking of lowering the boom, how in the hell did Roy WIlliams hold on to the ball when Chris Harris drove over him?

- When Tony Romo has time to throw, the guy is good.

- It's nice to see the CBs not giving the WRs a cushion on 3rd down and short.

- When Cutler has time to throw, he has shown for two straight games the ability to be deadly accurate.

- I've been saying this for two years now (go back at last years Scribbles posts): CHarles Tillman is not good at pass coverage, and falls down way too much. Three times last night he fell down in coverage, and twice he was completely unaware of where the WR was. But, he causes fumbles, so people overlokk the other stuf.

- Forte + pass blocking = ___?___

- D.J. Moore benefited from being in the right place at the right time last night. As stated last week, he is okay in pass coverage, but for the second straight game, he is a liability in the run defense.

- Wondering where Devin Aromashodu was last night? Sean Jensen wondered if he was still recovering from the beating he took in week 1, but Brad Biggs guessed that he may have been demoted due to the dropped passes last week. Either way, I'd bet we see him plenty next week against the Packers.

- What's with all of these touchbacks on kickoffs? What a nice surprise.

- Matt Forte is good at football.

- Israel Idonije was disrupting a few plays in the thrid quarter, and helped Tinoisamoa clean up a couple of times. It was funny to see Izzy straight juked by Romo in the 4th though.

- I made multiple notes about Matt Toeina in the third quarter being aggressive in the middle.

- Our defense was swarming to the ball to start the 4th quarter. Looked good.

- Our short-yardage offense still does not look good.

- Brian Iwuh looks really good in pursuit on punt coverage.

- Two games into the season, and opponents are already missing FGs against the Bears. We seem to have a knack for that.

- At the exact moment that the Bears scored in the 4th quarter, the Dolphins held the Vikings on a 4th down play. The universe was all aligned and stuff at that very moment.

- A final thought about the trenches: The OL is still not looking good, but Mike Martz is doing a great job with playcalling to help himself out. Like last week, a lot of traps, misdirections, crosses, 1 yard drops, etc. While that is working early in the season, we have to have an OL if we are going to compete in the playoffs this year. As far as the DL goes, the pass rush didn't show up often enough yesterday. We saw flashes, and a few good plays, but we were more neutralized than anything.

http://www.windycitygridiron.com/2010/9/20/1699348/notes-scribbles-and-things-jotted

The Bears were outgained and had the ball only 26:20 to Dallas’ 33:40. But individual plays stood out beyond just the numbers in a potentially pivotal win in the Bears’ season.

Quarterback A+

Jay Cutler was in serious jeopardy from pressure early but had the presence to avoid interceptions while throwing TD passes to a tight end, running back and wide receiver. His 21-for-29 passing was good for 277 yards and a rating of 136.7, his highest as a Bear and fourth-highest of his career. His cool under pressure was a key to the game as he was 8-for-8 passing in two possessions when the Bears were behind.

Running backs C+

The numbers show Dallas left little open in the run game but Matt Forte had a 13-yard run and he and Chester Taylor caught seven of the eight passes thrown to them for a combined 46 yards. Forte’s three-yard reception in the fourth quarter provided the game’s winning points.

Receivers A-

Devin Hester’s one-hand grab for a first-half TD was highlight-film stuff, as was Johnny Knox’s 59-yard grab to set up that score. Greg Olsen scored on a 39-yard throw, finding the open area and breaking a tackle for the TD. Earl Bennett had an outstanding game in his first time active this year including preseason, with five catches of the six balls thrown to him.

Offensive line B+

Kevin Shaffer was pressed into service after the first series when LT Chris Williams went out with a hamstring injury. Jay Cutler was under siege early but OL recovered as first half went on. Shaffer went to RT and Frank Omiyale to LT. Interior guys Roberto Garza, Olin Kreutz and Lance Louis acquitted themselves well against a dominating 3-4 front.

Defensive line B-

Mark Anderson and Matt Toeaina broke up passes on Dallas’ second possession and Julius Peppers broke up 2 attempts. The line play was stout against the run but Tony Romo was hit just four times and allowed to keep too many plays alive with his scrambling.

Linebackers B+

The hits by Lance Briggs, Pisa Tinoisamoa and Brian Urlacher contributed to the alligator arms that Dallas receivers developed as the game wore on. Urlacher had two tackles for a loss and a fumble recovery while Briggs had two stops for minus-yards and a pass broken up. The Cowboys averaged just 1.8 yards per rush and all three LBs contributed to an intimidation factor.

Secondary A-

The Cowboys passed for 374 yards but the Bears made plays against one of the more star-laden offensive units. D.J. Moore turned two mishandled passes into interceptions in the first half that became 10 points and his tackle of Roy Williams allowed Charles Tillman to force a fumble to end a late scoring threat.

Special teams B+

Dez Bryant returned a punt for 62 yards and a TD against poor coverage that failed to take away the edge but that was the only real breakdown on “teams.”. Robbie Gould converted from 38 and 40 yards in the first half and Earl Bennett pulled down the Dallas onsides kick to seal the victory.

Coaching A+

Credit Mike Martz with crucial changes in the game plan to alter the course of the afternoon. With Cutler being rushed and crushed the Bears went to short drops and quick throws into areas vacated by Dallas pressure. The defensive scheme contributed to Dallas getting yardage but being unable to fend off attacks on receivers downfield. Special teams allowed little outside of two plays and saved the game with the recovery of an onsides kick.

http://www.csnchicago.com/09/19/10/...rn-hig/landing.html?blockID=314207&feedID=661

ARLINGTON, Texas — When Greg Olsen left the huddle late in the first quarter of the Bears' 27-20 victory over the Cowboys on Sunday, the tight end had no clue he was about to change the tone of a game.

Let alone a football city.

Dare anybody suggest … the season?

It was first down at the Dallas 39, three plays after Dez Bryant's 62-yard punt return for a touchdown made the Bears' challenge seem even bigger than the giant video scoreboard hanging inside Cowboys Stadium.

Olsen noticed both linebackers showing blitz at the line of scrimmage and prepared to adjust his drag route. On the snap, not a soul touched Olsen. By his third step, he instinctively expected a quick throw from quarterback Jay Cutler.

Not long after Olsen looked back for the ball, the Bears began a comeback that turned heads all around the league.

"I obviously didn't expect to be that open," said Olsen, who outran safety Alan Ball on the decisive touchdown catch. "That settled us down. After that play, we could say we're good, we weathered their storm early and the excitement of an opening home game."

Talk about a sight adjustment.

Don't look now, but the Bears are 2-0 and a Monday night victory over the Packers from being the surprise team of the NFC. Since 1978, 65 percent of teams that started 2-0 made the playoffs, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Who in Chicago ever thought they'd start wondering what the odds were for 3-0 teams?

"We were reeling a bit early, and it just takes one play," Cutler said. "That was the one."

They say everything is bigger down here, and based on what the Bears did after that Olsen touchdown, the trick for Lovie Smith will be not to let his team exaggerate the importance of one win.

Admittedly it sure looked impressive enough to be construed as more. For the Bears, it felt like a victory over the doubt and cynicism that were among their toughest early opponents.

No word yet on what time crow is being served Monday to guests arriving at Halas Hall.

"There's been a group trying to tell us what type of team we are," Smith said. "We've been saying exactly what type we are, and that's a good football team. But you have to get wins to validate that. This win will make us a little closer to people believing in us."

Winning so convincingly on the road resembled Bears victories at Indianapolis in 2008 and Seattle in 2009, and neither of those led to anything but frustration. Sunday's win suggested the Bears are better than many critics — present company included — thought. But it's premature to know how much better.

Most significantly, it confirmed what Jerry Angelo has been saying all along about the additions of offensive coordinator Mike Martz and line coach Mike Tice as the team's biggest offseason additions.

Sure, the Bears beat the Cowboys because they had the best player on the field in Cutler, who was 21 of 29 for 277 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. But Cutler played like the franchise quarterback he is because of the way Martz adjusted his game plan and Tice switched his personnel.

To compensate for the Cowboys' early all-out attacking defense, Martz interspersed passes with quick releases and assigned extra blockers on plays with deeper routes. He mixed in just enough screens and new formations — Earl Bennett in the backfield? — to keep the Cowboys guessing. For the second week in a row, Martz took advantage of a Matt Forte mismatch that resulted in a touchdown pass.

Not to be outdone, after starter Chris Williams left with a hamstring injury, Tice pulled off the rare in-game position switch by flipping Frank Omiyale to left tackle and Kevin Shaffer to right after one series the other way around. Whether it was scheme or skill, the line protected Cutler better in the final three quarters than it had since training camp started.

When Plan C works, that's coaching.

General manager Jerry Angelo called this a "statement game" on WBBM-AM 780 before kickoff. If so, this is what the Bears ultimately said: We're right. You're wrong. Deal with it.

The Bears also did what good teams do in overcoming injuries to two of their most highly regarded young players, Williams and rookie safety Major Wright. The way free safety Chris Harris hit playing full-time, Wright might want to heal quickly.

It's hard to measure on the stat sheet, but the Bears' swarming defense contributed to Tony Romo throwing behind his receivers as much as Romo's erratic arm. More vindication came for Smith when his pet project at nickel back, D.J. Moore, intercepted two passes and was involved in a Roy Williams fumble.

But given the chance to say I-told-you-so about Moore or anything else after beating the team he grew up cheering in Big Sandy, Texas, Smith wisely passed. He owns a calendar.

"Whenever you come back home, you want to do well in front of a lot of people who care about you," Smith said.

Something tells me a lot more people care about the Bears now.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/chi-100919-haugh-bears-cowboys,0,6928755.column

As wonky as the Bears looked in the opener at home, that’s how solid and sometimes spectacular they looked in Dallas on Sunday.

As ineffective as the Bears looked against the Lions, that’s how improved and resourceful they were against the Cowboys.

This was the kind of game that gives you reason to believe the Bears’ big talk about their offense.

This also was the kind of game that gives you reason to believe the Bears’ big talk about the importance of some of their new coaches.

Jay Cutler hit 21 of 29 passes for 277 yards and three touchdowns -- and no interceptions. What’s more remarkable, he did it behind an offensive line that had to be partially rebuilt after one series. Starting left tackle Chris Williams left with a hamstring injury, forcing Kevin Shaffer to protect Cutler’s blindside. Couldn’t do it. Shaffer got pantsed twice, committed a holding penalty, and Cutler’s life was in danger.

That’s when offensive line coach Mike Tice gave the Bears a game. He immediately moved Shaffer to the right side and right tackle Frank Omiyale to the left. That’s when offensive coordinator Mike Martz gave the Bears a game, as well, swapping his beloved deep drops for quick passes and two-tight-end sets to defuse the Cowboys’ fierce pass rush.

Bingo, a quick throw to Greg Olsen turned into a 39-yard touchdown that put the Bears up 10-7. When it comes to pass-catching tight ends in the Martz offense, Olsen has a big told-ya-so.

Then, as the offensive line adjusted -- waiting for a bunch of false starts, weren’t you? -- Martz expanded the playbook.

Bingo, a deep drop out of shotgun, and Cutler hit Johnny Knox for a 59-yarder that set up Devin Hester’s wonderful TD grab in the back left corner of the end zone to put the Bears up 17-14.

The Bears’ scrappy productiveness went missing for the first 22 minutes of the second half, but that’s when the Bears became opportunistic Monsters of the Midway. After the Cowboys missed a field goal that would’ve tied the game at 20-all, the Bears promptly moved 66 yards for the decisive score after gaining only 68 yards total in the second half until then. A 10-point swing and a 10-point lead. Ballgame.

But you know what? You know who gave the Bears maybe the best game of all? Defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli, that’s who. His unit allowed only and one touchdown on the road against a powerful offense, his defense smothered Dallas into just 36 rushing yards, he called blitzes that worked, and he rotated bodies to get pressure and big plays.

While waiting for Julius Peppers to have his usual big game against the Cowboys, fellow defensive linemen Matt Toeaina, Henry Melton and Mark Anderson hurried Dallas quarterback Tony Romo into bad passes at big times. If there’s such a thing as a pedestrian 374 passing yards, Romo accomplished it, largely because of D.J. Moore. The nickel back intercepted Romo twice and stood up Cowboys receiver Roy Williams long enough late in the game to let Charles Tillman punch the ball loose and pretty much kill the Cowboys’ comeback hopes.

For all the abuse the Bears coaches get, this was their game, their win. Sure, the players had to execute things, but the coaches had a plan, adjusted when they had to, and worked a win on the fly on the road.

Can’t say enough about Omiyale’s replacing Shaffer, who replaced Williams. (Is it just me, or does Williams seems to have a bonus clause for injuries?) After spending the offseason and preseason working as the starting right tackle, Omiyale suddenly was rushed over to the most important position on the offensive line against a lot of DeMarcus Ware. Yeah, he had some blocking help, but he didn’t allow a sack, didn’t commit a penalty, didn’t do a lot wrong.

Can the Bears get Tillman some shoes that can allow him to remain upright? Thank you.

The Cowboys’ first touchdown was all kinds of bad punt, bad coverage, bad tackling and a bad owwie. Cowboys rookie Dez Bryant returned it 62 yards for a touchdown to make it 7-3 in the first quarter. Bears punter Brad Maynard looked lame trying to push Bryant out of bounds, and that was it, as Major Wright, who hadn’t been injured for, I don’t know, 20 minutes or so, hopping off with a hamstring injury even before the touchdown was scored.

Remember when Hester used to score those touchdowns? Now he’s back to running sideways and ultimately backwards. Stop this. Or stop using him in that role.

But say this for Hester: He made two massive plays. The first was that terrific catch for a touchdown in the second quarter, grabbing the ball after a bobble, then getting both feet down and rolling over out of bounds to make sure he maintained control. Someone learned Calvin Johnson’s lesson. The other play came with less than six minutes remaining when he took a short out and raced 38 yards down to the 3 to set up Matt Forte’s TD catch. Hester got a big block from Johnny Knox, but even more help from a Cowboys defense that gave him a seven-yard cushion.

Perhaps the most underrated play of the game came after Bryant scored. The Cowboys tried an onside pooch kick that might’ve buried the foundering Bears if Dallas had recovered it. But defensive back Tim Jennings had the poise to call for fair catch at the Bears’ 42. Given a short field, Cutler needed three plays to hook up on the TD pass to Olsen.

http://blogs.chicagosports.chicagot...0/09/this-bears-wins-goes-to-the-coaches.html

 

PACKERS

In the wake of RB Ryan Grant's season ending injury, his replacements (FB John Kuhn and RB Brandon Jackson) combined for 65 yards on 20 carries last Sunday. Offensive coordinator Joe Philbin was quoted as saying it was "extremely mediocre." Anyone who's watched Jackson charge head-first into the line with his head down and both arms around the ball knows that he's concerned about avoiding a fumble, and not too concerned about running for a big gain. What exactly are the Green Bay Packers missing without Grant? From Mike McCarthy:

Now, Ryan Grant didn’t play on third down all the time. Brandon Jackson does...We’re not trying to play one running back 55, 60 plays in the game and have the other two or three sit on the sideline. We’ve never played that way.

In that regard the Packers aren't losing a lot of plays. My guess is that Grant played between 40 to 50 snaps per game (out of 60 to 80). It always seemed like more for Grant since he carried the ball far more frequently then Jackson, who was usually left in to block. Also, Grant wasn't doing any better then either Kuhn or Jackson if he didn't have good run-blocking. Again, from McCarthy:

I think if you sit there and freeze the film and say, ‘Oh, my goodness, there is a hole there,’ but I can’t also project if the defender is not going to get off the block as he gets on to the second level. It is the responsibility of the run-blocking unit to create the opportunity for the running back to get to the second level, and the second level is on the running back.

I wonder if he raised his voice when he said 'Oh, my goodness?' Anyway, on most carries not even Grant got an opportunity to get into the second level. According to the Journal-Sentinel, running backs coach Edgar Bennett specified that there were two missed opportunities to gain additional yards. If Grant was playing, then they might have had two more big plays. Maybe an extra 40 yards rushing.

So what they really need is a running back with size, speed, and the ability to take advantage of an opportunity in the second level. How many backs in the NFL can do that? I'm not sure if RB Marshawn Lynch can, even if the Packers wanted to trade a high draft pick for him.

Greg Bedard pointed out this old article from Football Outsiders on how winning teams were the ones with a lot of rushing attempts in the 4th quarter, and that it didn't seem to matter how much you ran the ball earlier in the game. At that point, the team is trying to run out the clock, and they aren't looking for a big play. If they want two more big play opportunities per game, they could just pass the ball more. Looking at the official 2009 stats from NFL.com, the Packers ran 438 times, and passed 553 times, for a run/pass percentage split of 44/56. The two teams that ran the ball the fewest times in 2009 were the Colts and Cardinals, who both ran the ball on about 38% of their plays. And obviously they both had great offenses last season.

This isn't a post to point out that they don't need Grant anyway. I'm just saying that they can adjust the offense to compensate for his absence in other ways. Having an explosive running back on the roster sure couldn't hurt, but there would be a cost in obtaining a back with that potential. It's not ideal, but the offense could be fine without a true replacement for Grant.

How important is it to find a true replacement for RB Ryan Grant?

http://www.acmepackingcompany.com/2010/9/21/1701292/packer-notes-what-to-do-about-the

The Buffalo Bills do not have an NFL ready offense. This is the 2nd week in a row that they've been held under 200 yards of total offense, and QB Trent Edwards won't throw deep. Maybe he can't since only former Badger WR Lee Evans is their only proven wide receiver. They can run the ball a little, but they aren't a big play threat and didn't have a carry for more than 14 yards. Their offensive tackles, as expected, ha d trouble slowing down either LB Clay Matthews or DE Cullen Jenkins, and the pass blocking scheme even had trouble stopping LB A.J. Hawk. A great performance by the defense, but the Bills clearly have one of the bottom offensive teams in the NFL.

The Bills defense was much better by comparison. The Green Bay Packers were held to well under 4 yards/carry and WR Greg Jennings was a non-factor against their top corners. But their linebackers couldn't keep up with TE Jermichael Finley and they got no pass rush which gave QB Aaron Rodgers time to throw or scramble. Also, Rodgers spread the ball around which helped avoid their better defensive backs.

It's always important to stay healthy, and the Packers only had a couple injuries of note, including FS Nick Collins. According to the Journal-Sentinel, McCarthy doesn't expect Collins's injury, or injuries to NT B.J. Raji and LB Brad Jones to linger, but Jones was limping pretty badly at the end of the game.

As much fun as this win was, the Chicago Bears had a big win of their own on Sunday, and now a big match-up to decide the early leader in the NFC North is looming on Monday, September 27th.

Star-divide
Play-by-play from NFL.com.

First Quarter

(14:26) 32-B.Jackson right tackle to BUF 47 for 6 yards (56-K.Ellison).

(13:49) 30-J.Kuhn right guard to BUF 44 for 3 yards (95-K.Williams).

Almost as if to show their intentions, they called back-to-back running plays with FB John Kuhn as the tail back and RB Brandon Jackson. They ended up splitting the carries evenly (Kuhn - 9, Jackson - 11) and gave a brief 2 carry cameo to recently signed RB Dimitri Nance. I expect this will be the plan going forward.

(11:58) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass incomplete deep left to 89-J.Jones.

(7:45) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass incomplete short right to 89-J.Jones (56-K.Ellison).

The offense looked good on their first two drives: completions to multiple receivers on the first drive, and a big wide open run across the field by TE Jermichael Finley on the other one. And both were ended on incomplete passes to WR James Jones. There were only 10 incompletions in the game and 4 were on passes to Jones (a 5th was taken away on a penalty). He doesn't seem to be running crisp routes and finds himself drifting out of bounds. He seemed to get off to a slow start mentally last season too. I'm still puzzled why WR Jordy Nelson isn't playing in front of him.

(10:19) (Shotgun) 5-T.Edwards sacked at BUF 7 for -13 yards (52-C.Matthews).

LB Clay Matthews was just getting going. He seemed to abuse anyone that tried to block him, and he seemed to come from everywhere. That, of course, is the plan.

(3:22) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass deep right to 88-J.Finley to BUF 20 for 32 yards (90-C.Kelsay).

(:16) 32-B.Jackson right guard for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.

Finley can't be covered by a former 4-3 defensive end (Chris Kelsay). It's the big play that sets up the TD run.

Second Quarter

(10:54) 69-J.Meredith reported in as eligible. 22-F.Jackson left end for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

The Bills put together a nice 80 yard TD drive, mostly on the ground, and exposed the Packers's run defense. The run defense isn't the same top rated unit from 2009, but they haven't returned to the bottom five as they were in 2008 either. The truth is somewhere in the middle, which works just fine, and they still held the Bills to under 4 yards/carry overall.

9-R.Lindell kicks 57 yards from BUF 30 to GB 13. 87-J.Nelson pushed ob at GB 40 for 27 yards (27-R.Corner).

Nelson's just settling into his role as the best return option on the roster.

(9:02) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass incomplete deep right to 89-J.Jones.

(4:33) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass incomplete short right to 30-J.Kuhn.

It seemed like the offense was lost in the 2nd quarter, and they did go three-and-out on both of their possessions. It just happened at the same time the Bills offense showed some life, so it seemed worse then it was.

Third Quarter

(12:58) (Shotgun) 5-T.Edwards pass short middle intended for 13-St. Johnson INTERCEPTED by 54-B.Chillar [50-A.Hawk] at BUF 48. 54-B.Chillar to BUF 39 for 9 yards (83-L.Evans).

Nice grab by LB Brandon Chillar.

(8:37) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass short left to 80-D.Driver for 7 yards, TOUCHDOWN [90-C.Kelsay].

QB Aaron Rodgers was nearly perfect in the 2nd half. He only had 2 incompletions in the half, and threw to 4 different receivers on this TD drive.

(2:03) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers right end for 9 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

During the previous drive, he didn't slide or run out of bounds on a scramble, instead taking a good hit. Hopefully the coaches told him not to do that again. He either ran to daylight or slid the rest of the game. On this TD run, he had a wide open field.

Fourth Quarter

(14:22) 5-T.Edwards pass short right intended for 11-R.Parrish INTERCEPTED by 42-M.Burnett at GB 48. 42-M.Burnett to GB 48 for no gain (11-R.Parrish).

A nifty first career INT for rookie SS Morgan Burnett, who took the ball away from the receiver on the ground. He's part of the problem on run defense, he takes bad angles and doesn't provide support like SS Atari Bigby, but he's looked good in coverage.

(12:22) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass deep right to 89-J.Jones for 30 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Penalty on BUF, Defensive Offside, declined. Penalty on BUF, Defensive 12 On-field, declined.

I'm not sure why they're still slinging it downfield when the rout is underway, but Jones looked great on this play, and it was the only thing that kept this game from being a disaster for him.

(1:19) (Shotgun) 5-T.Edwards left end ran ob at GB 38 for 4 yards (54-B.Chillar).

A pretty feeble ending on 4th and 11. Couldn't he at least throw it somewhere?

http://www.acmepackingcompany.com/2010/9/20/1699103/analysis-packers-crush-bills-34-7

After not playing a defensive snap in the Green Bay Packers’ season opener a week ago, linebacker A.J. Hawk returned to the lineup on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills and rushed the passer better than usual.

In a review of the game film in the Packers’ 34-7 victory, Hawk was there and applied pressure. A lot of times in the past, you’d see him run into an offensive lineman and that was it. Even in pass coverage when Hawk played in the nickel defense, he didn’t give up anything.

And what he always does well in the running game is he gets in the right position. In your run fits, you don’t have to make the tackle, you just have to be in your spot.

But he never gets the blow-up tackle. He tackles everybody high. You’d rather see him tackle people around the waist instead of up around the numbers. Bottom line: He wasn’t flashy, but he’s a serviceable linebacker. He doesn’t hurt you. Some people might say he makes all his tackles downfield, but those are hustle plays, too.

Hawk and fellow inside linebacker Nick Barnett ran by the quarterback too many times.

Barnett, in some ways, is just the opposite of Hawk. He plays faster than Hawk. But he has a tendency to do too much straight-on.

Instead of running in there like a missile and going for the big shot, he’d be better off sometimes getting under control and just making the tackle. But Barnett looks like he’s playing faster than last year now that he’s a year removed from the knee injury. And he had a really solid game. Like Hawk, he certainly didn’t hurt them.

Here are some other observations from Sunday’s game:
Clay Matthews

What’s so impressive is how he can change direction so quickly. You see guys run by quarterbacks all the time. He has the knack that even if a quarterback gives him a wiggle, he’s still right there. And Matthews has the downhill speed. Plus, he’s good in the run. He can drop back in pass coverage. He’s a complete player. He has the six sacks, but he’s not a one-trick pony. So far, he has been amazing.
James Jones

He’s listed at the same weight as last year, but he doesn’t look as thick as he did and maybe that’s helping him. Maybe he has more quickness. Something is different about the guy and he really has been stepping up.
Aaron Rodgers

Smart guy. He didn’t start off that well again, but he doesn’t do anything stupid. For example, the Packers tried to run a screen pass with John Kuhn in the third quarter and Kuhn got swallowed up. So Rodgers simply ran the ball where the blocking was and it went for a yard gain. It was a smart play on his part and nothing bad happened. And on that touchdown pass to Donald Driver, Rodgers knew he was going to get drilled and he stood in there and delivered the ball.
Defensive line

B.J. Raji looks like a much improved player. He seems to have found his spot at the nose. Ryan Pickett, as usual, showed good lateral quickness in the run game. And Cullen Jenkins was surprisingly effective with that club. That’s a tough thing for a defensive lineman to play with.
Left tackle

It doesn’t appear that Chad Clifton can do it anymore in the running game. He has never been dominant in that phase of the game, but he didn’t have the foot speed to even get it done Sunday. Maybe his knees are really bad, but they didn’t tend to him in the bench area as though he had an injury after he left the game. He still has a big body and he’s a strong guy, but he’s not cutting off on the backside and he didn’t have any explosion on the front-side.

To get into a guy on the play side, a tackle has to have good pad level. And if his knees are bothering him, it’s going to be difficult to do that. When the tackle is on the backside of a play, he’s basically just trying to shield guys and make sure they don’t get in on the pile. So he has to get up-field. The tackle has to get across the face of the defensive end or outside backer in a hurry to cut that guy off before that defender sees flow going to the other side. All we’re talking about in that case is a step or two, but Clifton just doesn’t seem to have the speed right now to even make those blocks.

Bryan Bulaga had one false start, but he looked much better than Clifton. He showed some nice feet and looked powerful in the running game. His hands get outside him on occasion in pass protection. He has to work on keeping them in the box or within his frame. But he showed strength and speed in the running game.

They took Clifton out in the second quarter, when the score was still close, so you wonder what the coaches are thinking. But we’ll find out by Monday when they play Chicago. Do you throw your rookie out there against Julius Peppers or do you go with your old guy?
Morgan Burnett and Nick Collins

Burnett came up on the first play of the fourth quarter, filled in the alley on the line of scrimmage and made a nice play to stop Marshawn Lynch for no gain. That was a positive. Then he had that interception and that was a physical play. So he played better than last week.

Especially early, the Packers had Collins up at the line of scrimmage more. His game has really come on. He truly is a Pro Bowl player. He covers the pass well. He’s a ball-hawk. And he comes up and tackles. He’s really a player. He got sucked in on a play-action boot pass, but the whole defense did.
Running game

Twenty rushes, 65 yards from their two primary backs. There was nothing explosive there. Kuhn is strictly an inside, downhill, A- and B-gap runner. They tried running him off tackle and it didn’t look very good. Kuhn is good for isolation dives and things like that between the center-guard and guard-tackle gaps. Basically, it’s just going to be straight ahead with him.

Maybe things would have been better in the running game if Korey Hall had played. Quinn Johnson looks so impressive and everybody talks about him being a blow-’em-up guy, but he’s not. His pad level is too high. If he gets into a defender, he can lean on them and push them like a road grader. But Hall and Kuhn, when he’s at fullback, play with much better pad level and truly blow guys up.

http://packersnews.greenbaypressgaz...mn-An-in-depth-analysis-of-Packers-Bills-game

Are Chad Clifton’s days finished as the Green Bay Packers’ left tackle?

It’s a fair question, considering Clifton’s failing knee, and first-round draft pick Bryan Bulaga’s sound play to date.

The guess here is, yes, there’s a decent chance Bulaga will be the starting left tackle for the rest of the year.

Coach Mike McCarthy pulled Clifton halfway through the second quarter last week against Buffalo because the 34-year-old’s sore knee prevented him from the doing the job. He could hardly run block at all, and though he didn’t get abused in pass protection, he labored there at times as well. The signs were there as early as the game’s sixth play, when defensive end Dwan Edwards, who has all of two sacks in six-plus NFL seasons, beat him on an inside move. Clifton had to use a choke hold to stop him and should have been called for holding.

The Packers are suggesting Clifton might be ready to play as early as this week. We’ll see about that. He struggled while playing through considerable discomfort in the opener and then had to be yanked last Sunday, so the better bet is he’ll need a week or two off, at least, before he’s ready to go.

But either way, to what end? Even if the knee responds and doesn’t need arthroscopic surgery, is there reason to think it won’t flare up when he starts playing again? The Packers took great care with Clifton in training camp, limiting him to one practice on their seven two-a-days, and giving him time off later when the knee got sore. Yet here he was, only two weeks into the regular season and too hobbled to play well enough to stay in the game.

If the Packers had no good alternatives, they’d be in a tight spot. But they drafted Bulaga not only for the future, but for just such a time. Ideally, yes, he might sit a season before succeeding Clifton, but based on Bulaga’s play in training camp and in the final 2½ quarters against Buffalo, he’s good enough to go right now.

He’s a better run blocker than Clifton ever was, and now that Clifton has trouble bending and exploding in the run game, the difference is large. Bulaga doesn’t have Clifton’s uncommonly quick feet – for most of his career, Clifton was a first-rate if underpublicized pass blocker – but for a rookie he’s an unusually sound technician. At this point, there’s probably not much difference in their ability to protect.

So the starting job at left tackle could be riding on Bulaga’s performance this week against Chicago, assuming he plays. The test will be noteworthy, because the Bears this offseason signed defensive end Julius Peppers, a premier pass-rushing talent whose Week 1 sack knocked Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford out for at least a couple of weeks with a shoulder injury.

Peppers is listed as a right end but splits time at both sides. McCarthy can’t afford to have quarterback Aaron Rodgers take any shots like Stafford, so he’ll be ready to help his tackle no matter who starts on the left side, and maybe more so if it’s the rookie.

But if Bulaga plays and holds up well, it’s hard to see why McCarthy would take him out when Clifton’s ready to go. It would be the choice between a rookie who’s playing well enough now and will get better as the season goes on, and a 34-year-old veteran who’s body is breaking down.

The Packers were heartened by Clifton’s play for most of training camp, but it’s a bad sign that his knee has slowed him this much, this early. Maybe it’s something he and the team’s medical staff can manage well after some rest – they have managed it well for several years now. Maybe he’ll return to a starter’s level of play. But maybe Clifton’s body has hit the wall.

So be it. He then becomes an insurance policy, albeit an expensive one. With Washington also in pursuit, General Manager Ted Thompson paid $7.51 million in roster and workout bonuses plus salary to re-sign Clifton this offseason, and there’s at least a chance he’ll get less than two games for the effort. But it’s hard to blame Thompson for that call.

He did the contract on March 6 while dealing with a weak free-agent market and the draft still seven weeks away. There’s a saying in the NFL that the hardest time to find a quarterback is when you need one, and that might apply to other premium positions as well. You don’t want to go into the draft boxed into finding a starting left tackle, especially selecting at only No. 23 overall. Everyone in the league would know you need one, so you’re vulnerable to the machinations of the draft. Will teams leap-frog you for the tackle you like? You can move up, but at what cost?

So Thompson anted up and re-signed Clifton. That gave him a better hand in the draft, where a left tackle he liked was available when he picked in the first round anyway.

It was an expensive decision, but the right one at the time. Even if Clifton doesn’t play another down

http://packersnews.greenbaypressgaz...n-With-Clifton-era-on-wane-it-s-Bulaga-s-time

 

LIONS

Another week, another roller coaster ride.

The Lions once led the Eagles by a score of 17-7 this afternoon before Philadelphia scored four straight touchdowns to take a 35-17 lead. With less than five minutes to go in the game, that is what the scoreboard read, making it seem as though the Lions had absolutely no chance of making things interesting. Just as they did last week at the end of the game, though, the Lions did make things interesting.

Thanks to Jahvid Best scoring his third touchdown of the game and Calvin Johnson making a catch for a TD (that actually counted) and a two-point conversion a few minutes later, the Lions cut the lead down to a field goal. Things got even more interesting when they recovered an onside kick, giving Detroit a chance to at the very least tie the game with a field goal.

Unfortunately, the rally stopped after the onside, because Shaun Hill threw four straight incompletions on the proceeding drive. He got banged up after taking a couple of big hits and just didn't make very good reads, allowing the Eagles to take over and seal their 35-32 victory.

Star-divide

The story of this game is, well, there are many stories. The first for the Lions is the play of Jahvid Best, who was absolutely tremendous. He ran the ball 17 times for 78 yards and two touchdowns and caught nine passes for 154 yards and one touchdown. Today, he showed why the Lions traded up to get him in the draft, as he was very explosive, making play after play after play.

The other stories on offense worth mentioning involve Shaun Hill, Brandon Pettigrew and Calvin Johnson. Hill actually ended up passing for 335 yards, completing 25 of 45 attempts for two touchdowns and two interceptions. Although his numbers weren't all that bad, Hill looked very unimpressive at times during this game, often relying too much on check-down passes and as mentioned earlier, not making great reads. Even so, he kept the Lions in the game and did put up big numbers, thanks in part to Pettigrew, who had seven catches for 108 yards and Johnson, who finally showed up at the end of the game and had four catches for 50 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, the thing everybody will be talking about is how Mike Vick, LeSean McCoy and DeSean Jackson carved up the Lions. Detroit tried its best to put pressure on Vick and the Eagles by blitzing quite a bit, but it didn't work too often. Vick played great in his first start in years, passing for 284 yards and two touchdowns. On the ground, McCoy also carved up the defense, rushing for 120 yards and three touchdowns. Needless to say, the defense looked awful more often than not today, exposing many of the concerns at linebacker and in the secondary we had going into the season.

At the end of the day, I guess we should be glad that the Lions made a game of it and had a chance to win or at least send the game into overtime. Of course, many will criticize Jim Schwartz's decision to go for it on 4th and 1 early in the fourth quarter when the Lions were in field goal range, but hindsight, as they say, is 20/20. I was okay with the decision to go for it, although I wasn't a fan of the actual play call of having Best run into the pile for a second straight time. Suspect play calling was a common theme with the offense, though.

Next week, the Lions head to Minnesota to face the Vikings, which lost again today and are also 0-2. Brett Favre struggled mightily, but he always plays well against the Lions, so it will be another big test for the defense

http://www.prideofdetroit.com/2010/9/19/1698196/lions-rally-falls-short-as-eagles

I've been under the weather for the last few days, so I had a rough time getting up for the game this morning (both literally and figuratively). These beautiful fall conditions love to wreak havoc on my sinuses. But like the trooper that I am, I gave it my best try to get into the game-watching mood by pumping myself with three hours of NFL Gameday, five cups of Sumatra-blend Starbucks coffee, hitting about fifty golf balls in the backyard (I love my new Callaway Diablo driver, by the way) and then finishing up by throwing the football around with my son for a half hour or so. Yet when I sat down to watch the game, I was still not in my characteristic "game form". It wasn't until my pre-game ritual was complete that I realized that I was still feeling the effects of the emotional drain from the week before. It was that full depletion of passion coupled with knowing that Stafford was not playing, that spoiled my mood somewhat. I felt like I was watching a game that didn't matter... subconsciously, of course. I knew full well what a win could do for the team, but it still felt like a preseason game until the team took the field. Two minutes into it and that old familiar feeling came back again and I eased into game mode. But much to my dismay, as the closing seconds of the game came and went, another old familiar feeling came back... losing a close game.

So I guess that the 2010 Lions are the newest incarnation of the Cardiac Cats, hey? The only difference being that the Lions are getting us psyched for a last minute win only to come up short. I know that two games does not a trend make, but I think this is what we fans should get used to for this year - close, competitive games that they still don't have the overall talent to win. As I sit here today, I'm not really sure if I'm supposed to be über-disappointed or slightly encouraged by another spirited effort that fell short? We really had every chance at being 2-0 right now; we just couldn't get it done for a number of different reasons. At times, the Lions look like the squad we have become accustomed to watching - one that is lacking in both discipline and self-assurance. But only moments later, we see the flashes of what could be with this team.

Star-divide

The only thing consistent about the Lions over the years has been inconsistency. Once again, we watched a game that was plagued with it. Both offensively and defensively, the Lions were hit and miss with their execution. This can be especially frustrating offensively because of all the weapons. To watch Jahvid Best tear through holes in the defense one series and then get stuffed for consecutive losses in the next is a recipe for absolute frustration for the fan. I'm no Nostradamus, but I think we can expect to see a lot more of this as the season progresses... especially without Stafford.

I'm not one for entertaining a lot of past-tense hypotheticals, but I can't help but wonder what could have been if Kolb had started in the place of Vick? I thought our defense got good pressure on him all game, but there were so many times where he was able to spin out of a sack or just flat out make an unbelievably athletic play to keep drives going. That was my concern all week with Vick starting. I think Kolb would have taken a lot more hits and sacks and probably been forced into several turnovers/mistakes. But again, we can't really get into the game of what-ifs. To his credit, I thought Vick played a great game... as a quarterback. I know that McCoy had a great game as well, but the Eagles won by the arm of Vick today. He showed poise and good accuracy, even under pressure. My guess is that there is soon to be a quarterback controversy in Philadelphia... especially as fickle as the Eagle fans can be.



Thoughts on the Game:

* Shaun Hill was horribly inconsistent today. I think that he missed too many open routes and forced far too many passes into heavy coverage. What I do like about Hill though is that he's confident and not afraid to take chances down the field. He just has to learn when to do that and when to simply take what the defense gives him. I saw many times where the underneath route was open and Hill was trying to force it to the wide receiver downfield (see the last four plays of the game). He has to get better with his decision making. I think that he lost this game as much as he kept us in it... if that makes any sense. But going forward, Hill does give us a chance, unlike Culpepper serving in the same capacity last year. Right now, the big difference I see between Hill and Stafford is the overall understanding of the offense. Stafford seems to know where everyone is supposed to be and knows where to go after he sees what the defense is giving him. Hill seems to be less sure of anything beyond his first or second read. Maybe it's because he didn't have a lot of time today, but he looked hesitant of where to go too many times.
* Can you say Jahvid Best, offensive rookie of the year? I shudder to think what today's game would have looked like without Best in the offense. He is a dynamic player that adds to the offense on so many levels. Although it's hard to argue against his production, I still don't think he was used properly throughout the entire game today. With the fits he was giving the defense, he should have been able to take much more pressure off the wide receivers, which they didn't seem to be able to do. I think the playcalling was better today, but it still wasn't great. They needed to be able to either take advantage of Best by actually getting him the ball every play or making the defense pay by forcing them to focus more attention his way. With Best having such a great game, Calvin Johnson should have reaped the benefits much more than he did.
* Speaking of Calvin... is he going to start playing before the fourth quarter in games this year? I don't know what it is, but I just don't see the passion from him. I want to take Ndamukong Suh's attitude and put it into Calvin's head. With the physical attributes Johnson has, he should be dominating... and he's not. We saw a little fire at the end of both games from him, but we need that all game long. This guy should be catching 8-12 passes per game. There is no reason at all that he shouldn't be. If he's not careful and doesn't start producing, he's going to start to flirt with that "overrated" label.
* Welcome back, Brandon Pettigrew! What a nice game he had today. I think people were starting to forget the reason he was drafted. He can be a game-changing tight end from both a blocking and pass-catching standpoint and today he forced the defense to either pay attention to him or just simply pay. I know the offense has been sketchy at best, but I think at least individually, guys like Best and Pettigrew (and Scheffler last week) have shown that we have some significant talent and when it comes together, it's going to be something pretty damn special. Get well soon, Matt Stafford!
* I think that the offensive line played much better overall against Chicago. Granted, I believe that the Eagles defensive line is quite underrated, but Hill had little time all day and there was scarce daylight up the middle for Best. The offense seemed to move better when they spread out and forced the defense to play the entire field. Once we settled into an I-formation or other base formation, the defense was able to just crash forward and get sufficient penetration. Where I felt that the offensive line excelled today was with the sweeps to the outside where the guards did an excellent job of quickly pulling and sealing the blocks on the edge. But... I'm convinced now more than ever that this is always going to be an average group. I just think that they key is going to be for Linehan to call plays that allow the line to play to their strengths.
* The defensive line was impressive again today. They are showing good depth as well. I thought once again Turk McBride played well and so did Lawrence Jackson, which was a beautiful thing to see. When Mayhew hits home-runs on guys like Jackson and Alphonso Smith - which at this point, it seems he has - it helps create that much needed depth that we haven't had in a long time. Suh and Vanden Bosch were their normal disruptive, energetic selves and I expect no less in the coming weeks.
* After two weeks, I think it's safe to say that this secondary is better than last year's version, but when given time, the opposing quarterback will find holes. This game was a tough one to read from a defensive perspective, because of Vick. He makes plays that few other athletes and quarterbacks can make. The defense did a decent job of holding containment until it appears the play has broken down, but that's where Vick really hurts you. I stopped counting how many times Vick converted a third and long purely because of improvisation. Is that the fault of the defense? Yes, but it certainly makes it much more difficult when you have a guy that significantly extends plays with his feet. So like I said, this is difficult game for judging the defensive play.



In a new section of Monday Morning Microscope, I'm going to give be giving out three awards each week. I will give out two game balls, one to an offensive player and one to a defensive player. I will also give out an award for the Goat of the Game. This will be the player that did his best to give away the game or hurt the team the most. So without further adieu....

Offensive Game Ball:

Jahvid Best - Running Back

Okay, this one was very easy. Jahvid having a good game helps us on a multitude of levels. First, it finally gives opposing defensive coordinators another person to game-plan against other than Calvin. They may plan to shut down Best, but will they then be able to silence Johnson and Pettigrew and Scheffler and Burleson? Not likely. We just need Hill et al to be able to take advantage of the extra coverage Best will receive in the coming weeks. I do have to say that Pettigrew was a semi-close second for this award.

Defensive Game Ball:

Ndamukong Suh - Defensive Tackle

It was down to Suh and Delmas for me, but I just thought that Suh was disruptive the entire game. In both the Bears game and this game, I really watched Suh a lot. I can't begin to express how impressed I am with this kid. Not only does he get doubled on every play, but he beats that double-team on nearly every play. It just depends on how quickly the quarterback gets rid of the football. It's not about if Suh "can" get to him. He "will" get there on every play if given the time. He is relentless. In my humble opinion, we are looking at the greatest defensive player of the next decade or more.



Goat of the Game:

Shaun Hill - Quarterback

While Hill did some things right, he did more wrong. He had two horrible interceptions thrown into double and triple coverage and forced many more. I just saw so many plays where I was screaming at the television because a guy was either open underneath or in the flats or down a seam and instead, Hill was staring down a receiver on the outside and then sailing the ball ten yards out of bounds. Hill's a good back-up and I'm glad he's a Lion, but he needs to get better at learning who is going to be where and then taking what the defense gives. If Hill can clean up his game, we have a great shot at knocking the snot out of an out-of-sync Vikings team that is ripe for another upset.

In Conclusion...

I feel like I should be more upset about today's loss. Maybe it's because I spent all last week feeling like the season was already over. I think I've psyched myself into already conceding the season. I hope not, because I think there is still time to salvage something. The Packers are for real, but the Vikings are unraveling and the Bears are pretenders. The majority of the NFC is in flux. Teams that were supposed to be the contenders are struggling and after two weeks of NFL football, there are few teams on our schedule where I just feel we have no shot at winning. I think we will be competitive in every game. We have enough talent to be dangerous, but not enough to always seal the deal. That dynamic should create a recipe for some interesting games.

For me, that's meeting the expectations I set for this team before the season began. I wanted to see steady progress on both sides of the ball, competitiveness in all games and an increase in the win column. I think we'll see all those things happen, just maybe not at the pace we had hoped. But I'll say this and everyone can take it with a grain of salt... had Stafford not gotten hurt, we'd be 2-0 heading into a key matchup with a weakened and already wearied Vikings team.

Busts out his best country voice...

"I try not to think about what might've been... ‘cause that was then and we have taken different roads. We can't go back again... there's no use giving in. And there's no way to know... what might've been."

Wipes tear from his eye...

http://www.prideofdetroit.com/2010/9/19/1698921/the-monday-morning-microscope-week

* The early favorite for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year has to be Jahvid Best. In his first two games in the NFL, Best has combined for 268 yards and five touchdowns. Not only that, but with his performance against the Eagles, he became the first rookie in NFL history to rush for more than 75 yards, gain more than 150 receiving yards and score three touchdowns in a single game. Now you can see why the Lions traded up to get him in the draft back in April.
* Because the Eagles won on Sunday, Ernie Sims snapped a personal 29-game losing streak. Although the Lions won two games last season, he was injured for both of them, meaning when you counted the Eagles' Week 1 loss, he was on the wrong side of the scoreboard 29 straight times in games that he actually played in. Ouch.
* Since starting 6-2 in 2007, the Lions have a record of 3-39. Now excuse me while I go cry in the corner.
* Derrick Williams was installed as the Lions' No. 3 quarterback just in case both Shaun Hill and Drew Stanton got hurt on Sunday.
* Ndamukong Suh is the new spokesman of Omaha Steaks.

Star-divide
# Kevin Smith said in a blog post last week that his knee "is not exactly 100 percent." He went on to say that he doesn't think it will be 100 percent until next offseason, although he meant that it likely won't feel 100 percent right until then. He doesn't necessarily think it will limit him on the field, although he was once again inactive on Sunday.
# A man from West Bloomfield has had Detroit Lions season tickets since 1949. He is one of the rare season-ticket holders who has actually experienced winning.
# Matthew Stafford sent a text to Jeff Backus last week saying that he wouldn't want any other left tackle. I'm sure Backus appreciated the message, as he was feeling pretty bad about allowing the sack that caused the injury.
# Julius Peppers checked in with Stafford to see how he was doing following last week's game between the Lions and Bears. Although Peppers said he was simply doing his job, he did want to make sure that Stafford was all right and would be back sometime this season, calling him a "great young player." That's a very classy move on Peppers' part.
# Peppers was actually fined $5,000 for an illegal hit on Stafford, although it was not for the play that injured the Lions QB. It was when Peppers got his hands up on Stafford's helmet, which is pretty weak if you ask me. Brian Urlacher was also fined $5,000, although he was much more deserving of his fine, as he hit Stephen Peterman from behind after the whistle.
# Jim Schwartz is not concerned about the possibility that Stafford is injury prone, but rather that he is getting hit so ferociously.
# Gunther Cunningham said that Kyle Vanden Bosch is the "best football player" he's ever been around.
# Last Tuesday, the Lions hosted offensive guard Chad Rinehart and centers Blake Schlueter and Cody Wallace for tryouts. A signing isn't imminent or anything, as the Lions were merely preparing a short list of players in case injuries happen at some point during the season.
# Former Lions defensive end Chima Ihekwoaba signed with the CFL's Montreal Alouettes.
# David Kircus was released by a UFL team last week. I'd say that's rock bottom for his playing career.

http://www.prideofdetroit.com/2010/9/20/1699270/lions-notes-jahvid-best-is

 

BEARS

When the schedule came out about 6 months ago, did any fans here looked at the first 3 games of the season and say to themselves that the Bears will be 3-0? Did anyone think the Bears will be 3-0 after the third preseason game? The Martz passing offense that struggle mightily in the preseason is the same passing offense that's part of the reason why they are 3-0. The scary thing about it is that this offense is still learning and is only going to get better. The only really bad throws Cutler made came in the first two series where he looked over Johnny Knox on 2nd and 8 and chose to throw to Hester with 2 guys covering him. The other was the obviously INT where he overthrew Olsen. The jump ball pass to Earl Bennett that resulted in pass interference on Morgan Burnett is debatable. Overall the passing game while not spectacular was good enough to win the Bears the game.

Star-divide



Devin Hester Grade C

Not many balls thrown his way, but there wasn't many blown assignments by him. I think the bomb to him in the end zone would have been a TD if Cutler didn't lead him out of bounds. What we are seeing with Hester and Knox in this offense is that they both fit this scheme very well with their quickness and speed on the outsides. They also have the speed to work those crossing routes beautifully to where they can catch the ball and get yards after the catch. Just like how the quick slants is a staple of the west coast offense, the crossing route is a staple of the Martz Coryell offense.

Johnny Knox Grade A

It surprises to me that opposing defenses are putting more of an emphasis on stopping Hester instead of stopping Knox who is more polish receiver the two, especially when Knox has compiled 232 yards and 11 catches through 3 games. Knox looked like a natural out their compared to last year when you can tell he was thinking too much. His best play had to be the 7 route he completed before Olsen TD grab, where he had the field awareness to drag his back foot. Most young receivers don't develop those instincts until their 3rd year in the league. The past 3 games tell me that Johnny Knox might be in for a breakout year now that he's in a system that best suits his abilities.

Earl Bennett Grade C+

I couldn't give Bennett a higher grade then a C+ since he wasn't target that much (thanks to Green Bay blitzing). He did made a couple catches that kept the drives alive and almost got a TD in the red zone, but the Packers touched before he crossed the goal line. He also was on the wrong page with Jay on a 3rd down pass where he went inside, but Cutler threw it outside.

Greg Olsen Grade A

He wasn't beasting out there like Jermichael Finley, but he did make some clutch plays in the second half most notably the catch over Brandon Chillar on 2nd and 20. He also showed in the 1st half that even in the receiver friendly offense Martz runs he can still be a red zone threat. Greg Olsen for the second straight week is showing that passing catching Tight Ends can have a bigger receiving role in this offense.

Matt Forte Grade C

Not a lot of balls thrown his way as Green Bay did a good job covering him out of the backfield. We not go to see a lot of games where Forte catches 2 passes for 14 yards. In a game where Jay struggle, Forte should expect more passes thrown his way against the Giants.

http://www.windycitygridiron.com/2010/9/28/1718046/wcg-match-up-post-grades-and-reviews-week-3

One defining Monday night in the Arizona desert in 2006, the Bears proved their status as Super Bowl contenders was no mirage in a 24-23 victory over the Cardinals. Lovie Smith's team rallied from a 20-point deficit thanks to a defense that made its own luck, used a dazzling fourth-quarter punt-return touchdown from Devin Hester and showed a national TV audience the Bears were who they thought they were.

Sound familiar?

Four years later, Smith's formula still works as another victory potentially every bit as significant reminded everybody Monday night at Soldier Field. Given their upcoming schedule and the way parity reigns in the NFL, the 2010 Bears suddenly have an opportunity to mimic the ascent of the '06 team as long as they keep doing the things that have made them 3-0.

If Smith felt the pressure to make the postseason before, it only has intensified given how worthy his team has looked. There are even fewer excuses to miss the playoffs now.

Cue the rolling eyes. I realize the Bears were 3-1 last season and finished miserably. But that team didn't have Brian Urlacher, Jay Cutler or Julius Peppers playing at Pro Bowl levels. That team didn't once make me wonder if it had a realistic chance to be, top to bottom, better than the 2006 team because of its big-play potential.

Before we get to more specifics, let's address the point many of you in the Twitterverse especially have urged me to acknowledge about this Bears team.

I. Was. Wrong.

I like my crow served medium-well, thank you. Fairness says that when teams play at the level the Bears are playing, you give praise with the same fervor you exhibited doubt. Kudos. It's a bigger credibility risk to ignore a miscalculation than acknowledge it. If that comes across as flip-flopping, fine, then consider me a journalistic Bart Conner. Things change in sports, and it's naive and stubborn not to adjust — just ask Mike Martz.

Based on a terrible preseason, I didn't think the offensive line could protect or the secondary could cover. I doubted whether the offense could grasp Martz's scheme before players tuned out Smith's message. I underestimated the impact of a healthy Urlacher, who's everywhere, and an efficient Cutler, playing like the quarterback the Bears thought they were getting.

Something has clicked, and the appeal of the NFL lies in the weekly surprises proud teams such as the Bears provide when they put it all together. In that respect, this team resembles the 2001 version nobody expected to go 13-3. But the style of winning is closer to 2006 — and we all remember where that season ended.

The Bears' next six opponents are off to a combined 5-13 start. The only team among them with a winning record is the Seahawks. The way the Bears have played defense with Urlacher back in the middle, nothing seems impossible.

Did someone say 9-0?

Any objective analyst has to look at the upcoming stretch and, based on what the Bears just did to two trendy Super Bowl picks, see that possibility heading into Miami on Nov. 18. That would provide made-for-TV symmetry because it was the Dolphins who handed the '06 Bears their first loss after seven straight victories — and there are '85 Bears who still hate the Dolphins for being the only team to beat them.

Yes, the '06 team ran the ball better than the Bears do this year. The offensive line had more experience. The defense had a deeper secondary. But as much as I defended Rex Grossman, Cutler gives the Bears a more consistent player at the most important position whose playmaking ability hides flaws and shortcomings.

Martz and offensive line coach Mike Tice offer more dynamic solutions than in-the-box thinkers Ron Turner and Harry Hiestand did. This year's receiving corps offers more youth and depth, as well as an increasingly dangerous weapon in Greg Olsen, than the '06 Bears had.

The differences on defense and special teams are less distinguishable. But a subtle yet significant intangible characteristic has emerged.

This team beat the Packers without Tommie Harris and Devin Aromashodu and with No. 1 cornerback Zack Bowman benched after the first quarter. When unknowns such as Matt Toeaina and Tim Jennings reward trust by contributing to the biggest Bears victory in nearly four years, you sense a team more complete than many thought. Acceptability is out, accountability is in. Good for Lovie. It's about time.

So Harris and Aromashodu can pout about diminished roles. Or they can realize their team didn't miss them and recommit to effort and concentration — same goes for Bowman — and prepare for when the Bears will need them. Because they will.

The time to trade or cut Harris isn't Week 4. It's the offseason, and that window has closed. Unless Harris has done something to cause irreparable harm, he provides defensive line depth. It's expensive depth, yes, but it's not your money. Aromashodu eventually will re-emerge as a target. Bowman should remain a starter, but perhaps the Bears should consider returning him to the right side.

Whenever the Bears make these decisions, they finally hold relevance again to the NFC playoff picture.

Indeed it's a long season.

But at least that no longer sounds like a threat in Chicago.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...augh-bears-chicago--20100928,0,2676399.column

The Bears' biggest worry going into Monday night's game against the Packers was not replacing Chris Williams. It was replacing the player who was replacing Williams.

Especially because the player at that position often would be blocking NFL sack leader Clay Matthews.

Frank Omiyale, already a starter at right tackle, moved over to the left side to take Williams' place. At right tackle, Kevin Shaffer came off the bench to start and the Bears also tried rookie J'Marcus Webb at the position for two series.

The game tape shows the unsung hero of the night was Shaffer.

Shaffer drove Matthews into the ground on the Bears' first pass play — a 23-yard completion. He lined up nose to nose with Matthews on a dozen pass plays and didn't allow a sack. Matthews was no factor on 10 of the plays.

Matthews did pressure Jay Cutler two times in the fourth quarter when he was being blocked by Shaffer, which led to incompletions. But the Bears could live with that.

In seven snaps on passes against Matthews, Webb, who was suiting up for his first NFL game, allowed three pressures.

As was the case with several elements of the Bears' play, Webb left room for improvement.

Offensive line

Grade: 4

Cutler was sacked three times and under pressure too frequently.

Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers challenged the Bears' blockers with an expansive pressure package. In 33 dropbacks, Capers never sent more than five pass rushers. He sent five only seven times. So the challenge for the Bears was to identify who was coming and who was dropping.

The left side of the Bears' line was where most of the trouble came. Omiyale was beaten a couple of times by Frank Zombo, an undrafted rookie starting his first game.

Cullen Jenkins slid between Omiyale and right guard Frank Garza for a sack. Garza also had a hold and was responsible for a quarterback hit and a Matt Forte stuff.

Quarterback

Grade: 4

On a Wildcat play in the first quarter, Cutler, lined up at receiver, tried to hit Packers safety Derrick Martin with a low block. He nicked him, but his aim was off.

It was that kind of day for Cutler. His touchdown pass to Greg Olsen was outstanding — just past the reach of linebacker Brandon Chillar. A lot of quarterbacks couldn't have made the throw he made to Johnny Knox for 31 yards.

But other than that, there wasn't much to be excited about. He left seven points on the field by throwing behind Dez Clark on fourth-and-1. He threw one interception but could have had three more if not for a Packers drop, a roughing the passer penalty and a pass interference call.

Running backs

Grade: 5

The tape was more impressive than the stat sheet. Forte failed to gain yards on three of his 11 carries, but that was more reflective of his blocking. Forte did some tough running and was called on for quite a bit of pass protection.

Wide receivers

Grade: 5.5

Knox had another nice game, providing a mismatch against rookie corner Sam Shields. On Knox' 35-yard third quarter reception, 16 of his yards came on a nifty run after the catch.

Devin Hester caught only one pass but was targeted five ties.

Tight ends

Grade: 4

Olsen's performance was uneven. He had the touchdown and a clutch fourth quarter grab for 21 yards that helped set up the game winning field goal. But he also had a fumble that conveniently bounced out of bounds and a false start.

Clark didn't have a perfect throw to work with, but he still could have caught the fourth-and-1 pass.

Defensive line

Grade: 8

Julius Peppers might have had the biggest two-tackle, no-sack game in history.

The tape shows Peppers pressured Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers six times. Six of the Packer's seven offensive line penalties were committed by the player lined up across from Peppers. He also stopped Packers running back John Kuhn from gaining positive yards twice.

Mark Anderson also played his best game of the year, pressuring Rodgers four times though never getting him on the ground.

Linebackers

Grade: 8

Brian Urlacher should have had a deeper drop on Greg Jennings' first quarter touchdown, but other than that he dominated. He was responsible for both of the Bears' takeaways, as he forced the fourth quarter fumble and batted the Rodgers' heave to the end zone to end the first half that Lance Briggs intercepted.

He was reading well, filling the hole hard and making plays all over the field.

Safeties

Grade: 5

A typical game for the safeties — there were some nice hits and solid tackling, but the coverage could have been more efficient.

Cornerbacks

Grade: 6

On the first two Packers' possessions, Zack Bowman was dragged five yards by James Jones, then he whiffed on Jones at the line on a smoke route, allowing an 8-yard gain.

On the Packers' third possession, Tim Jennings was playing Bowman's left cornerback position. And he was playing it like a miniature linebacker, delivering big hits and making secure tackles.

In the fourth quarter, however, Jennings missed two tackles before redeeming himself with the fumble recovery.

Special teams

Grade: 9

Robbie Gould missed a 49-yard attempt and the kick coverage allowed a 40-yard return, but this unit won the game for the Bears with Hester's punt return for a touchdown and Peppers' blocked kick.

Hester had two other excellent returns as well. And on his touchdown, the blocking (Earl Bennett and Brian Iwuh created the seam while Kellen Davis, Garrett Wolfe, Rod Wilson, Nick Roach also got their men) was superb.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...ars-chicago--20100928,0,7634142.column?page=3

 

LIONS

Lions running back Jahvid Best has a grade two turf toe, according to Adam Schefter. Best is day-to-day because of the injury and could play on Sunday.

http://detroit.sbnation.com/detroit-lions/2010/9/27/1714335/jahvid-best-injury-turf-toe



Once the season starts and the losses start to pile up, I'm not exactly the most optimistic person in the world, especially when it comes to the Lions' defense. Although the D-line has looked solid this year, the secondary has driven me crazy each and every week of the season, including on Sunday against the Vikings. I was beyond angry with the way the secondary and the defense as a whole played, but looking back, there is actually some reason to be positive.

Although I may be grasping for straws a bit, level with me for a second. On Sunday, the Lions gave up 201 yards through the air and 185 yards on the ground. Factoring in a couple of sacks, the Lions allowed 368 yards to the Vikings. Sadly, that is the best performance yardage-wise all season, as Detroit gave 463 yards to Chicago and 444 to Philadelphia.

While considering 368 yards allowed as an improvement isn't anything to write home about, my point about trying to stay positive is this: If you take two plays where the defense (or more specifically C.C. Brown) had a massive breakdown out of the equation, the points scored by Minnesota and the yardage total don't look nearly as bad.

Star-divide

The first play came right after Stefan Logan's muffed punt gave the Vikings great field position. Percy Harvin had a diving touchdown catch from 24 yards out to tie the game up at 7. He was wide open, and while it was only from 24 yards out and a touchdown for the Vikings may have been inevitable on that drive no matter what, the blame falls squarely on C.C. Brown.

CC Brown on Favre TD pass 2 Harvin "That was completely on me. The corner had nothing 2 do with it, that was on me" Said he bit on pump 2 TE

Mistakes happen, but Brown again made a bonehead play on Adrian Peterson's 80-yard touchdown run. He lost contain by cutting inside, allowing Peterson to break to the outside and outrun everybody for the long score. While Peterson had been playing well even before his big run, the Lions were doing a solid job of containing him. Brown's mistake to cut inside erased that, however, and it allowed the Vikings to pull away from the Lions.

While Detroit's defense had a lot of problems outside of those two specific plays, my general point is that for most of the game, the D wasn't that bad. It wasn't good, but if you take those two mistakes by C.C. Brown out of the equation, Sunday's game could have had a much different result. It's impossible to say what exactly would have happened, but at the very least, taking an 80-yard run off the board would have made things much more interesting in the fourth quarter.

I will admit that I may be reaching for positivity, but I'm just trying to find some silver lining from the D's performance on Sunday. Perhaps it could come in the form of the three turnovers the defense forced, but I keep going back to their overall performance minus the two mistakes by Brown.

Because Brown is part of the defense, their performance still was pretty mediocre as a collective unit, but again, outside of those two specific plays, the defense wasn't as bad as it seemed while watching the game. The fact of the matter is that the Lions were still in it because of those three turnovers, and if Brown didn't read the TD pass wrong or lose contain on Peterson, Detroit would have had a chance to at least make things interesting in the fourth quarter rather than have things fizzle out the way they did.

I guess I have two main points from this: 1) I now understand why C.C. Brown was nicknamed "Can't Cover" in New York; and 2) the Lions' bend but don't break style of defense was effective most of the time on Sunday. It's not a lot of progress and you can't put the blame all on one guy, but some progress is better than none at all.

http://www.prideofdetroit.com/2010/9/27/1714304/trying-to-stay-positive-about-the-lions-defense

Disclaimer: I'm going to try hard to stay optimistic despite the urge to cross the picket line. So while you read this, please do so with mindset of disappointment versus pessimism... as that is how I'm feeling as I write.

I'm going to leave the flair for the dramatic in my back pocket this morning. Yesterday's game was simply a ho-hum loss where we got beat by both the Vikings and ourselves. Both teams had opportunities handed to them and the Vikings were able to make more of theirs. I could sit and blame the refs and pine over all the "could haves" and "should haves" and while I may do a little of that, the bottom line is still about lack of talent. And while losses are becoming increasingly tougher to swallow and as casual fans become even more apathetic, I still see more or less what I expected with this team... in context, of course. And that expectation I speak of is progress.

I know it's probably frustrating for some of you to listen to me talk about progress after starting 0-3. And I know it's probably just as difficult to hear me "lecture" about expectations and context all the time as well. I understand that... I really do. I'm sure I'll hear some of that incongruity against the position I'm about to take in the comments section, but I firmly believe that all three of those things are very significant to the relative position of the Lions right now. You can't have a pertinent conversation about the Lions without including those factors. So let's start with a simple, yet loaded question... what team is worse, the 1-2 2009 Lions or the 0-3 2010 Lions? Some of you won't even answer that question, because you feel that both teams are worthless. Some of you will feel that by record alone, the 2009 team was better. I take the position of this year's team being much better than last year's team because of progress in many areas. I say this fully understanding that we won more games to this point last year and with the very likely reality that this time next week, we are 0-4.

Star-divide
Believe me, I am neither trying to disparage the angst and frustration we all feel for being winless over three games nor am I trying to make excuses for this team. I'm also not trying to dredge up the ugly infighting that got the best of quite a few of us on this site over the past week. The Lions got beat by a much more talented football team on Sunday and they deserve any valid criticism that comes their way. That said - and I'll tread lightly here to avoid sounding contradictory - there are contextual reasons why this is a better 0-3 team and why there is still hope for this season to end much better than it started. Is there hope for the post-season? Uh, no... I think that diminutive flame of hope is all but extinguished and it's probably a fair question to ask if the flame was ever really there to begin with. That position is debatable and fairly irrelevant now anyway. But let me stir a little discussion and state one big reason for why I think that we have a better football team this year.

Let me start by asking a question. Would the Vikings have been expected to win versus the Lions if the main injuries were flipped... Stafford and Best in, Favre and Peterson out? Again, this hypothetical question is asked not to make excuses for the loss, but to provide context to our disdain over the loss. For me, the answer is no. Was it wrong to think that we could beat the Vikings with Shaun Hill? Not necessarily, but I guess my point is that the significant injuries should shift the perspective of the game somewhat. It goes both ways as well. The Vikings are struggling without Sidney Rice in the passing game, which is why we felt that we had a real chance to win in the first place. Players have to step up because injuries are part of the game - I understand that, but having Hill playing over Stafford puts us at a huge disadvantage and I doubt anyone could successfully argue against that. Had the Vikings been without Favre for the entire game, then Peterson gone down in the first half, would they have won? Again, it's all hypothetical, but it's meant to put the loss into perspective. Despite all the challenges, we have still been competitive. We most definitely have more talent on this team this year, yet we all knew that there were still significant holes in this roster. When we are without key players, that lack of talent and depth really starts to show through.

It would be so easy to sit here and use this column to trash this team. To me, that's a bit of a cop-out. To find and point out all of the negatives on an 0-3 team is very easy to do. Maybe you all feel that I am simply finding ways not to hold this team accountable and using positivity as an excuse to mask the "truth". Hopefully, you understand that's not what I'm trying to accomplish here. From past comments, I think that many of you feel that I don't hold the Lions to the standard of other NFL teams and maybe that's a valid criticism. For good or for ill, the measurement I use is the previous year's version of this team. I just don't feel that as a fan, I can set appropriate expectations for the upcoming year if I'm comparing the Lions - coming off a 2-14 campaign with holes everywhere in the roster - to teams coming off double digit wins. Is it fair to do that? I guess that question lies at the heart of why some fans are ready to throw in the towel and others are still positive about the coming games and years. Before the Millen years, I would have said that it was fair. But now, since we are basically an expansion team, I've had to reinvent the basis for my expectations in this new post-apocalyptic (Millen) landscape.

To further fuel the fire, I added a poll to the end of this column about what we all base our expectations on. The results should be interesting to say the least.



Thoughts on the Game:

* I could probably cut and paste my comments about Shaun Hill from last week's column into this one. Once again, Hill was very inconsistent and prone to forcing passes that shouldn't be thrown. Granted, we lost Best early in the game and that took away an immense part of the defensive focus, but Hill's decision making is still the biggest problem to me. The more he plays, the more I'm convinced he's an average quarterback at best. If we get the same inconsistent outing next week, we are going to get massacred against the Packers. We will likely have to score some serious points, so Hill is going to have to play far above what he has done to this point.

I'm going to do something a little different for the remainder of the "Thoughts". I'm going to point out some specific plays/situations that I thought were pivotal in either our successes or failures in the game.



* Phantom Calls: First, the Raiola hold on what would have been a first and goal run by Felton in the second quarter was atrocious. I mean, I've seen some poor holding calls, but that one was horrible. Raiola just dominated the guy and put him on his back and the ref simply saw the guy on the ground and threw the flag. That play was so huge and may have cost us the game. I say that seriously. We ended up getting nothing because of the missed field goal. Had we gotten a touchdown - which was certainly possible considering how well we were moving the ball on the ground that drive - this game may have ended much differently. Second, the pass interference called against Chris Houston on his nullified interception. That also was a terrible call and I still contend that all that contact was within the first five yards and that Houston actually had great position. He had as much right to the ball as the receiver. Houston correctly read the route and cut the receiver to the inside. "Biceps" Hochuli and his gang of flag-happy cronies definitely made a mess of this game. Again, we end up having to play the "what could have been" because of zebra interference.

* Houston's Gaffe: While Houston arguable made a good play on the interception, he also made one of the single worst cornerback plays I've ever seen. Following the Logan fumble, Houston allowed Percy Harvin to catch one of the most wide open touchdown passes in the history of football. On the commercial, I watched the play again and realized that our secondary is really in trouble (...like we didn't already know that). Houston virtually did nothing on the play. Yeah... his hips simply froze and he allowed Harvin to run right past him, unabated. That play perfectly shows that Houston isn't all that comfortable in the system. Indecision and hesitancy is how players get out of position and that's all it takes. A smart quarterback like Favre will make you pay on those mistakes every time. I think Houston is fairly athletic and still has some promise, but he has to know what his role is on every play and how to recognize run versus pass.

* Just Drop It: Key drops by Brandon Pettigrew and Bryant Johnson killed several drives for us. With all the other deficiencies we have to overcome, dropping easy passes that ends drives are inexcusable. I thought Pettigrew mostly played well again this week, but I fail to see where Johnson is an attribute to this team. Derrick Williams outplayed him and I think that if Burleson comes back next week, Johnson should be demoted to the number four receiver.

* Can You Manage It?: I don't fault Schwartz for his management of the clock at the end of the first half. I know some of you (and even the announcers) felt that Schwartz should have taken a timeout with 0:14 left on the clock. Instead, Schwartz let the clock wind down to 0:03 and took the short field goal. I think Schwartz took the safe route and the guaranteed points versus trusting Hill to not throw a pick in the end zone or moronically checking it down in the middle of the field and letting time expire. With the inconsistency that Hill has shown, why should Schwartz have trusted him to take a shot into the end zone down by only one score? I think it was the right move.

* 3rd and Short... Pass It!: In the 3rd quarter, the Lions were faced with a critical 3rd and 2 and decided to run inside the tackle to the right using Maurice Morris. Do we know nothing of this team's strengths and weaknesses? When was the last time this team was able to grind out more than 1 yard on 3rd down on the ground? What's that? Never, you say? Yeah, that's about it. This is where Linehan really chaps my backside. I thought he called a fairly decent game yesterday, but that one was critical and he completely screwed it up.

* Who's On Favre's Payroll?: I'll make this short and sweet... for the first time in a long time, I thought the calls were one-sided yesterday. Not that I think that they emphatically would have changed the outcome, but they certainly did us no favors today. Not sure I can say that about the Vikings. The Lions made enough stupid mistakes to offset the calls, which is why I'm not fuming. But still... it seems far too many games against Favre end with this being a discussion point.

Offensive Game Ball:

Dominic Raiola - Center

This pick might surprise some people, but I thought Raiola played a hell of a game. The offensive line collectively was not all that good, but Raiola had to take on the Williams Wall all game and I thought he was mean and nasty and held his own. The pressure that got to Hill mostly came from the outside. Actually, my opinion of Dominic overall is really starting to change. I might get flamed for this, but I really feel he is becoming one of the better centers in the league. It's tough sometimes to gauge an offensive linesman's play because you don't always know what the scheme is dictating from a blocking standpoint. I won't be watching this game again, so I'm going from my gut and from the times yesterday that I keyed on the line play. And from what I saw, Dom held his own most of the game against a pair of the best defensive tackles in the league. Flame on!

Defensive Game Ball:

Corey Williams - Defensive Tackle

Rumblin', Bumblin', Stumblin'... I had visions of that Shaun Rogers touchdown against Denver a few years back when Williams had the interception return that resulted in the Lions taking an early 7-0 lead. For the first game this year, I think we saw the dominating Corey Williams that starred in Green Bay for the first few years of his career. He was a factor all game yesterday. In the first two games, he just disappeared far too often - despite Suh getting the constant double-team. Suh still saw most of the doubles (and played very well once again), but this time, Williams was able to capitalize on the single blocking. That defensive line is a lot of fun to watch and Williams was the only one I've been mildly disappointed in. Not any more...

Goat(s) of the Game:

Chris Houston / Jonathan Wade - Cornerbacks

I couldn't decide which of these two was more deserving, because they both made several bonehead plays and were weak in coverage all day long, so I'm tearing the award in half and giving each a half-rack of goat. Going against a weakened receiving corps, these two should have had good games. Instead, we saw more penalties, more missed tackles, more terrible reads... basically, more of the same. I was holding out hope that these two would exceed my low expectations for them, but alas... they have not. I think it's only a matter of time before Alphonso Smith is starting for one of them.



In Conclusion...

Hopefully, you guys don't misinterpret my hopefulness and focus on the things being done well with me being listless about the Lions losing. I'm frustrated and mad as hell with having to endure another prospective losing season. I was hoping that this team would have exceeded my expectations to this point, but they have not. As much as I am disappointed by that fact, it wasn't completely unanticipated. I think that can be frustrating for some people to hear and difficult to understand for others. I want a win badly, but the one thing I'm not going to do is come on here and trash this team and center solely on the negative. There was plenty to be disgusted with yesterday, but dwelling on that is not my style... right, wrong or indifferent. The bottom line for me is that we are still missing a lot of talent as well as the most important player for our franchise. Again, call it an excuse if you want, but I continue to emphatically make this point to add perspective to the losses and nothing more.

It makes my argument a little less compelling to see teams like St. Louis get wins this week. I think it's only fitting that they got their win against Washington at home. Good for them... I like to root for the underdog and teams like Kansas City that have been down for a long time. Detroit will be there soon. That's another reason that I don't panic as the losses mount this year. I know that we now have a core of young players that will take us into the next decade of great Lions football. It's a grand investment that will take some time to pay big dividends. If I couldn't see that silver lining, this storm would be very hard to weather. This team is getting built to be competitive today and champions tomorrow. I know... tomorrow can't come fast enough.

One last thought...

As this is likely Brett Favre's last season (or maybe not... or maybe... or maybe not... or maybe...), the Lions may have missed their last chance to get a road win against him. He is now a perfect 18-0 against the Lions on the road and will likely leave this game undefeated in that respect. How humiliating.

http://www.prideofdetroit.com/2010/...microscope-week-3-built-for-tomorrow-tough-to

Brandon Pettigrew's early showing is a good sign following a disappointing 30-catch rookie season.

Although the 30-catch rookie season should be couched by this: It ended five games short because of a torn ACL.

Advertisement

Pettigrew has 14 receptions the first three games, and is starting to show why the Lions made him a first-round pick last year.

Still, the Lions tight end hopes a few drops aren't the beginning of a trend.

"Me just being careless with the ball and not really pulling it in all the way and looking it in, trying to just do too much," Pettigrew said. "I just need to catch the ball and get what I can."

Pettigrew has one drop, according to Stats LLC. But he'll be the first to tell you he had two against the Vikings last week, even though they aren't "official."

The passes, on back-to-back plays, were in Pettigrew's hands and knocked loose by a Vikings defender.

"It was third down or second-and-long and you've got to make those plays," he said. "(Quarterback Shaun Hill is) taking hits back there and we need to pull the ball in."

Pettigrew, whose 14 catches match receiver Calvin Johnson, is averaging 11.3 yards per catch (158 total). Only running back Jahvid Best (16 for 183) has more.
Lacking something

There are a lot of reasons the Lions are 0-3.

And center Dominic Raiola thinks it has something to do with the Lions not yet adopting a tougher attitude.

"We need to have that killer instinct, more of a ... don't-give-a-(expletive) attitude, I guess," he said. "Just kind of go after 'em. I don't think we're holding out. But there's some tentative play at times."

There appeared to be some tentative play-calling from coach Jim Schwartz at the end of the first half of Sunday's 24-10 loss.

Schwartz decided to kick a field goal instead of taking a few shots into the end zone with 14 seconds and one timeout left.

"We get up and we have a lead and I don't know what it is ... I don't think it's a lack of resiliency, it's just a few plays that take the wind out of our sails," Raiola said. "When that happens we have to step back up, answer the call and turn it back around, flip it back around to where we have momentum now.

"It's not a talent issue anymore. It just has to happen."

Receiver Nate Burleson would like to see the same killer instinct when it comes to taking more shots down the field.

"(Offensive coordinator) Scott (Linehan ) talked last week that when we get a lead, no more playing cautious," Burleson said. "We are going to do what we need to do to finish the game off.

"We don't want to take too many risks, but if they are giving us shots down the field when we have a lead, then lets take shots down the field."

Through three games, the Lions have completed just one pass of 40-plus yards, a 75-yard touchdown by Best on a screen.


From The Detroit News: http://detroitnews.com/article/2010...grew-strives-for-stronger-hands#ixzz10uZ7Wnxv

Lions coach Jim Schwartz vehemently defended his decision to settle for three points at the end of the first half in the 24-10 loss to the Vikings, and he disagreed with any criticism the offense has been too passive.

He also defended the progress the team has made since he took over, despite the 2-17 record.

Advertisement

"Our record doesn't indicate it but I think we have a lot of pieces in place to be a good football team," he said Monday. "You're not seeing all the pieces on the field right now, but we have the pieces to be good."

The injury list grew significantly. Although the official medical report won't be listed until Wednesday, they could be without starting quarterback Matthew Stafford (shoulder), running back Jahvid Best (turf toe), wide receiver Nate Burleson (ankle) and middle linebacker DeAndre Levy (groin, ankle), among others.

"We haven't been at full strength," Schwartz said. "That's not a reason to be 0-3, but we haven't been at full strength and you need to objectively look at that as a coaching staff."

The Lions are in the second year of a complete roster overhaul. They simply aren't deep enough to withstand the volume of injuries to key personnel.

"We've had some drop-off in some areas and there hasn't been much drop-off in other areas," Schwartz said. "But we've still had a chance to control each of the last three games and we failed to do that. So I have a hard time sitting up here saying injuries are the reason because they aren't. We can do a lot more as a team to get ourselves out of those situations."

Trailing 14-7, the Lions had the ball on the Vikings 15-yard line with 18 seconds left in the half and one timeout. The Lions could have spiked the ball and taken one shot into the end zone before trying a field goal. Schwartz, though, let the clock run down to three seconds before calling timeout and sending kicker Jason Hanson onto the field.

Despite being roundly criticized by the network television analysts, Schwartz said he would do the same thing again.

"We were in a tight ballgame and we needed points at the end of the half," he said. "You look back and could we have clocked the ball and had eight seconds left and the timeout? Yeah, but we still would have had to take a shot at the end zone.

"We were already in field goal range, so to get closer wasn't the object. The only thing objective-wise would've been to get the ball into the end zone. But when the defense knows that you have to get the ball into the end zone, that's tough duty. To have a ball tipped or a quarterback sack or a fumble or interception, to me wasn't worth the risk."

It was not, Schwartz said, for a lack of faith in backup quarterback Shaun Hill.

"It didn't matter if it was Matt Stafford or Joe Montana or Shaun Hill," he said. "At that point in the game that's the decision I would make."

Schwartz made it clear being 0-3 didn't mean the Lions were all of a sudden going to throw caution to the wind and become a swashbuckling-type team.

"That's what gets you in trouble," he said. "That's what leads to worse things happening. You have to be resilient and can't forget who you are. You can't try to do too much or try to go outside your personality. If you do that, then you don't give yourself a chance to get things righted."

Schwartz chafed at the notion that perhaps the Lions could be more aggressive on offense without throwing caution to the wind.

"What do you mean by aggressive?" he said. "Do you want us to throw it more? You want more blitzes? I think our aggressiveness is fine. We need to play better. We don't need to play more aggressive. We don't need to muff a punt when we're up 7-0. We don't need to miss a field goal. We don't need penalties to overrule turnovers. We don't need to give up 80-yard touchdown runs. All these things can be fixed and none of those things have anything to do with being more aggressive. They have everything to do with being more efficient and making the plays that come to us."

Schwartz's message to the team Monday was basically to stay the course and not let the frustrations of three losses bleed into the preparation for Sunday's game against the Packers.

"I don't think it changes anything," center Dominic Raiola said of the 0-3 start. "We've got to figure a way to right the ship sooner than later. Everybody just has to do one thing better. If we can do that, it will change the whole makeup of things.

"But I don't think anybody on this team is going to quit because I don't think the leadership on either side will let that happen."
Stafford to test arm

  Speaking on "The Mitch Albom Show" on WJR on Monday, Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford said he'll begin throwing a football today, 16 days after spraining his throwing shoulder in the opener against the Bears.

  "They told me that I need to try to do some light throwing this week and see how it feels and we'll take it from there. I'll throw a little bit tomorrow and the next day and see how it feels," he said.

 If everything goes well, Stafford could be back at practice next week and start against the Rams in two weeks.


From The Detroit News: http://detroitnews.com/article/2010...ns--but-they-aren-t-the-culprit#ixzz10uZL2WZH

Run offense: The Lions, who finished last season No. 24 in the NFL in rushing yards per game and No. 28 in average yards per carry, are 2-17 under coach Jim Schwartz and remain an under-talented team in his second season. They made a key move when they traded into the bottom of the first round of this year’s draft to select California halfback Jahvid Best at No. 30 overall, but the Packers might catch a huge break because Best sustained a turf toe injury against Minnesota on Sunday and might not play. Though Best is small (5-10, 199), he’s the kind of explosive playmaker the Lions have lacked for several years. He hasn’t elevated the Lions statistically – they rank No. 31 in the league in rushing yards after three games – and is averaging only 3.3 yards on 38 carries, but he has four rushing touchdowns and also is the team’s leading receiver with 16 catches and an excellent 11.4-yard average. “The guy that’s going to make all the difference in the world for their offense is Jahvid Best,” said a scout who has watched two Lions games on tape. If the Lions don’t have Best, they at least might get back halfback Kevin Smith, who blew out his ACL last December and hasn’t played yet this year.

Pass offense: The Lions almost surely will go one more week without starting quarterback Matthew Stafford, who hasn’t played since sustaining a separated throwing shoulder in the opener when Chicago’s Julius Peppers slammed him to the ground while sacking him. Stafford was to begin throwing lightly this week and perhaps return next week. Shaun Hill, the former 49ers starter, is his backup. Hill, 30, is smart and tough but has a marginal NFL throwing arm. He has a 10-8 record as a starter, a career passer rating of 83.8 points and has thrown 26 touchdowns to 16 interceptions. Stafford is capable of doing far more than Hill, but the Lions’ chances of winning might be no worse at this stage with Hill. “Shaun Hill is a better quarterback (than Stafford) now,” another scout said. “(Stafford) has to continue to develop, and the only way he can get better is to play. But Shaun Hill has gone through that growth spurt in terms of playing.” The Lions have a major talent in receiver Calvin Johnson and probably will get free-agent signee Nate Burleson back this week from an ankle injury. Johnson is a huge target (6-5, 236) with great speed and athleticism, though offensive coordinator Scott Linehan has been having trouble getting him the ball down field (11.8-yard average on 14 catches). Rookie tight end Brandon Pettigrew (14 catches, 11.3-yard average) is similar to former Packers tight end Bubba Franks – good hands, average speed – though maybe a tad more talented.

Run defense: The Lions rank last in the NFL in rushing yards allowed after three games, but some of that is because Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson gained 160 yards on 23 carries last week. The one area the Lions made a major upgrade in the offseason is defensive line, where they added three good starters: first-round pick Ndamukong Suh and Corey Williams at defensive tackle, and free-agent Kyle Vanden Bosch at end. Suh, the No. 2 pick overall, is exceptionally powerful at 6-4 and 307. “Just rare, rare strength,” a scout said. Williams, the former Packers defensive lineman acquired in a trade with Cleveland, has a sack, an interception of Brett Favre and two passes knocked down. Vanden Bosch, who played for Schwartz in Tennessee, is Aaron Kampman-like: a locker-room leader with superb intangibles and talented enough to do some real damage. He has 18 tackles and 1 ½ sacks in three games. “The defensive line is fine, I don’t see any issues there,” a scout said. “Linebacker and secondary is their problem.” Former Wisconsin player DeAndre Levy (6-2, 238) is the best of a weak linebacker corps.

Pass defense: The pass rush is good with Suh and Williams providing push on the inside, and Vanden Bosch and improving third-year pro Cliff Avril (6-3, 260) on the outside. However, the talent is especially thin in the secondary, where the Lions appear to be no better off with three new starters from last year. Their best defensive back is second-year safety Louis Delmas, who has a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. At cornerback, they traded a sixth-round pick to Atlanta for Chris Houston (5-11, 178) and signed fourth-year pro Jonathan Wade, a St. Louis Rams cast-off. “Houston would be a good third (cornerback) and Wade a good fourth,” a scout said. “I don’t think they had anyone last year. They’re not impressive back there.”

Special teams: Jason Hanson still is one of the NFL’s better kickers at age 40. He’s made 81.7 percent of field goals in his 19-year career, including 2-for-3 this season. Nick Harris already has hit 19 punts and has a 44.6-yard gross average. Return man Stefan Logan, picked up after he was cut by Pittsburgh at the end of camp, made a game-changing error against Minnesota last week when he fumbled a punt deep in his own territory that the Vikings recovered.

http://packersnews.greenbaypressgaz...0928163/Injuries-may-hamper-Lions-game-Sunday

 

PACKERS

In the NFL, players can get old almost overnight.

That could be happening to the Green Bay Packers’ veteran tackle tandem of Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher.

General Manager Ted Thompson re-signed both of them in the offseason in an effort to stabilize an offensive line that came together in the second half of last season and helped the Packers to a wild-card playoff berth. But three games into this season, Clifton and Tauscher have been pushed around far more than anyone expected.

Clifton, 34, continues to have problems with a chronically sore knee and has had to take plays off in each of the last two games. The 33-year-old Tauscher, who by all accounts is healthy and completely recovered from the reconstructive knee surgery he had in 2008, has played two sub-par games compared to the standards he set in his 11-year career.

The Packers were forced to give help to Clifton and Tauscher in order to block Chicago Bears defensive end Julius Peppers in Monday night’s 20-17 loss at Soldier Field. They also went to a quick-hit passing game in which quarterback Aaron Rodgers got rid of the ball in a hurry and threw for 316 yards on 34-of-45 passing, although his longest completion was a 28-yarder to tight end Jermichael Finley.

Rodgers wasn’t sacked and took only three hits, but he was flushed out of the pocket on several occasions. The two tackles also had three penalties each – two false starts and an illegal formation on Clifton, and two false starts and a costly holding that wiped out a touchdown on Tauscher.

“We knew we were going to put some stress on the tackles,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said Tuesday. “And we tried to help them.”

That they were in need of help suggests there are concerns about their ability to hold up and perform at the level they once did.

“I thought the overall performance of the offense as far as the productivity moving the ball down the field, we definitely hit the target,” McCarthy said. “The penalties, which directly affected our point production, is what cost us. People want to talk about the penalties, but two of the three holds were on interior linemen (guards Daryn Colledge and Josh Sitton). I thought the tackles’ performance from a grade standpoint, they just did OK.”

Rookie Bryan Bulaga played part of one series in place of Clifton against the Bears and the previous week played the final 2½ quarters in the 34-7 win over Buffalo and held up well. Still, McCarthy remains committed to Clifton as long as he is healthy. The Packers won’t have an idea about Clifton’s status for this week until today, when the team returns to practice after taking Tuesday off.

The coaches and medical staff have tried two different courses of action the last two weeks to get Clifton ready. In advance of the Bills game, Clifton barely did anything the first two practices of the week but was a full participant in the final practice on Friday. Before the Bears game, they moved Clifton’s heavy workload day to the middle of the three practices.

“Chad Clifton is doing the best he can with his health situation,” McCarthy said. “I think we have a very good plan in place. We’re doing the best we can from a coaching standpoint, a medical standpoint, of making sure that he gets the work that he needs (and) making sure Bryan’s ready to go.

“It’s not a personnel issue. Chad is our starting left tackle. It’s not a performance issue with Chad; it’s a medical issue. So if he is medically ready, he’ll play. Now if it affects his performance, then we’ll deal with it at that time, but I’m not at that mindset right now.”

Tauscher’s struggles are perhaps more surprising because unlike last year, when he was out of the NFL until October and just trying to rehabilitate his reconstructed knee, this season he had a full offseason and an entire training camp to prepare. But he struggled against the bull rush in the season opener at Philadelphia. He bounced back with a solid performance against the Bills only to regress against the Bears.

His holding penalty, which came when he was blocking Peppers, wiped out a 15-yard touchdown pass from Rodgers to Finley, and two plays later the Packers had a field goal blocked. Earlier, Tauscher got beat on an inside speed move by defensive end Israel Idonije, who drilled Rodgers just as he threw an incompletion.

“I’m disappointed,” Tauscher said after the game when asked to assess his performance. “Disappointed first off that we lost and to have as many errors as I did is frustrating.”

Granted, his two false start penalties came on first downs at the Packers’ 1-yard line so there was no real yardage lost. But those penalties, which were among a franchise-record 18 infractions, did more psychological damage because it left the impression that Tauscher was worried about his blocking assignment.

“You just don’t want to do that,” Tauscher said. “Obviously you don’t lose any yards, but it affects rhythm and flow, and it’s something you don’t want to do. Very disappointed in the way I handled that.”

The Packers didn’t activate Tauscher’s backup, T.J. Lang, against the Bears, and there’s no reason to think they are considering the idea of giving Lang or anyone else a try at right tackle this week.

“I believe in Mark Tauscher,” McCarthy said. “Now there are some things fundamentally that he did not do to his standard, and I believe he’ll get that corrected because Mark’s a pro’s pro. I don’t think it’s a lack of anything. It’s not a ‘he doesn’t have it anymore.’ We have more football in front of us. There’s definitely some things we can improve on there.”

http://packersnews.greenbaypressgaz...tackles-Tauscher-Clifton-showing-signs-of-age

The Green Bay Packers beat themselves in so many different ways with their 18 penalties that broke a 65-year-old team record, their numerous special teams breakdowns and their inability to run the ball.

But, in the end, the biggest difference between the Packers and the Chicago Bears on Monday night was that the Bears’ playmakers made more key plays than the Packers’ playmakers when the game was on the line.

For the Bears, Brian Urlacher forced the fumble that led to the deciding field goal; Devin Hester scored on a 62-yard punt return; Julius Peppers blocked a field goal down the stretch and raised havoc all game long; and their best receiver, tight end Greg Olson, leaped high for a 21-yard pass reception that turned the tide on the final drive.

As a result, the Bears won, 20-17, when Robbie Gould kicked a game-winning field goal with 4 seconds remaining.
Playmakers

Where was Greg Jennings? Where was Clay Matthews? Where was Charles Woodson? Where were those guys when the Packers needed a big play? The Bears were anything but fantastic, especially on offense, but they made big plays and the Packers didn’t.

Jennings had two catches and that was it.

Woodson applied some pressure early, forced a fumble in the first quarter and made a superstar play on running back Matt Forte in the red zone in the second quarter, but he wasn’t a factor in the second half. He also had an interference call on a play where he got beat and he got smoked by Forte on a pass across the middle.

Matthews was getting blocked by average offensive linemen. His motor was running, but the Bears seemed to have scouted him well. In the first two games, the Packers’ “Psycho” defense created big problems for their opponents. But maybe teams have already caught up to it. Some of Matthews’ sacks were coming out of that “Psycho” package where they were moving him around, but the Bears kept their poise and minimized his impact.

Where was Jermichael Finley in the fourth quarter? It’s hard to believe that he had to go to the locker room with cramps. Maybe if it was 85 degrees, you could understand it. But when its 60 degrees, it suggests that it had something to do with his conditioning or his fluid intake.

The Packers went up 7-0 and then it was as if the balloon burst. It’s hard to figure that out. Maybe they needed to lose a game. Maybe their heads had gotten too big and they needed something like this to bring them back down to size.
Aaron Rodgers

Boy, he’s a competitor. He was the one Packers player who made some plays when it counted. His two scrambles were big plays. He brought them back after they fell behind, 14-10. On the surface, it appeared that he was doing everything within his power to win that game.

His interception came on a “Hail Mary” at the end of the half, so you don’t even count that. He had the grounding penalty and another pass that should have been picked off, but he made few mistakes. Jay Cutler made more mistakes than Rodgers, but came out smelling like a rose because his team won.

Maybe that should be pause for thought. As well as Rodgers appeared to play, Cutler averaged better than 4 yards more per completion. He made more plays down the field and more over the middle.

It’s hard to knock Rodgers, but you’ve got to win the big ones and this was a big one. All the stats and all the wins over teams he should beat are nice, but you’ve got to win big games.
Lack of a running game

The Packers are going to have to run the ball at some point to meet their goals.

In the third quarter, they had the ball for 12 plays and ran more than 8 minutes off the clock, but they came away with no points and part of it was they couldn’t run the ball. Or they didn’t even try. Their running backs had two carries in that drive.

Running the ball can even help with false-start penalties. That’s not easy on an offensive line when it’s kicking back every play. Pass blocking is much harder on an offensive lineman than run blocking.

Those two backs, Brandon Jackson and John Kuhn, get only what’s blocked. On Kuhn’s 18-yard run, it was well blocked. He didn’t get touched until the second level. Jackson had one play where he zig-zagged around the corner and made something on his own. But that was it.

Sure, the Packers can make the argument that some of those short passes replace the running game. Absolutely. But what happens if the Packers are playing at home in January, when it’s tougher to catch the ball, tougher to throw the ball? Plus, those are games where you want to be able to pound the ball and run time off the clock.

The Packers need a running back and maybe it’s time to pay the price and get one.
James Jones

There’s an example of a game coming down to the little things. He had the ball in the wrong hand on his fumble. If he had the ball in his right hand along the sideline, it gets punched out and goes out of bounds.
Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher

The Packers definitely game-planned for Peppers. They ran at him and it appeared that they wanted to boot-pass away from him. And they helped out their tackles, especially early, with the backs load blocking or double-teaming. It seemed that right guard Josh Sitton and center Scott Wells also did a nice job, and that allowed left guard Daryn Colledge to help Clifton on occasion.

There were times Clifton and Tauscher held their own, but, for the most part, they struggled.

Tauscher seemed so worried about getting beat to the outside that he turned his shoulders that way and gave up the inside.

Clifton’s first step – or bucket step – just seemed slow.

Maybe it’s time to think about playing their young tackles.

How many games can you put up with your offensive tackles committing six penalties? Each of them was penalized three times, including two false-start penalties apiece.
Frank Zombo

He was certainly adequate. He didn’t do anything to hurt them other than the roughing penalty and it’s hard to fault a guy for that. It wasn’t intentional. That’s something that happens when a guy is playing hard. He appears to have a nice motor to him.

His hands aren’t as good as they need to be if he’s going to be rushing off the edge. When an offensive lineman locked up on him that was kind of it. Zombo doesn’t have the speed that Brad Jones has.

But Zombo is a better athlete than Brady Poppinga. That’s probably why he started. Zombo has better hips, better feet.
Special teams

Part of the Packers’ problem on special teams is that they don’t have any bad dudes.

Andrew Quarless was awful. On that punt return, he was just kind of jogging, and someone barely got a shoulder on him and pushed him all over the place.

There’s no headhunter out there.

The Bears might have gotten away with a hold on Derrick Martin on that punt return. But Brandon Chillar got blocked to the outside and there was nobody there to fill. Quarless was running down, acting as though that was all he needed to do to collect his paycheck. A.J. Hawk was on the ground.

http://packersnews.greenbaypressgaz...yk-column-Rodgers-was-only-playmaker-vs-Bears

 

VIKINGS

Man, that's an outstanding picture of Percy Harvin's touchdown catch, isn't it? (And yes, the picture caption is kind of corny, but it was either that or "I believe I can fly," and I am certainly NOT going all R. Kelly on everybody.)

For some reason, the sun always seems to shine brighter, food always seems to taste better, and things seem to be a bit better after the Vikings win than they are after a Minnesota loss. I know full well that I'm not the only person that experiences this phenomenon. Many of the Vikings' critics will be quick to jump on the "yeah, but it was Detroit" wagon, as is their custom, but I'll tell you. . .these aren't the same old "pushover" Lions that we're used to. There's a lot of talent on that team, to be certain, and it's young talent at that. But the Vikings, despite the more recent press clippings, are still a pretty darn talented team in their own right, and they just had too much for the Lions this afternoon.

The Vikings started out the afternoon absolutely on fire, as they forced three consecutive three and outs, allowing the Lions to only gain 13 yards on their first nine plays from scrimmage. However, on the first play of Minnesota's third drive, Brett Favre thew an ugly, ugly screen pass that was intercepted by his former Green Bay teammate, Corey Williams. The big defensive tackle rumbled to the Minnesota 12, and even the Vikings' red-hot defense couldn't stop them from there, as Shaun Hill found Tony Scheffler on a five-yard pass to give the Lions an early 7-0 lead.

After Minnesota's next series went three-and-out, the Lions decided to return the favor when punt returner Stefan Logan worried more about getting hit than he did about catching the ball, and put it on the turf. Chad Greenway jumped on the loose ball for the Vikings, and on the very next play Favre hit Percy Harvin for the touchdown you see depicted above. I thought for sure that Favre had overshot Percy on that throw, but Harvin laid out and made a beautiful catch to pull the Vikings even.

The Vikings then allowed the Lions a pretty decent drive, but it stalled out when the normally reliable Jason Hanson hooked a 44-yard field goal attempt wide to the left, and the Vikings took over with decent field position. A good mix of short passing and Adrian Peterson running led the Vikings put together one of their better drives of the young season. Facing a third and one from the Detroit six-yard line, Peterson took the handoff from Favre and blasted through the middle of the line for a six-yard score. Ryan Longwell's extra point made the score 14-7, and gave the Vikings their first lead since early in the third quarter of Week One.

The Vikings looked to be driving again near the two-minute warning, but Detroit defensive end Cliff Avril sped around Phil Loadholt. . .who got absolutely murdered out there all day long, but we'll get to that through the week. . .and hit Favre's hand as he was throwing the ball. The result was a high floater that was pulled down by Alphonso Smith for another interception, and the Lions set up shop near midfield. However, some good Viking defense mixed with some relatively terrible clock management by Detroit left them to settle for a 33-yard Hanson field goal, and the score was 14-10 going into the locker room.

The Vikings added to their lead at the start of the third quarter, driving downfield to get Ryan Longwell into range for a 31-yard field goal to increase their lead to seven, 17-10. The Lions moved into Minnesota territory, but were forced to punt, and the Vikings began from their own 20-yard line.

If I may borrow a line from the Supremes. . .and then it happened.

What happened? This happened.

(Yes, a Motown-era music reference. . .my dad ought to be pleased as hell.)

That run was the longest of Adrian's career, eclipsing his previous long of 73 that he had back in the original "Adrian Peterson Game" against Chicago in 2007. Like "Moose" Johnston said in the highlight, Lions' safety C.C. Brown had him dead to rights for about a three-yard gain, but AP simply wasn't having any of that nonsense on this day. The run made Minnesota's lead 24-10 and, since you read the headline to the story, that's pretty much where the scoring stayed.

The Lions managed a couple of decent drives late in the game, but the Viking defense held firm and managed their first two interceptions of the season. . .the first by Ben Leber, and the second by Antoine Winfield. The Viking defense held the Lions to 295 yards of offense, and the teams were actually even in the turnover battle. (Rookie Toby Gerhart lost a fumble for the Vikings after the scoring had concluded.) The Vikings' NFL rankings in both yards allowed (they were allowing 308.5 yards/game in the first two games) and points allowed (after allowing 14 in each of the first two weeks) will both improve this week, which is always a nice sign.

So there you go, Viking fans. . .let's celebrate this one and prepare for. . .a bye? Damn it to hell. . .okay, prepare for me using the next week to express how much I despise having a bye this early. And a lot more stuff about the Vikings, too. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday, folks!

http://www.dailynorseman.com/2010/9...at-lions-24-10-to-notch-first-victory-of-2010

Wooo!!!! WOOOOOOOOO!!!! Wow, that first win seemed as elusive as sobriety for Lindsay Lohan, didn't it? Hey, a win is a win is a win, so we'll take it. 1-2 isn't the best spot to be in, but it's a lot better than 0-3, to be sure. The Vikings didn't play their best game, and it seemed like they had about 307 penalties called against them, with 306 of those at the most inopportune times. Overall though, I think it's safe to say that the Stock Market Report looks a little better today after the Sunday Rally.

This week, the 'experts' will probably make the Vikings 2.5 point 'dogs on the road at the bye, followed by a trip to the Flying Sopranos. When the schedule first came out I thought the bye came way too early, but it's actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise. It will give the team a break to rest what ails them, and allow Favre an extra week with his receivers.

So we approach the bye week with relief, and anticipation. The passing game is getting there, the run game is money, and special teams looks better each week. At least collectively, our Beloved Purple aren't shooting themselves in the face with a watermelon anymore.

Blue Chip Stocks

Adrian Peterson, RB. Can I just leave him up here every week? His fumbling problems seem to be behind him, as he has yet to so much as juggle the ball this season, much less put it on the ground. Oh, and defenses have been trying, no doubt. And his 80 yard back breaker was Adrian Peterson in a nutshell--vision, power, burst to daylight, and runaway speed, all in one spectacular play. Enjoy this kid and his talent, boys and girls, because it only comes around once in a generation.

Defense. Can I leave these guys up here, too? Once again the defense pitched a near shutout, and only gave up a touchdown after they were put on a short field by the offense due to a turnover. Speaking of turnovers, the defense got a couple of picks, both on the goal line to thwart Detroit scoring drives. Ben Leber is one of the most under rated linebackers in the NFL, and he's a smart veteran who is rarely out of position. Jahvid Best went off last week, but was brought back to earth this week, and although Calvin Johnson had 6 catches, they held him to under 10 yards a reception and kept him out of the end zone, a very impressive showing. The defense is tackling well, the run defense was back to it's usual dominance yesterday, and they got off the field on third down. A truly impressive performance so far this season, and they will need to pick it up in New Jersey next week.

Chris Kluwe, P. Kluwe routinely put the Lions inside the 20 all day, and when you do that, you really limit their ability to win the game, or anyone's ability, for that matter. Opposing offenses aren't routinely going to go 80+ yards on the Vikings defense, and if Kluwe can continue to flip the field position for the opponent, it gives the Vikes a better chance to win. But Kluwe is as only good as his punt coverage team, and they have been stellar so far this season.
Sound Investments:

Percy Harvin, WR. Percy seems to be coming out of his early season slump. His kickoff returns aren't back to the 'ooh' level they were last season, but he's making plays in space as a WR and had a beautiful TD catch yesterday. He made several defensive backs miss, getting some good YAC, and the Vikes finally went to the 'let's use Percy as a running back' page of the playbook. I think they did it twice, and both were called back on a penalty, but hey, it's a start. Most importantly, the hip injury didn't seem to limit him, and because of that he had a more expanded role in the offense. Very good signs indeed for an offense that needs his explosiveness as they enter a brutal part of the schedule.

Chad Greenway, LB. Greenway is just a fundamentally sound player. He can be overmatched in pass coverage against the better TE's in the league, but that seems to be the only weakness in his game. He's sound in gap assignments, pursues to the ball, and is as fundamentally sound a tackler on the team as Antoine Winfield. I really can't praise the LB corps enough, because I think they are way overlooked when it comes to the success of the defense. Yes, the defensive line gets a lot of press, but they wouldn't be nearly as good without quality linbackers filling the gaps and making the hits.

Chris Cook and Cedric Griffin, CB. Both Cook and Griffin saw a lot of playing time yesterday, and they both played well. Cook was squared up on Calvin Johnson and had one pass breakup that I can remember, and limited Johnson from a really big play. Their return was a much needed shot in the arm for a secondary that has been inconsistent up to this point. Their presence seemed to elevate the play of the safeties as well, as both Husain Abdullah and Madieu Williams had good games.
Junk Bonds:

Toby Gerhart, RB. First, he injured his knee and missed the first game. Last week, he was pretty much meh, in my opinion. Yesterday, 3 carries for 12 yards and a fumble, which gave the Lions the ball and life in the fourth quarter. The offense was driving for a score that would have iced the game, but Gerhart coughed it up. The Lions were stopped by a Ben Leber interception on their ensuing drive, but not before they got inside the Vikes 5. I see glimpses of the tough runner that was advertised coming out of college, but so far, his pro career has been slow to get going. I see some power, but not a lot of speed, and average pass catching ability to this point.

Jared Allen, DE. At the risk of being vilified by the DN community, I feel it's time to say what we've all (well, some of us) have been thinking: Jared Allen hasn't been getting it done so far this year. Sacks aren't the only statistic for a defensive end; I also like to see what kind of pressure the ends are bringing. Ray Edwards has been doing a pretty good job, but Allen has, for long periods of time throughout the first three games, just disappeared. 8 tackles and one sack through three games is unacceptable for the best rushing DE in the business, and I'm sure he doesn't need a jackass like me to point that out. Bring the mullet back!
Buy/Sell:

Buy: Ryan Cook, C. C'mon, admit it. When you saw John Sullivan go out after the first play and Cook come in to center you thought Ndamukong Suh would just dominate him all day. I did. Cook did very well for a guy that had never played the position in the NFL before. I didn't really hear Suh's name called all day, and I give credit where credit is due here. There was very little interior push by the Lions defensive line all day, pressure on Favre was sporadic, Adrian Peterson had running room, so that means the blocking audibles called at the line by Cook worked, at least for the most part.

Sell: Phil Loadholt, RT. For the second consecutive week, Loadholt got dominated by a speed rush from the outside which resulted in a turnover. Last week, the Dolphins recovered a Favre fumble in the end zone for a touchdown. Yesterday, the defender was able to hit the ball just as Favre was releasing it, resulting in an easy interception.

Buy: Greg Camarillo, PR. It didn't really show in the stat line, but Camarillo had a very good day as a punt returner. The reason is didn't show up in the stats is because every good return he had was nullified by a penalty. Camarillo isn't going to run away from people, but he is a north-south guy that gets the ball and gets upfield as quickly as he can. I thought it was a vast improvement over the first two games, and it would seem that the Vikings have a permanent punt returner.

Sell: Penalties. Was it me, or were there about a hundred penalties called yesterday? And really, I think at this point, 'Holding' should be moved from a penalty to a theory. The way it's arbitrarily assessed is just plain ridiculous. The Vikings were penalized an astonishing 12 times for 100 yards, and the Lions had 8 flags thrown against them. There were ridiculous calls that went against both teams, and this is a screed not so much against the Vikings, but penalties in general. I watched a few other games yesterday, and the regularity of insanely stupid calls was staggering, regardless of the teams involved. Let 'em play, ref.

Buy: Improved Safety Play. I think that both Husain Abdullah and Madieu Williams had very good games. Both made some big hits in run support, and laid the wood on a couple of pass plays down the middle. There's still work to be done back there, but it was an encouraging sign after struggling through the first two games.

Sell: Brett Favre. He's getting better, but he's still not on the same page as the rest of the receivers. Percy Harvin bailed out his overthrow on the TD pass, and he made some good throws, but he still doesn't either trust himself or his receivers, as he was checking down all day. He threw another terrible interception that directly lead to Detroit's only TD, and it gave them the early lead. On the road, against a better team, and it might've been a bigger deal than it already was.

Buy: Offensive Line. This is probably going to be an unpopular call around here, but I thought the offensive line, with the exception of a couple notable breakdowns, played well. They gave Favre time to throw the ball and Peterson room to run, all while playing with a sub at center. I thought Detroit's defensive line was playing on their side of the line of scrimmage for most of the day yesterday, and the good guys were able to impose their will on them in the second half.

Sell: Visanthe Shiancoe's injury. Shiancoe, hopefully, will be ready to go against the Jets in two weeks. Whenever Jim Kleinsasser catches the ball, I give the guy a standing ovation. Not to mock him, but just becuase I love the dude. Every time he does catch it, though, the difference between him and Shiancoe is so obvious that it's not even funny. It brings to mind the days of Robert Smith and Leroy Hoard in the Vikings backfield, with Kleinsasser the TE version of Hoard. It was Hoard who famously said 'if you need four, I'll get you four. If you need seven, I'll get you four.' The offense is much better with Shiancoe, but I still love me some Jimmy K.

Game Ball Goes To: Adrian Peterson, RB. It's tough to top 163 yards, two TD's, and a game clinching 80 yard score.

http://www.dailynorseman.com/2010/9/27/1714985/stock-market-report-week-3

The pass defense got a boost Sunday as Chris Cook and Cedric Griffin returned from knee injuries and saw substantial playing time in the 24-10 victory over Miami at Mall of America Field.

The Vikings entered their bye week ranked eighth in the NFL in pass defense, a significant improvement from last season, when they finished 19th.

The pass defense got a boost Sunday as cornerbacks Chris Cook and Cedric Griffin returned from knee injuries and saw substantial playing time in the 24-10 victory over Detroit at Mall of America Field. Cook (6-2, 212 pounds) and Griffin (6-0, 203) give the secondary some much-needed size on the outside.

"I just think probably their presence," coach Brad Childress said when asked if the team did anything differently with those two on the field. "It's not like we dialed up a ton more blitzes or anything like that. But just their body presence and the type of physical stature they have allowed both those positions to play more aggressively vs. some size at times, although [6-5 Lions receiver] Calvin Johnson you saw in the slot as well."

Griffin and Cook are physical at the line and can handle bigger receivers, which should allow defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier to play more man coverage and not as much zone.

Cook, whom the Vikings selected with their first pick in the second round of the April draft, had missed the first two games after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus suffered in the third preseason game.

"[It was a] good game overall for me and everybody else," said Cook, who returned home to Virginia to relax during the bye week. "I didn't make any mistakes. Conditioning was a little bit of a problem toward the end of the game and when [Detroit] got in that 2-minute drill. I hope with this bye weekend I'm going to keep my conditioning up and come back in better shape."
Peterson earns honor

Running back Adrian Peterson was named the NFC offensive player of the week Tuesday after rushing for 160 yards on 23 carries with two touchdowns Sunday. He also had five receptions for 30 yards.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/v...lr=KArksi8cyaiU9PmP:QiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUycaEacyU

The Vikings made a minor move on Tuesday night, signing tight end John Nalbone to the practice squad and releasing cornerback and former Gopher Marcus Sherels from the same unit. The move was first reported by Adam Caplan of Fox Sports.

Nalbone,6-4, 255 pounds, was a fifth-round pick out of Monmouth by the Miami Dolphins in 2009.

He was active for two games with the Dolphins this season but was waived shortly before Miami claimed Mickey Shuler off waivers from the Vikings this month. The Vikings were hoping to get Shuler through waivers so they could sign him to their practice squad.

The Vikings let go of Sherels after both Cedric Griffin and Chris Cook returned from knee injuries. Both played in Sunday's victory over the Detroit Lions.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/v....html?elr=KArksi8cyaiU9PmP:QiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU

The Vikings entered their bye week ranked No. 5 in the NFL total defense and tied for second in scoring defense at 12.7 points per game.

While the team's passing game has struggled to get on track, the defense has played very well despite not having two of its top three cornerbacks the first two games.

But Cedric Griffin and rookie Chris Cook returned from knee injuries Sunday against Detroit, giving the secondary some much-needed size on the outside.
"I just think probably their presence," coach Brad Childress said when asked if the team did anything differently with those two on the field. "It’s not like we dialed up a ton more blitzes or anything like that. But just their body presence and the type of physical stature they have allowed both those positions to play more aggressively versus some size at times, although Calvin Johnson you saw in the slot as well."

Griffin (6-0, 203 pounds) and Cook (6-2, 212 pounds) are physical at the line and can handle bigger receivers, which should allow defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier to play more man coverage and not as much zone.

"We feel like we’re full strength finally," defensive tackle Kevin Williams said. "Just to get back to last season’s form and have the full unit together, it was a pretty good feeling and I think it showed up. Those guys were playing their butt off."

http://www.startribune.com/sports/v....html?elr=KArksi8cyaiU9PmP:QiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU

 

BEARS

O-Line gets off the schneid!

It was nice to see the grunts up front respond after suffering through tremendous scrutiny the last four weeks. Rushing for 218 total yards is no small feat in the NFL versus any opponent. All five offensive linemen responded with no one performing so egregiously that they would be benched this week against Seattle at home. Offensive tackle Chris Williams may have to wait another week to return to the lineup because all five have earned another opportunity to start and are eager to follow up their Carolina performance. A shake-up at the quarterback position will be the one coaches have to address.

The good, the bad and then there's Collins

The team played exceptionally in response to Jay Cutler's absence. Informed of Carolina's issues, everyone raised their level of play a notch to log another victory. The defense offered up another masterpiece creating turnovers and physically beating up QB Jimmy Clausen who eventually had to be replaced. Special teams were outstanding providing great field position and Robbie booted a 53-yard field goal to put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter. There inlies the only problem: the game should have been blown wide open in the second quarter if the Bears received any heady play at all from veteran QB Todd Collins.

Know your role, know your situation in the game

I always love listening to the voice of the Bears, Jeff Joniak, and former Chicago Bears offensive lineman, Tom Thayer, on my drive into the city to cover the game. They do a great job and Jeff offered some good questions when he interviewed Collins earlier in the week. Todd played exactly how he sounded in his responses on air -- nervous! Todd has been in the league far too long to not understand the situations he was presented in Carolina. When you are ill-prepared in situational play explains the panic witnessed on the field by Collins.

Bears are up 17-3 in the second quarter and the offense gets another opportunity to score after the unbelievable interception by defensive end Julius Peppers. It is third-and-one at the 1-yard line and Todd elects to panic by forcing a throw to Devin Hester. If Carolina defensive tackle Ed Johnson did not intercept it, a Panthers linebacker and defensive back were waiting, almost lining up, for the swipe. The situation is just throw the ball away and take the field goal. It puts the game at three scores and would have put more pressure on Carolina to go away from their power run game much earlier. This relates to a blog last year about not assuming what a player knows from previous stops in the NFL. Todd has been in the NFL a long time, but really has not played a lot. Martz has to preface the play in the headset to Todd with something like this: "Be smart with the ball, throw it away if it's not there, we will take the field goal and go up three scores." Just a subtle reminder is all Todd should need, but he panicked not knowing the situation, and then threw the ball late when the timing was already off, which is another no-no, especially in the red zone. How about the deep interception over the middle versus a straight Tampa 2 defense. The middle linebacker's assignment is to carry any middle-read receiver, essentially it becomes a cover 3. If the linebacker's too deep, I guarantee a receiver is open replacing him underneath. Todd predetermined his throw not prepared to react from his post-snap read. That is bad football and poor QB play! I could cover the other two interceptions, but let's move on, like the Bears, with Jay or Caleb.

Hanie

It was the right coaching decision to start Collins and it was also the right coaching decision to insert Caleb Hanie. I have been in Caleb's situation before. If you watch the replay of the game, Caleb is listening to every play call to get a feel for the game. You try to put yourself on the field and mentally play the game. He's looking at the sideline photos with Jay and Todd to reaffirm his own mental decisions and is seeing and gaining confidence. He was dying to play when called upon and knew he could make a difference. He had a nice third-and-six conversion in the fourth quarter showing his poise and confidence through his preparation. He knew his situation, the team's situation and led two drives of four that ended in field goals to finish the game. If Jay is not cleared to play this week, Caleb would be the call to start at QB. Caleb is intoxicated from stepping on the field and making a difference helping his team win. Welcome to the NFL!

http://www.csnchicago.com/10/11/10/...nding_15on6_v3.html?blockID=328918&feedID=626

One of the reasons NFL general managers like drafting offensive tackles in the first round is they know the player usually can be moved to guard if he struggles.

If Chris Williams makes that transition to guard beginning Sunday against the Seahawks, he will follow in the footsteps of players such as Robert Gallery, Leonard Davis, Mike Williams and Chester Pitts. Others, such as Daryn Colledge of the Packers, were moved immediately from tackle to guard when they became pros. The Packers have experimented with Bryan Bulaga, their first round pick this year, playing guard as well as tackle.

There really isn't any other position switch that can prop up a career so seamlessly. It's a convenient way to throw a player a life preserver and have everyone look good.

But what appears to be happening with Williams is not an attempt to save a drowning blocker. It's an attempt to do what is best for the team, perhaps for the long run but definitely in the short run.

Register with Chicago Tribune and receive free newsletters and alerts >>

If Williams is incapable of playing left tackle in the NFL, nobody knows it yet as he has had only seven starts.

If you want to give up on Williams now, you probably also would have given up on a quarterback who had a 63.5 passer rating and a 1-6 record after seven starts in 1998.

That quarterback, Peyton Manning, has performed a bit better since.

So while we can't say Williams is a bust at left tackle, we can say he might be a better guard than tackle. Guards make their money run blocking. Tackles earn their money pass blocking.

Bears offensive line coach Mike Tice said Wednesday that in his opinion, Williams is a great knee bender who is a better run blocker now than a pass protector. And anyone who saw the Raiders' Kamerion Wimbley remove Williams' jersey, shoulder pads and uniform pants in an exhibition would not argue.

But the book on Williams when he came out of Vanderbilt said he was a better pass protector. Some personnel evaluators I spoke with back then went so far as to call him a "finesse" blocker.

It's possible that as Williams matures and becomes stronger, he is becoming a better run blocker. It's also possible his pass blocking skills have stagnated, or that he hasn't quite figured out how to keep up with the speed, size and moves of NFL pass rushers.

There are some who believe Williams' arms are too short for tackle. But his arms, which measure 33 inches, are average for an NFL tackle. You would like longer arms on an elite tackle, but many tackles have thrived with Williams' length.

Regardless, those arms aren't a hindrance at guard. Some players' arms (see Omiyale, Frank) are so long they create problems in the confined spaces of interior line play.

This could be a situation in which Williams' best position is where he is needed most. Omiyale and J'Marcus Webb have done all right at tackle, and Tice does not want to continue to disrupt his blockers. There is an opening at guard now because of Roberto Garza's knee injury.

Tice said it's about getting the best five players on the field with the least amount of turmoil. Putting Williams back at left tackle against the Seahawks likely would entail moving Omiyale to right tackle, so the Bears would have three players displaced from the last game as opposed to one.

"That's the age-old question," offensive coordinator Mike Martz said. "Do you … affect one position or … two? Coaches are always reluctant to do that. We know he can play anywhere. We like him and we know how effective he is. We're just happy he's healthy and (able) to help us right now."

It would be nice if Williams were playing so well at tackle that the Bears couldn't even think about playing him anywhere else. But it also would be nice to field a functional offensive line Sunday.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...mpei-bears-chicago--20101013,0,7259302.column

Considering the game plan, the Bears should have broken out their throwback jerseys Sunday at Carolina. It would have made the 218-yard rushing effort even more authentic in a return to old-school football.

But the day after coach Lovie Smith said he wasn't going to talk about getting off the bus running, he reiterated that a heavy dose of running isn't going to be in the works every week, especially not after quarterback Jay Cutler returns.

Matt Forte's career-high 168 yards rushing was the most by a Bears' back since Anthony Thomas ran for 173 in 2001 at Tampa Bay. Forte is the first back in Bears' history to have 150 yards rushing and 150 yards receiving in single games, a tribute to his versatility and Mike Martz's playbook.

Sure, the Bears wanted to get the offensive line going with its run blocking, but the 41 handoffs against the Panthers in a 23-6 victory was a means to a win more than anything else.

Register with Chicago Tribune and receive free newsletters and alerts >>

"Going into this one, we felt like we needed to run the ball more," Smith said. "But I don't think we'll end up running the ball over 40 times each game. But you get into a game and something's working, of course you always stay with it. It's good for our team to see that if we have to run the football that many times we can."

It was a nice start for the new-look right side of the offensive line. J'Marcus Webb could become entrenched at right tackle and Edwin Williams was solid in his debut at right guard. When left tackle Chris Williams (right hamstring) and guard Lance Louis (left knee) return, it will be interesting to see how the starting five shakes out.

Frank Omiyale was solid at left tackle against the Panthers and line coach Mike Tice will have some decisions to make. Tice has been seeking growth and improvement on the line, and the younger players may represent the best option.

Maybe what's most surprising is the Bears have managed to win two games in which they've turned the ball over four times. Sure, those victories came against the winless Panthers (0-5) and the Lions (1-4), but they lost the turnover margin in both games and managed to prevail. A year ago, the Bears were 0-6 in games in which they had a negative turnover ratio.

That is the sign of a winning team, one that can overcome miscues small and large like turnovers, penalties and red-zone failures that still plague them. The offense is 29th in red-zone efficiency and 32nd in goal-to-go efficiency, something that will surely be a focus for this week.

The defense has been stout throughout the season, but it's clear the offense isn't there yet. That's what makes the 4-1 start so promising. The Falcons are the only other NFC team at 4-1 and the Bears have built a nice early lead in the division.

It's the 10th time in the Super Bowl era the team has started 4-1. In eight of the previous nine instances, they've reached the playoffs, with the exception being 1989. They've won their division in seven of the previous nine.

It's tough to take too much out of a victory over a team that could be in contention for the No. 1 pick in the 2011 draft, but the Bears found a way to be successful in the face of adversity minus Cutler. Smith's teams have done this before, most recently in 2005 and 2006. It's early, but the division is there for the taking again even if most everyone figured the Packers and Vikings were the favorites.

"We've felt the window was open for us from Week One," tight end Greg Olsen said. "We felt confident in the team we were going to put out there week in and week out."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...ars-offense-chicago--20101011,0,3144312.story

 

PACKERS

The Green Bay Packers spent all offseason building a big chunk of their 2010 offense around Jermichael Finley.

But now that the tight end will be out for at least two months and possibly the rest of the season, the Packers on the fly have to adjust an offense that already lost primary running back Ryan Grant for the season.

Finley had surgery Tuesday to repair cartilage damage in his knee, and a source said the Packers haven’t decided whether to put him on injured reserve or carry him on the 53-man roster in hopes he’s ready to play at the end of the regular season and post-season if the Packers qualify.

The Packers are in similar position with linebacker Nick Barnett, who had surgery on his wrist Wednesday. Another source said Barnett can return late in the year, but the Packers also have to decide whether to carry him for half a season. Carrying both might stretch their injury-thin roster to its limit and perhaps past.

“We are looking at all of the options involved (with Finley), and IR is definitely an option,” coach Mike McCarthy said, “and the same with Nick Barnett.”

Finley sent out conflicting signals via Twitter on Wednesday afternoon about his chances for returning this season. His initial tweet strongly suggested he was headed for injured reserve: “YOTTO has been rescheduled for the 2011-2012 Green Bay Packer Season,” with YOTTO an abbreviation Finley uses for “year of the take over.”

But about an hour later he tweeted, “I’m coming back for Play Offs and the Super Bowl. See ya then!”

Either way, the loss was unexpected, because the Packers were thinking Finley would miss only a few weeks. But in surgery, Dr. Pat McKenzie discovered he could salvage more of Finley’s cartilage than first thought, which would sideline him longer but be better for Finley’s long-term health.

McCarthy had built much of the Packers’ offense around Finley’s receiving talents, lining him up at various spots and often deploying two tight ends to force defenses into potentially bad matchups. Finley hadn’t exploded yet this season, but in what really amounts to four games – he was injured on the Packers’ second play from scrimmage in Week 5 at Washington – he had 21 receptions for 301 yards (14.3-yard average) and one touchdown. That’s a 16-game pace of 84 receptions, 1,204 yards and four touchdowns.

“Talented player, playmaker, no doubt about it,” receiver James Jones said. “Sucks that we lost him; we need him. But we have to get better.”

With Finley out, McCarthy probably will scale back his use of two tight ends and lean far more heavily on his four-deep receiving corps, as he did against Washington. By unofficial count, he went with two tight ends on only six of the Packers’ 65 offensive snaps after Finley left the game.

“Everybody talks about how good our receiving corps is, now it’s time to show it,” Jones said. “When we had (Finley), that just put an extra guy out there. But when we went 13-3 (in 2007) we didn’t have a sweet tight end. I think we’re up for the challenge. Who knows what we’re going to do? Maybe we’ll run the ball more.”

In fact, even with Finley the Packers’ offense has disappointed. Returning all their starters and key backups from a 2009 season in which they finished No. 6 in the NFL in yards and No. 3 in points, the Packers looked like a potential juggernaut heading into this season. But they’ve struggled at times scoring even when they’ve moved the ball, and almost one-third of the way through the season they rank only No. 12 in yards and No. 8 in points.

Their running game has struggled since Grant’s injury in the opener, and a four-deep receiving corps that’s as good as any in the NFL has had its problems, most notably seven dropped passes last week against Washington. Starter Donald Driver has a team-high 25 catches but had four of the drops last week. Jones has 15 catches, Greg Jennings only 14, and Jordy Nelson nine. They have no receptions of 50 yards or more.

“The frustration develops,” Jennings said, “when you have so much talent and no one is really being productive, and as a whole we’re not performing even with our basic, standard plays. We’re not performing to the level we’re capable of performing. That’s on us.”

Especially with Finley out, McCarthy will be looking for ways to make Jennings the difference maker he’s been in past seasons after his quiet start.

Jennings had appeared to be the player most likely to benefit from Finley’s growth into a playmaker, because defenses were devising ways to prevent the tight end from beating them. But that wasn’t the case through five games.

“It doesn’t really matter who’s producing if you’re winning and having fun, none of this is even talked about, none of this is even a topic,” Jennings said. “But when you start to lose the close games, you start to notice the little things like, I’m not getting as many opportunities in. You start singling things out.”

With Finley out for perhaps the rest of the season, the starting tight end would be Donald Lee, but he has a chest injury that could sideline him for this week, if not longer. That means Andrew Quarless, a fifth-round draft pick, is the likely starter this week against Miami, with first-year pro Tom Crabtree the other tight end on the roster.

Quarless is the team’s most physically gifted receiving tight end after Finley and could have a bright future, but whether he’s ready for major responsibilities is another matter.

“This is a great opportunity for (Quarless) to step up and play a role,” McCarthy said. “Now, will he be in a primary role? Time will figure that out. I don’t really want to get that detailed into it. We’ve lost a primary playmaker. That’s a fact. But we’re fortunate where we feel we have other players that we can go play with,”

http://packersnews.greenbaypressgaz...ake-new-path-with-Finley-maybe-out-for-season

The Packers have six starters who appear to be in danger of missing Sunday’s game against Miami.

The six were among nine players who didn’t practice or left after the jog-through Wednesday: quarterback Aaron Rodgers (concussion), linebacker Clay Matthews (hamstring), linebacker Nick Barnett (wrist), right tackle Mark Tauscher (shoulder), defensive end Ryan Pickett and tight end Jermichael Finley (knee).

Tight end Donald Lee (chest) also didn’t practice, and left tackle Chad Clifton (knee) and defensive end Cullen Jenkins (hand) left practice after the jog-through. Clifton and Jenkins have been playing with their injuries for several weeks and are expected to play Sunday against Miami.

Three injured players also returned to practice: linebacker Brandon Chillar, cornerback Sam Shields and fullback Quinn Johnson.

http://blogs.greenbaypressgazette.c...10/13/rodgers-5-other-starters-miss-practice/

All that mattered was Donovan McNabb found a way to win and the Green Bay Packers didn’t.

Additional information
(Links will open in a new window)
♦ Photo gallery from Sunday's game.
♦ Sign up for Green Bay Packers text alerts.

Yards, quality of play, in most ways it’s easy to argue the Packers played better football than McNabb’s Washington Redskins on Sunday.

Yet after Mason Crosby knocked a 53-yard field goal off the left upright in the final seconds of regulation and Aaron Rodgers threw an interception in overtime, it was Washington and its quarterback who walked off FedEx Field with the 16-13 victory.

The dejected Packers were left with defeat plus an injury list long on quality and quantity as they head into the guts of their 2010 schedule.

“Outplayed them easily,” cornerback Tramon Williams said. “But ya gotta outscore people, you can’t just out-play ’em. That’s the problem.”

The problem is the Packers are 3-2, a game behind the 4-1 Chicago Bears in the NFC North Division and, far more importantly, are hitting a more challenging stretch of their schedule with several of their most important players possibly sidelined for at least a week.

It starts at the top with Rodgers, who sustained a concussion while getting hit on his overtime interception. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he had to miss next week’s home game against Miami.

There also were injuries to playmaking tight end Jermichael Finley, whose strained hamstring tendon knocked him out on the game’s second play, and indispensable outside linebacker Clay Matthews, who reinjured the hamstring that sidelined him for most of training camp. It’s unclear how long either will be out, but considering neither returned after getting hurt, the short-term prognosis doesn’t look promising.

Depending on the severity of the injuries, the Packers face a potentially severe test of their depth and resolve. After Miami this week, they have a home game against NFC North Division rival Minnesota, play the swaggering Jets in New York and then return home against NFC contender Dallas before hitting their bye.

“You have to work your way through points in the season like we’re facing right now,” defensive coordinator Dom Capers said. “That’s where the character of your team comes out. You get a loss today, a disappointing loss, so we have to go back to work and figure out a way to come back next week and find a way to win.”

The Packers didn’t find a way Sunday despite putting up the kind of numbers that often make for lopsided games.

After three quarters, they had a huge edge in yardage (336 to Washington’s 181). Their defense, with Charlie Peprah a new starter at safety and Pat Lee the new No. 3 cornerback, had put in a winning-type performance in pressuring McNabb (four sacks, 70.8 passer rating going into the fourth quarter).

Yet on the scoreboard, the Packers’ lead was only 13-3 with 15 minutes to play.

“They’re still in the game,” Williams said. “They’re still going to be in their game plan, they’re not going to change anything. You’re not putting the pressure on them at all, especially a team who that’s what their game plan is, to stick to the end and try to win.”

The Packers can look back to any of several reasons for finishing on the losing end. The biggest was coming up empty after having a second-and-goal at Washington’s 1 early in the second quarter.

Coach Mike McCarthy turned down the sure field goal and a 10-0 lead to go for it on fourth-and-1, then saw a bootleg pass fail when linebacker Lorenzo Alexander played it perfectly, keeping his face on rookie tight end Andrew Quarless’ back while breaking up Rodgers’ throw in the end zone.

Conventional wisdom in the NFL is to take the field goal early in the game and go for the touchdown late.

“I thought it was a good call (on fourth down),” McCarthy said. “Frankly, it was probably a down late, I wish I had called the naked (bootleg) on third down.

“But it’s all play calling. The way our defense was playing, after taking the timeout, it really resulted in getting the field goal on the next series. So to me, I really think it’s a wash. The way our defense was playing, where the ball was at, I thought it was the right decision (to go for the touchdown).”

There also were Crosby’s two missed field goals, a 48-yarder wide right late in the third quarter, then the 53-yarder that hooked into the left upright with 1 second left in regulation.

And there were the astounding, drive-killing seven dropped passes — four by Donald Driver, two by James Jones and one by Jordy Nelson.

“I think that was the biggest factor in this game,” Driver said, “because Aaron put the ball where it needs to be put.”

But another factor was McNabb’s incredible ability to win when his team appears a little overmatched. The 12-year pro showed why he has a .651 winning percentage, third-best among active quarterbacks, in rallying Washington from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

Though he doesn’t have great weapons in the passing game, McNabb kept plays alive with his scrambling, and twice beat Peprah downfield with big plays outside the pocket.

On the first, he found receiver Santana Moss behind Peprah for a 52-yard gain that set up a field goal at the end of the second quarter. The second was a 48-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Armstrong, who went over Peprah for the score that cut the Packers’ lead to 13-10 with 11:35 to play in the game.

McNabb and Rodgers had below-average passer ratings (75.7 for Rodgers, 75.0 for McNabb), and each had one interception.

But Rodgers’ pick came with the game on the line in overtime. On a third down, he threw behind and was intercepted by safety LaRon Landry at the Packers’ 39, which set up Graham Gano for his game-winning 33-yard field goal.

“McNabb has been in the league for a long time,” safety Nick Collins said. “He feels he can go out there and throw 100 bad balls, and one play is going to come open. He stuck with his game plan

http://packersnews.greenbaypressgaz...o-find-a-way-to-win-Packers-don-t-get-it-done

Rants and raves from Sunday's game between the Green Bay Packers and the Washington Redskins in Landover, Md. The Packers again lost the turnover battle, which is a sure way to get beat.

Additional information
(Links will open in a new window)
♦ Photo gallery from Sunday's game.
♦ Sign up for Green Bay Packers text alerts.

Rant: The Packers again lost the turnover battle, which is a sure way to get beat. Aaron Rodgers’ interception in overtime set up the Redskins’ game-winning field goal, and Donald Lee’s first-quarter fumble led to Jermichael Finley’s game-ending injury. Going into this game, coach Mike McCarthy said the Packers’ turnover differential was unacceptable. It only got worse.

Rave: The Packers’ run defense was stellar, even without the services of Ryan Pickett for much of the game. The Redskins rushed for just 51 yards on 21 carries (2.4-yard average).

Rant: Pat Lee replaced Jordy Nelson on the opening kickoff and produced a terrible 7-yard return when he ran directly into Redskins coverage. Lee had two returns for a 16.5-yard average. Nelson, who had two runbacks for a 17.5 average, looked extremely tentative when he was inserted into the return spot.

Rave: Injuries forced the Packers to use third-string tight end Andrew Quarless, who caught a 13-yard pass on his first play. The rookie finished with four catches for 51 yards.

Rant: Vince Lombardi learned in the NFL championship game against Philadelphia in 1960 that in the first half you should always take the points. McCarthy hasn’t learned that lesson. Lombardi passed up a chance for an easy field goal and later said it cost the Packers the championship. McCarthy passed up a chip-shot field goal on fourth-and-goal from the 1 against the Redskins, and the Packers failed to score a touchdown. Although McCarthy defended the decision afterward, it’s a mistake to turn down points on the road early in the game.

Rave: While the Packers’ kickoff return game was shoddy, Tramon Williams was outstanding on punt returns. He averaged 15.0 yards on five returns, and his 52-yarder in the first half set up a field goal.

Rant: The Packers failed to score on their final seven possessions in the second half. When any points on any of those drives might have produced a victory, the Packers mustered four punts, two missed field goals and an interception.

Rave: Despite one Redskins return for 30 yards, Packers punter Tim Masthay was solid with a 47.3-yard average on six punts. He was consistent with distances of 50, 45, 46, 42, 57 and 44 yards.

Rant: On one second-quarter series, three straight drops by Packers receivers — Donald Driver and James Jones twice — killed a drive. It was indicative of a gamelong trend, with far too many drops that contributed to the offense’s inconsistency.

Rave: There were many reasons for the Packers’ loss, but Brandon Jackson wasn’t one of them. He rushed 10 times for 115 yards, including a career-high 71-yard first-half jaunt, and added a team-high five catches for 25 yards.

Rant: The Packers are 1-5 in overtime games under McCarthy and have lost five straight. McCarthy’s lone overtime win came in 2007 at Denver. Rodgers is 0-4 in overtime as a starter.

http://packersnews.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20101010/PKR01/101010034/0/PKR0201

Both S Derrick Martin and TE Jermichael Finley looked badly hurt last Sunday. But then it appeared Finley might only miss 3-6 weeks. Now that isn't happening. From the Journal-Sentinel:

The Packers placed safety Derrick Martin on injured reserve with a knee injury that he suffered Sunday at Washington. His season is done.

Finley's recovery is expected to now be 8-10 weeks and the Packers are deciding whether or not to wait for his return.

Follow the link to read the explanation. While Finley's injury isn't as severe as expected, that will lengthen the recovery time. No good news here, just more issues for the Green Bay Packers to work through.

http://www.acmepackingcompany.com/2...er-notes-the-injuries-are-worse-then-expected

We were very productive on offense as far as moving the ball down the field. Our biggest issues were third down and dropping the football. I think that definitely would have changed our point total if we had been more productive in those two areas.

Looking back at my earlier recap, I realized I didn't talk about the drops or the 3rd downs. I was expecting the Packers to score 3 TDs, which is what they've been averaging on offense this season. The second drive of the game ended with a TD, but then they had the failed 3rd and goal at the start of the 2nd quarter that could have been their 2nd TD. They also had that late 3rd quarter drive when WR Donald Driver dropped a catchable pass on 3rd and 1 from the Redskins 29 yard line. They had to settle for a missed FG attempt by K Mason Crosby. If the offense had scored a TD on those two opportunities, something they had been doing earlier this season, they would have been right above their previous point average of just over 25 points per game. The players had to make a play in those situations, and it just didn't happen last week.

And it was really frustrating watching them get to within 3rd and 1 or 2 yards to go, and failing to convert. I counted that it happened 4 times during the game, and overall they were 2 for 13 on 3rd down. It hadn't been a problem going into this game, and neither had dropped passes, but both completely threw the offense out of any momentum they might have been building.

I'm also not sure what happened to WR James Jones, who was open all day on short passes early, but then vanished later. Apparently the Redskins adjusted, and decided they needed to pay more attention to him.

Right now, it looks like one forgettable game, and none of these issues are true problems. The real problems remain the lousy special teams and all the injuries. I'm not hoping for a miracle on special teams, they've been lousy nearly every year under McCarthy, but hopefully the surgeries go well for TE Jermichael Finley and LB Nick Barnett, and they can return later this year.

http://www.acmepackingcompany.com/2010/10/12/1746634/on-the-packers-offensive-struggles

 

VIKINGS

The Vikings Stock Market took a beating again Monday, and Viking investors worldwide are perched on the metaphorical windowsill, ready to jump. I’m not a trained suicide prevention person expert guy, so if you’re thinking of jumping (metaphorically, of course-- If you’re really suicidal, well, you should get help…and not be on a sports blog of one of the most tortured fan bases in all of professional sports) let me channel my inner Senator Al Franken Stuart Smalley and try and help you out:

Jump. Get out. Kill yourself, from a fan perspective. You’re not smart enough, you’re not good enough, and everyone hates you. It’s time to cull the herd, anyway, and I don’t want a bandwagon full of Debbie Downers. So I’ll slow down to about 10-15 mph, edge over to the side of the road, and you just jump right the hell out and wait for the next Bandwagon bus that comes along. Ready, ready….JUMP!

Star-divide

Okay, for those of you who are left, lean in, because I want to let you in on a little secret:

This team is going to the playoffs. There, I said it.*

I’m all in.

*What I said in the post game thread doesn’t count. The Leinenkugel Brewing Company influenced my thought process. As a matter of fact, I’ll go delete any incriminating evidence right now while you read. Carry on.

I don’t know how, I’m not sure if they even deserve to, but they’re going, and it’s going to be freaking EPIC. The NFC North is about the worst division in football right now, and in many ways the Vikings still control their own destiny. They have yet to play the Packers or Bears, and have beaten the Lions once already. They have to sweep both the Bears and Packers, but it’s eminently doable. The Bears are the worst 4-1 team I have ever watched, and it isn’t going to last. Green Bay is an injury train wreck right now, and Aaron ‘I can’t get it done during crunch time’ Rodgers might miss a game due to a concussion. Detroit is still learning how to win, and even though they had a convincing one on Sunday, it was against the Rams. Yes, the Rams are improved, but it’s still the Rams. Do that to the Steelers and you have my attention.

On to the report.
Blue Chip Stocks:

Defense: Once again, the defense kept Minnesota in a game a lot longer than it deserved to be. This unit has been taxed early and often so far this season, and they have answered the bell time and time again. Unlike the offense, defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier has this technique that we like to call ‘making halftime adjustments’, and the runs that were gashing the Vikings in the first half were pretty much non-existent in the second half. I’ll talk more about the linebackers in a minute, but they were money last night in keeping the Jets out of the end zone until very late in the game.

Percy Harvin: THAT’S the Rookie of the Year from 2009 we’ve been waiting to see. And if Favre makes that late throw on second down right before the game ending interception, I think Harvin is still running. There was NO ONE around him, as he completely pwned Darrelle Revis on that play. With Harvin back in his natural slot position and Randy Moss attracting the focus that a true #1 receiver demands, this offense is ready to explode. After last night, I feel it starts next week against Dallas, and Harvin will be a catalyst.

Chris Kluwe: Punter Chris Kluwe was once again Minnesota’s most dangerous offensive weapon for three quarters, and his ability to change field position helped the Vikings stave off disaster early. It’s tough to score on this defense, and it’s hard to drive the field consistently against them. You can make a case for Kluwe being a borderline Pro Bowler right now, as he is doing all that is being asked of him.

Leslie Frazier: I worry about 2011 for a number of reasons. Pat Williams and Brett Favre will retire, there are a lot of contract extensions that need to be worked out for several key players, and Leslie Frazier will almost certainly get a head coaching job somewhere. Yes, Frazier has talent to work with, but he makes the most of it, and has this defense playing at a very high level. The Vikings are championship=caliber on Frazier’s side of the ball, and put the Vikings in position to win again last night.

Zygi WIlf: What more can you say about someone who I think is the best owner in the NFL? He cleaned house after the Tice era and brought in a new coach and a new philosophy. When the staff has said they need player X, Wilf allows them to go get him. The latest was the stunning trade for prodigal son Randy Moss, who looks great in purple, by the way. Wilf has done everything in his power to give the coaching staff the players needed to compete and win. The coaching staff and players need to start returning the favor against Dallas, or this could end horribly.

Sound Investments:

Jon Cooper: A couple of weeks ago I lauded the play of C Ryan Cook, and thought he did a good job overall as an injury substitute for John Sullivan. With Sully inactive again last night, Cook started, and the Vikings offense was downright offensive in the first half. At halftime, Cook was replaced by Jon Cooper, and the offense came to life late in the third quarter. Coincidence? Yeah, to a point it is, but consider this. The center is responsible for audibling the protection scheme, and in the first half the Vikes offensive line was out of position and not correctly identifying who was rushing and who had the pickup responsibility. It got much better in the second half, but I imagine altering the playcalling had some effect on that as well. Did Cooper? We'll see, I'm sure.

The Linebackers: Ben Leber, EJ Henderson, and Chad Greenway all made big plays when the defense needed a lift, and helped to keep the Vikings in a game that could’ve easily morphed into something we haven’t seen since early 2005. Greenway made some big third down stops on short passes over the middle, Leber was solid in coverage and made one or two key stops, and EJ Henders on absolutely launched himself to take on Shonne Greene and put the Jets in a 3rd and long situation. I love these guys, and they all bring a different skill set to the table, and they all complement each other well. I personally think this is the most under rated LB corps in the NFL.

Ray Edwards: In a season where Jared Allen has disappeared, Ray Edwards has stepped up. Edwards has been a force from the left defensive end position, and he got a sack and brought consistent pressure all night long. Ray is one of the guys looking for a contract extension, and I hope the Vikings pay him. He has come a long way since the Vikings took a fourth round flyer on him, and he seems to get better and better every week.

Junk Bonds:

Brad Childress and Darrell Bevell: I have three words for you two: What…the…hell. There is absolutely no excuse in the world for that kind of offensive ineptitude for that long of a stretch. You have a HOF QB, RB, WR, and a guy that was the offensive Rookie of the Year, and you forced me to sit through 3 quarters of what can only be described as something a little less painful than the standup comedy of a Dane Cook-Janeane Garofalo love child. Yes, it was in fact that bad, and that unfunny. The Jets defense is good, and I expected a relatively low scoring game, especially when you add in the deluge that they played in. But that looked like a day 1 training camp practice, and for that much talent that the Vikings have, it was a flat out embarrassment. It’s like Chilly and Bevell went in the Not-So-Wayback machine to the 2006 script of run, run, screen pass, punt, except they didn’t even draw up a screen pass. Hello?! The Jets blitzed constantly in the first half. Maybe a screen pass, which is…here, let me look it up in my ‘Football 101’ book…yep here it is, page 1, right after ‘players must wear a helmet’…which is designed to neutralize a blitz…might’ve worked once or twice. It’s either stubbornness or stupidity at this point in terms of play calling, and it’s got to stop. Now.

Cedric Griffin’s knee: When Cedric Griffin went down, he knew right away that something was wrong, really wrong. It wasn’t a look of pain, it was a look of ‘SON OF A…’, like he had been there before. The word coming out of Winter Park is that it doesn’t look good, and he’s having an MRI today. It’s a damn shame if it’s the ACL or something as significant on his right knee this time. He really busted his rear end to get back to playing, and considering he was rehabbing all through training camp, he was playing at a very high level. We saw a glimpse of how good the secondary could be with Ced, Chris Cook, and Antoine Winfield all in the secondary at the same time, and it was a sight to behold. Unfortunately, it looks like we might have to wait until next season to get another glimpse. Hang in there, Ced. We’re all pulling for you, and hoping it’s not serious.

Jared Allen: If I could channel my inner Simon and Garfunkel for just a second…ahem…’Where have you gone Joe Dimaggio Jared Allen, oh, Viking Nation turns its lonely eyes to you. What’s that you say, Mrs. Robinson, Joltin’ Jared has left and gone away? Hey hey hey…hey hey hey. Jared Allen’s wife Delilah Mrs. Allen made him cut his mullet, from whence all power and ability to sack the quarterback apparently came from. It’s a secret, mystical power that should not ever be messed with, kind of like what jersey to wear, where you sit to watch the game, pre-game rituals, etc. In all seriousness, D’Brickishaw Ferguson had Jared’s number last night, and his early season slump continues. He’ll snap out of it, but someone keep the scissors away from Mrs. Allen, okay?

Buy:

Favre to Moss: A thing of beauty. Highlight of the season, and came at a time when I thought the Vikings were just about dead in the water, and it completely changed the complexion of the game. It energized Favre, the Vikings, and the fans, and we were on our way. Coverage on Percy loosened up, and it was setting up nicely for a great win until…they didn’t win. Still, I’m very encouraged by last night, and they’ll only get better.

Moss to Favre: I don’t care if that was ad-libbed or not, it was awesome. THAT kind of play calling is absolutely kick ***. The run into Cook’s ***, run into Cook’s *** again, and run into Cook’s *** AGAIN and then punt is NOT.

Run Blocking: Maybe I’m looking at this line with purple colored glasses, but the ‘woe is me’ attitude a lot of folks have towards the line I just don’t see. The pass protection was bad in spurts, but the run blocking has been pretty good all season. Adrian Peterson had 88 yards on only 18 carries, and was generally effective in first and second down at giving the Vikings a decent down and distance advantage.

Chris Cook: Get healthy soon, Mr. Cook. It looks like you’ll be starting for awhile.

The Fourth Quarter: Now that was the offense we saw last season, and it gives you a glimpse of what this offense is really capable of.

Sell:

Bernard Berrian: The last receiver to challenge the head coach about his role in the offense was Marcus Robinson, who was promptly cut on Christmas Eve. Bobby Wade was asked to restructure his contract, which he did. He was cut a few days later. The point is that Chilly doesn’t tolerate mouthiness from wide receivers. He doesn’t even tolerate receivers that do what is asked of them. Bernard Berrian is a Dead Man Walking. It’s stupid, but it’s true. Berrian is a good #2 guy, and could contribute in a meaningful way. A dime gets you a dollar says Berrian gets cut when Sidney Rice comes off the PUP.

The First Three and a Half Quarters: It was the most inept play calling I have ever seen. Can you, or anyone, tell me what the hell Bevell and Childress were thinking? The players sure didn’t. Said Percy Harvin:

"If we had come out and had some of the play calling we had in the second half, I think it would be a different outcome."

Said Favre (pulled from Kevin Seifert’s excellent NFC North Blog on ESPN):

Favre said he was "thinking aloud" when he suggested that Childress and Bevell were trying to find something that worked. "Sometimes you go in with a plan and it doesn't really work out that way," Favre said, noting the Vikings found a "happy medium" during a second half in which he threw for 233 yards.

So I go back to my point that I made earlier about Childress or Bevell: It’s either stubbornness or stupidity at this point. They’re not dumb guys; at least they don’t come off as such. So it must be stubbornness. Either way, the maddening inability to change gameplans on the fly will doom this team if they don’t get it fixed. I’m all about just letting Favre play sandlot football, and see what happens. It can’t be any worse than that craptastic game plan we saw last night, can it? Can it?

Favre’s Tendinitis: Yeah, it was bugging him, but Favre with tendinitis is still better than any option currently on the roster. No, I don’t think Tarvaris Jackson should start, like a lot of you on the game thread last night, and Mike Florio today.

Going For Two: Again, Childress incompetence laid out for all the world to see. You go for one until you absolutely, positively, have to go for two. There was almost 10 minutes left at that point, and a one point deficit translates to an 8 point deficit if New York scored again. Which they did, making the pick-6 a backbreaker. Had Chilly not gone for two, the Vikings still would’ve had a tall order to score a TD and make a two point conversion to tie, but the game wasn’t out of reach. And he couldn’t even decide what to do, because he first sent the FG unit out, then the offense, then called a timeout. And it was a timeout the Vikes really could’ve used late in the game. It was just a dumbass move all the way around.

Game Ball Goes To: Percy Harvin and Randy Moss. Harvin had two TD’s and almost 100 yards receiving, and finally looked like the electrifying playmaker that he is. Moss had the first TD catch that ignited the offense, and it made the Jets re-calibrate and focus on Moss, freeing up Harvin.

I think the Vikes will get to the midway point at 4-4, and then Rice returns. It’s going to be a bumpy ride, but it’s going to be a helluva show at the same time.

Keep the faith, Viking Nation, and SKOL!!!

http://www.dailynorseman.com/2010/10/12/1747442/stock-market-report-week-5

The Vikings suffered their third close, disappointing, heart-wrenching loss of the season in four games before most of the free world on Monday Night Football. Minnesota sits at 1-3, just a half game ahead of the lowly Lions and two and a half games behind the first place Bears. The freaking Bears!! While it’s not time to start jumping off any cliffs just yet, it’s safe to say that this week’s game against the Cowboys is a lot less NFC Championship Preview and a lot more the 2010 Panic Bowl. We’ll get into Sunday’s tilt later this week–for now, let’s focus on what we learned from the loss in New York.

NFL games consist of four 15-minute quarters. League rules allow you to score in all four of them.
This is blatantly obvious, but I’m not sure if the Vikings’ offense is aware of this fact yet. Minnesota has scored seven points in the first quarter this season. That’s one scoring drive out of ten first quarter possessions. They have failed to score first in any of the four games this year. In scientific terms, that ain’t good. The Vikings must set the tone early on in these upcoming games or the season is just going to get worse.

Star-divide

Randy Moss is still really Freak-ing exciting, and he’s going to help this team. A lot.
Moss made only four grabs in his Viking re-debut, but his impact was tremendous throughout the game. (Well, at least after the offense woke up a bit.) The touchdown grab that finally kicked off the scoring made me feel like it was 1998 all over again. It looks like Percy Harvin may be the main beneficiary of Moss’ presence after racking up 97 yards and two scores. Adrian Peterson racked up a rather quiet yet impressive 88 yards against one of the league’s better defenses even though the Vikings were throwing the ball and fighting to come from behind most of the game. I just hope we start winning real soon; as we all know, an unhappy Randy is no fun for anyone.

Brett Favre is going to be Brett Favre, for better or worse.
I’ve said this a ton of times already, but we simply cannot expect the 2009 Favre at any point this year. He’s going to make a lot of "oh my God!" throws–the good kind and the bad kind. He’s going to get way too much attention from the media no matter how the rest of this season goes. He’s still going to make us love him one play and loathe him the next. For me, the only alarming part of Favre’s play has been his inaccuracy on some of the easier throws. The way he sailed those passes to Harvin late in the fourth quarter before throwing the game-ending TAINT (Touchdown After INTerception…copyright Bill Simmons) has to make you think that maybe that elbow really is bothering him.

The defense has been outstanding without making many outstanding plays.
The Vikings have sacked the quarterback only six times so far–tied for 28th in the league. They have forced a mere five turnovers. So how the hell are they not getting lit up? To be honest, I’m not totally sure. I think it comes down to crisp execution and coming up big when they need to. The D was put in some pretty awful situations in the first two and a half quarters, yet yielded only four Nick Folk field goals. That said, Cedric Griffin’s season-ending injury is pretty devastating. Lito Sheppard was picked on quite a bit after Griffin went down. I think we’re going to need a lot more big plays in the upcoming games to help fill that void. And, you know, maybe even score a couple touchdowns while the offense is still trying to pull their heads out of their collective rear ends.

We ain’t dead yet.
Starting 1-3 is never a good thing–no arguing that. The 2010 season couldn’t have started much rockier both on and off the field. But there is another thing you can’t argue about this team–there’s still a Peter North-sized load of talent here. If the Vikings can finally figure out how to play like they’re capable of for 60 minutes–not 25, not 40–there’s no question that the Purple can go on a run and get into the playoff hunt down the stretch. And from the looks of it, nobody’s going to run away and hide in the NFC this year. There are a mere two 4-1 teams (one of which is the Bears, still a total fraud in my mind) followed by a heaping pile of parity. Nine wins probably gives you a great chance of making it to the dance this year. Does anyone doubt the Vikings’ ability to go 8-4 or better down the stretch? I certainly do not.

Yet, at least. I guess we’ll have to see what we learned after the Dallas game.

http://www.dailynorseman.com/2010/10/13/1750091/week-5-what-we-learned

 

LIONS

Disclaimer: I cannot be held responsible for what is written in this column this morning. I am suffering from a severe medical condition known as Incessant Giddiness. The only known cure is watching the end of the Bears game from Week 1, so I've chosen to suffer through the side-effects - which includes putting my foot in my mouth, evil laughing, excessive positivity (even by my standards) and making over-the-top statements.

One of the good things, if there are any, about not winning very often, is how sweet it is when you finally get one. This is the one we've been waiting quite a while for too. You know... the one that finally tells us that we are on the right track. Not just a win, but an unmistakable, undeniable beating that, regardless of the opponent, says we have weapons and talent on both sides of the ball. It wasn't perfect, but it was one of the most complete games that I've seen by the Lions in quite some time. This win was good for the coaches, it was good for the players and it was great for the fans.

Star-divide

I shudder to think what the mood would be in Detroit had this gone the other way and now, thankfully, I don't have to. Yesterday's game is a rebirthing of sorts. Although we are still only 1-4, it felt like one of those corner-turning games. We've been so close to winning and we all needed a game against a lesser opponent (and I use that term in a loose comparison to who we've faced and not as a shot against a good, young Rams team) to verify what many of us have been thinking yet somewhat unsure of... we are better than our record. And our Lions came through with flying colors, dominating in all phases and showing the world what we have the ability to do. Again, I know that we are 1-4, but now more than ever, I look at our schedule and feel like we have a chance... but a chance at what? A chance at 5 wins? A chance at the division? A chance at shocking the world? I don't know. All I know is that I love how we are playing right now and I can say for a fact that NOBODY wants to play us right now... especially if they are a "so-called" contender. We are the ultimate trap game for any team feeling good about themselves. We are the team that, even if we don't win, makes you question how good you think you are.

We are a dangerous animal right now. We are a juvenile delinquent with a loaded handgun. We are Uzbekistan with a nuke. We are the team with the talent and weapons that might not have the ability - just yet - to control it all well enough to make something positive happen. This goes back to the whole "learning to win" thing. I know some people hate that phrase, but I believe there is something to it. When you have the aptitude to play well, you have to learn to get out of your own way. When the Lions do that, it is a beautiful thing to see because they do have some genuine talent (as opposed to "faux" talent like Harrington, Rogers, etc). I want to see what this team is going to do with the momentum this game gives them. I want to see them go into New York with attitude and play another relatively clean game. I want to see this team go into the bye week with a two game win streak and the whole road loss thing out of everyone's mind. This would give us a perfectly clean slate for Stafford to start the beginning of the new era of Lions football after the bye. Right? Cue the segway...

I can't believe that I am about to type this, but I think that there is nothing that Matt Stafford could have done any better than what Shaun Hill did yesterday. Over the last few weeks, Hill has really built my confidence in him and I think the best move for Detroit is to allow Matt the time to completely heal and let Hill try to continue his fantastic play. Ouch... that kind of hurt to type. But let's be clear what I am NOT saying... I am not saying that Hill has any shot whatsoever to supplant Stafford - in my opinion anyway. When Stafford is 100%, he gets the start, no questions asked. I just look at the evidence presented with Stafford's rehab and it looks like it would be a stretch to start him at the Giants. If that's the case, don't rush him. Give him an extra two weeks to heal and let Hill hold down the fort for one more week.





Thoughts on the Game:



* More (Temporary) Love for Hill: Once again Shaun Hill was efficient and effective and deserves praise for another stellar performance. He is really starting to feel this offense and he and Linehan seem to be on the same page. That said, I sincerely hope that Hill's solid play doesn't start a rift amongst Lions fans once Stafford gets back. Stafford is the future. Stafford is only in his second year. Stafford needs the experience. Stafford might be a little rusty. Stafford might not play as well in his first game back as Hill's played the last two weeks. If I know anything about Lions' fans it is that they can be a fickle bunch. I can foresee the fan's leash on Stafford being unnecessarily short because of how well Hill has played. Usually, having two good quarterbacks on your roster is a good thing. If this happens, it won't be. So here is my personal plea to all you PODsters... no calling for Hill if Stafford struggles a little upon return. All it will do is create ill feelings amongst fans and Hill replacing Stafford as long-term starter has no chance of happening, so let's not even get into it. Sound good?

* Might As Well "Jump": There wasn't much in this game to be upset about and I don't really want to dwell on anything negative, but the defensive line jumping offsides is really getting under my skin. I don't know if it is them being overly aggressive or a lack of concentration or what it is, but it has to get corrected. As slim as our margin of loss has been, everything becomes a factor. Penalties have no doubt played a part in our past losses. And in my best Forrest Gump, that's all I have to say about that...

* Props to the O-Line: I gotta give some love to the offensive line for their performance yesterday. No, they were not perfect and likely will never be, but they played a pretty solid game. Honestly, they have been good most of the year with the exception of a few too many penalties and Peterman's iffy play... which looks like it had more to do with the injury than anything else. Peterman played a decent game yesterday, so I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt that it was the injury.

* Under Pressure: I know I came down on the defensive line for the penalties, but honestly, they have been the difference in this team this year. The biggest distinction is the constant pressure. Not that they always get the sack on every play, but they have significantly reduced the amount of time the opposing quarterback has in the pocket. I haven't seen an opposing quarterback really be able to get completely comfortable for a whole game. Some may complain that they haven't been as good as they could be and while that may be true, the effort they give and the pressure they give is light years beyond that of the recent defensive lines during the Marinelli Era (a.k.a the defensive line head coach era).

* No Turnovers: I was very happy to see the Lions have an entire game without a turnover. That is one of the little things that in the grand scheme pays big dividends. The Lions gave the Rams nothing. They made them work extremely hard for the six points they got and aside from the penalties, the Lions gave them absolutely no help all day. Those are the things that good teams do. Dare I say that we are on the way to becoming just that?

* Hum, Baby: How about that 105 yd TD return by Logan? Another one of the little things that good teams make happen. What a difference a year and firing Stan Kwan can make for special teams. Yesterday was another fantastic outing for that group.



Offensive Game Ball:

Shaun Hill - Quarterback

For the second week in a row, he is the engine that made this vehicle go. Hill just seems to be gaining more and more confidence under center and I think that he is finally starting to utilize all these weapons that he has at his disposal. His delivery might be a little unorthodox, but the bottom line is that he is getting it done. All I ask is that Hill holds down the fort for one more week. If he can get a win at New York, he will have earned his salary as the back-up quarterback for Detroit. Daunte who?





Defensive Game Ball:

Louis Delmas - Safety

This was a tough one as there were many guys that played well, but Delmas, even though we all know he is not 100%, was his usual aggressive self. I know that Steven Jackson ultimately got over 100 yards rushing, but we held when we needed to and Delmas was fantastic against the run.





Goat(s) of the Game:

There will be no Goat of the Game this week. Maybe that's a cop-out, but I for one, can't think of one individual player that really did anything to contribute to a loss this week. I mean, when you win 44-6, no one on either side of the ball did anything detrimental to the team. So as one of the founding members of the Eternal Optimists Club, I will try to keep this wonderful win as free from as much negativity as I can.





In Conclusion...

I am very excited to see where this season leads. I have maintained throughout this season that we are indeed showing signs of progress and here is an indicator:

Lions: 126 +14 differential

Opponents: 112

This is the total points scored in the first five games of the season. This is not your typical team with a losing record. Want proof? Here are the stats of the other one win or less teams (exluding the 49ers and Vikings):

Browns (1-4): 78 -19 differential

Opponents: 97



Bills (0-5): 87 -74 differential

Opponents: 161



Cowboys (1-3): 81 -6 differential

Opponents: 87



Panthers (0-5): 52 -58 differential

Opponents: 110



Granted, these stats don't tell the whole picture, but I use them to simply say that we are better than the other struggling teams in the NFL. In fact, there are only four other teams that have scored more points than we have. I know, I know... we have given up a lot of points, but we knew that was likely to happen. The point I'm trying to make is that we have the means to overcome that now. In the past, that was not the case. When you lose 4 of 5 and have a points differential of a +14, my take-away is that we are very close to turning the corner - or perhaps we just turned it. While wins are the indicator that matters, there are other statistics that show that we are indeed on the right track. What I don't want to hear anyone say is "Same ‘Ol Lions". They are most definitely not.

I know that the haters will say that it's only one game and Lions' fans always do this... win one game and then proclaim that they are on track to be good. Maybe we have, but this time it is indeed different. I really do think that we can go on a run from here and who really knows what can happen? We all wanted to see this game be a decisive rout and that's exactly what we got. So what does it mean? Were we just lucky or did the Rams merely have a bad day? Was the score and dominance really indicative of us being that much better? Are we really a 4-1 team that got some bad breaks and now our real potential will be realized? Boy, you could go in any direction from here and that makes it fun and exciting. The possibilities are endless, but what I get really jazzed about is that I think, for the first time this year and for many years, the players believe in their abilities too. I think they feel confident. That's part of the battle... believing that you are good enough. It gives you attitude and confidence and those are both attributes that we have been sorely lacking the past decade. In my opinion, we are in for a hell of a ride for the rest of the season. We win the next two games and it could get really interesting in the NFC North. Fun to think about, hey?

http://www.prideofdetroit.com/2010/10/11/1744317/the-monday-morning-microscope-week-5-the-rebirthing