Sunday, November 05, 2006

NFL Week 9 Half-Baked Wrap-Up

As the pivot week from the season's first half into its second half, Week 9 was about the end of mojo: I mean, is there a bigger story than the previously 1-6 Dolphins beating the previously 7-0 Bears? It's the upset of the year in the NFL and one of the more unlikely results you'll ever see. "Any given Sunday," indeed.

(Meanwhile, we've got a top contender for the Game Finish of the Year in the NFL: The wild Redskins win over the Cowboys, featuring (1) a botched game-winning field goal – by the REDSKINS – (2) then a botched game-winning field goal by the Cowboys, (3) then a Redskins blocked-kick returned to the no man's land of the middle of the field, (4) then a face-mask penalty on the Cowboys, giving the Skins an added 15 yards PLUS keeping the "0:00" from actually meaning the game is over, (5) then a game-wining field goal by the second-chance Redskins.)

A run-down of lost mojo, Week 9 edition:

Bears: Like 1985 all over again! Season's 2nd half no walk.

Michael Vick: Didn't he used to be an MVP candidate?

Bengals: 4 straight losses. Makes off-field trouble look fun.

T.O.: "The Nap" TD celebration precedes key drops

Brett Favre: 2 horrible, game-blowing INTs. As usual.

Giants: Even with a W, sure didn't LOOK like an NFC contender.

Rams: Worst run defense ever? (Or just another victim of LJ?)

Reggie Bush: 11 rushes for -5 yards (4 rec for 22 yards). Dud!

Vince Young: As called here, he's a poor man's David Garrard

Steelers: Well, this sort of started in Week 1, didn't it?

A few shout-outs to some Sunday studs:

(1) Nick Novak: Miss game-winning FG? No problem. Here's another shot.

(2) Roy Williams: Time to ask/argue: Best WR in the NFL this season?

(3) Marques Colston: Makes Reggie Bush's failures all the more ironic.

(4) Damon Huard: Trent Green has been "Trent Greened"... again!

(5) Brian Billick: It took long enough (and firing buddy Jim Fassel), but he's finally flexing his "genius" as an offensive coordinator.

Comment question: Who are your biggest Week 9 Studs (and Duds), along with your analysis of the big revelations from the day's games. Ideally, it'll help me sound less stupid in Monday's revision.

-- D.S.

25 comments:

Christian Thoma said...

Dud: Scott Wells, C, GBP. Forget Brett's INTs, Wells' two fumbles were much more crippling.

Of course, Dan would've had to pay attention to the game to catch that. But that's probably too much to ask.

john (east lansing, mi) said...

Interesting; (I obviously didn't watch a second of the Giants game, but) in the NFL, like in the Big Ten, a team can win a game but not "LOOK like a contender."

In the Big East, a team can play as sloppy as you please, while fielding a disgustingly porous rushing defense, and look like they just gained the inside track towards maybe the biggest upset in CFB National Championship history.

Maybe just because I'm annoyed, but it could potentially help you sound much less stupid in Monday's CFB Rankings...

J-P said...

yeah...it was total BS that Brady had that 1st down. Ref didn't even look.

Unknown said...

Dud: New England Patriots - this is the first time I've ever seen Belichick coach the team towards the Colts. Normally the Patriots do what they do and dont care about who the other team is - clearly today the Patriots are playing in fear of the Colts offense.

I just say that without Rodney Harrison the New England defense is 10x worse. Chad Scott has been burnt at least three times deep since he came into the game.

Christian Thoma said...

I can't believe that the Colts are only up by 3 at this point.

WuzUpG said...

Alex Smith, 105 yds and an int. Dud! Wait!, that's par for the course.

Yes, one of THE worst #1 overall picks EVER!

I'm so glad the Sharks are doing well. They shut down Malkin and Crosby on Saturday!

Lew said...

For studs you can't forget to mention Javon Walker

206 total years and 3 touchdowns! Those types of stats are pretty hard to top on only 7 touches

Steve said...

Dan, Cincy hasn't lost 4 in a row, they've lost 4 of 5 with a lucky squeaker win over Carolina. Regardless, someone here predicted they'd be 3-7, and while I missed on Carolina they still will probably be 4-6 and pretty close to my prediction that was made when they were 3-1. Cincinnati is a train wreck, more because their schedule is brutal than anything, but they also just aren't as good as last year.

Christian Thoma said...

Regardless of who wins the Colts-Pats game, I'm not very impressed with either team. I think OSU or Michigan would destroy the in the BCS Champ Game.

Steve said...

Yes! Screw you Patriots.

Myles! said...

Pats beat themselves

Christian Thoma said...

I don't envy Bill Simmons' mailbox.

Jared said...

he deserves all the shit he's going to get, after writing that pretentious crap on friday. his worst column ever, IMO. great game to watch tonight, very exciting start to finish.

Anonymous said...

Wow. Someone needs to inform Grossman that they will win practically every game they play if he simply curbs his TOs down to the single digits.

Do you think he would play this flustered if somebody reminded him that he needs, like, a 50 QB rating to win this game? He's playing like the team is depending on him to win (Favre II, anyone?).

mark said...

Grossman was pretty gross, man. He's one of those people where you wonder which version of him is going to show up any given week--the one who played so awfully against Minnesota, Arizona, and Miami, or the one who's looked great the other weeks. It makes no sense.

The NE-IND game may have made the Indy doubters look like fools (yes!) but neither team looked precisely like a juggernaut. And since there can be no dispute that these were two of the best teams in the league playing each other, it's pretty clear that there are no unbeatable teams in the league, and no automatic wins.

And Vinatieri shanked two field goals, the second of which would've iced the game! So much for clutch.

Anonymous said...

jason whitlock is a moron who deserves to have his vote revoked.
Louisville at 9?

Anonymous said...

I'd take Colston over R.Williams for WR of the Year. As for MVP, can you say that about someone on a 2-6 team? Big fish little pond argument.

Brady puts up 4 ints yet you bitch out 2 for Brett?

The Giants win and they aren't an NFC contender? Did you see the bears lose to miami?

Billick is a class act, yelling across the airwaves for all of us to hear "where the f&ck is my measurement" to the ref, for no good reason. Was great to hear the uncomfortable silence in the booth after that though.

isn't bush's failure only ironic if the saints put colston out there to fail?

you're turning into skip bayless pt2 me thinks, with a dash of woody paige thrown in.

TJ said...

as usual.

OK, I know Favre fell back to his old (last season) ways, but did he also make a pass at your mom or something? Seriously, where is all this seething white hate coming from?

Mikepcfl said...

Dud: Housh. What a baby. There's no crying in football. Replays show the defender got there at the same time as the ball. And dont go saying you're a better team than the Ravens, get over 500 first. Didnt they say they were better than the Steelers last year when they lost in the playoffs?

Christian Thoma said...

Seriously, where is all this seething white hate coming from?

It's because Favre isn't Jewish. If he was Jewish, he'd be above reproach.

Kevin said...

Didn't it look like Driver was interfered with on Favre's second interception (which was the deciding play of the game)? In the live-action play and on the replays it looked like Nate Clements ran right through Driver's right shoulder to get to the ball, basically knocking Driver down in the process.

Jon said...

Tiki meet the endzone. Endzone meet Tiki....it's about time.

As for Louisville and everyone crying about the Big East being overrated and undeserving, Rutgers beat Illinois 33-0. Maybe we should start turning our attention elsewhere?

Kurt said...

"Dan,

When analyzing the Giants' "ugly" win (I was there - it was just as ugly from section 320), just remember they started the game without six defensive starters (Osi, LaVar, Madison) or regular contributors (Tuck, Short, Frank Walker), and lost Strahan midway through the second quarter, meaning they had a rookie (Kiwanuka) and someone signed off of the practice squad last week (Awasome) playing the ends, a rookie (Wilkinson) playing WIL, a backup (McQuarters) playing left corner and a rookie (Kevin Dockery) playing nickel. True, injuries should not be used as an excuse, but that kind of defensive depletion does play a role in a game (as does having two starters - Burress and McKenzie - out on offense).

In the NFL, you need to win your home games and you need to win the games you're supposed to win. This Texans game could be classified as both, and at the end of the day, the bottom line is the Giants got it done. That is exactly what a "contender" does.

From section 320 row 19 seat 16,

Ken"


Amen. Way to put Dan in his place.

Aitch said...

On the Pats-Colts, The Patriots and (I hate to say) Bill Belichick lost this game moreso that the Colts winning it. What happened to the run in the second half?? The Patriots became pass happy and totally ignored the run. I found myself agreeing with Madden for the first time in I don't know how long. Stop with the screens and the reverses and just hand the rock to Dillon and Maroney. They were getting big chunks of yards every time the ran, yet you go away from them almost completely in the second half. what is that? By running they would have scored more and also eaten more clock, giving manning less time with the ball, which is what you need to do against the colts. Ridiculous.

Also, the refs were horrible, but they were horrible both ways. I didn't see a taunt from Troy Brown, and tom Brady was nowhere near getting a first down. There were a lot of phantom interference calls both ways and a few that should have been called and weren't, again against both teams. At least the officiating was equally horrendous, but you hate to see such a bad game from refs during such a huge play.

PS, Marvin Harrison's second TD catch should be considered for catch of the year. He's an amazing football player and I wonder if Peyton would be as good without him. And I don't think he gets the credit he deserves.

Pete said...

Big stud for the B-lo Bills is A-train- that guy has been running hard but hardly used and yesterday showed that he still has gas in the tank.