NFL Week 4

Tweet This past Sunday I was at the Bills – Patriots game, so I was not able to watch the Saints game. The game in Buffalo was absolutely amazing, but since the Patriots are Daki’s team, I’m going to allow him to cover the game and retell the story of how Tom Brady got embarrassed by Chan Gailey’s Bills.

Like I said, I missed the Saints game so I won’t be able to report on New Orleans this week. I’ve scavenged NFL.com for the highlights, but I don’t feel that makes my opinion on the game any more relevant than anyone else’s. So instead, I will list the 5 things I’m most looking forward to for this coming week of football.

Jerseys – While I was in Buffalo, they kept showing highlights of games that were playing around the league. I noticed that a few teams wore their classic jerseys and didn’t think much of it. However, at halftime, the broadcasters spent a solid 5 minutes discussing which teams have the best classic jerseys and why the league should allow teams to wear their classics whenever they feel like it. One broadcaster was particularly in love with the Saints throwback, which in my opinion looked absolutely disgusting. I’m excited to see which teams will rock their throwbacks this week and for the remainder of the NFL season. It’s always fun to get a glimpse at some of the awful uniforms these NFL teams used to wear (Except the powder blue chargers. They really should just make that their permanent jersey for home and away games.)

Eli “Haters gonna hate” Manning – One thing that boggles my mind in sports is how some players manage to get undervalued and blamed, no matter what they do. Eli Manning is a prime example of a player that has done literally everything asked of him, and still gets hated on for no real reason. When he was drafted first overall, people thought that was a waste of a pick. When he lead his team to a Superbowl and beat the undefeated Patriots, people said any QB could have done it with his defense. Some people like to pretend they know something about football and bring up points like, “He’s crap! Last year he led the league in picks.” If you watched any of the Giants games, you’ll know that half of those picks were tipped balls and passes that receivers swatted to the defensive backs. Well last week, Manning absolutely torched the Eagles defense with 4 TDs, no INTs, and almost 300 yards. I’m excited to see how he’s going to respond this week against Arizona, and if this will finally be the year that Eli gets the respect he deserves.

Darren McFadden vs New England’s Defense – McFadden and Felix Jones split the carries in the Arkansas Razorbacks backfield. They were drafted the same year, Darren going to Oakland and Felix going to Dallas…who really won? Through the first 3 weeks of the season, Darren McFadden is the leading rusher in the NFL while Felix Jones is average at best for the struggling Cowboys. No one has been able to stop McFadden this season and it doesn’t look like this week will be any different. The Patriots will be visiting the Raiders this week and their run D has looked shaky at best. Fred Jackson took a serious toll on the Pat’s D last week and I doubt they will have an answer for Oakland’s rushing attack this week. Why don’t they just stack the box and negate the rush attack? Well, Jason Campbell has been blessed with a random rookie receiver, Denarius Moore. For a fifth round pick-up, this kid can BALL! Looks like another tough week for New England, and another big week for Darren McFadden.

Showdown of the week: Jets vs Ravens – Both teams are 2-1, but in my head, they both have something to prove. I’m not really sure why, but it seems like both teams are just not playing to their full potential and they really need to get back to what they do best: talking shit and backing it up. This is definitely the most enticing match-up of Week 4 and is sure to be a good defensive showing. Even though the defenses have been dismal this season, you know this game is gonna be packed with huge hits and at least a couple scuffles. Joe Flacco, like Eli Manning, is another player that doesn’t get the respect he deserves. Last week he had a huge game with almost 400 yards and 3 TDs, and compared to Jets QB Mark Sanchez, he looks like a field general. The difference in the game will be the Ravens offence, which can actually play consistently and will manage to outscore the Jets in a close, defensively dominated game. If I had to guess a score I’d say Ravens win 21-17.

Why is Chad breaking my heart?! – Chad Ochocinco has been my favourite player for years and is the reason I got into football. No matter what you say, the man loves the game and simply wants to win. However, since he’s become a Patriot, he hasn’t really been playing like it. Week 3 at Buffalo, he was given the chance he’s been waiting for and earned the role of starting WR. His statline was terrible, but he did create defensive mismatches which allowed Gronkowski and Welker to get 1 on 1 coverage at least a handful of times. When the game was on the line, the Pats ran a perfect play against the Bills’ zone coverage and Chad executed his corner route to perfection. Tom Brady spotted him and lobbed the ball perfectly in the endzone for a would-be game-tying TD, only to have Chad drop the pass. There was really no excuse to not catch the ball, and that play single handedly made the statement that Ochocinco is simply not understanding the Patriot offense. I think he deserves another chance, but at the rate he’s going, I don’t know how much longer Chad will be in New England. PLEASE get it together Chad!