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Last week, Daki and Luka both sent me texts being like, “Damn Drew Brees played like crap today.” How in the world someone can claim that throwing for over 380 yards is a bad day is beyond me, but throwing 3 picks is clearly not the best game(even if 2 weren’t his fault). However, this week the Saints played the Colts in primetime and ran a clinic.
Whenever the commentators talk about Brees, the recurring word is “leadership.” Sure Drew Brees probably has the best accuracy in the league, but other than that, his skill set is not anything spectacular. The thing that separates Brees as one of the top 3 QBs in the league is the way he leads his team. Even with his head coach upstairs in a press box and the assistant head coach calling the plays, Drew seems to always be in command, changing plays at the line and keeping everybody focused on the gameplan. I could talk about Brees all day, but i’ll stop and just leave you with his stat line: 31/35 for 325 yards and 5 touchdowns...and the Saints decided to stop using him in the 3rd quarter.
There were a few other players on offense that showed they deserve to be in the Pro Bowl this year. Firstly, what is wrong with the San Diego Chargers? They develop a person into a force to be reckoned with, then simply let them go. A few years back, Marty Schottenheimer coached the Chargers to a league best 14-2 record. They lost a very close game to the Patriots in the playoffs, so SD decided that the most logical thing to do was to fire him as head coach. They also had this one running back that was pretty decent: LT. Once his contract expired, the future hall of famer had to beg to have his contract renewed. The Chargers gave him a 1 year contract and decided that he had too much left in the tank and that he could still contribute, so they decided to let him go. Darren Sproles is the most recent Chargers talented castoff, and I’m amazed that the Saints got him. Sproles is one of the most versatile players in the league and is a matchup nightmare for defences. Also, weighing in at about 180 lbs, he plays every game like he has something to prove. He’s averaging 7.4 yards/carry, 7.3 yards/catch, has 5 total TDs and can make anything happen on special teams. This week he had 12 carries for 88 yards (7.3 yard average) with 1 rushing TD and 1 receiving TD. Stay classy San Diego.
Anyone who has followed the Saints knows that since about 2006, they’ve had some talented receivers. Between Meachem, Colston, Henderson, and Moore, you never really know where the ball is going but you can be sure that someone’s going to make your defence look stupid. However, the new kid that everyone is raving about is Jimmy Graham. I watched Graham play a game at the U and must admit that I was sceptical when the Saints drafted him in the third round. In the game, he had 2 chances for HUGE 3rd down completions that he could have potentially turned to TDs, but watched them both hit him in the hands and turn into drops. The season that Jimmy Graham is having should be fully accredited to head coach Sean Payton. Graham brought the size and freakish athleticism, and Payton moulded him into the beast that he is turning into. Al Michaels and Chris Collinsworth were pretty much having a Graham d***-sucking contest in the commentators booth last Sunday. Collinsworth went so far as to say that by the time Jimmy is retired, he’ll pass Tony Gonzalez as the best tight end of all time....ITS HIS SECOND SEASON!?!? Either way, this kid is someone to watch for. His current stats on the season are ridiculous: 45 catches for 674 yards and 5 TDs.
The only part of last Sundays game that had me a little bit worried was the defence. I’m a huge fan of defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and his blitz-happy, bend-but-dont-break style of coaching. However, for his defences to be successful, they have to be creating turnovers. The Saints D has been pretty average this season but average won’t be enough to win a superbowl. They only picked off Curtis Painter once last week, but hopefully they’re settling in like all other teams and will start racking in the turnovers.
Overall, it was a great week for the New Orleans Saints. They showed that they’re a top 3 team in the NFL and look to have another huge weekend against the lowly St. Louis Rams.
Last week I highlighted 3 things I was going to be looking for in Week 7 and I’d like to quickly cover them.
TIM TEBOW BABY. GODS GIFT TO THIS EARTH! Did you see the way he sucked for 57 minutes and didn’t even put his team in position to get a freakin fieldgoal!! Then he led a miraculous comeback against the superbowl contending Miami Dolphins. The truth is, once Tebow stepped up and started playing mediocre, his team (which is far more talented than the Fins) did most of the work. His line paved the way and the coaches called the plays to wreck Miami, but no one will ever talk about the other 52 players on the team. Tebow played like crap for all but 3 minutes of the game, but history will remember it as him leading a glorious comeback against a fierce competitor. BS
The Oakland Raiders are beyond screwed. They were absolutely embarrassed by the Chiefs this past week and didn’t even deserve to put up a single point. Kyle Boller started the game and posted a dismal 22.3 quarterback rating. Hue Jackson decided that it was time to give Palmer a shot, only a few days after he joined the team. Palmer showed that you dont just come out of retirement and shit on the NFL by posting an even worse QBR of 17.3....yikes. The future of the Raiders is in serious jeopardy. It scares me that my hopes for the Silver and Black lie with Terrelle Pryor.
Defences are finally back on track. This week featured 2 pillow fights (Browns 6-3 Seahawks and Jags 13-7 Ravens) and there weren’t as many offensive players taking over games by themselves. Granted, players like DeMarco Murray and Arian Foster demolished their competition this week, but that’s just the way the NFL works. I’m happy we’re back to the ways of some games turning into shootouts and others turning into toilet bowls.
Showing posts with label Defense. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Defense. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
The Patriots Report: Week 1
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Before I get to my thoughts on the Patriots, just a few other notes I forgot to mention in my preview of why this team should get more respected.
-They came up with the 'introduce yourself as a team' concept that everyone is copying now in the Super-Bowl
-Tom Brady refused to do endorsements without his line-men, he also bought them really expensive watches
-This team routinely destroys opposition that talks shit with my favorite obliteration coming against the Chargers in the 18-1 season. (notable exception: Jets, although I expect that to change this year)
Now that that is out of the way, on to my thoughts about last night's game against the Miami Dolphins.
I have to admit, I did not watch the entire game but I saw it in parts. This was due to a phenomenal U.S. open final between two class-act athletes. Seeing as there is no more tennis, next week I will be able to give a better summary of the happenings of the Patriots. Of the parts that I did catch the number one thing that should worry Pats fans is the defense. Now, Cabrock made an excellent point in his debut post about why defenses are struggling across the NFL so I will give the Patriots until week 3 to show me something defensively. The thing is, the pass-rush was excellent, last season Chad Henne would have thrown 5 picks under that kind of pressure but it looks like he improved vastly. The secondary was decent, including some good one-on-one coverage but the line-backers were dreadful. For now we are tossing this up to a lack of film and preparation but this team will not accomplish anything if they keep letting teams bully them with easy scoring drives. If the Patriots can get even an average performance game in and game out from their line-backing corps I believe that they will truly be a force to be reckoned with this year.
On the offensive side of the ball there is only one thing you can say: wow!
Tom 'Terrific' recovered from his first interception in 11 months (this isn't mentioned enough, that stretch was actually incredible) to go on and throw for 517 yards and 4 TD's. This was largely fueled by a super fast no-huddle offense that had the Patriots snapping the ball quickly and often, completely overpowering and exhausting the Dolphins defense to the point where they had to use up a time-out just so they could get some rest. The receivers were exceptional as well (with the exception of Ochocinco who only had one catch, but if he is your worst receiver you know you are good) Wes Welker tied an NFL record with a 99-yard catch, Gronkowski and Hernandez bullied corner-backs that tried to cover them and the offensive line gave Brady incredible protection throughout the contest. Even their duo of running backs both had a very good 4.9yds/carry nights to keep the Dolphins on edge. If the Patriots keep playing offense like this, getting into the playoffs wont be a concern, if they keep playing defense like this however, a Super Bowl is unlikely. All in all it is only week 1, the Patriots are off to a good start and have their home opener against the Chargers next week. That game should provide us with more insight into how the season will unfold for the 2011 New England Patriots.
Again, appologies for the shortness of the article, watching a full game next week will allow me ot provide more insight. As always if you like the article or the site follow me @ Daki_4 on Twitter
Before I get to my thoughts on the Patriots, just a few other notes I forgot to mention in my preview of why this team should get more respected.
-They came up with the 'introduce yourself as a team' concept that everyone is copying now in the Super-Bowl
-Tom Brady refused to do endorsements without his line-men, he also bought them really expensive watches
-This team routinely destroys opposition that talks shit with my favorite obliteration coming against the Chargers in the 18-1 season. (notable exception: Jets, although I expect that to change this year)
Now that that is out of the way, on to my thoughts about last night's game against the Miami Dolphins.
I have to admit, I did not watch the entire game but I saw it in parts. This was due to a phenomenal U.S. open final between two class-act athletes. Seeing as there is no more tennis, next week I will be able to give a better summary of the happenings of the Patriots. Of the parts that I did catch the number one thing that should worry Pats fans is the defense. Now, Cabrock made an excellent point in his debut post about why defenses are struggling across the NFL so I will give the Patriots until week 3 to show me something defensively. The thing is, the pass-rush was excellent, last season Chad Henne would have thrown 5 picks under that kind of pressure but it looks like he improved vastly. The secondary was decent, including some good one-on-one coverage but the line-backers were dreadful. For now we are tossing this up to a lack of film and preparation but this team will not accomplish anything if they keep letting teams bully them with easy scoring drives. If the Patriots can get even an average performance game in and game out from their line-backing corps I believe that they will truly be a force to be reckoned with this year.
On the offensive side of the ball there is only one thing you can say: wow!
Tom 'Terrific' recovered from his first interception in 11 months (this isn't mentioned enough, that stretch was actually incredible) to go on and throw for 517 yards and 4 TD's. This was largely fueled by a super fast no-huddle offense that had the Patriots snapping the ball quickly and often, completely overpowering and exhausting the Dolphins defense to the point where they had to use up a time-out just so they could get some rest. The receivers were exceptional as well (with the exception of Ochocinco who only had one catch, but if he is your worst receiver you know you are good) Wes Welker tied an NFL record with a 99-yard catch, Gronkowski and Hernandez bullied corner-backs that tried to cover them and the offensive line gave Brady incredible protection throughout the contest. Even their duo of running backs both had a very good 4.9yds/carry nights to keep the Dolphins on edge. If the Patriots keep playing offense like this, getting into the playoffs wont be a concern, if they keep playing defense like this however, a Super Bowl is unlikely. All in all it is only week 1, the Patriots are off to a good start and have their home opener against the Chargers next week. That game should provide us with more insight into how the season will unfold for the 2011 New England Patriots.
Again, appologies for the shortness of the article, watching a full game next week will allow me ot provide more insight. As always if you like the article or the site follow me @ Daki_4 on Twitter
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