NewburyportNews.com : Blogs : Community

We have not seen a coach’s call as controversial as the one Bill Belichick made last Sunday night. With Indy needing a TD to go ahead, and 8 seconds and two minutes to go, owning one time out, the coach decides to go for it on 4th and a little less than 2. The Pats are stopped short, and Peyton Manning goes right down the field to score the go ahead touchdown for the victory.

Now everyone and their brother has commented on this, so why not NFL GUY?

IS THIS THE RIGHT CALL? Who is anyone not on the sideline to say?  We do not know how badly gassed the defense was at the time. If they were as tired as we are lead to believe than maybe this is the right call. This is because out of the three possible outcomes, only one will lead to victory. Believing his defense cannot hold back the Colts, here are Belichick’s three options:

PUNT: Defense cannot keep offense out of end zone. Result: Loss

FAILING ON FOURTH DOWN CONVERSION: Defense cannot hold back offense on a long or short field anyways. Result: Loss

SUCCEEDING ON FOURTH DOWN CONVERSION: Offense keeps the ball, and runs out the clock. Result: Win.
The coach’s job is to steer the team to victory. If the Pats do convert, Belichick’s legend grows even larger. In this case it was a calculated gamble, which failed, resulting in a loss.

A larger question is did the coach disrespect his defense in this case, and will there be a fall out from that?

The Jets game looms large now.

We have not seen a coach’s call as controversial as the one Bill Belichick made last Sunday night. With Indy needing a TD to go ahead, and 8 seconds and two minutes to go, owning one time out, the coach decides to go for it on 4th and a little less than 2. The Pats are stopped short, and Peyton Manning goes right down the field to score the go ahead touchdown for the victory.

Now everyone and their brother has commented on this, so why not NFL GUY?

IS THIS THE RIGHT CALL? Who is anyone to say. We do not how badly gassed the defense was at the time. If they were as tired as we are lead to believe than maybe this is the right call. This is because of the three possible outcomes, only one will lead to victory. Believing his defense cannot hold back the Colts, here are Belichick’s three options:

PUNT: Defense cannot keep offense out of end zone. Result: Loss

FAILING ON FOURTH DOWN CONVERSION: Defense cannot hold back offense anyways. Result: Loss

SUCCEEDING ON FOURTH DOWN CONVERSION: Our offense keeps the ball, and runs out the clock. Result: Win.
The coach’s job is to steer the team to victory. If the Pats do convert, Belichick’s legend grows even larger. In this case it was a calculated gamble, which failed, resulting in a loss.

A larger question is did the coach disrespect his defense in this case, and will there be a fall out from that?

The Jets game looms large now.

ATLANTA 31 – WASHINGTON 17
Nothing better to stop a losing skid than to play a real bottom feeder. After being knocked around some by Dallas and New Orleans, the Falcons got it back together by pummeling the crumbling Redskins. This game had some of the scariest and craziest moments in recent memory. Scary: Clinton Portis being knocked unconscious; Crazy: Flacons coach Mike Smith in the middle of a sideline brawl with opposing players. The Commish might be speaking to him soon, but that act will make him LOVED by his players. Only had the end result been different would this game have been of any real note outside that. Atlanta did what it had to, and Washington, what we knew it would do.

DALLAS 20 – PHILADELPHIA 16
A minor classic, though not without its flaws – lot of penalties, a bit of undisciplined play at critical times, and some mildly questionable officiating calls. Dallas is building a head of steam, and possess a roster capable of going toe-to-toe with any other team in the league. The defensive lines controlled the tempo, but it was the Cowboys’ defense that eventually tipped the scales. Nose tackle Jay Ratliff owned the middle of the field, disrupting the Eagle’s backfield, as OLB DeMarcus Ware harried McNabb all day. Philly had a heartbreaker when a TD on a punt return was called back due to a hold away from the play, but were able to punch it in the end zone on the drive. Tony Romo was running from defenders, as neither offensive line could pass block that well. In the end the Cowboys left side of the o-line finally used its size to unleash RB Marion Barber as a game ender. This was a lot of fun, and I could write pages more about it.

ARIZONA 41 – CHICAGO 21
Why can’t the Cardinals do this at home? The Bears seemed to have no defensive backfield, allowing 5 TD tosses, or running game – Matt Forte had 33 yards on 5 carries. Once they fell behind, Chicago completely abandoned its ground game, only calling 9 runs all night. The Bears are in trouble now. They’ve lost their last 3 of 4, and the one win was against awful Cleveland. The Windy City is calling for the coach’s head, and now must get ready for a Thursday night game against the inconsistent 49ers. An even greater model of inconsistency is Arizona. They win big on the road, and lose big at home. Kurt Warner bounced from a five interception game against Carolina seven days ago, to a five TD game this week. Next week they are home against a not-so-good Seattle team. The outcome of that game might just point to the direction this team will go this season.

CINCINNATI 17 – BALTIMORE 7
Cincinnati is not only winning games, but the hearts and minds of Ohio football fans. Now some the hardcore Browns fans will never turn, but what about the young fans who love to root for winners, and will be your fan base for the next decades? Last week Baltimore looked dominant, but this week was really slapped around. The Bengals took it right to the teeth of the defense and was able to run the ball very effectively. Cedric Benson has been the missing ingredient, and now this offense is very, very dangerous. Baltimore is another really inconsistent team, and QB Joe Flacco had a difficult game, and is still developing. Carson Palmer played error free ball, and guided his squad to 370 yards, as the defense held RB Ray Rice to just 48 yards. Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer’s name will be coming up at the end of the season for a head coaching spot.

INDIANAPOLIS 20 – HOUSTON 17
It all comes down to a missed kick! A missed kick which does not bring the game into sudden death overtime, and Indianapolis stays perfect. Houston went down early, but found their mojo and came right back at the Colts’ defense. QBs Manning and Schaub threw for 318 and 311 yards respectively, but it was power running after a catch by Indy RB Joseph Addai putting the Colts ahead for good. This was a game that Houston really needed to win, and a missed kick must just be breaking their hearts. For Indy, next week’s game against the Pats should be a classic.

NEW ENGLAND 27 – MIAMI 17
A very fun game for 3 quarters, until the flaws of Miami were exposed. The Dolphins still lack a true number one receiver, and any deep threat strike ability, despite picking WR Ted Ginn with the 9th overall pick in the 2007 draft. New England was in a tough one here, but Randy Moss was the difference with a touchdown which will be remembered for his explosive stiff arm of future star CB Vontae Davis. It was bizarre to see NT Vince Wilfork out at end, but Belichick loves to do things like this to confuse QBs. The switching to the wildcat player set during the game seemed to also prevent QB Chad Henne from getting into a groove. When he was settled in, he looked like a kid who can play QB in this league. It will be interesting to see what the Pat’s coaching staff will come up with to derail the red-hot Peyton Manning.

TAMPA BAY 38 – GREEN BAY 28
No one saw this one coming, I tell ya. Green Bay might be in a slump after such a high profile game last week, and got lazy. If so that is on the coaching staff, but can be fixed. However, NFL Guy thinks previously winless Bucs outplayed The Pack. Tampa won’t get many more of these, but this one meant a lot to a coaching staff well aware they might not be there next year. But in Wisconsin, it will be how Green Bay responds when the streaking Cowboys come into town for a game that might determine the rest of their season. If they can’t defend their home turf, then things could be falling apart as hated Minnesota takes the division by the beginning of December.

JACKSONVILLE 24 – KANSAS CITY 21
This was part of the NFL’s weekly series this year “Really Awful Football.” Both teams are bottom feeders, but Jacksonville did what it had to – beat a team it was better than. Larry Johnson was waived on Monday, sending the semi-literate Penn State alum to any team who wants to pick up an over-the-hill running back, who has several domestic assault charges on his record, was recently suspended by his team by berating his coach in a hate-filled twitter message, and who has several very loud, ready-to-protest-at-your-stadium special interest groups calling for a yearlong suspension for him. ‘Sides that, he’s yours for free.

SEATTLE 32 – DETROIT 20
Detroit will not improve unless they completely overhaul their defensive backfield. Matt Hasselbeck threw for 329 yards, rallying his team from an early 17 point deficit. Matt Stafford had a rough outing throwing five picks, but did toss 2 TDs, as he continues to learn on the job. Seattle was able to scrape a little dignity for another rough season by beating a team it clearly should. Could Detroit be working on another near record losing streak?

NEW ORLEANS 30 – CAROLINA 20
The Saints are the Fedor Emelianko of the NFL. You can hit them, but they can take it and know they can give it back to you a lot worse. Carolina looks a lot better than they did early on, but the season is quickly slipping away from them. As for the Saints, the talk again begins about the undefeated season. Their defense is not top notched, so NFL Guys thinks they are not the proverbial “perfect team.” But this is a team that can win the Super Bowl this season.

SAN DIEGO 21 – NEW YORK GIANTS 20
A good game, and someone had to lose. Unfortunately for the Giants they were the one, and it’s their fourth loss in a row. New York goes into its bye week now, and the return game against Atlanta will be critical. Can Tom Coughlin right the ship, or will his team come out of their break stunned, angry, and pointing fingers? QB Philip Rivers was really good too, and came through in the clutch. The Giants looked undisciplined, unsure and when the game was on the line, their confidence faded.

TENNESSEE 34 – SAN FRANCISCO 27
Although more talented, the Niners fell on their face again, and a season of promise is now fading into black. The Titans rolled up their second victory in a row, and for the season, with Vince Young taking snaps. RB Chris Johnson is the most dangerous weapon in the NFL and almost no one knows him. San Fran gained 70 more yards than their opponent, but turned it over 4 times. I am still not sure if this is going to be enough to save coach Jeff Fisher’s job at the end of the season.

PITTSBURG 28 – DENVER 10

Nice play by both defenses in the first half, but the Broncos seemed to shut down on both sides of the ball in the second half as the defending champs came alive.  RB Rashard Mendenhall took the game over in the second half, and is really about to become a top echelon runner in the league.  The Steelers offense had a little trouble getting going, but the adjustments made on the plays and receiver route selections created mismatches that Denver could not handle.  The once skyrocketing Broncos have now lost two in a row, and find themselves asking questions about whether they really have a top level team.  They are if they can control the clock and do not have to depend on getting large chunks of yards at a time.  As for the Steelers, they are in a groove, knocking off two top teams now, and look to show the league they are still the best.

In nowhere in the NFL is new blood needed more than the announcing for the games and pregame shows. Let us look at some of what we have to endure to watch our beloved games:

CHRIS BERMAN – No one has done more to integrate himself into the history of the NFL without actually being in the NFL than the self-righteous Berman. All his lines are clichéd and you can pretty much guess what is he is going to say next with great accuracy. His act is not only tired, but tiresome, and he needs to go out to pasture. He especially looks pathetic while trying to match NFL stories with the likes of Cris Carter, Mike Ditka and Tommy Jackson. Even worse, he is now doing commercials which air during the game. See if you can find his videos on Youtube where he is chewing people out and acting like a female diva. ESPN pulled one of his vids where he explains how to transport codeine pills in your suitcase back from Canada. THAT was a classic. In fact there is a site out there chrisbermansucks.com.

CRIS COLLINSWORTH – What a sad replacement for the great John Madden. Cris is a acerbic, hard to look at, very hard to like guy. He has this little tiny head and rubbery neck, with a personality to match. He calls out players seemingly with a personal grudge, and often gets players’ names and numbers wrong. You would have to find a reality star to find someone quite this obnoxious on the squawk-box as him. His knowledge of the game is lost in his monotone droning. He seems to lack the proper emotion during critical parts of the game, and comes into games with an agenda of what he wants to say, despite the action on the field. He also beats subjects to death, offering no real insight like his predecessor did with such wit and down-to-earth charm. Type “I can’t stand Cris Collinsworth” into a search engine, and you will get almost 3,500 sites. NFL Guy is not alone.

THE WHOLE FOX CREW – I have to keep Jimmy Johnson out of this, as his steadiness is the only rudder for this jock fest. Terry Bradshaw and Howie Long have such man-crushes on each other it is ridiculous; and Michael Strahan is just not anywhere as funny as he thinks he is, (proof is in his TV show). This whole group sits around ribbing on each other like they’re in a locker room after a game. Bradshaw’s half-wit laugh is not as pronounced since you are probably still cringing from when he tries to read words off the teleprompter to really notice. They also all go ga-ga over the silicon enhanced Jillian Barberei, who is the FOX management crew of what every woman should look like. Take a good gander at her – she looks like the Bride of Frankenstein after visiting Doctor Hollywood. She was so bad talking football they put her on the weather, as the three goons make mildly veiled sexual references to her on an early morning, “family centered” football pre-game show. Leave it to the liberal media on FOX to do that.

HOUSTON 24 – SAN FRANCISCO 21
The bloom is off the rose for the NFL’s sweet heart team the 49ers. They’ve been throttled the past couple weeks and SF still has a long way to go. Coach Singletary switched QBs at half time, and it sparked at 21 point boost. Still, they fell short to an inconsistent Texans team. Vernon Davis is coming alive as an all-pro tight end under this coaching staff by the bay, and late comer Michael Crabtree finally got on the field. Outside of New Orleans it is hard to say who is playoff worthy in the NFC, so the Niners might just make it after all – but they need to win these games. The AFC is a lot more packed with talent, and Houston might just fall short again.

GREEN BAY 31 – CLEVELAND 3
What can be said here? Cleveland is now 63 games under .500 over the past 12 years since returning to the NFL. Let’s look at their offensive leaders for the game – Derek Anderson threw for 99 yards and a TD, Jamal Lewis rushed for 47 yards, and TE Michael Gaines, who came over after week 3 from Chicago had 2 catches for 30 yards. Those were their offensive leaders! The defense allowed almost 250 yards passing, and Ryan Grant alone had almost 150 yards on the ground. This proves the Browns stink on both sides of the ball. Cleveland also allowed 31 unanswered points. Look at it as 31 unanswered punches in a boxing match. Someone throw in the towel.

SAN DIEGO 37 – KANSAS CITY 7
Little big man Darren Sproles had a 58 yard TD reception out of the backfield, and Philip Rivers was back on track, though not overly accurate. This is another team very adept at pummeling lesser competition, (see Philadelphia). However, the big boys usually take the Chargers apart because defensively they are spongy and don’t attack the line of scrimmage that well. Sean Merriman, who appears done, had no sacks once again. His fire is gone. Odd his drop off came so precipitously after he was suspended for steroid use. On the other sideline, the Chiefs are coming apart. Coach Todd Haley is abrasive, and after the game RB Larry Johnson, another hard to like guy, blasted his coach on Twitter. This game might have had some of the most unlikable characters in the NFL: Merriman, Haley, Johnson, the acerbic Philip Rivers, and LaDanian Tomlinson who is a whiner.

INDIANAPOLIS 42 – ST LOUIS 6
This could have been billed the best vs. the worst. Peyton Manning is just tearing up defenses with ease, and seems to be able to sleep in the pocket he is so comfortable there. He has weapons everywhere he looks, and they are playing the crisp, explosive ball that Super Bowl contenders play. Only the Saints are matching this type of football right now. For the Rams poor Steven Jackson is reaching a record – most yards without reaching the end zone. The Rams just stink out loud, and there is no talent on this team. Chris Long might develop some day, as he has 23 tackles coming from the end position, but no sacks. John Lauranitis has been solid, but also has no sacks. This is a team which does not seem to be able to penetrate into its opponent’s backfield.

PITTSBURGH 27 – MINNESOTA 17
Don’t let the score fool ya, the Vikings should have won this game. Turnovers killed the Minny, and Pittsburgh’s defense scored two tds to win the game. Pittsburgh did show the game plan to beat the Vikings defensive line – lots of misdirection and reverses. DE Jared Allen had a great deal of trouble locating the ball carrier, and they ran by him on several plays. Farve played a fantastic game, but interceptions continue to haunt him – though the one that cost them the game was squarely Chester Taylor’s fault. Rothlisberger continues to do just enough, and you have to wonder if news this week that a Nevada judge refused to drop a rape charge against him is affecting his game. Pittsburgh’s special teams are awful and kicker Jeff Reed’s sad attempt at tackling Percy Harvin almost cost them the game. I state it here – there is no way Pittsburgh repeats as champ.

NEW ENGLAND 35 – TAMPA BAY 7
Tampa proved one thing – they stink in both America and England. This was a mismatch from the gun, and the score reflected it. Brady was a little off throwing on the run, but besides that, this wasn’t even close. S Brandon Merriweather has arrived for the Pats, and if he is not in the Pro Bowl this year, he will be for seasons to come. Lawrence Maroney was again marginal, but when you play the Bucs, it does not matter. Think Jon Gruden is glad he is away from this mess? The Bucs have 3 QBs, yet have no one close to a QB. Their pick of Josh Freeman in this year’s draft was a huge reach, and the lack of coaching shows more and more every week. At one point this season, TB could rush a little, now that has evaporated. And one other thing never never NEVER should the Super Bowl be played outside of America. Ever!

NEW YORK JETS 38 – OAKLAND 0
Nothing halts a losing streak like the Raiders. The highlight here was QB Mark Sanchez on TV eating a hot dog near the end of the game. The Jets defense was able to set their offense up brilliantly with two of their four turnovers giving Sanchez the ball at the Oakland 4 thanks to QB JaMarcus Russell. Russell was pulled after going 6 for 11, 61 yards and 2 ints. NFL Guy did a little looking around. When Oakland took JaMarcus with the first overall pick in 2007, most teams had him graded as a 3rd or 4th round talent. The good news for the Raiders this week is that oafish coach Tom Cable will not be charged with assault.

BUFFALO 20 – CAROLINA 9
Carolina continues coming apart at the seams. Jake Delhomme threw 3 interceptions, en route to the team’s four turn over day. Ryan Fitzpatrick played reasonably well, and didn’t turn the ball over, which helped secure the victory. Buffalo, for whatever reason, seems to have given up on the run game. In fact when NFL Guy spoke to his pal Big Mac, we both lamented the lack of running this year. Early season sensation RB Fred Jackson had only 5 carries, for 2 yards. Super power Terrell Owens continues to burn up the field, this time with 3 catches for 27 yards. A really subpar game between two very terrible teams.

DALLAS 37 – ATLANTA 21
Who needs TO when you have Miles Austin? The undrafted super star in the making from Monmouth College is tearing it up, this time 6 catches for 171 yards and 2 tds. But the real story was the Dallas defense, who terrorized Matt Ryan all day. DeMarcus Ware has found his groove again, and had two sacks. However it was NT Jay Ratliff who was the star here. He was too fast, too strong, and just too good for the interior of the Falcon’s line. The inside men had no answer for the NTs of Dallas, and Michael Turner couldn’t get it into gear. The back four of Dallas came alive, but still played spotty. Wade Phillips, despite still making baffling decisions, (like not challenging for an obvious recovered fumble when the game was tight in the fourth quarter), should be commended for his twisting, slanting blitzes which confused the Atlanta line all day.

CINCINNATI 45 – CHICAGO 10
Every phase for the Bengals hit on all cylinders, and Carson Palmer tossed 5 tds. But it was Cedric Benson running buck-wild for 189 yards over the team that released him that was the highlight. So far he is the comeback player of the year, and the Bengals flexed serious muscle. Mike Zimmer is coaching this defense better than he has ever coached, and this appears to be a legit playoff contender right now. Chicago lost the second game against a tough opponent, and is watching its stock drop rapidly. Cincy forced the Bears off of their run first game plan, and did whatever they wanted to in the trenches. This is the type of loss that can wreck a team’s confidence for the season.

ARIZONA 24 – NEW YORK GIANTS 17
After beating up on the bottom feeders, the mouthy Giants have dropped two in a row to legit teams. The Cardinals were able to control the line of scrimmage, and won the turn over battle 2:1. Manning was subpar behind center, and the Cards kept him jumpy all night. It is hard to tell right now if Arizona is getting a lot better, or the Giants are coming apart. NFL Guy thinks it is a bit of both. The biggest surprise for the Cardinals this year is the disappearance of Anquon Boldin when he is on the field. Coughlin must staunch the bleeding for NY, as the Cowboys have come alive again, and might be breathing down their necks very soon.

NEW ORLEANS 46 – MIAMI 34
What a game. And man, what a team the Saints are. Miami came out with everything they had, attacking the Saints offense, and gobbling up turnovers. The Saints played it like champs, settling down, and then proving they just had too much talent. Miami got a little too cock-sure after jumping up by 21 early, and then getting a bit too shell shocked when their opponent came storming back. This Miami team is indicative of a Parcells franchise post-Giants: improved, but still not good enough to go all the way to the Lombardi Trophy. And Fins also allowed 21 points, then gave the Saints another 7 off an interception in the final quadrant. This is the game where the Saints proved to the NFL that they could start slowly, and still rout you. NFL Guy envisions an amazing Super Bowl with the Saints and Colts.