Just what the Denver Broncos needed, a heavy duty addition to their defense. With the 28th pick in the 2013 Draft they were able to wrangle Defensive Tackle Sylvester Williams out of North Carolina.
So now that everyone knows QB Peyton Manning works and since the addition of WR Wes Welker, why not just add some depth and youth to your defense in front of monster OLB Von Miller?
Leaf was wildly inaccurate when peeing into a cup and kept throwing his meds into other patient’s mouths, even when aiming for his own.
In fairness to the San Diego Chargers, Peyton Manning is TERRIBLE at stealing painkillers.
“Great moment @ 1.5 hours after the game, Peyton Manning and his family waited to congratulate @raylewis52.”
The NFL playoffs always come down to quarterback matchups. Let’s look at these guys head-to-head, starting with Peyton Manning vs. Joe Flacco, AKA Denver vs. Baltimore.
Famous sibling:
Saturday Night Live:
Home city role model:
Forehead:
Audibles:
Fuse:
Really good at:
By a 4-3 count, the matchup goes to Peyton Manning. It’s just science.
Ravens at Broncos: Legacies
Read an interesting stat tonight: in his playoff career, Peyton Manning is 0-3 in games below 40 degrees, with one touchdown and seven interceptions. Although, all three of them came on the road, and two of them were in Foxboro, so the competition might’ve played a bigger factor than the thermometer.
Take away his two Super Bowl runs (one resulting in a ring), and the underrated part of Manning’s career narrative in the post-season is that: he just hasn’t been that good. Not all the time.
But then you fold all of that into what’s happened this season. From four neck surgeries to a front-runner for MVP (in a world where Adrian Peterson didn’t have an even better comeback story), it almost feels like Manning’s season deserves more attention that we’ve given it.
He’s turned Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker into elite wide receivers, and the defense has strengthened as the season’s gone on.
The schedule? Not exactly a hard road to the post-season, so as you keep picking apart every detail behind Manning and his team, you can see why they might seem like a vulnerable one seed at home.
But the Ravens had their Super Bowl last week for Ray Lewis, and I’m not sure if Anquan Boldin is going to be a superhero every week in these playoffs. The defense made plays last week and flashed glimpses of their former self, but then you remember that Manning has won 9 straight games against this team, this defense.
Brain against brawn, and all that other stuff. When it comes down to it, I wish I could provide you with a complete breakdown of everything, but I really want to see Manning’s story end with a hometown Super Bowl game in New Orleans.
This is not just a playoff run for Manning. This is about legacy. Two Super Bowl wins would make elevate the conversation for Manning’s greatness. Funny how one of the greatest of all-time at his position is still chasing something more at this stage in his career, and doing so as the front-runner in the AFC.
Broncos win 28-10.
What does everybody think?
Peyton Manning sniffs smelling salts during the fourth quarter of Sunday’s Broncos-Patriots game. New England had a franchise-record 35 first downs and dominated the second and third quarter in a 31-21 victory. Manning threw for 345 yards and three touchdowns in the loss. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
That forehead.
Wait, was that Justin Tucker field goal good or what? The refs will review and get back to you tomorrow.
Can we sum up the NFL so far with this: the Cardinals are 3-0, the Saints are 0-3 and the best team after two weeks in the league lost at Minnesota.
Don’t look now, but we might be in for a fun race in the NFC West. The Cardinals next four games: vs. Miami, at St. Louis, vs. Buffalo, at Minnesota. All winnable games. Looks like that Week 8 Monday Night game between San Francisco and Arizona might be an important one. Who knew.
The best play in the Cardinals-Eagles game was Arizona safety James Sander’s 93 yard fumble return for a touchdown to end the half (reminiscent of what James Harrison did to the Cardinals in the Super Bowl a few years ago). If you missed it, you can watch the video here. My favorite part of it: Larry Fitzgerald sprinting down the sideline as the play unfolded.
Also, before we get to the winners the losers, I just want to send a word of condolence to the family of Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith. Smith’s younger brother Tevin Jones passed away in a car accident late Saturday night. I can’t pretend to know what he’s going through, except to say, it can’t be easy. He played tonight, and went for 127 yards, two touchdowns, and one sweet victory.
If this made Smith’s day any better, even for a few hours, then it was all well worth it regardless of what the result was on the field. I hope tomorrow will be a better day for him.
Onto the rest:
Winners
Mayhem in Tennessee - Sunday was a throwback day in Tennessee. Tommie Campbell’s punt return touchdown brought back memories of the Music City Miracle, and the game ended up going to overtime on a crazy sequence of events to end regulation that culminated in a Hail Mary touchdown for the visiting Lions with no time left on the clock. But the Titans would win on a controversial fourth down call by Jim Schwartz — who said after the game that they weren’t suppose to snap the ball on the play. A team coming up a yard short to end the game? It’s an ending Titans fans are familiar with and happy to be on the other side of it this time.
Jamaal Charles - 233 yards rushing, 55 yards receiving and a touchdown for Kansas City. A week ago, many wondered about whether he was fully recovered from last year’s knee injury, turns out all you need to do is go up against the New Orleans defense and all is cured.
Adrian Peterson - His stats on Sunday against the 49ers didn’t stand out, but watching him run into that San Francisco defense and be the last one standing on most of the running plays was great to see. Still a bit amazed at how quickly he’s recovered from his injury, maybe Peterson is a superhero.
Mohamed Sanu to A.J. Green - A thing of beauty.
Ray Lewis: A Football Life - Do yourself a favor and watch this on NFL Network. Made me want to drive to Pittsburgh just to get a W!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mikel Leshoure - 26 carries, 100 yards, 1 touchdown. I’m just including this in here because I have him on my fantasy team. Carry on.
The Falcons - The division is theirs to take, but you get the feeling nothing they do in the regular season will matter. Not with Matt Ryan still without a playoff win on his resume and that turd they dropped against the Giants in the post-season last year. Seriously, they literally dropped a deuce. I’m going to stop now.
Losers
Replacement refs, again - I’m sick of 20 minute replay reviews, and just a sense that the players are under the impression that they can do whatever they want on the field without the consequences of being policed. Also, in the Vikings-49ers game, Jim Harbaugh was awarded an extra challenge on a Toby Gerhart fumble even though he had no timeouts left, which he won. That wasn’t the most ridiculous part of it. Somehow Harbaugh got another timeout added back for his team, and used it to challenge another Gerhart fumble before the two minute warning in the fourth. It was a standard fumble and recovery by Gerhart. But you know why Harbaugh even bothered to challenge? Because there’s actually a chance that the replacement refs could blow the call and reverse it in his favor. The refs are now being exploited by players and coaches for their own advantage as they see fit. I’m just going to keep complaining until the real zebras come back.
The Saints - Stat alert: Saints are the eighth team to start 0-3 after winning 13 or more games the previous season. They’re starting to remind me a lot of the last team in this group: the 2009 Titans, who started 0-6 before making a frantic run for a playoff spot, finishing short at 8-8. Although, three weeks in, they’re three games back of the division leading Falcons. Looks like another season without a home team playing in the Super Bowl.
Peyton and the Broncos - It’s entirely possible that they were beat on their home field by the best team in the AFC. I still can’t believe the Texans are competent, and wait for it: trustworthy to win games they’re supposed to. Still wrapping my head around this. Regardless, the Broncos are in a division where they can afford to work their way through a slump. I think eight or nine wins will be enough in the West. Don’t count the Broncos out just yet, but expectations have been lowered after their last two outings.
Randy Moss - For some reason, I thought Randy Moss would be a different teammate in San Francisco. I don’t know if it’s the simple fact that I assumed age and a year away from the game meant that Moss would mature. But there he was on Sunday, sulking on the sidelines and benched in the fourth quarter. After the game, he was asked about playing time and simply said: “Next question”. I still like this 49ers team a lot, but not sure if it’s worth it to deal with Moss if he’s going to start spreading that negativity in the locker room.
Chris Johnson - He now has 45 yards rushing on the season. How bad is that? There’s six teams with single rushing plays greater than 45 yards so far this season.
Sanchez to Tebow - Not exactly a thing of beauty.
Peyton is calling an audible on the 1st quarter of this Monday Night Football game.
We don’t blame him after tossing 3 interceptions.
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
It’s good to be back. First full day of football means doing absolutely nothing but watch games on Sunday, which is a pretty tough commitment.
Surprises, comebacks, upsets, disappointments? Just the way football should be.
Onto the winners and losers of the first Sunday. Since all judgments are made off one game, I reserve the right to deny writing any of the below in a week.
Winners
Robert Griffin III/ Dan Snyder - The list of quarterbacks that have come through Washington in the past few decades have been so mediocre that it’s been immortalized on this t-shirt. For those with shorter memories, recent years included Rex Grossman, the wonderful experience of Donavan McNabb and the likes of Mark Brunell and Jason Campbell. This year’s draft revolved around Andrew Luck — whom most believed to be the sure thing, and Robert Griffin III — a dazzling talent whose potential intrigued many teams to move up for the right to pick him. The Redskins gave away a sizable package to be that team, and no one would’ve blamed their fans to expect some growing pains for Griffin III this season before he matured and that potential became realized. But there he was on Sunday, in the hostile dome environment of New Orleans, controlling the game like a ten year veteran, demonstrating his arm strength and using his legs as a weapon. I don’t know what Dan Snyder or Mike Shanahan did to deserve this, but the sky’s the limit now for Griffin III. The growing pains will come, but fans will have a performance like this week’s to remind them of better times to come. Sooner rather than later.
Orlando Franklin - I am terrified.
Quarterback enigmas part 1, Alex Smith - All Super Bowl chatter with the San Francisco 49ers this off-season started and ended with their quarterback Alex Smith. The defense is championship caliber, the offense was retooled with enough weapons to surround Smith, but was he really someone who could put it all together? All he did on Sunday was play an efficient game in Green Bay, and come out with a victory. Not just a game manager, but a productive quarterback who looked comfortable leading drives and making the right plays in the red zone. This was the most eye opening performance to me from Sunday. The 49ers looked complete, and ready to make a run.
Quarterback enigmas part 2, Mark Sanchez - I woke up this morning and pronounced that Sanchez was starring in his own edition of “Dead Man Walking” starting at 1 pm. You know, the one touchdown in four pre-season games, the shadow of Tim Tebow lurking everywhere — on the field, in the press, probably in his dreams. That’s a weird thought, let’s move on. Of course, this being a league where we know absolutely nothing except what just happened, Sanchez went out and put up 48 points on the Buffalo Bills, and giving Bart Scott enough ammunition to declare a “media mutiny” after the game. He meant boycott by the way.
Tampa Bay and believers of karma -In this era of statistics and more statistics, I hope there’s still room for stories that aren’t about just numbers. That special moments still be quantified in their own ways. In the off-season, the Buccaneers signed former Rutgers defensive tackle Eric LeGrand (coached in college by current Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano) whose career was ended by a spinal cord injury. It was a symbolic gesture by the organization that along with their draft and off-season acquisitions, bodes well for the coming season. By the way, if you haven’t read about LeGrand’s story, do yourself a favor and check out this Sports Illustrated feature from last year. The Bucs did just enough to win at home against Carolina. But for a team that most expect to win five or six games, I think there could be something more there.
Randall Cobb/ Julio Jones - I’m going to go on record and say that Jones will be the best receiver in football this year. I felt that way before his performance in Kansas City today (6 catches, 108 yards, 2 touchdowns), which just reaffirms my belief in him. As for Randall Cobb, I get the feeling that Aaron Rodgers is going to be targeting him a lot this year, if only because the Fox broadcasters kept reminding me of it. Plus he’s a must watch on returns all year.
Adrian Peterson - In December, Peterson tore both his ACL and MCL. On Sunday, he came back and went for 84 yards, two touchdowns and looked as electric as he was pre-injury. A lot of fantasy regrets are in order.
Peyton Manning - Competent quarterbacking in Denver? Must be refreshing. The league’s more fun with Manning back directing traffic and running no huddles. Plus I’m sure Brandon Stokley is happier this way. This might not end up in a second Super Bowl for Manning, but it’s nice to see he still has more then a few competent games left.
Negotiating leverage of referees - All referees make bad calls. I’m not going to sit here and pretend that once the real officials come back, we’re not going to have controversial calls. But there’s a difference between human error and incompetence, and that line is not very thin. Consider how the replacement refs gave Seattle a mysterious fourth timeout at the end of their game against Arizona. That’s the perfect example of that not very thin line. There are judgment calls, and then there are calls that can only be explained by inexperience and inability to referee a game at the professional level. Let’s hope the real refs come back soon, so we can have more legitimate gripes than phantom time outs.
Losers
Browns fans - Let’s see. Where do we start with this one. Former Browns owner Art Modell passed away this week. You know, the guy who took the team and moved them to Baltimore. There were plans for a Modell tribute before their home opener against the Eagles on Sunday, which would’ve probably turned into a horrible mess, so luckily Modell’s family asked the team to cancel such plans. Of course, this did not stop 28 year old rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden from getting sacked by the American flag pre-game, and than going out there and putting up a quarterback rating that was ten times worst than Michael Vick, who only threw four interceptions himself. Still, the Browns had a chance to win the game in the fourth quarter, but Vick drove the Eagles the length of the field for a one point victory. On the bright side, If Weeden doesn’t pan out, Colt McCoy and Thaddeus Lewis are waiting their turn.
Carolina Panthers rushing attack -13 rush attempts, 10 yards. That includes Cam Newton.
Ike Taylor - Will see Demaryius Thomas in his dreams tonight. That’s my second reference to someone’s dreams. Let’s move on.
Saints and non-believers of karma - I thought that Friday’s arbitrator decision to reverse the Saints’ player suspensions would start the healing process in New Orleans, and remove all the bad vibes still hanging from Bounty Gate. You know, because I actually believe in these things. But there was Griffin III shredding their defense, and Drew Brees not looking in sync with this receiving corp. The offense is still one of the best in the league, and we could chalk it up to one poor performance. Check the schedule though, and consider the improvement of the NFC North, I don’t think the Saints can consider themselves favorites this season.
The Bills - Did all that optimism get crushed in literally one quarter in week one? I think we should just leave Buffalo alone and not anoint sleeper status on them. It’s less painful that way.
photo via Keith Allison
