Big D in Big D and more football ramblings

FOOTBALL THOUGHT OF THE WEEK

With no college games to be played and without the Bears on TV this weekend, I was able to sit back and watch some other teams go at it. Here are some quick thoughts, as well as a little something about last Thursday’s contest by our boys in orange and blue.

1- The Cardinals are done

Of all the game’s on Sunday’s schedule, the one I had my eye on closest was Vikings/Cardinals in Arizona. It’s not a coincidence that this was because Kurt Warner is on my fantasy team that currently is in the playoffs, but the main reason was because I wanted to see Minnesota lose so the Bears could be tied for the NFC North lead. In my mind, Warner would throw for a bunch of yards and touchdowns and the Vikings, led by backup quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, would be so embarrassed by the defeat that they wouldn’t even bother showing up for their final two games of the season. In reality, Minn. was up 28-0 mid-way through the second quarter, Jackson easily out-performed Warner, and the Bears end up needing to be luckier than Hugh Heffner to make it to January.

While the Vikings win was the most disappointing aspect of the game, I have to say that the Cardinals looked horrible, especially for a division winning squad. Their vaunted offense did nothing to impress me, and when a QB of Jackson’s skill throws four touchdowns against you, it isn’t a good sign. Due to an NFL rules loophole that states that all division winners earn a home game, a wild card squad will be making a trip out to the desert. Based on what I saw today, that team will be leaving that trip with a victory.

2- Dallas can still make a run

Say all you want about the Romo vs. T.O. vs. Witten in-house bickering or the fact that they are down to their fourth-string running back, but the Cowboys still have a chance at going deep in the playoffs because of their defense. Sunday night against the Giants, guys like DeMarcus Ware and Greg Ellis revved up their engines, put their feet on the accelerator and ran over Eli Manning and the NY offensive line, recording eight sacks. Dallas’ pass defense may not be the best out there, and there still may be some trouble on the offensive side of the ball. But with a pass rush like that, I wouldn’t want to face to ‘Boys come playoff time.

3- Just watching Pittsburgh and Baltimore will make you bruise

was watching live and have seen about 15 replays and I’m still not sure if the Steelers touchdown in the game’s final seconds was good or not.I Too close to call. But I do know that both of the teams in this classic game have defense’s that really can lay a licking. Pittsburgh and Baltimore each use a 3-4 defense that confuse quarterbacks on who is rushing, who is dropping into coverage and who is playing man-to-man. Add that they each have brilliant all-around safeties in Troy Polamalu and Ed Reed, and it is no wonder that the Steelers and Ravens are one-two in the league in pretty much every defensive category. The final score of their matchup was 13-9, which even seems like a lot considering how hard these two units were hitting. Each squad will be a tough out come January.

4- It’s a shame Calvin Johnson is on a winless team

The reason I’ve followed Johnson’s season is because he has become valuable member of my fantasy team. But in doing so, I’ve had the chance to watch one of the league’s best wideouts. As the #2 overall pick in the 2007 draft, it’s not a surprise that the former Georgia Tech star is playing well. But considering his team will more than likely end up 0-16 with quarterbacks named Kitna, Culpepper, and Orlovsky, Johnson’s numbers are astounding. Through 14 weeks, he has 65 catches, 1,1645 yards and ten touchdowns. He’s averaging nearly 18 yards per catch and has 40 first downs. Now if only the Lions could get another 15 players as good as Johnson and they’d be out of the NFC North basement.

5- Bears are winning but not really playing well

Nobody was more pleased than I that the Bears prevailed on Thursday night over the Saints. Kyle Orton led a nice final drive of regulation, hitting Hester and G-Reg several times each to move the ball into Robbie Gould range, before doing the same in overtime (thanks to a questionable pass interference call). Bears 27, Saints 24, which is almost exactly what I predicted (check the last blog post). Despite the Vikings victory Sunday afternoon, the Bears are still (somewhat) alive in the division race.

The win though was not a how-to guide in winning football. The Bears missed assignments on defense, made stupid plays on special teams and were not always smart with the ball on offense. Orton has regressed as the season has gone on, and it is now more obvious than ever that the team has no depth in the backfield behind Matt Forte. The only players on the team that should even be considered for the Pro Bowl are Lance Briggs, Alex Brown and Brad Maynard (yes, the punter has had a great season). Ending the year with a winning record is an achievement in itself, considering how sporadic this team has been on the field.


Thursday night game: Indianapolis at Jacksonville

PROGRAMING NOTE: I’m on break now, but will be going out of town beginning next Tuesday. Expect a few posts between now and then, including an year ending memory column.