Good, Bad, Ugly

Week 12

The Good

Chicago Bears - With a big game win against a big time NFC opponent, the Bears defense showed up to slow down Michael Vick and the explosive Eagles offense. Also worth noting was a 4 TD performance by Jay Cutler and the tremendous running game of Matt Forte. The Bears didn't have many believers going into the Eagles game, but its easy to say they have a few after the big win.


The Bad

Oakland Raiders - After all of the pre-season talks about the Raiders potential for this season it all seems to be going down hill. The inconsistencies of this offense have been well documented, but the lack of fight that this team showed throughout the week 12 matchup vs Miami just illustrated the decline of the Raiders this season. They are all but done, and now have to face the red-hot Chargers.


The Ugly

Cincinnati Bengals - Carson Palmer has had an awful season, the Bengals only have 2 wins, and they got beat up against the "human" Jets. Let's see how the Bengals rally the troops this week against the Saints in Cincy. A loss would lead me to believe that Marvin Lewis is definitely out after this season.

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly Week 10

The Good:

Michael Vick. How could we go with anyone else? The man looked like Randall Cunningham (QB Eagles) in Tecmo Super Bowl. The Eagles have the most athletic kill players in the league. Vick’s emergence as a passer makes their offense near unstoppable. If their defense can keep pace, this franchise may finally get its first Super Bowl. Kevin Kolb’s tenure in Philadelphia ended before it began.

The Bad:

Daniel Snyder/Washington Redskins: Anytime you can lock down an aging quarterback 2 years past his prime for $78 million, you’ve got to pull the trigger. The contract allows the Redskins some flexibility if they should release McNabb after this season. However, on Monday night Daniel Snyder saw first hand how signing the right free agent can reinvigorate a team- a sight rarely witnessed in Washington.

The Ugly:

Todd Haley, Head Coach, Kansas City Chiefs. Haley refused to shake Broncos’ head coach, Josh McDaniels, and went so far as to wag a finger in his face. Haley felt McDaniels ran the score up against the Chiefs. This isn’t Alabama versus William & Mary. Todd Haley’s pouting act came across as juvenile and unprofessional. If Haley doesn’t want the Broncos to run up the score, stop them. No scholarships here, these guys are professionals paid to do just what Denver did.

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly - Week 8

The Good:

The Colts. Normally, I reserve praise for Manning and Company simply because it’s a given. However, they’re proved especially resilient this season. GM Bill Polian did a phenomenal job stocking this team with talent. The Colts offense featured Mike Hart and Jacob Tammie in the starting lineup last night and didn’t miss a beat against the Texans. Peyton Manning receives so much praise that it’s become cliché to do so but when key members of the offense go down and the he doesn’t miss a beat, he deserves every word of it. If the Colts defense keeps opposing offenses to a dull roar, Indy could find itself in Dallas come February.

The Bad:

The Washington Redskins. Losing to the Lions isn’t as bad as it seems. The Raiders and Lions have both shown us this year that if you get top 10 draft picks for a decade, you will improve. The Lions have a lively offense and a few nice defensive pieces. However, the Redskins showed zero faith in McNabb by benching him in favor of Rex Grossman. McNabb is a streaky player. He always has been. Shanahan pulled him and likely created some tension in his relationship with his quarterback. Reid benched McNabb once before, but they had many years together along with the requisite trust. At this stage in his career, McNabb knows he isn’t a part of the team’s long term plan. I think Shanahan gave McNabb reason to look over his shoulder, which could result in poor decisions from McNabb trying to make plays that aren’t there.

The Ugly

I’d go with the Cowboys but I don’t want to waste perfectly good internet on them. However, the Vikings looked the ugliest coming off another loss but the true ugly stems from the release of Randy Moss. The Moss acquisition created a lot of buzz and should have given Brett Favre the downfield threat Sidney Rice’s injury created. However, the Vikings failed to see that New England’s willingness to part with their big name receiver in the middle of a playoff push represented a huge ominous red flag. Randy’s skill set no longer appears to justify the troubles he brings along. The Vikings took a shot and missed badly. Moss will surely find another team and another paycheck but the Vikings will not get back the 3^rd rounder they dealt away.

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly - -Week 7

Good

The Oakland Raiders. Who saw this coming? The Raiders came out and destroyed the Denver Broncos on Sunday. Oakland posted 59 points and Darren McFadden led the way with 4 touchdowns in the route. The Raiders are 3-4 with have put themselves in a good spot to make a run at the division. Can they keep this going? Probably not, but this type of win should do wonders for their confidence.

Bad

New Orleans Saints: The Superbowl hangover is in full swing. Lowly Cleveland did its part to affirm AFC supremacy by shocking the Saints in New Orleans. The Saints need a running game ASAP. The talented Drew Brees simply cannot do it all on his own. The Saints used to cause headaches with the backfield of the versatile Bush and the capable Thomas, but injuries have forced them into a one-dimensional offense. Chris Ivory is now their lead back but he’s been relatively ineffective and New Orleans brought in noted smoker Julius Jones to help the running game. He had 1 carry for 6 yards in Sunday’s loss. The Saints have big questions to answer if they want to keep Tampa and Atlanta from taking the top spots in the division.

Ugly

Jay Cutler QB Chicago Bears. The Bears are who we thought they are. Chicago thought its ills would disappear with the appearance of Jay Cutler. When that didn’t work out, the team brought in offensive guru Mike Martz. The Redskins do not have a lot of talent, but they’re a much better coached and disciplined team than Chicago. Cutler threw a slew of interceptions to DeAngelo Hall and then had the audacity to disparage Hall after the game by saying he’d throw at him all day if they played again. Hall has had a lot of ups and downs in his career but he destroyed Cutler on Sunday. Cutler’s bravado appears less like confidence and more like arrogance. A little humility may do the Bears’ QB well. He’s got an electric arm but he’s also an interception machine with a penchant for holding the ball too long. Maybe the Bears should consider benching him to bring him back to reality.

Week 6 - The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

Good:

Deion Branch, New England Patriots. Branch proved Bill Belichick right and me wrong. Branch put up solid numbers and gave Tom Brady a versatile passing option. Randy Moss is certainly one of the all time greats, but he evolved (or aged) into a deep threat and not much more. Branch caught nine passes for 98 yards and a touchdown on Sunday against Baltimore. Typically, receivers are not able to jump into the lineup with such ease, but Branch’s rapport with Brady was obviously still there. New England held Ray Rice to 88 yards and no touchdowns. Not too shabby for a Pats D that ranks among the worst against. Deion Branch helped the Pats keep pace on offense to pull out the win in overtime.

Bad:

The San Diego Chargers. Prior to the season almost everyone gave the AFC West to the Chargers. At 2-4, San Diego may still win the division but that speaks to how weak the division is and not how strong the Chargers are. San Diego lost Sunday to the St. Louis Rams. The Rams were coming off a drubbing at the hands of the Lions the week prior, game in which the team lost their top receiver, Michael Clayton, for the year. The Chargers submitted 7 sacks to the Rams. They also lost Antonia Gates and Malcolm Floyd to injury. If the Chargers lose either of those guys for an extended period, it will place even more pressure on QB Phillip Rivers and could place their playoff hopes in jeopardy.

Ugly:

The Dallas Cowboys. The team has as much talent as anyone else in the league. They’ve outplayed each one of their opponents with the possible exception of the Bears but Dallas cannot get out of their own way. Every time this team does something good, it’s nullified by a moronic penalty or a turnover. The problems start with Jerry Jones. His only successes as an owner have come when he relinquishes his hold on the team. The talent base of the current team was largely put together under the Parcell's regime. He went cheap before the season letting veterans who played large roles on special teams and doing the little things go for league minimum un-drafted rookies. Jones failed to address the lack of a Free Safety and opted to go with Alan Ball, an undersized converted corner at the position. Ball is an absolute abomination. Jones allows Phillips to continue as head coach because Phillips allows him to do all those Jerry things, show up in the locker room, take credit, and run the show. On the sideline, Phillips always looks clueless. Offensive coordinator, Jason Garrett fell in love with screen and swing passes against the Vikings. It wasn’t all the long ago Garrett was being courted by many NFL teams. The easy wins are over. Other than Jacksonville and Detroit, it’s hard to say who this team can beat. Colts, Giants (x2), Eagles (x2), and the Saints…America’s Team looks good on paper but does nothing a winning team needs to. I have a feeling that the Giants defensive front will have Romo running for his life come Monday night.

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly - Week 5

Good:

The Detroit Lions. Sure they played the Rams, but the Lions put on a show. The Lions have hung tough against each opponent thus far and should have beaten the Bears in week 1. The Lions poured on 44 points in the win. Back-up QB Shaun Hill threw for 3 TD’s and no interceptions and did a nice job of spreading the wealth. Detroit also scored on a kick return and interception return. The Lions may only be 1-4, but no one in the NFL should take them lightly.

Bad:

The Dallas Cowboys. Once again, the Cowboys outplayed their opponents but could not get out of their own way. Over 130 yards in penalties and 3 turnovers offset Romo’s 400 passing yards and 3 TD, Austin’s 166 receiving yards and Jones’ 100 rushing yards. The Cowboys’ failed to address their aging offensive line, Free Safety, and coaching issues in the off-season and the chickens have come home to roost. The Cowboys have had their biggest successes when Jerry Jones takes a back seat to real football minds, until he earnestly realizes this, the team will wallow in mediocrity. Home Super Bowl? Don’t kid yourself. Let’s focus on being .500 for the time being.

Ugly:

Jake Delhomme. Delhomme replaced the injured Seneca Wallace and reaffirmed his washed up status. Delhomme was 12 of 23 for 97 yards 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. One of those interceptions was taken back for a touchdown (good to see Jake hasn’t lost his touch). In a gesture of mercy towards the good fans of Cleveland, Delhomme re-injured his ankle. The Browns signed Delhomme as a place holder for the QB position until McCoy was ready to take the helm. Thus far, Jake’s 33 of 60 for 324 yards with 1 touchdown and 4 interceptions. In the last 2 years, Browns fans have seen Derek Anderson, Brady Quinn, Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace under center. Seneca has been the best of the group and he’s a career back up. Not exactly a tough act to follow for the rookie McCoy, he’s like the bizarre-o Steve Young.

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly - Week 4

Good:

The Giants Defense: With their backs against the wall, the Giants D came out swinging. They put relentless pressure on the Bears’ triumvirate of QB’s. Cutler left the game with a concussion, Todd Collins regretted his decision to not stay retired, and some guy named Hanie was taking snaps by the end of the game. This defense showed its potential Sunday night, they won this game. Bradshaw aside, the offense looked rather pedestrian. Kolb, McNabb, and Romo should take note: if you hold onto the ball against this D, you may end up seeing stars on the sidelines too.

Bad:

The Seattle Seahawks. Matt Hasselbeck posted a 58 QB rating and the team ran for a total of 64 yards. The bright spot for the offense came in the form of Brandon Stokley. The recently signed receiver led the team with 64 yards off 4 receptions. (So much for the Mike-Williams-as-a-fantasy-sleeper pick) Defensively, Seattle fared better. They managed 4 sacks and a pick but gave up 20 points against a Rams offense that lacks a true receiving threat and has a banged up Steven Jackson. Seattle overachieved early. They’ve settled back into their expected futility.

The Ugly:

Derek Anderson, QB, Arizona Cardinals: Are we sure this guy didn’t sell his soul to the devil for his 2007 season? Based upon his lone productive year (3,700 yds, 29 TD’s), Anderson manages to convince teams to keep taking a chance on him in hopes that he will recapture that glory. The Cardinals released Matt Leinart prior to the season solidifying Anderson’s place as the starter. Sunday, the Cards benched Anderson after a lackluster 7 of 14 for 64 yards with 2 picks effort in favor of Max Hall. Hall replaced Anderson to throw for a paltry 82 yards and was sacked 6 times. Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Smith (Carolina) should start some sort of support group for victimized wide-receivers.

THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly….Quarterback Edition

The Good

Mark Sanchez-

Sanchez looked like the franchise QB the Jets drafted 2 years ago. In week one, it appeared the Jets would need to win in spite of Sanchez but he bounced back with a superb performance. Sanchez completed 21 of 30 attempts for 3 scores and no picks. With Santonio Holmes waiting in the wings, the Jets have the look of dominate team on both sides of the ball.

The Bad

Joe Flacco

From Mother’s in Federal Hill to Momma’s in Canton, the mantra of the Inner Harbor has gone from “Wako for Flacco” to “Flacco is Wacko.” What an abysmal day for the 3^rd year QB out of Deleware: 17 of 39, 154 yards 1 score and 4 interceptions. The Ravens entered 2010 with soaring expectations for their offense. However, after 2 weeks it’s the same old story. The Ravens have a great defense and an impotent offense. If this team wants to win the NFC north, let alone contend, Flacco must improve.

The Ugly

Jason Campbell

We may have witnessed the end of the Jason Campbell era in Oakland. The Raiders pulled Campbell at half time in favor of fan favorite Bruce Gradkowski. Apparently, Campbell’s first half QB rating of 42.9 didn’t impress head coach Tom Cable. Has anyone benefited more from the Raiders front office ineptitude than Gradkowski? The Raiders have not announced who will start next week, but we have to expect to Gradkowski again soon. Campbell will have a short leash if he does get another shot. If only Al Davis were still alive…

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

The Good:

Arian Foster:

- Foster made it on to the fantasy football radar after a nice preseason. However, no one expected the performance he had against the Colts on Sunday. The Texans as well as Fantasy Owners who snagged him in the later rounds are ecstatic about this guy. The most exciting aspect to Foster’s emergence is the fact we might get to hear Chris Berman yell out “Arian-Nation-Foster” after he runs roughshod over the Redskins next Sunday.

The Bad:

The Raiders

- The team thought they could turn the corner this season with the addition of Jason Campbell and a revamped line backing corps, but it was business as usual on Sunday. The Titans ran all over the Raiders and Campbell looked like the guy Washington couldn’t wait to get rid of. Has goodwill ever evaporated any faster than it has for Jason Campbell? We may have a Bruce Gradkowski sighting soon. Where is the core group in this team, the group of players that are supposed to lead this team to a winning season?

The Ugly

- Alex Barron. The Cowboys released the second most penalized offensive lineman in 2009, Flozell Adams, and acquired the most penalized in Alex Barron. The Cowboys were clearly the better team on Sunday night but Alex Barron (apparently) had money on the Redskins and did his part to ensure the game would go that way. As time expired, Tony Romo hit Roy Williams for a game winning touchdown. However, Barron was called for his THIRD penalty of the night and the game ended. Get Well Soon Marc Columbo.