Monday, October 20, 2014

Four in a Row!!



  • Since Green Bay’s 1-2 start, the Packers have scored 145 points, and Aaron Rodgers has completed 73% of his passes for 977 yards, 13 touchdowns, and no interceptions. Also, since throwing an interception in the opener, Rodgers has had 193 completions without an interception. Best quarterback in the game.



  • Jordy Nelson’s 59-yard score was so obviously a touchdown before Rodgers even threw it. As soon as you see Jordy getting by his man on the sideline, you pretty much just bring Mason Crosby on the field to kick the extra point.





  • I know we’re all still high on Andrew Quarless after his game-winning touchdown in Week 6, but he is really, really, really bad at blocking, especially during those harrowing times when he’s called on to pass protect for Aaron Rodgers.



  • Perhaps the only thing that could make me stop being a Packers fan is if people don’t shut up about Rodgers’ “R-E-L-A-X” message to the fans after Green Bay’s Week 3 loss. Considering how enamored the sports media is by the quote, I guess I’m just thankful these writers weren’t around for the Gettysburg Address.
"Hold the front page, Louie! We got a doozy of a line
from Mr. Rodgers himself, ya see!"



  • Mr. Glass, occasionally known as James Starks, suffered an ankle injury in the game. Color me surprised. (And DuJuan Harris still can’t get playing time?!)



  • The game was fun, but I did start to feel bad for the Carolina Panthers around, like, oh, halfway through the first quarter. Poor Cam Newton couldn’t even get his center to snap him the ball.





  • Green Bay safety Morgan Burnett and Cam Newton played together on the same little league team in Georgia. Burnett was the quarterback, Newton a fullback.



  • Once again Scott Tolzien was inactive, meaning Matt Flynn got most of the fourth quarter snaps. I want to see Scott Tolzien play!! #ActivateTolzien
Flynn is married to a former Miss Louisiana and made $14.5 million for
getting cut from two teams. Can't Tolzien at least get some reps?

  • Tough loss for the New York Jets, who had their would-be game-winning field goal blocked in the final seconds of their game against the New England Patriots. The Jets had more yards, more first downs, a better third down conversion rate, a better pass completion rate, no turnovers, had the ball for twice as long as the Patriots did, and still lost.



  • Here’s the Pats’ Twitter feed, keepin it classy as always by reminding everyone of the infamous “Butt Fumble.”


  • Percy Harvin, one of the most talented athletes in the world, was traded from the Seattle Seahawks to the New York Jets for a conditional sixth-round pick. Behavioral issues have followed Harvin wherever he has gone. He is alleged to have hit a teacher and a referee in high school, hit a coach in college, and hit multiple teammates in the NFL, including Doug Baldwin and Golden Tate. It’s very sad to see such an incredibly talented young man throw all his success away.




  • Injured Arizona Cardinals Darnell Dockett made use of his time on the sidelines in Sunday’s game against the Oakland Raiders to write a mocking sign, taunting the Raiders for their winless season. It’s kinda funny (especially the smiley face), but also really rude! Dockett claims it was in retaliation against some (surprise!) boorish behavior by Raiders fans.
That says "Worst team in the NFL. 0-6."

  • The Cincinnati Bengals had 135 yards in an NFL game. They were 1-of-13 on third downs. Yeesh. Now that the Indianapolis Colts held the Bengals scoreless, maybe people will stop saying ridiculous things like, “The Bengals might just be the best team in the league.”



  • OMG the St. Louis Rams faked a punt. Against the Seattle Seahawks. With under three minutes left in the game. While up by two. From their own 18-yard-line.





  • I have to applaud St. Louis for having the iron guts to go for this, but I still say this was not a good play call. If their punter fails to complete the pass, Seattle is already in easy field goal range and would take the lead with just a field goal. Waaaaaay too dangerous.

  • The Rams also brought out the trickery during a punt return. In a play almost identical to one the Chicago Bears ran on the Packers a few years back (except the Rams' didn't get called back for a penalty), the entire coverage unit moved to one side as St. Louis returner Tavon Austin (at the bottom right of the GIF) pretended to field the ball, drawing all of Seattle’s players to that side. Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the field, Stedman Bailey(at the top of the GIF) had actually caught the ball and was streaking 90 yards for the touchdown! 1) Super cool play. 2) Bailey is very fast. 3) Great acting by Austin.




  • Seahawks tight end Cooper Helfet (who?) deserves major props for somehow getting his toes down inbounds on this touchdown.


  • I personally don't think fans should ever boo their team, but I also don't like it when players pout because their fans reacted fittingly to the team's play, as Chicago Bears offensive lineman Chris Long did. Long complained, "As somebody that is blood, sweat and tears in this locker room like the other guys, the coaches, the trainers, the staff and the equipment guys, to be getting booed at home when you're walking off the field down two possessions is unacceptable -- especially when there is not a lot of noise being made on third down [when Miami had the ball], period."
Maybe Long's been hanging around Jay Cutler too much.

  • I prefer tight end Martellus Bennett's comparison of the Bears' play to really bad movies over Long's whining: “If I go see a bad movie, I boo. It's an entertainment business. We are all entertainers. ...If I go to a movie, I walk out if I don't like the movie. Like Transformers 3 -- it was terrible.”



  • Long wasn’t the only one upset. There were reports of yelling being heard from the locker room, with some sources claiming that wide receiver Brandon Marshall called out Cutler.



  • Plays like this might be the reason Chicago players were so upset.




  • I understand the reasoning behind the automatic ejection for players who make contact with an official, but Carolina’s Luke Kuechly and Indianapolis’ Erik Walden were both ejected under similar circumstances in separate games. Neither player seemed to realize that the person grabbing them was an official. Had it been an opponent and not an official, neither player would have been penalized. Had either player realized that it was the official, I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t have shaken them off.



  • Here's Walden (#93) getting ejected.

  • Here's Kuechly (#59) getting ejected.

  • Here's Steve Smith not getting ejected.

  • And shouldn’t this ref be ejected for taking out a defender?? I know it's Peyton Manning and all, but how is this touchdown allowed to stand? What is the ref doing standing there?? No, not standing there, running up to collide with a defender on a goal-line play?

ref




  • Tough time to be a Buffalo Bills running back. The team lost both Fred Jackson and CJ Spiller in their victory over the Minnesota Vikings.



  • Spiller had more yards on one rushing attempt (53) than his backup Anthony Dixon had in 13 attempts (51 yards).





  • BLOCK, you damn Raider teammates, BLOCK!!! Charles Woodson is ONE interception returned for a touchdown away from the record!!!





  • Awww, the Jacksonville Jaguars won a game, defeating the Cleveland Browns 24-6! I’m so happy for them! Check out this nice move by rookie quarterback Blake Bortles!


  • What the heck, New Orleans!?! The Saints led for most of their game against the Detroit Lions, and held a 23-10 lead with under four minutes left in the game. Detroit then scored, leaving New Orleans up by six with 3:23 to go, but then Drew Brees threw an interception! The Saints defense then allowed the Lions to march down the field and score with 1:22 left to take the lead. New Orleans got the ball back … and did nothing. Brees threw for 342 yards and two touchdowns, but was 3-for-13 in the fourth quarter with that killer interception.



  • New Orleans’ head coach Sean Payton was even less pleased than I with the loss and took it out by being a bleep-bleep to reporters after the game.





  • Colin Kaepernick looks ... used to this.




  • Something’s obviously amiss in the cosmos, some sort of  black magic is pervading the league. Not only do the Dallas Cowboys have the best record in the NFL, but players are getting stuck together by a mysterious dark force.




  • Things got bad enough for the Washington Redskins that they turned, in desperation, to Colt McCoy. The third-string quarterback responded by going 11-for-12 for 128 yards, a touchdown, no interceptions, a 138.9 passer rating, and the win over the Tennessee Titans.


  • The Jaguars have a running back named Storm Johnson. His football career is obviously a cover for his secret life as a crime fighter.
He stays with Jacksonville so he won't draw too much attention.



  • AH! Cleveland quarterback Brian Hoyer was 16-of-41!!!




  • And now for my weekly fawning over JJ Watt:
And 1st in my heart! (Well, after Jordy, obvs. And Randall. Charles Woodson, too.)



  • I’m very happy for Peyton Manning breaking the all-time touchdown passes record -- 510 touchdown passes! That’s incredible! I was in the camp that didn’t think he would be successful after his neck fell apart and he left the Colts, but I’m happy to have been wrong!!




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