NFL FanHouse

Chargers Nearly Drive Broncos to Blows

Nancy Gay — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:24:00 EST

Filed under: Broncos, Chargers, AFC West, NFL Injuries, NFL Quarterbacks

DENVER -- Four consecutive losses have dropped the once impressive Denver Broncos into the middle of the AFC pack.

The San Diego Chargers (7-3) all but ensured they will win the AFC West with a 32-3 rout Sunday at Denver's Invesco Field, and only the second-quarter emergence of injured Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton off the bench sparked any life in the disillusioned home team.

Hobbling on a badly sprained left ankle, Orton was a better option than struggling backup Chris Simms, who started the game but almost immediately lost the ball on a sack and fumble and ultimately failed to move Denver's offense effectively.

With 4:10 left before halftime, Broncos first-year coach Josh McDaniels gave Simms the hook and called on Orton. The Invesco Field crowd roared its approval. Orton, who finished with 171 yards and an interception on 15 of 29 passing, fired off back-to-back long completions to Brandon Marshall and Jabar Gaffney, setting up a Denver 1st-and-goal at the 4-yard line.

Then ... disaster. And a potential rift to the once-chummy Broncos' team chemistry came out of the ensuing goal line pileup.

With the Broncos trailing 13-0, rookie running back Knowshon Moreno took a handoff from Orton and gained three yards before losing the football in a collision with Chargers defensive end Jacques Cesaire.

The turnover, which came just ahead of the two-minute warning, was reviewed and upheld. With that, Marshall -- the Broncos' volatile playmaker -- put his facemask directly into Moreno's facemask and let the rookie have it verbally.

Moreno physically pushed back, and two of the Broncos' most explosive players nearly came to blows. Afterward, both of them called it a momentary exchange of heated emotion. But neither offered an apology.

"I don't regret anything. This is a playoff game," said Marshall, who approached this contest that would break a first-place tie between the two division rivals as such. "This is probably the most frustrating game I've ever played in. I approached it like it was a playoff game. I'm frustrated that we lost.

"I think everybody needs to look at themselves first. I'm going back and looking at film from last year, see if I've changed anything, and go from there."

The Moreno fumble? "Those are plays that kill drives," Marshall said.

And what did Marshall tell Moreno when the two were facemask-to-faceask?

"That we need to pick it up."

Said Moreno, "Nothing big. But everyone was heated. Nothing long-term. Just heat of the moment."

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But Marshall, Denver's leading receiver who caught only three passes for 26 yards Sunday, admitted he was disappointed with what he felt was a lack of fire and passion from many of his Broncos teammates as San Diego got four field goals from Nate Kaeding and took further command in the second half.

"There were guys on the sideline that weren't angry, who didn't have a lot of emotion. And they need to look at themselves in the mirror," Marshall said. "This is a game where you've got to have it. And none of us can make any terrible plays."

The Broncos (6-4) would go on to make a bunch of them - three turnovers (two fumbles and the Orton interception) and countless offside and false start penalties that gave the surging Chargers, winners of five in a row, more momentum in an already lopsided affair.

Orton, who didn't practice all week after injuring his left ankle in Week 10's loss to the Redskins, came in Sunday listed as the No. 2 quarterback. Simms had replaced Orton at Washington but looked absolutely lousy doing it.

Simms, who got his first NFL start since rupturing his spleen in a 2006 game during his Tampa Bay Buccaneers' days, didn't fare much better Sunday, completing 2 of 4 passes for 10 yards and losing that first-quarter fumble at the Chargers 17-yard line on the Broncos' opening drive, following an 11-yard sack. San Diego then drove 69 yards to set up a 2-yard Philip Rivers touchdown pass to wide receiver Legedu Naanee.

Despite not being able to ignite the Broncos' offense, Simms admitted he was surprised to be yanked so soon.

"I was looking forward to [the start] and I felt comfortable out there," Simms said. "I know it was a little rocky start, but it's the NFL -- sometimes it does go rocky for a little bit. But I'll be OK and I'll continue to make myself better."

With Denver facing a short week before a Thanksgiving home game against the New York Giants, McDaniels said he had no regrets going with Simms as the starter -- and pulling him out as early as he did to go back to an injured Orton. Sensing a need to move out of the pocket-passing scheme with Simms and going to a shotgun offense with Orton went into McDaniels' decision making.

"We did a lot of decent things there early," said McDaniels, whose skidding team beat the Chargers 34-23 in San Diego on Oct. 19 and once held a 3 1/2-game lead in the AFC West. "Any time you get down there in the red zone four times and come away with three points ... I think we turned over the ball twice down there.

"Those are plays that if you make them, then you know you end up with points, maybe touchdowns and if you don't, obviously you have no momentum and you give away an opportunity."

So is Orton a Superman, or just a guy doing what the coach told him to do?

Adrenaline was a hell of a painkiller, Orton said.

"It helps. You forget about [the pain]," he said. "Guys did a good job of protecting me. I'm just thankful I didn't have to have anything set me back even more."

Others on the field could only admire Orton for his toughness, and respect his ability to make plays despite being in obvious pain at times.

"Kyle, he's very intelligent. He's really talented," Marshall said. "And he's our quarterback."

"I thought he played really well -- he obviously gave them a boost there for awhile," said Rivers, who completed 17 of 22 passes for a season-low 145 yards and one touchdown. "I told him, 'Hey, get healthy and get your guys going.' "

Chargers Nearly Drive Broncos to Blows originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Despite Win, Giants Are Still in Trouble

Dan Graziano — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta Falcons, Giants, NFL Quarterbacks, NFL Analysis

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Man, you really gotta love that NFC East. Up here in the swamps of Jersey on Sunday, the Giants played as little fourth-quarter defense as possible but still pulled out a 34-31 overtime victory over a Falcons team that refused to play any defense all day. Meanwhile, back in Texas, the Cowboys waited until the last possible second to show up and beat the Redskins. Some kind of inspiring day for the teams at the top of a division that was supposed to rank among the NFL's best. And while the Giants' players and coaches said all the right things here (a win is a win, after all, and they hadn't had one in a month and a half), the most insightful thing anybody said came out of the mouth of defensive end Justin Tuck.

"We got the win and that's great," Tuck said. "But I don't like how we finished this game at all."

Technically, they finished it fine. They won the OT coin flip, marched down the field against the black-and-red tissue paper the Falcons are using for a defense and kicked the winning field goal. But Tuck was referring to the way the Giants' defense finished the fourth quarter, with Atlanta scoring two touchdowns in the final 6:07 of regulation to tie the game and send it to overtime. That's the part of the game that should alarm Giants fans as they size up the season's final six weeks.

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"I am concerned," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said when asked about his defense. "I think we are capable of playing better. The first half and into the third quarter was fine and then they seemed to be able to move the ball in the air against whatever we were in. We've just got to keep working."

As Coughlin said, the Giants did a nifty job against Atlanta QB Matt Ryan and tight end Tony Gonzalez for the first three quarters. They got good pressure on Ryan and ran all kinds of looks to neutralize Gonzalez, more than once dropping Tuck or another defensive lineman into coverage against him. But when it came time to stop the Falcons from moving the ball down the field, a Giants defense that couldn't stop anybody during the four-game losing streak that led into last week's bye looked woeful.

"We knew, when it was a one-touchdown difference (with 6:07 to go), we had to keep the ball on offense," Coughlin said. "We didn't."

But that's kind of harsh, Coach, to put that on the offense. The Giants outgained the Falcons 456-352 in total yards in this game. On that final series, Brandon Jacobs was out of the game with a knee injury (he said afterwards he was fine and could have re-entered the game in OT if necessary) and the Giants did still move the ball 27 yards and run 2:01 off the clock before punting the ball back to Ryan. Hanging Atlanta's game-tying drive on the offense for giving them back the ball makes it sound like you're giving short shrift to Eli Manning and his 384 passing yards.

That wasn't it, though. Coughlin actually had high praise for Manning, saying, "When he is playing with that kind of confidence, the whole team really rides right along." What Coughlin was really saying when he said the offense had to keep the ball (whether he meant it or not) was that he didn't trust his defense to get the stop. And that's a problem.

"It's something we've definitely got to rectify," defensive tackle Barry Cofield said. "The last two games, that's happened to us on the most important drive of the game -- against San Diego to lose the game and (Sunday) to tie it up."

Which is why everybody was watching that overtime coin flip so closely.

"Once we won the toss," linebacker Michael Boley said, "I had no doubt in my mind Eli and our offense were going to take the ball down the field and score."

Problem is, if Atlanta had won the toss and elected to receive, the Falcons would have been fully justified in having the same exact feeling.

Now look. The Giants did win the game. They are 6-4 and a game behind Dallas in the East. The Cowboys obviously have their own problems, and the Eagles theirs. Heck, if the Redskins had held on against Dallas, they'd only be two games out of first in the supposedly big, bad NFC East. The Giants are by no means in a place from which they can't come back and make the playoffs.

But I say the emperor has no clothes. They're not going to face a roll-over defense like Atlanta's every week. They go to Denver on Thursday night, where the Broncos are going to need a win badly. Then the two weeks after that feature tough divisional games against the Cowboys (who ran for 250 yards against them in a Week 2 loss) and the Eagles (who own them and know it). The Giants are going to have to figure out a way to stop somebody somewhere in the next month, or they are going to find their season in serious trouble.

It's not going to be easy. They still haven't replaced injured safety Kenny Phillips (hence the defensive ends in pass coverage, etc.), and to hear the players in the locker room talk they're very concerned about how they're going to replace injured linebacker Antonio Pierce.

For a day, the Giants got to feel like winners, which they badly needed. ("It's been miserable around here for a month," Coughlin said.) But with a defense like the one they're running out there on a weekly basis, that's a feeling they're going to have a hard time finding again for much of the rest of 2009.

Despite Win, Giants Are Still in Trouble originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brian Brohm: Your Newest Buffalo Bill

Will Brinson — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:15:00 EST

Filed under: Bills, Packers, NFL Quarterbacks

Brian Brohm has left the Packers' practice squad and joined the Buffalo Bills active roster, in a move that seems pretty good for both Brohm and the Bills' organization.

According to the Journal-Sentinel in Milwaukee, the Packers attempted to retain Brohm (he was a second round pick two years ago) to the practice squad, but obviously the former Louisville quarterback preferred the notion of actually having a shot at playing with Buffalo when presented with equal contracts.

The crazy thing is, he's got a pretty good shot -- Trent Edwards and Ryan Fitzpatrick are obviously not preferred choices when it comes to quarterback, and even though Brohm never got any traction with the Packers, he's still a high upside player; it's not like he had any where he could really go in Green Bay in terms of jumping Aaron Rodgers.

In Buffalo, however, he presents at least some possibility of a chance to earn full-time jobs for both he and interim head coach Perry Fewell.

Brian Brohm: Your Newest Buffalo Bill originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eagles, Westbrook Wisely Play It Safe

Nancy Gay — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:30:00 EST

Filed under: Eagles, Raiders, NFL Injuries, NFL Quarterbacks

The best NFL news on Wednesday was that Brian Westbrook will not play this week. He may be your starting running back in your fantasy league, but the Philadelphia Eagles' all-time leader from scrimmage with 9,711 yards also is a man who is recuperating from two concussions in 20 days.

Right now, Westbrook is not just an NFL star. He is a medical patient.

Thankfully, everyone realizes it's time to focus on Westbrook's health and future well-being, and not how he can help move the chains for the Eagles' offense.

The eight-year veteran and former All-Pro met with two doctors on Wednesday who specialize in head trauma, among them Dr. Mark Lovell, the founding director of the groundbreaking University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Sports Medicine concussion program. Westbrook, the athlete and patient, is hoping to get answers.

To his great credit, Westbrook has been admirably proactive in admitting publicly that he is frightened and concerned about the effects of these injuries.

Westbrook sustained his first concussion in an Oct. 26 game against the Washington Redskins. He then missed two games, returned last Sunday against the Chargers in San Diego and suffered another concussion after catching a third-quarter screen pass from quarterback Donovan McNabb and colliding helmet-to-helmet with safety Eric Weddle.

Again -- thankfully -- Westbrook immediately recognized his symptoms. He told coaches he felt "foggy" after the play, and that's why Westbrook did not return, Philadelphia coach Andy Reid confirmed.

This is more good news; Westbrook, Reid and the Eagles were educated enough on the dangers of head trauma to take every precaution for the player's safety. Only a few years ago, NFL players sustained concussions and would return a few plays later. The official diagnosis: "He had his bell rung." Programs like the one at Pittsburgh Medical Center have taught all of us that head trauma in sports often has serious short- and long-term effects on an athlete's health.

Unfortunately, NFL players also consider the occasional concussion an inevitable part of their profession, as The Associated Press learned recently in a survey conducted this month that questioned five players from each of the 32 NFL franchises. Of the 160 players surveyed, 30 told the AP that they had hidden or downplayed the effects of a concussion in order to remain on the field.

Is Westbrook more enlightened than most? Maybe his age (30) and experience are motivating him to think less about his statistics and more about how to avoid becoming permanently brain-damaged by the time he's 31.

The Eagles' team leader now is placing his season, and his career, in the hands and judgment of Lovell, who helped develop the important neuro-cognitive tests that NFL and NHL teams now use to diagnose degrees of head trauma. Perhaps other NFL players will take note -- one of the NFL's biggest stars is willing to walk away from the fame and riches if it means preserving his faculties.

Meanwhile, the Eagles (5-4) are moving forward and giving Westbrook their full support.

"We'll know more on him as the next day or two go on," Reid said. "I talked to him on Monday and he was in a good place. I think he's grateful to have the care that he's had. He seemed to just want to find out what went on with this next (concussion), but he didn't seem rattled."

Rookie running back LeSean McCoy, the former Pitt star, will start Sunday against the Chicago Bears (4-5). Teammates voiced their confidence in McCoy that he will rise to the task, and they expressed their support for Westbrook as he contemplates whether he should take the football field again.

"As a friend and teammate, the only thing we can do is pray for him right now," McNabb said, "and have in our minds that whatever decision Brian makes, it will be the best decision for him. We'll continue to support him."

Anyone who has enjoyed and admired Westbrook's talent and his career should be rooting for an outcome that ensures he will remain healthy and active for as long as possible -- off the football field, not on it.

Raiders Finally Bench Russell

Wednesday's news that Raiders coach Tom Cable had decided to bench struggling quarterback JaMarcus Russell and go with journeyman reserve Brad Gradkowski as the starter for now is remarkable for this reason: it showed Cable is doing what's best for the 2-7 franchise by getting hands-on owner Al Davis to agree with him about the move.

In fact, Cable said there wasn't even give-and-take with Davis on the decision to make Russell a No. 2.

"No, no. He left this up to me; this is my decision," Cable said of Davis. "We talked about it and he supported it."

Russell, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 draft, has been yanked by Cable in two of the Raiders' past three games as the quarterback's performances and decision-making ability steadily regressed. It's been painful to watch, and crippling to the Raiders' organization.

Russell's completion percentage this season is 46.8; he's thrown nine interceptions and lost five fumbles. And while the Raiders drafted Russell out of LSU hoping he would replicate his deep ball talent at the NFL level, that simply hasn't happened -- according to STATS LLC, in Russell's third pro season, he has completed only 2 of 34 passes of 20 yards or longer, for a total of 85 yards, one touchdown and five interceptions.

Russell was not present when Raiders reporters had locker room access on Wednesday. His head coach said Russell was disappointed, as is to be expected. But Cable also said he firmly believes that Russell is the future of the Raiders' franchise, even though he will be a No. 2 on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.

"This is in no way giving up on the guy," Cable said. "This is just trying to jump-start this team and really break it down and make a decision based on what gives us the best chance to win."

Eagles, Westbrook Wisely Play It Safe originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pocket Presence: JaMarcus Russell May Keep Starting Job in Oakland

Bruce Ciskie — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Bills, Browns, Panthers, Raiders, Redskins, Titans, NFL Quarterbacks

It's often said that a team with two quarterbacks really doesn't have any. With that spirit in mind, FanHouse will keep you updated weekly on NFL teams facing potential quarterback controversies.

How would you feel if you were an ineffective starter who may only keep his job one more week because the backup is injured? Worse, what if you were so bad that you lost your job to a guy who was injured? Well, Oakland's JaMarcus Russell may be on the verge of finding out how that feels.

Oakland Raiders: JaMarcus Russell and Bruce Gradkowski

Russell has been nothing short of miserable this season, completing just 46 percent of his throws over his first nine starts. The Raiders are 2-7, have no playoff hope, and they stand just a mathematical chance of finishing even close to .500.

Things are so bad in Oakland that they're considering giving the start Sunday to Gradkowski, who has a career passer rating of 58.7 and threw two picks in just nine passes last week against Kansas City. Oh, and he's injured, battling a hamstring strain.

It's entirely conceivable that Russell could actually keep his job only because his backup is dinged up. It would be the perfect way to continue this amazing string of futility by the former No. 1 overall pick.
Status update: White-hot

Cleveland Browns: Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson

Quinn was awful Monday night, but let's face it: He didn't get any help. The Browns can't run the ball, they don't have any great playmakers on the perimeter, and they can't figure out ways to get their best player -- Joshua Cribbs -- the ball more often. Seven touches in 61 offensive plays doesn't seem like enough for Cribbs, especially when only one of those touches came on a reception.

The Browns have to solve that issue (assuming Cribbs is going to play after that nasty shot he took at the end of the game), and they have to convince Quinn that it's okay to throw a 40-yard bomb and give someone a chance to make a play -- even if the odds are against them. One thing should be clear by now, and that is that Anderson will only return if Quinn gets hurt. It would be a huge error for coach Eric Mangini to overreact and go back in that direction, though anything is possible.
Status update: Very warm

Buffalo Bills: Ryan Fitzpatrick and Trent Edwards

Perhaps a coaching change will turn the Bills around. On the other hand, the quarterback situation there seems to dictate that any coach will fail in Buffalo. Perry Fewell isn't going to magically make either of these guys any good, and he's not going to suddenly revamp a moribund offense into something passable. The Bills, despite their skill-position personnel, are a failure on that side of the ball. Fewell might rescue them from the abyss, but he's not going to get the offense averaging 25 points a game at the snap of a finger.

For now, it appears Fitzpatrick is the starter. That doesn't appear to be a bad call, given the situation and the competition he faces. However, Edwards could very easily end up playing again, as it's not like Fitzpatrick lit the world on fire while Edwards was out.
Status update: Very warm

Carolina Panthers: Jake Delhomme and Matt Moore
Washington Redskins: Jason Campbell and Todd Collins
Tennessee Titans: Vince Young and Kerry Collins

These guys are listed together because the starters are all playing pretty well right now after having been listed here earlier in the season. It doesn't mean they won't show up in the crosshairs again, but it looks like there are at least some teams who have answered questions at the quarterback position, whether it was by making a change or avoiding the great temptation to do so.

Pocket Presence: JaMarcus Russell May Keep Starting Job in Oakland originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dick Jauron the Latest Example of Damage a Bad Quarterback Can Do

Dan Graziano — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:54:00 EST

Filed under: Bills, NFL Quarterbacks, NFL Analysis

So Dick Jauron is available to paint your house this weekend if you need somebody. The Buffalo Bills have relieved Jauron of his job as their head coach, effective immediately. And while there's nothing on Jauron's resume that's going to cause anybody to mix him up with Vince Lombardi, the other Bills news of the day makes me wonder if the man really ever had a chance.

The news of Jauron's firing comes on the same day the Bills apparently decided to give Ryan Fitzpatrick the starting quarterback job over Trent Edwards (presumably because neither Rob Johnson nor J.P. Losman answered his phone). And while we all certainly wish Fitzpatrick well, let's get real. This quarterback decision is that of a team that has no real quarterback. And when you don't have a real quarterback -- a reliable, stud, franchise-type quarterback -- well, that's when people's careers end.

Again, the Bills had a teetering Jenga tower of reasons to fire Jauron. He was 27-39 overall and 3-6 this year as Buffalo seems well on its way to extending its streak of missed postseasons to 10 in a row. He constantly seemed confused on the sidelines. His personality is not the kind that inspires men to greatness. When he fired his offensive coordinator a week and a half before the season, the guy said the reason he got canned was because Jauron was too simple-minded to understand real NFL schemes. Any of these reasons on its own is enough to heat a coach's seat. All of them together constitute a real good case for firing him.

But don't you wonder what might have been, if Trent Edwards had turned out to be what the Bills believed he would be? And looking at it now, don't we have to take this firing as the latest example of how important the quarterback position is in the NFL?

Put simply, this is the reason Matthew Stafford's agents could walk into the Detroit Lions offices this past April and ask for $41 million guaranteed. Once the Lions decided they wanted Stafford with the No. 1 overall pick, they were effectively telling him and the rest of the world they were betting on him to be a franchise QB. And if they really believe that's what he's going to be, then they should be willing to pay him almost anything he wants.

It's a risky bet, but it carries the price tag it carries because it's the bet that determines the fate of your franchise. This is not an overstatement. If you get the quarterback position right, you are set up for a decade. If you pick Peyton Manning or Eli Manning or Ben Roethlisberger or Tom Brady, you're basically making yourself a playoff team -- or at least a playoff contender -- every year. And if you're in the playoffs, you're making millions of extra gate, concession and TV dollars you wouldn't otherwise be making.

Conversely, if you miss on quarterback, you're more or less doomed. If you pick JaMarcus Russell or Brady Quinn or Tim Couch (that's right -- same team) or Ryan Leaf, you're going to spend that next decade finishing in last place and trying to dig out of that hole.

You think it's because of chance or luck or geography that the Colts thrive in a new stadium in Indianapolis while the Bills wither in Buffalo? Indianapolis isn't L.A. It's not New York. It's not even Dallas. If that team stunk every year, if it gave its town's citizens no reason to go see its games, if it hadn't won the Super Bowl three years ago and looked almost every year for the past seven years like a team that could, it could very well be the one playing most of its home games in a decrepit old money pit and a couple each year in Canada.

But it's not, and that's because this right here is the list of every quarterback who's started a game for the Bills for the past 12 seasons:

Doug Flutie
Rob Johnson
Alex Van Pelt
Drew Bledsoe
J.P. Losman
Kelly Holcomb
Trent Edwards
Ryan Fitzpatrick

And here's the same list for the Colts:

Peyton Manning

Sure, sure, the Colts do a lot of things better than the Bills do. And there's Tony Dungy and Marvin Harrison and Bill Polian and all kinds of other people who deserve credit for what they've built there. But don't you think it helps that, since 1998, they haven't had to worry for one second about the quarterback position? At all? EVER???

People, it is no coincidence that the Bills are tied with the Lions for the longest current streak by an NFL team of years without making the playoffs. It's no coincidence that their last postseason experience was the Music City Miracle. It's all tied to the quarterback position, as it is with every NFL team. And that's why Perry Fewell or Bobby April or whoever the guy is who replaces Jauron had better hope that Ryan Fitzpatrick is the next Tom Brady. Because if he's not, it's going to be real hard to stay head coach for very long.

Dick Jauron the Latest Example of Damage a Bad Quarterback Can Do originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cowboys Lay an Egg at Lambeau

Dan Graziano — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:45:00 EST

Filed under: Cowboys, Packers, NFL Quarterbacks, NFL Analysis

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- You could smell this game as far away as Madison, and the part of it that stunk the worst was the Dallas Cowboys offense. On an afternoon in which everybody -- the officials, the head coaches, the offensive lines...everybody -- seemed to be conspiring to set the game of football back 40 years, it was the Cowboys who came up the smallest, committing 10 penalties and converting just 3 of 12 third downs in a 17-7 loss to the Packers at Lambeau Field.

"This was an impressive win for Green Bay," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. "But it was unimpressive the way we didn't execute, especially early, when we still had a chance to get the game going the way we wanted it to go."

But the most disappointing part for the Cowboys was that, by losing this game, they blew a very real chance to get the season going the way they wanted it to go.

More: Check Box Score | Cards Get Big Win | Chiefs Outlast Raiders

Dallas came in having won four in a row and claiming first place in the NFC East, a division nobody seems to want. Lining up against the Packers, who'd allowed a league-high 37 sacks and just last week became the first team this year to lose to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Cowboys appeared poised to continue their roll and move to 7-2. With the Eagles losing in San Diego, they'd have had a full two-game division lead and could have made a case for themselves among the NFC's elite, along with Minnesota and New Orleans.

Instead, they slipped on a penalty flag or eight and fell right back to the parity pack.

"You've got to play better than that," Dallas tight end Jason Witten said. "Our defense actually played pretty well, but as an offense, we let them down. How many plays did we have in the first half? Twenty-five? That's not enough."

If you somehow managed to stay awake through the first half Sunday, didn't know anything about the two teams but what you'd seen in that brutal first 30 minutes, and somebody had asked you, "Which of these teams lost to previously winless Tampa Bay last week?", you'd probably have said the team with the stars on their helmets. The Cowboys were awful. They were 0 of 5 on third downs in the first half, possessing the ball for just 11:10 and running a mere 21 plays (sorry, Jason) to Green Bay's 36.

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Dallas Cowboys' Mike Jenkins sits near the bench during the second half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009, in Green Bay, Wis. The Packers won 17-7. (AP Photo/Jim Prisching)

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MINNEAPOLIS - NOVEMBER 15: Chad Greenway #52 of the Minnesota Vikings rests during a timeout at an NFL game against the Detroit Lions at the Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome on November 15, 2009 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Tom Dahlin/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Chad Greenway

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INDIANAPOLIS - NOVEMBER 15: Quarterback Peyton Manning #18 of the Indianapolis Colts looks on from the sidelines before the game against the New England Patriots at Lucas Oil Stadium on November 15, 2009 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Peyton Manning

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INDIANAPOLIS - NOVEMBER 15: Quarterback Peyton Manning #18 of the Indianapolis Colts throws the ball during the first quarter of the game against the New England Patriots at Lucas Oil Stadium on November 15, 2009 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Peyton Manning

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GLENDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 15: Wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh #84 of the Seattle Seahawks bobbles the ball while being covered by Bryant McFadden #25 of the Arizona Cardinals in the second half at University of Phoenix Stadium on November 15, 2009 in Glendale, Arizona. Houshmandzadeh made the catch but was ruled out of bounds on the play. The Cardinals defeated the Seahawks 31-20. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** T.J. Houshmandzadeh;Bryant McFadden

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GLENDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 15: Wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh #84 of the Seattle Seahawks looks down in the closing minutes of the game against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium on November 15, 2009 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals defeated the Seahawks 31-20. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** T.J. Houshmandzadeh

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GLENDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 15: Wide receiver Nate Burleson #81 of the Seattle Seahawks can't make a catch while being covered by Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie #29 of the Arizona Cardinals in the second half at University of Phoenix Stadium on November 15, 2009 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals defeated the Seahawks 31-20. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Nate Burleson;Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie

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GLENDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 15: Beanie Wells (L) #26 of the Arizona Cardinals celebrates a touchdown with Bertrand Berry #93 in the second half against the Seattle Seahawks at University of Phoenix Stadium on November 15, 2009 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals defeated the Seahawks 31-20. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Beanie Wells;Bertrand Berry

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And it's not as if the Packers were setting the world on fire during this time. Green Bay committed seven penalties and was just 2-for-8 on third down in the first half, and only a last-second Mason Crosby field goal prevented what would have been a perfectly justified scoreless halftime tie. The Packers' offensive line was as Camembert-soft as advertised, and the Cowboys' defenders harassed Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers all day. There was more than enough incompetence to go around, including a cornucopia of it by Jeff Triplette and an officiating crew that called phantom penalties and couldn't figure out when the Cowboys and Packers were and weren't allowed to use their replay challenges.

But Dallas couldn't rise above the morass of mediocrity. On the rare occasions when Dallas actually possessed the ball, the Cowboys' own line wasn't able to keep Tony Romo from getting flattened. The most astounding stat of the game may be that the Cowboys yielded more sacks (5) than did the Packers (4).

"We let our defense stay out there and stay out there and stay out there," Jones said. "It was very disappointing, and a reminder to everyone that all these teams have very good athletes and very good players."

The Cowboys are still a good team, of course. They remain in first place, and as we begin to size up the playoff picture, there are reasons to like them better than teams like the Eagles, Giants, Falcons and even the Packers. But what they lost Sunday, in addition to a game, was the chance to puff out their chests and feel like they were somehow above that 5-4 fray. A win here, on the not-yet-frozen tundra, would have given the league reason to view them as a clear Super Bowl contender -- the kind of team that plans to play home games on those crucial January weekends.

And while they may yet be that, after losing this particular game, the Cowboys can consider themselves no better than one of many very similar NFC contenders.

"Just a minor hiccup," Cowboys linebacker Keith Brooking said confidently. "That's the way we have to look at it. We've bounced back from our losses in a very positive way this year, and hopefully that's what we do this week coming up."

Oh, it's there for them if they want it. Their upcoming schedule is fertile ground for a recovery -- home games against the Redskins (just three games back!!) and the Raiders before a road game against the reeling Giants. The Cowboys still have a chance to get back on the horse they rode into Lambeau Field on Sunday morning. They need to tighten up their line play, remember how good their running backs are and keep finding ways to minimize the damage the all-or-(usually)-nothing Roy Williams does with his dropped passes and sloppy route-running. They need to play with the confidence they showed over the previous four weeks -- the confidence of a team that knows it's good and dares those stuck in the middle of the pack to try and stop it. They can do it.

It's just that, if they'd actually won this game Sunday -- which they very well could and should have -- that would have been a whole lot easier for them.

Cowboys Lay an Egg at Lambeau originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cutler Haters, Apologists: Meet Halfway

Matt Snyder — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:45:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago Bears, NFC North, NFL Quarterbacks

As with any polarizing figure, Jay Cutler brings about strong emotions on both sides of the fence. Many people believe he's the worst thing that ever happened to professional quarterbacking, someone who sucks so bad he'll be in the UFL in a few years. Others believe his golden arm will carry him to the Hall of Fame eventually and every mistake he's ever made has been someone else's fault.

As with most extreme arguments, the best answer lies exactly in the middle. Cutler has tons of talent, but he has very large strides to make before he can be considered the franchise quarterback many believe him to be.

In a Thursday night 10-6 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, we saw a wide variety of failures on his part in addition to things happening to him that weren't his fault.

His first interception was one of the worst passes I've ever seen a quarterback make. And I officiate elementary football. How in the world Cutler thought he could throw a football, literally, through three defenders and get it to Kellen Davis in the end zone is beyond anything I can comprehend. I can't even use the proper language to describe what an egregiously brutal decision that was. Throw it away and take the three points -- especially in a game that was scoreless and already into the second quarter. Cutler's last interception was ill-advised and equally bad in his physical placement. He could have placed it high and to the left of Greg Olsen and possibly completed the game-winning touchdown. Instead, he threw right to Michael Lewis for a loss-clinching interception.

On the flip-side, the offensive line was pathetic, as usual. Cutler rarely had even three seconds to throw the football and constantly had to quickly dump it off into the flats. The run game was, once again, non-existent as the sorry line couldn't give Matt Forte any running room -- and if you doubt Forte's running ability, watch him on the screen passes. Cutler did check down well, which is a step in the right direction. His second interception was clearly not his fault, as Devin Hester fell down after the pass had already been released. You could make a case the third and fourth interceptions weren't his fault if you wanted, too. I'm not going to bother, because -- even if you make the case -- his first and last interceptions were ultimately what cost the Bears the game.

The amazing thing is Cutler's ineptitude in the red zone. He drove the Bears down the field with ease, after getting a very generous illegal contact penalty to extend the drive, and had them in position to win the game. He worked beautifully on the drive, pre-pick, hitting eight consecutive (excluding the two spikes to stop the clock) passes and moving the Bears 70 yards in just over two minutes. Then he fell apart when the team needed him most.

It's the way things have gone thus far in his career. This is where the haters proclaim he's not a winner and he sucks. Which is where they lose my backing.

He's 26, not 36. This wasn't a one (or two) year rental like the Vikings are doing with Brett Favre. The team acquired Cutler to make him the long-term answer and build an offense around him, not to be a quick fix. Sure, many thought he catapulted the Bears to the Super Bowl discussion, but that doesn't mean he needs to be dumped after one sub-par season. Let the Bears find him a line, let the young receivers grow rapport with Cutler and -- most of all -- please get someone to coach Cutler.

The errant red zone passes have to stop. Someone needs to teach him to throw the ball away. Someone needs to tell him his attitude is not acceptable (seriously, what the hell was with taking the helmet off to scratch his head and put it back on? That was embarrassing). Someone needs to coach him to shut the hell up instead of screaming at officials after he throws a pick (he was even called for unsportsmanlike conduct against Arizona). Someone needs to make him accountable for all his mistakes, not just blame them all on someone else. And being accountable -- by the way, Cutler did personally apologize to the defense in the post-game press conference -- isn't enough. He has to learn from his mistakes and change the way he plays.

Of course, the masses also need to realize the problems on the Bears are much more complicated than simply blaming their favorite whipping boy.

Is it Cutler's fault that the defensive line can't line up properly (four off-sides penalties, including one that nullified an interception in San Fran territory)? Is it Cutler's fault that the Bears decided to leave Greg Olsen on the sideline and instead use their third-string tight end and a tackle-eligible on a pivotal goal line third down (which resulted in the aforementioned first interception)? Is it Cutler's fault that a lineman was downfield illegally, which nullified a 40-yard completion to Earl Bennett? Is it Cutler's fault that Chris Williams drew a foolish unnecessary roughness penalty on the last drive, taking them backward 15 yards when time and yardage were at a premium? Was it Cutler's fault last week when the defense couldn't stop Arizona, even on the ground?

Blame Cutler for his ills, just not for the entire team's ills -- including coaching. Thursday night, we witnessed an undisciplined mess of a team on offense, defense and special teams (a delay of game on a field goal attempt? Seriously?). There's plenty of blame to go around right now, so place it properly.

While you're at it, remember this is Year One of the Cutler era in Chicago, not the one year of it.

Cutler Haters, Apologists: Meet Halfway originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vince Now Young in Name Only

Nancy Gay — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:30:00 EST

Filed under: NFL Coaching, NFL Quarterbacks, NFL Analysis

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. -- Did someone know what they were doing with Vince Young in Tennessee?

Apparently so. There's no doubt that Young is a different quarterback as a starter in 2009 than he was in 2007 and during that infamous opening week game of '08, when the former Titans' No. 1 draft pick sustained a career and emotional breakdown and was benched for Kerry Collins.

NFL players grow and mature as athletes, leaders and men differently. A rare few come out of the draft as impact players. Of those, fewer still are quarterbacks, the most visible and important member of an NFL franchise.

So while Titans coach Jeff Fisher enjoys some breathing room now that his once maligned and winless team is revitalized following a two-game winning streak, perhaps it's time to give the NFL's longest-tenured head coach some credit: making Young a sideline protégé in 2008 and half of '09 has turned this fourth-year quarterback into a new player.

A very impressive player.

"This experience has been good for him," Fisher said Monday after the Titans defeated the 49ers 34-27 in San Francisco, Tennessee's second consecutive victory which has coincided with Young's second game this season as a starter. "He's approaching things professionally. He's focused. He's not distracted and he's excited about each and every play. He wants to do more, which is where he should be."

The former University of Texas star and marquee player of the 2006 Rose Bowl victory that gave the Longhorns a national title, Young was praised and prized for his great feet and athleticism. It was truth, hype and stereotype, all at once. As a rookie, Young wore and marketed a T-shirt that proclaimed "I Am A Quarterback," to remind everyone that he was more than a playmaking running back who could throw.

As the NFL performances failed to match the expectations, Collins replaced an increasingly volatile Young last season, and went on to lead the Titans to a 13-3 regular season record. Rather than rebel, Young watched a seasoned pro at work -- Collins, who excelled as a true team leader -- and he learned from it.

"I'm just trying to continue to get better and better and play with my teammates, continue to earn their confidence back as well as the coaches' confidence," said Young, who completed 12 of 19 passes for 172 yards -- including two impressive throws to Justin Gage for 49 and 33 yards -- against the 49ers and did not throw an interception for the second game in a row. "It's not all about Vince. It's all about all of us. We're doing a great job, period.

"I would say I'm being more patient. I'm taking what the defense gives me. I'm not going to force it if it's not there; I'll check the ball down, or use my God-given talent by running the ball."

This is not just a sound bite or politically correct talk. Veterans such as center Kevin Mawae can see a real difference in Young and he's impressed by the transformation.

That benching, Mawae said, could have been a negative or a positive experience for Young. Thankfully, Young remained engaged, focused and eager for redemption during his time as a No. 2.

"It could shatter the confidence of a young quarterback. I've seen it happen myself. But Vince handled it," Mawae said. "He had some troubled times last year dealing with some things and he overcame it. It's a matter of patience and that's what this league's all about. If it's not your time now, it's going to be sooner or later. You have to be ready when it's your time to step up and he's done that."

Chiefs Wavered on Larry Johnson

Despite the public protests and the obvious disconnect between troubled, disgruntled running back Larry Johnson and the struggling Kansas City Chiefs, that organization did not make the decision to cut the one-time NFL rushing leader lightly.

Releasing him had nothing to do with performance (or lack thereof); it had nothing to do with money, and the fact the Chiefs would still be on the hook for the remainder of Johnson's $4.55 million guaranteed base salary, which came out to $2.275 million.

The dilemma, according to numerous Chiefs' insiders: If Johnson was released after questioning coach Todd Haley's qualifications and making gay slurs, would the franchise be sending the wrong message to Johnson and other trouble-making players by granting them their wish -- a release and the freedom to sign elsewhere?

In Denver, first-year head coach Josh McDaniels wanted to avoid a similar precedent by refusing to trade or release insubordinate wide receiver Brandon Marshall after the two famously butted heads in training camp.

In Kansas City, no one wanted Johnson to walk away thinking he had won the fight.

"We didn't want to make an example of this player for all the wrong reasons," a well-placed Chiefs source told FanHouse.

Clearly, Johnson could not play for Kansas City again. But given the choice between deactivating him on game days and outright releasing him, the Chiefs braintrust determined that a divorce was the best solution.

"There was nothing to be gained by keeping him here. Nothing but more distractions and problems. Enough was enough," the Chiefs source said.

Considering Johnson still hasn't found a new team after clearing waivers, it's clear the rest of the NFL is considering whether the risk vs. reward factor that accompanies this once-productive running back is worth it.

Vince Now Young in Name Only originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pocket Presence: Browns Complete Quarterback Cycle

Bruce Ciskie — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: 49ers, Browns, Raiders, Redskins, Titans, NFL Quarterbacks

It's often said that a team with two quarterbacks really doesn't have any. With that spirit in mind, FanHouse will keep you updated weekly on NFL teams facing potential quarterback controversies.

After weeks of embarrassing, historic, and somewhat hysterical futility under the guidance of Derek Anderson, the Cleveland Browns have finally completed their quarterback cycle.

Cleveland Browns: Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson

Quinn gets the start Monday night, as the Browns host Baltimore. He has virtually no shot at contractual incentives now that Anderson has started so much of the season, so Quinn is just playing for the job now. Yes, the Browns are horrible, but there is still significance to these games. Cleveland is not a playoff team, but it needs to figure out what it have in Quinn, and whether or not he can be the Browns' guy moving forward.

Baltimore is probably not the best opponent for him to face in his first start back, but the Ravens aren't quite as dangerous on defense as they used to be. Quinn is likely to face a solid assortment of blitz and coverage packages, so we'll find out quickly if he has a chance to make things work.

He sure didn't play very well over his first three starts this season, but he didn't get a lot of help either, and he still managed to be far superior to Anderson.

Now that the Browns have gone full-circle this season, it's up to Quinn to show head coach Eric Mangini enough to retain the gig for the last eight games.

Status update: Very warm

Oakland Raiders: JaMarcus Russell and Bruce Gradkowski

As the Raiders come off their bye week, it will be interesting to see how much rope head coach Tom Cable gives Russell. At 2-6, there's no question the Raiders qualify as one of the truly bad teams in the NFL. They don't have anything to lose at this point, so why stick with Russell just because he makes a lot of money?

Gradkowski may not be anything special, but it's hard to imagine he leaves the team in a worse position than Russell has. When the Raiders host Kansas City this Sunday, it's one of the rare times they'll have a better record than their opponent. If Russell can't figure out a way to keep them in the game, look out.

Status update: Warm

San Francisco 49ers: Alex Smith and Shaun Hill

Smith got his second start of the season against Tennessee Sunday, and he did a respectable job. He showed a willingness to throw downfield more, which was needed in an offense that had become somewhat stagnant in recent weeks.

Where Smith showed the most need for improvement was in ball security. He threw three picks in the loss, and spent a bit too much time locking down on receivers, a huge no-no in the NFL. Smith did enough in these last two losses, though, to keep himself secure. Of course, if he continues to struggle with turnovers, coach Mike Singletary may be forced to do something.

Status update: Warm

Washington Redskins: Jason Campbell and Todd Collins

No, Campbell didn't come out of the game at Atlanta because he stunk -- even though he did stink. Again.

Instead, Campbell was banged up by the Falcons' pass rush, and Collins took over for a time, throwing five passes (completing four) for 12 yards.

Even though the Redskins are well on their way to the tank, it's hard to imagine they'd make this move. Were Collins a promising quarterback for the future, they'd do it almost immediately. Instead, he's on the downside of his career, and there's no point in benching Campbell, because it's not like Collins is good enough to lift this team back into contention.

Status update: Cool

Tennessee Titans: Vince Young and Kerry Collins

Young has been very good over his two starts. He's made pretty good decisions, thrown much more effectively than he did last year, and it seems the Titans have rallied around him.

Barring injury, the job has to be his from here on in.

Status update: Cool

Pocket Presence: Browns Complete Quarterback Cycle originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Michael Vick: I'd Sign With Eagles Again

Dan Graziano — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:18:00 EST

Filed under: Eagles, NFL Quarterbacks

PHILADELPHIA -- Michael Vick has all but disappeared, since the season began, into the Eagles' multifaceted offense and Andy Reid's secret future plans for it. But he is still MIchael Vick, convicted dogfighter and NFL lightning rod. So when he said in an interview with NBC's Bob Costas on Sunday that he'd have a hard time returning to the Eagles in his current role next year, he wasn't surprised that it became big news.

But on Wednesday, before the Eagles took the field for practice, Vick spoke briefly to reporters in the locker room and wanted to make it very clear that, while he'd obviously like to be playing more than he is, he's still enjoying the Eagles' bench much more than he was enjoying federal prison.

"I've said it many times and I don't mind saying it again -- I'm just happy to be playing football," Vick said. "Two years ago, I wasn't playing football and I didn't know if I had a future in football. I know what I said, and I didn't mean it to come across as being disgruntled or upset or anything like that. I just want to have a chance at playing time. That's just me being a competitor. But if that's not the situation, what can I say? I just have to keep working and getting better."

Vick has been a nearly invisible part of the Eagles' offense this year. He enters games occasionally as a wildcat quarterback, but the Eagles haven't employed that very much since the regular season began. And when starting quarterback Donovan McNabb missed time early in the season with broken ribs, Kevin Kolb stepped in as the starter. Reid and Vick both declined Wednesday to discuss whether more wildcat is in their plans for the second half of this season, but even if it is, that's not a role in which Vick envisions himself long-term.

"I don't want to be handing the ball off," Vick said. "That's not what I do. I didn't come into the league doing that, and I don't want to do it for the rest of my career unless it's just something that's involved in the offense."

The point of Vick's address today was to make it clear that he's speaking about the rest of his career, and not 2009 -- a year in which he says he just feels lucky to be putting on a uniform. Asked directly if he'd sign with the Eagles again if he had it to do over, he said he would.

"I know how i feel inside and how blessed I feel to be in this situation," Vick said. "I want to play. The good thing is, I'm young and I'm going to have an opportunity to do that down the road. I've just got to be patient. Whether it's two years, three years from now, I've just got to be patient and take that opportunity when it arises."

Michael Vick: I'd Sign With Eagles Again originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Philip Rivers Redeems Self in 'Eli Bowl'

Matt Snyder — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:15:00 EST

Filed under: Chargers, Giants, AFC West, NFC East, NFL Quarterbacks

With 3:30 left in the game and his team trailing by three points, Philip Rivers had a chance.

He had a chance to win in New York with much of the nation watching. He had a chance to best Eli Manning, a man who refused to play for the Chargers and was eventually swapped for Rivers and another draft pick (which turned into Shawne Merriman). He had a chance to prove he was a winner, despite the fact that his team hasn't helped him win a ring yet. He had a chance to prove he belonged in the same conversation as the game's elite, and that he's just as qualified a quarterback as Eli.

And on the first play of the series, Rivers threw an interception. What happened next, though, rallied San Diego to a 21-20 win and defined the essence of Rivers as a player.

More: Check Box Score | Saints Stay Perfect | Atlanta Downs Washington

Tom Coughlin, apparently deciding Rivers couldn't get the job done, played for a field goal by running up the middle on second-and-14 and third-and-9. The Chargers would get the ball back with just over two minutes to play and trailing by six. You didn't even have to see Rivers to know about the fire in his belly. They don't think I can do it, he surely thought.

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You see, Rivers doesn't take care of the ball like Kyle Orton. He's not a student of the game like Peyton Manning. He doesn't have a rocket for an arm or excessive mobility. He doesn't rack up Drew Brees-like stat-lines. He doesn't have the quiet leadership of Ben Roethlisberger or the postseason resume of Tom Brady. One thing about Rivers, though, is that he's a fighter.

And when he gets angry, he fights even harder. Judging from his career 37-18 record entering Sunday's game, he's also a winner.

The Giants' decision to give Rivers another chance was tantamount to a slap in the face of Rivers. Just like when the Chargers had to "settle" for Rivers. Just like when no one thought the Chargers could win a playoff game in Indianapolis. Just like countless other times when people told Rivers he wasn't good enough.

As usual, he responded.

Rivers took the Chargers 80 yards in 1:36, and he didn't even need a timeout -- finding Vincent Jackson in the corner of the end zone for the game-winner with just 21 seconds remaining.

"It's a big emotional win," Rivers said. "The link between me and Eli is always going to be there. So yeah, it's a little special. Any time you play against a team that won the Super Bowl, it's fun. [The trade] didn't weigh into my mind and my thinking, but I bet it was there."

After the pass, Rivers sprinted upwards of 50 yards backward on the field, facing the Giants sideline, screaming in joy (and probably some lingering anger). Whether you consider it fire or foolishness, it's Rivers. That's what he does. He uses his emotion on the field and lets it come out when he's conquered his opposition. In this case, he beat Coughlin, the Giants and -- from a certain point of view -- Manning.

"We had a chance and you can't leave that team in the game,'' said Manning, who was 25 of 33 for 215 yards and two touchdowns. "You can't leave that team an opening. They are good and talented and if you have a chance to end it, you have to end it.''

The Chargers are now 5-3 and trail the Broncos by a game and a half in the AFC West, but they came out of New York with plenty of swagger and momentum. Just like their quarterback.

Philip Rivers Redeems Self in 'Eli Bowl' originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Colts Turn Up Tempo to Stay Unbeaten

Dan Graziano — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:38:00 EST

Filed under: Colts, Texans, AFC South, NFL Quarterbacks, NFL Analysis

INDIANAPOLIS -- You expect the Colts to throw, and throw a lot, but even for Peyton Manning and his band of merry, pass-happy men this was a little bit nuts. Indy ran nine plays -- eight of them passes -- in the first two minutes of the game, averaging one every 14 seconds, completely disregarding the play clock and leaving their star offensive players more than a little bit tuckered out.

"I wouldn't call it fun," said tight end Dallas Clark, who caught 11 passes in the first half and 14 -- for 119 yards -- in the game. "When you run 60 plays in the first half, you're going to feel that on Wednesday and Thursday. But the win makes it feel a lot better."

More: Check Box Score | Young, Titans Win Again | Seattle Rallies

The win, a hold-your-breath 20-17 squeaker that wasn't assured until Houston's last-second field goal hooked wide left, improved the Colts to 8-0 and kept alive their hopes to repeat the Patriots' 16-0 regular season of two years ago. The Patriots are the next obstacle in Indy's path, heading here to Lucas Oil Stadium next Sunday night for a showdown of AFC powers. But for the Colts this day was all about holding off the very game division-rival Texans, and the insane early pace was a key aspect of that plan.

"That was by design, and it was almost like our two-minute operation in terms of the tempo of the game," Colts coach Jim Caldwell said. "Sometimes, if you go fast enough, quickly enough, you can slow down some pass rushers. And they've got some pretty good ones."

The Colts were very concerned about the Houston defense. Manning pointed out after the game that Houston came in leading the league in "three-and-outs" -- series in which the offense fails to get a first down and has to punt the ball after only three plays. To combat this, the Colts made the decision Sunday morning to come out in a souped-up, no-huddle from the opening kick.

"We knew they were going to go no-huddle, but man, they were high-intensity," Texans safety Bernard Pollard said. "And I'm not going to lie -- they caught us off-guard."

Houston countered with a nickel defense, which makes sense in the abstract if you're convinced the other team is going to throw on every play. Problem was, with the nickel back covering slot receiver Austin Collie and the safeties staying back to defend against the deep ball, Dallas Clark spent the whole game matched up against a linebacker. And that's a mismatch.

"When we get an opportunity to get him on a linebacker, most of the time Dallas is going to fare pretty well," Caldwell said.

And they milked it. Manning targeted Clark eight times in the first quarter, and Clark caught all eight. He targeted him five more times in the second quarter, and Clark caught three of those. At halftime, Clark had 11 catches, putting him more than halfway toward Terrell Owens' NFL record of 20 catches in a single game.

But the funny thing was, in spite of possessing the ball for 16:52 of the first half, and in spite of moving the ball down the field with relative ease until they got near the goal line, the Colts' halftime lead was a mere 13-3. And after the Texans dominated the time of possession in the third quarter, they were able to open the fourth with a Steve Slaton touchdown run that put Houston on top 17-13.

"We didn't finish drives like we're capable of doing," Caldwell said. "That's a concern."

Oh they came back, of course, as Manning always seems to. He marched them right back down the field, mixing in a couple of run plays this time and scoring on a Joseph Addai touchdown run with 7:16 left in the game. The frenetic pace of a first half that saw Manning throw the ball 40 times was gone, replaced by a more humble and plodding game plan. And the win wasn't sealed until the injury-riddled defense managed to hold on at the end and Kris Brown's 42-yard field goal attempt as time expired missed to the left. But they did win, and they're still undefeated. And while they'll admit they have plenty to work on, the Colts would tell you they won at least in part because of how much they respect the Texans.

"We were just able to hang on and find enough gas in the tank to finish it," Clark said. "A couple of plays here or there, and they're the ones celebrating in the locker room."

So now it's on to next week, when Tom Brady and the Patriots will try to take advantage of the injury-depleted Indianapolis secondary in ways in which Matt Schaub and the Texans could not. What Caldwell and Manning come up with for the Patriots remain to be seen. Do they dare ramp up the tempo the way they did this week, enticing Brady, Randy Moss and Wes Welker into a potentially classic (and potentially dangerous) shootout? Or do they dial it back a little bit in an effort to keep the Patriot offense off the field?

These are questions for later in the week. As they dressed and headed out after their hard-fought win against the Texans on Sunday, the Colts were a happy but very tired bunch, and they weren't thinking about next Sunday night yet.

"Coach told us we get about 12 hours to enjoy this one," Colts receiver Reggie Wayne said. "And I'm going to take my full 12."

Colts Turn Up Tempo to Stay Unbeaten originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:38:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With Yankees Done, Pressure's Really on the Giants Now

Dan Graziano — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Giants, NFL Quarterbacks, NFL Analysis

It's not that the Giants' three-game losing streak has gone unnoticed. It's just that, with all the excitement over everything the Yankees have been up to, New York sports fans have had other things on their minds. Yes, they're aware, vaguely, that the Giants' defense hasn't been able to stop the Saints, Cardinals or Eagles the past three weeks. And they have seen a headline or two about Eli Manning suddenly looking much more mortal than his contract and his championship pedigree say he should. But the panic meter hasn't moved too much over all of this, because New York is still one of the few American towns in which football can take a backseat to baseball. And for the past few weeks, for very good reason, New York has been a baseball town.

That all changes this weekend. The San Diego Chargers hit town -- another dynamic offense surely licking its chops over a chance to take its turn at the Giants' battered ego and secondary. If the Giants lose again, they're looking at a 5-4 record heading into their bye week, which would mean two solid weeks of tabloid and talk show debate on the issue of "What's Wrong With the Giants?"

Right now, there are a lot of answers to that question. Injuries have left the defense extremely vulnerable to attacks in the middle of the field. Brandon Jacobs hasn't looked like his old self and Ahmad Bradshaw's been playing through an ankle injury, so the running game hasn't been as reliable as they expected it to be. And Manning, who has his own foot injury, looks skittish in the pocket.

These are problems the team isn't denying. The Giants know things are going to stay difficult. The schedule they played during their 5-0 start included games against the Redskins, Chiefs, Buccaneers and Raiders, and they knew all along it wasn't going to be that easy all year. Looking beyond their Week 10 bye, they can see the Falcons, Broncos, Cowboys and Eagles waiting -- four more strong offensive teams in a row before they get a Monday night breather in Washington four days before Christmas. If the Giants are going to get this thing right, they're going to have to do it without the schedule's help.

"You've got to be a man about the good and the bad," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said earlier this week. "When things happen like this, you just have to learn from it somehow, some way, and eliminate it, and maybe the next locker room will be a cheerful one."

Coughlin has plenty of players who have won the Super Bowl. He knows the character of his team and is counting on that to be one of the things that pulls it through this stretch. But there are other, more concrete issues that the Giants must correct if they're going to return to their preseason role as one of the league's Super Bowl favorites.

Scouts who have seen the Giants the past three weeks point to two standout issues -- a shorthanded defense thanks to injuries and the surprisingly uneven play of Manning -- as the reason they're losing. We'll take them in that order.

Major injuries to Giants defensive players include defensive tackle Chris Canty, linebacker Michael Boley, cornerback Aaron Ross and safety Kenny Phillips. None of those guys has been playing, and their absence, the scouts say, shows up in opposing game plans that are taking advantage of opportunities in the middle of the field. Canty's absence leaves them weaker in the middle of the defensive line, Boley's in the middle of the linebacking corps and Phillips' in "center field," where a safety is needed as the last line of defense against a long pass play or a breakaway running back. Or even, in Sunday's shocking first-drive case of the Eagles' Leonard Weaver, a breakaway fullback.

"Obviously there was a breakdown up front, but you certainly never anticipate the ball going that length, because that's why you have three levels of defense," defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan said of Weaver's 41-yard touchdown run. "Totally shocking. It's not that the ball is never going to break the line of scrimmage, because guys are getting blocked and stuff, but you certainly never expect it to go the distance like that."

So changes are being made. Canty and Boley have been practicing this week, and both are expected to play Sunday. That'll help, but Phillips' injury is of the season-ending variety, so help is not on the way at safety. Coughlin announced that Aaron Rouse will start at safety this week in place of C.C. Brown, who clearly has not been up to the task of replacing Phillips. And there's a chance that a cornerback (Terrell Thomas, most likely) could get some time at the safety spot, though for strategic reasons Coughlin declined to address that possibility when asked about it.

As for Manning, this is one of those cases where nobody really knows how much the plantar fasciitis he's had for the past month is bugging him because Manning's the kind of guy who plays hurt. From the scouts' standpoint, the belief is that Manning is a different quarterback when an opposing defense moves a safety into the box. They say it's as if he forgets what he's supposed to be doing, gets jittery in the pocket and begins to force throws and make questionable decisions.

This is confusing, because teams have been putting eight in the box against the Giants since the preseason, focusing on Jacobs and Bradshaw and daring Manning to beat them through the air, and earlier this year Manning and the passing game looked great. But as the scouts point out, that was against some pretty weak competition, and it's possible that the strong teams the Giants are playing now weren't scared off by the success Manning and his young receivers had against the dregs of the league in the first five games.

Coughlin said after Sunday's game that he thought Manning was having some mechanical problems, specifically pushing off that injured back foot, and apparently some work was done this week in practice to address that.

"Yeah, I think that was over the past three weeks that happened a few times with the foot," Manning said. "I don't remember it occurring last week. I was conscious of it to make sure I was pushing off. You stop using your legs, it affects your elbow, your arm gets tired or starts getting sore, so I have been better. My body feels better this week. I feel stronger and more confident in what I'm doing."

That's got to show up Sunday against the Chargers, or things are going to start getting ugly around the Giants pretty quickly. They have a couple of things working in their favor. San Diego is not a strong run defense, so they should be able to lean hard on Jacobs and Bradshaw and keep some of the pressure off of Manning. San Diego is also traveling across the country for the game, and the Chargers have a reputation as not being among the toughest of the NFL's teams. So it's possible that an angry bunch of Giants will rise up Sunday in the swamps of Jersey and take out their frustrations on another disappointing would-be contender and head into the bye at 6-3.

The Giants had better hope that's what happens. Because they don't have the Yankees to shield them anymore. If they lay an egg this week ... well, it's all anybody's going to be talking about.

With Yankees Done, Pressure's Really on the Giants Now originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pocket Presence: Russell Still Struggling

Bruce Ciskie — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Browns, Buccaneers, Panthers, Raiders, Titans, NFL Quarterbacks

It's often said that a team with two quarterbacks really doesn't have any. With that spirit in mind, FanHouse will keep you updated weekly on NFL teams facing potential quarterback controversies.

Stubbornness sometimes pays off. The Carolina Panthers found this out on Sunday.

One week after giving up on the run way too easily in a loss to Buffalo, the Panthers mercilessly pounded Arizona's run defense into the ground, and their reward was an easy win. Of course, it doesn't mean Jake Delhomme has magically turned his season around. It just means the Panthers have found a way to hide him, while keeping him on the field. Delhomme is off our magical list for now, but other shaky starters aren't so lucky.

Oakland Raiders: JaMarcus Russell and Bruce Gradkowski

Surely, Russell is hampered by a complete lack of playmakers. Darrius Heyward-Bey has been a disaster so far, and outside of tight end Zach Miller, Russell simply doesn't have anyone to throw to.

However, he's earned every bit of that 48.3 quarterback rating, a rating that is barely above the 39.6 that you'd get by throwing every pass into the ground. Russell makes bad decisions, surpassed only by the simply awful throws he's capable of.

Whomever is coaching the Raiders next year is likely to have Russell around, only that coach will be facing the challenge of getting him off all the bad habits he's picked up, along with restoring what has to be a non-existent confidence.

Russell is only 24, so there's no point in giving up. However, there's also no point in leaving him out there to further destroy the mental part of his game.

Status update: Very warm

Cleveland Browns: Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn

Surely, the Browns weren't planning on firing a general manager before his first season was over. That's exactly what happened this week, though, as the team's embarrassing slide towards another high draft pick continued with a 30-6 whomping by the Bears in Chicago.

First-year coach Eric Mangini should be shown the door once this disastrous season ends. So far, the only thing he's done to try to inject life into his team was switch quarterbacks. To the coach's chagrin, Anderson looks to be a worse fit for this offense than Quinn was. That's not saying much, because no quarterback could do much of anything positive with this team.

Now what do you do? The season is a lost cause, and Quinn won't approach his contractual incentives if he takes over now. Anderson obviously isn't the answer, so now it's simply a question of whether Quinn can show enough to justify keeping him around for the next regime.

Status update: Very warm

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Josh Freeman and Josh Johnson
Tennessee Titans: Vince Young and Kerry Collins
Carolina Panthers: Jake Delhomme and Matt Moore

Freeman gets his first start this weekend against Green Bay. It's not common for coaches to go back to a veteran once they start the rookie, so one has to assume this is Freeman's gig.

Young actually looked pretty good in helping the Titans get their first win. No way they go back to Collins now, even if the team starts losing again. Young's athleticism is perfect for this offense -- if he can stay healthy and throw with any kind of accuracy.

As for Delhomme, as mentioned above, the Panthers rode the running game, but Delhomme did throw for 90 yards in just seven completions, and Steve Smith got his first touchdown of the year. Odds are he sticks around.

Pocket Presence: Russell Still Struggling originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Explosive Eagles Could End Up Among League's Elite Offenses

Dan Graziano — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Eagles, NFL Quarterbacks, NFL Analysis

PHILADELPHIA -- You don't think of the Eagles along with the Saints or the Colts or the Patriots in terms of the number, the variety and the explosiveness of their offensive playmakers. Teams like that set the standard, and the Eagles don't feel like they fit into that kind of conversation. And that's fine, because they're not there yet.

But if you watched the Eagles score on big play after big play Sunday afternoon against the Giants, you got the feel that they might very well be there soon. Andy Reid's Philadelphia offense remains a work in progress, but with the number of different weapons he has at his disposal on any given play, we could soon be talking about the Eagles as one of the most exciting and dynamic offensive teams in the league."I think we're just kind of touching the surface," Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb said after the 40-17 victory over the Giants. "I really feel like the sky's the limit for us."

What strikes you about the Eagles' offense is its quick-strike ability. Philadelphia scored five touchdowns Sunday, and the shortest of those was a 17-yard pass to tight end Brent Celek. The other four TD plays measured 23, 41, 54 and 66 yards.

"We're all for the big plays," offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said.

Equally impressive was the fact that those five touchdowns were scored by five different players. Fullback Leonard Weaver broke a 41-yard touchdown run to get things going. Then McNabb's TD pass to Celek. With 1:38 left before halftime, DeSean Jackson got open for a 54-yard TD catch -- his sixth touchdown of 50 or more yards this season. Rookie receiver Jeremy Maclin caught the 23-yarder right before halftime. And in the fourth quarter, rookie running back LeSean McCoy raced 66 yards for the game's final score.

Notably absent from that list is starting RB Brian Westbrook, who missed the game with a concussion. And remember when the team signed Michael Vick to give it another athletic offensive weapon for the wildcat formations? Well, Vick wasn't on the field much Sunday, but if Reid isn't saving some sort of Vick-related trickery for the second half of the season, then it's hard to imagine why they brought the guy in.

Point is, this Eagles offense right now is a thrill-a-minute. And this while it's still finding itself.

"Putting up 40 points against the Giants is more of a message to ourselves," Maclin said. "We can do that against anybody. And I don't think this is the last time we're going to do that this year."

McNabb is gaining trust and confidence in Maclin. He loves throwing to Jackson, because he knows great things can happen once he has the ball. He threw six times to Celek, the reliable safety valve. McCoy doesn't just look like a good Westbrook replacement -- he looks like a Westbrook clone. And he was one of two Eagle running backs, as Reid pointed out, who gained at least 75 yards on the ground in this game.

"Offensively, it's always big when you can spread it around," McNabb said. "Being able to establish the running game and the screen game opens up a lot of things. Today we were very balanced and we were able to pick upo big plays all throughout the drives, and that led to touchdowns for us."

An offense with a penchant for big plays, playing with a defense that leads the NFL in takeaways with 21, is a frightening combination for the rest of the league. And if it hasn't yet become obvious how frightening this Eagle team can be if its offensive line holds up and McNabb is making his throws, then it will be obvious to everybody soon enough.

Explosive Eagles Could End Up Among League's Elite Offenses originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Battered and Beaten, Matt Hasselbeck Refuses to Surrender

Nancy Gay — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 20:45:00 EST

Filed under: Seahawks, NFL Quarterbacks

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The psyche and impressive football will of Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck seems as if it's held together by iron and steel. His body? It's simply not as impervious as his mental makeup.

Those cracked ribs, the chronic disc injury in his back, a sore right shoulder and assorted other aches that would put most NFL quarterbacks on the sideline did not make Hasselbeck a spectator in a runaway 38-17 Dallas Cowboys' victory over Seattle on Sunday at Cowboys Stadium.

When Cowboys defensive end Jason Hatcher plowed into Hasselbeck following a short 3rd-down completion to Deion Branch late in the third quarter, the Seahawks' gritty quarterback crumpled to the turf, grabbing his still-damaged ribcage and signaling to the sideline that his right shoulder also was injured.

Common sense would have dictated that Seattle -- which gave up an 82-yard Patrick Crayton punt return for a touchdown on the ensuing play from scrimmage, turning this into a 35-10 rout -- would pull its 34-year-old battered team leader and give Seneca Wallace the remaining snaps.

That did not sit well with Hasselback, who was in on the next series.

Seattle (2-5), which has lost five of its last six games, may be a team under siege yet again by injuries and the ravages of time and age. But this is the enduring image of Hasselbeck fighting back: He stayed in the game, and tried to defeat the Cowboys' pass rush by continuing to throw quick passes and getting running back Julius Jones involved.

Hasselbeck completed 22-of-39 passes for 249 yards and two touchdowns, but he'll be a regular in the training room again this week.

"We had some positives out there," said Hasselbeck, who was happy to see the Seahawks' defense force a Tony Romo fumble midway through the fourth quarter that he was able to convert into a 4-yard touchdown pass to fullback Justin Griffith. "But at the same time if we keep doing what we're doing, we're going to get the same results."

Damion McIntosh, the fourth replacement this season for injured All-Pro left tackle Walter Jones, surrendered consecutive sacks at the end of the third quarter. That revolving door at Seattle's most important pass protection position hasn't helped Hasselbeck get through this difficult season, nor did Sundays' three pass interference calls on former Pro Bowl cornerback Marcus Trufant, who made his season debut after a stint on the PUP list (back injury) in dubious fashion.

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Dallas wide receiver Sam Hurd motors to the end zone on a pass reception for a touchdown in the first quarter of play against the Seattle Seahawks at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, November 1, 2009. The Cowboys defeated the Seahawks, 38-17. (Louis DeLuca/Dallas Morning News/MCT)

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GLENDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 01: Quarterback Kurt Warner #13 of the Arizona Cardinals throws a pass during the NFL game against the Carolina Panthers at the Universtity of Phoenix Stadium on November 1, 2009 in Glendale, Arizona. The Panthers defeated the Cardinals 34-21. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kurt Warner

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GLENDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 01: Quarterback Jake Delhomme #17 of the Carolina Panthers scrambles with the ball during the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at the Universtity of Phoenix Stadium on November 1, 2009 in Glendale, Arizona. The Panthers defeated the Cardinals 34-21. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jake Delhomme

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GLENDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 01: Runningback DeAngelo Williams #34 of the Carolina Panthers rushes the ball against the Arizona Cardinals during the NFL game at the Universtity of Phoenix Stadium on November 1, 2009 in Glendale, Arizona. The Panthers defeated the Cardinals 34-21. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** DeAngelo Williams

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Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young (10) is congratulated by Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback David Garrard (9) after an NFL football game in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009. The Titans won 30-13 for their first win of the season. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson (28) is congratulated by quarterback Vince Young (10) after Johnson ran for an 89-yard touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009. The Titans won 30-13 for their first win of the season. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

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Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre reacts to a fourth-quarter touchdown pass against the Green Bay Packers in an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009, in Green Bay, Wis. The Vikings won 38-26. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

San Diego Chargers linebacker Tim Dobbins is wheeled off the field after suffering a knee injury in the second quarter of the Chargers' NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009 in San Diego. Dobbins' return was questionable. He was starting in place of Kevin Burnett, who missed his second straight game with an ankle injury. (AP Photo/Chris Park)

Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme grimaces after being injured in the third quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009, in Glendale, Ariz. The Panthers defeated the Cardinals 34-21. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre (4) hugs John Sullivan, left, after Favre threw a fourth-quarter touchdown pass against the Green Bay Packers during an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009, in Green Bay, Wis. The Vikings won 38-26. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

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Minnesota Vikings' Brett Favre celebrates his touchdown pass to Bernard Berrian against the Green Bay Packers during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009, in Green Bay, Wis. The Vikings won 38-26. (AP Photo/Jim Prisching)

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In the Cowboys locker room, guys who tackled, sacked and chipped at Hasselbeck all afternoon expressed nothing but high regard for his fortitude.

"I'll tell you what, man, that was so much about him and the competitor that he is," Dallas linebacker Keith Brooking said. "He's a proven guy in this league. He's had a lot of success. And I've got a lot of admiration and respect for him.

"I know he's struggling with those ribs, and he was getting hit a lot back there in the backfield. But he just kept fighting and kept trying to put his team in position."

Was Brooking surprised to see Hasselbeck finish the game?

"I think that pretty much sums up what kind of player he is, the kind of person he is, and what this game means to him," Brooking said.

Seattle may be able to regroup next week with a home game against the 1-6 Lions. "I don't think there's a mindset of having a losing mentality here on this team," said receiver Nate Burleson, who caught six passes for 89 yards.

That seems to be the attitude of the struggling Seahawks.

"I don't question our competitiveness," first-year coach Jim Mora said. "I don't question our fight. I don't question any of those things. I think that they're desperate to win."

Certainly Hasselbeck is. Whether he can physically survive out there long enough to get his teammates on the winning track depends on how far sheer determination can take an iron-willed player, one who simply refuses to surrender.

Battered and Beaten, Matt Hasselbeck Refuses to Surrender originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 20:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Favre's Return to Lambeau Highlights Mistakes Made in Packer Divorce

Bruce Ciskie — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 11:40:00 EST

Filed under: Packers, Vikings, NFC North, NFL Fans, NFL Quarterbacks

Outside of Sunday being a day many Packer fans have dreaded for months, it's just another football Sunday in Green Bay.

The hype surrounding this regular-season battle of NFC North rivals surpasses anything most fans will see in their lifetimes. The reality is that football fans in Wisconsin are stuck in the middle of the tension that developed between Brett Favre and the Packers. It was this way in August of 2008, when the whole thing blew up, and it isn't going to change for some time.

Both sides talk about respect. Packers head coach Mike McCarthy said this week he felt the organization did well in not disrespecting Favre in that summer drama last year. Of course, the trade to the New York Jets simply put off the inevitable.

Was that a mistake? Should general manager Ted Thompson have traded Favre to the Vikings all along?

Absolutely not.

Thompson might have been criticized -- and rightfully so, for the most part -- for his handling of the Favre saga, but he would have been digging his own grave as an executive by trading Favre to a division rival. You're bound to read comments from alleged Packer fans on message boards, blogs, and newspaper sites that say Thompson is ruining the Packers. However, the team has only had one bad season since Thompson began overhauling the organization after the firing of head coach Mike Sherman.

Through all the hoopla surrounding Favre's presence in Minnesota, it's easy to forget that Green Bay is 4-2, and they're coming off back-to-back dominating wins. Yes, those wins came over bad teams, but you can only beat the teams the league puts in front of you, and the Packers have shown throughout the first part of the 2009 season that they're far from a bad team.

As pointed out in the Green Bay Press Gazette, Thompson's biggest mistake may have been reacting to Favre's push to return with virtually no action at all.

In an ideal world, Thompson wouldn't have to treat Favre like anything more than another player on the team. However, he gave 16 wonderful years to the Packers, and he was revered by fans and players alike. Covert attempts to paint Favre as a bad teammate or a disingenuous fellow were simply not going to work. Fans knew he was not a great decision-maker when it came to his retirement, but they weren't going to hold it against him.

While Thompson was right not to "beg" Favre to return, and the organization was right not to hold Favre's job open for him until he had fully made up his mind, Thompson's mechanical reactions and overall lack of outgoing compassion made him an easy target for Favre faithful.

Meanwhile, Favre likely overestimated his value to the Packer organization at the age of 38. While he may act now like he didn't have a problem with the Packers moving on to Aaron Rodgers, that was not the case in 2008. He felt like that job was his, and he was angry the Packers would be willing to move on without him. Of course, when you retire in March, and wait until June to inform the team that maybe you don't want to be retired anymore, it's hard to reasonably expect that the team is going to open their arms and welcome you back unconditionally.

The Packers were upset, as Andrew Brandt wrote on National Football Post, when the NFL cleared the Vikings of tampering charges last year. Favre claimed he was just chatting with his friends, who happened to be Minnesota head coach Brad Childress and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell. It was clear Minnesota was his desired destination, and it turns out his desire to play there was so great that he was willing to play a full season with the unfamiliar New York Jets just to make it happen.

This all brings us to a day Packer fans probably thought they'd never see. Brett Favre dresses in the visitors' locker room at Lambeau Field, and he will face a hostile crowd in his former home for the first time. People have been asking about the potential reception at Lambeau for a long time, but there's really only one answer that makes sense.

During the summer of 2009, former Steelers safety Rod Woodson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In his speech, Woodson referenced Pittsburgh fans, who booed him mercilessly when he returned to Pittsburgh as a rival Baltimore Raven.

I want to say thank you for giving me ten wonderful years there. To the Steeler nation thank you for accepting me. For cheering me on. And after I left, for booing me. No, I'm serious for booing me. Because you know, if you cheered me when I put on a Raiders uniform or a Ravens uniform, I think I would have lost a little respect for the Steeler nation. So I'm glad you booed me, because you should.

This is what Favre should expect today. It's not about blaming Favre for his departure, or absolving Thompson and McCarthy of their responsibility for what happened.

Favre is the enemy now. There would be no greater respect Packer fans could show than to boo him. Respect for the game and the traditions created by rivalries is greater than respect for individual players, and this fanbase is one that understands and respects history. There is a time and a place to cheer Brett Favre. Sunday afternoon is not it.

Favre's Return to Lambeau Highlights Mistakes Made in Packer Divorce originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 11:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Circle Route Brings Favre Back 'Home'

Thomas George — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Packers, Vikings, NFL Quarterbacks

Everyone forgets that Brett Favre wanted to play football. He wanted to play football in Green Bay. They did not want him. In life, you go on. I don't think you get mad at the man for still wanting to play football. He was told no on numerous occasions -- 'You are not playing here.'
-- Bus Cook, Brett Favre's agent

The truth on how and why Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers split their 16-year union remains strictly in the eye of the storyteller. Favre and his agent Bus Cook say they were simply kicked aside. The Packers insist that Favre waffled too much about his return that they simply decided to move forward with quarterback Aaron Rodgers and create clarity.

I find this much crystal clear -- from the moment Favre realized he was not going be a Packer, he began angling his way for a return to Lambeau Field.

His last pass in the stadium was not going to be that awful pick by Giants cornerback Corey Webster in overtime that led to the Giants' winning field goal in the 2008 NFC championship game. The pick that induced a fallout and helped turn a longstanding romance into a ruckus.

"It's different from anything in sports in America. ... Any quarterback today could go away and come back and not have as much impact as this does in Green Bay. I am sure it will be odd for him. But once the whistle blows, he will be fine."
-- Bus Cook on Brett Favre's Return to LambeauIt was a circuitous route back to Lambeau for Favre, with a pit-stop at the Jets last season before landing with the Minnesota Vikings this season. The Packers traded him to the Jets a year ago with the idea that Favre would never play in Lambeau for a rival NFC North team. They hoped the 40-year-old Favre would be one more NFL season and done. One more NFL shot -- far away -- and please, be done.

There is little accidental about Favre's return to Lambeau on Sunday when the Vikings (6-1) battle the Packers (4-2).

Favre knows it.

He has already beaten Green Bay in Minnesota this season. This is different. Just the chance to return to Lambeau and beat the Packers on that soil, well, Favre has had this itch to scratch since he was spurned.

In one breath, he said earlier this week that he has "no idea how it will unfold." In another he said he is "well aware of all the stuff that goes with it" and he won't let that "affect me or creep into the team."

OK, if not anger, then certainly payback. If not all raw, then certainly personal.

This is a dream game for Brett Favre.

This is real.

"It's a unique situation for him," Cook said. "It's different from anything in sports in America. There is no quarterback who goes and plays for any other team and former fans feel the way it is with Green Bay and Favre. Any quarterback today could go away and come back and not have as much impact as this does in Green Bay. I am sure it will be odd for him. But once the whistle blows, he will be fine."

In Vikings purple.

"He wanted to play," Cook said. "And find a home. No other team called him."

But one in the Packers' division did. The perfect storm.

We have seen Favre in Super Bowls and as a TV pitchman and marveled over his kid-like approach to the complex NFL game. More often than not, this iconic player has pulled the right strings to land in spots he desired over his 19 NFL seasons.

He called a lot of his shots with the Jets and he is doing that with the Vikings. There is only so much coaching that goes on with this player. It is one of his best traits and one of his worst. It is, in part, why the Packers had enough of him.

Here is one thing you always have to give Brett Favre: he understands entertainment.

He has done his part in giving the NFL a storyline, a scenario that is better than fiction.

The Vikings are all in.

"He works, like all great players, I mean really works," a Vikings management source said of their experience with Favre. "He is here watching tape, taking care of his body. Behind the smiles, he knows he's good and gifted. It happens anywhere from two to five times a game where you say, 'OK, now I see why he is what he is.' Not every play. Just those rare instances where he does rare things. He's been a caring person here. He deals with people in the cafeteria and that clean the building in the same way he does the owner. Everyone here notices that."

Favre is ready to make a new, testy Lambeau leap.

There is nothing accidental about it.

He found a way to get back on Lambeau Field after he was booted from it.

For Favre, that alone is victory.

For the fans who have jumped ship on him (just like he eventually jumped ship to the Vikings), Favre asks "What can I do?"

He already knows the answer. Beat the Packers, trounce them all, in the NFL's version of a Homecoming bloodfest. This quarterback will tell you he knows what it is like to get kicked in the stomach. He will also remind you he has not forgotten how to do the kicking.

Circle Route Brings Favre Back 'Home' originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vince Young Regains Starting QB Job

R.J. White — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Titans, NFL Quarterbacks

In what is clearly a long overdue move, the Tennessee Titans are benching veteran Kerry Collins in favor of 26-year-old Vince Young, The Tennessean reports.

Owner Bud Adams reportedly pushed for Young this week. Tennessee head coach Jeff Fisher deliberated on the decision, though, before finally agreeing with Adams and choosing Young as his starter against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. Fisher announced the change after Tennessee's practice Thursday.

Collins has been the Titans' starter since Week 2 of 2008, but an 0-6 start to the 2009 season, coupled with a lack of explosiveness, necessitated a move under center. Collins, in his 15th year out of Penn State, has completed just 54.8 percent of his passes this year, while throwing more interceptions (eight) than touchdowns (five) en route to a 62.0 QB rating.

But is Young the answer?

In the midst of a lost season, there's no harm in seeing whether or not Young can captain the Titans' ship in 2010 and beyond. It's worth noting that while Young's career passing numbers aren't stellar (56.9 percent completion percentage, 67.8 QB rating), he has won 18 of his 29 starts dating back to his rookie season. Most rookies struggle to win games right out of the gate, and while Young doesn't deserve all the credit for those victories, a 62 percent winning percentage from a wet-behind-the-ears quarterback shouldn't just be dismissed.

With Wildcat football being all the rage, maybe people expected Young to be utilized in a form of the popular offense this year, but Fisher has stuck with a one-QB-under-center philosophy. Now that that QB is Young, the offense theoretically should be opened up, thanks to the danger of Young tucking the ball and picking up five or six yards at a time.

At 0-6, Tennessee's playoff hopes are over, and turning to Young at this stage gives Fisher and the front office a nice 10-game evaluation period with Young. If the third-year player out of Texas impresses, expect him under center in 2010. If not, the Titans will be forced to look for a young QB in next April's NFL Draft or in the off-season free agency market.

Young's trials and tribulations have been well-documented, and this is likely his last shot at securing a future as a starting quarterback in the NFL. We all love redemption stories, and I'm rooting for a happy ending to this saga as well.

Vince Young Regains Starting QB Job originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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