NFL Monday Memo: The Best and Worst from Week 11

Monday November 23, 2009 11:05 AM By Bob Glauber

Offensive player of the week: Eli Manning, QB, Giants. A career-high 384 yards keyed the Giants’ 34-31 overtime win over the Falcons. It was the Giants’ first win in 42 days.

Defensive player of the week: Leigh Bodden, CB, Patriots. His three interceptions against Mark Sanchez keyed a defensive effort that kept New England comfortably ahead in the AFC East. .

Special teams player of the week: Nate Kaeding, K, Chargers. Perfect on all four attempts in San Diego’s 32-3 win over the Broncos in Denver.

Rookie of the week: Matthew Stafford, QB, Lions. Ok, so it was only the Browns. But five TD passes against anyone is something special. The last one came with no time remaining on the clock in a 38-37 thriller.

Done  ... finished ... kaput .. time to think about the 2010 draft: Jets, 49ers, Bears,

Best game: Lions 38, Browns 37. Who’d have thunk it from a game featuring two teams that came into the game with a combined record of 2-16.

Worst game: Cowboys 7, Redskins 6. Words not necessary to describe the level of futility.

Biggest upset, Part I: Chiefs 27, Stillers 24, OT. Chiefs had only beaten Washington and Oakland. Now they can lay claim to beating the Super Bowl champs, who are reeling at 6-4 and now wonder if Big Ben’s concussion will keep him out of action down the road.

Biggest upset, Part II: Raiders 20, Bengals 17. Think the Bengals were looking past this one? They were beaten by the awful Raiders behind journeyman backup Bruce Gradkowski, who took over for high-priced QB JaMarcus Russell, whose days might be numbered in the Black Hole.

Stat of the week: The Colts, 10-0, have won their last four games by a combined 10 points.

Coach on the spot: Jim Mora Jr., Seattle. The Seahawks are unwatchable. And Jim Mora Jr. was hired BEFORE Mike Holmgren left? Wow.

Golden Oldie, Part I: Brett Favre, QB, Vikings. It is astonishing to see how well he is playing at age 40. He is playing out of his mind, with four more TD passes in a 35-9 rout of the Seahawks.

Golden Oldie, Part II: Terrell Owens, WR, Bills. The 36-year-old receiver, having a quiet year on the stat sheet and in the newspapers, finally broke out with 197 receiving yards, including a team record 98-yard TD reception.

Take that! award: Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers. He was snubbed by the 49ers on draft day in 2005, as San Francisco opted for Alex Smith. It was Rodgers over Smith in Green Bay, 30-24.

Team on the rise: The Chargers have now won five straight, including Sunday’s win in Denver that puts them a game ahead of the Broncos.

Team on the decline: The Broncos have now lost four straight after opening the season with six consecutive wins. Up next: the Giants at home on Thanksgiving night.

The Big Easy: Saints play up to their city’s nickname in a 38-7 romp over the hapless Buccaneers. Three more TDs for Drew Brees, who continues as a frontrunner for MVP honors.

Winner on a loser: The Rams have only one win, but running back Steven Jackson became the first running back in franchise history to run for more than 1,000 yards five straight years.

Bud Adams doesn't give Buffalo the finger this time

Sunday November 22, 2009 1:04 PM By Bob Glauber

Titans owner Bud Adams made news last week when he flipped the bird repeatedly to Bills fans late in the Titans' rout of Buffalo in Nashville.

He was fined $250,000 by the NFL for the gestures.

But Adams attempted to make amends with the city of Buffalo by taking out a full-page ad in the Buffalo News. The ad appeared today.

"We wish the Bills and their fans good luck today and for the remainder of the season," a large white caption in the blue ad says.

A photo of Buffalo's defensive line anchors the page, topped with a Bills team logo.

The text of the ad includes "Bud Adams" and "Tennessee Titans" on separate lines centered above a Titans logo.

The Bills are at Jacksonville today.

Our Week 11 picks

Friday November 20, 2009 8:40 AM By Bob Glauber

Well, the week already got off to a sluggish start after we went with the Panthers at home against the Dolphins. Miami came up with a terrific effort behind Ricky Williams to upset Carolina, 24-17.

Here are the other picks of the week. If you're playing the Beat Bob Glauber picks contest, you can still fill out your ballot (minus last night's game, of course). Good luck to one and all.

We begin with an upset special, one that will make us look really good if it happens, and really lame if it doesn't. (As if anyone really remembers what anyone picks.)

Ravens (pick ‘em) over Colts, Ravens straight up

Cowboys (-12) over Redskins,. Cowboys straight up

Lions (-3 ½) over Browns, Lions straight up

Packers (-6) over 49ers, Packers straight up

Jaguars (-9) over Bills, Jaguars straight up, best bet

Stillers (-10) over Chiefs, Steelers

Vikings (-11) over Seahawks, Vikings straight up

Giants (-7) over Falcons, Giants straight up

Saints (-11) over Buccaneers, Saints straight up

Cardinals (-9) over Rams, Cardinals straight up

Chargers (no line b/c of Orton) over Broncos, Chargers straight up (We'd go with Chargers whether Orton plays or not.) 

Patriots (-10 ½) over Jets, Patriots straight up

Raiders (+10) over Bengals, Bengals straight up

Iggles (-2) over Bears, Iggle straight up

Titans (+3 ½) over Texans, Texans straight up

Last week: 11-4 straight up, 8-7 against the spread

Overall record: 93-51 straight up, 78-64 against the spread

Mascaro's Picks (home team in caps): Colts (PICK) over RAVENS, COWBOYS (-12) over Redskins, Browns (+3.5) over LIONS, 49ers (+6) over PACKERS, JAGS (-9) over Bills, CHIEFS (+10) over Steelers, VIKINGS (-11) over Seahawks, GIANTS (-7) over Falcons, BUCS (+11) over Saints, Cardinals (-9) over RAMS, Chargers (OFF) over BRONCOS, PATS (-10.5) over Jets, Bengals (-10) over RAIDERS, Eagles (-2) over BEARS, Titans (+3.5) over TEXANS

Best Bet: Vikings

This week: 0-1

Last week: 7-8

Best Bets 7-3

Season: 81-61-2

Belichick was going for it on 4th and short, no matter what

Thursday November 19, 2009 11:56 AM By Bob Glauber

Interesting nugget on Showtime's Inside the NFL this week (originally broadcast on Wednesday night) from insider Michael Lombardi, who spoke to Belichick about the controversial decision to go for it on 4th and 2 from the Patriots' 28 with 2:08 to play.

A pass to Kevin Faulk fell short of the first-down marker, and the Colts took over and drove for the winning touchdown in the final seconds.

"I talked to him. And the night before each game he sits down with
his coaching staff, it’s like Masterpiece Theatre," Lombardi said. "He goes over the game in detail and how he’s going to play the game. In this instance he told his
staff, any fourth and short, we’re going to go for it."

Why? 

"Because what happened in the past, 2006…Fourth and four at his own 46 and he decided to punt to give Peyton Manning the chance to go 80-yards, cost him the chance at the Super Bowl. That memory is everlasting in his mind."

Said host James Brown: "He told you that he had this discussion with his staff, that he was going to do that, period?"

"At every opportunity that he had to take advantage of it," Lombardi replied. "He was
not going to watch Peyton Manning beat him with what happened in 2006."

LeBron James to the Knicks? Nets? How about the Browns?

Wednesday November 18, 2009 3:33 PM By Bob Glauber

NBA superstar LeBron James, an All State wide receiver in high school, said Tuesday night that if he put in the time and effort, he could be a good football player.

Eric Mangini’s reaction: “I think he should come on down.”

Mangini called the 6-8, 260-pound James a “freak athletically,” and suggested he could be a dynamic tight end, wide receiver or outside linebacker.

The reaction inside the locker room was mixed, according to the Associated Press.

Quarterback Brady Quinn said he’d love to have James as a red zone receiver.

“That'd be great," Quinn said. "Tell him to suit up and let us know, we'll get him working. Obviously he's an incredibly talented athlete. If he wants to try to play a little bit now, we'd be more than willing to pick him up."

But Browns nose tackle Shaun Rogers is skeptical.

“I have mixed emotions about that,” he said. “A great athlete? Yes. A football player? No."
Rogers then looked into TV cameras.
"Yeah LeBron, I said it," he said. "It's a punishing game. I just don't think you can step off the basketball court after not going through this year in and year out and just play football. From that standpoint, I just don't think it's possible. You have to weather and condition your body to take this punishment."

Chris Johnson thinks Bud Adams giving the finger at Sunday's game was ... kinda cool

Wednesday November 18, 2009 3:00 PM By Bob Glauber

Titans running back Chris Johnson didn’t hear about team owner Bud Adams flipping the bird to Buffalo fans during Sunday’s win over the Bills in Tennessee. But once he saw the clips on television, he loved what the owner’s message was all about … even though that message cost Adams $250,000 in fine money from the NFL.

“I didn’t know that he did that during the game but when I looked at Sportscenter I seen that. I just feel like he is going all the way in like…I feel like he is trying to say the attitude of our team is like we really don’t care,” Johnson said on the Dan Patrick radio show (via Sportsradiointerviews.com). “We are just trying to win games no matter whatever it takes.”

Johnson also said he stands by his prediction that the Titans, who started out 0-6, will run the table and make the playoffs. The Titans have won three straight since Vince Young replaced Kerry Collins as the starting quarterback.

“Yeah, I still stand by that statement,” he said. “We are trying to take it one game at a time. Just like when I said it they don’t really believe like we can win these last games and end up at 10-6.”

Johnson on Young’s insertion into the lineup:

“It has been a difference because he is a big competitor. He is just going to do whatever it takes to win just like Bud Adams. He is just kind of being the swagger of our team.”

Vikings: We'd welcome back Favre in 2010

Wednesday November 18, 2009 1:09 PM By Bob Glauber

Brett Favre has done everything the Vikings could have imagined – and more. At 8-1, the Vikings are now the prohibitive favorites to win the NFC North, and they’ll certainly be mentioned in the same breath as every other Super Bowl contender in the conference.

So it comes as little surprise that the team would be ecstatic to have him back next season – even at age 41.

“When we signed Brett, we were hoping he would give us a spark,” Wilf said, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. “He’s got that track record and, so far, so good.”

The Vikings signed Favre to a two-year, $25 million deal in August. He is due to make $13 million this season, and $12 million in 2010.

“He brings a great football IQ and really a Hall of Fame career behind him,” Wilf said. “But he also adds levity to the whole team, and he makes it fun. He loves football. He’s passionate about it and from that standpoint, I think it’s infectious.”

Favre leads the NFL with a 107.5 rating, more than 20 points better than his career rating. He has 17 touchdowns and only three interceptions.

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NFL Power Rankings: Changes at the top, Chargers on the rise

Wednesday November 18, 2009 8:44 AM By Bob Glauber

Our Week 11 Power Rankings, for your viewing pleasure ... or, if you prefer, a heaping portion of ridicule: 

1. Colts (9-0) (2): Pats’ 4th and 2 gamble late in 4th quarter blows up, and Peyton makes ‘em pay. Colts now in firm command of AFC playoff scenario. Road to the Super Bowl likely goes through Indy.

2. Saints (9-0) (1): Saints continue to win, but also continue to show chinks, this time on defense against a woeful Rams’ team. Injuries an issue now, too (Darren Sharper, Tracy Porter).

3. Vikings (8-1) (3): Brett Favre to Sidney Rice is becoming a familiar refrain in Minny.

4. Patriots (6-3) (4): Still don’t like the call by Bill Belichick, but still like the Patriots. A superior team that lost to an equally superior team. 

5. Bengals (7-2) (6): Bengals take a page from Stillers, winning with tough defense and opportunistic offense. Bengals now a combined 4-0 against Stillers and Ravens.

6. Cardinals (6-3) (8): Cardinals survive early scare at home against Seahawks before steamrolling visitors in second half.

7. Chargers (6-3) (12): That’s four straight after a loss at home to Denver. Bolts now face Broncos with a chance to take the divisional lead.

8. Cowboys (6-3) (5): Maybe Cowboys started feeling too good about themselves. A real clunker in Green Bay

9. Stillers (6-3) (7): Stillers can’t overcome pesky Bengals at home. Making matters worse, they lose Troy Polamalu to another knee injury. Schedule softens up, though, with 3 of next 4 against sub .500 teams.

10. Falcons (5-4) (9): Falcons not only lose to Panthers in critical NFC South game, but might be without Michael Turner (ankle) against Giants.

11. Iggles (5-4) (11): Iggles struggle early against Chargers, mount late comeback, but not enough. Another concussion for Brian Westbrook. This could be it for the playmaker.

12. Texans (5-4) (13): Texans return from bye to host Titans. A major test for Houston’s wild card chase.

13. Broncos (6-3) (10): At 6-0, it was all so perfect. Three straight losses later AND an injury to Kyle Orton, and the Broncos are suddenly reeling. Home on Sunday against streaking San Diego.

14. Packers (5-4) (18): Couldn’t get much worse for Pack after losses to Brett Favre and then winless Tampa Bay. Nice bounce-back against Pokes.

15. Giants (5-4) (15): Reeling from four-game losing streak, Jints return from bye to host Atlanta in game that could have wild card implications.

16. Ravens (5-4) (14): After dreary first-half performance, Ravens finally come alive against woeful Browns.

17. Jaguars (5-4) (17): Terrific final drive in the end to beat the Jets and keep their wild card playoff hopes alive.

18. Panthers (4-5) (20): After 0-3 start, Panthers now solidly in the wild card mix.

19. Dolphins (4-5) (16): Workmanlike effort against the Bucs, but not without a price. Ronnie Brown, who runs the Wildcat offense, suffers an ankle sprain.

20. Titans (3-6) (22): After 0-6 start, Titans have won three straight under Vince Young. RB Chris Johnson has been the key, though.

21. 49ers (4-5) (23): When this team wins, it wins ugly. But they’re in the wild card mix, so Mike Singletary could care less about looking good.

22. Jets (4-5) (21): Since 3-0 start, Jets are 1-5. Need a win against New England on Sunday to even think about the playoffs.

23. Bears (4-5) (19): Jay Cutler throws five picks in Thursday night loss to Niners. Dreadful.

24. Redskins (3-6) (28): Stunning win over the Broncos, complete with touchdown off fake field goal.

25. Seahawks (3-6) (24): Seahawks race out to early lead on the road against the Cardinals, but revert to form and throw it away in the second half. Bad football team.

26. Bills (3-6) (25): Bills not only get smoked in Tennessee, but Titans owner flips the bird to Bills fans. Best $250,000 he ever spent.

27. Chiefs (2-7) (29): A week after tossing Larry Johnson to the curb, Chiefs beat the Raiders. Whoopee.

28. Raiders (2-7) (26): Looks like Tom Cable will escape discipline from the Raiders and the NFL. About the only good news in his life these days.

29. Buccaneers (1-8) (27): After magical win over the Packers, Bucs back to normal with loss to the Dolphins.

30. Rams (1-8) (30): Steve Spagnuolo’s guys put up valiant fight against Saints at home … hey, at least they covered.

31. Lions (1-8) (31): It is truly amazing the depths of Lions fans’ suffering over the years.

32. Browns (1-9) (32):  See previous comment, insert “Browns fans" and feel their pain.  

UPDATE: Dick Jauron was fired by the Buffalo Bills yesterday after a 3-6 start to the season. Also, Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams was fined $250,000 for making an infamous double-one finger salute to Bills fans. Just for perspective Ravens' Ray Lewis was fined that same amount for his alleged involvement in a double murder back in 2000.

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Larry Johnson is a Bengal

Tuesday November 17, 2009 2:06 AM By Chris Mascaro

According to a league source to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Larry Johnson has signed with the Cincinnati Bengals, a deal that was expected to be announced at some point on Tuesday.

Terms of the deal weren't disclosed, but Johnson is allowed to keep the balance of his $4.55 million salary from the Chiefs in addition to anything he's paid from the Bengals.

The 29-year old Johnson left Kansas City just 56 yards shy of the franchise career rushing mark held by Priest Holmes. Johnson, who ran for over 1,000 yards in 2005 and 2006, had his time run out with the Chiefs last Monday.

Though his numbers are weak (he's rushed for just 2.9 yards per carry on 132 attempts this season), Johnson was sought out by Cincinnati because of a hip flexor suffered by Cedric Benson on Sunday.

Johnson may see a heavy workload as the Bengals navigate an easy stretch (at Oakland, then home for Cleveland and Detroit) the next three weeks. Bernard Scott should see some carries as well.