Maddux Sports Blog

The long wait is over and the NFL season is here. Sort of. I’m not entirely sure that that mess of a game tonight is worthy of being called an NFL game. It was hard to stay awake through that one, and it didn’t even start late.On the plus side, it can only get better from here. As I was watching, here are ten thoughts that came to mind:

1. I may have to start giving Plaxico Burress more credit. He sat out and pouted for the preseason, so he shouldn’t have been ready for the game tonight. Instead, he was by far the best player on the field and he had a career high 10 receptions. He still annoys me, but he’s certainly a game changer.

2. Jason Taylor fell flat. He was brought in to be a big boost for the Washington defense, but he was virtually invisible. I can only assume that he isn’t entirely right after his injury in preseason. He’ll need to be much better if this team wants to do anything.

3. The Giants were awful in the second half. They still were beter than Washington, but drives were stalling and they look disinterested and often confused. This does not look like a team poised at the beginning of a dynasty.

4. New York didn’t look like they were missing Strahan and Omenyiora nearly as much as I thought they might. Between Justin Tuck and the tackles they were able to keep the Washington line pressured.

5. I’m not sure I have the capability to like or respect Eli Manning, but he sure didn’t do a lot tonight to change my mind. If it weren’t for Burress he would have really been in trouble. He was fine, but he certainly didn’t do anything to make me think that he is elite, and he didn’t do enough to take advantage of a Washington defense that was primed to be taken advantage of.

6. Jim Zorn has an awful lot of work to do before that team is even remotely competent in his offense. That was terrible. Or maybe the team is just terrible.

7. Wasn’t this supposed to be year that Jason Campbell showed how good he can be? I want to believe he can be good, but that takes a leap of faith right now.

8. Nice clock management down the stretch, Washington. Ugly.

9. The Giants only won three at home last year, so taking care of this one has to be a good boost for them - especially since it is against a division rival.

10. The favorites and the under have never lost this year. I smell a trend!

The biggest annual farce of the football season takes place this evening - The Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio. Each year, two teams that aren’t even close to ready to play let their rookies have a scrimmage and NBC covers it. It’s a total joke. The only thing that redeems it is that their is a betting line. Betting on this game is absolutely ridiculous, but it’s better than nothing. I guess. Washingtn in favored by six points over the Colts, and the total is 31.5. Every second I think about this game costs me brain cells, but here’s a quick breakdown of the basic points.

1. The Colts will have no one there. Manning, Harrison, Freeney and Sanders are all out. The trip to Canton is optional for the rest of the veterans. Only rookies have to play, and they will get the majority of the time. This team will bear no resemblance at all to the actual Colts.

2. Tony Dungy hates the preseason. He is 2-11 in his last 13 games, so he obviously doesn’t even try. He views it just as extra practice. He has won the first game of the preseason once in the last five years.

3. Jim Zorn is in his first game as a head coach. He spent the last seven years in Seattle, and they tended to play pretty hard in the preseason. They were 7-5 straight up and ATS in their last three years there. We can expect a better effort from Zorn than from Dungy.

4. The starters for Washington will see some playing time. The offense is scheduled to play two series, or 12-15 plays. That’s not much, but way more than the Colts’ regular will play. Last year Manning took just 13 snaps in the first two games combined, and that was when Indy had four games,not five like they do now.

5. Washington legends Art Monk and Darell Green are being inducted into the Hall this weekend. That means that Redskins brass will be in town, and Canton should be full of Washington fans. Jim Zorn has a lot to prove in his new gig, and he should view this game as an opportunity to start doing that given the significance of the weekend for his team. That should be enough to give them a big boost, and, in my view, a likely cover.

Philly - DeSean Jackson is hurt - hamstring - and hasn’t been on the field yet. What a shock. I long ago appointed myself the president of the anti-fan club for Jackson. Don’t get me wrong - he’s a freakish talent and he did amazing things with the ball at Cal. I just don’t think that a guy that small and, apparently, that fragile, has a long future in the NFL. I can’t put my finger on what exactly turns me off so much about the guy, but if I had to make a bet on the guy it would definitely be as a flop. He’s certainly not the answer that McNabb is looking for. From what I have read about the Eagles’ camp, though, their receiving answer might already be on the roster. Jason Avant is a talented possession type receiver who is heading into his third year. He hasn’t done much statistically so far, but he has shown progress. He’s reportedly had a spectacular camp so far - he’s fit, hungry, and he’s catching absolutely everything. On top of it all, he’s a Michigan guy, so you know he’s good.

Washington - I am very intrigued from the news out of Washington. Word is that Jason Campbell has looked absolutely spectacular. His throws are tight and accurate, he knows the playbook like he wrote it, and he’s fit. It’s his fourth year, and first hand observers suggest that this is the one in which he breaks through. I want to believe it, because I like what the guy has to offer on paper, and have since his last year of college. I just can’t help but get a little nervous when a guy is being tabbed for a major breakthrough this early in camp. I’ll hope for the best, but reserve judgment until I see more.

Pittsburgh - Nothing I have heard out of Latrobe makes me think that the offensive line is going to be able to protect Ben Roethlisberger any more than they have recently. That’s a real concern. Big Ben has been sacked more than any other Steeler over a two year span. Now he doesn’t haven’t Alan Faneca, and there isn’t an impressive substitute. Ben hasn’t been entirely healthy for a while, and getting a beating again won’t help on that front. I don’t like Pittsburgh anyway, but the fact that they have done little to solve this obvious problem makes me think and hope that there will be value betting against this fairly public team.