What I Learned Sunday
1. Brett Favre has had a personality transplant. For the second straight game he played reasonably selfless team football, and it is working for him. He didn’t take any of the stupid risks that we have gotten used to, he settled for smaller plays that would have once driven him crazy, and he was stunningly efficient. If he can keep this up and not trip over his ego then he could really do something this year. I’m not betting on it, though – he can’t keep things under control for that long.
2. What a job Kurt Warner did of bouncing back from a substandard opening game. All he did was set the all-time NFL record for completion percentage when he completed 92.3 percent of his passes – 24 of 26. As long as he is capable of games like that the Cardinals are never out of contention. The Cards looked as good as a team can on both sides of the ball until later in the third when they had totally shut it down. Incidentally, the guy he passed in breaking the record was none other than Vinny Testaverde. I never would have guessed that.
3. I’m not entirely convinced of it, but I think I might actually believe in Rex Ryan and the Jets. I still think that there is going to be some growing pains with Sanchez, but I can’t say enough about the change in attitude that that team is showing. They are tough and gritty – a way that you couldn’t describe that team for a long, long time before Ryan arrived. I love the fact that Ryan called Belichick out and then backed it up. That’s the kind of thing that a team can really build on.
4. I know that I have said this before, but the Raiders will never be a good team with JaMarcus Russell at the helm. The guy was playing against a lousy, lousy defense that still can’t provide any pressure on a QB, and yet Russell could only manage to complete 7 of 24 passes. Pathetic. It’s not that he’s inaccurate,though – it’s that despite all ofhis experience and time in the league he looks like he has absolutely no clue what he is supposed to be doing. I don’t want to be mean to the guy or anything, but he just doesn’t seem smart enough to play the position, and all the physical tools in the world aren’t enough if you can’t think a little.
5. It was a good day for validation. Jake Delhomme still wasn’t good enough to make the Panthers relevant, but he was infinitely better than he was in the debut, and he gives the Panthers’ fans at least a little reason to live. Jay Cutler was much, much better for Chicago. He still has a ways to go – his yards per attempt were just 6.2 – but it shows progress. It was positive to see that he found seven different receivers for two or more catches.
6. I’m still not convinced that Brady Quinn deserves to be an NFL starting quarterback.
7. I mentioned before the season that I was high on the Niners, and after the last two games that certainly hasn’t changed. I love their intensity, I love how well their offensive line is playing, and I love that Shaun Hill is competent enough to manage a game. I also can’t say enough about that defense – it’s not perfect, but it sure plays with intensity and makes real plays when needed. Watching them play the Seahawks today left me feeling that there was clearly one playoff team on the field, and it isn’t Seattle.
8. I picked Green Bay to make the Super Bowl. The only way that that will possibly happen now is if they can learn to play on the offensive line in a hurry. There is absolutely no protection for Rodgers, and it is really hurting them in everything they are trying to do.
9. Do the Redskins even have an offense?
10. That Houston team we saw today is certainly playoff caliber. The Houston team we saw last week, though, isn’t even NFL caliber. Will the real Texans please stand up.
Related posts:
- 10 Things We Learned Sunday 1. The bas
- Ten Quick Thoughts From Sunday Afternoon 1. How in
- Ten Things I Learned From The NFL This Weekend 1. I still
Tags: Brady Quinn, Brett Favre, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Jake Delhomme, JaMarcus Russell, Kurt Warner, NFL, Rex Ryan, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins
