Welcome back to Henry's rundown of all the action in week #8 of the NFL season. This time we're returning to the generic Q&A format, so take it away Hen!
Q. At this point in the season, who's the NFL MVP and why?
It's hard to tell. The usual favorites are all failing to do well in such an odd season.
Q. How about Coach of the Year?
At this point, either Jeff Fisher or Tony Sparano. Although Fisher's Titans have more wins, both coaches have turned around teams in turmoil.
Q. Rookie of the Year?
Chris Johnson, the quick Titans back. He's an integral part of the Titans' effective running attack, along with LenDale White.
Q. What coaches are on the hot seat right now? And in each case, is it their fault or are they just saddled with inferior personnel?
Marvin Lewis and Rod Marinelli, the coaches of the two 0-7 teams. They are saddled with inferior personnel, but they aren't introducing anything innovative to help their teams, like Tony Sparano is.
Q. I sure do like Mike Singletary. Liked him as a player; like him as a coach. Did you agree with his post-game rant? What do you think he was trying to accomplish?
Mike Singletary, usually known as a quiet coach, made a very disagreeable postgame rant. But he knows not to expect patience from the media, and also won't tolerate insubordination on what he's trying to establish as a smashmouth team.
Q. Elite NFL teams like the Colts, Patriots and Cowboys seem to be struggling this year. What's the problem?
They have to deal with injuries, i.e. Jeff Saturday, Tom Brady and several running backs and Tony Romo, respectively.
Q. In your 2009 NFL Preview, you picked the Super Bowl as Patriots-Cowboys. Care to revise that prediction? Who are the Super Bowl teams right now?
Well, now the Patriots have a chance to make it back to the AFC's elite, so don't count them out. But I can't submit a prediction. Why? There is no elite! The AFC's main good teams are the Patriots, Titans, Bills, Steelers and several 4-3 teams. The NFC has the Redskins, Giants, Panthers and even more 4-3 teams plus the 5-3 Cowboys.
Q. At this point, how would you assess the Brett Favre/Aaron Rodgers derby? Who's winning and why?
Well, the Packers and Jets are both 4-3. Both quarterbacks have been up-and-down. But right now, at least by public vote, it's Favre. We haven't seen Rodgers in a while. Rodgers has also been injured, and Brett Favre has just had many more memorable performances.
Q. Who's the most improved team in the NFL this season?
The 3-4 Dolphins. By adding a nice new set of personnel, along with the Wildcat formation, they've played well.
Q. Kind of an off question: Who's your favorite NFL broadcasting team and why?
Al Michaels and John Madden. Why not? They're pretty much the voices of football.
Q. What NFL websites do you habitually visit?
NFL.com is one. They're a great source for up-to-date news and transactions. I also frequent the NFL Transactions section of KFFL.com and the NFL section of ESPN.com.
Q. Now we come to the point where Hen can type whatever he wants.
Adam Schefter joked that Rob Ryan needs a Coors Light commercial earlier in the year; well, now Mike Singletary needs one too. Put him on the waiting list!
Monday, October 27, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
NFL Week 7 interview
We are back with our customary rundown of the past week's pro football action. Henry has requested this be brief, as he is busy watching the Patriots summarily dismantle the Broncos, so I'll try to be pithy.
Q. Gotta start with the Cowboys. Everyone's Super Bowl pick is looking pretty inept right now. What's behind this team's utter collapse?
Overconfidence could be one reason. Maybe they started paying attention to the fact that everyone had them as Super Bowl winners. Of course, Tony Romo was injured, and Brad Johnson had a rough day.
Q. Mike Nolan -- fired by the 49ers. Thoughts? Is Mike Singletary a good replacement?
Mike Singletary has been waiting for a head coaching job for a while, after employments with the Ravens and 49ers. As for Mike Nolan himself getting fired, he had been on the hot seat for a while. The 49ers have talent, but they couldn't take advantage of it.
Q. Suddenly the Saints look pretty wobbly. Reggie Bush is injured, and Bad Citizen Jeremy Shockey is running his mouth again. Can this team pull it together?
Maybe, but it'll be difficult. Things looked promising before, but they don't look as good now. Still, though, they have Drew Brees, who is one of the NFL's premier quarterbacks.,
Q. Quite a shootout between the Vikings and Bears, with Adrian Peterson managing 224 yards and multiple TDs in a losing effort. Are either of these teams viable?
Well, so much for the defenses in the NFC North. And yes, they could be viable, but keep in mind that they're 3-4 and 4-3, respectively.
Q. Pittsburgh beat up on the Bengals. Was this game boring or instructive?
Well, it wasn't a blowout forever. The Steelers rattled off a lot of quick touchdowns in the late fourth. At one point, they only had a seven-point lead.
Q. The Titans just keep rolling. I have to say, this is the unlikeliest undefeated team I've ever seen. Why do they keep winning?
I don't know. They have a nice running attack with LenDale White and Chris Johnson, but keep in mind they have the Colts next week.
Q. The Giants escaped a bit of a scare in San Francisco. Are the defending champs a playoff team?
If they continue to win. It might be difficult down the stretch, playing in the NFC East, but with the NFC East collapsing, it might not be as hard as it seems.
Q. The Houston0Detroit game was closer that you'd expect. Are the Lions rebuilding?
They made a nice comeback from being down 18. They only ended up losing the game by one touchdown. But yes, they're rebuilding. They and Cincinnati are the only two winless teams.
Q. How about this Brett Favre controversy? Apparently he spent over an hour tipping the Lions on how to beat his former team. Gross!
I heard on NBC's Football Night in America that he denied those reports. Although he's pretty bitter about getting traded from the Packers, it doesn't seem like the kind of thing he would do.
Q. Green Bay rolled over the Colts. What happened to faultless Peyton Manning?
The faultless Peyton Manning we knew hasn't shown up in a while. They're going into tough game against the Titans, who won't be overlooking this game.
Q. Go Raiders! Talk to me about your emotions as Janikowski nailed that record-setting field goal.
First of all, it seemed like there was a chance of a tie, as Janikowski's field goal came with less than five minutes left in overtime. It was a low-scoring game in general. But a 57-yard field goal? What are the odds of that? I was excited, despite the fact that it was another game we lost in the football pool.
Q. Meanwhile, my Seahawks are stinking up the joint. Is this season a total write-off?
Unfortunately, right now it appears so, unless they can start winning again.
Q. Redskins -- good or lousy? I can't tell. Perhaps a veteran NFL analyst like yourself has some perspective.
That was a close game. A scoreless first half made it seem like it was going to be rather boring, but with a touchdown and a two-point conversion when down 14-3, they made it a three-point game. Unfortunately, the Browns failed to convert and the Redskins held on. However, as I've said, I believe they still have to play all the teams in the NFC East at least once more.
Q. We're almost at the season's midpoint. What have you learned?
Well, the power rankings of the teams have definitely shifted a lot. Cincinnati's 0-7. The Titans are undefeated. The Colts are struggling to win games. But it looks like year-round under-the-radar contenders like the Steelers are taking advantage of that.
Q. Now comes everyone's favorite part of the blog -- when I hand the keyboard over to Henry to type whatever he wants.
If this pace keeps up, we'll have six coaches fired by the end of the season.
Q. Gotta start with the Cowboys. Everyone's Super Bowl pick is looking pretty inept right now. What's behind this team's utter collapse?
Overconfidence could be one reason. Maybe they started paying attention to the fact that everyone had them as Super Bowl winners. Of course, Tony Romo was injured, and Brad Johnson had a rough day.
Q. Mike Nolan -- fired by the 49ers. Thoughts? Is Mike Singletary a good replacement?
Mike Singletary has been waiting for a head coaching job for a while, after employments with the Ravens and 49ers. As for Mike Nolan himself getting fired, he had been on the hot seat for a while. The 49ers have talent, but they couldn't take advantage of it.
Q. Suddenly the Saints look pretty wobbly. Reggie Bush is injured, and Bad Citizen Jeremy Shockey is running his mouth again. Can this team pull it together?
Maybe, but it'll be difficult. Things looked promising before, but they don't look as good now. Still, though, they have Drew Brees, who is one of the NFL's premier quarterbacks.,
Q. Quite a shootout between the Vikings and Bears, with Adrian Peterson managing 224 yards and multiple TDs in a losing effort. Are either of these teams viable?
Well, so much for the defenses in the NFC North. And yes, they could be viable, but keep in mind that they're 3-4 and 4-3, respectively.
Q. Pittsburgh beat up on the Bengals. Was this game boring or instructive?
Well, it wasn't a blowout forever. The Steelers rattled off a lot of quick touchdowns in the late fourth. At one point, they only had a seven-point lead.
Q. The Titans just keep rolling. I have to say, this is the unlikeliest undefeated team I've ever seen. Why do they keep winning?
I don't know. They have a nice running attack with LenDale White and Chris Johnson, but keep in mind they have the Colts next week.
Q. The Giants escaped a bit of a scare in San Francisco. Are the defending champs a playoff team?
If they continue to win. It might be difficult down the stretch, playing in the NFC East, but with the NFC East collapsing, it might not be as hard as it seems.
Q. The Houston0Detroit game was closer that you'd expect. Are the Lions rebuilding?
They made a nice comeback from being down 18. They only ended up losing the game by one touchdown. But yes, they're rebuilding. They and Cincinnati are the only two winless teams.
Q. How about this Brett Favre controversy? Apparently he spent over an hour tipping the Lions on how to beat his former team. Gross!
I heard on NBC's Football Night in America that he denied those reports. Although he's pretty bitter about getting traded from the Packers, it doesn't seem like the kind of thing he would do.
Q. Green Bay rolled over the Colts. What happened to faultless Peyton Manning?
The faultless Peyton Manning we knew hasn't shown up in a while. They're going into tough game against the Titans, who won't be overlooking this game.
Q. Go Raiders! Talk to me about your emotions as Janikowski nailed that record-setting field goal.
First of all, it seemed like there was a chance of a tie, as Janikowski's field goal came with less than five minutes left in overtime. It was a low-scoring game in general. But a 57-yard field goal? What are the odds of that? I was excited, despite the fact that it was another game we lost in the football pool.
Q. Meanwhile, my Seahawks are stinking up the joint. Is this season a total write-off?
Unfortunately, right now it appears so, unless they can start winning again.
Q. Redskins -- good or lousy? I can't tell. Perhaps a veteran NFL analyst like yourself has some perspective.
That was a close game. A scoreless first half made it seem like it was going to be rather boring, but with a touchdown and a two-point conversion when down 14-3, they made it a three-point game. Unfortunately, the Browns failed to convert and the Redskins held on. However, as I've said, I believe they still have to play all the teams in the NFC East at least once more.
Q. We're almost at the season's midpoint. What have you learned?
Well, the power rankings of the teams have definitely shifted a lot. Cincinnati's 0-7. The Titans are undefeated. The Colts are struggling to win games. But it looks like year-round under-the-radar contenders like the Steelers are taking advantage of that.
Q. Now comes everyone's favorite part of the blog -- when I hand the keyboard over to Henry to type whatever he wants.
If this pace keeps up, we'll have six coaches fired by the end of the season.
Monday, October 13, 2008
NFL Week 6 Interview
It's a crazy season, and I'm here with a crazy NFL analyst. Welcome, Henry. For a change of pace, I want to occasionally focus on coaching today. But first...
Q. Talk about the little bit of NFL history we saw made this weekend. It was certainly your kind of play.
A blocked punt -- much more common in college than in the NFL -- was returned for a touchdown as Arizona beat Dallas in overtime. When you think about it, it's not very unusual that this never happened before. Blocked punts are really rare, and although there have been a few this season, the chances of one showing up in overtime are astronomical.
Q. Tony Romo -- out for four weeks, broken pinky. Fatal for the Cowboys?
Maybe. Brad Johnson is an OK backup who they signed off the free agent market this offseason, but yes, it will really affect them.
Q. How cool is Kurt Warner? I don't like Matt Leinart, but I actually feel a bit bad for him sitting idle on the bench.
Well, Kurt Warner actually isn't looking too bad. He's been very erratic at some points, and he's also looked really accurate at some other points.
Q. Would you keep starting him, or give Leinart a shot?
Unless he starts doing really badly and the Cardinals start losing, Ken Whisenhunt shouldn't give the job to Matt Leinart. Although he's been on the bench for a while, he still hasn't done anything to prove he should have the job.
Q. Leinart, Tarvaris Jackson, Vince Young... a lot of promising young franchise quarterbacks are getting benched this season. Why?
Mostly because of ineffectiveness. Also, they haven't just been ineffective, they've been inconsistent. That quarterback draft class (2006) hasn't looked as good as they were supposed to be.
Q. The Rams finally picked up a win. Is Jim Haslett making a difference to this team, or was he just lucky?
Well, he might be, but he said himself that the team was practicing hard and really wanted a win -- and they did get it.
Q. Those crazy Dolphins! I know they narrowly lost to the Texans, but they sure looked impressive with all those insane Wildcat variations. Is this Tony Sparano or Bill Parcells?
I don't think it's either of them. Offensive coordinator Dan Henning probably had to run the idea through Parcells and Sparano, but it wasn't him, either. The Dolphins' quarterbacks coach observed the formation while he was at Arkansas.
Q. Go Falcons! Mike Smith is doing a great job, and the fact that he has a neo-Tom-Brady in Matt Ryan sure doesn't hurt. Is this a playoff team?
If they can continue on like this. That was a great 11-second drive by the Falcons offense to set up Jason Elam.
Q. Jaguars and Broncos -- big, muscular teams that can put up a lot of points. I know the Jags got the victory, but are they actually better?
Well, the Broncos didn't really do their best. There was a lot of room for improvement, especially for Jay Cutler. As for the Jaguars, they just took advantage of what was not an outstanding performance.
Q. The Eagles turned it on to beat the Niners, but even so, people are starting to ask pointed questions about Andy Reid. Has the game passed him by?
It doesn't look like that yet. The Eagles had a nice victory over the 49ers, which for some reason doesn't prove to me that Andy Reid should no longer be their head coach.
Q. Indy beat up on Baltimore. I can't figure these Ravens out. You?
They are very inconsistent. Joe Flacco has been really up and down. I thought he was overrated coming out of college, but he has looked OK. The Ravens, however, are going to have to stick to their good side to produce a playoff berth.
Q. Poor Raiders. I wish they'd kept Lane Kiffin. I'm starting to feel like this season is a writeoff.
What season isn't? The Raiders lost a lot of momentum, and it doesn't look like Tom Cable is going to be able to help them much, with little head-coaching experience.
Q. Minnesota-Detroit was a battle of the mediocres. Which of these teams has something to build on?
Both teams. The Vikings had no reason to be needing a last-second field goal to beat the winless Lions, especially the Lions with Dan Orlovsky at quarterback.
Q. The Orlovsky safety -- worst play of the year?
It was not that great. You can't really call Orlovsky an inexperienced quarterback -- he has played for the Lions in several situations over a few seasons.
Q. Once again Jeff Garcia is gunning for the starting job in Tampa. Why won't anyone take this guy seriously?
He doesn't have a great record. His breakout seasons were with the 49ers, then he went to mediocre Browns and Lions teams. He showed some nice flashes as a backup for the Eagles, but hasn't really done anything with the Buccaneers yet.
Q. My Seahawks seem to have a problem with stinking. Can they pull it together?
Well, this game was actually looking kind of promising, but then they got outscored 17-6 after it was 10-10. However, things are looking up a bit, because this was without Matt Hasselbeck and Seneca Wallace.
Q. The Chargers sure made a statement against New England. Are these teams going in opposite directions?
That's a good question. The question is, are the Patriots are going to be the good team without Tom Brady that beat the Chiefs and 49ers, or the bad team that lost to the Dolphins and Chargers?
Q. Who's your Coach of the Year at this point?
At this point, it's hard to tell. There aren't really any emergent Super Bowl favorites yet. There are only two undefeated teams, and one is the Giants, who are trailing Cleveland 35-14 in the fourth quarter. The other, the Titans, have only played five games, not six.
Q. Yes, but what coach is doing the most with the least at this point in the season?
Not to sound evasive, but there are a lot of coaches who could fill that. Mike Smith is one, if the Falcons continue to do well.
Q. Now I hand the keyboard over to Henry to type whatever he wants.
Does Dan Orlovsky have bad vision, or has the end zone suddenly expanded?
Q. Talk about the little bit of NFL history we saw made this weekend. It was certainly your kind of play.
A blocked punt -- much more common in college than in the NFL -- was returned for a touchdown as Arizona beat Dallas in overtime. When you think about it, it's not very unusual that this never happened before. Blocked punts are really rare, and although there have been a few this season, the chances of one showing up in overtime are astronomical.
Q. Tony Romo -- out for four weeks, broken pinky. Fatal for the Cowboys?
Maybe. Brad Johnson is an OK backup who they signed off the free agent market this offseason, but yes, it will really affect them.
Q. How cool is Kurt Warner? I don't like Matt Leinart, but I actually feel a bit bad for him sitting idle on the bench.
Well, Kurt Warner actually isn't looking too bad. He's been very erratic at some points, and he's also looked really accurate at some other points.
Q. Would you keep starting him, or give Leinart a shot?
Unless he starts doing really badly and the Cardinals start losing, Ken Whisenhunt shouldn't give the job to Matt Leinart. Although he's been on the bench for a while, he still hasn't done anything to prove he should have the job.
Q. Leinart, Tarvaris Jackson, Vince Young... a lot of promising young franchise quarterbacks are getting benched this season. Why?
Mostly because of ineffectiveness. Also, they haven't just been ineffective, they've been inconsistent. That quarterback draft class (2006) hasn't looked as good as they were supposed to be.
Q. The Rams finally picked up a win. Is Jim Haslett making a difference to this team, or was he just lucky?
Well, he might be, but he said himself that the team was practicing hard and really wanted a win -- and they did get it.
Q. Those crazy Dolphins! I know they narrowly lost to the Texans, but they sure looked impressive with all those insane Wildcat variations. Is this Tony Sparano or Bill Parcells?
I don't think it's either of them. Offensive coordinator Dan Henning probably had to run the idea through Parcells and Sparano, but it wasn't him, either. The Dolphins' quarterbacks coach observed the formation while he was at Arkansas.
Q. Go Falcons! Mike Smith is doing a great job, and the fact that he has a neo-Tom-Brady in Matt Ryan sure doesn't hurt. Is this a playoff team?
If they can continue on like this. That was a great 11-second drive by the Falcons offense to set up Jason Elam.
Q. Jaguars and Broncos -- big, muscular teams that can put up a lot of points. I know the Jags got the victory, but are they actually better?
Well, the Broncos didn't really do their best. There was a lot of room for improvement, especially for Jay Cutler. As for the Jaguars, they just took advantage of what was not an outstanding performance.
Q. The Eagles turned it on to beat the Niners, but even so, people are starting to ask pointed questions about Andy Reid. Has the game passed him by?
It doesn't look like that yet. The Eagles had a nice victory over the 49ers, which for some reason doesn't prove to me that Andy Reid should no longer be their head coach.
Q. Indy beat up on Baltimore. I can't figure these Ravens out. You?
They are very inconsistent. Joe Flacco has been really up and down. I thought he was overrated coming out of college, but he has looked OK. The Ravens, however, are going to have to stick to their good side to produce a playoff berth.
Q. Poor Raiders. I wish they'd kept Lane Kiffin. I'm starting to feel like this season is a writeoff.
What season isn't? The Raiders lost a lot of momentum, and it doesn't look like Tom Cable is going to be able to help them much, with little head-coaching experience.
Q. Minnesota-Detroit was a battle of the mediocres. Which of these teams has something to build on?
Both teams. The Vikings had no reason to be needing a last-second field goal to beat the winless Lions, especially the Lions with Dan Orlovsky at quarterback.
Q. The Orlovsky safety -- worst play of the year?
It was not that great. You can't really call Orlovsky an inexperienced quarterback -- he has played for the Lions in several situations over a few seasons.
Q. Once again Jeff Garcia is gunning for the starting job in Tampa. Why won't anyone take this guy seriously?
He doesn't have a great record. His breakout seasons were with the 49ers, then he went to mediocre Browns and Lions teams. He showed some nice flashes as a backup for the Eagles, but hasn't really done anything with the Buccaneers yet.
Q. My Seahawks seem to have a problem with stinking. Can they pull it together?
Well, this game was actually looking kind of promising, but then they got outscored 17-6 after it was 10-10. However, things are looking up a bit, because this was without Matt Hasselbeck and Seneca Wallace.
Q. The Chargers sure made a statement against New England. Are these teams going in opposite directions?
That's a good question. The question is, are the Patriots are going to be the good team without Tom Brady that beat the Chiefs and 49ers, or the bad team that lost to the Dolphins and Chargers?
Q. Who's your Coach of the Year at this point?
At this point, it's hard to tell. There aren't really any emergent Super Bowl favorites yet. There are only two undefeated teams, and one is the Giants, who are trailing Cleveland 35-14 in the fourth quarter. The other, the Titans, have only played five games, not six.
Q. Yes, but what coach is doing the most with the least at this point in the season?
Not to sound evasive, but there are a lot of coaches who could fill that. Mike Smith is one, if the Falcons continue to do well.
Q. Now I hand the keyboard over to Henry to type whatever he wants.
Does Dan Orlovsky have bad vision, or has the end zone suddenly expanded?
Sunday, October 05, 2008
NFL Week 5 Interview
Once again, I'm here with sports analyst Henry to run down all the exciting action in Week 5 of the NFL season.
Q. I want to start by talking about the few remaining undefeated teams. Who are they, and are they actually that good?
A. Well, they're the Titans and Giants. They've both played a couple of tough games, but it's hard to tell who's tough and who isn't because of what's been going on in the AFC. Also, despite the NFC being very strong, the strong teams are eventually going to meet each other.
Q. Now the winless teams. Who are they, and are they actually that bad?
A. Bengals, Texans, Rams and Lions. Yes, they are that bad. The Bengals have had chances to beat tough NFC East teams, but haven't succeeded. The Texans can't hold onto leads. And the Lions and Rams are just bad.
Q. How about the Texans' epic collapse today? Was it all Sage Rosenfels' fault?
A. He shouldn't have fumbled the ball, but keep in mind that those plays were scramble runs, which probably happened because nobody was open.
Q. This crazy Dolphins offense... Can they actually make a run with this deranged two-RB attack?
A. Perhaps. But they still have to play the Jets again, the Patriots again, the Bills, the AFC West... It doesn't look good down the stretch. But they have beaten the Chargers and Patriots.
Q. Are the Dolphins a playoff team?
A. We'll see if they can turn it around. However, we are only five games into the season, and for the Dolphins four.
Q. Who deserves credit for the turnaround?
A. Give credit to the Dolphins' staff and the players both. The staff surprised other teams with the Wildcat formation, and Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams and the rest of the offense have executed it well.
Q. Someone else tried the direct snap today, didn't they?
A. That was the Patriots, but not in the Wildcat formation. It was a direct snap to Kevin Faulk in a goal-line situation.
Q. Speaking of the goal line, what's with Andy Reid and the Eagles' goal-line approach? He keeps trying to punch it in and failing.
A. That's something they're definitely going to have to work on, especially because they play in one of the toughest divisions.
Q. Does that goal-line approach bespeak a lack of confidence in Donovan McNabb's passing?
A. It could be that, or it could just be bad play-calling. And remember, this time it wasn't a goal-to-go situation. They had a short first down inside the ten-yard line. So they could have gotten a first down before a touchdown.
Q. The Seahawks got brutalized today. What happened?
A. Maybe getting back the receivers didn't help the Seahawks after all. They looked just as bad in their 44-6 loss.
Q. That Chiefs blowout today made me think maybe the Panthers are for real. You?
A. They've looked really good, but remember that it was a 34-0 blowout against the Chiefs.
Q. Overall: Exciting week or boring week? I thought it was fairly boring.
A. Fairly boring, but there weren't too many prime-time matchups. The Colts' comeback was nice, though.
Q. Five games into the season, what has surprised you the most?
A. The fact that the only undefeated team in the AFC is the Titans -- the Kerry-Collins-led Titans.
Q. I'm very surprised by the Redskins and the Cardinals. Perennial disappointments, both these teams look almost competent. What do you think?
A. Competent is a bit of an understatement. The Redskins made a comeback victory over the Eagles, and the Cardinals destroyed the Bills.
Q. What team is the biggest disappointment so far?
A. The Texans. Several people, including ESPN The Magazine, didn't envision Houston being winless at this point in the season.
Q. Any other standout performances from Week 5 you'd care to note?
A. Standing out in a bad way was Brian Griese's less-than-100-yard performance after putting up huge numbers in previous games. He did get injured late in the game, and was replaced by Jeff Garcia, who completed the same amount of passes in a lower number of attempts.
Q. Now comes the part where I hand the keyboard over to Henry to type anything he wants.
A. Is there ever going to be a time when we know whether a quarterback is sitting out a game or not?
Q. I want to start by talking about the few remaining undefeated teams. Who are they, and are they actually that good?
A. Well, they're the Titans and Giants. They've both played a couple of tough games, but it's hard to tell who's tough and who isn't because of what's been going on in the AFC. Also, despite the NFC being very strong, the strong teams are eventually going to meet each other.
Q. Now the winless teams. Who are they, and are they actually that bad?
A. Bengals, Texans, Rams and Lions. Yes, they are that bad. The Bengals have had chances to beat tough NFC East teams, but haven't succeeded. The Texans can't hold onto leads. And the Lions and Rams are just bad.
Q. How about the Texans' epic collapse today? Was it all Sage Rosenfels' fault?
A. He shouldn't have fumbled the ball, but keep in mind that those plays were scramble runs, which probably happened because nobody was open.
Q. This crazy Dolphins offense... Can they actually make a run with this deranged two-RB attack?
A. Perhaps. But they still have to play the Jets again, the Patriots again, the Bills, the AFC West... It doesn't look good down the stretch. But they have beaten the Chargers and Patriots.
Q. Are the Dolphins a playoff team?
A. We'll see if they can turn it around. However, we are only five games into the season, and for the Dolphins four.
Q. Who deserves credit for the turnaround?
A. Give credit to the Dolphins' staff and the players both. The staff surprised other teams with the Wildcat formation, and Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams and the rest of the offense have executed it well.
Q. Someone else tried the direct snap today, didn't they?
A. That was the Patriots, but not in the Wildcat formation. It was a direct snap to Kevin Faulk in a goal-line situation.
Q. Speaking of the goal line, what's with Andy Reid and the Eagles' goal-line approach? He keeps trying to punch it in and failing.
A. That's something they're definitely going to have to work on, especially because they play in one of the toughest divisions.
Q. Does that goal-line approach bespeak a lack of confidence in Donovan McNabb's passing?
A. It could be that, or it could just be bad play-calling. And remember, this time it wasn't a goal-to-go situation. They had a short first down inside the ten-yard line. So they could have gotten a first down before a touchdown.
Q. The Seahawks got brutalized today. What happened?
A. Maybe getting back the receivers didn't help the Seahawks after all. They looked just as bad in their 44-6 loss.
Q. That Chiefs blowout today made me think maybe the Panthers are for real. You?
A. They've looked really good, but remember that it was a 34-0 blowout against the Chiefs.
Q. Overall: Exciting week or boring week? I thought it was fairly boring.
A. Fairly boring, but there weren't too many prime-time matchups. The Colts' comeback was nice, though.
Q. Five games into the season, what has surprised you the most?
A. The fact that the only undefeated team in the AFC is the Titans -- the Kerry-Collins-led Titans.
Q. I'm very surprised by the Redskins and the Cardinals. Perennial disappointments, both these teams look almost competent. What do you think?
A. Competent is a bit of an understatement. The Redskins made a comeback victory over the Eagles, and the Cardinals destroyed the Bills.
Q. What team is the biggest disappointment so far?
A. The Texans. Several people, including ESPN The Magazine, didn't envision Houston being winless at this point in the season.
Q. Any other standout performances from Week 5 you'd care to note?
A. Standing out in a bad way was Brian Griese's less-than-100-yard performance after putting up huge numbers in previous games. He did get injured late in the game, and was replaced by Jeff Garcia, who completed the same amount of passes in a lower number of attempts.
Q. Now comes the part where I hand the keyboard over to Henry to type anything he wants.
A. Is there ever going to be a time when we know whether a quarterback is sitting out a game or not?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
