DIDN’T SEE THAT COMING…

- Who knew that with the Bears in New Orleans to take on the Saints and Cam Newton hosting the defending champs that Raiders-Bills would be the most entertaining early game on Sunday? I’m pretty sure neither defense dressed for the second half but this game had it all: a major come-from-behind victory, plenty of big plays (that TD Denarius Moore caught from Jason Campbell was siiiick), and a last-minute touchdown pass on fourth down (see the photo above as Scott Chandler scores the game-winner). It’s actually fun to watch Ryan Fitzpatrick run Buffalo’s dare-I-say-high-powered offense.

- I was impressed by Cam Newton in his pro debut (how could you not be?), but I fully admit that I expected him to fall flat on his face against the Packers. Naturally he comes out and throws for over 400 yards again and is now on pace to pass for 6,832 yards this season. He’s also completing over 60% of his passes and had he not turned the ball over three times, I’m not so sure the Panthers don’t beat the Packers today. I don’t know if this is beginner’s luck or we’re seeing the next great thing at quarterback but I shudder to think what he’ll do once the game actually starts slowing down for him.

- Let me get this straight: the Ravens rack up 35 points on the Steelers’ defense but couldn’t muster more than a touchdown and two field goals against the Titans? Some were concerned that the Ravens would come out flat after their impressive win over the Steelers last Sunday and “some” were right. Matt Hasselbeck took advantage of a depleted Baltimore secondary all afternoon, completing 30 of his 42 pass attempts for 358 yards and a touchdown. Hasselbeck was helped by the fact that the Ravens wanted nothing to do with pressuring him as they finished with zero sacks.

- Jaguars win a gutsy 16-14 game over the Titans in their season opener, then fail to show up today and are blasted by the Jets, 32-3. Titans look hapless in Jacksonville last week, then came out on Sunday and romp a Raven team that destroyed the Steelers last week. The NFL is screwy, I tell ya.

AND YOU CALL YOURSELF A PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM…

- Somebody inform the Vikings that there are two halves in a football game because I’m not sure they’re aware. In its first two games, Minnesota has outscored its opponents 34-7 in the first half and has been outscored 41-3 in the second. Too many missed tackles and broken coverage for the Vikes’ defense again this week.

- The Answer: Protecting Joe Flacco, covering Kenny Britt and pressuring Matt Hasselbeck. The Question: Name three things the Baltimore Ravens had no interest in doing on Sunday.

- Football games are never decided by one play but if Chris Johnson intercepts that Ryan Fitzpatrick pass in the end zone with under a minute to play, the Raiders are heading back to Oakland with a 2-0 record to start the season.

- It’s going to be “one of those years” for the Chiefs. I don’t know what looked worse: Jamaal Charles’ injury or Kansas City’s defense for the second straight week. (Update: It has been confirmed that Charles is done for the year. What a horrible start to the Chiefs’ season after such a great 2010.)

- I don’t care how thick your blinders are when it comes to the Falcons: They were lucky tonight. And you must know I absolutely hate it when anyone says a team got lucky. Winning in the NFL has nothing to do with luck, but I don’t know how else to describe the Falcons’ first win of the 2011 season. I don’t classify turnovers as one team being lucky or unlucky. They’re part of the game – period. But the Eagles dominated the first half and yet the Falcons still led 14-10 at halftime. The Eagles dominated defensively (for the most part) and yet the Falcons still scored 35 points. If Michael Vick doesn’t exit the game in the third quarter, I don’t know if the Falcons win. In fact, they probably don’t. That said, a win is a win is a win is a…

- When can we start with the Andrew Luck-to-Indianapolis talk? Oh, we already have?

- I don’t want to hear any media members criticizing Jay Cutler this week. He looked jittery at times but anyone would look jittery if they had defenders draped all over them the second they took the snap. If it weren’t for Matt Forte the Bears wouldn’t have scored today thanks to shoddy play by their offensive line. (By the way, what are you waiting for, Jerry Angelo? Give Forte a new contact already – clearly he’s worth every penny.)

- Ladies and gentlemen, Luke McCown.

- I suppose that 20-for-29, 159-yard passing performance by Tarvaris Jackson buys him another shot to start next week, huh Pete Carroll? (Jackson was the Seahawks’ leading rusher today with 12 yards, so maybe I should cut him some slack.)

- Good tweet by Cardinals beat writer Kent Somers today: Panthers proved you can pass against Arizona. Washington proved you can run. Cardinals have proven they have problems on defense.

- Is it just me or does the Packers defense suddenly have an issue limiting the big play? It was another lackluster day for Dom Capers’ defense, this time against a rookie quarterback, no less.

- I’m not going to bemoan the Chargers for not winning in New England but at some point the Bolts are going to have to have that marquee win to give them the confidence heading into the postseason (if they make the postseason, that is). It seems like every year this team is a Super Bowl contender on paper, but it plays second-fiddle to the elite teams in the AFC.

“CHAMPIONSHIP…”

- I knew the Lions were going to be competitive this year. I even figured they would spend most of the season challenging for a playoff berth before finishing somewhere around .500. What I didn’t know was that they had already made plans to become an unstoppable rebel force poised to leave a path of destruction on their way to hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in February…

- Seriously, the Lions were unbelievable today. Every time I looked up they were in the red zone one minute and scoring the next. I’ll probably write this every week but if Matthew Stafford can stay healthy there’s no telling how far Detroit can go this season.

- Why were the Seahawks so willing to let Matt Hasselbeck walk this offseason? It’s befuddling. He’ll only take a team so far but he lit up a pretty solid Baltimore defense today for 358 yards and a touchdown. Even at his age, he’s five-times the quarterback Tarvaris Jackson is.

- Colt McCoy’s stat line: 22-of-32 for 211 yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs. He also spread the ball around to eight different receivers and only took one sack. He may not light it up on a weekly basis but the kid is going to be an efficient quarterback in Pat Schmur’s West Coast offense.

- I think LeGarrette Blount needs a small attitude adjustment but after voicing his disappointment with his limited role in the Bucs’ loss to the Lions last week, he made the most of his opportunities today. He carried the ball 13 times for 71 yards at a 5.5 yards-per-carry clip, and scored the game-winning touchdown (his second on the day) with 31 seconds remaining in the game. If he’s patient, he’s going to see his carries increase throughout the year and has a bright future in Tampa Bay’s offense.

- Mark Ingram only gained 3.6 yards per rush (14 carries, 51 yards) against the Bears, but those numbers aren’t indicative of how hard the rookie ran today. He’s going to allow Sean Payton to stay balanced with his playcalling and keep opponents on their heels, especially if Drew Brees (26-of-37, 270 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs) continues to light up defensive backfields.

- Unlike the Ravens, the Jets didn’t allow their emotional Week 1 victory stop them from coming out and crushing an inferior opponent on Sunday. Rex Ryan’s defense looked like it was in midseason form, forcing four turnovers and two sacks while making Luke McCown’s life a living nightmare.

- That was a gritty performance by the Redskins in the fourth quarter. They weren’t overly impressive by any means but this is a game the Skins have found a way to lose in the past. They outscored Arizona 12-7 in the fourth quarter and produced a huge turnover late in the game to seal the win. (They actually forced two turnovers on the Cardinals’ final offensive possession but one play was reversed.

- Say what you want about Tony Romo but any man who fractures a rib and comes back into a game earns my respect.

- Speaking of the Cowboys, they may have won the battle but they suffered a ton of injuries. Along with Romo’s injury, Miles Austin may be out until the team’s Week 5 bye after re-pulling his hamstring, while Felix Jones has a separated right shoulder. Oh, and Dez Bryant didn’t even play because of a quadriceps injury. This is the same nightmare Dallas just woke up from last year…

- The Texans are 2-0 but there’s no doubt that Arian Foster’s hamstring is going to be a problem for a while. I’m not a doctor and thankfully I don’t have to worry about making personnel decisions for a NFL team, but if I were the Texans I’d seriously consider allowing Foster to fully heal up for a couple of weeks. If they can manage without him while he recoveries, maybe he returns in the second half and has a monster rest of the season.

Jerome Harrison is currently working behind Montario Hardesty during OTAs. Obviously, this is a big blow to those fantasy owners hoping to find a solid RB2 in the third or fourth round in the form of Harrison. This looks like it’s shaping up to be a timeshare. Keep an eye on the competition as training camp wears on. Harrison was outstanding late last season and could be a steal if he wins back the job.

Felix Jones is looking better in the passing game. Jones is unlikely to get enough carries in the running game to become a true fantasy RB1, especially with Marion Barber vulturing goal line carries. But if he can become a regular fixture in the passing game, he could do some serious damage in PPR leagues.

Dustin Keller primed for a big year? The Jets have added some wrinkles in order to utilize Keller’s talents and Rex Ryan has said that Keller is likely to have more TDs than last season (2). He is a solid TE option for those owners who elect to wait on the position and play Tight End By Committee (TEBC).

Domenik Hixon is out for the season with a knee injury. This is a big blow to the Giants’ receiving corps, which will have to lean on Steve Smith and Hakeem Nicks even more this season. Move both players up a couple of spots on your cheatsheet.

Will Eddie Royal bounce back this year? He seems like a prime candidate since Brandon Marshall left town leaving Royal as the best and most proven receiver on the roster. Last year was a disaster, but Royal showed what he can do in his rookie season.

Vincent Jackson prepared to sit out until Week 11. This is bad news for his owners and for Phillip Rivers, but it could be good news for Antonio Gates and Malcom Floyd, who reportedly looks great in workouts.

Cowboys looking to get the ball to Witten in the red zone. He went for 94-1030 last year, but only caught two TD after averaging 5.5 the previous two seasons. If the Cowboys are serious about calling his number more in the red zone, it may mean Witten once again cracks the Top 5 in standard leagues.

Photo from fOTOGLIF

It appears that Marion Barber’s days as a starter are over in Dallas, as Chris Mortensen reports that Felix Jones will officially move to the top of the Cowboys’ depth chart at running back.

Barber finished with 214 rushing attempts last season, while Jones received 116. Those numbers will likely be reversed this season, with Jones getting the bulk of the carries. Tashard Choice is still expected to get some touches as well, seeing as how both Jones and Barber have issues staying healthy.

While this is certainly big news, the biggest question surrounding the Cowboys’ running game isn’t which back will start, but whether or not Doug Free can man the left tackle position now that Flozell Adams has been released. Dallas did not select an offensive tackle in last week’s draft, which was a huge vote of confidence for Free, who has very limited experience. Unless they re-sign Adams at some point, it looks like the 26-year-old Northern Illinois grad will start Week 1, because there is no depth behind him.

Photo from fOTOGLIF
]]> http://www.scoresreport.com/2010/04/30/felix-jones-now-the-starter-in-dallas/feed/ 0 http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/09/28/panthers%e2%80%99-issues-on-full-display-in-monday-night-loss-to-cowboys/ http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/09/28/panthers%e2%80%99-issues-on-full-display-in-monday-night-loss-to-cowboys/#comments Tue, 29 Sep 2009 04:34:02 +0000 Anthony Stalter http://www.scoresreport.com/?p=25376

For those who couldn’t tune into Monday night’s game between the Cowboys and the Panthers, you didn’t miss much.

The Cowboys were sloppy, the Panthers were sloppier and thus Dallas won the ultimate snooze fest 21-7. Victories are hard to come by in the NFL, but if I were Wade Phillips or Jerry Jones, I wouldn’t be breaking out the party favors and bubbly after this one.

The Panthers are bad – real bad. And it’s not fair to pin all of their problems on Jake Delhomme, who threw two more interceptions tonight to run his season total to 407. Delhomme has been bad, but he’s hardly the only reason why Carolina is 0-3 right now and has little to no chance of repeating as NFC South champions.

The Panthers might as well cheat and set up speed bumps on every play, because their run defense is horrible. The Cowboys rushed for 212 yards tonight on 32 carries (6.6 YPC) without Marion Barber as Carolina made Felix Jones and Tashard Choice look like Bo Jackson and Marcus Allen.

Another issue for the Panthers is their inability to convert on third down. They came into the game tonight ranked 26th in third-down conversions and then on cue, went 1 for 8 against Dallas. Teams can’t win in the NFL if they can’t convert on third downs and Carolina is living proof of that right now.

John Fox and his coaching staff don’t escape blame for the Panthers’ woes either. In three games this season, Carolina has zero third quarter points. That means Fox and his coaching staff is failing to make adjustments at half time and the players are at a disadvantage because they’re always trailing heading into the fourth quarter. I understand that Fox doesn’t pass, block or tackle, but zero third quarter points in three games is just one telltale sign that he has been completely outcoached.

The bye week couldn’t have come at a better time for Carolina. They need to figure out how to get back to running the football and taking the game out of Delhomme’s hands. They also need to use the ground attack to keep their Swiss cheese defense on the sidelines and control the time of possession. If they fail to do that, then the Panthers are going to continue to struggle and one has to wonder if Fox is long for his job in Carolina.

The Dallas Morning News is reporting that Marion Barber suffered a quad strain in the Cowboys’ 33-31 loss to the Giants on Sunday and could be held out against the Panthers, whom Dallas plays on Monday night.

An MRI taken Monday morning confirmed Barber suffered a quad strain. When asked later in the afternoon if the injury could force the running back to miss some time, head coach Wade Phillips said, “We’ll have to wait and see on that.”

How the injury responds in the next few days will determine if he’s able to play against Carolina.

This is the second year in a row where Barber has come out of the gates like a bat out of hell, only to suffer an injury to slow him down. Last season, he scored nine touchdowns in the first 13 weeks before a toe injury severely limited his production for the rest of the year.

If Barber can’t play, Felix Jones would get the start and split carries with Tashard Choice.

It was over when…
Tony Romo stepped up in the pocket and connected with WR Miles Austin 52 yards downfield for a touchdown through double coverage, giving the Cowboys a 26-9 lead with nine minutes left.

Game ball
Cowboys RB Marion Barber turned in the Cowboys’ first 100-yard rushing performance of the season, carrying 28 times for 142 yards. When Barber has at least 11 rush attempts, the Cowboys are 22-1.

Key stat
The Cowboys outgained the Packers on the ground 217 to 84. Dallas collected 13 of its 22 first downs on the ground, while 12 of the Packers’ 17 first downs came through the air.

Noteworthy
Sunday’s win was the Cowboys’ first at Lambeau Field. Including playoffs, Dallas is 1-5 all-time at Lambeau. The Cowboys’ three previous road victories over the Packers came in Milwaukee. … The Packers are 10-2 in their last 12 home games and 19-4 in their last 23 games overall. … The Cowboys are 12-1 in their last 13 road games. … Dallas has started 3-0 in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1976-77. … The Cowboys have won four in a row on Sunday night and are 16-14 all-time on Sunday night.

In the battle of quarterbacks, Romo was 17 of 30 passing for 260 yards, a touchdown and a pick, while Rodgers finished 22 of 39 for 290 yards. But Rodgers racked up most of his yards when Dallas got up big in the fourth quarter and allowed the Packers to complete underneath passes to keep the clock running.

But forget the quarterbacks, the difference-maker(s) for Dallas was Marion Barber and Felix Jones, who combined for 218 yards and two touchdowns. They set the table for the Cowboys offensively and the Packers couldn’t generate enough pressure on Romo because they had to honor the run. Conversely, Dallas’s defense was able to apply pressure on Rodgers all night because Green Bay couldn’t consistently run the ball. Ryan Grant’s fumble on the Packers’ opening position (which Dallas eventually turned into a 3-0 lead) didn’t help either.

For as good as Rodgers has been, the Packers need Grant and the running game to be productive. Especially when playing better defenses like Dallas.