This game was as advertised if you were a gambler. Too terrific defenses and bad weather? If that doesn’t have the “under” written all over it, I don’t know what does.
It’s incredible how two quarterbacks can play so poorly and yet, their defenses mask their inabilities and still make them look okay.
By the way, I think Denver found a way to have a margin of success against the Ravens defense – so much so, that I think the rest of the NFL should all be watching the tape of this game.
Brian Billick and defensive coordinator Rex Ryan love to get guys moving before the snap in order to overload where they think the offense is going to go with the football. Denver did a nice job tonight in making a move by putting either a receiver or fullback in motion and then making a countermove after the Ravens defense adjusted. That created decent running lanes for Tatum Bell and provided the Broncos with enough offense to move the ball sporadically throughout the game.
Now of course, you still have to have the scheme and athletes like Denver has on offense in order to take advantage of my observation – it’s not like a just cracked the failsafe way to beat Baltimore’s defense, because obviously not a lot of teams are able to move an inch against Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs and Co.
Lets get into some of my random thoughts throughout this game:
– What an incredible effort by the Broncos defense tonight.
– Champ Bailey is the best overall cornerback in the NFL. He covers as well as he plays the run.
– McNair finally ran out of magic in the fourth quarter. It’s been about two weeks too long…
– Jamal Lewis had a very Jamal Lewis night didn’t he? 15 carries for 43 yards is just about what he’s averaging these days.
– They said it up in the broadcast booth, but I’ll echo it: how bad does Brett Favre miss having Javon Walker? Okay, maybe not that much considering rookie Greg Jennings is tearing the league up. Let me rephrase: how lucky is Jake Plummer to have Javon Walker to throw to now?
– Derek Mason is a solid receiver – when McNair can get him the ball.
– Comment of the night comes from Joe Thiesman who said this after McNair ran for a first down in the first quarter: “You (NFL quarterbacks) can’t make a living on running all the time.” Really? So, Michael Vick is one of the highest paid quarterbacks in the league because of his dead-on accuracy and pocket presence right?
– Speaking of Plummer – just start Jay Cutler, Mike Shanhanan, before Plummer ruins the season. The defense is playing way too well for this guy to muff it up for the Broncos.
– What’s with ESPN’s intro for these games? I’m not talking about Hank Williams Jr.’s theme song, but the one where a celebrity walks up to a camera on a crowded street, picks up a helmet and says something to the effect of: “are you ready for some football?” The celebrity than does some cheesetastic move with the helmet and then the rest of the intro is a one-minute GMC ad.
I didn’t mind it in the second week when they had Eva Longoria do it, but after seeing Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ashton Kutcher and Hugh Hefner headline the intro – I suddenly have a problem with it.
