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Posted by Matt Field

Now that the Titans have remembered that they are a pretty solid football team, they run into the next biggest game of the season. The opponent, the Houston Texans and those Texans can play some ball, when they want to.

So, we know the Titans will get their points, but can the defense find a way to limit the damage of a potentially explosive Texans attack?

Even with all the offense that will be on display, I believe the ‘W’ will hinge on the defensive play of both teams. In week 2, the Titans could find a rhythm on defense. That was week 2.

The Titans offense (Chris Johnson) is clicking and the defense is improving each week. I doubt their will be any issues with putting the points up, but when it comes to slowing the Texans the pass is where it’s at. The Texans’ running game has been weak this season and if you can limit the air attack, odds are that the ground game will not cause severe damage.

Speaking of running games: can Houston stop Titans’ running back Chris Johnson? Sure, they can stack the box and try to limit the rush, but CJ can burn you with the recieving game just as easily. Even with teams focusing on Johnson’s running talent, he is still on pace to rush for over 2,000 yards. A guy that used to be just a bright spot on a bad team is now leading the way on the current win streak and hints of MVP chatter have emerged.

Mix in the change at quarterback, going with Vince Young presents another challenge for opposing defenses. Depending on which Vince shows up, the Texans may have enough defense to keep up. If Young plays like he has lately, I like the Titans chances in any game.

With both teams getting it figured out on offense, the smarter defense will make the difference in this one. I expect miscues and turnovers to play a large role in Monday night’s game. If the Titans can limit the big plays of the Texans’ offense, extending the win streak to four games is within reach.

Enjoy the game!

Posted by Matt Field

A little Captain Morgan was a lot too much for the National Football league.

The Diageo-owned rum brand sacked some publicity when it coaxed Philadelphia Eagles tight end Brent Celek to strike its trademark captain’s pose after scoring a touchdown during last Sunday night’s Philadelphia-Dallas game in exchange for a $10,000 donation to a charity that supports retired NFL players.

But now the league is moving to make sure it won’t happen again, promising a “significant” penalty for the next player who pulls a similar stunt, although neither Mr. Celek nor teammate Jason Avant, who assisted with the pose, were fined this time.

The Captain Morgan stunt was, in effect, a double no-no for the NFL, which, like all leagues, has strict rules forbidding ambush marketing stunts on the field of play in order to protect the pricey exclusive deals signed by its own sponsors.

Beyond that, however, the league also forbids any active player or coach from endorsing alcoholic beverage brands, which, for instance, is why those goofy Coors Light press conference ads only feature retired coaches. Chastened — and no doubt reveling in the attention — Diageo trotted out the Captain himself to issue a statement via PR Newswire this afternoon.

“Captain Morgan here, as you know I believe in celebrating legendary times with my fans and my friends and always doing so in a socially responsible manner. I am a man of action, a man of the moment, and I always make fun a priority. And when it comes to football what is more fun than a touchdown? I believe in drinking responsibly, marketing responsibly and helping charities too, but understand my friends at the NFL’s perspective. I will continue in my quest for legendary times and ask my fans to do the same.”

The Chiefs have had a tough run this season and it’s about to get tougher. Dwayne Bowe has been suspended for violating the league’s drug policy. Bowe is to serve a four game suspension effective immediatley.

1.  New Orleans Saints (9-0) (Last week: 1).  Bad teams with nothing to lose could pose the greatest threat to an undefeated season.  Next up?  The Bucs.  

2.  Indianapolis Colts (9-0) (Last week: 2).  Like Apollo Creed at the end of Rocky I, the Colts don’t want a rematch.     

3.  Cincinnati Bengals (7-2) (Last week: 6).  Now that they can beat the good teams, the real challenge is whether they can dominate the bad ones.  

4.  Minnesota Vikings (8-1) (Last week: 5).  What can a good quarterback do for a receiver?  This year, Sidney Rice is playing like Jerry.  Previously, he was as good as Condoleezza.   

5.  New England Patriots (6-3) (Last week: 4).  Maybe Pats security chief Mark Briggs thought the guy with the camera was Matt Walsh.   

6.  Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3) (Last week: 3).  Maybe Jeff Reed thinks that if he makes a tackle he’ll be arrested for assault.      

7.  Arizona Cardinals (6-3) (Last week: 9).  Undefeated on the road and 2-3 at home, the Cardinals might want to avoid home-field advantage for the playoffs.

8.  San Diego Chargers (6-3) (Last week: 10).  The fact that L.T.’s wife is pregnant with their first child might cause some to wonder whether she’ll be able to take care of two crying babies.

9.  Baltimore Ravens (5-4) (Last week: 13).  With two games coming up against the Steelers, a sweep by either team could knock the other one out of the playoffs.
  
10.  Dallas Cowboys (6-3) (Last week: 7).  The slow disintegration of the NFC East continues.   

11.  Houston Texans (5-4) (Last week: 12).  Ah, the bye week.  A chance to relax, sit back, . . . and watch every other team in your division win their games.

12.  Denver Broncos (6-3) (Last week: 8).  Two home games in four days (Chargers, Giants) will go a long way toward determining whether Josh McDaniels’ first season in Denver is a success. 

13.  Philadelphia Eagles (5-4) (Last week: 11).  Thanksgiving is coming, which means these birds have been playing like real turkeys.  Again.      

14.  Green Bay Packers (5-4) (Last week: 16).  Maybe Charles Woodson should play offensive line.

15.  New York Giants (5-4) (Last week: 15).  The good news?  The Giants didn’t lose for a fifth straight weekend.
  
16.  Atlanta Falcons (5-4) (Last week: 14).  The road doesn’t get any easier this weekend against a rested Giants team in New York.   

17.  Miami Dolphins (4-5) (Last week: 18).  Joey Porter should take Kramer’s vow of silence, starting . . . . . now.

18.  Jacksonville Jaguars (5-4) (Last week: 20).  If the kneel-down by Maurice Jones-Drew had resulted in a missed field goal, the maneuver would have been forever known as “choppin’ wood.”  

19.  San Francisco 49ers (4-5) (Last week:  21).  The 49ers have finally found a quarterback who can consistently complete passes to their players.  It’s a shame he’s under contract with the Bears.

20.  Carolina Panthers (4-5) (Last week: 22).  Another week, another key player lost for the year.

21.  New York Jets (4-5) (Last week: 19).  Maybe G.M. Mike Tannenbaum and Browns coach Eric Mangini will be working together again next year.  In the UFL.  

22.  Chicago Bears (4-5) (Last week: 17).  For a moment on Thursday night, it occurred to me that maybe Jay Cutler is actually trying to get Lovie Smith fired.

23.  Tennessee Titans (3-6) (Last week: 25).  In the never-ending quest for new revenue streams, the team will now be selling a new commemorative line of foam fingers.   

24. Kansas City Chiefs (2-7) (Last week: 27).  If the Chiefs aren’t careful, they’ll blow their shot at another top-ten draft pick.

25.  Washington Redskins (3-6) (Last week: 28).  On the same day the Redskins decided to allow fans to bring signs into FedEx Field, the team gave them a reason to make signs that didn’t include swear words.

26. Buffalo Bills (3-6) (Last week: 23).  Why do we have a feeling that at least one of Bud Adams’ middle fingers was intended for T.O.?

27.  Seattle Seahawks (3-6) (Last week: 24).  Apparently, the meaning of the word “guarantee” has changed dramatically over the past four decades.     

 28.  Oakland Raiders (2-7) (Last week: 26).  Guys who run really fast always make for great receivers.  And if they’re fast enough, their speed might keep folks from noticing that they can’t catch.   

29.  Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-8) (Last week: 29).  If they’d given Josh Freeman the snaps in training camp, they might have more than one win right now.   

30.  St. Louis Rams (1-8) (Last week: 30).  We’ve got a feeling that, in their rematch with the Saints, the Rams will lose by a few more points than five. 

31.  Detroit Lions (1-8) (Last week: 31).  The Vikings let the Lions hang around, and they still found a way to lose by 17.

32.  Cleveland Browns (1-8) (Last week: 32).  In the end, the fans showed up.  And, as usual, the team didn’t.

Yeah, there’s going to be a few things to discuss in the wake of Indianapolis’ miraculous 35-34 victory over the Patriots Sunday night.

For now, we’ll write in amazement that the Colts scored two touchdowns in the final two and a half minutes to complete a 17-point fourth quarter comeback victory.

The focus will be on Bill Belichick’s decision to go for it on fourth-and-two from the New England 28-yard line with just over two minutes left to set up Peyton Manning’s game-winning drive. 

Brady completed a pass to Kevin Faulk, but he bobbled the catch and was marked short of the first down. We’d call the decision stunning, but Belichick has gone for some crazy fourth downs this year on his side of the field, such as against Atlanta.  That one worked; this one didn’t.

Belichick’s reasoning, right or wrong, was seemingly that he’d rather put the ball in Tom Brady’s hands with two yards to go for a win than give it to Peyton Manning — wherever the ball was on the field.  (And yes, the result will guarantee the call is universally called wrong.  Would the same be true if they converted?)

The Colts had two touchdown drives in the fourth quarter before the game-winning score by Reggie Wayne. One drive went 79 yards in two minutes and four seconds.  The other drive went 79 yards in one minute and forty nine seconds. 

Belichick’s decision shouldn’t distract from Indianapolis’ superlative performance.  They forced a fumble by Laurence Maroney on the goal line that kept them alive. Defensive end Robert Mathis was a terror.  The Colts were continuously almost down for the count, and found a way to stay alive, and ultimately make the plays to win.

Perhaps Manning wouldn’t have completed a longer drive; maybe he would have.

What he did was complete the three fourth quarter drives necessary to complete a remarkable comeback, and nearly guarantee a bye in the AFC playoffs.

Even when Sidney Rice is tightly covered, Brett Favre isn’t afraid to fire a pass downfield.

Favre’s new favorite receiver just keeps fighting through the contact and coming up with the ball, perhaps finally making Minnesota fans forget Randy Moss.

Favre passed for a season-high 344 yards, 201 to Rice, and the Vikings overcame several self-inflicted setbacks to beat the Detroit Lions 27-10 on Sunday.

“Sidney never surprises me,” said Adrian Peterson, who rushed for 133 yards and two touchdowns. “I have a nickname for him, and it’s ‘Showtime.’ He’s got it tattooed on his arm. It fits him well.”

Thanks to Favre’s arrival at quarterback and a summer spent working out with some of the game’s greatest receivers, Rice has emerged as quite a threat for the surging Vikings (8-1). What he lacks in speed he has made up for with precision, position and poise.

“It seems like each game he’s getting better and better,” said left tackle Bryant McKinnie. “Some of those catches are definitely Randy Moss-esque.”

The Lions (1-8) joined the Houston Oilers, from Nov. 21, 1982 through Nov. 4, 1984, as the only NFL teams to lose 31 games in a 33-game stretch, according to STATS.

“You see the progress and see that we’re improving,” linebacker Julian Peterson said. “We just can’t get over that extra hump.”

After a slew of injuries and more poor pass coverage, the Lions dropped their 12th straight at the Metrodome despite keeping another game close for three quarters.

“We came in with our first goal, which was to stop Adrian Peterson, but with Favre landing bombs like he did it was kind of hard,” linebacker DeAndre Levy said. “It throws off everyone, from the D-line to the cornerbacks.”

Peterson lost a fumble and threw a bad pitch to Percy Harvin for another turnover, both inside the Detroit 20 in the first half. The Vikings committed a season-most 13 penalties, totaling 91 yards.

“We’re not here to try to impress people,” linebacker Ben Leber said. “We’re here to get some wins.”

The Favre-Rice combination has been impressive, particularly in the past month. In the past four games, Rice has 27 receptions for 553 yards.

“Anyone can be stopped, but he sure is difficult to cover,” Favre said. “The type of plays he makes I think is what we all expect him to do.”

Rice wasn’t healthy much of last season, but he never found that connection with Tarvaris Jackson. Fittingly, when Jackson relieved Favre late in the game, Rice dropped his first throw.

Rice compared jockeying for the ball to boxing out for a rebound in basketball, a sport he considers his second favorite. Beyond that, what’s the secret to his success with Favre?

“Just communication and trust,” Rice said.

Matthew Stafford has had a rough rookie season, learning on the go with the Lions still dogged by glaring weaknesses a year after becoming the first 0-16 team in NFL history. This was his second game without an interception even against a fierce Vikings pass rush, though, and his receivers dropped a handful of passes.

“I’m not worried about Matt,” coach Jim Schwartz said. “Good gracious. We don’t need to sit there and worry about him every single time. It’s about this team, and we didn’t handle their pressure well.”

Keven Smith’s fumble—forced and recovered by Ray Edwards, who was all over the field—on the first play of the third quarter set up Peterson for a 27-yard run and a 1-yard score to stretch the lead to 17-3.

Stafford finished 29 for 51 for 224 yards and one touchdown, which brought the Lions within 17-10. They were going for it on fourth-and-1 at the Minnesota 48 late in the third quarter, but with the crowd roaring they called timeout to talk it over and then decided to punt.

Early in the fourth, Favre found Rice open for a 56-yard pass to set up a short touchdown toss to Jeff Dugan, essentially sealing the victory and moving the Vikings closer to clinching the NFC North.

NOTES: Favre’s 344 yards passing were third-most in NFL history by a 40-year-old quarterback

Why would a football player carry singles in their uniform pants? Heading to the strip club after the game? Buying off the refs? Or just throwing a little cheddar the Ravens’ offense’s way after having their way with them?

After leading the Minnesota Vikings to victory over the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field, Brett Favre said he would put the win high up on his list of the most satisfying games he has played at the stadium.

“It ranks high,” Favre said at his post-game press conference. “Where on that list? I don’t know. I was part of some pretty good games here as a Packer. But this is pretty high up on the list. … It was pretty awesome to be a part of it.”

Favre was asked about the way he was loudly booed by the Green Bay fans who once revered him, and he did his best to shrug it off, saying he can be proud of his time in Green Bay even if the fans of Green Bay don’t have warm feelings for him anymore.

“It was about what I expected,” Favre said. “It was probably worse every time I took the field … but I considered it a good thing. It’s better than saying nothing, I guess. I know what I did here. You can ask the teammates I played with here. … I would venture to think all the guys I played with would speak positively about the way I carried myself. … Although I wasn’t expecting a standing ovation, I know what I’ve done and what I stand for.”

Favre said he felt strange riding the visiting team’s bus into the stadium and looking at the fans who were there to greet the bus.
 
“I saw a mixture of everything,” Favre said. “Cheers, a couple fingers.”

But ultimately, no matter how many fans booed him or gave him the finger, Favre said he felt great playing in Green Bay again, even playing for the opposing team.

“I know how special these fans are,” Favre said. “I think deep down inside I know how they feel. Packer fans cheer for Packers first. I know that. I hope that everyone in the stadium watching tonight said, ‘That joker’s on the other side, but he does play the way he’s always played, with his passion and love of the game.’ As long as I play, that’s not going to change.”

As he walked away from the podium at the conclusion of his press conference, Favre grinned and said, “It was pretty fun.”

-PFT