The 15-Play Drive

15 thoughts on week-7 in the NFL...

1. Tim Tebow still looks like more gimmick than godsend at quarterback for the Broncos. Give him credit for elevating his play in the 4th quarter and overtime. But prior to that, he was 3 of 8-passing for 24-yards. After the win, Tebow said: "I just have to play better in the first 3-quarters, so we don't have to make that comeback in the 4th." Had they played a team more capable than Miami, meaning the rest of the NFL, Denver wouldn't have had a chance to rally. That game would've been out of reach well before the final 15-minutes.

2. Don't show your face in public this week Norv Turner. Rex Ryan called you out, you responded, and then your team wilted in the 2nd half. Maybe Ryan was right...He would've had a few rings had he gotten the Chargers job instead of Turner.

3. Just a suggestion...San Diego might want to take some time to work on their hurry up offense this week. Trailing the Jets 27-21 with 1:36 remaining, Philip Rivers and company took the field at their own 24-yard line. Following an 18-yard completion to tight end Antonio Gates, the Chargers looked clueless. They took entirely too long to run the next play, which was a totally meaningless 3-yard completion. With the clock still running and no timeouts, Rivers hit running back Ryan Matthews in bounds for all of 4-yards, then threw an incomplete pass out of bounds. Those 4-plays left them with just 11-seconds, and on 4th and 3, Rivers inexplicably threw the ball out of bounds again. Pathetic.

4. Felix Jones has been officially Wally Pipped by DeMarco Murray. The Cowboys rookie running back set a new single game team rushing record with his 253-yard performance against the Rams Sunday. Considering this is a franchise that's featured the likes of Emmitt Smith and Tony Dorsett, what Murray accomplished was extremely impressive. And barring an injury, Murray relegated Jones to back up status.

5. Why are you attempting an onside kick with over 2-minutes to go and 2-timeouts in your pocket John Harbaugh? Down 9-7 to the Jaguars Monday night with 2:02 to go, the Ravens head coach decided to gamble rather than trust one of the league's best defenses. The move backfired as Jacksonville recovered, and then added a Josh Scobee field goal for a stunning 12-7 victory.

6. It's time for the Ravens to be concerned about quarterback Joe Flacco. Now in his 4th year, Baltimore's QB appears to have seriously regressed. Flacco's completing just 52-percent of his pass attempts, and looks panicked against the blitz. 6 of his 8-TD passes came in 2-games...In the other 4, he's thrown for just 2-touchdowns with 5-interceptions.

7. How ineffective has Titans running back Chris Johnson been this season? He has exactly 2-more yards rushing than Panthers quarterback Cam Newton. I thought Johnson's holdout was warranted, and he deserved the new contract he eventually received. That said, he's yet to earn a penny of that 53-million dollar extension. Counting his 18-yard rushing day against the Texans, Johnson has been held to 55-yards or less in 5 of Tennessee's 6-games.

8. Speaking of Cam Newton, the Panthers rookie QB put together another terrific all around performance Sunday. In Carolina's 33-20 victory over Washington, Newton connected on 18 of 23-passes for 256-yards and a touchdown...He also ran for 59-yards and a score. When I asked Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith about how impressive Newton has been this season, he responded with this: "From the outsiders, you're blown away. But I get to see how much work he puts in. I'm not surprised by his success."

9. I'm sure you already know this, but you shouldn't have been flagged for roughing the passer Clay Matthews. The Packers linebacker put a clean shot on Vikings rookie QB Christian Ponder in the 4th quarter Sunday. However, Ponder's 16-yard completion turned into a 31-yard gain when Matthews was given a penalty. I understand the league is trying to protect its players, but it occurs to me that you can't hit the quarterback too high, too low, or too hard now...Just give the QB's a red jersey and get it over with.

10. I don't care if your quarterback is Peyton Manning, Bert Jones, Art Schlichter or Curtis Painter...If your defense can't make a stop, you can't win the game. The Colts pulled an absolute no show Sunday night, and they should be embarrassed. In their 62 to 7 loss at New Orleans, Indianapolis gave up 36-1st downs and 557-total yards of offense. That's more than about a lack of playmakers...That's a lack of heart.

11. The Todd Collins award of the week goes to the combination of Kyle Boller and Carson Palmer. The Raiders quarterback duo combined to throw 6-interceptions, 2 of which were returned for touchdowns, in their 28-0 defeat at the hands of the Chiefs.

12. Atlanta finally dusted off Michael Turner the last 2-weeks, and the results have been positive. Through the Falcons first 5-games, Turner averaged under 18-carries. In back to back wins against the Panthers and Lions, Turner ran the ball 54-times for 261-yards. Even wide receiver Roddy White admitted their ground game should be the focal point. White told me and Steve Torre on the Sunday Drive: "We're a run first football team." Up until the last 2-weeks though, that hadn't been the case.

13. Those were some smooth moves Matt Forte. The Bears running back certainly wasn't experiencing any jet lag as he put on a cut back clinic in London. Forte left at least four Buccaneers defenders in the dust with a pair of cut back moves on the way to a 32-yard touchdown run in the 1st quarter Sunday.

14. Let me be the one to throw cold water on the NFL putting a franchise in London...It's not going to happen. This is a league that still doesn't have a team in Los Angeles. There's a better chance of Tony Sparano coaching the Dolphins next year, then the NFL moving a franchise overseas. On top of that, I've never been a fan of the London games. For a league that touts its competitive balance to have Tampa Bay to play a "home" game at Wembley Stadium is ridiculous.

15. Can't say enough about Texans running back Arian Foster, who was a one man wrecking crew against the Titans Sunday. With Houston missing franchise wide receiver Andre Johnson, Foster not only rushed for 115-yards and 2-TD's, he also led the team in receiving with 5-catches for 119-yards and a touchdown. That's what you call taking over a game...Are you paying attention Chris Johnson?

The 15-Play Drive

15 thoughts on week-6 in the NFL...

1. Only Jim Harbaugh and Jim Schwartz know what really happened during their exchange at midfield following the 49ers victory over the Lions Sunday. That being said, no matter what transpired, Schwartz was out of line going after Harbaugh the way he did. He looked like an immature player who gets hit after the whistle, overreacts and ends up with a 15-yard penalty. Niners tight end Delanie Walker told me and Steve Torre on the Sunday Drive: "You've got to understand, when you're coming into a house that's 5-0 emotions are high. We took the win away from them. Things happen. That's coaches. They get emotional too especially when it's a big game like this."

2. Here's the understatement of the year...I caught up with Eagles safety Kurt Coleman after they beat the Redskins 20 to 13, and when I asked about his individual performance, Coleman responded with this: "I was able to read Rex all day." No kidding. Coleman had 3-interceptions, and the Eagles picked off Rex Grossman 4-times.

3. Amazing what happens when you win the turnover battle. Coming into week-6, the Eagles had three more turnovers than any other team in the NFL. Sunday, their turnover differential was +2.

4. On the flip side, the Bills were +11 and had scored 72-points off turnovers heading into their meeting with the Giants. But in their 27-24 loss, Buffalo QB Ryan Fitzpatrick threw a pair of crucial interceptions, while the Giants never did give the ball away.

5. It's time to find a happy medium Jason Garrett. The Cowboys head coach was too aggressive when Dallas had a 27 to 3 lead at home against the Lions in week-4. Sunday, he was far too conservative with a 16-13 edge over the Patriots in the 4th quarter. Dallas had the ball at their own 28-yard line with 3:36 remaining. They proceeded to run the ball twice, with DeMarco Murray losing a combined 3-yards on those 2-plays. Then, following a false start penalty, they ran it again. Those 3-plays took exactly 54-seconds off the clock, and gave Tom Brady all the time he needed to lead the Patriots on a game winning 80-yard drive.

6. Speaking of coaching decisions, give Hue Jackson credit for understanding that without QB Jason Campbell, the Raiders offense was going nowhere. So instead of hoping Oakland's defense could hold a 10-point 3rd quarter lead, Jackson rolled the dice and his gamble paid off big time. Facing 4th and 20 at the Browns 35-yard line, the Raiders lined up for a 52-yard field goal attempt. But rather than settle for a potential 20 to 7 advantage, Oakland faked it, and the result was a 35-yard TD pass from punter/holder Shane Lechler to tight end Kevin Boss. Right call at the right time.

7. Before you think I'm about to elevate Hue Jackson to Bill Belichick status, the Raiders head coach also got away with an awful decision in the 4th quarter. Now leading 24-10, Oakland faced 4th and 1 at the Browns 5-yard line. Logic tells you take the chip shot field goal and make it a 3-possession game. Instead, he kept the offense on the field, and when Michael Bush was stopped for no gain, Cleveland had new life. Although the Raiders held on for a 24-17 win, this game was much more stressful in the end then it needed to be.

8. Did Colts wide receiver Pierre Garcon think he was at the goal line instead of his own 33-yard line late in the 4th quarter of Sunday's loss to the Bengals? Trailing 20 to 17, Garcon made a 5-yard reception, and as he was being tackled, inexplicably reached out with the ball in his hand. Bengals safety Reggie Nelson knocked it loose, and defensive end Carlos Dunlap returned the fumble for a touchdown. There's no question Garcon has talent. However, drops and boneheaded plays like this keep him from being a real threat.

9. I don't think you're ready for the circus, but that was a nice juggling act you put on there Brent Celek. The third time was the charm for the Eagles tight end who made a 21-yard reception falling backwards after the ball bounced off his hands two different times.

10. Curtis Lofton didn't make the interception, but the Falcons linebacker certainly caused it late in the 2nd quarter against the Panthers Sunday. Lofton was covering tight end Greg Olsen on the play, but still had the awareness to deflect a pass intended for Steve Smith. Brent Grimes picked it off in the end zone, and Atlanta went into the locker room with a 14-10 lead.

11. The Todd Collins award of the week goes to Rex Grossman. This was a shoo-in the moment the entire Redskins fan base started calling for John Beck. In Washington's 20-13 loss to the Eagles, Grossman completed just 9 of 22-passes for 122-yards with 0-TD's and 4-INT's before being pulled for Beck in the 4th quarter.

12. On a day when Sean Payton tried to keep on coaching despite suffering a fractured left tibia and torn MCL, the Saints players should be ashamed of themselves. While their coach showed toughness, New Orleans played uninspired and sloppy football in losing to a beat up Buccaneers team.

13. You weren't dreaming Jay Cutler...I know it's hard to believe, but you actually did have time to throw the football Sunday night against the Vikings. A week after being sacked 3-times and constantly pressured by the Lions, Cutler was sacked just once, and looked quite comfortable in the pocket versus Minnesota.

14. It's not Montana to Rice, but Bengals QB Andy Dalton and wide receiver A.J. Green have something special brewing in Cincinnati. During the Bengals 3-game winning streak, the rookie tandem has combined for 14-receptions, 259-yards and 2-TD's. In case you're wondering, Green has more catches, yards and touchdowns in those 3-games than former Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco has all season.

15. Vince Young isn't exactly resurrecting his career in Philly. Young was the originator of the ill advised "Dream Team" nickname. He then injured his hamstring in the pre season and was unable to play when Michael Vick went down in losses to the Falcons and Giants. Sunday, he made his regular season debut, and his only pass attempt was intercepted. If this season was supposed to be about positioning himself for a starting job next year, Young better hope there's an opening in Canada.

The 15-Play Drive

15 thoughts on week-5 in the NFL...

1. On an emotional Sunday for the entire Raiders organization, it was only fitting they paid tribute to owner Al Davis, who died Saturday at the age of 82, with a victory. Davis, an NFL icon who came up with phrases such as "Just win baby" and "Commitment to excellence", would have loved the team's inspired performance in Houston. Running back Darren McFadden told me and Steve Torre on the Sunday Drive: "We wanted to go out there and do it for Al."

2. The league's biggest disappointment through week-5 is clearly the 1-4 Eagles, who can't seem to get out of their own way. So what's the problem? I could give you a laundry list of issues, but I'll chalk it up to three T's.

Turnovers: Philly is -10 in turnover differential

Tackling: In what has become a weekly occurrence, the Eagles missed 13-tackles against the Bills

Trust: There's plenty of individual talent on this team, but too many guys are trying to do it all by themselves. In other words, they don't feel like they can rely on their teammates to get it done.

3. No coincidence the Eagles latest loss was sealed by yet another unforgivable mental mistake. Trailing by a touchdown with 1:23 remaining, Philly had a chance to get the ball back as Buffalo faced 4th and short at their own 49-yard line. The Bills lined up to go for it, went with a hard count, and got Eagles defensive end Juqua Parker to jump offsides. At the same time, I'm guessing cheese steaks were being hurled at television sets all over Philadelphia. That's a big mess, but then again so are the Eagles.

4. The Bills don't giveth, but they definitely taketh away...And that has as much to do with their success as anything else. Buffalo has a league best 16-takeaways, including 2-games where they picked off the opposing QB 4-times (Michael Vick & Tom Brady).

5. Wonder if Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan still thinks Dallas has better receivers than Calvin Johnson, or if Chris Carter still believes Johnson isn't an elite wide receiver? Johnson now has a league leading 9-TD receptions. That's the most through 5-games for any player since 1940, and he's on pace to break Randy Moss' NFL record of 27-TD catches set in 2007. Johnson has 2-more touchdown grabs than Larry Fitzgerald, Vincent Jackson and Roddy White do combined. If you doubt his ability, I have to doubt your sanity.

6. I'm not buying into Tebow-mania, but I also didn't see any way Broncos head coach John Fox could keep quarterback Tim Tebow out of the starting lineup. Tebow absolutely provided a spark in Denver's 29-24 loss to San Diego. He ran for one 2nd half touchdown, and threw for another to turn a blowout into a nail biter. At 1-4 and with Kyle Orton struggling, it was time to find out what Tebow can do.

7. Speaking of quarterbacks, 49ers first year head coach Jim Harbaugh is fast proving to be a miracle worker. Harbaugh hasn't turned water into wine, but turning Alex Smith into a competent QB is nearly as impressive. Smith came into this season with 51-career TD passes and 53-interceptions. Through 5-games, he's thrown for 7-touchdowns with just 1-INT. Now if Harbaugh can just get Michael Crabtree to consistently catch the ball...One miracle at a time I guess.

8. Rex Ryan can make all the bold proclamations he wants, but not only are the Jets not Super Bowl bound, their once formidable defense isn't scaring anyone. Trailing 27-21 with over 7-minutes to go Sunday, the Jets defense needed a stop to give Mark Sanchez and company an opportunity to win the game. Instead, they allowed the Patriots offense to steamroll right down the field with a 13-play, 69-yard drive that took more than 6-minutes off the clock, and resulted in a field goal. And this wasn't the Tom Brady show either. BenJarvus Green-Ellis inflicted the damage with 10-carries for 59-yards. Forget about a damn snack...Ryan's going to need a 7-course meal to get over this one.

9. That was a cheap shot Roman Harper. I know Panthers receiver Steve Smith slowed down, but he was well into the end zone when Harper, the Saints veteran safety, popped him. It was a late hit, and a dirty play.

10. The Todd Collins award of the week goes to Kyle Orton. The Broncos QB completed just 6 of 13-passes for 34-yards with an interception before being pulled in favor of Tim Tebow Sunday...And lost his starting job in the process.

11. Giants head coach Tom Coughlin wasn't kidding when he said: "This is about as miserable a feeling as we've had around here in a long time." Seattle hadn't won a game on the east coast since 2007. Enter the Giants, who played as if they knew that fact and nothing else Sunday. They turned it over 5-times, allowed 20-points in the 4th quarter alone, and watched as the immortal Charlie Whitehurst rallied the Seahawks to a 36-25 victory. With a schedule that turns brutal after week-8, the Giants will wish they had this game back.

12. The best tight end in football this season hasn't been a household name like the Falcons Tony Gonzalez or Cowboys Jason Witten, its been the Saints Jimmy Graham. Through 5-weeks he's hauled in 32-receptions for 496-yards and 3-TD's. That gives him more receiving yards than some of the game's top WR's including Calvin Johnson, Greg Jennings and Larry Fitzgerald.

13. You can call it a tale of two halves when it comes to Colts quarterback Curtis Painter. In the first half he's been good completing 58% of his passes with 3-touchdowns. But over the final 2-quarters, Painter's completion percentage drops to 40% with just 1-TD. And the 0-5 Colts have taken their cue from Painter blowing back to back halftime leads.

14. Matty Ice has been defrosted on more than one occasion this year, and something seems off with the Falcons QB. He's thrown for more than 1-TD in only 1-game, and has 6-interceptions to go along with 3-fumbles. With Ryan struggling, Atlanta has been held to 14-points or less in all 3-losses, including Sunday night's defeat against the Packers when they found the end zone on their first two possessions, but never scored again.

15. In what's been an unpredictable season, the Bengals defense is by far one of the league's biggest surprises. Among teams that have played 5-games, they rank 1st in yards allowed, and are giving up an average of just 18.8-points. All of this despite losing marquee free agent cornerback Jonathan Joseph this off season. Credit defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, who has future head coach written all over him.

The 15-Play Drive

15 thoughts on week-4 in the NFL...

1. The "Dream Team" has been anything but a nightmare for the opposition, and the hype surrounding the Eagles hasn't done them any favors. Following the 49ers stunning comeback victory in Philly, Niners running back Frank Gore told me and Steve Torre on the Sunday Drive: "We've got playmakers just like the dream team" and "There's extra motivation going up against the Eagles."

2. Somebody needs to explain the meaning of ball security to Ronnie Brown. Facing 3rd and goal at the 49ers 1-yard line in the 2nd quarter, the Eagles running back was stopped for a loss, then inexplicably tried to throw the ball with his left hand. The play was correctly ruled a fumble, which San Francisco recovered. When you lose a game by a single point, that kind of careless mistake in the red zone is tough to swallow.

3. I've decided Tony Romo has a split personality, so from now on I'll treat him as such. When he's good, he'll be known as Tony. And Tony was very good in the 1st half of Sunday's game against the Lions completing 19 of 24-passes for 195-yards and 2-touchdowns. When he's bad, he'll be known as Little Anthony. And with a commanding 27 to 3 2nd half lead, Little Anthony showed up. He proceeded to throw 3-interceptions, 2 of which were returned for touchdowns, and the Lions stormed back to beat the Cowboys 34-30. Time for Little Anthony to go to his room now.

4. Caught up with Lions cornerback Chris Houston, who returned one of those 3-INT's for a TD, and he made it clear Romo and the Cowboys started celebrating early: "They kind of got comfortable and cocky, and you could tell he was back there smiling and relaxing."

5. It doesn't get any better than the Texans opening drive against the Steelers Sunday. Houston set the tone with a 19-play 95-yard march that lasted nearly 11-minutes. By my count, they used 12-runs and 7-passes capped off by Matt Schaub's 1-yard TD toss to Owen Daniels. If that's not demoralizing for a defense, I don't know what is.

6. Bears radio play by play man Jeff Joniak only had it partially right when after Devin Hester's 69-yard punt return for a score, he screamed: "You are ridiculous!" Hester is ridiculous. It was his 11th career punt return for a touchdown, which is an NFL record. But what's even more ridiculous is punting him the ball in the first place. Special teams coaches across the league need to check their ego, and learn this simple rule...There is no reason to ever allow Hester to return a punt. No exceptions.

7. Consider yourself lucky Victor Cruz. I don't care what excuse referee Jerome Boger invented, that was a fumble late in the 4th quarter Sunday against the Cardinals. The Giants wide receiver stumbled to the ground following a 29-yard reception, and left the ball there when he got up. Only one problem, he wasn't down by contact. Arizona recovered the fumble, but the Cardinals weren't allowed to keep the ball or challenge, because Boger ruled Cruz had given himself up, and therefore was down. One play later, Eli Manning connected with Hakeem Nicks on what proved to be the game winning touchdown.

8. The NFL should have eliminated the "tuck rule" a long time ago, although I'm sure the Bengals would disagree right now. With Buffalo and Cincinnati tied at 3 in the 2nd quarter, Bengals rookie QB Andy Dalton was sacked and lost the ball at his own 13-yard line. Bills safety Bryan Scott returned the fumble for a touchdown, but after a review, the call was reversed. To me you're either in the act of throwing, or you're not. It shouldn't matter if Dalton was trying to bring the ball back in, because common sense tells you that's a fumble.

9. I know it's not Halloween just yet, but was Raiders quarterback Jason Campbell seeing ghosts in the end zone Sunday? I still can't figure out who he was throwing the ball to when he was intercepted in the 2nd quarter by Patriots safety Patrick Chung. Oakland was trailing 14-10 at the time, and would never get that close again.

10. Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker hasn't just been good of late, he's been phenomenal. In the last 2-weeks, Welker has a combined 25-receptions. Only nine other players in the league have at least 25-catches for the entire season.

11. Nice hand Tony Gonzalez, and I do mean hand. The Falcons veteran tight end has made several spectacular grabs this season, and added another highlight reel play late in the 3rd quarter of Sunday's win against the Seahawks. Gonzalez hauled in a 29-yard reception with only his left hand, while drawing a pass interference call against safety Atari Bigby who was holding his right arm.

12. The Todd Collins award of the week goes to the combination of the Ravens Joe Flacco, and Jets Mark Sanchez. Both quarterbacks helped set offense back to the stone age Sunday night. Their combined numbers...21 of 66-passing for 282-yards with 0-TD's and 2-INT's. Each of those interceptions were returned for touchdowns.

13. It's amazing what happens when Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz decides to actually call a few running plays. Matt Forte had more carries Sunday than he did in the two previous weeks put together.

Weeks-2 and 3: 19-rushes 51-yards

Week-4: 25-rushes 202-yards 1-TD

Not only did the commitment to the ground game spark the offense, but it also saved Jay Cutler from yet another beating. The Bears QB was sacked just once against the Panthers.

14. Think the 1-3 Seahawks wish they brought back Matt Hasselbeck? There's no way the Titans would be 3-1 without the veteran QB. Hasselbeck has now completed over 66% of his passes with 8-touchdowns and 3-interceptions this season.

15. Anybody expecting Green Bay to experience a Super Bowl hangover can forget it. The Packers are 4-0, and easily look like the most complete team in the NFL. When I asked cornerback Charles Woodson how they've been able to avoid a post Super Bowl let down, he simply said: "We don't feel like we're done yet." I guess not.