The 15-Play Drive

15 thoughts on week-8 in the NFL...

1. Halloween Sunday turned into fright night for offense. Five teams scored 10-points or less including the Jets who were shutout by the Packers.

2. Along those lines, memo to Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer...run the ball! I know it was Halloween, but did Schottenheimer think Mark Sanchez was wearing a Joe Montana costume? In a game that was 3-0 at halftime, and 6-0 in the 4th quarter, Sanchez had 38-pass attempts. LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene combined for 22-runs. Not nearly enough.

3. Raiders running back Darren McFadden is the most improved player in football. He now has four games of over 100-yards rushing in 2010, and is averaging 5.5-yards per carry. In his first two years, McFadden ran for 856-yards in fifteen games. He's got 668-yards in just six games this season.

4. Wade Phillips' post-game press conferences have become flat out depressing. Following the Cowboys latest atrocious performance, a 35-17 home loss to the Jaguars, Phillips was asked if he's lost the team. His response, "I hope not." Don't exude too much confidence there Wade.

5. You're already one of the best defensive tackles in football, but next time hold off on the celebration until you get into the end zone Ndamukong Suh.

6. Speaking of rookies, if you're still not convinced Sam Bradford is going to be a big time quarterback, then I have to question your intelligence. He's got the the Rams at 4-4 now, and has thrown 11-touchdowns to a receiving corps that is sub-par to say the least.

7. Randy Moss must have decided to dress up like a ghost yesterday, because he was invisible. In his return to Foxboro, Moss had all of 1-reception for 8-yards.

8. It's amazing how vital Jets castoff Danny Woodhead has become to the Patriots offense. Check out his numbers in their last 3-games...25-rushes 100-yards 1-TD. 13-receptions 125-yards. And most importantly, Woodhead has learned Patriots speak. When he joined me and Steve Torre on the Sunday Drive, he took credit for absolutely nothing.

9. I'm not buying what Mike Shanahan was selling yesterday when he tried to explain why he pulled Donovan McNabb late in the 4th quarter. "Rex (Grossman) gave us the best chance to win....knowing terminology and how we run it." Shanahan was referring to their two minute offense, but what he says makes zero sense. Donovan McNabb was acquired by the Redskins in early April. You're telling me he's not familiar with how they execute the two minute drill? And since when does Rex Grossman give any team their best chance to win?

10. Spoke with Dolphins cornerback Sean Smith after his interception secured Miami's 22-14 victory in Cincinnati Sunday, but not even he could explain this...The Dolphins are now 4-3 with all of their wins coming on the road.

11. It must be gut wrenching, but you're getting closer Bills fans. Back to back overtime losses for 0-7 Buffalo.

12. Make that 8-overtime games in 8-weeks with exactly zero decided on the first possession. Can we scrap that rule change now please?

13. Think Derek Anderson! You can't force a ball into coverage trailing 38-35 in the 4th quarter, when you're already in field goal range.

14. In a 7-7 game just before halftime, why is Brad Childress going for it on 4th and goal? Take the points, and a lead into the locker room.

15. The Todd Collins award of the week once again goes to Cardinals QB Max Hall. Congratulations Max, you're a back to back winner! 8 of 16-passing isn't terrible, but 2-interceptions returned for touchdowns in less than 2-quarters...that's embarrassing.

The 15-Play Drive

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

1. Brett Favre's magic has officially disappeared. What that means is he's no longer good enough to overcome his own mistakes. The moments of brilliance are few and far between these days.

2. One other note on the Sunday night game...Visanthe Shiancoe's TD catch should never have been overturned via replay. He absolutely had possession.

3. In his post-game comments, Mike Singletary said he still believes his 1-6 49ers can make the playoffs. He also revealed he believes in the tooth fairy and strippers with a heart of gold.

4. Are Niners fans still calling for David Carr? I think not.

5. I don't disagree with Bill Belichick's philosophy in going for it on 4th and 1 late in the 4th quarter, but the play call was awful. You have to put the ball in Tom Brady's hands there.

6. With his two interception returns for touchdowns Sunday, Browns linebacker David Bowens has now found the endzone as many times as Larry Fitzgerald this season.

7. I think Roger Goodell overreacted to last week's string of devastating hits. That said, if the league's emphasis on player safety had a negative impact on yesterday's games, I didn't see it.

8. Spoke with Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward on the Sunday Drive after their win in Miami. His take on the bizarre ruling following the Roethlisberger fumble, "Our guys said they had the ball. Their guys said they had the ball. I'm going to believe our guys over their guys." Get all that?

9. DeAngelo Hall is clearly Jay Cutler's new favorite target. Hall's stat line of 4-receptions (interceptions) for 92-yards and a touchdown was better than anything the Bears' receivers did Sunday.

10. Did the Raiders just score again? I imagine that performance even brought the color back to Al Davis's face. Then again...

11. There were several huge receiving days in week-7, but to me Kenny Britt's was the most impressive. The Titans wideout caught 7-balls for 225-yards and 3-TD's. Keep in mind he didn't start the game as punishment for his role in a fight last week, Kerry Collins was his quarterback, and the rest of the team combined had 10-receptions for 51-yards.

12. I still like Kevin Kolb, but let's face it...his uneven performance made Andy Reid's decision to name Michael Vick the team's starting quarterback a whole lot easier.

13. Don't know if he's injured, but something is not quite right about Drew Brees. With those 4-interceptions yesterday, he's now thrown 10 this year. Brees was picked off 11-times all of last season.

14. The Todd Collins award of the week goes to Cardinals rookie QB Max Hall. Even with a concussion, 4 of 16-passing for 36-yards and an interception is embarrassing. And yes, he's still Arizona's best option.

15. Strange, but I don't hear all the proponents of the overtime rule change saying anything now. We've had 7-games go into sudden death this season. None of them have been decided on the first possession.

The 15-Play Drive

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

1. You can say it's a nice dilemma to have, like Andy Reid choosing between a Philly cheese steak, or a sausage, onions and peppers sandwich...he'd probably order both...but I wouldn't want to be in Reid's shoes right now. How can you tell Kevin Kolb to take a seat? Both Kolb and Michael Vick have put up good numbers, but I'm giving Kolb the edge here. He's done it against the Niners and Falcons. To me that's more impressive than Vick's performances versus the Lions and Jaguars.

2. No head coach sounded more defeated after a loss yesterday than Wade Phillips. Make no mistake, at 1-4 the Cowboys are done. Phillips might as well get a head start and begin packing up his office now. I'm sure Jerry Jones will offer to help.

3. So much for Marcus McNeill solidifying the Chargers offensive line. In their first 5-games, the Rams had 10-sacks. Against the Chargers Sunday, they dropped Philip Rivers 7-times.

4. Let me end the Tim Tebow hype right now. Yes, he ran for a TD Sunday. No, he never came close to attempting a pass. Tebow is Brad Smith minus the athleticism. And the Jets didn't spend a 1st round pick on Smith. (He was a 4th rounder in case you were wondering)

5. Spoke with three different wide receivers on the Sunday Drive and they each had something interesting to offer. The Steelers Mike Wallace told me and Steve Torre, with Ben Roethlisberger now back they can actually use the whole playbook.

6. When we caught up with Deion Branch, he said it felt like he'd never left the Patriots. In fact, Branch revealed that he stayed in the same hotel the night before the game, and thought it was the same room for that matter.

7. During our interview with the Jets Braylon Edwards, I asked about Mark Sanchez's 2-interception day. His response, "Mark didn't go into a shell like he would've last year."

8. Back to Deion Branch for a moment...He had 9-receptions in his return to the Patriots. In the 4-games Randy Moss played with New England this season...9-receptions total.

9. Jason Campbell gets the Todd Collins award of the week. In their 17-9 loss to the Niners, the Raiders QB completed just 8 of 21-passes for 83-yards with 0-TD's and 2-INT's. Think Al Davis is still comparing Campbell to Jim Plunkett?

10. Believe it or not it took until week-6 for Drew Brees and the Saints to score more than 25-points in a game. Why do I get the feeling a sleeping giant just woke up?

11. Maybe South Beach really is a distraction. The Dolphins are now 3-0 on the road, and have given up 40-points in those 3-games. At home they're 0-2 and have allowed 72-points.

12. Alex Smith is a smart guy, but the Niners quarterback has zero pocket presence. How many more times is he going to run directly at a defensive lineman?

13. Nice one handed catch Pierre Garcon. Now if you could only make more two handed receptions.

14. That was a franchise QB performance in the 4th quarter by the Texans Matt Schaub in their comeback win against the Chiefs. He completed 11 of 14-passes for 155-yards including the game winning 11-yard TD strike to Andre Johnson with 28-seconds remaining.

15. Does the NFL really need to throw Jacksonville a bone with a Monday night game?

The 15-Play Drive

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

1. No Halloween horror flick could possibly be any scarier than the film of Todd Collins' performance yesterday. The Bears quarterback completed 6-passes and threw 4-interceptions. My advice to Collins when they review the tape...close your eyes and be afraid...be very afraid.

2. It's time for Chargers special teams coach Steve Crosby to polish up that resume, because a pink slip should be in the mail. San Diego has now given up 2-kickoff returns for TD's, 1-punt return for a touchdown, and yesterday they had 2-punts blocked. All of this in 5-games. Brutal.

3. Your defense played too well for you not to catch that ball in the end zone Dwayne Bowe.

4. Hell has officially frozen over. Niners fans were actually calling for David Carr last night.

5. The Packers have zero faith in their running game. On a day when Brandon Jackson rushed for 115-yards, Green Bay handed him the ball just once in the 4th quarter with a 10-point lead.

6. For those of you in favor of parity, not only is this the first time since 1970 that there are no 4-0 teams, the entire AFC South is 3-2.

7. The Texans secondary couldn't cover my grandmother, and she's been dead for over 20-years.

8. Why are you attempting an onside kick to start that game in Detroit Steve Spagnuolo?

9. So much for rebuilding on the fly in the NFC East. Mike Shanahan's Redskins are a missed 52-yard FG in overtime away from being 4-1. Graham Gano went wide right on that kick back in week-2, after Washington had blown a 13-point halftime lead.

10. Congratulations Detroit Lions! QB Shaun Hill told me and Steve Torre on the Sunday Drive, that was the most fun he'd ever had after a win. I have the feeling the Lions will be able to celebrate a few more times before this season is over.

11. Opposing defenses are simply daring the Colts, Saints and Packers to run the ball right now. That's a major reason why Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers led their team's to 19, 20 and 13-points Sunday. Combined they threw for 3-TD's and 5-INT's.

12. Coaching hot seat after 5-weeks....1. John Fox (he's gone no matter what) 2. Wade Phillips (Jerry Jones isn't a patient man) 3. Mike Singletary (the clock is officially ticking)

13. Does any team win closer, uglier games than the Falcons? My pre-season Super Bowl pick is now 4-1. However, 3 of their 4-victories are by an average of 5-points, and their 1-loss was by 6.

14. The Bengals are an immature team, with an inconsistent quarterback and no real leadership to speak of. Any questions?

15. If the Jets really want to create a distraction for Brett Favre tonight, they'd name Jenn Sterger an honorary captain, and have her strut out to midfield for the coin toss.

The 15-Play Drive

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

1. Give the Eagles fans credit. They showed class with a standing ovation for Donovan McNabb. Who knew they had any?

2. If the Bears offensive line was responsible for protecting the United States, we'd all be speaking Russian right now.

3. Aaron Rodgers is an elite quarterback, but with no running game to speak of, the Packers offense is far too one dimensional. Call the Bills about Marshawn Lynch...like today.

4. Anyone out there still believe LaDainian Tomlinson is over the hill? Didn't think so.

5. I feel for you Lions fans. Detroit has turned losing close games into a work of art. Three of their four defeats this season are by 5-points or less.

6. Maybe it's just me, but the 49ers offense didn't look any better with Mike Johnson calling plays. 7-points and 269-total yards.

7. You have to get down after that interception Nate Clements. A touchdown there is meaningless. The game is over.

8. No team is more Jekyll and Hyde than the Seahawks. At home they've scored 31 and 27 in wins over the 49ers and Chargers. On the road 14 and 3 in losses to the Broncos and Rams.

9. How many people predicted the Chiefs would be the last team without a loss? Anyone? Bueller?

10. In the week of the kicker the Jaguars Josh Scobee not only had the most impressive game winner, a 59-yarder against the Colts, he had the best celebration. Scobee told me and Steve Torre on the Sunday Drive, he planned that victory lap.

11. Let's be honest...the Cardinals don't have a quarterback. Anyone have Jeff Garcia's phone number?

12. The Steelers, Texans and Jets did more than just survive without the suspended Ben Roethlisberger, Brian Cushing and Santonio Holmes. They're all 3-1, and about to get key reinforcements.

13. Why do I have the feeling that I could rush for 100-yards against that Raiders defense.

14. Learn to slide Bruce Gradkowski...you'll live longer.

15. An actual T.J. Houshmandzadeh sighting. He picked the right time to emerge from the witness protection program. I almost forgot he was still in the league.

Don't Make Joe the King of Queens

The Mets have made so many mistakes over the last few seasons that David Letterman doesn't have enough room on his top ten list to name them anymore. Hiring Joe Torre would be another in a long line of errors for the franchise. It all sounds good on the surface...Torre's going to be a free agent, and he's thrived managing in the pressure cooker that is New York. He brings along credibility, a steady hand and a sterling resume. If you're thinking this is all too good to be true, it's because it is.

Let's face facts...these Mets are not the 1996 Yankees. In other words, Torre wouldn't be walking into a situation where the club is ready to win now. I'm not saying there's no talent at Citi Field, but most of it comes from the visiting clubhouse every day. Despite his track record, Torre doesn't have any fairy dust in his back pocket that's going to turn back the clock for the over-the-hill Luis Castillo...or make Carlos Beltran's knees feel any better...or heal Johan Santana's shoulder for that matter.

I also don't think Torre's in it for the long haul, and that's exactly what it might be before this team is a World Series contender again. He's 70-years old now. Will Torre really have the patience to groom the likes of Ike Davis, Josh Thole, Jenrry Mejia and Ruben Tejada? There's no quick fix here, and although they are willing to spend some money, the Mets aren't going to break the bank like one of his former employers. In case you're slow on the uptake, the Wilpons are not the Steinbrenners.

On top of everything else, Torre's personality doesn't fit what the Mets need right now. Not to compare the two, because Torre's prime rib and Jerry Manuel's ground chuck, but you'd essentially be replacing a laid back manager with another laid back manager. One thing this team must have is a motivator. There are too many players who have been far too comfortable while losing game after game and that needs to end immediately. So while I have the utmost respect for the guy, and believe there will be a spot reserved for him in Cooperstown some day, hiring Joe Tore would be yet another swing and a miss by a franchise that can't seem to keep its eye on the ball.

Put Up or Shut Up!

This might be the understatement of the year...Rex Ryan likes to talk...Possibly as much as he likes to eat. I think it's a toss up. The Jets head coach isn't shy about making bold proclamations, which has endeared him to the fan base, and earned him scorn from the opposition. Ryan is the lightning rod for a franchise that consistently made headlines this off-season with high profile additions, an extended holdout by their best player, and to cap it off, a training camp in front of the cameras on the HBO series Hard Knocks.

Along the way, Ryan has predicted a Super Bowl Championship. And come February, if he's holding the Vince Lombardi trophy, he can flip the bird to all his detractors and say, "I knew it all along." But it's a long road to Dallas, and if the Jets don't deliver, it'll be a very cold winter for Ryan who'll be looked upon as just another fat guy with a big mouth. In other words, talk is cheap. It's time to find out if there's any substance behind one of the most over hyped teams in recent memory.

There's no denying this Jets roster does have some sizzle. They added what appears to be a rejuvenated LaDainian Tomlinson to the backfield, traded for talented but troubled receiver Santonio Holmes and cornerback Antonio Cromartie, brought in safety Brodney Pool, and even picked up renowned Jets hater Jason Taylor. But there are as many questions as there are answers.

Second year quarterback Mark Sanchez has been shaky at best this pre-season. This off a rookie year in which he threw for 20-interceptions. The team released 9-time pro bowl offensive guard Alan Faneca, and replaced him with the underwhelming Matt Slauson. Chemistry could also be an issue. With all that star power comes a number of big egos. When the games count you have to wonder if they'll all be pulling in the same direction. So in the end Rex Ryan can make all brash statements he wants, but if the team doesn't back him up with wins, J-E-T-S will stand for Just Empty Talk Stupid.