Five Quick Hits
* Rather than giving a job to every ex-player who wants one, I'd like to see ESPN find a small group of smart people and just stick to them. Why do they need different analysts for every show?
* Yes, the former player prompting this is Trent Dilfer. He's the new Sean Salisbury.
* The coach-QB combo of Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb has more regular-season wins than the combination of Bill Walsh and Joe Montana.
* Not only did Brad Johnson pass poorly on Sunday, he did a terrible job on defense. Johnson didn't tackle Steven Jackson once! Tony Romo would have tackled Jackson on that 56-yard TD run, and probably sacked Marc Bulger a couple times.
* Cheers to FOX for cutting away from the rout in St. Louis to show viewers the more competitive Giants/Niners game. But can we please see some teams who aren't in the NFC East once in a while?
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The media has turned on the Dallas Cowboys. Everybody's champions after two weeks, now ESPN devotes 18 hours a day to bashing them. It's the coach's fault. It's the assistant coaches' fault. It's Jerry Jones' fault. It's Terrell Owens' fault. Or Adam Jones. Or his evil twin, Pacman. Or everyone.
There's blame to go around, but what's certain is that Dallas is in trouble. Their last good game was in Week 3, and they're dealing with a lot of injuries right now, not to mention the suspension of Adam Jones. I've never been sure how important team chemistry is, but the Cowboys don't have any. I think that falls mostly on the owner, but everyone's culpable, including the fickle media.
I don't know what to do about chemistry (trade Owens and give Wade Phillips a contract extension), but on the field, my advice is to run the ball a lot. Dallas has shown some problems with pass protection in the last few games, but their run-blocking is terrific. A strong rushing attack will protect both the defense and whoever plays quarterback. And when Felix Jones is healthy again, he should replace Marion Barber as the primary ball-carrier. Jones is more explosive, and Barber has fumble-itis. I'm not saying Barber should sit, but Jones should get 50-60% of the carries.
As we get to the power rankings, I want to remind readers that rankings are for right now, a team's current strength. Week 1 is ancient history, and no one's the same team they were a month ago. Brackets indicate last week's rank.
1. Tennessee Titans [1] — Could Tennessee send two running backs to the Pro Bowl? Rookie Chris Johnson (549 yards, 5.3 avg) should be a lock, and LenDale White (314 yards, 8 TD) might have a case, too. Johnson leads the AFC in rushing, and White leads the NFL in touchdowns.
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers [5] — Injuries in the offensive backfield are starting to mount, but if the Buccaneers can get their running game back on track to close out games with some authority, I don't see any reason Tampa can't be the NFC's version of the Titans.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers [4] — Sunday was the first game all season that Ben Roethlisberger didn't get sacked. If the Steelers can keep Big Ben on his feet, they can compete with anyone, because the defense is fantastic: first in sacks, first in pass defense, second in rush defense, second in points allowed. I had Pittsburgh up to second in the rankings, but with Bryant McFadden and Troy Polamalu hurt, they drop a spot.
4. New York Giants [2] — Next week's game at Pittsburgh will be decided by the defensive coordinators. The Giants' Steve Spagnuolo has to treat Roethlisberger the way Philadelphia did, and if he can figure out how to get to Big Ben consistently, New York will probably win. Look for Justin Tuck to line up inside more often than usual. Conversely, Pittsburgh's Dick LeBeau has to make Eli Manning uncomfortable and force him into mistakes. Whoever is more effective will win the game.
5. Washington Redskins [3] — This is nuts: they're seventh in total offense, but 24th in scoring. Why can't they turn production into points? For starters, field position: Washington's special teams have been among the worst in the league this season, and they're more of a three-and-out defense than a big-play unit, so Washington isn't getting great field position from interceptions and fumble recoveries. The other factors fall on the offense: not enough big plays, and inconsistency on third down (38%).
6. Philadelphia Eagles [6] — Since this was their bye week, how about a shout-out for the punter? Sav Rocca is third in the NFL in net punting average (41.9), and has 10 punts downed inside the 20-yard line, with only one touchback. Rocca should be the early front-runner for NFC Pro Bowl punter.
7. Carolina Panthers [12] — Is this the NFC's best defense? Statistically, no: the Giants are allowing ½-yard per game less than Carolina. All the same, I think it's probably the NFC's best defense. I suspect that Drew Brees thinks so, too. Their home game against Arizona in Week 8 is a must-see for serious NFL fans, but most markets won't carry it because of local games and Saints/Chargers at Wembley Stadium.
8. Arizona Cardinals [8] — Lead the NFL in scoring (29.5 points per game). Barring injury, you have to think Kurt Warner will be the starter not only for the rest of this season, but in 2009, as well. What do they do with Matt Leinart? Ever since the Chargers got themselves into that Drew Brees/Philip Rivers situation a few years back, it seems like everyone who drafts a quarterback in the first round is running into this problem.
9. Buffalo Bills [9] — Trent Edwards has a higher passer rating this season than Drew Brees. In fact, he's higher than everyone except Rivers, Warner, and Tony Romo. I don't think Edwards belongs in the top tier of NFL QBs yet, but he's having a really nice season.
10. Jacksonville Jaguars [10] — If the NFL suspends leading receiver Matt Jones, Jacksonville is going to be awfully thin at WR. The position was never a strength to begin with, but Jones is the team's unquestioned top receiver, and Mike Walker, who is third on the team in receiving yards, is out indefinitely with a knee infection.
11. San Diego Chargers [7] — In 2006, when they went 14-2, the Chargers ranked fifth in the NFL in time of possession. Last season (11-5), they were 16th in time of possession. This season, they rank 29th. That's what happens when you can't run the ball (26th in rushing), but San Diego also ranks last in the NFL in pass defense. They miss Shawne Merriman.
12. Atlanta Falcons [18] — I was unsatisfied with their 18th-place ranking last week, so they get an unconscionable six-place boost during their bye week, and now they're probably too high. The Falcons went 4-12 last season, and I don't understand how they're so good this year, but I do think it's for real. Matt Ryan is off to a nice start, but I suspect most of the credit should go to new head coach Mike Smith.
13. Chicago Bears [11] — The over/under for their game against Minnesota was 38 points. Actual number: 89, the most ever scored in a Bears/Vikings contest. Chicago is one of several teams who surprisingly have an offense that is doing better — at least statistically — than its defense. What I really don't understand, though, is how they finished +4 in turnovers on Sunday, but only won by a touchdown.
14. Green Bay Packers [21] — Aaron Rodgers continues to handle himself extremely well. That's true both on and off the field. As a quarterback, he's 7th in passing yards, t-5th in TDs, and 5th in passer rating, plus he leads all QBs in rushing touchdowns. Rodgers also conducts himself like a pro during interviews and press conferences. He still has to answer questions about Brett Favre every week, and he always handles them with class and dignity. If Rodgers can stay healthy, the Packers have themselves a franchise quarterback.
15. Indianapolis Colts [17] — Lost by 20 points for only the second time during Tony Dungy's 6½-year tenure. I hate to repeat something you already know, but the culprits are the ground game (32nd in rushing) and run defense (28th), plus a pair of interceptions returned for touchdowns (ouch).
16. New Orleans Saints [15] — I'm all for showing American football to an international community, but these London games are a real problem. The Saints and Chargers both had tough games this weekend, so maybe they would have lost anyway, but the distraction of preparing for an overseas trip probably played a role. It's not fair to the teams that have to fly over there.
17. Denver Broncos [13] — Sunk by injuries. If Jay Cutler, Selvin Young, and Champ Bailey had all stayed healthy, I'm not even sure they would have lost on Monday night. That may sound ridiculous after a 41-7 beatdown, but Cutler had his worst game of the season, Young's replacement lost two key fumbles, and Randy Moss caught fire after Bailey left. This ranking assumes that Cutler and Bailey can play next week. I think Cutler will be fine, but if Bailey is not, I think they're more like 20th instead of 17th.
18. Baltimore Ravens [19] — Derrick Mason probably won't make the Pro Bowl this season. He's eighth in the AFC in both receptions (33) and receiving yards (418), and he only has one touchdown. But I'm not sure any wide receiver means more to his team. No other Raven has more than 13 catches or 129 receiving yards, and Joe Flacco has only thrown one TD pass that wasn't to Mason. I'm voting for him.
19. Dallas Cowboys [14] — This past offseason, coordinators Jason Garrett (offense) and Brian Stewart (defense) were hot head coaching prospects. This season, they don't look ready for prime time. Garrett is calling way too many passes, and having trouble getting the ball to Terrell Owens anyway. Stewart's defense has become so predictable that head coach Wade Phillips may take over the game-day defensive calls.
20. New England Patriots [23] — When he was being carted off the field on Monday night, Rodney Harrison looked like he thought his career was over. If so, I'll miss him. Harrison was a terrific safety, and I hope he'll make the Hall of Fame one day. He only played in two Pro Bowls, but he had a lot of seasons as the second- or third-best safety in the AFC, and he was my Defensive Player of the Year in 2003. As always, my best wishes to an injured player.
21. Cleveland Browns [20] — Derek Anderson isn't getting a lot of help from his teammates, but they're not getting a lot of help from him, either. If Brady Quinn can play, I think he probably should.
22. Minnesota Vikings [16] — It has become apparent that they have a real problem on special teams. Minnesota is ranked 8th in total defense, but 20th in scoring defense. Some of that is a nasty -4 turnover margin, but some of it is Reggie Bush punt returns and Chris Kluwe muffed snaps. I am pretty impressed that the Vikings managed to score 41 points in a game in which they threw four interceptions.
23. Houston Texans [24] — Would you believe they have the fifth-ranked offense in the NFL? The defense is a bad-but-not-terrible 22nd. So how have they been outscored by 39 points and started 2-4? Turnovers: they're a league-worst -9.
24. St. Louis Rams [28] — I like what their defense has done the past two weeks. You wouldn't have known it the first four weeks, but there are some pretty good players here. Leonard Little and O.J. Atogwe are legitimate Pro Bowl candidates.
25. New York Jets [22] — Brett Favre is closing in on a dubious record. Favre has 8 interceptions this year, second-most in the NFL. His career total is 296, already the most in history, and he's quickly approaching 300. You heard it here first: Favre's record for most interceptions will never be broken.
26. Miami Dolphins [25] — Has any team been as uneven this season as the Dolphins? They beat the Chargers and blew out the Patriots, but they lost to the Jets and Texans. Ronnie Brown has rushed over 100 yards twice and hasn't broken 50 in the other four games. They're 0-3 when Chad Pennington has an interception.
27. Oakland Raiders [29] — I hate icing the kicker. It's a waste of time. One of these days, why don't coaches just let that first missed field goal count?
28. San Francisco 49ers [26] — I never understood why Mike Nolan got a head coaching job in the first place, but I hate that the 49ers fired him in the middle of a season. The only time that's okay is if a coach has totally lost the locker room, or if he goes to jail or something. In St. Louis, Scott Linehan really had lost his players, and I understand why the Rams replaced him. Al Davis canned his coach in Oakland out of ego, greed, or dementia. And the 49ers, like the Raiders, are just a dysfunctional organization now. It starts at the top. This team hasn't been the same since Eddie DeBartolo was forced to sell the franchise, and now they're turning into the Bengals.
29. Seattle Seahawks [27] — Two straight games with under 100 yards passing. Remember how the Week 4 bye was supposed to fix their wide receiver problems? Since then, Seattle's best single-game passing performance netted 122 yards.
30. Kansas City Chiefs [31] — When your third-string quarterback is your leading rusher in a game, you are not going to win that game.
31. Cincinnati Bengals [30] — Last year, the problem was defense. This season, the defense still sucks, but the bigger problem is offense. The Bengals rank in the NFL's bottom three in passing, rushing, and scoring. They are dead last in yards per play, with an abysmal 3.7 — a full half-yard worse than 31st-place Kansas City.
32. Detroit Lions [32] — How crappy is Drew Stanton? He was Detroit's second-round pick in the 2007 draft, but he's backing up Dan Orlovsky. This isn't one of those Warner/Leinart scenarios. If Stanton has any kind of future, let him play.
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