Written by John Edward BetancourtAs the mid point of the season descends upon us, an important division will appear in the NFL, as it splits into thirds. Teams that are headed for the playoffs, teams that are fighting for their lives and teams that are planning for next year. Yes the separation point has arrived and for all three categories that will soon appear, incredible stories will arrive from all those teams that will inspire, and infuriate at times and before those stories arrive, here are some of the best from last week in the NFL. 1. Colt McCoy ends up being the hero. Well...who knew? Cast off after his time in Cleveland Colt McCoy was essentially forgotten and buried in the depth chart in Washington as the number three quarterback. But a poor performance from Kirk Cousins won him an opportunity and he made the most of it. Doing just enough to manage the game in Dallas on Monday night for an upset of the Cowboys. He is headed back to the bench now that RG3 is ready to go again, but his 2-0 record as a starter is pretty awesome and who knows, he may be back in the starting lineup again in Washington. 2. What on earth has happened to the Atlanta Falcons? This team was the cream of the crop a few years ago, heading deep into the playoffs and now they simply do not look elite. Their current record should be far different considering the talent that they have on this squad. It could mean bad news for Head Coach Mike Smith at the end of the season because the frustration from his owner is evident. 3. Who is really responsible for the mess that the New York Jets have become? Sunday's game against Buffalo was ghastly to say the least. Geno Smith was benched, again. Michael Vick looked sloppy, again. It's bad football at every level out there so who is at fault? The answer is a trifecta of men. Owner Woody Johnson takes the top spot because well, he's the one that hired the other two men not getting it done, plus the team really lacks a sense of leadership and direction, and that starts with him. GM John Idzik is next to blame for playing it safe in the draft and free agency because well...the Jets simply aren't a better team at any level with him at the personnel helm. Last, Rex Ryan has his own blame to share. Yes we can argue that Rex has been handed a tough squad, and he has, but he is still the Head Coach. It's his job to motivate these guys and get the best out of them. If we saw some competitive fire we would know that Rex is doing his best and well...the results speak for themselves. Looks like the big reset button is about to be pressed again in New York, and it really is for the better. 4. Is Jay Cutler ever going to be an elite quarterback? As a Denver fan, it's a question that was posed out here. Sure the man has an arm like a cannon, sure he can fit the ball in places few other quarterbacks can, but for all the great things he can do, we've seen more ugly than we should. He throws plenty of interceptions, is quick to snap at his teammates and has only seen playoff action in one season out of his nine in the league. What makes it worse, he has yet to truly take hold of his team and elicit himself as a leader. The last two weeks of football have demonstrated this the most and...his own GM called him out after the Patriots game. Either way, it puts Cutler in a tough place. He got one hell of a contract this offseason and the time has come for him to either put the critics to rest and wow the league or enjoy the label of "mediocre" until he retires. 5. Kudos to Big Ben. Seriously, what a game mister Roethlisberger. There was truly no stopping Ben against the Colts. He completed 81% of his passes, tossed for 522 yards and 6 touchdowns. That's what you call incredible.. Everyone knows he can ball, but with the woes the Steelers have had on offense (we will talk about Todd Haley and his poor play calling another time) it's nice to see Ben remind everyone he can still slice you up on the field. Well done sir.
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Written by John Edward BetancourtIt was an incredible week for football. There was a blockbuster trade, a record broken and some football played between all of that as well. But while those two stories may have overshadowed some of the games this week, there were plenty of other stories in the league as well so before Week 8 hits, let's take a moment and look at all the stories, big and small from Week 7. 1. Peyton Manning. We have to discuss this man since he broke the NFL Career TD record on Sunday night. It was an incredible feat and technically now any touchdown he throws is pure history, how cool is that? 2. The Percy Harvin trade creates more questions than it should. The allegations of beating his teammates, the allegations of pulling himself out of a game for no legitimate reason all make it seem like the Seahawks got the better end of this trade with the Jets. The move makes sense for the Jets because let's be honest, they're desperate for a spark, but one has to wonder what kind of player they have just inherited and if it will be another mistake by GM John Idzik and another headache for Rex Ryan. 3. There was more going on in Denver outside of Peyton Manning slinging touchdowns. Sure it was awesome to see Peyton finish with 510 TD's, but the rout that the Broncos put on the 49ers didn't just come from him. There was an appearance of a solid run game and a Defense that completely and utterly dominated San Francisco. It was the most complete game Denver has played since last year and if they have found that magic again it's going to be a wonderful season for the Broncos. 4. The quarterback position is a mess in Washington. So, let's take a look at the quarterbacking conundrum at FedEx Field this year. You have Robert Griffin III who has yet to become a dominant player, or stay healthy, go down with an injury a few weeks ago. Enter Kirk Cousins who plays like a dynamo for a few weeks...then starts to turn over the ball more than he should and he gets the bench for Colt McCoy, who led the team to a win and if RG3 isn't ready to go...will start for the squad again. Yes, the third string quarterback just sent the second stringer back to the bench. That's where Washington stands and if RG3 continues to play up and down, this mess will only get worse. 5. Commitment to Losing. That should be the slogan the Oakland Raiders adopt because anything else is just a lie. I've heard "Commitment to Mediocrity" thrown around, but that would indicate a team that would finish ever year at or around the .500 mark. But ever since Super Bowl XXXVII, it's been one awful season after another. Sure there's a couple of okay ones mixed in there, but when you're 0-6, just fired your head coach and the new guy isn't faring much better, then get ready for another complete detonation of the front office and coaching staff as the reset button gets hit again. This is a franchise that looks like it gave up years ago at every single level and I feel bad for Raiders fans because it's going to be a long season and a long time before they return to any kind of glory. Written by John Edward BetancourtYou could feel it last night. You could just tell from either something in your gut or the electricity in the air that something incredibly special was about to happen at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Whether you were in attendance at the stadium or watching it on television you could feel it, Peyton Manning was going to shatter Brett Favre's career touchdown record. Heading into last night Peyton Manning, a quarterback that some wondered would ever play the game again, stepped onto the field with 506 career touchdowns, two away from the record and three away from breaking it. He spent all week talking about how the record wasn't important, the game at hand was what mattered and at first it seemed like business as usual. The Broncos marched down the field as they often do and Manning sent a touchdown pass into Emmanuel Sanders waiting hands, the first of the season for Sanders and number 507 for Manning. Suddenly, the reality of it came to pass, the crowd became all that more electric and the wait was on. Suddenly we forgot about what Peyton said about how the game at hand mattered, we wanted to see history. I no longer cared what the hell the Niners were doing on offense or defense, I just waited with baited breath to see the record fall and as Wes Welker dove into the end zone to tie the record at 508, you knew the moment was almost at hand. Yet, the universe knows a good story when it sees one and rather than supply us with a quick and easy touchdown for Peyton, the tension continued to build. The Broncos didn't get back into the end zone as quickly or as easily at first. There was a three and out and some other football mixed inbetween, none of it mattered really, because history was so close now and as Peyton and the Broncos returned to the red zone, you knew this was it, but the story still needed just a little more tension. The first ball sailed toward Emmanuel Sanders once again, but a penalty kept it from entering his hands in what would have been the big one. Next Julius Thomas let the record setting ball fall from his hands. Then the Broncos lined up for the run and for a brief moment it seemed like we would have to wait after all, despite what our gut told us, but some mixed up feet sent Manning to the ground and then...it happened. A toss to Demariyus Thomas, a pair of feet in the end zone and the ball in his hands. The crowd erupted, as did fans everywhere. Touchdown, Denver. Five Hundred and Nine. I've seen a lot of football in my days, seen records come and records go, but none will ever be as magical as this one. The normally all business on the field Peyton Manning erupted into smiles as the touchdown was confirmed. His teammates even pranked the man, playing keep away with that historic ball. It was pure joy on that field and in the stands and while this record will fall someday, it will be a long time before it does. For it will take a quarterback as prolific as Manning to break it. Regardless, I've seen more records fall with Manning in Denver than I have in a lifetime of watching football and it speaks to his love of the game. For a few years ago, a quarterback, facing the potential end of his career, seeing the team that drafted him let him go, refused to believe he was finished. He left Indianapolis with 399 career touchdowns and walked out of Sports Authority Field with 510 and the knowledge that he continues to cement his legacy as one of the greatest to ever play the game. Written by John Edward BetancourtWe are finally getting into the meat of the 2014 NFL Season. This is where the playoff picture begins to take shape and teams we thought were destined for greatness, discover that next year might be the better one. But before another season kicks off, let's look at the top stories from last week in the NFL. 1. New owners in Buffalo, same mediocre performance. Yes, the Pegula family has taken over the reins for the late Ralph Wilson and I'm shocked quite frankly to not see the Bills playing better. New owners mean big changes for the players that they clearly don't need. Everyone in that franchise needs to be concerned and well...they need to play better. 2. Brian Hoyer is making life difficult for the Browns. The Cleveland Browns are a troubled franchise as is, but they are facing one hell of a quarterback controversy. Johnny Football has yet to see the field for any extended amount of time simply because Hoyer is playing some amazing football. It puts the Browns in a weird place come the end of the season. They either pay Hoyer and let Manziel ride the pine, or roll the dice on the untested QB and let Hoyer walk and potentially lead a different franchise to glory... 3. Did the Raiders improve without Dennis Allen or was the Chargers defense just that bad? The Raiders put up some solid points and nearly walked away with the win in Oakland but...almost isn't good enough in the NFL. If they start winning games then the decision to fire Dennis Allen this early is clearly justified. But if the nightmare season continues, is it time for the franchise to fire Reggie McKenzie as well? Time will tell. 4. A tip of the hat to Dallas. I, along with many other people expected business as usual in Dallas. We expected more of Romo choking and losing the big game, a defense that couldn't stop a kitten from scoring and well...it's been quite the opposite. Tony Romo is playing the ball well and looking like the franchise quarterback fans in Texas have been waiting for and the Defense is scary good. They gave the Seahawks trouble all day and need to be taken seriously. 5. Peyton Manning draws closer to another record. With another three touchdown performance from Peyton Manning against the Jets the career touchdown record is now in reach. Chances are we will witness history again from Manning on Sunday when the Niners come into Denver, and I for one certainly hopes he breaks the record at home. Should make for an amazing night if he tosses another three touchdowns. Written by John Edward BetancourtIt's been an incredible season so far, with plenty of ups and downs and stories from each game that continue to captivate die hard football fans and even those new to the sport. But before we see what stories unfold in Week 6, let's go back and look at the top stories from Week 5! 1. There are no undefeated teams left. Why does this matter? That's simple, you often find at least one or two teams that dominate the league around this time of year, leading to all kinds of talk, but that's not the case for the 2014 season. Every team has suffered a loss and it speaks to the wildly competitive year that continues to unfold. We have seen some incredible play on the field this year and some amazing comebacks. Case in point... 2. How about them Browns? This is a great example of how teams are giving it their all every week. This is a squad that quite frankly is one that many fans write off every single week, yet they managed to pull off one hell of a comeback and beat the Titans when it looked like Tennessee had the game in hand. Kudos to the Browns for finally showing some guts and not letting another team just walk right over them. Hopefully they can keep it up... 3. The Texas teams need to be taken seriously. I for one, am not a Tony Romo fan, but credit is due to how well he has played this year and the Texas Bowl (not the official name but that's what I'm calling it) between Dallas and Houston was nothing short of spectacular. It was a riveting game that I could not stop watching and with good reason. Solid Defense from both teams partnered with beautiful offensive play. If Houston can get Fitzpatrick to play lights out, they're a serious contender. If Dallas keeps doing what they are doing, the same applies. 4. The Jets are in serious trouble. So the day finally arrived. Quarterback Geno Smith, after an awful (I'm being nice here by saying that) first half was finally sent to the bench to make way for Michael Vick and well...Vick was equally as awful (once again being nice). This is a team that is just a mess on every side of the ball and while the top brass of the team say Rex Ryan will be evaluated at the end of the season, let's be honest, there's a fair chance Rex could be the next Head Coach sent packing before the end of the year, which is a shame. We've seen brilliance from him as a Head Coach, is it Rex that's the problem, or the poor personnel that he's been left to work with? Time will tell. 5. Denver and New England made a few statements last week. Clearly not happy with a Monday Night blowout and another loss to the Seahawks, both Denver and New England rebounded and reminded the league to fear them. I question if New England can continue to dominate like that. One game does not fix an offensive line thin at talent and a receiving corps filled with mediocre receivers so we shall see. But Denver, holy cow. They obliterated the Cardinals despite some scares and Peyton Manning became the second QB in league history to go over 500 TDs in a career. Here's to hoping Denver has finally put it all together. Written by John Edward BetancourtOh what an amazing week in the NFL. One that ended in some serious surprises, so let's not waste any time this week and get right into the top stories from the field in Week 4. 1. I was completely and utterly wrong about Kirk Cousins. Okay, so, time to eat a little crow and take back what I said about Cousins showing signs of incredible promise because he was pedestrian this week. In fact several defenders on the Giants squad pointed out how Cousins telegraphed his throws with his eyes. So simply put, I was wrong and this QB will need more time before he can wrest the team away from RG3. 2. Dennis Allen got a raw deal in Oakland. I rarely say positive things about coaches that helm the Raiders but seriously, I don't think Allen is to blame for the Raiders hardships. We have yet to see this town attract some top tier players in Free Agency much less make solid picks in the draft. Hopefully Allen taking the fall for the GM's poor choices catches up to Reggie McKenzie too and he is also sent packing. Really it's business as usual in Oakland, poor choices, mediocre players and a commitment to losing. 3. Geno Smith continues to make a case for Michael Vick to start. Geno Smith's classy way of handling hecklers at home this last week pretty much summarizes up that he is not ready to be a NFL starting quarterback and that his time is limited. Yes, Geno took the time to tell a pair of fans what to go do with themselves because they were extremely displeased with Geno's crappy play on the field, which by the way, the fans were right, he looked terrible. If he can't handle the pressure of a few fans giving him hell, it's a matter of time before a major meltdown on the field. Michael Vick will be starting for the Jets soon. 4. Tom Brady and the Patriots are falling to pieces. It's rare you see a three time Super Bowl Champion quarterback be benched, but it happened this week when Tom Brady rode the pine in the fourth quarter of the Chiefs game. Sure his team was down by a massive amount of points but wow, they actually benched him and rightfully so. Brady looked awful. Making throws one would expect out of a rookie in his first career start. Throw in a patchy offensive line and a defense that would likely have trouble tackling a tortoise and well...here we are, the New England Patriots looking like the Raiders out there. 5. Kansas City's run game is scary good. When healthy these guys can run at will. Even if a hole isn't there, or if the box is stacked with defenders, KC was able to pull off some serious gains on Monday night. Yes I hammered the Pats for bad tackling, but there were times they had Jamaal Charles in a tough spot and boom, seven yards. It's smash mouth football, and if the Chiefs are healthy at tailback when they face the Broncos again, Denver will have its hands full, and it is looking like every single team they face is looking at some frustration with how well they pound the rock. |
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