NFL, Week 9, Comments

[jdcord]

1.  What in Blazes were the Patriots doing for the first 50 or so minutes of the game last Sunday? 

Going into the game, Wes Welker was their obvious key player for providing "match-up" problems to the Colts defense.  Yet for those first 50 or so minutes Welker was only out there for maybe  10% of the Patriots' offensive plays. 

Essentially, while watching those first 50 minutes, this is what I was doing on the other 90% of the Patriots' offensive plays, on which they inexplicably refused to deploy Welker in their formations and game plan:  ............   

Anyhow, on their last 3 drives of the game, guess who was out there for almost every play on offense for the Patriots?  And guess who did exactly as advertised, providing a major match-up headache for the Colts' defense, opening up the lanes for other receivers, and coming up with two hugely important catches of his own?  Yep, that's right - it was Wes Welker.

And what did those last three drives produce, with Welker finally  out there for the majority of the plays?  Touchdown.  Touchdown.  And the last, clock-killing, game-winning, game-ending, final nail in the Colts' coffin, drive.

Which only begs the obvious question:  what took them so long??  Why did they wait until defeat was literally clasping its hands on their throats before finally, finally, deciding that maybe it might be a good idea to have Welker out there for most of the plays?  ........ Well, DUH!  Whatever made them think otherwise?

I found the whole offensive game-plan (during those first 50 minutes, that is) completely and absolutely baffling.  When, exactly, did keeping one of your very best players off the field on as many plays as possible suddenly come to be considered as a "good" idea?


2.  Adrian Peterson is the man!

........ now if he could only win the starting RB spot on his own team.    *L*


3.  Now that the Lions have a running game (and a "smash-mouth" running game, at that):

Forty six point outbursts - such as the one last Sunday against the Broncos - will be much more like the rule as opposed to the exception.  Mike Martz must drool uncontrollably every time he thinks about it. 


4.  You think San Diego fans are longing for the "good ole days" of Marty-ball? 

After the humiliation of having a rookie ring up their once vaunted defense for a record-breaking 296 yards rushing, they've gotta be.

[JakeLeonard]

OK, I listen to ESPN Radio ALL the time now.....

You know what the broadcasters were talking more about over the Peterson landmark? Super Bowl 41 1/2. They would talk for five minutes on last night's Steelers win, but would jump back and talk for two to three hours on the mid-season Super Bowl game, as they deemed it.

I heard it all day yesterday and all morning today.....from Mike & Mike in the Morning to The Herd to Stephen A. Smith to SportsNation (formerly SportsBash) to Game Night.

Enough about it already! Move on and let's see if the Patriots can choke somewhere by the end of the season.

[Scott]

1.  What in Blazes were the Patriots doing for the first 50 or so minutes of the game last Sunday? 

I think they were just keeping Peyton off the field by using a running game that they haven't had in so long.  Control the clock and go against what everyone says they normally do.

Going into the game, Wes Welker was their obvious key player for providing "match-up" problems to the Colts defense.  Yet for those first 50 or so minutes Welker was only out there for maybe  10% of the Patriots' offensive plays. 

Chess game basically

Essentially, while watching those first 50 minutes, this is what I was doing on the other 90% of the Patriots' offensive plays, on which they inexplicably refused to deploy Welker in their formations and game plan:  ............   

go against convention

Anyhow, on their last 3 drives of the game, guess who was out there for almost every play on offense for the Patriots?  And guess who did exactly as advertised, providing a major match-up headache for the Colts' defense, opening up the lanes for other receivers, and coming up with two hugely important catches of his own?  Yep, that's right - it was Wes Welker.

Moss is good, but Welker is the better receiver in my opinion.  Combined they are DYNO MITE!

And what did those last three drives produce, with Welker finally  out there for the majority of the plays?  Touchdown.  Touchdown.  And the last, clock-killing, game-winning, game-ending, final nail in the Colts' coffin, drive.

Which only begs the obvious question:  what took them so long??  Why did they wait until defeat was literally clasping its hands on their throats before finally, finally, deciding that maybe it might be a good idea to have Welker out there for most of the plays?  ........ Well, DUH!  Whatever made them think otherwise?

They were trying to prove a point!

3.  Now that the Lions have a running game (and a "smash-mouth" running game, at that):

Forty six point outbursts - such as the one last Sunday against the Broncos - will be much more like the rule as opposed to the exception.  Mike Martz must drool uncontrollably every time he thinks about it. 

Only until Kevin Jones has a hang nail and needs to go on the I.R. again.  The wuss!

[jdcord]

Moss is good, but Welker is the better receiver in my opinion.  Combined they are DYNO MITE!

Welker is a great receiver, but Moss is other-wordly.  I mean, did you see the jaw-dropping catch he made over the middle in the Colts game? 

Wow!  As one sportswriter said of that catch, the NFL should send the video clip directly to Canton to await Moss' enshrinement there.