Well, we’re almost three quarters of the way through the NFL season and it’s pretty much safe to say that even the most ardent NFL fans have something to be pleased about. While others mightn’t be feeling all that happy about their team or teams as the case maybe. Suffice to say, that if you’re team isn’t in the midst of things with of aspirations of making a playoff push. Then you might as well call it a day.
Suffice to say that while sitting with my notebook computer in my lap, watching ESPN’s Monday night broadcast of the game between the New England Patriots and the New Orleans Saints. I’ve come to a new found admiration for the undoubted talents of Saints’ quarterback, Drew Brees. To my mind, with his play as of late and as a matter of fact over the last three or four years. He has in essence, become one of the ‘elite quarterbacks’ in the league. And that is of course with due respect to Manning Brady and Favre. He ranks up there alongside that noted triumvirate. And just in case you’re wondering which of the Mannings, I’m talking about , it’s not Eli or that rather ‘fine actress’, Taryn Manning but Peyton Manning. Eli is just proving once again what I’ve always thought about him. He can’t string together, back to back, to back, a set of consistent performances in this league. In many ways it’s liking watching an Alcoholics Anonymous participant repeatedly fall off the wagon. $100 million certainly doesn’t buy much in the league nowadays, does it ? Albert Haynesworth, you need to call your accountant as Daniel Snyder is about to come a calling, asking for his money back, in order for him to actually reinvest that money into something that’d resemble a team ! Because at the moment, what you’ve actually brought to Washington Redskins bears nothing that of a player, who was said to be ‘one of the most feared defensive players’ in the entire NFL. There’s more ferocity shown by a bunch of pre-op male trans-sexuals, than you’ve shown on an NFL field this season !
Monday night’s game itself, proved if anything that the Saints , Indianapolis Colts and the Minnesota Vikings are ‘the cream of the crop’ and ‘the class of the NFL’ this season. With both the Colts and Saints being (11-0) and the Vikings at (10-1). One can start to feel why their fans are chomping at the bit to see their teams in the post-season. If nothing else they’re looking to make it their rallying call to bare arms and support their team.
Inasmuch, as I continue to support the Patriots and bearing mind, I felt that if Tom Brady could in some way hold his own against Drew Brees. I felt that the team was in with a very good shot to derail the Saints’ effort in going unbeaten on the night. Boy was I wrong in a very big way ! The Saints harassed and hurried Brady into making several mistakes and errant plays that you wouldn’t normally associate with the normally cool, calm and collected quarterback. And it certainly didn’t that the team’s pass defense was about as noticeable as the ‘Invisible Man’. Brees was allowed to shred the team with all too accurate passing , on an offense that on their might just be the very best in the NFL. So good were they on the night, that the end result of the Saints’ 38-17 victory could’ve been of a wider margin, by far. To say I wasn’t disappointed at the end result , would be an understatement. The Patriots may well have went down fighting . But by no means was it a gallant effort by Bill Belichick’s team. Belichick and his coaching staff have a great deal of work to do , if this team is indeed to make the playoffs. And no, I’m not of the opinion that Charlie Weis should be brought by back to the team , to reassume the defensive coordinator’s responsibilities.It has been bad enough with Weis, having literally singled handedly destroyed whatever remnants there was left of Notre Dame football, as we know it. And what’d make anyone think tha Belichick would want him back to begin with ? His (Belichick’s) demeanor at times has been less than complimentary towards many of his former coaches that have left his employ. And with Weis it’d be no different !
The once remarkable Jim Mora Sr and his singularly most famous sound byte ever. ‘Playoffs’ ? ‘ What playoffs’ ? Need one say anymore ?
With the meat of the season now out of the way. Teams are now jockeying for positions in terms of a playoff berth. It looks pretty safe to say that the divisional leaders have their fates in their own hands. However those seeking a wildcard berth , most definitely still have something to play for. And who’d have thought that the now improbable , Vince Young led, Tennessee Titans (5-6) could still be in with a shot of making the playoffs ? Where’s Jim Mora Sr., when you need him ?
Now I’m not about to waste my time denigrating teams that’ve played some less than inspiring football this season and who are languishing in the depths of ineptitude. As those teams and their fans know who they are and how god-damn awful they’ve now become. Suffice to say, that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-10), Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs, St Louis Rams, Seattle Seahawks and Cleveland Browns really do need to show some pride ,not wallow in self pity and most of all not have their coaches come and give the public and the fans some asinine excuse as to the inherent problems of their respective teams. At the end of the day it doesn’t amount to a ‘hill of beans’ and it makes them on appearance look like a complete buffoon and a clown to top it all of !
A word of advice for the inexperienced Bucs’ coach, Raheem Morris. All the sound bytes and excuses in the world can’t hide the fact that this is ‘your team’ . It’s the one that you and general manager, Mark Dominik, hitched your wagons to. So get over it , shut the f_ck up and do your god-damn job ! You’re now sounding like a damn child with each additional interview that you give to the media. And for god’s sake be man enough and stand up and be held accountable for the choices you made. You and those blithering idiots from the Pewter Report,instead of clogging up the local radio airwaves in the local Tampa market with your inane drivel, in trying make lemonade out of rat’s urine. At least have the temerity to admit that ‘the team’, just isn’t that good, at all . It does a complete disservice to the public and the NFL fans in general. They’re not all children and by the way ‘fairy tales’ went out a long time ago. Unless you hadn’t noticed ? So stop hitching your wagons to one !
So as of now,for the teams of the NFL, it’s not actually how you start but how you indeed finish that’ll dictate and create the mindset of how determined you’re going to be. A reminder to you all, and that includes the fans of the NFL , as well.
NB: NFL Week 13 Schedule- Dec 3rd to the 7th …… Click the link provided to review in full.
Thu, Dec 03 Stadium Time (ET) Tickets Network DIRECTV SIRIUS Westwood One
NYJ @ BUF Rogers Centre 8:20 PM Tickets NFLN 212 126 (NYJ) 125 (BUF) Radio
Sun, Dec 06 Stadium Time (ET) Tickets Network DIRECTV SIRIUS Westwood One
STL @ CHI Soldier Field 1:00 PM Tickets FOX 710 151 (STL) 127 (CHI)
DEN @ KC Arrowhead Stadium 1:00 PM Tickets CBS 706 121 (DEN) 154 (KC)
TEN @ IND Lucas Oil Stadium 1:00 PM Tickets CBS 704 123 (IND)
PHI @ ATL Georgia Dome 1:00 PM Tickets FOX 708 129 (PHI) 126 (ATL)
NE @ MIA Land Shark Stadium 1:00 PM Tickets CBS 126 (NE) 127 (MIA)
NO @ WAS FedEx Field 1:00 PM Tickets FOX 712 123 (NO) 152 (WAS)
OAK @ PIT Heinz Field 1:00 PM Tickets CBS 707 157 (OAK) 122 (PIT)
TB @ CAR Bank of America Stadium 1:00 PM Tickets FOX 709 158 (TB) 130 (CAR)
HOU @ JAC Jacksonville Municipal Stadium 1:00 PM Tickets CBS 705 125 (HOU) 153 (JAC)
DET @ CIN Paul Brown Stadium 1:00 PM Tickets FOX 711 155 (DET) 91 (CIN)
SD @ CLE Cleveland Browns Stadium 4:05 PM Tickets CBS 713 121 (SD) 91 (CLE)
DAL @ NYG Giants Stadium 4:15 PM Tickets FOX 715 123 (DAL) 125 (NYG)
SF @ SEA Qwest Field 4:15 PM Tickets FOX 716 126 (SF) 130 (SEA)
MIN @ ARI University of Phoenix Stadium 8:20 PM Tickets NBC 714 122 (MIN) 127 (ARI) Radio
Mon, Dec 07 Stadium Time (ET) Tickets Network DIRECTV SIRIUS Westwood One
BAL @ GB Lambeau Field 8:30 PM Tickets ESPN 206 126 (BAL) 125 (GB) Radio
Byes: None
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Tophatal's Blog 
Hey Al,
With the millions of dollars of cap space and at least 3 picks in the first 2 rounds the Bucs are in desparate need of an experienced general manager and coach to start the rebuilding of this franchise.
I don’t think it’s going to happen, but I can dream can’t I ?
Keep rockin’ brother.
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aero
As with the song ‘The Impossible Dream’ from ‘Man of La Mancha’ – this essentially sums the Bucs at present. Only in their case they’ve been unable to achieve any of the quests within the song. Need one say anymore on the subject ? The Bucs’ organization and the guys of the Pewter Report are kidding themselves , if they think that things’ll be turned around quickly or under any timeline that they may well be working by.
The Bucs’ roster is replete with ‘non-talent’ that in all honesty even the other bottom feeders around the league would not at all find desirable !
And the Bucs’ fans are to believe that they’re heading in the right direction ? The team is ‘mentally and physically soft’, from top to bottom !
WTF have the Glazers gotten us into ? I don’t know Mark but I wish I were Jon Gruden ! Raheem you can’t be Jon , you’re African American , not Caucasian . I can dream, can’t I Mark ?
And needless to say as I alluded in the piece the inexperience of both Dominik and Morris has come right to the fore.
A (1-10) team that more likely than not will be hard pressed to eke out 2 more wins this season, if that ?
Alan Parkins
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First off, getting rid of Gruden was stupid. Gruden wasn’t the problem. I mean, you can’t fire injuries, but seriously maybe the Gruden firing was a bit overreacting
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Wow, since you put it that way…. If I were a QB and saw some pre-op trannies crashing the pocket, I would definitely run right into Haynesworth’s arms!
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mceezy
Haynesworth is a complete joke ! Clay Aiken could perform better than he’s doing at present. Call me crazy but put a couple of pre-op transsexuals on the Redkins’ roster and I’m sure that they’d definitely be playing a hell of a lot better than they’re now doing. Which opposing team do you know that’d want to face off against them in a scrimmage ? LOL,LOL,LOL,LOL !!!!
This basically sums up both the Bucs and Redskins as an organization. ‘Whoop That Trick’.
They’ve more money than common sense than they actually know what to do with it all. They’re a complete mess with both Morris and Zorn as their respective coaches. There’s no cohesion there, amongst the respective teams as a unit !
Alan Parkins
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‘I’m tellin’ you all this now, I’ll have sex with pre-ops but I makes me some loves to a woman. ‘That’s just the type of guy that I am ! And I think that Mr Snyder is pleased with my performance. Well he is, isn’t he ? I mean he’s paying me all this ‘jack’ that I’s been bankin’ . Nig_a’s gotta work you know’ ?
Alan Parkins
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The Saints look like they should run away with it! They have a pretty easy schedule the rest of the way! The Falcons are falling apart. Without Ryan and Turner they are doomed!
The Titans are interesting. I hope they can beat the colts somehow. That would make me a believer!
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chappy 81
That may well be the case but I think that there’s the likelihood that one , if not both teams(Colts & Saints) won’t go undefeated during the regular season. I think that both Jim Caldwell and Sean Payton ? will choose to 'rest' some of their starters, in order to keep them 'fresh' for the postseason. And that may well lead to one of them, if not both losing a game. But at this juncture it all remains to be seen what will transpire.
Alan Parkins
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I do like that a hot Vikings team will force New Orleans into playing every game hard to shore up home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
I agree with the masses on this one. New Orleans would be best suited playing in the Super Dome to assure a trip to Miami.
In the AFC, I’m still not sold on the Colts. Is it just me?
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Chris Humpherys
I take the opposite view from you on this. The Colts have found differing ways to win. And it has come with them from all sides. On defense as well as offense.
And you’d be a fool to underestimate them and in particular their coach Jim Caldwell. He reminds me so much of Tony Dungy. It’s as if he’d been cloned from his DNA ? They both have the same personal traits. Is it any wonder that there hasn’t been any falloff after the departure of Dungy ? You tend to see that after a successful coach has left a franchise and a novice coach comes in.
Caldwell and Dungy. Two great men and no doubt two very good coaches.
It’d appear that everyone wants to jump on that ‘Favre bandwagon’. ’til he faces real adversity with the Vikings. I’m not convinced that they can go all the way. We’ve seen what both the Colts and Saints can do in handling real adversity. They’ve shown that they both can win from behind or racing out to a lead and holding on with ease. The same can’t be said of Favre and the Vikings, just yet.
Alan Parkins
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Don’t mean to diminish the Colts accomplishments this season, but you take them and I’ll take the AFC field and we’ll see who ends up in the Bowl.
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Chris Humpherys
I’ve watched the Colts up close and personal this season and I can tell you this they’ve found more ways to win than even Raheem could think up !
The Colts’ problem could from a team like the Chargers , who tend to play tough once they’ve got a lead. But on the other hand the ‘drag’ and ‘tag’ against them is Norv Turner . Far too conservative for his own good !
Megan sends you her best wishes !
Alan Parkins
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Ravenation
Having won a Superbowl with the Bucs the team regressed under Gruden . Now tell me what talent has he developed over the course of his career as a coach ? And please don’t say the name of an aging Rich Gannon if that’s all you can point to !
Gruden and his former GM Bruce Allen couldn’t spot talent much less spell the word if you spotted them the letters ………. T – L N & T !
AP
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