It’s not over ’til it’s over or is it ?
Well, week six in the NFL gave the fans a reason to believe this league has indeed decidedly taken a turn for the worse in terms of the play of the teams. Dire consequences were seen in the losses suffered by the New York Giants, New York Jets , Miami Dolphins , Jacksonville Jaguars , Tampa Bay Buccaneers , Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers . As to what this might suggest about these teams can be best judged by their respective records within their division, conference and league.
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Slideshow.
As troubling as these results are said to be, other than the firing of Dennis Allen, formerly of the Oakland Raiders , there has yet to be second dismissal of an NFL head coach this season.The Raiders remain win-less and it is hard to imagine where their first victory is likely to come from , given the continually poor play of the team . A narrow three-point loss to divisional rivals the San Diego Chargers dampened the hopes of Oakland getting off the and so now we have a situation, where, there once again seems to be, lack of leadership on the roster and coaching acumen from the coaching staff led by interim head coach Tony Sparano .
In week seven the Raiders will face a tough test when they take on their former quarterback Carson Palmer and the Arizona Cardinals in a home game at the Oakland Alameda County Stadium (O Coliseum) in Oakland, California . If Oakland are to save their season much less redeem themselves, then a win is of the utmost priority for Tony Sparano and his team. This is not a game, which the Cardinals are likely to take lightly, even if they are seen to be the prohibitive favorites among NFL analysts and fans alike. I would dare say, the odds-makers in Las Vegas are licking their lips , savoring what they seem to be the outcome of a game that on paper would </aappear to be lopsided and favoring the visiting team.
I’ll say this for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers , they are increasingly finding new ways to embarrass themselves as players, their fans and the franchise as a whole. Lovie Smith has inherited a mess , but it now appears , he and his coaching staff are now piling on even more ineptitude with each passing week. A week four victory over the injury riddled Pittsburgh Steelers has been the sole bright spot for the, team but it should be noted the win was then followed by two consecutive losses, with the Buccaneers being outscored 85-48 in those defeats. Sunday’s loss was as embarrassing as the score suggests (48-17) , with fans at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa , Florida already leaving the venue before the beginning of the second half of the game , in their totally lopsided defeat, suffered at the hands of Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens</a>.
<a href=”http://pro-football-reference.com/players/McCoJo01.htm”> Josh McCown has not fared all that well as a starter this season and with the insertion of Mike Glennon into the lineup, things have gone from bad to worse , with absolutely no one on the team showing any signs of life. So much for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers being seen as a likely challenger within the NFC South this season. About the only thing the Buccaneers might be on the road to challenging, has to be , who is actually the worst team in the NFL , not just by record but also in terms of sheer incompetence ?
There are several players on this current Buccaneers’ roster who are overpaid and not worth the salaries being paid out . GM Jason Licht may well have some serious decisions to make by the trade deadline and at the end of the season. In the short-term the team can be thankful , week seven is a bye-week , where they can lick their wounds and recuperate before proceeding to take on their next opponent the Minnesota Vikingsin week eight, a home game for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kirk Cousins and Robert Griffin III are two players who are likely to becomean enigma for Washington Redskins’ head coach Jay Gruden as he seeks to coach and guide the team this season. With the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles now locked in a tight divisional race within the NFC East , I can only surmise the Redskins’ chances have all but disappeared , likewise also, for the New York Giants.
Daniel ‘Dan’ Snyder may well be one of the wealthiest owners in the NFL , but the acumen now being shown within the front office of the organization he owns, can be best described as imbecilic and impetuous. Redskins’ GM Bruce Allen and his decision making has to be a cause of real concern, beyond the all too obvious inexperience of Jay Gruden as an NFL head coach. The Washington Redskins (1-5) are now firmly rooted at the bottom of the division and coming off their 30-20 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, the question has become , where does the team now go from here ? Up or down ? Taking their their play, I am inclined to believe the worst is yet to come !
Fedex Field, in Landover , Maryland, scene to some of the Washington Redskins’ greatest regular season triumphs will seek to add to that famed legacy when the team plays host to the Tennessee Titans this upcoming Sunday,19th October , 2014. With a great deal at stake , both teams will be seeking a much-needed victory. The contest could go either way but a great deal will be predicated upon the resolve shown by the opposing quarterbacks, likely to be Kirk Cousins and a fully recuperated Jake Locker , or whose backups on the Titans’ depth chart are Charlie Whitehurst and Zack Mettenberger.
Last season , Eli Manning made the statement , he believed , he remains one of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL. Granted, as a two-time winning Superbowl quarterback he has every right to believe it to be the case, Yet, his statistics do not bear that out in 2013 or this season as we enter week seven of the NFL schedule . The New York Giants (3-3) are laboring under a great of pressure and with the loss of wide receiver Victor Cruz the team’s issues are now further exacerbated by his season ending injury.
Tom Coughlin head coach of the Giants’ most recent Superbowl successes is likely to be under the microscope over the remainder of the season. The front office are acutely aware of the team’s issues and the likelihood the head coach could be fired , there is a thought GM Jerry Reese could make the decision to fire the head coach. Coughlin appears to have lost the confidence of the team beyond the fact of the team’s injury woes and lack of consistency shown this season, borne out by the Giants’ 3-3 record . What may well push the front office to take some action could be the lack of determination shown when the New York Giants lost their week six contest , a 27-0 blowout loss to Nick Foles and the Philadelphia Eagles . The game itself, was simply horrendous to watch from the standpoint of being a Giants’ fan as the team could do nothing right from the first snap of the ball until the final whistle was blown to end the match-up in the fourth quarter.
Eli Manning’s own future with the New York Giants could come into question, as there seems to be a belief the player lacks the drive and determination to lead this team. He has to my mind, simply rested on his laurels, because of the two Superbowl victories, rather than seeking to improve his play and set future goals and priorities . Not due to become a free agent until 2016 , Manning could become a sought after commodity should the Giants not seek to re-sign the player, but it appears highly unlikely he will be cut by the franchise, with the team having few alternatives as a backup to Eli Manning. The Giants will be the guests of the Dallas Cowboys at Cowboys Stadium, in Arlington, Texas, on Sunday, in a divisional contest where the Cowboys will be seeking to increase their lead within the NFC East over their divisional rivals.
In the contest, it will be interesting to see whether or not Cowboys’ running back DeMarco Murray can make it seven straight games of rushing for 100 yards or more , something achieved only by Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown when he ran for seven consecutive games of over one hundred yards in 1958 . This is a feat never achieved at all by legendary Cowboys’ rusher Emmitt Smith over the course of his career.
The Dallas Cowboys are playing like a team on a mission, with Tony Romo having his best start to a season in quite a long time with the team on a five-game winning streak which places them atop of the NFC East as well as having the best record in the NFC and league overall based on their streak . In this match-up against the New York Giants , I firmly believe the only way the Cowboys can incur a loss , is if they become complacent and simply believe they can look at this contest as a cakewalk . Over the last three seasons these divisional match-ups with between the two divisional rivals have brought the best and the worst in both teams. DeMarco Murray , alongside Philip Rivers and Peyton Manning are considered to be the front-runners for the AP League MVP, a title wonby the Broncos’ quarterback a record five times since 2003.
The more things change the more they remain the same and it could be said the call for the departure of Mark Sanchez from the New York Jets , where the final two years of his career with the franchise saw highs and many lows, brought about the call for change. The Jets’ drafting of quarterback Geno Smith was seen as a step in the right direction, but who could have foreseen Smith’s career with the Jets could be described as an unmitigated disaster. Smith has yet to show the alleged talents which made him a star at West Virginia .
Rex Ryan and his hapless coaching staff have led the team to a 1-5 start to their season in the AFC East. All of the rhetoric and pragmatism in the world cannot hide the fact the Jets are a very mediocre team with their being no vocal leaderon the roster, much less among the coaching staff. As if to emphasize the problems of the New York Jets this season , consider the fact in their most recent outing against the Denver Broncos , the team was blown out 31-17 , with their being no signs they were in a position to score a point , through a field goal attempt , passing or rushing touchdown. Defensively , the team was found wanting and Geno Smith’s performance was among the worst in week six of the starting quarterbacks on the day.
For the Jets their season, is now mired in mediocrity and there seems to be little sign, either Smith or his backup Michael Vick can lead the team out of their abyss. Things will not get any easierin the New York Jets’ next game when they are scheduled to meet AFC East divisional leaders the New England Patriots. With Tom Brady and the Patriots coming off their decisive win over the Buffalo Bills , this game against New England could place Rex Ryan’s job in a great deal of danger, should the team come away from this game with a loss. Jets’ GM John Idzik will have to make a long-term decision concerning his head coach and the coaching staff at the end of the season , because it has become abundantly clear , the coach has no real solution for the team’s ongoing woes.
The shakeup has begun and what was meant to be a two-horse race within the NFC West , is becoming a story of resurrection, though not necessarily redemption for Carson Palmer, as the Arizona Cardinals are riding high in the division , where last season it was something of a lottery pick, as the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks toughed it out it out for divisional supremacy. The Seahawks came away with the Superbowl , with Russell Wilson having a spectacular postseason for the team. This season, both the Forty Niners and Seattle have faltered , allowing the Cardinals to take advantage of a division in the midst of what appears to be a shift in dominance.
If Bruce Arians can lead lead the Cardinals into the postseason, then there is the likelihood, he would be seen as a clear favorite to win the NFL Coach of the Year Award . I don’t believe there are any other close candidates, albeit, some might want to suggest Jason Garrett of the Dallas Cowboys is worthy of a mention because of the team’s early season start , but the season having already entered the second quarter of the season, there still remains a a great deal to play for , starting with week seven. Arizona will be the guests of the Oakland Raiders, who still seek their first win of the season, something I cannot see happening in this upcoming game , as I believe the Raiders are simply lacking in confidence, with Tony Sparano not being a great motivator of players, given his past head coaching experience and record .
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Picture gallery .
Through the first six games of this season what do you believe has been the biggest highlight of the year and which team or teams would you say have been the most disappointing ? Of the players said to be at the forefront of the League MVP race , which performance or set of performances have stood out the most ? By all means, do take time to leave a comment on this and anything else you believe is content related to this article and thanks as always for the continued support of this site !
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Picture and slideshow gallery details below.
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(1) Head coach Tom Coughlin of the New York Giants cheers on his team as they warm up before the start of a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on October 12, 2014 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Giants suffered a 27-0 loss to the Eagles for one of the most lopsided defeats suffered by the team in a match-up between the two teams over the past eight seasons. Getty Images /Rich Schulz …
(2) Quarterback Eli Manning (10) of the New York Giants throws a pass during a football game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on October 12, 2014 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Getty Images / Evan Habeeb …
(3) Quarterback Eli Manning (10) of the New York Giants is sacked by Trent Cole (58) of the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter in a football game at Lincoln Financial Field on October 12, 2014 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Getty Images / Rich Schulz …
(4) Torrey Smith (82) of the Baltimore Ravens celebrates after a nine-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter of the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on October 12, 2014 in Tampa, Florida. Getty Images North America / Joe Robbins …
(5) Mike Glennon (8) of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looks to throw a pass in the first half of the game against the Baltimore Ravens at Raymond James Stadium on October 12, 2014 in Tampa, Florida. Getty Images / Joe Robbins …
(6) Quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) of the Washington Redskins talks with head coach Jay Gruden after defeating the Jacksonville Jaguars at FedExField on September 14, 2014 in Landover, Maryland. It was one of the few times during the season where the Redskins have played with some consistency , albeit , it was against a rather dull Jaguars’ team . Getty Images/ Patrick Smith …
(7) Washington Redskins head coach Jay Gruden talks with his quarterbacks, Robert Griffin III (10) and Kirk Cousins (8) during a first half timeout against the New England Patriots on August 7, 2014 in Landover, MD. Getty Images / Mark Hart ….
(8) Free safety Barry Church (42) of the Dallas Cowboys celebrates after breaking up a pass intended for wide receiver Doug Baldwin (89) of the Seattle Seahawks in the end zone during the first quarter of the game at CenturyLink Field on October 12, 2014 in Seattle, Washington. Getty Images North America / Steve Dykes …
(9) Running back DeMarco Murray (29) of the Dallas Cowboys celebrates with wide receiver Dez Bryant (88) of the Dallas Cowboys after scoring a touchdown during the fourth quarter of the game against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on October 12, 2014 in Seattle,Washington. Steve Dykes / Getty Images …
(10) Demaryius Thomas (88) span> of the Denver Broncos runs the ball in the first quarter during a game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on October 12, 2014 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Getty Images / Elsa Martinez …
(11) Geno Smith (7) of the New York Jets and Peyton Manning (18) of the Denver Broncos on October 12, 2014 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.The Denver Broncos defeated the New York Jets 31-17 . The two opposing quarterbacks had differing results on the day , borne out by their respective statistics . . Getty Images/ Elsa Martinez ….
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On this day in NFL history
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She comes baring some delightful fruits .
” The Tampa-Two Defense” now a takes on a whole new meaning , when Wendy Fiore comes into focus, unlike the Bucs’ defense which was nowhere to be seen this past Sunday .
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