Gotta start with the Vikings...
I was going to try and think of a catchy title for this, but decided not to do that to Vikings fans who read this. I'm not even sure where to begin. For those who haven't noticed, the Viking waived - that is to say, cut - Randy Moss today. When Randy said, four weeks ago, "Get your 84 jerseys out, this'll be a fun ride," I'm pretty sure this isn't what he expected (although, admittedly, this is pretty unique). Moss was somewhat critical, in his own rambling way after the 28-18 loss to his former team, the Patriots. And I doubt his sheer adoration for the Patriots (sounds like a guy who just broke up with a girl only to realize he wants her back) was probably going to sit fantastically in the locker room. But do you cut the guy? After all, Childress himself said some fairly critical back-handed things about Favre the week before. And Moss makes (er, made) the Vikings a better team - that vertical threat opened up space for Percy Harvin and Visanthe Shiancoe. Every Vikings fan I know - and I agree - has noted that Harvin seemed to really blossom with Moss in the lineup. I figured if there was anywhere Moss would be happy to play second-fiddle and help mentor young guys, it'd be back on his first team, the Vikings. I wanted to see the guy retire in purple and gold.
Someone will pick up Moss, because he makes most teams better. I think his actions recently shorten that list though - for example, I could see the Rams or Panthers being interested in a top-flight WR, but I don't see either wanting a combustible personality burdening their young quarterbacks. I think San Diego makes a lot of sense for him, as a team full of tall WRs who could use some help with Vincent Jackson unhappy and still-suspended as well as Malcolm Floyd hurt. I could see Rivers and Moss making some good music together.
So, if Moss was productive - even without catching passes, by opening up space - why was he cut by the Vikings? I've been a vocal opponent to the Brett Favre moves of the Vikings, something I think has set the long-term potential of the franchise back by at least three years, if not more, as they've neglected to develop a young quarterback behind him. But I think Brad Childress is as much of the problem. It's clear that there's ego-friction between Favre and Childress - something that only manifests tangibly when the Vikings are losing, which is more now than it was a year ago. Which makes me wonder if this was a way of Childress to lash out at an available, ready-made target. Moss spoke out against Chilly and now, suddenly, he's gone. This says to me that it is the only move, a move born of frustration and probably some anger, this lame-duck coach can make, because he's hitched himself to Favre and he knows as well as anyone else that he's subject to Favre's whims because he let Favre's whims take precedence over establishing a strong sense of authority (see: no-show for training camp, but that's okay).
I don't understand it, though. All it does is prove that this Vikings fiasco is soaring to new heights - this is dysfunction in high form, from which I don't think they can recover. I predicted earlier this offseason that one of two teams would collapse - either the Vikings or Jets. Looks like, so far, I was right, but this has far exceeded my expectations.
How about those Lions? And, hey, is that Rex Grossman?
It's too bad that, nationally, the Lions victory over Washington is getting more attention because of Mike Shanahan's mind-boggling move to remove a healthy Donovan McNabb for Rex Grossman than it is for the Lions playing a very good football game. But we'll start with the McNabb stuff. The true mark of a good quarterback is his ability to make a 4th-quarter comeback, or lead a 2-minute drill. That Shanahan pulled McNabb with the game on the line, in the last two minutes, speaks volumes. McNabb will not be a Redskin next year. That's what it says to me.
Meanwhile, the Lions had a dominating performance. The defensive line chalked up 6 sacks and had constant pressure on McNabb. The secondary, while still nothing great, has found a gem in cornerback Alphonso Smith, who had another interception in this game and dropped another one that would have gone for a TD. Suh continues to lead the way in the Defensive Rookie of the Year race. Meanwhile, after throwing an early pick, young Matthew Stafford bounced back and ended up with 4 TDs on the day - 3 to Calvin Johnson and 1 to Brandon Pettigrew. Also, the run game found some balance, with Kevin Smith and Jahvid Best combining for roughly 100 yards on roughly 25 carries. That's what you want to see from this team. Better yet is the ball in Stafford's hands on 4th-and-1, game on the line, slinging a dart to Calvin for his last TD of the game. This wasn't just a win, but a gut-check win that the Lions won in clutch fashion. These are the kinds of games that the Lions used to be a lock to lose. These hungry, new-look Lions won it. This is a new team that's looking down that corner and starting to turn it. You can't overlook them on your schedule anymore - on any given Sunday, I truly believe they can beat any team in the NFL.
That punter must have some really big, really brass ones...
I have mixed feelings about the Jets punter going for it on 4th and 18. Did anyone else catch Rex Ryan's post-game press conference? The punter has the authority to go for it at his own discretion when he sees a good opening, but Rex chuckled and goes "I never thought he'd do it on 4th and 18..." A good moment, there. Credit to the guy for almost making it and having the brass big ones to make that call, but wow.
As for the Jets, though, I have to argue that the Packers really just demonstrated a blueprint on how to beat them, and Clay Matthews summed it up in one sentence: "We put the ball in Sanchez's hands." It's a bad thing when a defense realizes that their chance of winning goes up if they force your franchise quarterback to have to make plays. I've thought this about Sanchez for some time - that he's a very efficient game manager type of quarterback, who is reliable to protect a lead and take care of the ball. But when the game is on the line, when he's called upon to make a play, he's not the guy I want. And sure, you can say his receivers dropped a ton of balls in that game, but it still doesn't erase the lack of clutch credit on Sanchez's resume so far. While he may be looking more and more polished up to now, it just makes me happy that the Lions took the right guy at #1 in the '09 draft - the guy who can make that game-winning, clutch play when the ball is in his hands.
Final note....
Who knew that the Chiefs/Raiders game coming up in Week 9 would end up being a game that is going to have a huge impact, potentially, on the AFC West race? Both of these teams look far more credible than either the Chargers or woeful Broncos. Kudos to both of them. Tom Cable - I am not joking here - is my vote for Coach of the Year right now. It's taken time, but he's had to go back and forth through hell and adversity to get this team where it is now and many people called for his head multiple times along the way. Good for you, Cable Guy. Good for you, Al Davis, for sticking with him.
No comments:
Post a Comment