The NFC East proved yet again that it is without question the most competitive division in the NFL. Last Sunday’s contest between the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins made for great drama as well as great confusion. Dallas is no longer the best team in that division, with the champs in New York sitting at 3-0. Even further, they might not even be the second best team, as Washington made a statement by handing Dallas its first loss by a score of 26-24.

Looking at the way the game played out, one has to wonder why Marion Barber wasn’t utilized more often. He is one of the best running backs in the league and excels in close games where he can pound the ball at the opposing defense twenty to thirty times. He wasn’t called on for anywhere close to that amount against the ‘Skins, only carrying the rock 8 times for 26 yards. That is inexcusable play-calling from offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. What is also appalling is throwing to T.O. seventeen times out of about sixty offensive plays. Most of those throws by Romo were forced into the fantastic coverage of corner Shawn Springs. Owens voiced his displeasure after the game, complaining about either not getting enough touches or the manner in which he was being targeted. Maybe he should have gotten a little separation on those ten passes he didn’t manage to catch! This may be a small roadblock for the Cowboys, or it could turn into a larger obstacle if Owens continues to complain. This story isn’t over by a long shot.

Continue reading "NFC East gets Tighter as the 'Skins Hold up the Cowboys"

We have another major NFC East divisonal game to examine, an AFC South game that no one expected to be as important as it is, and a couple of undefeated teams trying to stay on track against solid opponents

Washington Redskins (3-1) at Philadelphia Eagles (2-2) 

This game is crucial for the stumbling Eagles. Three playoff teams are going to come out the NFC East and the Giants and Cowboys are almost a lock. It’ll be up to Philadelphia and Washington to fight it out in these divisional contests to see who will take that second wildcard slot come January. Donovan McNabb and crew are coming off a tough loss at Chicago, but should be getting back tight end L.J. Smith off the injury list. Brian Westbrook is still a game-time decision so Correll Buckhalter may have to continue picking up the slack on the ground. Washington should be feeling great after they beat Dallas in Texas last Sunday. Jason Campbell is finding deep threat Santana Moss with increasing regularity, which can only help out Clinton Portis and the running game. Coach Jim Zorn must keep his team on target if they want to rise to 2-1 against their division. 

Continue reading "Joey A's NFL Week Five Preview"

For everything that couldn’t have been predicted so far this season, at least one thing in the NFL remains a constant: the Detroit Lions are still awful. However, now that Matt Millen has been fired as team President that might not be the case much longer. Though for Bears fans there’s no need to worry, I’m confident that the Lions will continue to be an embarrassment for at least the rest of this season. Changing a GM or President won’t change the product on the field but it can affect the mentality of a team, but the Lions’ morale is so low it won’t make any difference for the foreseeable future. With that in mind, the Chicago Bears need to avoid being embarrassed by the dregs of the NFC North.

Offensively, the Detroit Lions are the opposite of the Philadelphia Eagles offense that the Bears met last week. Their quarterback Jon Kitna is average, but they have perhaps the best wide receivers in the league with All-Pro Roy Williams, emerging Calvin Johnson, and dependable Mike Furrey. Their running back is unproven rookie Kevin Smith, but despite claims of a new orientation towards the run, the Lions always revert to the passing game when they need a win. Why wouldn’t they? That’s what their personnel would dictate. The Bears secondary is going to have a hard time keeping those wide-outs under wraps, even with Charles Tillman and Nathan Vasher expecting to play. Each were injured in the game with the Eagles but returned to practice on Thursday. The Bear defense behind All-Pro linebacker Brian Urlacher is known for shutting down the run but being vulnerable to the pass. They simply don’t get enough pass rush on opposing QB’s while their coverage schemes allow for the underneath throws. With defensive tackle Tommie Harris suspended for Sunday’s game for disciplinary reasons, it’ll be even harder to bring Jon Kitna to the ground. Kitna may have a big day if defensive coordinator Bob Babich isn’t careful.

Continue reading "Joe's Gameday Preview: Bears at Lions"

It was just the Detroit Lions. As excited as fans are after yesterday’s insanely lop-sided victory (and understandably so), they must remember one thing: it was just the Detroit Lions. This was a game they should have won, but complete and utter domination wasn’t as expected. Their team wasn’t perfect, but Chicago fans are allowed to revel in the bye week that was the 34-7 pounding of the winless Lions. It was a win that put the Bears in sole possession of first place in the NFC North.

Everything started perfectly for the Bears, as the Lions sputtered on the first drive of the day. The Bear defense stopped Kevin Smith for no gain on the ground, Charles Tillman broke up a pass intended for Roy Williams (the first of many), and then came a sack of quarterback Jon Kitna on third down. It was a foreboding series for events for the Lions, who never got anything going offensively. They only mustered 185 yards of total offense, most of which came in the second half after Chicago had established a healthy lead. Jon Kitna was benched early in the second half, which was later said to be the result of back spasms. At the time, it seemed to be simply a coach’s decision, as Detroit’s offense desperately needed a spark. Back-up Dan Orlovsky entered the game and fared no better versus the Bears’ intimidating defense.

Continue reading "Bears Maul the Defenseless Lions"

This wasn’t supposed to be a game. This shouldn’t have even been competitive. Dallas was supposed to walk all over the bumbling Bengals. Instead, Cincinnati had a chance to win this game late and possibly hand a second loss to the mega-talented Cowboys.  Unfortunately Cincinnati remembered who they are and fumbled away their chance for victory.

It’s too bad for a Bengals team that has too many offensive threats to be so point-challenged. The thought going into this season was that Marvin Lewis’ team would be the same as always, loads of offense and little to no defense.  Oddly enough, Cincinnati’s offense hasn’t come close to form this season, accumulating only seven touchdowns in five games. Quarterback Carson Palmer’s struggles are the most responsible for this lack of production, averaging only 182 yards a game with 3 touchdowns and four interceptions through four games. Normally the only reliable Bengal performer, Palmer has been dragged down to the level of his teammates this season, instead of the usual lifting them to his. The Bengals need score over 24 points a game in order to have a chance to win. The real issue has been running back Chris Perry’s case of fumblitis. He has five fumbles in five games, one coming late in this game on a drive that could have given his team the lead after they successfully converted an onside kick. The Cincinnati defense offers too many gaps and too little resistance to stop an average NFL offense, so Dallas took that turnover and easily scored the seven. Tony Romo and the Cowboys almost gave this one away, however.

Continue reading "Cowboys Needed Help to get by Winless Bengals"

In this new segment (which I imagine will replace my non-Bear game recaps), I’ll shoot through some of the NFL’s more interesting outcomes of the prior week.

Carolina Panthers 34, Kansas City Chiefs 0

Did anyone think that the Chiefs would be this bad? All we heard over the off-season was how they had the best draft class in the NFL.  Now all they can say for their season thus far is a surprising win (their only win overall) over the AFC West leading Denver Broncos. Carolina pushed Kansas City around on Sunday as DeAngelo Williams rushed for 123 yards and two touchdowns. Rookie Jonathan Stewart got into the fun as well with 72 yards on 19 carries. Jake Delhomme seems to have completely rebounded after have Tommy John surgery. It’ll remain to be seen how his arm holds up over 16 games, but Jake has been at his best through five. Muhsin Muhammad has found his old self after returning to Carolina, finding the end zone on a 47 yard reception.

Continue reading "Joey A's Final Drive: Week 5"

After taking the week off in Detroit, the Chicago Bears are facing some stiff competition this Sunday in the form of the resurgent Atlanta Falcons. Each team sits at 3-2, but while Atlanta is looking up at Carolina in the standings, Chicago is perched alone at the top of their division. Both are coming off of impressive victories against NFC North opponents and need to continue building momentum towards successful seasons.

Lovie Smith and his staff can be proud of their game plan against Detroit; they just shouldn’t be too smug about it. Detroit is the punching bag of the NFC, along with the St. Louis Rams. The Falcons are a joke no longer, boasting the second ranked running game in the NFL with running back Michael “the Burner” Turner ranking first in yards rushing. Rookie quarterback Matt Ryan is making enough plays to win, finding receiver Roddy White with great effect. Atlanta hungers for respect throughout the league and plays fast and aggressive on offense as well as defense. It will certainly be a test for a Bears team who has openly stated their intent to remain in the driver’s seat of the NFC North. That’s a bold claim for a team known for collapsing in the second half.

Continue reading "Joe's Gameday Preview: Bears at Falcons"

 This weekend will go a long way in exposing the identity of teams floating around .500. Teams like Baltimore, San Francisco, and Miami are trying to gain respect, while Indianapolis, Jacksonville, and Philadelphia look to meet lofty expectations. Are they contenders or pretenders? Week six in the NFL hopes to have the answers.

Baltimore Ravens (2-2) at Indianapolis Colts (2-2)

Plainly put, both teams are lucky to be where they are. Baltimore has surprised everyone thanks to their top-tier defense and Joe Flacco’s decision making. Flacco, recently named starter for the rest of the season, has been steady for this Baltimore offense, if nothing else. He’ll need his defense to step it up this week, as the Colts may have found their stride after their ridiculous come-from-behind win at Houston. If Peyton Manning has shaken off the rust, he won’t be held under twenty points. Unfortunately, that’s about the mark that the Ravens need to keep him at in order for Flacco and a struggling running game to match. Indy must start piling up the wins if they want to lock in a playoff spot, much less catch the Tennessee Titans at 5-0. Joseph Addai hasn’t been producing out of the backfield which takes away Indianapolis’ play-action threat. The Colts need to get back to being a three-dimensional offense to give their defense a much-needed break without Bob Sanders.

Continue reading "Joey A's NFL Week Six Preview"

That one hurt. The Bears had no business winning that game, and after taking the lead with eleven seconds left, they proved that ideology correct. There are plenty of issues to be taken up with Lovie Smith and his coaching staff regarding the decisions made late in that game, but the blame must be shared equally with the players on the field. Their execution (or lack thereof in the case of the defense and special teams) let the Falcons steal back their victory from the Bear jaws of defeat.

On defense, the Bears looked downright pathetic between the 20’s. They were ripped apart by rookie Matt Ryan time after time, as he was six for six on third down conversions of nine yards or longer. The Falcons were nine of sixteen on third down, embarrassing the best third-down defense going into Sunday’s schedule. The passing game was the only aspect of the Falcons’ offense that worked on Sunday, as the Bears completely shut down the most productive running back in the league in Michael Turner. Turner only garnered 54 yards on 23 carries, while back-up Jerious Norwood picked up 31 yards on only three carries. Atlanta never got anything going on the ground, but continued to handoff on first downs which often ended in a short gain or a loss, putting them in a difficult second and long for most of the day. The Bears defense never figured out how to stop receiver Roddy White, despite putting Atlanta in obvious passing situations where White would be the natural first option for Ryan. This has been the largest issue during the Lovie Smith regime. Too often does the opponent’s number one passing option have a huge day against the Bears’ rarely adjusting cover two defense. It shows stubbornness on the part of the coaches to refuse to adjust to what the opposing offense is doing, no matter how unsuccessful they are in defending it.

Continue reading "Bears and Falcons get Crazy in Atlanta"

This week’s theme of the Final Drive is turnovers. In almost every game, the victors used the battle-tested combination of protecting the ball on offense and getting takeaways on defense. In the NFL, if your team can get more turnovers than they giveaway, your chance of winning goes up exponentially.

Indianapolis Colts 31, Baltimore Ravens 3

Well, I did say Peyton Manning would not be held under twenty points. Thanks to Mr. Manning for backing me up. The Colts lit up one of the best defenses in the league last Sunday as Manning got on track, finding Marvin Harrison twice and Reggie Wayne once for touchdowns. The Colts defense was the beneficiary of three Joe Flacco interceptions that led to scores each time. This was a huge game for Colts, but it was an equally embarrassing game for the Ravens. Their defense was exploited by the deep ball on multiple occasions, showing the age of corners Chris McAlister and Samari Rolle. Harrison abused McAlister on a routine basis. Flacco had a rough game, and as a rookie there will be more to come. The Ravens can only hope to hover around .500. In a competitive AFC North, that might be enough to sneak into the playoffs, given Pittsburgh’s difficult schedule.

Continue reading "Joey A's Final Drive: Week 5"

The shine off Dallas’ star has lost a bit of its luster in the past few days. It’s been a madhouse of activity, with major injuries, a possibly career-ending suspension, and an interesting new arrival.

The loss to Arizona embarrassed the ‘Boys, but the mental pain it caused won’t last nearly as long as the physical pain it brought about. Franchise quarterback Tony Romo sustained a broken pinkie finger on his throwing hand. Depending on where specifically the break is on the finger could mean the difference between playing with pain and sitting out for a month. It means back-up Brad Johnson, “fresh” off of his 2002 win in the Super Bowl, is now forty years old. He is being asked to fill in for one of the most elusive quarterbacks in the league in Romo, who has been under pressure behind a struggling offensive line. Johnson can’t possibly stay upright, as he won’t take more than 3 steps away from the pocket. Luckily during the month Romo is suspected to be sidelined, the Cowboys have their bye week, so Johnson may only need to start three games for Dallas.  2-1 would the ideal record during that time, but 1-2 may not hurt them too bad. Unfortunately, Romo wasn’t the only injury. Another casualty was punter Matt McBriar, who has been one of the better punters in the NFL, expected to miss at least six to eight weeks. Felix Jones rounds out the last injury report with a hamstring strain that could have him out for a month at most. 

Continue reading "Big Happenings in Big D"

Nothing makes Bears fans forget about a tough loss better than a win against a division opponent. The Bears will get the chance this Sunday when they host the Minnesota Vikings in the first of their two meetings this season. Both teams, along with the Green Bay Packers, are tied atop the NFC North with matching records of 3-3. One team must make a move to get ahead of the pack now (no pun intended), or they will still be trapped in a three-team dogfight for one playoff spot. If the Bears intend to claim that spot, beating the Vikings at Soldier Field is they way to start.

On paper, the Vikes and Bears are strikingly similar. Both offenses have a strong emphasis on running the ball with their young feature backs with passing games that are improving each week. On the defensive side of the ball, each pride themselves on shutting down the run (Minnesota is ranked fourth and Chicago sixth against the run) while their pass defense can be hit-or-miss. Sunday’s game will be about hitting the hole hard and hitting the opponent harder. The outcome will be directly tied to which secondary can make the most plays.

Continue reading "Joe's Gameday Preview: Vikings at Bears"

 For many teams, the run to January has already begun. For others, they're not even sure how to define themselves. Week seven in the NFL will continue separating the good from the simply mediocre.

San Diego Chargers (3-3) at Buffalo Bills (4-1)

The Chargers of years past were predominantly designed to hand-off to L.T. and keep their quarterbacks from making too many throws. This year’s Chargers, with Tomlinson’s injury slowing him down, are in a “throw first, run later” mindset. It worked last week, as San Diego demolished New England. Philip Rivers has been successful without his number one receiver in Chris Chambers, who hasn’t practiced since spraining his ankle in their October fifth loss to Miami. Stepping up to the plate, Vincent Jackson and Malcolm Floyd are frequently getting open downfield and stretching the defense. Chambers won’t need to rush back with the way the Super Chargers are lighting up scoreboards as of late.

Continue reading "Joey A's NFL Week Seven Preview"

If you had told me the Minnesota Vikings would score 41 points and rack up over 400 yards of offense on my Bears, I would have thought twice about watching such a slaughter. Lucky for me I had no such prior information, so I tuned in to witness the shootout at Soldier Field. I’m glad I did, as the Bears hung on in a thrill-fest.

Defense was a rare sight on Sunday afternoon with each team moving the ball at will on their opponents. The Bears defense stood out with five turnovers, four of which came by way of Gus Frerotte interceptions. They sacked Frerotte twice, one coming off of a safety blitz by Kevin Payne and the other from Tommie Harris on Minnesota’s final drive. Outside of those positives, the Bears were awful on defense. They let the Viking wide receivers beat them time and again as well as allowing Adrian Peterson to rush for 121 yards thanks to a 54 yarder he broke for one of his two touchdowns. Besides his few awful throws, Frerotte was on target, racking up almost 300 yards passing to go with his two scores.

Continue reading "Bears Give up 41 Points to the Vikings and Win: What?"

If you make predictions for the NFL, I feel bad for you. In this season, teams have not been consistent from week to week, making any sort of prognostication moot. Only Tennessee and Detroit have been steady in their ways, each having a zero in one of their columns. For everyone else, it’s a crap-shoot. Now onto week seven in the NFL:

Buffalo Bills 24, San Diego Chargers 14

Okay, now we all should know the Buffalo Bills are as good as advertised. Trent Edwards is the best quarterback in the NFL that no one’s talking about. Edwards completed a Brady-like 25 of his 30 pass attempts, and was protected by an offensive line that allowed no sacks. That same line pushed the Chargers around for running backs Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch who combined for a workmen-like 28 carries for 103 yards. The Bills offense never turned the ball over while the Bills defense took it away three times. As long as Trent is upright and health, the Bills will contend for the division title this season.

Continue reading "Joey A's Final Drive: Week 7"

 This season of the NFL has been full of surprises. From the drama in Dallas to the inconsistency in Indianapolis, from the stunners of St. Louis to the Titans of Tennessee, what's not to love? I can't wait for week seven in the NFL!

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-2) at Dallas Cowboys (4-3)

Now that Dallas officially won’t have Tony Romo until after their bye week in November, let the drama begin. After losing two in a row, the ‘Boys can’t afford another loss. However, as far as I’m concerned, the show gets more entertaining if they lose. (I probably shouldn’t be so biased, but it’ll make for good television.) Brad Johnson will need to quickly rebound from his three interception showing against the Rams. For that happen though, Marion Barber must take even more of a central role to the Dallas offense. Roy Williams and Terrell Owens have to find ways to coexist as tight end Jason Witten will get the bulk of Johnson’s throws. Defensively, Dallas was a train wreck last week, getting abused on the ground. With Jon Gruden’s proclivity towards running the ball, I’ll have my eyes intently focused on this outcome.

Continue reading "Joey A's NFL Week Eight Preview"