College of Sports Media Game of the Night:

For the second straight week the NFL Monday Night-er will feature a team that once represented the city it’s playing against. Last week it was the Baltimore Ravens (formerly the Cleveland Browns) taking on the ‘new’ Browns in Cleveland. This week the Tennessee Titans (formerly the Houston Oilers) are in Houston to battle the Texans. Unfortunately like last week this game also features two teams at the bottom of their   division. This time it’s the AFC South. The Texans are 5-4 and sit a game behind the Jacksonville Jaguars for second spot in the division. Last week Houston was on a bye, but in week nine they suffered a heart-wrenching 20-17 to the Indianapolis Colts. They played the Colts tough and that game could have gone either way. Quarterback Matt Schaub has stayed healthy this season and he’s put up some pretty good numbers. Schaub is top ten in the league for passing yards (2653), touchdowns thrown (17) and completion percentage (67.5). Tennessee started the season 0-6, but they’re on fire winning three straight. Their defence has been a lot better and quarterback Vince Young has been behind centre for all three wins, including a 41-17 week 10 pounding of the Buffalo Bills. The word in the locker room is Young has comeback from last season’s demotion more mature and a better teammate. He’s also a match up nightmare for most defences. In his last three starts he’s taken chances at throwing the ball deep which takes away from defences cheating against the run. That opens up the running game not only for himself, but also uber-stud running back Chris Johnson. Johnson is already at the one thousand mark in rushing yards (1091), has eight touchdowns and is gaining a gaudy 6.4 yards per carry. Not good news a Texans defence that’s giving up over a hundred rushing yards a game.

If you’d rather watch some puck tonight, there’s a good divisional battle between the Detroit Red Wings and Nashville Predators. Detroit’s been pretty good as of late (7-2-1 in their last 10), but they still sit in the three spot in the Northwest division. The Predators come into this one red hot. They’ve won five straight and trail the Red Wings by a point. Nashville has dominated Detroit as of late. Last season they finished 4-2 against the Red Wings and come into this one with a three game winning streak over their opponents.

They were some real eye-openers Sunday afternoon, none more so than the Cincinnati Bengals. With their 18-12 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Bengals have moved to 7-2 on the year, but more importantly control the AFC North. They’re a combined 4-0 against the Steelers and Baltimore Ravens this year, and enter a very easy stretch in their schedule. With the way their defence is playing, they should be able to keep the division lead for quite a while.

THE GOOD

Two teams have done an excellent job turning their seasons around – the Carolina Panthers and the Tennessee Titans. Carolina moved to 4-5 with a tough win over Atlanta, thanks in large part to Jake Delhomme. The embattled quarterback was dreadful earlier this season, but has been able to right his game enough to get some wins. Sunday afternoon he threw for just under 200 yards and two scores. With wins in four of their last six (and they should have been able to capitalize against New Orleans last week), the Panthers are still in the race for an NFC wildcard spot.

Tennessee, meanwhile, has won three straight games with Vince Young back under centre. Chris Johnson has rushed for just under 500 yards in those three wins, and their defence seems to be restoring some of its swagger from last season. Word of caution to their next opponents: the Titans are out to show their 0-6 start was a fluke. Word of caution to Titans fans: the three wins have come against Jacksonville, San Francisco, and Buffalo.

THE BAD

Maybe it was just a case of looking past a weak opponent, but the New Orleans Saints need to be careful. I’ve watched the team four weeks in a row now, and I haven’t been impressed with their performance in any of the contests. A narrow five point win over the St. Louis Rams, a game in which the Rams deserved a better fate, tells me that Head Coach Sean Payton needs to get his team better prepared for games. As I’ve said before, come playoff time, the Saints aren’t going to go far if they keep allowing inferior teams to stay in the game.

THE UGLY

The Dallas Cowboys had a great opportunity to open up a two game lead in the NFC East, and went out and had a pathetic outing versus the Green Bay Packers. The Cowboys offensive statistics may look adequate, but most of their effectiveness came in garbage time when the Packers were up 17-0. The ‘boys didn’t convert a third down until the fourth quarter, and Dallas running backs managed only 45 yards on 11 carries. So much for Tony Romo’s November magic.

I know they’re still three games over 500, but this is the Denver Broncos team I thought I’d see. I give full marks to Kyle Orton for finally throwing the ball over 20 yards (he did it twice!),  but even with Orton going down, they have to beat the Washington Redskins. With three straight losses, the Broncos are now tied with the San Diego Chargers in the AFC West.

TWO POINT CONVERSION

- I know the games generate a lot of revenue for specific markets, but can’t the league switch the Monday nighter if it looks like a dud? I’m sorry, but Baltimore @ Cleveland just doesn’t rev my engine as a Week Ten matchup this season

- Josh Freeman had another nice outing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Count me as surprised. Freeman actually leads the Bucs on scoring drives – a nice change from the quarterback play they were getting earlier in the season

We’re entering Week Eight in the National Football League, and already there have been seven teams that have sent more than one quarterback under centre. Buffalo, Miami, Philadelphia, Detroit, and St. Louis have needed to make changes due to injury. In Miami, the shoulder injury suffered by Chad Pennington just brought the Chad Henne era to a start sooner than anticipated. Philadelphia, and St. Louis have gone back to their original starters, while Detroit will send Matt Stafford back out as soon as possible. Buffalo has an interesting decision to make with Trent Edwards when he recovers from a concussion, seeing as Ryan Fitzpatrick is 2-0. But it’s more interesting to look at the teams that have changed starters in hopes to turn their seasons around.

In Cleveland, Brady Quinn was given only two weeks by head coach Eric Mangini before he was pulled in favour of Derek Anderson. Anderson’s been far from capable of handling the job – two touchdowns, seven interceptions, and a 43.8 completion percentage. How is he still the starter? Well, I’ve been critical of Eric Mangini in the past, and I see no other person to blame for this move. There’s the conspiracy theory that owner Randy Lerner doesn’t want to pay the $11 million bonus due to Quinn if he plays 70% of the snaps, but winning has to take prescendence in the NFL. Quinn should be the starter, but it doesn’t look like he’ll be given another chance in Cleveland.

The Tennessee Titans announced today that Vince Young will take over for Kerry Collins, giving him a second tenure as a starting quarterback. With the Titans’ season pretty much over at 0-6, why not see if Young has anything left in the tank? Plus, it gives owner Bud Adams an opportunity to watch Young and find out whether or not he can lead this team in the future. His rookie contract carries a $7.5 million base salary in 2010, so if Young’s not the guy, then you can expect him to be given his walking papers next year.

And then there’s the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In the 2008 draft, they drafted Josh Johnson in the fifth round as a developmental quarterback. Onto the 2009 draft, and the Bucs decided to take Kansas State’s Josh Freeman with the 17th pick. And then they signed Byron Leftwich in the offseason to compete with Luke McCown as starting quarterback. McCown was released, Leftwich was benched after three games for Johnson, and now he’s been given the hook for Freeman. Normally, I’m all for teams seeing what they have in first round quarterbacks, but in this case, it’s way too early. Johnson is only 23 himself, and by allowing him to start for the rest of the season they could have increased his trade value, or opened up a competition between he and Freeman next offseason. Freeman is going to struggle on this terrible team, and his confidence will take a huge beating with the complete lack of offensive weapons in Tampa. Johnson was the way to go for the remainder of the year in Tampa, and rookie coach Raheem Morris is making a big mistake by giving up on a 23 year old quarterback already.

Of course there’s still the teams that should make a switch but haven’t (hello Oakland and Carolina), but that just opens up an entirely different can of worms.

TWO POINT CONVERSION

- the Chicago Bears owe a big thanks to the people who made their schedule. There’s no better remedy for a struggling defence than facing the Cleveland Browns (well, maybe facing JaMarcus Russell)

- Rex Ryan stopped the Wildcat last season when he was with Baltimore, but good luck to him stopping it this weekend. The Jets are currently the league’s 22nd rush defence, and are without their best run player in nose tackle in Kris Jenkins. Recipe for disaster

After the Detroit Lions set the bar with a winless season, one logical question comes up – can it happen again? After four weeks of football there are five winless teams, but are any of them bad enough to keep playing at such a low level that they’d be forever linked to the 2008 Lions? Well, let’s have a look.

TENNESSEE TITANS

Of the five winless teams, they’re easily the best. They’re one year removed from being the best team in the league, but their stout defence from a year ago has apparently decided not to show up this season. Sure they’re missing defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz (now head coach of the Lions), and All-Pro defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth (signed with Washington), but giving up 37 points to Jacksonville? Ouch. However, the Titans are too good to go winless. They play the Bills at home in Week 10, and get another winless team, the St. Louis Rams, at home in Week 14.

Chance to go winless: 1%

CLEVELAND BROWNS

Here’s a defence that sits last in the league allowing over 400 yards a game. And Eric Mangini was a defensive coordinator. How this man is allowed to run two teams into the ground in a two year span is beyond me. I’ll give the Browns credit, they gave Cincinnati a scare last week. And they get Buffalo this weekend, as well as Detroit, Kansas City and Oakland later in their schedule. The Dawg Pound should get a win this season, no matter how ugly it is.

Chance to go winless: 25%

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

Scott Pioli certainly looks like a genius now, doesn’t he? The well respected former Patriots Vice President of Player Personnel has assembled quite the roster in Kansas City. Matt Cassell for $63 million? A 3-4 defensive end (Tyson Jackson) with the third overall pick? Bringing in Todd Haley as head coach, who looked like a genius in Arizona as offensive coordinator because of the weapons he had there, is not looking like a strong move either. The Chiefs almost had the Raiders in Week 2, only to let JaMarcus Russell beat them. JaMarcus Russell beat the Chiefs (let that one sink in for a minute). They’re lucky however, they get to play Buffalo and Cleveland back-to-back at Arrowhead in December. There’s no way they can lose both of those…. can they?

Chance to go winless: 55%

ST. LOUIS RAMS

From the ‘Greatest Show on Turf’, to this in just a decade. They currently have the 30th ranked offence, and there’s not too many things to look forward to in the Gateway to the Midwest. When Kyle Boller is taking snaps for your team, maybe it’s time to look at next year’s crop of quarterbacks. However, they have one saving grace that may prevent them from going undefeated – the Detroit Lions. Week 8, at Ford Field, these two juggernauts will go head to head. For the Rams, that may be their only shot at victory this year.

Chance to go winless: 75%

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

Now this is a team that worries me. After three weeks, they switched quarterbacks. They have a 32 year old head coach who was in charge of their defensive backs last season. What they don’t have, is a lot of talent. Their offense currently sits 27th in the league, and their defence is 31st, allowing just under 400 yards a game. I don’t see any easy wins on their schedule, but they do have the struggling Panthers coming to Raymond James Stadium next weekend.

Chance to go winless: 85%

TWO POINT CONVERSION

- if you’re trading a 26 year old former Pro Bowl receiver, and the second listed item coming back to you is a “key special teams player”, how do you still run a franchise? I’d love for Eric Mangini and George Kokinis to justify that one to me. Braylon Edwards was a plague on the Browns, but you’ve got to get back more than that

- most people are saying the game of the week is New England at Denver. I beg to differ. Give me Atlanta at San Fransisco any day. Two up-and-coming teams with fiery, defensive minded coaches – should make for a great game

Now that the season is a quarter over (for all but four teams), you can start making reasonable assumptions on what could (and should) happen the rest of the way. For example, the Tennessee Titans are 0-4 and welcome Peyton Manning & Co. to LP Field next weekend. My football insight tells me the Titans will be 0-5, wondering again what happened to last years’ defence, and focusing on 2010. Who knows, we may even see Vince Young.

Still with the Titans, Jeff Fisher is topping many writers’ lists of head coaches on the ‘hot seat’. He’s been with the team since 1994, and seen them through some great times, and some terrible ones as well. If Fisher is let go by the Titans, he will be unemployed for less than two weeks if he wants to be.

Other coaches clearly under fire around the league are; Jim Zorn in Washington, because anyone who loses to Detroit should be fired on the spot; Dick Jauron in Buffalo, although not entirely his fault, he has Trent Edwards at quarterback; and Tom Cable in Oakland, because he has a better punch than his offence.

What happened to the NFL’s premier pass rushers from last season? DeMarcus Ware racked up 20, Joey Porter notched 17.5, and Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison had 16. Fast forward to this year, and Ware has no sacks for the Cowboys. LeMarr Woodley had 11.5 sacks last year for Pittsburgh, and has none thus far in 2009. Porter? Two.  Harrison? Three. 

Offensive coordinators are clearly preparing differently for these players, and it’s up to the respective defensive coordinators to utilize their pass rushers in a different fashion. Mike Nolan is getting the most out of the five-foot-eleven Elvis Dumervil, he’s got eight sacks. So to does Antwan Odom in Cincinnati. Pass rushers are paid a premium amount in the NFL, but maybe it’s time for teams to reconsider that game plan with sack totals fluctuating so rapidly.

Finally, there are currently four quarterbacks on pace for over 4,500 yards passing in Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger and Tom Brady. A fifth, Joe Flacco, isn’t far off the pace. What ever happened to the run-based NFL? Here’s your answer – the quarterbacks in the league right now are incredible. Manning is on pace to shatter Dan Marino’s single season passing record of 5,084 yards (projected for 5,344). Quarterbacks generally receive all the spotlight, and with these guys in the league, it’s for good reason.

TWO POINT CONVERSION

- I don’t think I can watch the next Monday Night Football with the Minnesota Vikings. If I have to hear Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski salivate into their microphones over Brett Favre one more time, my ears will start bleeding. Unfortunately for me – Week 16, Vikings @ Bears

- the San Fransisco 49ers are going to re-open negotiations with first round malcontent Michael Crabtree. I hope he signs, then gets humbled by being benched for five weeks by Head Coach Mike Singletary because he has to learn the playbook and get in game shape

After only three weeks of football, there are some teams in need of a statement game.  A statement game can set the tone for the remainder of the season, and tell fans and media alike where the team will be come playoff time. Here’s a couple of teams I need to see a statement from.

DENVER BRONCOS

Sure they’re 3-0, but as I wrote in Week Three’s The Good, The Bad & The Ugly, their schedule has been a cake walk. They start a grueling stretch of games this weekend against Dallas – a team they can actually beat. Denver is allowing a league low 5.3 points per game, while Dallas has the number one ranked rushing offense. Anyone who watched Dallas the past two weeks knows the team has weaknesses, and if the Denver Broncos (most notably head coach Josh McDaniels)  want to be taken seriously around the league, they need to win this game.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

Earlier in the week I criticized the Steelers’ overall play, especially on the defensive side of the ball. And what better way to make me eat my words than by stuffing the league’s second ranked passing attack in the San Diego Chargers. On the national stage of Sunday night football, the Steelers can show the league that they’re still a force to be reckoned with.

TENNESSEE TITANS

Honestly, this is the greatest 0-3 team I’ve ever heard of. Never before have I seen NFL ‘experts’ praising a winless team the way the Titans are being heralded. They sport the third worst passing defence in the league, and last week against the Jets their special teams cost them the game. This team had the best record in the NFL last year, and now they’re in danger of falling out the race early. Good luck against a fired up Jacksonville squad Titans, I’ll be watching.

During my countless hours of football reading a day, I come across many different writers. The other day, I found quite the interesting piece. A certain writer on a prominent site had this wonderful idea: “It might be time for the Eagles to trade Vick”. Really? It might be time to trade a guy who’s taken 11 snaps in three years at quarterback? Why is this? Because Vick said he thought he’d return to the NFL as a starting quarterback. I’m sorry, I’m having a hard time digesting this one. There is no way a team could justify giving up anything more than a late round pick for Vick right now, he’s too tough to guage. Let’s give him a couple of weeks (and a couple of completed passes) before we start wondering what team Vick will be starting for.

TWO POINT CONVERSION

- on an episode of Pardon the Interruption, Chad Ochocinco thanked three people for his turnaround this season: Ray Lewis, Deion Sanders, and ….. Denzel Washington. Who doesn’t belong?

- Mark Sanchez has been given the greatest nickname ever by his teammates and coach – “Sanchize”

Yet another interesting day in the wonderful world of the NFL. First and foremost, congratulations to the Detroit Lions’… fans. You’ve been waiting almost two calendar years for win, so kudos for sticking with the team. Now, onto the action.

THE GOOD

The Denver Broncos are 3-0. That is not a typo. At the beginning of the year, I didn’t expect this team to win three games in total, so Josh McDaniels deserves to be left alone… for  a little while. Sure they’ve topped the Bengals, but the Browns and Raiders? Not exactly talented squads. Their next five games: Dallas, New England, San Diego, Baltimore, Pittsburgh. Good luck with that. But for now, well done Denver.

The New York Jets answered my challenge, and moved to 3-0 with a win over the Tennessee Titans. After blowing a 14 point lead, the Jets rebounded and held the Titans scoreless for the final 26 minutes. Rex Ryan, you should have been a head coach well before this year.

THE BAD

There’s no question as to which injury is hurting its team the most – the Pittsburgh Steelers need Troy Polamalu. They look completely lost on defence (side note: which defence has allowed the fewest points this year? The Denver Broncos’ stop unit). I’m not writing the Steelers off by any means, they’re still too talented to miss the playoffs, but they need to make some adjustments now.

Another person answered my challenge, quarterback JaMarcus Russell. He completed 57% of his passes this afternoon – to go with 61 yards passing and two picks. Come on JaMarcus, give Al Davis something other than a guy who looks bigger than some of his offensive lineman.

A funny point to the Raiders’ performance – on Yahoo Sports’ website, the top performer from Oakland was running back Michael Bush… with six rushes for 20 yards.

THE UGLY

Washington Redskins – and I’ll leave it at that.

Dear Seattle Seahawks; never do that again. I’m not talking about the close loss to Chicago, but their disgusting excuse for jerseys Sunday afternoon. If you haven’t had a chance to see them, check out the team’s website. I’ve never seen a team look that bad, and I played houseleague sports.

TWO POINT CONVERSION

- it’s a toss up for my pick for best team in the league right now, Ravens or Giants

- I’m sick of all the Brett Favre stories, but he earned it this time. What a throw to crush the 49ers