|
I've got a TON to say so let's get at it
WOW call it what you
will but I still can't believe I'm typing this......
Call them the Quiet Storm,
Sea-fense, the Blue Wave or nothing at all. Just
don't forget to call them No. 1.
True, the Seahawks didn't play this past weekend,
so the statistics are skewed. But No. 1 is No. 1,
and today and for the rest of this week, the Seattle
Seahawks have the NFL's top defense.
That's a feather in the cap for everyone involved,
even though the season is only entering its fifth
week. Seattle has allowed the fewest yards per game
(242.3), the fewest first downs (38) and the fewest
points (13). The Seahawks also lead in third-down
defense, allowing opponents to convert 21.4 percent,
and have forced 10 turnovers.
Being the best is a meaningful accomplishment.
But players know they must sustain such efforts
over the long term.
"It means a lot, but it doesn't mean anything
right now to be ranked No. 1 and then end up at
the end of the year being ranked 25th," defensive
tackle Rashad Moore said. "The only thing I'm
worried about is that we can maintain and keep this
thing going that we have going on and hope that
we finish strong."
This is the first time the Seahawks have led the
league in defense since Week 2 of the
1998 season. Seattle finished 27th that year.
In the second week of the 1986 season, Seattle
also had the No. 1 defense. That unit wound up 22nd.
This is the latest the Seahawks have been No. 1.
"We've got a good solid foundation. We just
need to keep building on that week after week and
respect all our opponents," defensive end Chike
Okeafor said. "Take them seriously, find their
tendencies and get ready for every game like we
have for the first three. It's a great honor to
be in that position, but we want to be in that position
at Week 16."
Random quotes from around the league
Chiefs RB Priest Holmes on what a 27-24 win over
the Ravens on “Monday Night Football”
meant to his team: “It’s not only a
perfect script, but it’s one way for us to
decide to start playing. We started out 0-3, there
were a number of people saying we were desperate.
One thing that changed this week is we changed our
attitude and we were more determined to come in
here and get a win.”
49ers rookie CB Shawntae Spencer, who will take
over in the starting lineup in place of the injured
Mike Rumph, on how he has adapted to the NFL: “I
pretty much scrapped my whole college game and let
these coaches critique me into a pro corner.”
Saints head coach Jim Haslett on the argument between
QB Aaron Brooks and DE Charles Grant that took place
on the team plane following Sunday’s loss
to the Cardinals: “The way things grow and
grow, by the time the news hits the air it was probably
an all-out brawl and the plane almost went down.
It was nothing like that at all.”
Texans QB David Carr on what he’ll do next
now that he was able to cut his hair — something
he vowed not to do until the Texans won back-to-back
games — following Houston’s second straight
win: “Maybe I’ll grow a beard to win
the Super Bowl,” Carr joked Monday from a
custom-made barber’s chair. “I don’t
know. I’ll come up with something.”
Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis on the difference
between last year’s 1-3 start and this year’s
1-3 opening: “Last year’s 1-3 was almost
a relief. This year, for some people, it has you
in a panic on the edge of your chair. I think that’s
the biggest difference. Last year, the expectation
was not there. This year, it’s a disappointment
more than anything, albeit it’s the same record
at 1-3.”
Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden on the importance
of his team having something positive happen soon:
“When you date a girl for three or four years,
at some point you have to walk down the aisle and
say you do. You have to get it done, you have to
put the ring on the finger. You have to execute.
We have been unable to take one home. It’s
a problem right now. We have to break through ...
and hopefully this is the week. It is a concern,
but I think this team knows how to win. We have
a lot of winners. We just have to find a way to
win.”
Now let me vent.......
After four weeks, the unthinkable has happened.
The Packers have lost three games, including two
in a row at home. And fantasy owners are seriously
worried about Ahman Green, who rushed for just 67
yards against the Giants in Week 4. All the classic
Green signatures were missing from his performance
against New York. The explosion through the front
four, the familiar open-field moves to make tacklers
miss, and most importantly, there were no touchdowns.
Green is still capable of playing very well, but
everything seems to be crumbling around him in Green
Bay. Brett Favre's loss in Week 4 because of a concussion
didn't help, but even before he was injured, it
was clear the Green Bay passing game was in trouble
unless they were facing a very bad pass defense.
No one besides Javon Walker has stepped forward
to be a regular playmaker, and all Walker can seemingly
do is catch deep balls.
The blueprint to beat the Packers is to stop the
run, and make Favre struggle to find open receivers.
Donald Driver, Robert Ferguson and Bubba Franks
aren't going to make the important catches. Losing
C Mike Flanagan for the season is also a factor
in the Green Bay running game. Suddenly, one of
the best run-blocking offensive lines in the game
is without one of its top performers. There will
certainly be an adjustment period for the line and
for Green, and we'll have to see how long it lasts.
There are still going to be times when Green is
unstoppable, especially based on the matchup. Against
the likes of Detroit, Houston and Minnesota, Green
will still post very good numbers. But teams with
more sturdy defenses, such as Dallas and Philadelphia,
are certainly going to keep Green from breaking
loose for many big runs. While Green is still a
must-start fantasy player, it's becoming apparent
you can't rely on him for huge numbers every week
anymore. Be willing to trade Green, but only make
the deal if you get a good amount of quality talent
in return. It's still too early to label him a failure,
so it will be better to keep him than not get a
very good return for a player that was likely your
first overall draft pick.
Fantasy owners also spent an early draft choice
on Chad Johnson, and are not receiving much for
their second or third-round investment so far. Johnson
has not yet passed the 100-yard mark and has scored
only once. Carson Palmer is more efficient and conservative
than Jon Kitna was when working with Johnson. As
erratic as he was, Kitna often dialed up Johnson
in stride or hit him with a good lead pass for a
big score. You're seeing Palmer go downfield much
less often than Kitna did, and with a lot less success.
Don't expect a major turnaround from Johnson as
Palmer continues to evolve on the job. Johnson's
best hope might be for Palmer to get benched, and
for Mr. Boom-or-Bust Kitna to return to action.
In other NFL news, it's good that the league tightened
up the "chuck" rule -- but the rule is
only supposed to apply to the first five yards,
not the entire field. Already this season there
have been two pivotal pass-interference calls against
defenders who did not interfere -- on Walt Harris
of the Redskins in the Washington-Dallas game last
week and Tory James of Cincinnati this Sunday against
Pittsburgh. In both cases, the defender was playing
the ball all the way, using legal form, doing nothing
that in the opinion of yours truly so much as resembled
interference; both calls set up short touchdown
plays that became the winning points for the other
team. Please, officiating crews: A defender who
has turned around and is trying to catch the pass
has the same right to it as the receiver. Also,
to increase the dignity of the game, Tuesday Morning
Quarterback continues to assert that the "chuck"
rule should be renamed the "Charles" rule.
In still other NFL news, move over Patriots, the
Houston Texans are on an all-time team-record winning
streak -- two consecutive victories!
Stats of the Week
The New England Patriots have gone more than a
calendar year without losing.
Stats of the Week No. 2
Miami quarterbacks have thrown two touchdown passes
to their own teammates and three to other teams.
After four weeks, it's Shaun Alexander 42, Miami
and Tampa Bay 35.
Stats of the Week No. 3
Shaun Alexander did not play Sunday, yet still
has more touchdowns than the Miami and Tampa offenses
combined.
Stats of the Week No. 4
Stretching back to last season, Atlanta is 2-10
when Michael-Mike Vick is out and 7-1 when he plays.
Stats of the Week No. 5
The three Florida team are ranked 25th, 27th and
32nd in offense.
Stats of the Week No. 6
The Houston Texans scored 30 points for the first
time since -- ever.
Stats of the Week No. 7
Committing penalties on three consecutive snaps,
Buffalo turned a third-and-1 in New England territory
into a third-and-21 in Bills territory.
Stats of the Week No. 8
Last season, Atlanta allowed 26 points per game;
this season it is allowing 12 points.
Stats of the Week No. 9
The top five defensive teams -- Seattle, Denver,
Miami, Washington and Pittsburgh -- have a combined
record of 10-9.
Stats of the Week No. 10
The top five offensive teams -- Minnesota, Indianapolis,
New England, Philadelphia and Dallas -- have a combined
record of 14-3.
Now get
back to work...
 Sign
Up For Live INGAME Wagering |
|
Wager
On Football Writer Ray Monohan is an NFL analyst
with 10+ years of experience covering the NFL. He
provides a great perspective on the NFL with player
and team insight unmatched in the NFL football betting
industry.
| | | |
