Wednesday Morning QB (NFL Week 10)
The NFL Season is through the halfway point of the season as teams are getting ready for the playoff run. As with any season the trials of a season are catching up to teams and to players as the injuries are beginning to pile up. The season will always wear on players and they will always go down with injuries but for the teams that are suffering it seems to be the wrong time and the wrong players. The best example is in Wisconsin where the Green Bay Packers are looking like one of the least lucky teams in the NFL. The year would start with left tackle Bryan Bulaga and breakout 2012 running back DuJuan Harris. Then rookie running back Eddie Lacy suffering a concussion in his second game and would force the rookie out of the lineup for two weeks. It was an innocent enough start for the Packers as Lacy would return and become a big reason for their winning streak after their bye week. Then the injury bug would truly make itself known as their week 6 game against the Baltimore Ravens would see two of their top receivers in the locker room by the end of the game. Randall Cobb would suffer a Fractured Fibula and would find himself on the Injured Reserve but would be designated for return. Then James Jones would sprain his PCL and find himself on the injured list for the next few weeks. With Jones and Cobb out of the lineup it was up to Aaron Rodgers, Jordy Nelson, and a group of young receivers to try to keep the ball rolling. The injuries were not limited to the offence as they would see Morgan Burnett, Nick Perry, Brad Jones, and their biggest playmaker Clay Matthews would go down with a broken thumb in week 6 and would not return until week 10, although with a club on his hand that has made him less affective. The Packers would be able to deal with the injuries and would put together a good season so far. Then the worst thing that could have happened to the Packers did in week 9 when the one player holding everything together, Aaron Rodgers, would go down after being tackled and fracturing his collarbone. Rodgers should be out for three weeks and that would leave Seneca Wallace as the starting QB for the Packers. Wallace would start week 10 but in the theme of the season for the Packers Wallace would not finish the game going down with a groin injury in the first drive. That would leave Scott Tolzien to finish the game and would give the Packers their second straight loss. The Packers have been the perfect example for injuries in the NFL but they are not the only ones what have seen some major injuries this year. Jay Cutler, Steven Jackson, Roddy White, and Michael Vick have all missed time this year and their teams have had mixed results in replacing them. As the season continues there will only be more injuries to overcome for teams as the season rolls on. It is a natural part of the game as injuries will happen and it is one of the true challenges of an organization. Only the organizations who have built their teams to last will be able to overcome injuries. These organizations are the few that can continue on no matter who is injured because their depth and coaching is that good. Then again when most of the star players are gone it is a tough task to continue winning. As teams go through the trials of the season there will be only a few who come out above these issues and make it to the playoffs as the playoff race is ready to begin.
Fifth Quarter:
(Four Quick Thoughts on Week 10)
Coming to Light
The Richie Incognito-Jonathan Franklin story continues to get hazier as reports come out about Franklin joking with Incognito in the same terms as Incognito left the voicemail while both careers are in jeopardy and Jonathan Franklin yet to speak
Surging Cats
The Carolina Panthers are the team to watch this year as they are on fire with one of the best defences in the league and week 10 would be a statement in beating the San Francisco 49ers and showing the NFL that they are the up and coming teams this year
The First one is the Hardest
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jacksonville Jaguars are having terrible seasons but they are both hoping to save face and both would start this week with their first win of the season ensuring they do not go down with an 0-16 record
Back in the Fold
With the injuries to Aaron Rodgers and Seneca Wallace the Green Bay Packers are forced to look somewhere else for a QB and they would make much of the speculation reality when they signed Matt Flynn to fill in until Rodgers returns
NFL Standings
American Football Conference
AFC East:
1. New England Patriots (.778)
2. New York Jets (.556)
3. Miami Dolphins (.444)
4. Buffalo Bills (.300)
AFC North:
1. Cincinnati Bengals (.600)
2. Cleveland Browns (.444)
3. Baltimore Ravens (.444)
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (.333)
AFC South:
1. Indianapolis Colts (.667)
2. Tennessee Titans (.444)
3. Houston Texans (.222)
4. Jacksonville Jaguars (.111)
AFC West:
1. Kansas City Chiefs (1.000)
2. Denver Broncos (.889)
3. San Diego Chargers (.444)
4. Oakland Raiders (.333)
National Football Conference:
NFC East:
1. Dallas Cowboys (.500)
2. Philadelphia Eagles (.500)
3. New York Giants (.333)
4. Washington Redskins (.333)
NFC North:
1. Detroit Lions (.667)
2. Chicago Bears (.556)
3. Green Bay Packers (.556)
4. Minnesota Vikings (.222)
NFC South:
1. New Orleans Saints (.778)
2. Carolina Panthers (.667)
3. Atlanta Falcons (.222)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (.111)
NFC West:
1. Seattle Seahawks (.900)
2. San Francisco 49ers (.667)
3. Arizona Cardinals (.556)
4. St. Louis Rams (.400)
Key Scores:
Minnesota Vikings 34 – 27 Washington Redskins
– The Minnesota Vikings are struggling this year but so are the Redskins as the two stars of the game would face off looking to get back to winning but only the Vikings would get the chance and would get their first win on American soil
Jacksonville Jaguars 29 – 27 Tennessee Titans
– The Jaguars were clearly the worst team in the league with very little talent on the team but that wouldn’t stop them from getting at least one win this season and they would get their first against the Titans in week 10
Carolina Panthers 10 – 9 San Francisco 49ers
– The Panthers and Niners would have one of the most boring games of the week but it was still a major statement for the Panthers as they would get a win against the best team they have faced this year giving them some legitimacy to their run this year
St. Louis Rams 38 – 8 Indianapolis Colts
– The Colts were having a good season with Andrew Luck under centre but they would take a major step backwards as they would be blown out by the St. Louis Rams at home leaving many to wonder if the Colts are for real
Next Week:
Green Bay Packers vs. New York Giants (Sunday November 17th; 4:25 pm ET)
– The Packers are reeling and with Matt Flynn still waiting to get into the fold Scott Tolzien will take the ball under centre and try to prove that he is worthy of being a starter in the NFL as he takes on a streaking Giants team
San Francisco 49ers vs. New Orleans Saints (Sunday November 17th; 4:25 pm ET)
– The niners were quietly becoming the team that they were expected to be but would take a big loss in week 10 and they will try to get back to winning against a tough team in the New Orleans Saints
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Denver Broncos (Sunday November 17th; 8:30 pm ET)
– The Chiefs are still undefeated and now coming out of their bye week with a little extra spring in their step but their biggest test is ahead of them as they will have to beat Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos to remain undefeated
New England Patriots vs. Carolina Panthers (Monday November 18th; 8:40 pm ET)
– The Panthers are on a roll right now and have one statement game under their belts but they are looking for another as they hope to show everyone that their win in week 10 was no fluke when they try to shut down Tom Brady and the Patriots
The Sport Addiction 