Wednesday Morning QB (NFL Week 8)
After 8 weeks there is still plenty in the NFL left to figure out as teams that once looked great are beginning to falter and vice versa. The league is just starting to figure themselves out and some teams are emerging as contenders but there is plenty left in the air. As teams get ready for the midway point of the season there are a lot of teams trying to figure things out before it’s too late. That includes a team that has done this multiple times over the past few years. The New York Jets are one of the stranger teams in the NFL and have been ever since they hired Rex Ryan in 2009. Since Ryan got to New York the Jets have been contenders more often than not but have had plenty of issues. After years of being one of the worst teams in the league the addition of Ryan immediately turned the team around and brought them to the playoffs. They moved on to two AFC Championship games, although they lost both, and seemed to be set up to be a contender for the foreseeable future. Despite the success on the field the Rex Ryan era in New York has been highlighted by off-field issues. The team always seems like they just can’t get things together. They drafted Mark Sanchez as their future and yet stuck with him too long with no backups to lead the way. Ryan himself has been involved in plenty controversy with a scandal of his own that was only added to the multiple priceless press conferences. He has regularly put himself in the limelight to take it away from the others on the team and that has been a great thing for many of the players. Yet it provides a bigger spotlight than the Jets already get and eventually Ryan cannot take the bullet for everyone. After years of Ryan being in power all of these things have piled up and the Jets have become the circus of the NFL .It seems like every week they are in the news for something else and more often than not it is not a good thing. This year has been no different as it all started from training camp when the Jets named Geno Smith as their starter and Michael Vick seemed fine with the decision. From that point on it has been another set of highs and lows for the Jets and they continue to be the one team that nobody can figure out. They have the talent to compete with the best teams in the league if they put everything together. Their issue is that they rarely put everything together long enough to help them win. This week it was a number of strange happenings for the Jets that all put together have made them once again a mystery to most. First there was the trade to get Percy Harvin, which on the football field could be a good idea. Off of the football field it could be terrible as the Seattle Seahawks reportedly traded him due to his attitude in the locker room. The Jets took him on and if he has the same problems it will be the same old story for the Jets who have dealt with big personalities before. Then there was Ryan calling into a media call with rookie Buffalo wide receiver Sammy Watkins. It was a funny practical joke but maybe not something you want your head coach doing. Then in the game it was the performance of Smith who struggled and turned the ball over three times giving way to Vick. He did not fare much better though as he turned the ball over three times. A total of six turnovers in the game was the end of a tumultuous week and the epitome of what the Jets have become. They continue to be the circus of the NFL and with Vick starting next week the circus continues as a QB controversy is brewing while the Jets try to figure out how to win.
Fifth Quarter:
(Thoughts on Week 7 in the NFL)
Champ calls it a career
A legendary cornerback has called it a career as Champ Bailey announced his retirement this week after playing for the Broncos last year and being unable to make the Saints in training camp this year as he concentrates on a new career despite interest from other teams
Mo Collins gone too early
One of the stalwarts of the Oakland Raiders’ run to the Super Bowl is gone too soon as Mo Collins, who started in Super Bowl XXXVII, passed away at only 38 years old after reportedly suffering from kidney failure
Lackluster deadline
The NFL trade deadline is never one of the most active days for the NFL and this week remained the same as the deadline came and went with only one noteworthy deal with Mark Barron going to St. Louis for two picks
Key Scores:
Detroit Lions 22 – 21 Atlanta Falcons (OT)
– Travelling to London for the International Series gave English fans a show with the Falcons going ahead 21-0 at halftime only to blow the lead to the Lions who won on a field goal that was originally missed before a penalty gave them a second chance to win the game
Minnesota Vikings 19 – 13 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (OT)
– It was a low scoring affair but one that came down to a 13 point fourth quarter by the Buccaneers to get the lead that was taken away with a last second field goal and a fumble return TD in overtime to give the Vikings the win
Cincinnati Bengals 27 – 24 Baltimore Ravens
– In the battle for first place in the AFC North might just come down to the Bengals and the Ravens with the Bengals taking the first swing to earn the top spot in the division with a win thanks to a QB sneak by Andy Dalton at the end of the game
New Orleans Saints 44 – 23 Green Bay Packers
– The Green Bay Packers looked like one of the best offences in the league and everyone was expecting a shootout on Sunday Night but Aaron Rodgers could not get the offence going for three quarters and the Saints ran over the Packers defence for the win
Next Week:
New Orleans Saints vs. Carolina Panthers (Thursday October 30th; 8:25 pm ET)
– The Saints are just coming off of a massive offensive performance against the Packers and on a short week they go into Carolina in a battle for first place in the NFC South with the offence just getting into gear
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Houston Texans (Sunday November 2nd; 1:00 pm ET)
– The Eagles have one of the fastest offences in the league and they will go into Houston where the Texans’ defence led by JJ Watt looks to slow down Chip Kelly and his fast offence to get back to a winning record
Denver Broncos vs. New England Patriots (Sunday November 2nd; 4:25 pm ET)
– It is one of the best rivalries in the NFL as Tom Brady and Peyton Manning continue their long fight against each other to be the best QB in the NFL as their teams go at it once again in what should be a good offensive display
Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (Sunday November 2nd; 8:30 pm ET)
– The Ravens and Steelers have long fought it out for the AFC North crown but the Steelers are not the same team they were a few years ago and the Ravens are silently having a good year with the Steelers going up against their longtime rival trying to get back on track
The Sport Addiction 