Some Hither, Others Yon
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by Warden
How about that crazy National Football League? Now that I've had a few days to dwell on it, I can take some positives away from Dallas getting drubbed by the Boston Belicheats on Sunday. For instance, we did fight back from early 14-0 and 21-10 deficits to take the lead in the 3rd quarter, 24-21. Of course, the Cowboys D did give up 27 more points after that, while we only managed 3 more, but didn't I just say we were stressing positives. Damn me!
Also, and most significantly Tony Romo bounced back from the Buffalo game to have a steady if unspectacular game. The problem wasn't the offense in this game, aside from another slow start where they got absolutely nothing on the first 3 possessions; the problem was never stopping Tom Brady on 3rd down, not getting the ball back for the offense. And the penalties, 12 for 100 after 3 quarters. Some of them were drive-killing daggers. But there I go again with negatives!
Obviously, you have to be impressed with the efficiency of the New England offense, but good offensive teams can move the ball against their defense. It's more a case of defensive schemes that are superior, although obviously there's a wealth of talent on that side of the ball, and now they get Richard Seymour back, in my opinion their best player on either side of the ball -- an absolute beast on the defensive line.
Tony Romo has now started 16 games since replacing Drew Bledsoe last year, the equivalent of one full NFL season. And if fans needed statistical justification or numerical confirmation for what their eyes have shown them, that the franchise has finally found its man after years of searching for the worthy successor to its last great QB, Troy Aikman, well, here it is: Romo has 4,348 yards passing in his first 16 regular season starts. That's second in NFL history -- only 5 fewer than Kurt Warner threw for in 1999, the year he won his first league MVP trophy and led the St. Louis Rams to victory in the Super Bowl. More importantly, Romo is 11-5 as a starter in those games, with 31 TDs against 19 INTs.
Not a bad omen, if you ask me. And not to blow my own horn -- I don't even have a horn unless you refer to a certain prominent organ as a horn -- but what the hell: I called Romo a potential star on [www.wardensworld.blogspot.com my blog] five full weeks before he was inserted into the lineup to relieve a struggling Bledsoe to start the second half against the Giants in Game 6 last year. You can look it up in the archives. On September 12, 2006, in a post mostly devoted to my ruminations on 9/11/2001, I snuck in a few sports observations near the end. After a season opening loss to the Jags last year, I wrote: > > "One more similar underperformance by Bledsoe and I think Bill Parcells will be hard-pressed not to make a QB switch and go with soon-to-be-famous Tony Romo. You heard it here first."
NFC teams should also be worried about the Saints based on their performance against the Seattle Seahawks. Now, how much of New Orleans' dominant outing Sunday night is due to the suddenly reeling Hawks is debatable, but it sure looked like the Saints offense of last year, with RB Reggie Bush breaking out with his best game of the year and QB Drew Brees spreading the ball around effectively.
The Seahawks were also badly out-coached, with Saints head man Sean Payton several steps ahead of counterpart Mike Holmgren all night. After Seattle cut the Saints lead to 28-17 with 6:30 left in the 4th quarter, they chose to go for an onside kick even after New Orleans put their hands team on the field. The Saints predictably recovered at the Seattle 42, and proceeded to run more time off the clock. Then when the Seahawks got the ball back and drove to the Saints 10, they went for the TD on 4th down instead of kicking the FG, cutting the lead to 8, and extending the game. Bad, bad coaching.
San Diego just made a trade to address one of their few weak spots. They get Chris Chambers from Miami for a 2nd round pick next year. Good deal for both teams, I think, because Chambers was not gonna excel in Miami with their QB situation, while the Chargers will use him to stretch the field, making their offense even more dangerous.
Tampa Bay, decimated by injuries to the RB position, acquired Michael Bennett from the Chiefs. Bennett, who had some good years for the Vikings, is still only 29 years old. In 2002, he made Pro Bowl after rushing for 1,296 yards and catching passes for another 351 yards. Fun Wikipedia fact: Bennett once clocked in at an unbelievable 4.13 for the 40-yard dash, one of the fastest times ever recorded, and he has "4.13" tattooed on his calves.
Bad news for Ron Springs, the former NFL player and father of current Redskins CB Shawn Springs: he's lapsed into a coma seven months after undergoing kidney transplant surgery. The organ was donated by Everson Walls, his ex-teammate with the Cowboys during the 1980s. Springs was a tough, slashing runner in the '80s and hopefully he comes back from this latest setback.
Better news for Kevin Everett: the Buffalo Bills TE has been making solid progress since suffering a severe spinal cord injury earlier in the season. He's been able to push himself in a wheelchair as he continues his physical therapy, and can now open and close both hands.
