The Fantasy Sports Channel

By Ross Mandel
NFLDraftBible.com

Week three was full of streaks. Some ended, some continued and while the Lions’ streak buster was the most publicized, it was nowhere near the most important as far as impact on the rest of the 2009 season is concerned. Let’s round it up.

The New York Giants put forth a complete performance against Tampa Bay on Sunday. In fact, they were so dominant that I struggled to recall a similar result from them. They held Tampa without a first down until late in the third quarter. Think about that. That’s not easy to do, and before you say, “It was only Tampa Bay”, please recall that the Bucs put up 450 yards of offense up against Dallas and 353 against Buffalo in their previous two contests. But the Giants, despite their unbeaten record coming into this game, had some points to prove. They were embarrassed as a team that they let Dallas run all over them a week ago, and came to Tampa with that in mind. Now they have peace of mind, at least for a week. They held Tampa to 28 yards rushing and 86 yards overall. Big Blue held Tampa without a first down on its six possessions. Derrick Ward, who must have been chomping at the bit to show his former team what they gave up, ran for all of two yards on five carries. Ahmad Bradshaw, on the other hand, ran for 104 yards on 14 carries in the role Ward filled last season. Who missed whom? In addition to stopping the run, the Giants needed to get their own running game going; they hadn’t scored a rushing touchdown in their first two games. Brandon Jacobs made sure the streak would not reach three after he ran almost untouched up the middle for a six-yard score midway through the first quarter. The game was essentially over right then, but the ground game would grind Tampa down–49 rushes for 226 yards is Giants football–and leave their rookie head coach with a major crush on his opposition, “They beat us down,” said Tampa Bay’s first-year coach Raheem Morris, who’s still looking for his first win. “We were beat by a grown-man team, a team we want to be like one day,” the NFL’s youngest head coach added. “They came in here and took it to us. Out-manned us, out-gunned us…It wasn’t even close.” Yeah. A “grown-man team”. I love that. Morris’ mama wasn’t going to let her baby grow up to be a Cowboy…but it sounds like he wants to become a Giant, and why not? Tampa didn’t get a sniff of the end zone until the end of the game, when Josh Johnson–now the starter for Tampa–led the Bucs down the field in extended gar-bage time, only to be denied by Giant pride. The shutout meant a lot to the defense, who gave a tremendous effort despite, or perhaps because of, numerous injuries. Justin Tuck, who was not expected to play, suited up and played with a brace on his shoulder. Although he was limited to a few third down plays, his presence alone inspired the rest of the unit. Oddly, the Giants didn’t register a sack…but perhaps that was planned–they had to be better off with Leftwich throwing the ball as opposed to chasing him. The now third-stringer threw the ball 16 times, completing only seven of those attempts for a whopping 22 yards. That’s 1.4 yards per attempt and fully justifies Leftwich’s demotion. Eli Manning had another efficient outing, going 14-24 for 161 and a pair of touchdowns–one to the forgotten Sinorice Moss and the other to the ubiquitous Steve Smith. If Manning can have games like this, where he’s able to pick his spots while playing off the running game, the Giants will win 13 games. It’s really that simple. Giants fans don’t need to see Manning throw the ball 38 times a game as he did against Dallas. Yes, he played very well and lit up the Cowboys for 330 yards, but that’s not the script for success. Yesterday’s offensive game plan worked to perfection, and was an indication that the team is ready to start clicking–something they didn’t do in the season’s first two games despite winning them both. It’s comforting as a fan of this team to know they can identify what needs to be worked on–running and stopping the run–and then actually execute the game plan to do so. How many teams do we see every week repeating the same mistakes, unable or unwilling to correct them through effort or execution? That failure is what has Titans and Steelers fans worried; they’ve made the same mistakes each week and seem unable to correct them, and they’re supposed to be elite teams. Well, thus far, they’re not. Not even close. But the Giants are. Like their roommates, the Jets, the Giants are buying into the program. Injuries can’t stop them because each player is prepared to play whatever role he is asked to. Sure, the absence of Kenny Phillips is going to hurt and you’d rather have him than not, but the Giants have depth with C.C. Brown, a guy who has starting experience. They lose Aaron Ross, second-year corner Terrell Thomas steps up and grabs an interception. Drafting for depth, coaching players to succeed and having them believe they are an essential part of the TEAM even if they’re second or third on the depth chart is NOT easy. However, the Giants have a coach who understands how to do it and have had solid drafts to provide him with the necessary raw materials. Adaptability, flexibility, chemistry…whatever you want to call it, it adds up to team success which cannot be disputed and it makes for fans who believe in their team. Such a comfort. Sometimes I think us Giants fans take it for granted.

One group of fans who are surely not taking their newly-found success for granted are those who root for the gang in green…or whatever the color of those awful uniforms was yesterday. Faith in one’s organization is something foreign to Jets fans, but it’s something that they’re going to enjoy getting used to. With a coach who gets it, a quarterback who seems to revel in the big moment and wants to succeed no matter what, and a defense that plays with unabashed swagger, the New York Jets are stealing the back pages away from their stadium mates…and giving their fans something they haven’t had in eons: hope and belief. They defeated a tough (though not as tough as we thought) and desperate Tennessee team at home and in the process, Mark Sanchez became the first rookie quarterback to start and win his first three games. He and Gang Green won those games by playing disciplined football, taking care of the ball while not allowing opponents to do the same. The win over the Titans was a perfect example. The Jets took the opening kickoff and marched right down the field on a 10-play, 73-yard touchdown drive. On that drive, Sanchez was 5-6 for 50 yards, but the biggest play he made was the 14-yard dash for cash on third and ten from the Tennessee 14. Sanchez scrambled and gave up his body at the goal line, bounced off a hit, reached over the goal line and put the Jets’ first points of the day on the board. If any fans or fellow Jets weren’t won over to that point, that touchdown run brought them over to Sanchez’ side; he’s now The Man. It’s his team. A play like that makes a player, especially a quarterback. From there, the Titans continued their season of uncharacteristic mistakes by fumbling the ensuing kickoff. New York has capitalized on opponents’ mistakes thus far and this would be no exception–Sanchez needed only five plays to extend the lead to 14-0, finding blocking tight end Ben Hartsock wide open on a play fake for the score. The Titans had no idea what hit them, but they fought back to make it a 14-10 game at halftime and took the lead on their first possession of the third quarter. After the terrific start, the Jets found themselves somehow trailing 17-14. But they would not panic, nor would they alter the game plan…it was almost as if the Jets KNEW Tennessee would screw up again. Indeed they did, fumbling a punt which the Jets were happy to recover at the Titans’ 23. I must say, I’ve seen more blown coverages, penalties, mental errors and turnovers out of the Titans in the first three games of this season than I saw in all 16 last season. Sometimes the ball bounces the other way, doesn’t it? Sanchez and the Jets turned their latest gift into a Jerricho Cotchery six-yard touchdown reception, restoring the lead, 21-17. There are now touchdowns instead of field goals when the Jets’ opponents turn the ball over, and that’s a big deal when your team plays the kind of defense the Jets do these days. After they took the lead, that Jets defense forced Tennessee into two consecutive three and outs, yielding another first down only after a Jay Feely field goal extended the lead to 24-17. Tennessee would get no closer than the Jets 44 with just over four minutes remaining in regulation, but Kerry Collins found the excellent David Harris instead of Alge Crumpler and the game was essentially over. Collins was 15-37 with a touchdown and two picks on the day. He was constantly harassed and threw 13 straight incompletions to end the game. Rex Ryan mixed up his defenses and confused Collins, showing him different looks on pretty much every play. It’s clear that the Jets will be creating new ways to confound opposing offenses all season depending on the match-up. Sometimes it’ll be an all-out assault, like they showed Tom Brady; other times it’ll be more of a siege mentality where the defense waits for an opportunity, as it did against Tennessee. ‘Creativity’ isn’t a word that’s been associated with the Jets in quite some time, but the new regime is determined to flip expectations and has done so in quick fashion. The Jets are now a fun team to watch and with their swagger and energy, a team that is easy to root for. And all of that in three games. Sanchez was 17-31 for 171 yards, two TDs and an interception. Not a banner day, but the team doesn’t need him to light it up every week. I thought the play calling was a bit conservative when they had the lead, but that’s not surprising–Sanchez is still getting his feet wet and Coach Ryan is unwilling to let him lose games at this point, especially when he can rely upon his defense or special teams to come up with a big play. The time will come when the rookie will cost the team a game and how he handles that adversity will be scrutinized like everything else in New York sports. But from what we’ve seen and heard from Sanchez thus far, is there any reason to expect anything less than a quick bounce-back from that potential adversity? Part of Sanchez’ appeal is his mental toughness and ability to understand his role. He reminds me of Ben Roethlisberger in that way; no matter how poorly Roethlisberger plays in one game, or even in the first few quarters within that game, his teammates know that he’ll come up with a way to win it in the end. That’s not because guys like him and Sanchez have the biggest arms, or the most talent…it’s because they have moxie and are true leaders. It’s because they put their heads down, take vicious shots and have the presence of mind to stay up and reach the ball over the goal line for a touchdown. New York now has two Franchise quarterbacks–two popular celebrities in the biggest city in sports…but while Subway sandwich ads are nice, all we care about is a Subway Super Bowl. Sure, it’s a bit early for that kind of talk…but it’s a lot more reasonable now than it was a month ago, isn’t it?

Around the League…

Well, Brett Favre is officially a Viking now, isn’t he? He did it with one pass, and he can thank Greg Lewis for making an unreal catch in the end zone. Favre, who had taken a back seat to Adrian Peterson in his first two games in purple, threw for over 300 yards operating from the driver’s seat. Number four was 6-8 for 80 yards on the final drive of the game and was in complete control of the clock and the Niners’ defense as he drove the Vikings down the field. It certainly seemed unlikely that Lewis–who became a Viking a week before game time–would be the one to haul in the game-winning pass, but Favre has a habit of getting everyone involved…even if it is on the last play of the game. He found seven receivers in the game and seems to be developing a good rapport with Percy Harvin and Sidney Rice. Harvin has proved to be an electrifying player on special teams and as a receiver and most of us expected that, but Rice was essentially given up for dead after a poor couple of seasons. He and the men in purple seem to be revitalized and headed toward a memorable season…much to the dismay of Packer fans everywhere. You’ve gotta give Favre credit. For now.

Who Dey? The Ickey Shuffle. Boomer Esiason. Ken Anderson. Anthony Munoz. Pete Johnson. These are some of the things associated with the Bengals winning games. None of them is in the near past, despite the playoff appearance of 2005. However, there are some new associations after Sunday. Names and games that may just have Bengals fans forgetting about Akili Smith, David Klingler, Bruce Coslet, Dave Shula and the rest…The Cincinnati Bengals beat the Pittsburgh Steelers, and they did so with a clutch fourth quarter drive. Carson Palmer used an assortment of receivers to lead his team down the field against the defending champs, most notably Brian Leonard and Andre Caldwell. Leonard hauled in a critical fourth and ten reception with inside a minute left. The former Rutgers standout was aware of the yardage necessary, which might not seem like a big deal…until you remember that these are the Bengals–a team made infamous by its collection of players who have NOT been aware in such situations. These are the Bengals, the team which was stunned by the Broncos on that ridiculous pass in week one. But to Marvin Lewis’ credit, he somehow straightened the team out after that devastating loss and Cincy now sits at 2-1. It’s not a clinched playoff berth by any means, but to rebound like that–it’s extremely anti-Bengal. Dare I say perhaps this team has turned the corner? A win against pathetic Cleveland this week and they’re 3-1 heading to Baltimore for a must-see match-up in week five. But they’re still the Bengals…let’s see them get past Cleveland first.

Congrats must go out to the Detroit Lions, who finally put one in the win column after 19 games. Man, that’s a long time. Matthew Stafford is getting better every week, they’re able to hold onto the football and keep the defense off the field, and they seem to be a legitimate NFL team for the first time in years. Credit Jim Schwartz for having the team prepared, but the Redskins weren’t exactly top-notch competition. Washington is floundering under Jim Zorn and with Clinton Portis already banged up; things aren’t going to get any better. Skins fans can try to blame it on Jason Campbell, but this isn’t his fault by a long-shot. When there’s no consistency to the running game, it’s hard to get a play-action passing attack going. When you have no consistency from your wide receivers, it’s hard to generate points. Santana Moss had a great effort against Detroit…but he’ll disappear until week seven now. That’s how he is. Until the Redskins find a coach capable of managing a game with some decent play calling and a stable set of wide outs, Washington isn’t going to win many games. They may have just waved hello to Detroit as the Lions passed them on the NFL ladder…and it’s Detroit that’s moving up that ladder as the Skins tumble down. Right now, to me, it’s clear that the Lions will be a playoff team before Washington. That’s not good if you’re in the District.

But Washington can’t be the worst team in the league. Not with Eric Mangini’s Cleveland Browns around. Jason Campbell is John Elway compared to the rabble Cleveland’s running out there at quarterback. Brady Quinn has looked overwhelmed, and that’s putting it nicely, while Mangini looks absolutely clueless when it comes to game planning and relating to his players. What are his coaching credentials again? Remind me. It’s bad enough that Cleveland doesn’t seem to have any offensive weapons when Quinn is under center, but the fact that they’re not playing hard for their coach three games into his tenure…that’s something else entirely. Poor tackling, missed assignments, lazy route running–a total lack of discipline. Bad news for Cleveland, whose fans deserve better. Good news, however, for Joe Flacco, who rocked out for 342 yards passing as his team went to 3-0. Last season, the leash on Flacco was a tight one. Those days are gone and Baltimore’s passing offense is sixth in the league, a stark turnaround from 2008 when they were 27th. This is a Super Bowl caliber team.

Observation Deck…

It’s three games in and…

Dallas is finally realizing that running the ball is the way they’re going to win games. Tony Romo isn’t the guy you want throwing the ball in a large percentage of your offensive plays. Yes, he threw it more last night than he did in weeks one or two, but Dallas had the ball more because they ran it more. Even without Marion Barber, they ran it 32 times and controlled the entire second half by doing so. Dallas leads the league in yards per carry–an astounding 6.8. You’d think they’d be higher than ninth in carries with that amount of effectiveness. Will the light stay on for Wade Phillips?

John Fox and Jack Del Rio, two coaches who were media darlings a couple of seasons ago, are going to be fired at the end of the season. Jacksonville’s win over the enigmatic Texans isn’t going to be enough; that team isn’t playoff bound, and that’s required after 2008’s train wreck. When you can’t fill your stadium, you have to do something when you’re losing. And Fox is tied to his offense, which is led by Jake Delhomme. That’s an anchor for Fox. Those two coaches are going to have a tough time finding work with the list of guys waiting for jobs. Cowher, Shanahan, Holmgren, Gruden, Herm Edwards…just kidding with that last one. The point is, expect to see Del Rio and Fox on TV next season.

Denver is 3-0. I know they haven’t faced world-beating competition, but they’ve given up 5.3 points per game and are ranked number one in total defense. That was not expected. At all. Josh McDaniels’ exiling of Jay Cutler and battle with Brandon Marshall is all but forgotten in the Mile High now…and deservedly so. I know they’re not going to win 12 games, but the 3-0 start has erased most of the ill will McDaniels was facing before the season started. Let the wins do the talking.

Three division winners from 2008 are now 0-3. I cannot see Miami or Carolina even finishing at .500, and Tennessee just looks like it’s having one of those seasons. Everything that went right last season is going wrong now. Some of us expected a drop off, but not one this dramatic.

Michael Vick should have gone to the UFL. He’s not going to play for the Eagles, at least not at quarterback. He should have gone somewhere to hone his skills and returned for 2010 with the rust gone. His impact in the NFL this season will be minimal…like most people other than Vick knew it would be.

New England may have beaten a pretty good Atlanta team, but the Pats aren’t the same team and Brady’s not the same player. That injury is still bothering him…but not physically.

The Saints are getting those little bounces this season. When you have an unstoppable offense and things bounce your way, it bodes well for your playoff chances. The match-up with the Jets this week will tell us what happens when that unstoppable offense meets the immovable Jets defense. Must-see TV.