Packer fans should get (understandable) boos out of their systems

by | Nov 1, 2009 | NFL Random Thoughts

Green Bay Packers fans booed Brett Favre vociferously Sunday afternoon as soon as he entered Lambeau Field for pregame warm-ups.

The boos got even louder when Favre took the field for the Vikings first drive of the game. It was loud and angry.

And that’s fine and good. Favre is a Viking now playing for one of the Packers’ main rivals in the NFC North. And it’s okay if those boos continue for the one, two or maybe three games Favre plays at his former home in Green Bay.

Favre has been a prima donna at times, holding the Packers’ front office hostage during several offseasons and then demanding a trade after the organization stood behind his replacement, Aaron Rodgers, just a few months after Favre announced his (first) retirement.

Understandably the emotions toward Favre were less in 2008 when he went to play in New York. The Pack only sees the Jets every fourth season and they are in no way rivals.
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Fascination with Favre gets further out of hand

by | Oct 30, 2009 | NFL Media, NFL Random Thoughts

Fox and the NFL moved kickoff of the Minnesota-Green Bay game Sunday to 3:15 central time because it’s a big game and because it’s Brett Favre’s return to Lambeau Field. No problem – I get that.

Television’s fascination with Favre jumps to yet another level, however, as Fox has announced plans for a Favre-cam.

Yes, Fox will have one of its cameras set to do nothing but follow Favre’s every move from the time he exits the tunnel until the time he returns to the locker room – who knows, maybe they’ll even follow him to the shower. Whatever footage they get will be streamed live on NFL.com.

Really?

I get that it’s a big game and that Favre’s return to the stadium he called home for 16 years is a big deal. But isn’t this taking it a step too far?

There are 53 guys on each team. There’s going to be roughly half the game where Favre is either watching the Vikings’ defense or, more likely, dissecting coaching photos.

Unreal. I didn’t think television’s love affair with the aging quarterback could get any more ridiculous. Clearly I’m wrong.

Jets fly past Raiders on the ground

by | Oct 28, 2009 | NFL Random Thoughts

A week after the Philadelphia stubbornly passed their way to a bad loss in Oakland the New York Jets illustrated for the Eagles and the rest of the NFL what teams must do to defeat the Raiders.

The first time the Jets got the ball – admittedly following a JaMarcus Russell fumble inside the five yard line – they handed the ball to Thomas Jones four times straight. It took until the fourth try before he scored the touchdown but it was no accident that the opening drive, short as it was, included no passes.

The week before, Andy Reid gave his backs, Brian Westbrook and LeSean McCoy, just 11 carries combined. The Jets’ combo of backs matched that total two plays into the second quarter. Leon Washington goes out with a broken leg? No problem. Shonn Greene comes in and rushes 19 times for 144 yards and two touchdowns. For the game the team romped for 316 yards on 54 carries. Not a bad day.

What a luxury it must be having a guy like Greene as your third running back – I don’t expect many games like the one he had Sunday, but he’ll be a more than serviceable complement to Jones as the season wears on and the weather gets cold.

But the bigger picture here is this: How do you beat a bad team that can’t defend the run? You pound them on the ground. Even if you don’t have backs with the skills of Jones, Washington and Greene or McCoy and Westbrook, there’s no excuse for not attempting to beat one of the bottom three teams in the NFL at defending the run without making running the ball a major part of your game plan.

Rex Ryan may be a rookie head coach in the NFL. But Reid should take a step back and learn a lesson from Ryan and his staff on successful game planning. I think the Eagles have as much talent as any of their competitors in the NFC East. But that Raiders game is going to come back to haunt them. And the players can stick the blame for that one on the coaches.

Fisher apologizes for wearing Manning jersey

by | Oct 21, 2009 | NFL Random Thoughts

When I heard Jeff Fisher wore a Peyton Manning jersey while introducing former Colts coach Tony Dungy at a fundraiser Tuesday I laughed, thinking it was a funny gesture – but also shook my head knowing that inevitably some overly-sensitive fans would be offended.

Sure enough, later that day he was questioned about the move on his weekly radio show.

“It was for a very, very worthwhile cause, charity,” Fisher said. “I was introducing Tony, just having fun with it and I really apologize if I offended anybody, but if you’re offended over the nature of that type of thing, then I think you need to rethink things … This is a very worthwhile and needy benefit and I was honored to be there. … I’m sorry if I offended anybody but if I had to do it again, I would do it again.”

Perhaps the comment he made at the event – “I just wanted to feel like a winner” – is more what was found objectionable. Okay, I can see why Titans fans might be a little uptight about that. But come on – he’s an intelligent guy and a fantastic coach who found a way to poke fun at himself and his team during what has been a surprisingly disappointing season.

So what? I know fans take the game seriously. I’m one of them. But what’s he supposed to do? Take the gaspipe?

I thought it was great that he showed he has a sense of humor. And at the end of the day winning and losing a National Football Game pales in importance compared with many, many other things.

So give the guy a break. He’s letting loose during a tough season. He’s coming off a 13-3 campaign in 2008 and he’s earned the right to have a bad year mixed in once in awhile – and if the Titans and their fans no longer want him there will be 20 or so teams out there canning their own coaches at the end of the season to bring Fisher on board.

Eagles find way to lose to Raiders

by | Oct 18, 2009 | NFL Random Thoughts

When week six kicked off this morning the Oakland Raiders were 31st in the league at defending the run, giving up 161 yards per game and allowing seven touchdowns on the ground during the first third of the season.

Not that the Raiders are a great pass defending team either – despite the presence of stud cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha they are just middle of the pack. But the silver and black had given up six passing touchdowns, or one fewer than they had allowed on the ground.

So how does Eagles coach Andy Reid attack the struggling Raiders? Despite the presence of aging-but-still-great Brian Westbrook and rookie LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia’s Donovan McNabb threw 46 passes while the entire team managed just 14 runs.

Somehow this imbalance happened despite the fact that Westbrook got 50 yards on his meager six carries. It continued despite the Eagles never trailing by more than a single score – yes, that’s right – one solid drive and the Eagles still had a chance to win that game today. But they didn’t. The Raiders scored the upset of the day, 13-9.

But they failed to ever even challenge what to this point had been a nearly nonexistent run defense all season.

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Note to the Raiders: Gannon is right

by | Sep 28, 2009 | NFL Media, NFL Random Thoughts

The Oakland Raiders last week made clear they didn’t want Rich Gannon showing his face at their headquarters in preparation for calling the team’s game for CBS-TV.

John Herrera, a “senior executive” for the team, told the press Gannon wasn’t welcome because of “incendiary” comments the Raiders’ one-time quarterback has made about the Raiders’ organization since he became a broadcaster.

The Raiders gave in because they basically don’t have the right to keep a network broadcaster away. But when Gannon wasn’t able to catch a flight to Oakland in time to spend time with team officials heading into the game, Herrera apparently told the Oakland Tribune it “was a win-win situation for us.”

Newsflash for the Raiders: That would be the first multiple win situation this team has had in quite awhile.
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