Die Hard Sports Fan

The Buffalo Bills had pretty high expectation coming into this season this year as their fans were excited about the young team the Bills assembled.  Then the Bills started off the year 4-0 and gave Bills fans even higher one.  It was being talked on local shows how the Bills might even be reach the Superbowl as they were the top AFC East team and one of the tops in the entire AFC.  After a 1-3 stretch, and two straight losses in the division, I am starting to wonder if the Bills are indeed the weakest link in the AFC East.

Now I know it is only two games, and the Bills are still sitting at a very nice record of 5-3 (which is 7^th in the AFC which is one spot out of a wildcard berth and tied for 1st in the AFC East) but losses to the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins have raised some eyebrows. 

The Bills have played terrible football in the last two weeks.  For starters the running game is no where to be seen.  Marshawn Lynch carried the ball 9 times yesterday for 16 yards.  16 yards!  Are you kidding me?  This guy is a 1^st round draft pick and in his 2^nd year in the pros, he has yet to go past 100 yards this season on the ground.  The running back suffered from some kind of illness for most of the game yesterday.  Hopefully he doesn’t take a look at his performance, because that will make him sick all over again.  It certainly has made me.

The offensive line is horrible and it has been for the entire season.  Pro bowl LT Jason Peters is not going to get that big money extension that he held out for and missed the 1^st game of the regular season with, like he wants.  He is letting guys go right by him.  The rest of the line is very mediocre also.  They block for running backs that get an average of 93.8 yards a game which is good for 26^th best in the league.  Not only can they not run block but they can’t pass block either.  They allowed 5 sacks yesterday with some very nice “look out” blocks.

I didn’t know that J.P. Losman was playing in the game against the Jets?  Hmm, let’s take a look how he did… O wait…  Trent Edwards has played very poorly the last two weeks and the offense has sputtered.  In his defense he doesn’t have a real threat at the WR position other than Lee Evans, the running game is awful and he is getting pressured like crazy, but 3 turnovers in this one?  An absolute ugly interception that went for a pick 6 was thrown that ended a promising Bills drive.  Sure you can play the pressure and Roscoe Parrish for slipping but as a QB you don’t throw that ball into double coverage.  It didn’t even look like Edwards looked at Roscoe, just threw it where he thought he would be.  Edwards needs to step up his game too if he wants to led the Bills to the playoffs for the first time in almost a decade. 

With many of these problems being with the offense, the defense has also lacked in one big part of the game, stopping the opponent’s offense when it is needed.  Now don’t get me wrong the pick six by Jabri Greer was a great play that brought the Bills back into the game but the Bills had to come out and get the ball back.  Instead the Jets went right down the field, taking 8 minutes off of the clock and adding another field goal to put the game away.  A playoff caliber defense needs to step up and make that stop. 

The Bills started off the year so great, 4-0 and then 5-1.  They had the entire city of Buffalo behind them, cheering them on every week.  Even if it meant going to a friends house, crowded bar or dusting off the rabbit ears to catch the Bills game with grainy reception.  The game next week against the New England Patriots on the road is a must win for this Bills team.  They cannot go 0-3 in this division because teams will pass them by.  How can they accomplish a win?  For starters the team needs to get healthy and play like they did early in the season.  When the Bills had the good record to start off the season, they were playing great on all three aspects of the game.  Their offense was clicking, defense was solid and their special teams unit was game changing.  Now nothing is working on all sides of the ball.  They have to get back to basics and go with what worked early in the season.  Holding onto the football and establishing a rushing game is a must.  They have already lost to the Jets and Dolphins.  A loss to the Pats this week, by default, would make the Bills the worst team in the AFC East.      

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Well after a few days to process the game (and some time to vent), I will now rationally express some of my thoughts (the good, the bad, and the ugly) that came from the Buffalo Bills 25-16 loss to AFC East rival Miami Dolphins.  Today we will take a look on the bright side of the game by looking at the good things that happened for the Bills (tomorrow will come the more upsetting side, when we take a look at the bad and the ugly).   

Big special teams play from Langston Walker.  The monstrous 6’ 8”, 366 pound offensive tackle broke through the Dolphins special teams line, and blocked a field goal early in the game.  The block came early in the 1^st half on a 46 yard attempt by ‘fins kicker Dan Carpenter.  The game was still very close and the block was a huge momentum changer. 

Lee Evans continued his dominance catching the ball and had himself a very strong game against the Dolphins secondary.  Evans had 7 receptions for 116 yards.  Looks like the new 4 year, $37.25 million contract isn’t making the wide receiver lazy at all.  The guy is a great football player who leaves it all out on the field each week and his performance has showed it.  Evans has now topped 80 yards in four straight games and hasn’t been held under 65 yards all season.   

The Bills top ranked run defense was on top of its game again.  The Bills must have looked at my advice on how to stop the “wildcat” offense, or they just listened to their coaches.  Either way it is fine with me seeing as the Bills only let up only 59 yards on the ground to running backs Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams (in total the Dolphins only had 56 yards rushing).  That is not exactly an esay task seeing as the two have averaged a combined total of over 100 yards a game (103.3 yard average through the first half of the season).

The Bills running backs played well themselves.  Running backs Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson combined for 102 yards on 23 attempts (good for 4.4 yards a carry).  Not only was there performance as a duo strong on the ground but they also produced through the air.  Lynch caught 5 passes for 34 yards showing that the Bills will try to get their back involved in the passing game also (NOTE: Personally I don’t think that the Bills are using their feature back, Lynch, the right way but that will come more in depth in tomorrows article).  

The punter and kicker of the Bills squad also did their part in this one.  Kicker Rian Lindell went 3 for 3 on his field goal attempts (1-1 on extra points) while punter Brian Moorman had 3 punts that went for an average of 40.7 yards.  Both of these players are consistent for the Bills week in and week out so I didn’t expect that to change this week.

Head Coach Dick Jauron got a contract extension.  I will get more into him and his staff tomorrow but the Bills locked up their man for 3 more years.  It has not yet been confirmed yet by Jauron or the Bills, but it is being reported by multiple sources that it has indeed happened.

How does tied for 1^st place sound?  Not sure about some people but it sure sounds pretty good to me.  Even with the loss in the division, the Bills are still tied for 1^st place in the AFC East.  That can easily change for the better (or the worse) as the Bills next two opponents are division foes.  Not time to panic yet Buffalo!

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The Buffalo Bills will face their division rival, the Miami Dolphins today at Dolphin Stadium.

Broadcast Info:

Game: Buffalo Bills (5-1) @ Miami Dolphins (2-4).
TV: CBS (Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon)
Radio: 97 Rock (Buffalo), 103.3 The EDGE (Buffalo), WHAM 1180 AM (Rochester), WNSS 1260 AM (Syracuse), FAN 590 AM (Toronto). All done by John Murphy, Mark Kelso and Paul Peck on the Bills radio network.
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET

FOR BILLS FANS WATCHING THE GAME IN THE BUFFALO AREA:

Remember you will need to bust out the rabbit ears for this one if you have Time Warner Cable. With the local CBS channel being pulled off the air for the time being you will have to unplug your cable from the back of your TV and then plug in the antenna. The quality for this game won’t be too great though seeing as it is coming over the air. Try to find a friends house with satellite, as they will not be affected by this.

Game Notes:

·        The Bills have won the initial meeting in their season series with the Dolphins each of the last four years and five of the last six.

·        The Bills have beaten the Dolphins seven of the last eight times, yet Miami still leads the overall series, 49-34-1.

·        Trent Edwards proved last week that he is fully recovered from a concussion in Week 5, completing a club-record 83 percent of his passes in Bills’ win over the Chargers. Edwards was 6-of-7 for 66 yards on Buffalo’s two TD drives, outplaying Rivers. Edwards has a 98.8 passer rating on the season and is 8-1 when posting a rating of 80 or more.

·        The Bills have beaten the Dolphins four consecutive times in October.

·        Bills WR Lee Evans has eight TDs vs. Miami, the most he has vs. any opponent. Evans is averaging 21.7 yards per catch this season.

·        Miami aims for its fifth straight game with at least 350 yards of offense.

·        Lee Evans needs one touchdown to tie his career best four-game touchdown streak.

·        Rian Lindell (167) needs six extra points to surpass the longest PATs made streak in team history.

·        The Bills are the last team in the NFL that has yet to play a division game.

·        Need any more reason to like Mike Dikta?  On ESPN’s pregame show, Dikta called the Bills the team to beat in the AFC East by saying they have a better team position by position.

Injury Report:

Bills – Out of Game: G Brad Butler (knee), DE Aaron Schobel (foot), and LB John DiGiorgio (knee).  Questionable: CB Ashton Youboty (foot), C Melvin Fowler (elbow), and CB Terrence McGee (knee).  Probable: TE Derek Fine (hand).

Dolphins – Out of Game: RB Casey Cramer (ankle), and CB Michael Lehan (hamstring).  Questionable: DT Jason Ferguson (oblique).

Quote of the Week:

“If they want to pressure your quarterback, then some way, some how, there’s a void. I think that’s what we have to be able to find. When they try to put pressure on us, as a team, hold them off of the quarterback and let Trent (Edwards) find the open guy. There are opportunities there if we can execute well.”

-WR Lee Evans on Miami’s tendency to give up big plays

Open Thread:

Please feel free to comment below or in the tag board in the sidebar to chat with Bills fans from around the world.

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We have all seen it by now on replays (and finally, so have NFL coaches) and we are just in shock how a high school play works so well in the NFL.  I am of course talking about the Miami Dolphins “wildcat” offense that seemed unstoppable before the Baltimore Ravens took care of business last week and allowed only 71 yards on the ground in total. 

I will take an in-depth look at the “wildcat” formation on how it works and what you do to stop it.

HOW IT HAS WORKED

First off let’s take a look at how the Dolphins have worked this play to success through the first few weeks of the season by looking at two examples.

Two Basic Plays that are run from the formation (diagrams to better understand what I am talking about). 

• 1. Sweep: <a href="http://i352.photobucket.com/albums/r323/buffbillsfan517/sweepplayfromwildcatformation.jpg

” title=”http://i352.photobucket.com/albums/r323/buffbillsfan517/sweepplayfromwildcatformation.jpg

” target=”_blank”>http://i352.photobucket.com/albums/r323/…

• 2. Power: <a href="http://i352.photobucket.com/albums/r323/buffbillsfan517/powerplayfromwildcatformation.jpg

” title=”http://i352.photobucket.com/albums/r323/buffbillsfan517/powerplayfromwildcatformation.jpg

” target=”_blank”>http://i352.photobucket.com/albums/r323/…

NOTE:  There are also some other variations on the play like a counter play (goes to the opposite side the motion guy goes) and a passing play that involves the normal QB throwing the ball or even a RB throw but these are the most common.   

Week 3: Dolphins vs. Patriots

Stats:  The Dolphins had Ronnie Brown line up in the QB position 6 plays in this game, 4 of those plays went for touchdown passes.

Play: Sweep

• Formation Used:

            The Dolphins came out in a very unique set that had 3 running backs, 2 tight ends           and 1 quarterback in the formation.  Ronnie Brown lined up in the QB position,   while the normal QB, Chad Pennington was split wide on the right side.  Miami’s   other running back, Ricky Williams, lined up on the split end on the left. 

            The Dolphins changed around some of their blockers though too.  They had a TE          line up at the left tackle position, their normal LT Jake Long line up at tight end.             The point of this switch was to put some of the team’s better blockers on the play      side of the field.  New England only had 4 defenders on play side that the          Dolphins had to block with 6 players. 

            Brown then put Williams in motion.  Williams, moving from left to right, is at full speed by the time Brown snapped the ball and handed it off to him. 

• Why it Worked:

            With the Patriots being so outnumbered on the play side, the Dolphins easily      made their blocks and had a few extra players to spare.  QB Chad Pennington    even made a block on the Pats CB (which should never happen at all, but more    into that later).  The defense got sucked in and forgot their assignments letting     Brown and Williams run wild.  When they run the sweep play to Williams, he is            moving at full speed while the defense is standing still.  That will also cause    problems too, but if the defense kept in their assignments and contained the ball             carrier, this wouldn’t have happened.   

Week 5: Dolphins vs. San Diego

Play: Power

:47 left in the 2^nd Quarter, Miami currently leading 10-3

Stats: The play in this example went for a touchdown.

• Formation Used:

            The Dolphins put 4 guys to the right side of the field (play side), including 2 wide            receivers (one being a QB), and 1 fullback.  Ricky Williams was again in motion       from left to right.

• Why it Worked:

            Five players were on the line of scrimmage for San Diego and none of them read           the play right.  The last player on the left side of the line of scrimmage (either a defensive end or line backer) gets sucked in on the play that makes the block by     the fullback very easy.  The defense again forgets their assignments, and rushes completely at Brown.  Ricky Williams who faked the rush to the right side made        the one block that was needed to spring Brown for the touchdown.   

HOW TO STOP IT

• What the Ravens did:

Instead of letting the play develop and then trying to make the play, last week the Ravens had a different approach.  They blitzed the inside linebacker through the A gap as soon as Ricky Williams started to go in motion across the field.  The blitz caused havoc and disrupted the ball because the pulling guards and other blockers couldn’t get to the right spot.  It also caused blockers to pick up the blister, letting the other line backers come up and make the play.  So instead of acting on what the Dolphins did, they took matter into their own hands and blew up the play before it started.

• My Idea

Take a look at this link while you are reading the description as it makes my reasoning easier to understand: http://i352.photobucket.com/albums/r323/buffbillsfan517/ways20to20stop20miami20wildcat20off.jpg

My idea is very similar to what you learn in high school.  Play unselfish football, fill your gap and contain.  You don’t always have to make the big play to be recognized by your team and coaches.  My main idea to stop the play is that each defender has a job to do.

For starters the cornerback that is covering Pennington has to knock him to the ground.  You can’t let a QB block you at all.  Knock him down and stay on that side of the field to cover the flats and contain incase Brown tries to cut it back.  The other cornerback that is covering the wide receiver has to rush but to the outside.  If he can force the WR to block out, it will open the whole for other teammates to make the player.  Both CBs have contain on his play.

The defensive ends also contain.  This also reduces successful cutbacks.  The 3 middle lineman rush through their gaps, clogging up holes for Brown to get through on the “power” plays.

That leaves the two linebackers to read the play.  If a linebacker in the NFL can’t read and get to where a running back is going then he shouldn’t be one the field.  The two safeties also “read” the play but there job is to get back is to split the field deep between them.  Miami has run some passing plays out of the wildcat, and the safeties have to be there just in case.    

IT CAN BE STOPPED

The Ravens showed it last week that is can indeed be stopped.  With big Marcus Stroud in the middle, Kyle Williams and capable defensive ends, the Bills should be able to disrupt this play.  They have very smart linebackers in Mitchell and Paul Poz and they should be able to sniff out this play.  With weeks to prepare for this, and plenty of time to watch film, it would surprise me if the Dolphins barely get anything on the ground running this play.

It can be stopped and if the Bills spend the week leading up to this game right, they should have watched what the Ravens did, have a few plays of their own and the Bills plan should be ready to go on Sunday.  The Wildcat formation came out so quickly this season and I have a feeling it might disappear just as quick.

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The Buffalo Bills will of course be taking on their rivals to the south, the Miami Dolphins Sunday afternoon and a big part of the ‘fins offense is the “Wildcat” formation that they put in early this year.

Ronnie Brown is running this like a great high school option quarterback would.  It will be a big test for the Bills run defense, and entire defense overall so they don’t get sucked in on the run when they run a trick pass.  

The Bills will be taking an extra hard look at the game tape when the Miami took on the Baltimore Ravens who completely shut down the formation.  They didn’t even get in double digits yards on the 5 times they ran it.

Think you know how to stop the formation?  I will take an even closer look at it later in the week but for those of you loyal fans a home, take a look at http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80b1831e to see the Anatomy of a Play feature on NFL.com and tell me how you would stop it.  Do it in two ways: 1. Comment in the box below the article or 2. Send over an email to buffbillsfan517@yahoo.com.

I would love to hear your feedback and the best answers will be featured in the more in depth game preview on Saturday.  

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Mark Wahlstrom of The Cardinals Report provides an Arizona Cardinals perspective of the game and its results. Specifically, he questions whether or not the Cardinals were simply tough enough, especially on the defensive line, as well as the Cardinals coaching decision to punt the ball late in the game, which gave the ball back to the Redskins for the remainder of the game. Additionally, some Cardinal fans chime in with their own comments.

Mark WahIstrom says,

In what was inevitable, the Cardinals lack of power at nose tackle was utterly exposed today as the Washington Redskins picked apart the Arizona Cardinals defense. There was zero pass rush or push up the middle, Darnell Dockett was once again double teamed and held most of the day and Alan Branch and Bryan Robinson were non-factors on the D-line.

The time of possession favored the Redskins despite their total lack of a down field passing game, but with Cooley catching passes underneath and Portis running just well enough to keep the defense honest, the Cardinals couldn’t make a stop when they needed too.

Punting with 2:33 left on the clock at mid field was basically the worst coaching call I’ve seen Coach [Ken] Whisenhunt make since he got to the desert. I’m not sure what defense he was watching today but they had zero shot of stopping the Redskins from getting that first down and burning the clock which was exactly what they did.

Comments from Cardinal Fans

Damien says:
September 21st, 2008 at 7:37 pm

Oh I don’t know about the Cards being better than any team from the NFC East. They beat Miami and San Francisco. Last I checked those were garbage teams. The Redskins are better than most teams in the NFC…. they just play behind the 3 of the 5 best NFC teams.

Arizona can still win the division, but thats not saying much.

Steve says:
September 21st, 2008 at 9:40 pm

I’d have to disagree with Damien, I think the Cardinals are a better team than the Redskins. I think if they play 10 times the Cardinals beat them 6 out of 10. The Cardinals just gave the Redskins the game this week. I don’t know that Washington earned it.

Eli Wahlstrom says:
September 21st, 2008 at 11:13 pm

Maybe the Redskins are the better team maybe they aren’t. The point is the Cardinals didn’t play to their potential at all and they have plenty of room to improve.

Jay I’d say the team that wins that day is always the better team THAT DAY, But is not always the better team. The Patriots were better than the Giants last season. They just weren’t the better team that one day. Appalachian State wasn’t better than Michigan. Just that one day they were. So on any given Sunday some team can be the better team but not 100% of the time does the best team win. But that’s just my opinion. But yes Jay, it would be hard to prove that the Cardinals are better than the Redskins.

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Hello and welcome back to the site.  Like promised I am back to give you the rest of the NFL picks.  However, I am still a little bit under the weather (like yesterday, which is why I didn’t finish the picks in the first place) so the post today will just be the picks.  Sorry no insight for today.  Let’s get it started.  I’ll run down all of the pick (including yesterdays).  My picks are in bold.

Oakland Raiders (+9.5) @ Buffalo Bills

Arizona Cardinals (+3) @ Washington Redskins

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+3) @ Chicago Bears

Kansas City Cheifs (+6.5) @ Atlanta Falcons

Houston Texans (+5) @ Tennesse Titans 

Cinininati Bengals (+13.5) @ New York Giants

Miami Dolphins (+13) @ New England Patriots

Carolina Panther (+3.5) @ Minnesota Vikings

 St. Louis Rams (+10) @ Seattle Seahawks

New Orleans Saints (+6) @ Denver Broncos

Detriot Lions (+4.5) @ San Francisco 49ers

Jacksonville Jaguars (+5) @ Indianapolis Colts

Pittsburgh Steelers (+3.5) @ Philadelphia Eagles

Cleveland Browns (+3) @ Baltimore Ravens

Dallas Cowboys @ Green Bay Packers (+3)

New York Jets (+8.5) @ San Diego Chargers

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Here at the Bills Blog we are very capable of changing things up.  This week I’m calling an audible and going to give you my NFL picks for Week 3 against the point spread.  This is going to be a weekly post that will happen every Thursday from now on (remember every Tuesday is also the Bills Player Bio of the Week).  Why am I still talking?  Let’s start it up.

Oakland Raiders (1-1, +9.5) @ Buffalo Bills (2-0)

OVER/UNDER: 36.5 Points 

Oakland lost their top back in Justin Fargas to a hamstring injury so the workload will go between rookie Darren McFadden, and Michael Bush.  I think the Bills Defense is going to be able to stop the run with Marcus Stroud just terriozing the Raiders O-line.  If they can’t run the ball, then the pressure will be put on 2nd year QB JaMarcus Russel who has not looked very strong.  The guy only had 55 yards last week through the air against a weak Kansas City defense (he went 6 for 17 which is good for a 35.3% completion).  Not to mention that the defense has been terrible.  They have let up an average of 24.5 points per game and 315 yards.  The Bills offense should have a big day.  The only question is will the Bills blow them out?  This is a game they are suppose to win big and it is tough whether or not they will step on their throat and blow them out of this game. 

THE PICK: I have to go with the Bills in this one.

OVER/UNDER: I’ll go with the OVER.   

Arizona Cardinals (2-0) @ Washington Redskins (1-1, +3)

OVER/UNDER: 42.5

Kurt Warner looked the right choice after all after he has led the team to a 2-0 start to the season.  He looked great last week against the Dolphins (but who doesn’t).  The Redskins secondary hasn’t looked great, so expect Warner to have another strong game with Fitz and Boldin running the show.  Clinton Portis is going to have to led the Redskins in carrier and be their workhorse in this game.  Jason Campbell looked sharp last week, like he was suppose to look like this season.  I think the Redskins are still a pretty good team.  Look for a high scoring game.

THE PICK: I really do like the Redskins with the 3 point spread in this one.

O/U: It might be a pretty high scoring game but my gut tells me to go with the UNDER.

KANSAS CITY CHEIFS (0-2, +5.5) @ Atlanta Falcons (1-1)

O/U: 36.5

This game could be the possible stinker of the week.  Kansas City is terrible but the Falcons aren’t too much better.  Neither team has a QB (sorry Matt Ryan Fans) but both do have some running backs.  Look for the Falcons to win the running battle with Turner and Norwood.  Two awful teams going head to head. 

THE PICK: Turner will have a huge game.  Falcons are my pick.

O/U: These teams might not even get passed the 25 point mark.  I’m taking the UNDER.

HOUSTON TEXANS (0-1, +5) @ Tennessee Titans (2-0)

O/U: 39

This will be the Texans fist game in 2 weeks as they had a “bye week” last week due to the Hurricane.  The Texans looked terrible in their first game and I expected that to continue especailly because they don’t have a running back.  The Titans will have to not turn the ball over and stop the Texans in the air to win this one.  Should be a low scoring game.

THE PICK: I like the Texans with the +5 points.

O/U: Like I said, I think this one will be low scoring.  I’ll take the UNDER.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (1-1, +3) @ CHICAGO BEARS (1-1)

O/U: 35.5

The biggest question with this line is how is the over/under 35.5?  Neither team will score much in this game.  Both teams have a decently strong running game but passing is the big question.  Kyle Orton is not going to put up big numbers and Devin Hester, the Bears top playmaker might not even play in this game.  He has missed three pratices in a row this week due to a rib injury.  How are they going to get into good field postion now?  Their offense certainly won’t be able to do it.  This game should be another stinker.

THE PICK:  No Hester equals No Win.  I’ll take the Bucs with the 3 points to spare.

O/U: Under for sure.

CINCINNATI BENGALS (0-2, +13.5) @ NEW YORK GIANTS

O/U: 41.5

Can the Giants cover the spread?  They certainly will beat the joke of the NFL in the Bengals but by almost 14 points?  Their offense will put up some big numbers over a very poor defense (don’t give me those numbers of where the D is ranked, they are terrible).  The X-Factor in this one is Carson Palmer.  He has looked terrible for the Bengals in their two losses.  I have a feeling he bounces back in this one.  And hey maybe Chad Johnson (no I will not refer to him by his stupid spanish name that translates to eight five, not eighty-five) might accuatly come out and play a game of football.

THE PICK: Palmer bounces back in this one and the Giants, who win, just can’t cover the spread.  I’ll go with the Bengals, although I proabably will regret it. 

O/U: Over.  This game will have a pretty high score at the end.

MIAMI DOLPHINS (0-2, +12.5) @ NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (2-0)

O/U: 36.5

The Dolphins will play this game close, until halftime where they will eventually be blown out by the Pats.  Miami’s defense will not be able to stop the run or pass, even without Tom Brady.  The national betting scene is all over the Dolphins but let’s be honest here.  The Pats have too much firepower for them to handle.  It won’t be a high scoring game but I wouldn’t be suprise if the Dolphins get shut out. 

THE PICK: Not following the national media on this one.  I’m going with the Patriots.

O/U: Neither team will score much.  UNDER.

CAROLINA PANTHERS (2-0, +3.5) @ MINNESOTA VIKINGS (0-2)

O/U: 37.5

The Panthers are the underdogs in this one?  Watch Gus Frerotte be terrible this week and Tavaris Jackson wins back his spot.  The Panthers of course will have to stop AP and Chester Taylor on the ground.  That is no small task.  However they have won their first 2 games without their best player in Steve Smith.  Look for him to have a big game in this one.  I don’t usually go on trends but QB Jake Delhomme for the Panthers is 22-4 as an underdog in his career.  I expect that record to improve after this game.

THE PICK: Going with the Panthers on this one as everyone in Minnesota realizes their team is in deep trouble.

O/U: Steve Smith is back remember?  Going with the OVER on this one.

That covers all of the early games for Sunday.  Didn’t feel the need to bore all of you guys tonight.  Check the site tommarrow evening for the rest of the games.  Also remember, this post will be done on Thursdays from now on.

High Disagree with one of my picks?  Think I’m an idiot?  Want to praise me for picking your team?  Write a comment in below and tell me what’s up. 

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Woulda…coulda…shoulda…

That’s what the conversation would be today if we hadn’t won the game last week. Jason Campbell seemed to put it all together in the second half, and specifically in the last couple of drives of the game. But, if we hadn’t won, naysayers, far and wide, would be calling once again for Campbell to be replaced. In fact, I can still hear them!

For what it’s worth, I find it to be atrocious that fans can be so acrimonious towards Campbell, or any player. They are Redskins. We’re supposed to be Redskins fans. While it’s one thing to have an opinion, it’s completely different when the voicing of that opinion becomes rude and destructive. A house divided against its self can not stand.

That aside, and in all honesty, Campbell was not playing as well as we would have liked in the first half. There were five drives that stalled. Why? Simply put, Campbell missed the open receiver because he was locked in on his primary receiver that was covered.

Head Coach Jim Zorn said:

We left some things on the field that I was hot about, and he knows it because I was jumping up and down…I was telling him the reason I was jumping up and down - I was trying to get to his eye level so I could actually look him in the eye.

The good news is that he didn’t throw the ball and get it intercepted, which he did frequently in key situations last year. The great news is that he seemed to have internalized the lessons in the second half and executed them on to the field to the delight of all of us, and especially Zorn.

Trust

While last week was great, it was in fact, last week. This week, we need to trust Campbell to give us more of the same. Zorn says it best:

We kind of liked his improvement…Now we want [is] to put these things back to back. I want to see even better play in the weeks to come.

The Cardinals defense is one to be taken lightly. The defensive line held to very good running backs in Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown to a measly 72 yards last week against the Miami Dolphins. Moreover, they were exceptional at sliding over and covering the backs as they came out of the backfield for screens and short passes. Thus, the Cardinals line is comprised of athletes that can dominate a game all by themselves by taking the RBs out of the game completely.

The Line Backers are underrated. But they are fast and strong. And, more importantly, they move sideline to sideline. The secondary is solid as well. They held the Dolphins to 122 yards receiving. But, half of those yards came in the last drive when the result of the game was already decided. Plus, the Cardinals defensive secondary is one that likes to tackle. In fact, they made a number of tackles that created negative yardage for the Dolphins.

In short, Campbell says it best.

Arizona has some great players on defense…They really get after the ball. They’re fast.

In the words of Zorn, let’s hope for some good play from Campbell, “back to back.”

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Quarterback

Last week, the Miami Dolphins entered the game with a plan to shut down the running game and make QB Kurt Warner beat them with the pass. Well, that might have worked in recent years. But, as of right now…not so much!

Warner destroyed the Dolphins. He threw for 361 yards, three touchdowns, and ZERO turnovers. Moreover, he finished the day with a PERFECT rating of 158.3. That, by the way, is the third time in his career that he has achieved a perfect rating. It’s been a while since we’ve seen this version of Warner. Personally, for this week, I’d prefer more of the Warner from the past few years. Unfortunately, I think we’re going to see the current Warner, which more closely resembles his glory years with the St. Louis Rams.

Speaking of his achievement against the Dolphins, Warner is quoted by the Associated Press, as such:

When you have one of those days when everything’s clicking and you feel like you can’t be stopped, it brings back a lot of memories of those great years…The game was slowing down. I was putting the ball where I wanted to put it, and it felt good.

At 37 years old, and being the veteran that he is, there is not much we can do to fool him. Rather, we need to be in his face, all day. And, when we get there, if he’s still holding on to the ball, which isn’t likely, we need to put him on his butt…hard! The only time that Warner hasn’t played well in the past is when he is being pressured, rushed, and hit. That’s how Tom Brady got his first NFL Super Bowl ring.

But, thus far this season, that hasn’t happened. In fact, the Dolphins used that defensive strategy and blitzed Warner from all different angles. They even knocked him down a number of times; sacked him twice. It didn’t work. So, clearly, either we need to do it better than the Dolphins. Or, we need a different strategy.

The Cardinals are 2-0 for the first time in 17 years. If they come in to our house and win on Sunday, it will be the first time enjoying a 3-0 record since 1974.

Greg Blache has his hands full this week in preparation for this matchup.

Running Backs

Edgerrin James rushed for 55 yards on 18 carries last week. Each yard was a hard fought victory. Still, it was enough to lift James to become only the 14th back in the history of the NFL to gain 15,000 yards from scrimmage. Without question, James is still a good, effective running back and has all the ability to hurt us if we ignore him. He shares time with Tim Hightower, a big, powerful back that has seen the end zone twice in as many games. Both of these guys can move the chains.

Receivers

Big. Strong. Fast. And, great hands. That’s all that really needs to be said about the Arizona Cardinals receivers. The combination of Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald has been too much for opposing defenses this year. Boldin had six catches for 140 yards. It was the 22nd time in his relatively short career that he’s had over 100 yards receiving in a game. He can play some ball. Fitzgerald, on the other side, is definitely no slouch either. Last week he caught six passes for 153 yards. It was his 14th time in his even shorter career that he has been over 100 yards in a game.

~ ~ ~

It is often said that defense is a state of mind…an attitude, if you will. For this weeks game, we need every ounce of attitude we can muster, and a heavy dose of execution. It would be too easy to look past these Cardinals and start thinking about the upcoming trips to the Dallas Cowboys and Phildelphia Eagles. But, that would be foolish.

These guys are coming to play. And, they believe that they can give us a spankin’. Well, they have the paddles to do it. But, our *attitude* needs to be that we’re going to bring some lead pipes to their paddle party.

Hail to the Redskins.

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