Capper Betting Notes on the NFC
By Ted Sevransky
Teddy spends every Sunday typing furiously at his laptop as he watches the games, giving you the key info that the box scores and game recaps simply don’t have. This week: NFC tidbits from around the league from Week 5 of the NFL season.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
New starting QB Josh Johnson hit seven different receivers in the first half alone, and he created time in the pocket with his legs against a fierce pass rush. It was a solid performance for the young signal caller considering this was just his second career start.
Raheem Morris made a questionable decision to go for it on fourth and two from the Eagles 26 yard line trailing 7-0 in the first quarter. They did it again inside the 25 in the second quarter on fourth and short. Both attempts failed; one was fumbled and returned for a Philly touchdown. Reading between the lines, it seems as if Morris doesn't trust his defense to make stops either. Not that I can blame him....
Arizona Cardinals
The offense had 18 first downs and three TDs before halftime, moving the ball at will. In the second half, they were held to one first down and zero points.
The defense dominated before halftime, then spent the next 25 minutes getting torched. But with the game on the line, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie came up with the pick six to take the lead, and the his teammates made an inspired goal line stand to hang on for the win and cover.
Arizona still can't run the football; Kurt Warner is not making good throws under pressure this year the way that he did down the stretch last year; and this offensive line is really getting dominated. This win will not solve these inconsistency problems.
Dallas Cowboys
Tony Romo is clearly regressing, unable to hit receivers in stride. Romo's passes were like that all day - too far ahead, just a tick behind, too high or too low -- very few were right on target.
This team is enormously talented, but they are very sloppy, week after week. For the second straight week, they turned the ball over inside their own 20 yard line, leading to a touchdown.
Philadelphia Eagles
No rust for Donovan McNabb coming back from cracked ribs: 8-11 for 180 yards and three touchdowns in the first half alone. The two minute drill lasted about 20 seconds -- a McNabb scramble, then a Jeremy Macklin big play touchdown.
The defense, however, looked a bit rusty, unable to get off the field. The Eagles ran only 48 plays, while Tampa Bay ran 75 plays.
I'm sure Andy Reid didn't care that Philly was scoring with quick strikes while the Bucs were dinking and dunking -- it almost seemed as if the Eagles were toying with Tampa Bay here, playing with extraordinary confidence. The SEC vs. Sun Belt analogy is real in mismatches of this caliber.
San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco has scored five touchdowns in five first-and-goal situations this year. This is a team that consistently capitalizes on their opportunities. No team in the league is more committed to the run -- they keep calling running plays regardless of their ability to move the chains on the ground.
No surprise, given the strength of their defense, that this is an 'Under' team top to bottom, regardless of today’s outcome. Still, this isn’t a predictable offense - there's a reasonable amount of diversity in the play calling.
This team is not built to come from behind. The game is essentially over when the Niners are trailing by a couple of touchdowns,
St. Louis Rams
St. Louis came out in a no-huddle offense and really looking to push the pace after scoring seven points or less in three of its first four ballgames. The effort to spark the squad failed after Kyle Boller fumbled a lame attempt at a screen pass.
Both starting receivers have hamstring injuries, and their big-play guy, Laurant Robinson, is out. This passing game is extremely limited right now.
Last week, they allowed three scores on turnovers (two on offense, one on special teams), while the offense got shut out. This week, the offense gave away another touchdown while producing only a field goal prior to fourth quarter garbage time. This is a classic case of an offense moving the football but not scoring points, quite typical of bottom tier teams.
Washington Redskins
I continue to be a Jason Campbell defender. When Campbell has time to throw and open receivers to throw to, he puts the ball right on the money nearly every time. Of course, his offensive line isn't giving him much time and his receivers (other than Santana Moss) are struggling to get open downfield.
What happened to Antwan Randle El? He’s a complete non-factor this season. The Redskins biggest offensive problems are their play calling and their struggling line; not their quarterback. Given the strength of the defense, this might be the best under team in the NFL right now.
Seattle Seahawks
This offense is a completely different animal with Matt Hasselbeck behind center again. The entire team plays with a different tempo when Hasselbeck is starting at quarterback -- much faster, more focused and significantly better at making plays downfield.
And this defense seems to have a significant home/road dichotomy; a completely different level of intensity playing behind one of the loudest home crowds in football.
Minnesota Vikings
This team looks more and more like a legitimate contender every time I watch them. The defense is positively dominant at the point of attack, owning the line of scrimmage.
This offense might make fantasy players happy, but it’s the defense that has the potential to bring home the Vikes’ first Super Bowl title.