Teddy's NFC betting tidbits: Week 12
By Ted Sevransky
Welcome to Teddy’s weekly look at the NFL. 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 12 of the NFL season.
Chicago Bears:
In this year’s impressive crop of rookie running backs, Matt Forte hasn’t gotten a whole lot of hype. But Forte shows no signs of hitting the late-season rookie wall, notching another impressive effort here. Kyle Orton’s tender ankle is still a problem that is limiting him to three and five-step drop quick passes. But Orton’s short passing game was near perfect. He made sharp, accurate throws that steadily moved the chains downfield. There were key defensive injuries to safety Mike Brown and cornerback Nathan Vasher. Both limped off the field and didn’t return.
Arizona Cardinals:
Arizona is in the midst of its best season in a decade. But the Cardinals have a trio of weaknesses that could plague their chances of postseason success. The running game continues to struggle and was unable to gain tough yards between the tackles. Tim Hightower couldn’t move the pile and Edgerrin James was a non-factor once again. The Cards had to settle for Neil Rackers' field goals in the red zone. Even with all the talent in the secondary, Arizona continues to give up big plays in the passing game. Lastly, these kick coverage units are simply awful. When you allow an average of 60 yards on kick returns for the day, you’re not going to win.
Dallas Cowboys:
This red zone defense is getting the job done, just like did last week.. When the Cowboys lost three out of four, the defense was as much a problem as the Brad Johnson-led offense. With Romo back behind center the entire team has stepped up their game. The defense had a pair of impressive red-zone stops in the first quarter to keep Dallas in the game. Even the much maligned special teams played great Sunday with great kickoff coverage and a blocked punt for a safety. And, of course, the Romo to Terrell Owens combination was virtually unstoppable. Sunday's version of the Cowboys looked every bit the Super Bowl contender that they were back in September.
Philadelphia Eagles:
It’s amazing that a team that's run a pass-happy West Coast offense for the last ten years still doesn’t have the impact receivers that can make this system work. Top draft choice DeSean Jackson had a pass ripped out of his hands for an interception and was simply not strong enough to make the play. They count on mediocre receivers like Jason Avant and Hank Baskett to make plays. Philly gained a grand total of 59 yards on Donovan McNabb’s 19 first-half pass attempts.
Counting McNabb’s two sacks, his fumble and his two interceptions (one of which was returned down to the six yard line, setting up a score), Philly’s net first-half passing total was negative yards. Kevin Kolb behind center to open up the second half tells us all we need to know about what Andy Reid thinks about McNabb’s recent quarterback play. Could this be the end of an era in Philly? Then again, Kolb was every bit as bad as McNabb. Maybe worse. It leaves you wondering what Coach Reid was thinking making the QB change in a tight game on the road against an elite defense.
Atlanta Falcons:
It’s not easy to pass judgment on any new head coach in his first year on the job. He’s usually still playing with his predecessor’s personnel while the learning curve on his own systems is steep. Mike Martz won big in St Louis in his first year; Barry Switzer won big in his first year in Dallas; Charlie Weis talked himself into a ten year contract extension following his first year at Notre Dame.
Obviously, every one of those coaches suffered a significant decline the longer they were on the job. Well, I’m ready to pass judgment on Mike Smith before his rookie year as the Falcons head coach is through. This guy is a winner.
When you take a downtrodden team like the Falcons and install new systems on both sides of the ball, start a rookie quarterback behind a rebuilt offensive line and challenge for the division title, you’re doing something right. It’s also worth noting how the Jaguars defense has dropped off significantly since Smith left town.
New York Giants:
This team is extraordinarily fundamentally sound. They don’t beat themselves very often. There are no stupid penalties, turnovers or missed assignments that plagued this team throughout the first few years of the Tom Coughlin era. The personnel on the field doesn’t seem to matter. Tiki Barber retired and the running game got better. Michael Strahan retired and Osi Umenyiora went on IR and the pass rush didn’t miss a beat. Brandon Jacobs couldn’t play and Plaxico Burress was a non-factor Sunday and again the loss of supposedly key personnel was a complete non-factor. The best team in the NFL continued to roll.
St. Louis Rams:
It’s not even Thanksgiving yet and the Rams look like a ‘quit’ team. With the players openly lobbying for Jim Haslett to get the head coaching gig next year, this type of effort doesn’t give Haslett’s candidacy much of a chance. The fundamentals here are terrible. St Louis can’t block and can’t tackle.
This homefield isn’t worth a point right now. Even when Oshi Atogwe forced a momentum changing turnover, the crowd barely murmured. Offensive lineman Rich Incognito was absolutely correct when he ripped the home faithful for their lack of support this past week. The Rams might actually have a home field disadvantage in front of this pathetic crowd. When you’ve been outscored 123-13 in the first half of your last four games, clearly something is very, very wrong.
Minnesota Vikings:
This team continues to give up big returns in their punt coverage. It's a consistent problem that Brad Childress is unable to solve. With all the momentum and a two touchdown lead, Minnesota gave up a long punt return. It set up the Jags deep in Vikings territory and gave life to a lifeless team. Every time I watch Gus Frerotte, I come away wondering how this guy still has a job. There’s no downfield passing game here at all. The Vikings won this game rather easily, but I came away with a negative impression of their chances down the stretch.