Teddy's Tidbits: NFC Week 3
By Ted Sevransky
Welcome to Teddy’s unique look at the NFL. Teddy watches games all day on Sunday, typing furiously on his laptop while giving you the key info that the box scores and game recaps don’t necessarily have. This week: NFC Tidbits from Week 3.
Bucs
Josh Freeman is an absolute superstar, but the fact that he doesn't put up monster fantasy stats or live in a major media market keeps him well underneath the radar. Plus, this is a 'no-name' receiving corps if there ever was one, not helping their QB like a Calvin Johnson or a Wes Welker would. Freeman creates, plain and simple, keeping plays alive with his legs and his size.
His teammates have enormous confidence in him -- a commanding presence in the huddle, thanks to eight comeback wins in a year and a half as a starter. In his 15 career victories more than half have been of the come-from-behind in the fourth quarter variety, and that doesn't count the time he brought them back vs. Detroit but they lost the toss in OT and never got the ball in a defeat.
This defensive line is playing extremely well. In each of the last two years, their top two picks both came on the DL: DT's Gerald McCoy and Brian Price last year, and DE's Adrian Clayborn and DaQuan Bowers this year. It's really paying dividends – Tampa owned the line of scrimmage in this game.
The Bucs covered as short home favorites here, but it’s not their preferred role. They’ve been an absolute pointspread machine on the highway: 10-0-1 ATS in their last eleven tries, winning nine of those games in SU fashion!
Eagles
These linebackers really can't tackle, even after a reshuffling that saw all three starting LB’s play a new position this week. Coming into the game, Philly had allowed more than five yards per carry and we saw more of the same here.
It wasn’t just the linebackers who struggled with their tackling today. Philly’s high priced cornerbacks were a disaster trying to wrap up receivers. They spent all afternoon going for interceptions (of which they got none), but missing tackles, taking bad angles and blowing assignments. Is that what happens when Andy Reid turns his offensive line coach into a defensive coordinator?
Will the drop-off from kicker David Akers to Alex Henery make a difference at some point this season? No field goal makes from outside the 40 so far this year.
This team got completely dominated in short yardage situations today, stuffed in the red zone; stuffed on 4th and 1 – the decisive play of the game. I was not impressed with Marty Mornhinweg’s play calling, particularly considering the clear weakness of this offensive line right now.
Could this team completely implode with internal chemistry issues?
Falcons
Last year Atlanta was a third down conversion machine. They finished #3 in the NFL (behind the Saints and Patriots), converting at a 46.7% clip. This year they are right in the middle of the pack; nowhere near the elite offensive teams. What's the difference? Simple, last year they were in third and shorts, this year they've been in third and longs.
Michael Turner has been largely ineffective, a classic case of averages lying. In Week 1, Turner reeled off a 53 yarder. He only carried nine other times for the whole game; a non-factor in their blowout loss. Last week against Philly, Turner had a 61 yard carry. His other 20 carries produced only 53 yards; again, largely a non-factor, despite his good looking average.
Against Tamps, ‘The Burner’ was blown up repeatedly at the line of scrimmage, averaging less than two yards per touch. Matt Ryan didn’t have much time to throw either -- the root problem here is a serious regression from the offensive line.
Lions
If you want to know why I've been ripping Jeff Backus in this column for the last decade, just watch the Lions last four offensive plays of regulation on ‘Short Cuts’ this week. Backus had two false starts, was beaten for a sack, then beaten badly on a running play, nearly costing the Lions the game singlehandedly. When other players step up, Backus steps down, one of the worst 'big play' offensive tackles I've ever seen.
That being said, this win was far more impressive than their win against KC last week. We saw Detroit face serious adversity and rise above it on the road; the type of victory that inspires real confidence in a team that is learning how to win even when they don’t bring their ‘A’ game.
Panthers
Cam Newton is getting protection from his offensive line and he looks surprisingly comfortable in the pocket going through his progressions. He’s not staring down his receivers; seeing the field well. Tight ends Jeremy Shockey and Greg Olson are providing a solid complement over the middle to Steve Smith on the outside. Even in the midst of a quagmire, on a day where he never had any rhythm with Smith at all, Newton stayed calm and made good decisions.
And he did all of this despite the fact that Carolina’s running game is non-existent right now. Neither DeAngelo Williams nor Jonathan Stewart came into the game averaging more than 2.5 yard per carry, and neither moved the chains with regularity here.
The box score won’t show it, but this was Newton’s best outing as a pro – gutty, gritty, making the plays that counted with the game on the line in the fourth quarter.
Saints
This defense got gashed, just as we saw in Week 1 against the Packers; drive after drive marching down the field against them. They were destroyed at the defensive line of scrimmage and really struggled to stop both the run and the pass.
Defensive coordinator Greg Williams’ high risk, high reward aggression on defense isn't working against the better offenses they face. But this ‘D’ stiffened in the red zone, forcing field goals instead of getting blown out!
New Orleans is going to have to score a whole bunch of touchdowns if this defense continues to perform like this. That being said, Drew Brees played near flawless football here, despite throwing his first two interceptions of the season. 104 points in three games goes a long way towards masking defensive liabilities.
Seahawks
This was a different looking offense with the addition of one player -- WR Sidney Rice, who had to sit the first two weeks with an injury. Rice and Tavaris Jackson combined for seven TD's together in Minnesota and had instant chemistry here. That being said, with eight new starters on the offensive side of the football, it's going to take some time for Seattle to develop any semblance of offensive chemistry across the board.
It’s pretty clear that even with Rice on the field, Jackson is a bottom tier NFL quarterback at this stage of his career. He's just not making quick decisions or extending many plays with his feet. Jackson was sacked four times in the first half without 'Zona blitzing! He didn’t go through his progressions at all – if his first option or two were covered, he looked absolutely lost in the pocket.
And where are these receivers? Golden Tate, Mike Williams. Doug Baldwin – somebody besides Rice has got to step up.
Seattle’s special teams problems have not been solved – don’t forget the fourth quarter collapse in the Niners game Week 1. They scored their first points in the first half all year, got their first lead of the season and what happened? A 51 yard kickoff return, sending momentum the other way. Punter John Ryan’s nine yarder late in the fourth quarter nearly cost them the game.
Seattle didn’t win this game as much as Arizona lost it.
Vikings
This collapse sure has the feel of a season ender for a veteran team with high expectations. Every facet of the team collapsed when it mattered most. Donovan McNabb will certainly take the heat, and his performance was bench-worthy; Christian Ponder-worthy, you might say. From a leadership standpoint, he’s done, three games into his Vikings career.
Adrian Peterson had one 43 yard carry, but barely averaged two yards per rush on his other 16, thanks to extremely poor offensive line play. Percy Harvin couldn’t get on the field with the game on the line in the fourth quarter (upset stomach), but he was fine to go out for the overtime coin toss. Former pro bowler Steve Hutchinson got dominated at the line of scrimmage.
Offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave’s decision to use Toby Gerhart in a key fourth and 1 situation (stuffed) could have cost him the locker room already. Minnesota settled for three red zone field goals, thanks to cautious play calling and McNabb’s inefficiency – also on Musgrave.
Defensively, the secondary got absolutely torched. Jared Allen played with his hair on fire, but couldn’t get his team off the field on third downs.
Where does Leslie Frazier go from here?