The Line of Scrimmage

CLASS!

The Patriots lead the Jets 31 to 14 at the two minute warning in the fourth quarter and have the ball 1st and 10 on their own 41.  Two rushing plays later, Maroney gains only 4 yards, but those two plays eat up one and a half minutes on the clock. So, with 3rd down on their 45, but with a mere 30 seconds to go in the game, Tom Brady lets one fly deep to Randy Moss.  Huh?  I don’t know who called the play, but I do know that no other coach beside Bellyache would have and no other QB but Brady would have run it.  Jets coach Rex Ryan, though Brady’s pass fell incomplete, felt his team had just been disrespected by the play call and, along with most other NFL fans, sans New England fans, agreed.  Apparently if not for “low” both Bellyache and Brady wouldn’t have any CLASS at all.

THANKSGIVING TURKEY

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has asked the NFL, for the sake of unnecessarily polluting the air, to ban the Oakland Irrelevants from playing anymore games this season.  I tried very hard as I watched the Raider/Cowboy “contest” Thursday to find any part of the Silver and Black that was worth saving.  At first I thought I had tuned to the wrong channel and was watching a group of Hollywood bit players in a remake of “The Waterboy.”  Every element of that “team” except maybe their punt coverage STINKS!  Reportedly Roger Goodell is not about to argue with the EPA and had already decided to take action along the lines of the Agency’s recommendation if not for environmental reasons but for the sake of the FOOTBALL.

HAPPINESS IS BLITZ

The Arizona Cardinals look to be peaking at the right time and regaining the form that made them the surprise NFC champs a season ago.  Kurt Warner is on his game, the “O” line for the most part is keeping him upright, and his trio of collectively the best receivers in the game are at least healthy enough to make the field every week.  And, a new element has been added to the offense, a running game in the persons of Tim Hightower and rookie Beanie Wells.  It’s on the defensive side of the ball that has Card fans worried, and rightly so.  The secondary has talent but is being misused and abused by the so called defensive coordinator who insists on blitzing on every down.  When it is 3rd and long and an obvious passing situation, don’t rush 7 or 8 guys and leave the corners and safeties to single cover maybe 4 receivers; the math and the scheme doesn’t work!  In the most recent game even with the Rams, who have no QB, facing 4th and 11 the idiot coordinator BLITZED instead of rushing 3 or 4 and letting all the other folks fall back in coverage.  In that St. Louis drive the Rams were 3 for 3 on 4th down conversions; all passes and all blitzes.  STOP IT!

All done ranting and stuffed with turkey, potatoes, and pie.  I think it’s time for a nap.
Phred