2009 NFL Football Season: Week 9

Week 9 turned into a disaster for three teams while other teams keep rolling along.

How did Green Bay manage to lose to Tampa Bay, who got their first win on Sunday? The Packer defense has just collapsed and the offensive line simply can’t protect Aaron Rodgers. Maybe the emotional letdown of losing to the Vikings twice and being three games back in the division with no realistic shot at the division title did them in. Or maybe their defense just blows? But even at 4-4 a Wild Card spot is still a realistic goal.

Congratulations to Tampa Bay and rookie quarterback Josh Freeman on the Bucs’ first win of the season. Freeman my not have looked like the next coming of Tom Brady but he’s has to get Rookie of the Week honors for leading his team to a win in his first start.

After a big win against Denver last week the Baltimore Ravens have lost to Cincinnati for the second time this year. While stranger things have happened, their shot at the division title is greatly diminished. They are now a struggling team that needs to string some wins together to stay in the hunt.

The New York Giants after a 5-0 start have lost 4 straight. I’ve been saying all along they are an average team and they now look like it. After losing in the last seconds to the Chargers this is a team that needs to find itself.

The Tennessee Titans have won two in a row on the back of running back Chris Johnson. What happened to the 49′ers and their fine start to the season?

New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith has had two big games in a row. He might be making a run for my end of season All Pro Team. I’m sure he’s motivated by being left off my Midseason All Pro Team.

I’ve heard talk that the Patriots might be interested in signing Larry Johnson. I hope we don’t get that desperate. This guy is a punk.

GAMES I WATCHED

New England Patriots over Miami Dolphins, 27-17 (NFL Replay)

This was a critically important win for the New England Patriots who face the Colts, Jets, and Saints the next three weeks, a real murderers’ row. They handed Miami their first division loss and are now two games up on the Jets. The next few weeks are critical for the Patriots as they face two of the best teams in the league, and their archrival New York Jets, who shut Brady and his bunch down in their first meeting this season.

The Patriots defense bent a bit but did just enough to keep Miami from rolling all over them and really held them in check in the fourth quarter.

Randy Moss’s two huge plays, a one handed grab at the one yard line and 71 yard catch and run for a touchdown shows he’s still got it.

MVP: Randy Moss, WR

Cincinnati Bengals over Baltimore Ravens, 17-7

In many ways this game was not as close as the score might indicate. Cincinnati dominated both lines of scrimmage throughout the game and Baltimore never really threatened them. This is the second time I have seen the Bengals offensive line absolutely dominate an opponent.

For the Ravens they clearly missed Haloti Ngata who sat out with an ankle injury, as their defensive line was constantly knocked off the ball, rendering Ray Lewis and the rest of the linebackers less effective. These two teams played a few weeks ago with a similar result, although Cincinnati had to pull it out at the very end, so maybe he would not have made that much of a difference.

I hear a lot of people questioning whether Cincinnati is for real. They lost on a fluke play to Denver or they would be 6-1, after a mediocre outing against Houston. Seeing how well their offensive line has been playing and their consistency on defense, I think Cincinnati is definitely an upper echelon team. They will have a big test next week against division foe Pittsburgh.

Cedric Benson should thank his offensive line for another fine outing, rushing for 117 tough yards.

MVP: Cedric Benson, RB

San Diego Chargers over New York Giants, 21-20

The Giants really let one slip away here, allowing the Chargers to put together an 80 yard last minute drive to win the game. They have now lost four games in a row and don’t look very good on offense or defense.

Eli Manning is struggling, but frankly I don’t think it’s entirely his fault. After a good start to the season, Steve Smith nor Mario Manningham are doing much to help him out. Even the offensive line, one of the best in the league, struggled against the Chargers. They allowed Shawn Merriman to look like he was back on steroids and actually a good football player.

The Giants secondary has always been a weak spot but they were often protected by the ferocious pass rush of the Giants’ front seven. But against the Chargers they just simply were not getting it done for the most part.

The Giants are a mediocre team and they lost to another mediocre team. While neither team are bottom feeders, they don’t like they are going anywhere in this season either.

The star of the day was wider receiver Vincent Jackson and his two touchdown grabs. He is starting to emerge as one of the elite receivers in the league. Now that the Chargers have cut Chris Chambers, Malcolm Floyd needs to step up. He did nothing this game. Meanwhile, Chris Chambers had a good day with his new team, the Kansas City Chiefs.

MVP: Vincent Jackson, WR

Dallas Cowboys over Philadelphia Eagles, 20-16

This game actually turned out more less the way I expected it, the Cowboys winning a close game. Neither team looked like world beaters but the Dallas offensive line, other than Flozell Adams, played a very solid game. They were able to move the ball enough to eek out a win. Leonard Davis played particularly well at left guard, where most of the running attack seemed to be focused.

Donovan McNabb loves to throw the ball in the ground. What is up with that? He seems to be getting less and less accurate with his passes every time I see him play. But of course the Dallas defense mugged him all night long. The entire defense played well, but my hats are off to SS Gerald Sensabaugh, who was a disruptive force in the game and had an interception. Defensive tackle Jay Ratliff
also had an excellent game with two sacks.

The Eagles were not able to generate many big plays and the offensive line wasn’t much help to Donovan and the backs. One always wonders about how valuable a single player is to a team, but the Eagles certainly do look a lot different without Brian Westbrook in the lineup. Even when he doesn’t get as many touches in a game the team seems to play better with him in there.

Dallas now has a solid grip on the top spot in the NFC East title race. While it’s not a death grip, this win leaves them sitting pretty.

MVP: Gerald Sensabaugh, SS

New Orleans Saints over Carolina Panthers, 30-20 (DVR)

I’m not sure why everyone is making a big deal out of the Saints’ “comeback” against the Panthers. They were never down by more than 14 points. For an offensive this explosive that is nothing. The bottom line is the Saints have proven to be a winning team and winning teams find a way to win. The Panthers have proven to be a losing team, and losing teams find a way to lose.

The Panthers got their 14 point lead aided by a couple of turnovers (and a big play). The Saints were down 17-6 in after the first half as a result. But the telling part of the game and the difference between the two teams can be seen in the first two possessions of the second half.

The Saints get the ball in the second half and march to a touchdown to bring the game to 17-13. Carolina gets the ball, and marches down to within the five yard line. They should score a touchdown, right? Instead they have confusion at the line of scrimmage and call a timeout. AFTER the time out, they run a horrible play that results in an easy sack for the Saints. Within the five yard line: a sack, results in a field goal instead of touchdown, 20-13, game over as the Saints go on with a few big plays to spank the lesser team.

Saints winners. Carolina losers.

Despite the big three plays by Brees to three different receivers, he had some turnovers so my MVP is DE Will Smith.

MVP: Will Smith, DE

Pittsburgh Steelers over Denver Broncos, 28-10

Is that crash I’m hearing the Denver Broncos coming back down to earth? After a 6-0 start they have back to back losses.

Well, let’s not beat up on Denver too bad. This game, like Denver’s loss last week, was a pretty hard struggle until the fourth quarter. The Denver defense played well, but they, not the Steelers playing in altitude in an away game, are the unit that seemed to fold a bit in the fourth quarter. Of course the Steelers kept pounding the rock at them. And Rashard Mendenhall seems to have established himself as the starting running back in Pittsburgh. With Willie Parker dinged up, Mendenhall ground out 155 yards to win the game.

And okay, Big Ben had a nice game, but I’m sick of hearing “elite” and “Hall of Fame” next to his name. Yes, he’s having a great year and had two Super Bowl wins. Did you know that Big Ben has the lowest QB rating of any Super Bowl winning QB ever? And that he won their first Super Bowl despite his poor play (and Seattle fans would say plenty of help from the atrocious referees). And that he wasn’t the best player on the field in their second Super Bowl win?

Okay, I really do love Big Ben, but he is no Dan Marino. Or is he?

MVP: Rashard Mendenhall, RB

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Offensive Player: Kurt Warner, QB, Arizona Cardinals

Defensive Player: Gerald Sensabaugh, SS, Dallas Cowboys

Offensive Lineman: Leonard Davis, G, Dallas Cowboys

Special Teams: Dustin Colquitt, P, Kansas City Chiefs

Rookie of the Week: Josh Freeman, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Doug Baker’s 2009 NFL Midseason Awards

Now it’s time for me to present the midseason awards. I am sure every player has been anxiously waiting to see if they end up on my list and where.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER: Peyton Manning, QB, Indianapolis Colts

I know there will be a lot of grousing and second guessing from my distinguished fellow football fans on this one. I’ve already heard carping about my picking Manning over Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints, as Offensive Player of the Year on my Midseason All Pro Team. But really, you could flip a coin between the two for this award. They are both having great seasons.

My main reason for choosing Manning is I think he has had a slightly better season and has lead a slightly less talented team than the Saints to a 6-0 record. Brees has chunked up some interceptions and almost lost against the Dolphins. While Manning struggled a bit against the 49′ers last week, his game against Miami scoring 27 points with less than 15 minutes of possession left me a little mesmerized.

Drew Brees and Chris Johnson were in the running.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER: Jared Allen, DE, Minnesota Vikings

Right now Jared Allen is the best defensive player in the league and is absolutely a beast. He’s almost unblockable one-on-one and sometimes even when he is double or tripled teamed. He has a motor that never stops and he never quits on a play. He has owned Green Bay this year as much as Brett Favre has.

Other players in the running included Darren Sharper, FS, New Orleans Saints who leads the league in interceptions on a much improved Saints offense.

Elvis Dumervil, OLB, Denver Broncos leads the AFC in sacks with 10 and has been a key reason, along with SS Brian Dawkins, for Denver’s turnaround on defense.

OFFENSIVE ROOKIE: Mark Sanchez, QB, New York Jets

While he walks, talks, acts, and plays like a rookie at times, Sanchez has had a decent rookie season at quarterback, the most difficult and important position in professional football.

I will also call out Percy Harvin, KR/WR, Minnesota Vikings for making an impact on his team, especially in the return game and Michael Oher, RT, Baltimore Ravens, who has had an excellent rookie season on the line of scrimmage. (Note there is a made for TV movie about Michael Oher’s story coming out soon).

DEFENSIVE ROOKIE: Jairus Byrd, S, Buffalo Bills

Byrd has been a turnover machine the past few weeks and has made a clear impact for the Bills on the defensive side of the ball. It makes me feel like the Patriots picked the wrong Oregon defensive back in Patrick Chung.

The only other player considered for this illustrious midseason honor was Brian Cushing, the USC linebacker now playing for the Houston Texans who leads all rookies in tackles.

Brett Favre Throws Pass Against Green Bay

LEAGUE MVP: Brett Favre, QB, Minnesota Vikings

I have to admit I have been rather sick of the Brett Favre retirement saga but what to say? He is the main difference personnel wise on the talented Vikings team and has completely turned this team into an elite squad. The difference he has made can be seen not only in their 7-1 record but the players’ attitudes on and off the field. Only time will tell if he can keep it up. And this is clear evidence of how important the quarterback position is in today’s NFL.

HEAD COACH: Josh McDaniels, Denver Broncos

I was one of those piling on the abuse of both Josh McDaniels and Jay Cutler in the seemingly chaotic offseason the Denver Broncos had. So far McDaniels has had the last laugh, completely turning around the Broncos into, at this stage, one of the elite teams in the league. And he’s done it with Kyle Orton as quarterback instead of Jay Cutler. Meanwhile the Bears are struggling with Cutler at the helm. Go figure!

COMEBACK PLAYER: Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots

After suffering a season ending ACL injury last year, Brady has come back and played well this year. While he might not look like the Brady of old quite yet, he certainly is progressing in that direction as the season unfolds.

BIGGEST SURPRISE: Denver Broncos

The Broncos were basically a mediocre to even poor team by the end of last season and their defense was one of the worst in the league. This year they have started out 6-1 and have an efficient offense that can score and one of the best defenses in the league. After the chaotic offseason where the team seemed in disarray I thought the Broncos would be lucky to have an 8-8 record this year. I guess I have been proven wrong and I am certainly surprised.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: Tennessee Titans

How does a team go from Super Bowl contender to one of the worst teams in the league so quickly? I know the Titans have suffered injuries and lost players but that still does not explain the complete collapse of the team. Worse yet, the players look like they quit in some games. And what is really shocking is this is a Jeff Fisher coached team, one of the most respected coaches in the league. If the Titans think Vince Young is going to lead them out of this slump they are in for a huge disappointment.

GOAT: Jake Delhomme, QB, Carolina Panthers

Jake Delhomme picked up right where he left off last year, where he threw five interceptions in an atrocious performance in the playoffs. He has already thrown 13 interceptions in the first seven games of the season and is playing so poorly that I do not understand why the Panthers are so reluctant to start Matt Moore. Jake Delhomme has obviously seen his better days so if Matt Moore is not the future of the franchise, the Panthers better start finding somebody who is.

PUNK: Larry Johnson, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

Larry Johnson has a history of abusing women which makes him a super punk. This year he is once again showing what a punk he is by trashing his coach and using gay slurs in public, leading to a suspension. He has wanted out of Kansas City for a few years now so maybe this is just a ploy to accomplish that. But who would want a washed up, bad attitude running back who is a me first player who doesn’t care about his team or his teammates? Maybe the Raiders.

Others in the running are Roy Williams, WR, Dallas Cowboys, who is pulling a TO and punking his QB Tony Romo. When will Dallas ever find a top flight receiver who is not a me first player who cares more about winning games than piling up statistics?

Clinton Portis, RB, Washington Redskins, also was considered for calling out his offensive line and causing trouble in the locker room with fullback Mike Sellers. This is the second or maybe even third season in a row Portis has publically criticized his teammates and offensive line. While part of his complaints are true, maybe he also needs to look in the mirror.

Jerry Porter is a loudmouth punk. I can’t stand him. Shut up already.

Doug Baker’s 2009 NFL Midseason All Pro Team: Offense

It’s the middle of the 2009 NFL football season and time to make my midseason NFL All Pro selection.  As always, some players on this list might not make the cut by the end of the season, and some players who have been injured and did not make it this time around may end up on the team at the end of the year.

The top players on the list are the starters and the second players are backups.

2009 ALL PRO TEAM OFFENSE

QB:  Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts

QB:  Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

With all due respect to Drew Brees, Peyton Manning has been playing otherworldly this year and has been the best offensive player through the first half of the season.  I have seen some pretty amazing performances by Manning but nothing that tops the 27 points the Colts put up against Miami while only possessing the ball for 14 minutes.

Drew Brees of course has also had a superlative year in one of the most talent rich and versatile offenses in the league.

No wonder the Colts and Saints and undefeated.

RB:  Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings

RB:  Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans

Adrian Peterson doesn’t have to take the entire offense on his shoulders anymore and it’s paying dividends for the Minnesota Vikings.  Many defensive players have said Peterson is the most violent runner in football.  His vision, patience, power, and will to win are impressive.

Chris Johnson is having no sophomore slump at the running back position, despite playing on one of the worst teams in the league.  He leads the league in rushing after Week 8 and put up 228 yards against the Jacksonville Jaguars.  He is probably the fastest running back in the league and is always a threat to break off a long run.

FB:  Le’Ron McClain, Baltimore Ravens

FB:  Leonard Weaver, Philadelphia Eagles

Le’Ron McClain also plays a lot of tailback but he is listed as a fullback and often plays in that spot as well.  He is the most versatile fullback running, catching, and blocking.

Leonard Weaver is also a talented fullback and even had a huge running game against the New York Giants.

WR:  Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Colts

WR:  Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals

WR:  Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons

WR:  Marques Colston, New Orleans Saints

You cannot evaluate wide receivers just by their statistics.  Players like Randy Moss and Larry Fitzgerald are constantly double teamed or bumped at the line of scrimmage but they open the offense up because of their great skills.  These players are always a threat to take it all the way.  And then you have players like Wes Welker who make a lot of tough catches over the middle, rack up a lot of receptions, but don’t have gaudy stats in terms of yards per catch.  These players are vitally important in today’s NFL.

So far this year I’ve been most impressed with Reggie Wayne and Larry Fitzgerald.  They are the two best receivers in the league and their understated, team first, quiet excellent makes them even more likeable as players.

The next echelon of receivers was really tough to choose but I’m going with Roddy White and Marques Colston.

Roddy White has just been phenomenal the last few weeks and has really come into his own as a big play threat for the Atlanta Falcons.  His play is even more impressive considering he does not have a very good receiver on other side of the field that anybody is threatened by (although Atlanta does have a solid running game).

Marques Colston does have a cadre of receivers that Brees can get the ball to otherwise he may be putting up gaudy stats.  Colston is a big, fast receiver with great body control and, maybe more importantly, great hands.

Steve Smith of the Carolina Panthers and Andre Johnson of the Houston Texans no doubt feel snubbed by not making the cut.  These are both outstanding receivers and no doubt deserve a mention.

TE:  Dallas Clark, Indianapolis Colts

TE:  Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta Falcons

Dallas Clark has been outstanding in the receiving area this year and continues to be one of Peyton Manning’s favorite targets.  He is one of a handful of tight ends that can stretch the field and is a threat for a big play at any point in the game.

Tony Gonzalez has also played very well although his statistics don’t stack up to a few other tight ends.  But he is a key cog in the Atlanta offense.  What is most impressive about Gonzalez is he is still a great blocker both on running downs and down the field for his fellow receivers.

There are a number of good tight ends this year.  Owen Daniels of the Houston Texans (who is out for the year with an ACL injury), Brent Celek of the Philadelphia Eagles, Jeremy Shockey of the New Orleans Saints, Vernon Davis of the San Francisco 49’ers, Jason Witten of the Dallas Cowboys, and Heath Miller of the Pittsburgh Steelers all deserve mentions.

C:  Jake Grove, Miami Dolphins

C:  Matt Birk, Baltimore Ravens

It’s kind of interesting when I see players that have been in the league for a while that I don’t know much about put on such consistently impressive performance.  Jake Grove, the Miami Dolphins center, is one of those players.  The interior of the Miami Dolphins offensive line has played extremely well this year, and it starts at the center position with Jake Grove.

Matt Birk has been one of the best centers for years and continues to be so.

Jeff Saturday of the Indianapolis Colts, Nick Mangold of the New York Jets, Kevin Mawae of the Tennessee Titans, and Justin Hartwig of the Pittsburgh Steelers were also considered.

G:  Steve Hutchinson, Minnesota Vikings

G:  Carl Nicks, New Orleans Saints

G:   Chris Snee, New York Giants

G:  Alan Faneca, New York Jets

Offensive linemen are always tough to pick but I watch, on average, about four to five games every week and I pay more attention to the offensive line than anything else.  Dominate offensive lines, whether for a pass or run oriented team, are the key to winning in the NFL.  A good offensive line will make your offense go, and a bad one will make it fall apart, regardless of who the quarterback or running backs happen to be.

This year I have been very impressed with two guards.  Steve Hutchinson has been a mainstay on All Pro teams the past several years and this year should be no different.  He is an exceptional guard in both the running and passing game and one of the best pulling guards in the league, along with Chris Snee.

Carl Nicks of the New Orleans Saints has also been very impressive.  The Saints lost their All Pro left tackle, Jamaal Brown, for the season so he has to help out on that side of the line.  In the games I’ve seen he’s usually dominating his opponent.  The only time I have seen him beat is on poor blocking schemes by the offensive line.

Chris Snee also remains one of the best guards in the league, and may be the most athletic.  The quickness with which he pulls out on running plays is impressive.

Finally, Alan Faneca of the New York Jets remains one of the best at his position.

T:   Ryan Clady, Denver Broncos

T:   Willie Colon, Pittsburgh Steelers

T:  Joe Thomas, Cleveland Browns

T:  Bryant McKinnie, Minnesota Vikings

I have seen more horrible play from the tackle position this year than I can remember in the past.  What happened to those dominant left tackles like Jonathan Ogden and Walter Jones (who is on injured reserve and will likely retire)?  There really aren’t any this year.  The closest is second year tackle Ryan Clady of the Denver Broncos who is shaping up to be the next Ogden or Jones.  I have also been impressed with Willie Colon of the Pittsburgh Steelers this year.

Joe Thomas is another young buck but on a bad team.  It’s a shame because he is also one of the best tackles in the league.

Bryant McKinnie is an older, reliable veteran and plays well every year, but this is the first year he’s been on my All Pro Team.

While I don’t think he is near All Pro level yet, I have been very impressed with the Baltimore Ravens rookie tackle Michael Oher.

Instead of giving kudos to other good tackles I am going to call out some jokers who I’ve seen have horrible games:

Mike Gandy, Arizona Cardinals.  Gandy has been pretty sorry the few times I have seen him this year.

Orlando Pace, Chicago Bears.  Pace used to be one of the best in the league but injuries and age have clearly hampered him.  He should have retired.

Flozell Adams, Dallas Cowboys.  Adams racks up a lot of penalties and tries to get by with holding and other dirty tactics.

Stephon Heyer, Washington Redskins.  Heyer is a pretty good run blocker to too slow off the snap to be effective as a pass blocker.  He usually gets schooled, even by middle of the road defensive ends.  It’s surprising a guy this huge is such a poor left tackle.

Jeff Baker, Atlanta Falcons.  I actually think he is pretty decent most of the time, and he’s only in his second year, but he got punked by Will Smith of the New Orleans Saints and struggles at times.

K:  Stephen Gostkowski, New England Patriots

K:  Ryan Longwell, Minnesota Vikings

Like last year, no kicker really stands out or had a seminal game that puts them at the top of the pecking order.  Gostkowski of the Patriots and Longwell of the Vikings have been the most consistent.

Sebastian Janikowski of the Oakland Raiders is 12-12 in field goals this year, but he has far fewer attempts than many other kickers on better teams.

Kick Returner:  Percy Harvin, Minnesota Vikings

There have been some great performances this year from Eddie Royal, Johnny Knox, Darren Sproles, and the injured Leon Washington, but I have been most impressed with the consistency of Percy Harvin.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER:  Peyton Manning, QB, Indianapolis Colts

With all due respect to Adrian Peterson and Drew Brees, Peyton Manning is playing the best football I’ve seen this year.  He has been phenomenal and has not missed a beat.  Being a New England Patriots fan, it makes me feel a little queasy and ill.

OFFENSIVE ROOKIE:  Mark Sanchez, New York Jets

Sanchez has not put up the kind of performance Matt Ryan of Atlanta and Joe Flacco of Baltimore did last year as rookie quarterbacks, but he’s mostly played well, for a rookie, and is the best rookie performer on offense so far this year.

Peyton Manning Makes the Dolphins Defense Look Toothless

Doug Baker’s 2009 Midseason NFL All Pro Team: Defense

It’s the middle of the 2009 NFL football season and time to make my midseason NFL All Pro selection. As always, some players on this list might not make the cut by the end of the season, and some players who have been injured and did not make it this time around may end up on the team at the end of the year (like Troy Polamalu).

The top players on the list are the starters and the second players are backups.

2009 ALL PRO TEAM DEFENSE

DE: Jared Allen, Minnesota Vikings

DE: Julius Peppers, Carolina Panthers

DE: Aaron Schobel, Buffalo Bills’

DE: Dwight Freeney, Indianapolis Colts

Jared Allen is the most dominant defensive player in the league today. He has owned the line scrimmage and is part of the reason why the Minnesota Vikings defense is so good. He is the type of defensive player than can dominate a game on his own.

After Allen I actually found it hard to pick other defensive linemen in general. I have heard much talk about the so called down year Julius Peppers is having but I don’t see it. He’s still one of the elite defensive ends in the league.

I have also been very impressed every time I have seen Aaron Schobel play. He always seems to be in the thick of things, disrupting the offense.

Finally, I really hate to put Dwight Freeney on this squad because he is awful against the run. But he is a pass rushing machine and in a league dominated by the pass, he’s a great asset.

DT: Haloti Ngata, Baltimore Ravens

DT: Casey Hampton, Pittsburgh Steelers

DT: Kevin Williams, Minnesota Vikings

DT: Chris Hovan, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Haloti Ngata has really come into his own as a defensive tackle and is the best player at this position in 2009. He does tire a bit at the ends of games, but don’t all defensive tackles? He has helped keep the linebackers for the Ravens clean and able to light people up.

Casey Hampton is the best nose guard in the league this year and really clogs up the middle of the line while the voracious Pittsburgh linebackers chew up running backs and receivers.

Minnesota has a great defensive line with Kevin and Pat Williams. Both are deserving of a spot on this team but I am going with Kevin. He seems quicker to get penetration and tougher to move off the line of scrimmage.

Finally, every time I have seen Tampa Bay get spanked this year one defensive player stands out, and that is Chris Hovan. It’s not his fault the defense is so lame this year.

And for my fellow Patriots fans who wonder why Vince Wilfork isn’t on the team? He’s not been nearly as impressive in the 4-3 and gets pushed off the line of scrimmage more easily, not that he still isn’t a great defensive tackle.

And the $100 million man Haynesworth? Hurt, less effective, and whining. Figures.

LB: Elvis Dumervil, Denver Broncos

LB: James Harrison, Pittsburgh Steelers

LB: Ray Lewis, Baltimore Ravens

LB: Curtis Lofton, Atlanta Falcons

LB: Dhani Jones, Cincinnati Bengals

LB: Patrick Willis, San Francisco 49′ers

LB: London Fletcher, Washington Redskins

LB: Terrell Suggs, Baltimore Ravens

For linebackers I pick a starting unit of four and a back up unit of four, regardless of whether they play inside or outside.

So far this season the linebacker that has had the most impact on his team is Elvis Dumervil of the Denver Broncos. He has an AFC high ten sacks and plays well against the run and pass. He seems to be playing better in the 3-4 brought in by Josh McDaniels.

James Harrison leads a Pittsburgh linebacker crew that wreaks pure havoc on opposing offenses. Last year’s Defensive Player of the Year is a force to be reckoned with again.

How does Ray Lewis, as old as he is, still play at such a high level? It’s no hyperbole to say that Ray Lewis is a first ballot Hall of Fame linebacker. He remains the leader of one of the best defenses in the league.

Finally, second year player Curtis Lofton of the Atlanta Falcons rounds out the starting lineup. He is the defensive leader of a young Falcons unit and the NFL’s leading tackler.

And the best of the rest – Dhani Jones is a key cog in a much improved Cincinnati defensive. Having lost a would have been All Pro in Antwan Odom for the season, he has stepped up his game to keep the pace going for this team.

Patrick Willis for the past three years has been one of the best middle linebackers in the league. Mike Singletary must love this guy.

The Washington Redskins are in disarray but London Fletcher remains a steadfast, sturdy, hard tackling inside linebacker on a defense that remains sturdy but tends to give up big plays. He’s had little help from Mr. $100 million man Albert Haynesworth.

Finally, he of the drooping, slobbering lower lip, Terrell Suggs, continues to wreak havoc and cause disarray for opposing offenses. He can often be seen in the backfield around the ball with his lip hanging to the ground spewing venom at his opponents.

SS: Brian Dawkins, Denver Broncos

SS: Adrian Wilson, Arizona Cardinals

Troy Polamalu is the best strong safety in the league and had one of the most dominant games I have seen from a strong safety in the first game of the season. But he was injured and out of action too many games to make the midseason team.

Instead I am going with Brian Dawkins. He has brought a level of leadership and swagger to the Denver defense that it did not have last year and it’s no wonder they are playing as well as they are. I am sure the Eagles badly miss his presence on their squad.

Adrian Wilson had a great season last year and has been a strong defensive presence for a few seasons. He helps anchor an improved Cardinals defense.

FS: Darren Sharper, New Orleans Saints

FS: Ed Reed, Baltimore Ravens

Darren Sharper came to the Saints this year from the Minnesota Vikings is a candidate for defensive player of the year honors. He is has been grabbing interceptions, making big tackles, and leading the resurgent New Orleans Saints’ defense.

Ed Reed simply remains one of the most dangerous defensive players in the league. He still has the ability to dominate a game. He has a nose for the ball and if he grabs and interception, he is always a threat to take it all the way.

CB: Nnamdi Asomugha, Oakland Raiders

CB: Darrelle Revis, New York Jets

CB: Antoine Winfield, Minnesota Vikings

CB: Terence Newman, Dallas Cowboys

I know he has been burned a few times this year but Nnamdi Asomugha is still the best cornerback in the league. He does it all in coverage and he’s not afraid to tackle.

The young Darrelle Revis made a name for himself smack talking about covering Randy Moss and then backing it up on the field. He’s had more than a solid season and has emerged as one of the best cornerbacks in the league.

I love the way the smallish Antoine Winfield plays football. He’s not even 200 pounds but will come up and lay a big hit on running backs much bigger than he is. Deion Sanders used to run away from people coming at him.

The last spot was a tough one but Terence Newman has laid some smack downs on receivers this year and is very consistent in his coverage.

P: Shane Lechler, Oakland Raiders

Why do the worst teams always have the best punters? I guess because they get plenty of chance to practice their craft.

Special Teamer: Melvin Bullitt, Indianapolis Colts

I just love how Bullitt will blow you up if he gets a good shot at you.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER: Jared Allen, DE, Minnesota Vikings

Right now Jared Allen is the most dominant defensive player in the league. It’s scary how there is so much talent on this team and they have Jared Allen too?

DEFENSIVE ROOKIE: Jairus Byrd, S, Buffalo Bills

With hats off to Brian Cushing, the USC linebacker now with the Houston Texans, who is having a fine year, this young rookie from Oregon has been awesome the last few weeks.

 

Jared Allen is a Dominate Force on Defense

2009 NFL Football Season: Week 8

Week 8 turned out to be a very interesting week even though the New England Patriots were on a bye.  Before delving into the games I watched, I will throw out some random thoughts on this week’s NFL action.

The Arizona Cardinals remain an enigma.  They had a nice win over the struggling New York Giants but laid an egg against the lousy Carolina Panthers.  It looks like Arizona fans are in for another topsy-turvy season from a mostly inconsistent team.  I would be shocked if they repeat their great playoff run of last year.

The New Orleans Saints are for real, for real!  They have the most dynamic offense in the league and their defense is much improved.  New Orleans and the Minnesota Vikings are clearly the class of the NFC and if the season ended today, you would have to put those two teams in the NFC championship game.  Frankly, I’m not sure who would win.

Speaking of the Vikings, poor Aaron Rodgers.  I think he is clearly one of the best quarterbacks in the league on a mediocre team.  The injuries to his offensive line have him running for his life but he still performs well.  If he played for the Vikings, he’d be doing the same thing Brett Favre is doing.

The AFC East is shaping up to be extremely interesting.  The Jets, after a hot start, have fallen back to reality and the middle of the pack.  The Miami Dolphins run the ball down everyone’s throat but their defense gives up enough big plays so it doesn’t matter.  And the Patriots, while leading the division, are still not the beast they have been in the past with a young defense and an offense that only gets truly in sync against bottom feeders like the Tennessee Titans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  This race is going to the wire, and I hope we (Patriots) come out on top.

Ted Ginn, Jr. is a bust.  I don’t care if he had two kickoff returns for touchdowns, as a top ten pick in the NFL draft he will probably be relegated mostly to special teams for much of his career.  He and Desmond Howard can share the honor.

I have called the New York Giants mediocre since the beginning of the season when everyone had them ranked as the best team in the NFL.  I guess I was right.

The Dallas Cowboys are hot right now thanks to Miles Austin and Tony Romo playing better.  I wonder when they will revert back to their choking ways?  I don’t think the Philadelphia Eagles are as good as people think they are after the last two weeks but Sunday’s matchup between these two teams will be telling.

The Tennessee Titans finally got a win against another sorry team, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the St. Louis Rams finally got a win over the sorry Detroit Lions.  Both Chris Johnson and Steven Jackson are having solid seasons despite playing on awful teams.  I wonder win Tampa Bay will win one?

The San Diego Chargers are HOT! NOT!  Just because they won big two weeks in a row against pathetic teams, Chargers fans shouldn’t get their hopes up.  When they play someone their own size they will fold again, as usual.

Now on the games!

GAMES I WATCHED

Baltimore Ravens over Denver Broncos, 30-7

The Ravens were desperate for a win after three straight losses to very good teams (including the surprising Bengals) and they played like it.  This was mostly a defensive struggle until the fourth quarter when it appeared to me the Denver defense became fatigued and gave up two drives for touchdowns.  Ladarius Webb’s kickoff return for a touchdown on the first play of the second half really pumped up the Ravens and their home crowd.  Playing with a 13-0 lead really helped the Ravens, who are still primarily a running team with a great defense.

One thing that really baffles me t is why pundits and talking heads were playing up the lopsided score as if this were some type of comeuppance for Denver.  It wasn’t as if Denver didn’t look competitive in this game.  In fact, through three quarters, Denver played hard and well.  It’s just that the Ravens defense made Kyle Orton look like, well, Kyle Orton.  The Ravens set the tone for the game early on defense with a huge sack and turnover on Orton and some hard hitting, bone rattling tackles.  Denver just ran into a hyped up defense playing at home and got shut down.

Has anyone noticed how good the Ravens really are?  They lost to New England in a very close game.  Then they lost to one of the top five teams in the league, the Minnesota Vikings, in a game they could have won on a makeable missed field goal.  And then lost to a much improved Cincinnati Bengal team in the last minutes of the game.

With their balanced running attack, good quarterback, and still very excellent defense, the Ravens could make another deep run in the playoffs.  The only thing they lack is a big time, big play making receiver.  Derrick Mason and Mark Clayton are decent receivers but they don’t scare anybody.  Mark Clayton should have developed into that big time receiver the Ravens need to get over the hump, but he hasn’t.

I think Denver will very likely lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers this week and really come down to earth with two losses in a row.  But I think they are for real and will be a team to be reckoned with come playoff time.

Overall, I thought the defense was the key to the Ravens win and the leader Ray Lewis deserves the MVP.

MVP:  Ray Lewis, LB

Minnesota Vikings over Green Bay Packers, 38-26

Frankly, this game did not look much different than the last game a few weeks ago where Minnesota beat Green Bay.  The bottom line is Minnesota simply has a more all around talented team.  They have Adrian Peterson, across the board they have better receivers, they have a better offensive line, and a much better defense.  They don’t necessarily have a better quarterback.  But they do now at least have a quarterback.

All the hype, of course, was around Brett Favre returning to Lambeau Field where his legend was made and beating his old team on their (and his old) home turf.  But when the game started, it simply looked like the last game.  Aaron Rodgers played well but the Packers simply don’t have the overall talent level of the Vikings.  Until they do, or the Vikings are back to a Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels type quarterback, the Packers will be one step back pack in the NFC North.

MVP:  Brett Favre, QB

New Orleans Saints over Atlanta Falcons, 35-27

This was a wildly entertaining Monday Night game with big running plays, big passing plays, turnovers, and scores on turnovers.  The New Orleans Saints built a big 28-14 halftime lead, but the Falcons showed a lot of poise and class in coming back in the second half and making a game of it.  Matt Ryan chunked up two big interceptions (three if you include the desperation heave at the end of the game), one which was returned for a touchdown, but he showed plenty of meddle in leading his team back and making a game of it.  All around this was two very talented offensive teams duking it out.  The key difference was the Saints just have a wee bit more talent on offense.  Well, maybe a lot more talent when you consider they have four solid receivers plus Jeremy Shockey and the Falcons have only one in Roddy White plus the still outstanding Tony Gonzalez.

For Atlanta this is not a game to hang their head over.  Their defense is still solid and Roddy White has really come into his own, truly becoming the big time receiver everybody has been waiting to see (which started last year).  Michael Turner also finally turned in a huge performance with is 151 rushing yards.

Michael Jenkins, on the other hand, is a joke.  When are the Falcons going to part ways with this talented but ineffective receiver?  He has become more a liability than any kind of receiving threat.  He should be on the practice squad not the starting lineup.

While there are plenty of accolades to go around for both teams, I am giving my MVP to Saints defensive end Will Smith who schooled second year tackle Sam Baker, making him look like a punk who doesn’t belong on the field with the big boys.

MVP:  Will Smith, DE

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Offensive Player: Chris Johnson, RB, Tennessee Titans, 228 yards rushing

Defensive Player: Jairus Byrd, FS, Buffalo Bills

Offensive Lineman: Steve Hutchinson, G, Minnesota Vikings

Special Teams: Ted Ginn, Jr., KR, Miami Dolphins

Rookie of the Week: Jairus Byrd, FS, Buffalo Bills

Titans running back Chris Johnson runs roughshod over the Jaguars