Jim Zorn Should Resign

Jim Zorn Faces Bleak Season

The dysfunctional mess that is the 2009 Washington Redskins has been well documented in the Washington, D.C. press. And all the fingers are, rightfully, pointing to owner Dan Snyder and his right hand hatchet man Vinnie Cerrato. Snyder has made a laughingstock of the franchise by trying to buy a team every year by signing aging, big name free agents who never pan out, perennially bad draft choices, refusing to hire a football savvy general manager, and constantly switching coaches.

And now this. Jim Zorn, who I do believe is in over his head as a head coach, has been utterly undermined and humiliated by Snyder and Cerrato. First, they brought in Sherman Lewis, who has been out of football for six years, as an “offensive consultant,” essentially saying they did not have confidence in Zorn in his role as offensive play caller.

Then, they strip Zorn of his play calling duties and hand it to Sherman Lewis, their handpicked so called offensive savior, not Zorn’s. This move completely undermined any credibility Zorn had with the players and makes him a lame duck head coach. Such a move ratcheted up the message that Snyder and Cerrato have no faith in Jim Zorn as a head coach, despite what they may say publically. And it is abundantly clear that Zorn, if he makes it through the season without being let go, will certainly not be back as the head coach of the Redskins next year.

Add to this the clear back and forth between Zorn and Cerrato in the press after the loss to the Eagles, with Cerrato saying the playing calling helped the offense, which is a total joke, and Zorn essentially saying the opposite. And then Zorn’s statement that he actually interceded and called the play that lead to the Redskins last touchdown smacked a bit of insubordination, or at least a poke in the eye at Snyder and Cerrato. Zorn clearly could not be happy with the situation he finds himself in.

And with that, the Redskins players, who already look anemic and at half speed on offense, have no real motivation to try to finish out the season playing hard. What for? The coach is neutered and no longer the leader of the team, and whatever new regime comes in next year will start refresh evaluating talent and reshaping the roster. The players are already squabbling among themselves, especially running back Clinton Portis, who seems to have something to whine about every year.

Jim Zorn should simply resign. He is the head coach in name only. He has been humiliated, demoted, and stripped of any leadership authority he had with the players. He would not be pulling a punk move like Bobby Petrino when he left the Atlanta Falcons in the lurch. He has very legitimate and clear reasons to resign – and that is the owner has clearly showed no confidence in him, he has been stripped of many of the decision making prerogatives of a head coach, and he clearly won’t be back next year.

The Redskins are in a bye week which would be the perfect time for Jim Zorn to step down and save face.  He would be giving up a lot of money because Snyder wouldn’t have to pay him the rest of his contract.  But would Zorn rather have the money or his dignity?

And he would not be quitting on the team.  The team, both the players and management, have already quit on him.

2009 NFL Football Season: Week 7

GAMES I WATCHED

New England Patriots over Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 35-7

First let me talk about the Buccaneers because there really is not a lot I have to say about them.  I have seen them twice this year and they are simply not a good team.  They are clearly in a rebuilding phase and it will probably take a few years for them to either get a competitive team together or sink into a perennial bottom feeder.  In this game Tampa Bay was simply overmatched by a better team.  I will say this about Tampa Bay, they played hard to the end, unlike the Titans last week, which is a good sign for this team.

It’s really hard to evaluate where the Patriots are after losing a close game to Denver and then blowing out two bad teams in back to back weeks.  The Tennessee Titans just quit and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are just not that good.  But the bottom line is the Patriots are good team, but not an elite team like the Saints, Colts, Vikings, Denver, and the Steelers.  At the same time they did what they had to do to win against teams they should beat and didn’t play down to the level of the competition.

There were a lot of positives to take away from this game for Patriots fans, but some red flags as well.  First, the offense played really well at times but in parts of the game they were really sloppy.  Brady threw two interceptions, one in the end zone taking points off the board.  And the left side of the offensive line with Logan Mankins and Sebastian Vollmer struggled at times with bad penalties.  Vollmer actually played pretty well in place of the injured Matt Light at left tackle. In the third quarter he appeared to be injured and was called for holding a few times after that.  Mankins had no excuse and just seemed to lose focus during parts of the second half.  On the bright side rookie wide receiver Sam Aiken stepped up to the plate with a nice touchdown and Wes Welker was, well, Wes Welker, salting the game away in the second half with a series of catches that put the game away.

On defense, Brandon Meriweather had two interceptions, including a pick six at to put the first points on the board to open the game.  But the Buccaneers, who are no offensive juggernaut, moved the ball very well at times, which is worrisome considering the prolific offenses New England will be facing after the upcoming bye week.  I have also noticed that Vince Wilfork is not nearly the dominate force in the new 4-3 alignment as he was in the 3-4.  It seems having to take on blockers from the side makes him a bit easier to move around and he simply isn’t the dominator he has been in the past.  Don’t get me wrong, he is no slouch and is still a top flight defensive tackle, he just simply appears to be more effective in a 3-4.  Solid tackling is also an issue for this team.

To quote another fanatic Patriots fan like myself, who summed up the game exactly the way I did:

Another feel good win.  These bad teams make our defense look so good.  I have to keep on reminding myself that our defense is defending against horrible offenses.  I suspect that in reality, we are pretty good, but we’re not elite.  We’re in that group right below the elite teams.  If we make the playoffs, which I’m assuming we will somehow, we won’t be favored against Colt type teams, but we’ll be dangerous and if we peak at the right time and with a little luck, anything could happen.

And one last comment, while Brandon Meriweather had a great game with two interceptions and a touchdown, my MVP is going to Wes Welker, whose catches in the second half put the game away.  He finished with 10 receptions for 107 yards and a touchdown.

MVP:  Wes Welker, WR
Cincinnati Bengals over Chicago Bears, 45-10

The Bengals offensive line absolutely dominated the Bears defensive line.  That, along with determined running by Cedric Benson, who netted 189 yards rushing, lead to a blow out win for the Bengals.  The Bears, meanwhile, were awful on offensive and the whining Jay Cutler who thinks he’s the next coming of John Elway chunked up three interceptions, leading the Bears to a 3-3 record, mainly on the back of their defense.  Kyle Orton anyone?

The Bengals look like a very solid team this year and I have no idea where this new and improved Cedric Benson has come from.  In years past he has been an injury prone, contact adverse, bust of a top ten draft pick.  He certainly wasn’t avoiding any contact in this game.  While he had more than help from his dominate offensive line, he ran like a beast and over the Bears.  The entire Bengals team, on both sides of the ball, played a physical, stellar game.  The Bengals laid and egg against Houston last week, but they appear to be a team to be reckoned with this year.  What a surprise.

Finally, while I know Carson Palmer played an outstanding game, the entire offense did, I am giving my MVP to Benson for his tough, determined running which was really what opened everything up for the Bengals.

MVP:  Cedric Benson, RB

Arizona Cardinals over New York Giants, 24-17

I have to admit I am very surprised that the Cardinals came out of the Meadowlands with a win in this game.  Last year they played so bad on the road and they have been very inconsistent this year in general.  The defense made Eli Manning and the Giants receivers look bad, which isn’t always that hard to do.  Eli is not the model of consistency at the quarterback position.  Eli threw three interceptions and while I thought he played a poor game, his receivers were not helping him out much, getting pushed around by the Arizona cornerbacks and running poor routes.

Arizona’s defense really stepped up to the plate by stopping the running game and putting it on Eli Manning’s shoulders.  Eli was not up to the challenge.  As a female friend and fellow Patriots fan said of Eli:  “He’s not his brother and never will be.  If they ever played in the Super Bowl against each other, God forbid, Peyton will rip his heart out and show that he is, and always will be, the little brother.”

Ouch, tough words, but they ring true.  It was the defense and a lucky play that won the playoff games and Super Bowl XLII.  And now suddenly the running game even looks suspect.

On the other side of the coin, Kurt Warner managed to play pretty well despite that Wayne Gandy, his left tackle, couldn’t block my 88 year old grandmother.  Warner has had ball security issues in the past and he was under a ton of pressure from the Giants defense the entire game.  The Cardinals did establish a bit of a running game with Beanie Wells, but it was Warner that made the offense run, despite that he had to be a bit concerned about Gandy not protecting him well on the left side of the line.

At the end of the day, the Giants are the Giants.  Some weeks they look great and others not so much.  The Cardinals are the same way but more of a mystery to me.  I don’t see them making the same kind of run they did last year, but they certainly are a dangerous offensive team when they get going and their defensive has improved. It will be interesting to see what they do the rest of the season.

This was a game ultimately won on the defensive side of the ball for the Cardinals.  It’s hard to pick an MVP but I’m going with free safety Antrel Rolle who played a solid game and sealed the win with an intercepton.

MVP:  Antrel Rolle, FS
Philadelphia Eagles over Washington Redskins, 27-17

The Redskins have not only proven themselves to be an awful team, they have become the laughingstock of the NFL.  Yes, they have won two games against winless teams, but only barely.  But other than the Tennessee Titans, they look to me to be the most anemic team in the league.  At least the Lions, Rams, and Buccaneers try hard.

Jim Zorn should resign given that Redskins management has stripped him of his duties, humiliated him publically by their actions, and have effectively neutered him as a head coach and a leader of the team.  Dan Snyder is the worst owner in the NFL since Victor Kiam.

I am now convinced that Jason Campbell is not an NFL caliber quarterback that can lead a team to a championship.  He has always been very spotting in his decision making and mechanics, but if anything he seems to have regressed.  Even when he had time to throw the ball he was jittery in the pocket, had poor mechanics, and made poor decisions.  The Redskins tried to replace him in the off season.  I suspect they will try even hard at the end of this season.

The Eagles won this game more because of the ineptitude of the Redskins and on two big time offensive touchdowns by the speedy, dynamic DeSean Jackson.  But the Eagles appear to be a rather mediocre team themselves.  I think Donovan McNabb has left his best days behind him.  He had some good throws and has a big arm, but he is very inconsistent and even more inaccurate with his throws than he has been in the past.  How many times is going to throw the ball into the dirt to an open receiver this year?

And what is the fascination with Michael Vick in the “Wildcat”?  This is another joke.  It has yet to be effective.

The Eagles defense did play well but it’s hard to say whether that was because of the Redskins offensive line, which truly is offensive to football fans, or talent.  I think the Eagles defense actually is for real and with enough big plays from the offensive should keep them in the hunt in the NFC East.  But I don’t consider the Eagles a great team, but a mediocre one beating a bad one.

Dallas, Philadelphia, and the New York Giants will be battling it out the rest of the season for the NFC East crown. Dallas looks ascendant at the moment after last week’s game, but they too have been very inconsistent and vulnerable.  The Giants have been considered by most the odds on favorite but even when they were undefeated I wasn’t seeing it.  It will be interesting to see how it all plays out in the end.

MVP:  DeSean Jackson, WR

OTHER OBSERVATIONS

Leon Washington: Leon Washington suffering a serious injury, breaking his fibula so bad the bone was sticking out, makes me feel really bad.  Despite that he plays for the team I dislike the most, the New York Jets, he is a dynamic player on special teams, as a change of pace back alongside Thomas Jones, and he seems to be make excellent plays at the most critical moments.  He has killed the Patriots in the past with his return yards and converting third downs to first downs on touch or difficult plays.  I admire Leon Washington and regret his injury and hope he is able to come back.

Poor Offensive Tackle Play: And can’t recall seeing more poor performances by offensive tackles than I have seen this year.  I’d like to call out some players for really poor play.

Wayne Gandy of the Cardinals has been awful every time I have seen him.

Stephon Heyer of the Washington Redskins, now playing left tackle, has also been a liability to the team.  He is a good run blocker but not a good pass blocker.  Ironically, he played better against the Eagles this week but Campbell did his offensive line no favors by stepping into coverage or playing poorly when he had plenty of time to throw.

Orlando Pace was just atrocious against the Bengals and has been in the few games I’ve seen the Bears play this year.  It is shame because he was, at one time, one of the best tackles in the league.  His injuries and age have clearly caught up with him.

Flozell Adams of the Dallas Cowboys is the most irritating tackle.  He is not longer a great blocker and gets call for holds and false starts frequently.  Of course his tripping of Justin Tuck is just an example of how he survives.

New Orleans Saints:  This team is for real!  I have them ranked as the number one team in the league right now.  Can they go undefeated?  I frankly don’t think they can but the moxie they showed in coming back against Miami is impressive and scary for the rest of the league.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Offensive Player: Cedric Benson, RB, Cincinnati

Defensive Player: Antrel Rolle, FS, Arizona Cardinals

Offensive Lineman: Evan Mathis, G, Cincinnati Bengals

Special Teams: Percy Harvin, WR/KR, Minnesota Vikings

Rookie of the Week: Shonn Greene, RB, New York Jets

 

2009 NFL Football Season: Week 6

This is coming really late this week because I was on vacation in Miami and Key West without a computer, but I am posting it anyway.

GAMES I WATCHED

New England Patriots over Tennessee Titans, 59-0

“This probably doesn’t mean anything in the long run but I will take the easy win.” – fellow Patriots fan.

Before getting too excited about the great performance the Patriots put on against Tennessee let me say that Tennessee was so bad that it was not really a true test for the Patriots. Brady looked like the Brady of old and maybe this is the kind of game he needed to get his football legs under him. But Tennessee just simply seemed to fold. This was a great win for the Patriots and with the Jets losing puts New England on top in the tough AFC East. I hope we can keep it going.

What has happened to the Tennessee Titans is really beyond me. Even with injuries and weak defensive backs, especially with Courtland Finnegan out, the team on the field just simply seemed to quit, again. I thought they quit against the Colts last week, and I definitely think they quit this week. I thought Tennessee played an excellent game against Pittsburgh in the opening game of the season but lost in overtime. Since then they have regressed to an absolute mess. And it’s not Kerry Collins’ fault. He played reasonably well in the first half. His woeful statistics were a result of numerous dropped balls by his receivers. On the defensive side they simply didn’t compete. I am shocked by how far this team has fallen. A few losses at the start of the season and the team has simply folded. What is really shocking is that it is a Jeff Fisher coached team.

MVP: Tom Brady, QB

Minnesota Vikings over Baltimore Ravens, 33-31

This turned out to be a wildly entertaining game between two excellent teams. Baltimore got behind early but came storming back in the second half to almost win the game, but for a missed 44-yard field goal at the end of the game.

Minnesota played excellent on both sides of the ball for most of the game, especially Brett Favre, Adrian Peterson, and Sydney Rice. Defensive end Jared Allen harassed Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco all day, but Joe stayed cooled and brought his team back in the second half.

The telling part of this game was the Minnesota defense collapsed a bit in the second half giving up big plays and scoring drives letting the Ravens back in the game. I don’t know if they got tired or the Ravens’ offense just started clicking, but it never should have been this close, as Baltimore was down 30-17 in the third quarter.

The Ravens have lost some real heartbreakers the last three weeks but they are an excellent team that should be around for the postseason. They competed hard throughout the game and came within a makeable field goal of pulling off the upset. Kudos to Flacco for being cool in the pocket and the entire team for competing hard for 60 minutes.

Adrian Peterson had 143 yards rushing but Favre was the key to the offensive attack in the passing game.

MVP: Brett Favre, QB

Atlanta Falcons over Chicago Bears, 21-14

To me the Falcons and the Bears look like to top tier teams but not teams in the very top tier. This was a reasonably well played game by both teams but the Bears blew their chance at a win with a fumble on the goal line in the third quarter that the Falcons recovered.

Matt Ryan continues to play very well and Roddy White seems to be coming on, although he has been very inconsistent in the past. Tight end Tony Gonzalez has really added a new dimension to this team and it is great to see a mostly receiving tight end who can actually block as well. This is a team I expect to improve as the year goes on.

Meanwhile, I am not sure what to make of Jay Cutler. Talent wise he should be one of the best quarterbacks in the league, but he’s not. He talks a big game about being a leader, but frankly I don’t always see that on the field. And what happened to running back Matt Forte? The Bears have gotten little out of the running game this year and Cutler really needs the treat of the run to be more effective. The Bears are a puzzling team.

Atlanta defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux forced the fumble that held the Bears out of the end zone so I am going with him as MVP.

MVP: Jonathan Babineaux, DT

Denver Broncos over San Diego Chargers, 34-23

Denver is for real. They went in and handed their archrival San Diego Chargers a home loss in the division and are in the driver’s seat to win the AFC West. Kyle Orton may not be the flashiest quarterback in the league but he’s proven he is a winner. He is an accurate short to intermediate passer and the down field blocking for the receivers opens up nice holes. The running game is also starting to make progress.

The real star of the game though was Eddie Royal, who had a punt return and kickoff return for touchdowns that basically broke the back San Diego’s back, even though Darren Sproles also had a punt return for a touchdown. I believe that is the first time I have ever seen three kick returns for a touchdown in the same quarter.

Denver is on top, I am not sure where San Diego is going to net out. Their defense is not that good and will likely cost them the playoffs if they don’t turn things around.

MVP: Eddie Royal, WR/KR

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Offensive Player: Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots

Defensive Player: Jared Allen, DE, Minnesota Vikings

Offensive Lineman: Logan Mankins, G, New England Patriots

Special Teams: Eddie Royal, WR/KR, Denver Broncos

Rookie of the Week: Brian Cushing, LB, Houston Texans

What’s Wrong With Tom Brady?

I have had so many people ask me what is wrong with the New England Patriots this year, and more pointedly, they ask me what is wrong with Tom Brady.

My answer? Look, Tom just came off of major reconstructive knee surgery. Yes, his throws are a bit inaccurate, he’s taking longer to make his reads, his mechanics are a bit off, and he’s out of sync with his receivers. But what do you expect? He’s been out of football for a year and is adjusting to wearing a knee brace and getting used to playing again!

Last year Peyton Manning missed all of training camp after a knee surgery. I would never call any knee surgery minor but it was to clear out an infection and it was not reconstructive knee surgery. Manning played mediocre at best the first four to six games of the season then went on a tear through Colts’ opponents that he still seems to be on today.

Carson Palmer played somewhat poorly the entire year after his ACL surgery.

Donovan McNabb played somewhat poorly after coming back from knee surgery and has been injury prone ever since.

Dante Culpepper never has really come back from his ACL injury.

Trent Green took at least a year or more to play well after his ACL injury.

That’s what is wrong with Tom Brady. And he is one of the hardest working, competitive players in the league. I think he will continue to progress and be the Tom Brady of old by the end of the season barring injury. And let’s face it, the Patriots coaching staff isn’t helping him out any. They mostly refuse to establish a running game or throw screens to slow down a pass rush. And no quarterback, especially one coming back from an ACL injury, can thrive under constant pressure with not even a threat of a running game.

As the season goes on, the Patriots will hopefully try to establish the run and short passing game, and Brady and the offense will be just fine.

2009 NFL Football Season: Week 5

GAMES I WATCHED

Denver Broncos over New England Patriots, 20-17 OT

This was a well played game by both teams and Denver should have shaken off any doubters that they are as good as their 5-0 record. They have beaten both Dallas and New England at home in back to back weeks and looked good doing it.

This was a very disappointing regular season loss for Patriots fans (but every loss really is). How did the Patriots’ defense let Denver drive the ball 98 yards for a game tying touchdown?! That is simply unacceptable. I thought the game was wrapped up after we pinned Denver at their own two yard line, thinking we’d eventually get the ball back in decent field position and do something with it. Instead it was a steady march down the field and a game tying touchdown for the Broncos.

I never thought I’d say this but the difference in the game was Tom Brady’s inability to hit open receivers. Besides the obvious easy touchdown we should have had when Brady overthrew Moss near the end zone, he also missed some key throws in the second half that could have extended drives. Brady is still way off on his accuracy and reads. In his postgame press conference Brady indicated he and Wes Welker weren’t always on the same page, which is not a good sign. I hope he has not hit an impasse and continues to improve as the season progresses. If he starts throwing the ball like the Brady of old, then watch out, because that’s what was missing from the offense on Sunday.

Other than the long drive for the game tying touchdown and field goal in overtime, the young defense is playing reasonably well, but nobody will mistake then for the 1985 Bears or even the 2009 Ravens. This is a unit that should also improve as the season progresses. But giving up a 98 yard drive to let the Broncos tie the game and gain momentum is simply not something good defenses do.

Denver, meanwhile, has proven that their 5-0 record is no chimera. They play well on both sides of the ball and have nicely balanced offense. Kyle Orton is the second coming of John Elway. Just kidding! But Orton is making the throws he needs to make and keeps his errors to a minimum. In fact, as to now, he looks like a better quarterback than Tom Brady. I am impressed by this new Denver team.

I am hopeful that New England gets back on the winning track. The AFC is not going to be an easy conference to make the playoffs this year.

MVP: Brandon Marshall, WR

Cincinnati Bengals over Baltimore Ravens, 17-14

The Bengals versus Ravens matchup was another excellent game between two playoff caliber teams, one a surprise in the Bengals, and one many think is a Super Bowl contenders in the Baltimore Ravens. Like the New England loss to Denver, this was a regular season loss that Ravens fans have to lament. Not only did they lose to a division rival at home, they lost on an 80 yard scoring drive in the last minutes of the game lead by the Bengals’ Carson Palmer. This vaunted Ravens defense played very well most of the day, but gave up some yards on roughing penalties, and the Bengals usually took good advantage of it.

The most surprising thing about his game is that the Bengals and Ravens both played excellent football. This was not a case of the Ravens playing down to perennially losing squad. This looked like two top notch teams going at it. And but for a fluke play against Denver, the Bengals very well could be sitting on a 5-0 record today.

Two other notes, Palmer played with his non-throwing hand taped up after getting it stepped on in the second half but still had an outstanding game. And where did Bengal’s running back Cedric Benson, the would have been bust of a first round draft choice out of Texas, find his rhythm and toughness? Having seen him play poorly for the Bears I never thought I’d see Benson make anything of his career. He ran tough and hard against a stout Ravens defense, and set the tone for the game early. While Benson deserves a nod for MVP, Palmer led an 80 yard drive for a winning score so he gets my vote.

MVP: Carson Palmer, QB

Indianapolis Colts over Tennessee Titans, 31-9

Peyton Manning is playing as good as I have ever seen any quarterback play in my lifetime in these first five games. That may sound like hyperbole, but I am completely serious. The man is a machine. He completely picked apart the Titans and this really never was much of a contest.

What has happened to the Titans? I thought they played an excellent game against Pittsburgh to start off the season in a loss, but they can’t seem to win a game.

I hate to say this, but I felt the Titans basically gave up in the second half. Yes, I think they quit. Not a good sign for the Titans.

I really wanted the Titans to pull off the upset against the Colts, because they are desperate team and desperate teams are dangerous. They play the Patriots next week. I hope they look just as bad as they did this week.

MVP: Peyton Manning, QB

Miami Dolphins over New York Jets, 31-27

After losing their first three games of the season, the Dolphins are now sitting at 2-3, just one game behind the New York Jets and New England Patriots for the AFC East division lead. The division could turn into a dogfight this year as the Patriots continue to struggle on offense and the Jets and Dolphins are playing even better than they did last year.

This was a very entertaining game which went back and forth several times. I really liked the Dolphins offense game plan. Not only did they use the Wildcat and the running game to great effect in general, they ran screeners and up the gut runs to slow down the aggressive pass rush of the Jets. They did exactly what the Patriots did not do in their loss to the Jets a few weeks ago. Ricky Williams’ 51 yard screen play was the perfect call for a blitzing Jets defense. Then later in the game when the Jets didn’t blitz, CB Darrelle Revis got burned by the speedy Ted Ginn, Jr. (who has not lived up to his 1^st round draft pick status to this point).

The Dolphins running game is scary to watch and should serve them well the rest of the season. Despite being 2-3 with an inexperienced QB, the Dolphins look to be in the mix this season. They won’t be an easy to team to beat.

MVP: Ronnie Brown, RB

Atlanta Falcons over San Francisco 49′ers, 45-10

The San Francisco 49′ers
appeared to revert back to their old losing ways against the Falcons. I watched this game on tape and it was an ugly sight to behold, unless you’re a Falcons fans. The first half was simply a mistake filled, sloppily played, embarrassing performance by the 49′ers on both sides of the ball. Running back Glen Coffee looked like the rookie he is and didn’t seem to know what he was supposed to be doing out there. Quarterback Shaun Hill was ineffective. And the defense lost its composure.

Roddy White had a career day running all over the 49′ers secondary. In the second quarter he burned Nate Clements for a 90 yard touchdown reception after Clements went for the ball instead of the tackle. Earlier, after a San Francisco timeout to calm the team down, he ran right through the defense for his first long touchdown grab of the day. His 210 receiving yards (on 8 receptions with 2 touchdowns) set the franchise record.

A perfect example of the 49′ers dysfunctional, childish mistakes was Dre Bly intercepting the ball in the third quarter and then having Matt Ryan catching him and knocking the ball out of his hands while he was celebrating. Foolish.

I can’t image practice is going to be very pleasant this week for the 49′ers. If they keep playing like this, they are in for another miserable, losing season.

MVP: Roddy White, WR

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Offensive Player: Miles Austin, WR, Dallas Cowboys (250 yards receiving sets franchise record)

Defensive Player: Ed Reed, FS, Baltimore Ravens

Offensive Lineman: Justin Smiley, G, Miami Dolphhins

Special Teams: Sam Koch, P, Baltimore Ravens

Rookie of the Week: Jeremy Maclin, WR, Philadelphia Eagles (6 catches, 142 yards, two touchdowns)