So we're two weeks into the NFL season, what have we learned?
1. Kurt Warner is done in St. Louis.
Bulger wasn't at 100% but still managed to get it done when he had to and beat a solid 49ers team. If Martz ever remembers that Marshall Faulk can run the ball, this team could be back...but not with Kurt Warner. Whether you buy the concussion story or not, I don't see how you justify pulling the man who won for a man who played terribly the week before. This has Rob Johnson vs. Doug Flutie written all over it, and if Mike Martz doesn't realize it he could be just as done was Warner.
2. So much for Cleveland.
I heard a lot of people saying that Cleveland was going to be a tough team this year, even better than their playoff season last year. I don't think I even need to elaborate on this one.
3. The Chiefs are for real.
I don't know about their D just yet, but man is that offense something else. I wasn't sold on them pre-season, but they've impressed the hell out of me so far.
4. Bill Parcells has his hands full...maybe moreso than he thought.
Quincy Carter under Bill Parcells is still Quincy Carter. Unless Parcells can magically transform him into Phil Simms or even Vinny Testaverde, the countdown on the inevitable Parcells-Jones eruption may be ticking a little faster than I originally thought.
5. Arizona is going 0-for-16.
A combined 80 points against Detroit and Seattle? Seattle looks real good this year, but man...I never thought Joey Harrington would ever look as good as he did the first week out.
Originally posted by BigVitoMark4. Bill Parcells has his hands full...maybe moreso than he thought.
Quincy Carter under Bill Parcells is still Quincy Carter. Unless Parcells can magically transform him into Phil Simms or even Vinny Testaverde, the countdown on the inevitable Parcells-Jones eruption may be ticking a little faster than I originally thought.
He sure looked pretty good last night. No touch downs, but very effecient. I had a feeling Parcells would go in Giants Stadium and win. Say what you will about the Tuna, but the man is one of the best football coaches to ever don a headset.
And I am the only one who thought when Shockey dropped the touchdown he was throwing the game? It was the first thing that popped in my head. Gloves or not, my fat ass could have hauled that pass in. As soon as it hit the ground my wife blurted out "He did that on purpose!" I tought the same thing. Maybe he was just trying to get a lucrative glove endorsement.
WIENER OF THE DAY! July 6, 2002!
If I lived back in the wild west days, instead of carrying a six-gun in my holster, I'd carry a soldering iron. That way, if some smart-aleck cowboy said something like "Hey, look. He's carrying a soldering iron!" and started laughing, and everybody else started laughing, I could just say, "That's right, it's a soldering iron. The soldering iron of justice." Then everybody would get real quiet and ashamed, because they had made fun of the soldering iron of justice, and I could probably hit them up for a free drink.
Originally posted by GrimisThere is little likelihood that a team will go 16-0 or 0-16 ever again. If Cincy can't do it, then Arizona won't; and,
10. Jamal Lewis is the best back in the game.
There, I said it. He is just a horse who is quicker than you think and as powerful as most fullbacks.
This is one that can be argued. Granted Jamal Lewis had a great game but in my opinion Priest Holmes is the best back in the leauge. He has virtually been unstoppable the last two years when healthy. This week he gets the Texans defense to feed off of.
Originally posted by Melon' HeadGranted Jamal Lewis had a great game but in my opinion Priest Holmes is the best back in the leauge. He has virtually been unstoppable the last two years when healthy. This week he gets the Texans defense to feed off of.
Remember who the Ravens jettisoned to make Lewis the starter....
....Priest Holmes.
Holmes is a product of KC's sytem and the fact that Trent Green is a better QB than who was in Baltimore during his tenure here. His ability to catch the ball out of the backfield is what makes him truly dangerous, as you never know where he'll come from. He's a great player still, but he does not have the in your face running ability that Jamal has, and if he was just a more traditional back he'd be lucky to crack 1000 yards.(Jamal has two 1300 yards seasons without a recognizable passing game around him).
Originally posted by GrimisHolmes is a product of KC's sytem and the fact that Trent Green is a better QB than who was in Baltimore during his tenure here. His ability to catch the ball out of the backfield is what makes him truly dangerous, as you never know where he'll come from. He's a great player still, but he does not have the in your face running ability that Jamal has, and if he was just a more traditional back he'd be lucky to crack 1000 yards.(Jamal has two 1300 yards seasons without a recognizable passing game around him).
I think you are selling Priest Holmes a little short there. In 1998, on a Ravens team that finished 6-10 and 27th on the league in scoring he rushed for 1008 yards (as a rookie) and 7 TDs with only 233 carries (less than 15 per game) and caught 43 passes. That tells me he's more than a "product of KC's system".
Washington Huskies, 1-1. USC didn't look THAT great after the first quarter, so I'm more optimistic that they'll be the 2003 Pac-10 champs.
Perhaps I'm being overly critical in defense of Jamal. But look at the numbers when he got to KC, specifically yards per carry and the number of catches. His ability to catch the ball out of the backfield in KC has greatly enhanced his ability to get 1500 yards on the ground on top of it, no question.
THe best back in the NFL does indeed play in Missouri. Only it is 270 miles east of Kansas City. I dont care what you say, until he cannot run any longer, Marshal Faulk is the best back in football. It isnt his fault that his coach forgets this fact.
Also, while speaking of the Rams, Warner is out because he cant play any more. Bulger is in because he gets the boys to play for him. Pure and simple. He, right now, is a better QB than Warner. To think you should have Warner as your QB because of his past accomplishments, without looking at the fact that he hasnt won a game in a year and a half, is ignorant.
Marshall Faulk is definitely suffering at the hands of Mike Martz' stupidity. How you have a running back of that calibre and only rush him 15 times in a game - a game where your passing game is failing for that matter - is beyond me. But you can't say the man is the best on hypotheticals. Let's not forget that the last time Marshall Faulk was the best RB in the league Kurt Warner was also the best QB around. Look how times have changed.
At this point, Priest Holmes is the man. 5 touchdowns in two games and remember what he did last year before he got hurt. Jamal Lewis has played very well, but he's only been in the "best in the league" discussion for about 48 hours...and even then, that's in good part due to the fact that Cleveland couldn't stop their own grandmothers from breaking one off tackle.
Personally, I'm a Ricky Williams guy, but he hasn't started this year the same way he finished last season so I can't vote for him. For now, it's Holmes.
Where does Riciky Williams fit into this discussion or should this be confined to a new thread? I would make an argument for him that he totally turned the Dolphins stagnant running game around,but it didn't even help the Fins make the playoffs. None the less,I think Ricky is still top five behind(in order)Priest Holmes,Clinton Portis,Marshall Faulk,Jamal Lewis,and then Ricky Williams.
Forget these two weeks, if we learned anything last year we would realize it is way too early to write any team off. Everyone is still in it. Single injuries can ruin almost any team. Lack of depth seems to be one of the side effects of parity. Many teams rely so heavily on one player that entire seasons can be lost on a single play. If McNair gets hurt the Titans could finish behind the Texans. What happens if Jamal Lewis blows another ACL? Will the Ravens even be able to gain 200 yards a game? I think you could make an example like this for nearly every team.
Even without major injuries it is still to early to write anyone off. The titans were 1-4 last year with an injury plagued defense. The eagles may be headed there right now. The Pats were 1-3 when Bledsoe got hurt during thier Super Bowl year.
And Marshall Faulk is still slightly ahead of Holmes. They are both on another level for sure. A couple of years ago Faulk was getting all kinds of touches and Holmes wasn't used nearly as much. Now it is the opposite, but it isn't because of declining skills on Faulk's part. His coach is an idiot. Just like Vermiel would be an idiot if he had Holmes carry the ball 15 times a game at this point.
No mention of Ahman Green? I'd take him over Faulk at this point, since Green has a coach that seems to have some clue as to how to use him.
"When this bogus term alternative rock was being thrown at every '70s retro rehash folk group, we were challenging people to new sonic ideas. If some little snotty anarchist with an Apple Mac and an attitude thinks he invented dance music and the big rock group is coming into his territory, [that's] ridiculous." - Bono, 1997
Acutally, the 2001 Patriots were 0-2 when Bledsoe went down, then were 1-3 before going on their big run.
According to ESPN Radio this morning, last year there were eight 2-0 teams. One made the playoffs. Conversely, there were eight 0-2 teams. Two made the playoffs. So I agree with whoever said we haven't learned anything yet, except that if the seasons ended TODAY, the road to the Super Bowl in the NFC would go through SEATTLE, by virtue of the 4th tiebreaker over Minnesota.
Washington Huskies, 1-1. USC didn't look THAT great after the first quarter, so I'm more optimistic that they'll be the 2003 Pac-10 champs.
Originally posted by Big BadNo mention of Ahman Green? I'd take him over Faulk at this point, since Green has a coach that seems to have some clue as to how to use him.
It looks like Mike Sherman is taking a bit more of a platoon approach to the running back position this year, resting Green in favor of Najeh Davenport and Tony Fisher (who had a TD Sunday vs. Detroit). That way, Ahman won't be so banged up at the end of the year, we hope.
Although I'd sure like to see my boy William Henderson get some carries, especially in the red zone or at the goal line, just plowing through people.
Man, what a difference between Weeks 1 and 2 at Lambeau...will the real Green Bay Packers please stand up?
Star wipe, and...we're out. Thrillin' ain't easy.
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That changed in 2000 after the Rams/Bucs NFC Championship game, to that you still have to maintain control, but touching the ground is not a deal-breaker.