Okay, it's been a couple of weeks since I last posted (out of the country for my day job), but I'm back to lay down some perspective on trends leading into the post season push. Here's my list.
1) The Panthers are starting to make the rest of the NFC nervous. Finally, we are beginning to see what some thought Cam was capable of. Personally, I didn't think we'd see him play like this, but now that he's shown this kind of poise and maturity to go along with his unique skills things will get interesting. Perhaps we've been spoiled with the early successes of young QBs and forgotten that development at this position takes time. I don't think the Panthers have the experience or the offensive personnel to make a deep run in the playoffs, but then again I didn't think I'd ever see Cam play this well.
2) Peyton simply isn't as good as Brady, and it's not close. Manning is a different QB when the conditions/circumstances aren't ideal while Brady is much more consistent, even thriving in subpar conditions. When things are just right Manning is a monster, Brady is a monster 24/7, 365. I don't know how a team would have any confidence in being able to win a big game after the way the Broncos lost last night. This is the kind of loss that sticks with you, the kind of loss that makes you doubt your ability and focus when it matters most. These two teams will likely play in the AFC championship game and if that happens the Pats will have that much more of a mental edge on the Broncos. Peyton is great, but he's no Brady.
3) Stick a fork in the Chiefs, their Super Bowl dreams are done. We are now beginning to see why the 49ers let Alex Smith walk after they discovered what they had in Kaepernick. Kaepernick is going through some growing pains right now, but even with his subpar performance I'd rather have him than Smith. Alex won't lose you the game, but when it's time to go toe-to-toe and make dynamic plays from the pocket he simply hasn't come through. He's flashed such capability (divisional playoff game vs the Saints in 2011), but I wonder if the years of coaching and front office turmoil have made Smith wary of delivering the ball down field consistently. The Chiefs will make the playoffs, but if they don't get a home game and/or their pass rushers back it could be a one and done situation.
4) The NFC West will be the most interesting division to watch. No team in this division is out of it and though the Seahawks have the edge things aren't looking good for them as of late. San Fran's Monday night win was big because it keeps a small distance between them and the Cards. The Rams have to win this coming week to stay in the hunt and they'll have a good shot as they always play the Niners tough. Keep your eyes glued to this division.
5) The Seahawks are not moving in the right direction late in the season. The suspension of Browner is worrisome, but I'm more equally concerned about Cox being waived within 48 hours of signing. It seems Pete Carroll has an institutional problem as his players keep failing substance tests. The fact that the 'Hawks signed and then cut a free agent so quickly tells me they're not managing the fallout from the suspension well. It's not an easy task, but championship teams generally don't look this inept from a personnel standpoint when these situations pop up. We can't forget that Carroll's job was likely saved by Russell Wilson and without him he'd be a three-time NFL head coaching failure. Are we witnessing the beginnings of his demise? Maybe not, but then again...
6) If you're selling Colts stock I'm buying. The Broncos are vulnerable, the Chiefs and Bengals are limited at QB, the Pats are good but not invincible, and whoever winds up at the six seed will have a tough road playoff battle. The Colts may not be ready for the best the NFC has to offer, but if you think because they've had some tough defeats lately that they're not a threat you're crazy. The only QBs better than Luck right now are Brees, Brady, Rodgers, and that's it. You read that right. Andrew Luck is better than Peyton Manning at this point because Manning can't through in cold weather and is mentally more fragile. Give me Luck over Manning 10 out of 10 times. This team will play hard and compete and they're only getting better and learning from their mistakes. They're limited as a team, but their QB may have the fewest number of limits we've ever seen at the position.
7) As I watch the Detroit vs. Packers game I'm reminded of how terrible the Lions are. This team continues to do the little things wrong. Turnovers in key spots, kickoffs out of bounds, dumb penalties, and the list goes on. If Detroit makes the playoffs I'll be surprised and if they win a playoff game before Swartz is fired I'll be shocked. This team in an embarrassment given the amount of talent they have.
Happy Turkey Day everyone! Enjoy the games!
1) The Panthers are starting to make the rest of the NFC nervous. Finally, we are beginning to see what some thought Cam was capable of. Personally, I didn't think we'd see him play like this, but now that he's shown this kind of poise and maturity to go along with his unique skills things will get interesting. Perhaps we've been spoiled with the early successes of young QBs and forgotten that development at this position takes time. I don't think the Panthers have the experience or the offensive personnel to make a deep run in the playoffs, but then again I didn't think I'd ever see Cam play this well.
2) Peyton simply isn't as good as Brady, and it's not close. Manning is a different QB when the conditions/circumstances aren't ideal while Brady is much more consistent, even thriving in subpar conditions. When things are just right Manning is a monster, Brady is a monster 24/7, 365. I don't know how a team would have any confidence in being able to win a big game after the way the Broncos lost last night. This is the kind of loss that sticks with you, the kind of loss that makes you doubt your ability and focus when it matters most. These two teams will likely play in the AFC championship game and if that happens the Pats will have that much more of a mental edge on the Broncos. Peyton is great, but he's no Brady.
3) Stick a fork in the Chiefs, their Super Bowl dreams are done. We are now beginning to see why the 49ers let Alex Smith walk after they discovered what they had in Kaepernick. Kaepernick is going through some growing pains right now, but even with his subpar performance I'd rather have him than Smith. Alex won't lose you the game, but when it's time to go toe-to-toe and make dynamic plays from the pocket he simply hasn't come through. He's flashed such capability (divisional playoff game vs the Saints in 2011), but I wonder if the years of coaching and front office turmoil have made Smith wary of delivering the ball down field consistently. The Chiefs will make the playoffs, but if they don't get a home game and/or their pass rushers back it could be a one and done situation.
4) The NFC West will be the most interesting division to watch. No team in this division is out of it and though the Seahawks have the edge things aren't looking good for them as of late. San Fran's Monday night win was big because it keeps a small distance between them and the Cards. The Rams have to win this coming week to stay in the hunt and they'll have a good shot as they always play the Niners tough. Keep your eyes glued to this division.
5) The Seahawks are not moving in the right direction late in the season. The suspension of Browner is worrisome, but I'm more equally concerned about Cox being waived within 48 hours of signing. It seems Pete Carroll has an institutional problem as his players keep failing substance tests. The fact that the 'Hawks signed and then cut a free agent so quickly tells me they're not managing the fallout from the suspension well. It's not an easy task, but championship teams generally don't look this inept from a personnel standpoint when these situations pop up. We can't forget that Carroll's job was likely saved by Russell Wilson and without him he'd be a three-time NFL head coaching failure. Are we witnessing the beginnings of his demise? Maybe not, but then again...
6) If you're selling Colts stock I'm buying. The Broncos are vulnerable, the Chiefs and Bengals are limited at QB, the Pats are good but not invincible, and whoever winds up at the six seed will have a tough road playoff battle. The Colts may not be ready for the best the NFC has to offer, but if you think because they've had some tough defeats lately that they're not a threat you're crazy. The only QBs better than Luck right now are Brees, Brady, Rodgers, and that's it. You read that right. Andrew Luck is better than Peyton Manning at this point because Manning can't through in cold weather and is mentally more fragile. Give me Luck over Manning 10 out of 10 times. This team will play hard and compete and they're only getting better and learning from their mistakes. They're limited as a team, but their QB may have the fewest number of limits we've ever seen at the position.
7) As I watch the Detroit vs. Packers game I'm reminded of how terrible the Lions are. This team continues to do the little things wrong. Turnovers in key spots, kickoffs out of bounds, dumb penalties, and the list goes on. If Detroit makes the playoffs I'll be surprised and if they win a playoff game before Swartz is fired I'll be shocked. This team in an embarrassment given the amount of talent they have.
Happy Turkey Day everyone! Enjoy the games!
No comments:
Post a Comment