Week 8 Observations

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Published on November 2, 2009

The Giants are broken right now, and it's unclear how long they will take to fix. Eli Manning insists his foot isn't bothering him, but the entire team on both sides of the ball is out of sync. The home game against the Chargers next week might be just what the doctor ordered for the offense, but unless the Giants generate a bigger pass rush, find a solution at free safety and get linebacker Michael Boley back to help out in coverage, Philip Rivers will light them up. No one on the team except Corey Webster (and occasionally Terrell Thomas) can cover anyone right now.

Steve Slaton fumbled in the wrong game - the Bills are good against the pass, terrible against the run, and so Slaton cost himself and his owners what would have been his most productive game all season. Ryan Moats took advantage, and it's likely both will be in the mix to some degree, and Chris Brown could still see goal-line work. I'd still target Slaton if his owner has soured on him - he's the best back the Texans have, and the team is a legitimate playoff contender. Like Pierre Thomas, his situation is frustrating, but he's on a tremendous offensive team, and the upside is still there.

Larry Fitzgerald has turned into T.J. Houshmandzadeh, while Tim Hightower leads all backs with 39 receptions in seven games. I can't believe that this is due simply to increased coverage on Fitzgerald - why didn't the teams Arizona faced in the playoffs last year simply increase the coverage? It has to be on the offensive line and Kurt Warner needing to get rid of the ball too quickly. Elite receivers often get the maximum possible coverage. If the Cardinals can give Warner time - like they were able to against the Steelers in the Super Bowl - Fitzgerald will make the big plays that are missing from his production so far this season. If and when that happens, the battle for carries between Chris Wells and Hightower will matter a lot more.

Vince Young looked like the version from his rookie year, making good decisions on whether to run or pass, and throwing accurately enough when receivers were open. As long as Tennessee's defense plays more like it did this week - pressure on the quarterback, no breakdowns in the secondary - and Young isn't playing from way behind, he could be a viable fantasy quarterback going forward as it looked like the Titans were giving him freedom to use his legs and not forcing him to be a conventional pocket passer. Give Jeff Fisher credit for not sulking and getting his team ready like a pro after owner Bud Adams meddled by insisting Vince Young get the start. How many coaches of Fisher's stature would go about their business while not making a peep after the owner overruled him on something like that?

Alex Smith held his own on the road against a tough pass defense. He should only get better as the season goes on and Michael Crabtree gets more experience.

The Vikings were simply too well-rounded for the Packers from the pass rush, to the running game to their diverse passing attack. While they were lucky to beat the Ravens on a missed FG, they were unlucky to lose in Pittsburgh and could easily be undefeated despite a tough schedule. I see them as the class of the NFC in the second half as I trust their outdoor game more than that of the Saints.

Maurice Jones-Drew had eight carries for 177 yards, two touchdowns and no fumbles Sunday, while David Garrard had 27 passing attempts for 139 yards no touchdowns, three sacks and two picks. Draw your own conclusions about the play calling.

I don't see any reason to get excited about Anthony Gonzalez's impending return to the Colts. Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark will be Peyton Manning's first two looks, and Austin Collie is effective as a possession guy. Maybe Gonzalez takes Pierre Garcon's role, but the upside there is minimal if everyone stays healthy.

I hate to admit it, but Thomas Jones is likely to finish as a top-10 back again this season - he's reliable, durable and in a good situation. I wouldn't write off Shonn Greene after one bad game, but Jones will get his share of touches no matter what Greene does.

Thirty-two year old Ricky Williams had a quiet game, but looks as powerful and fast as ever. Talking time off to smoke weed has obviously preserved his youth and extended his career.

Browns defensive coordinator Rob Ryan had some choice words for RotoWire's Dalton Del Don on Sunday. While DDD often touts his resemblance to Jay Cutler, the guy who Cutler reminds me most of is this |STAR||STAR||STAR|hole

If the season ended today, Brett Favre would deserve MVP consideration (Peyton Manning and Drew Brees would likely beat him out), and that would be true even without all the hype about going into Lambeau and beating his old team. Shame on all the news outlets who treated his uncertain return from a legitimate arm injury as the annoying and desperate ploy of an over the hill athlete. The same outlets that lavished praise (deserved or not) without conscience on him for 15 years were the ones making the drama by covering it 24/7 and also mocking him for it. Thankfully, Favre ignored all those idiots and didn't leave another great season or two on the table. (I'm similarly happy for Alex Rodriguez who like Favre is truly enjoying the game in spite of all the bloodthirsty media types who tried to bury him).