Godzilla
I used to say that now we Patriots fans know what it was like to root for the San Francisco 49ers back in the Joe Montana-Steve Young days. The team has been solidly excellent; a favorite in virtually every contest. In the 2003-2006 era, you knew that the coaches would figure out the right offense and the right coverages to beat anybody.
But last night it all changed.
Rooting for the 2007 Patriots is different. Going into last nights Monday Night game against the Bengals I felt predatory, like we were going to destroy them. We weren't going to find some exotic coverage to beat Carson Palmer and Number 85 and T.J. Hoseyourmomma. We were going to go in and knock them down and stand on their throat until they surrendered unconditionally.
Until they whimpered.
This is what it felt like to root for the '85 Bears. This is what it felt like to root for the '78 Steelers. These guys have a will and an ability to utterly dominate. And with the "Beli-Cheat" nonsense, they've got the chip back on their shoulders.
On the Monday Night broadcast - and indeed as far back as two weeks ago - the question was raised: "can this team run the table?" How extraordinary that the question would even be asked, especially this early in the year. Can they go undefeated?
I think they can - and if the system hadn't eaten my preseason post, you would have seen that I predicted an undefeated season. They've won 21 straight games in 2003-2004 (over the course of two seasons), a streak that ended when their injuries were Normandy-like.
This year they will only get stronger, with the impending return of Rodney Harrison - a man who plays like a Terminator when he has a chip on his shoulder. And what a chip he has this year. Plus, the best defensive lineman in the game (Richard Seymour) will debut at mid-season, just in time to give them a real boost.
They aren't just playing to win, they're playing to dominate. They're playing to prove something, every snap. And they're doing it.
In other games, the Cowboys are looking strong, dismantling a surprisingly bad Rams team. Two years ago, some teams gambled on young inexperienced head coaches, and the Rams were one of them. I think the experiment can be called a failure at this point.
I was flipping around, and saw the Bills drive against the Jets, up 10-7 in the 3rd quarter. They got to fourth and goal at the one, and on came the kicking team. I thought to myself: "if they kick here, they are losers and will lose the game." Time out. On comes the offense. TD pass, and the Bills go on to win 17-14 - a win they would not have had if they'd gone up 13-7 instead of 17-7.
Looks like Eric Man-Genius is running the Jets like that other noted Genius - Wile E. Coyote.
RAC's Browns are gaining some momentum with a huge win over the Ravens. You'll recall that the Baltimore team was created when foul Art Modell moved the cherished franchise from Cleveland to Baltimore. In a surprising burst of wisdom, the NFL decreed that Cleveland could keep the name and history of the Brown and be first in line for an expansion team, avoiding the "Baltimore Browns" name.
That should be the rule for all franchise mover: the home town should keep the name and history. By all rights, the Indy franchise should be the "Racers" or the "Tailpipes" or the "Driver's Body Thrown Clear," not the Colts. Ironically, under that rule the Ravens would be the Colts and the St. Louis Rams would be the Cardinals.
Brett Favre is re-writing the passing records. It's important to note that the guys who came before - Marino and Dan Fouts and Elway and Johnny Unitas and Otto Graham - played when the protection for QB's was a fraction of what it is today. QB's in the past - particularly up to 1978 and then the late 1990's when rules changed to protect passers - got beat to bloody pulps every week. It's amazing that they played as long as they did.
Today a Tom Brady or Peyton Manning or Brett Favre can pass 40 times in a game and walk away with their helmet on straight. Unitas and Graham used to have their faces mashed flat. Who knows what their numbers might have looked like - even Marino - with today's passing rules in place?
Still, Favre is a great one indeed, and the rules are good rules. The NFL is a better league when there are fewer injuries - that's something that will take more work. There are still far too many injuries in the game.
I see the Norv Turner era has started in San Diego. They dropped a stinker at home to the godawful Chiefs 16-30 to go 1-3 on the year. Why did they think they could fire the head coach who went 14-2, hire a retread like Turner, and get right back on the horse? Of course, it's working for Dallas, going 4-0 with retread head coach Wade Phillips replacing Bill Parcelles.
Don't you just love this game? If, of course, you don't live in San Diego.
But last night it all changed.
Rooting for the 2007 Patriots is different. Going into last nights Monday Night game against the Bengals I felt predatory, like we were going to destroy them. We weren't going to find some exotic coverage to beat Carson Palmer and Number 85 and T.J. Hoseyourmomma. We were going to go in and knock them down and stand on their throat until they surrendered unconditionally.
Until they whimpered.
This is what it felt like to root for the '85 Bears. This is what it felt like to root for the '78 Steelers. These guys have a will and an ability to utterly dominate. And with the "Beli-Cheat" nonsense, they've got the chip back on their shoulders.
On the Monday Night broadcast - and indeed as far back as two weeks ago - the question was raised: "can this team run the table?" How extraordinary that the question would even be asked, especially this early in the year. Can they go undefeated?
I think they can - and if the system hadn't eaten my preseason post, you would have seen that I predicted an undefeated season. They've won 21 straight games in 2003-2004 (over the course of two seasons), a streak that ended when their injuries were Normandy-like.
This year they will only get stronger, with the impending return of Rodney Harrison - a man who plays like a Terminator when he has a chip on his shoulder. And what a chip he has this year. Plus, the best defensive lineman in the game (Richard Seymour) will debut at mid-season, just in time to give them a real boost.
They aren't just playing to win, they're playing to dominate. They're playing to prove something, every snap. And they're doing it.
In other games, the Cowboys are looking strong, dismantling a surprisingly bad Rams team. Two years ago, some teams gambled on young inexperienced head coaches, and the Rams were one of them. I think the experiment can be called a failure at this point.
I was flipping around, and saw the Bills drive against the Jets, up 10-7 in the 3rd quarter. They got to fourth and goal at the one, and on came the kicking team. I thought to myself: "if they kick here, they are losers and will lose the game." Time out. On comes the offense. TD pass, and the Bills go on to win 17-14 - a win they would not have had if they'd gone up 13-7 instead of 17-7.
Looks like Eric Man-Genius is running the Jets like that other noted Genius - Wile E. Coyote.
RAC's Browns are gaining some momentum with a huge win over the Ravens. You'll recall that the Baltimore team was created when foul Art Modell moved the cherished franchise from Cleveland to Baltimore. In a surprising burst of wisdom, the NFL decreed that Cleveland could keep the name and history of the Brown and be first in line for an expansion team, avoiding the "Baltimore Browns" name.
That should be the rule for all franchise mover: the home town should keep the name and history. By all rights, the Indy franchise should be the "Racers" or the "Tailpipes" or the "Driver's Body Thrown Clear," not the Colts. Ironically, under that rule the Ravens would be the Colts and the St. Louis Rams would be the Cardinals.
Brett Favre is re-writing the passing records. It's important to note that the guys who came before - Marino and Dan Fouts and Elway and Johnny Unitas and Otto Graham - played when the protection for QB's was a fraction of what it is today. QB's in the past - particularly up to 1978 and then the late 1990's when rules changed to protect passers - got beat to bloody pulps every week. It's amazing that they played as long as they did.
Today a Tom Brady or Peyton Manning or Brett Favre can pass 40 times in a game and walk away with their helmet on straight. Unitas and Graham used to have their faces mashed flat. Who knows what their numbers might have looked like - even Marino - with today's passing rules in place?
Still, Favre is a great one indeed, and the rules are good rules. The NFL is a better league when there are fewer injuries - that's something that will take more work. There are still far too many injuries in the game.
I see the Norv Turner era has started in San Diego. They dropped a stinker at home to the godawful Chiefs 16-30 to go 1-3 on the year. Why did they think they could fire the head coach who went 14-2, hire a retread like Turner, and get right back on the horse? Of course, it's working for Dallas, going 4-0 with retread head coach Wade Phillips replacing Bill Parcelles.
Don't you just love this game? If, of course, you don't live in San Diego.
posted by fiduciary at 8:17 AM
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