Lucky? It's All Skill Baby
I may be 4-0 on my picks for the week (Chargers-Raiders -9 pending) but that was just about the only joy I could derive from the opening football weekend. Nothing ruins a weekend for me quite like a Cardinals loss, it makes nearly every other games, highlight show, and sports talk radio segment completely unlistenable (this is not a word). Sure when they win I’ll go searching high and low for any nugget of information that complements the team and reign down a wrath upon anyone who dare to challenge their brilliance, but who says I can’t live my life through Cardinal colored glasses.
Most of the SoD gang got together at Chez Howard for the Week 1 festivities (minus a couple members due to in-fighting - success has gotten to all of our heads) and here’s what we witnessed:
- The Steamy Latin Looks era is off to a rocking start for the Jets. Mr. SLL looked calm, cool, and collected in leading the J-E-T-S past media darling Houston, on the road no less, to give both fans and ladies alike hope for the future. Welcome to the NFL Mark Sanchez, get ready for the hype machine to triple.
- Can we please re-visit this post? Jake Delhomme threw 4 interceptions and lost a fumble – making it 11 turnovers in his last 2 games – and was pulled for ineffectiveness in the 2nd half of Carolina’s 38-10 ass-pounding loss to the Eagles. Delhomme of course was inexplicably signed to a 5-year $42.5 million dollar extension ($20 million guaranteed) in the off-season. This head-scratching move has caused me to learn that the name of the Panthers GM is Marty Hurney but if I were you I wouldn’t bother learning his name as he likely won’t have a job for long. Hurney seems like the type of guy who would have paid hundreds of dollars a share for Enron stock in 2002.
- How thrilling was that Broncos-Bengals game yesterday? Whoa doggy those are some great teams. You are entitled to jump off of a bridge if you are a fan of either of these teams. Brandon Stokley’s 87 yard tipped ball game winner was the perfect end to a game that NFL Sunday Ticket’s Red Zone channel didn’t even stay on for more than 35 seconds. Fun fact: Kyle Orton actually had a 100.7 QB rating in the game – imagine what will happen when he’s bad.
- Hey Miami – hope you guys enjoyed 2008, because if Week 1 is any indication it is going to be tough sleeding in the AFC East this season. 4 turnovers didn’t help the cause – but only a late Ricky Williams TD catch from the Water Pistol kept the ‘Fins from scoring as much as I did this weekend.
- Drew Brees through 6 touchdown passes in the Saints opening week win over the Lions. Sure it was Detroit but he’s on my SoD fantasy team and I’ll take it. If he averages 3 per game the rest of the season he’ll break Tom Brady’s single season record of 50.
- Through Week 1, Brett Favre stayed out of the way (14/21 110 yards and a TD) and let Adrian Peterson do his job (25 carries, 180 yards and three scores). If they keep that up the Vikings might actually live up to expectations. But like any old man who isn’t what he once was, you know Favre will try to muck it up to chase former glory.
- The Chiefs defense allowed 501 total yards to the Ravens. If you think this has anything to do with the growth of Joe Flacco you evidentally haven’t been introduced to the Chiefs new defensive coordinator (pssttt….its Clancy Pendergast).
- That’s one loss for Tampa Bay – the Josh Freeman era is coming…and I’m still giddy about it.
- The Seahawks looked good and healthy in their first game, including three touchdown passes from Matt Hasselback. It was against the Rams though so let’s hope the good feelings don’t last much longer – I can’t have Dr. Greenbaumberg staying happy for too long.
- I picked the Chicago Bears to win the NFC and lose to the Chargers in the Super Bowl. They spent Sunday night “rewarding” my faith by losing 21-15 to Green Bay, running a embarrasing fake punt on 4th and 11 from their own 30, throwing 4 INT’s with star QB Jay Cutler, and losing Brian Urlacher for the season with a wrist injury. That Super Bowl pick will look awesome when they finish 6-10.
Cardinals Thoughts:
- They came out exactly as lethargically as I expected going down 13-3 late in the first half – only to rally and take the lead. I thought they’d hang on for the win but besides that they pretty much followed the script.
- Tim Hightower‘s recieving line looks like something I would put up on Madden because I’m too impatient to read a defense and make a good decision. When your running back catches 12 balls for 121 yards there is some trouble.
- After a cluster of a first play – Beanie Wells looked pretty strong on his 7 carries (29 yards). If Hightower’s recieving numbers are any indication, the roles are going to start developing soon – welcome to being a third down back Timmy.
- I realize that the Niners were keying on Larry Fitzgerald but the ball HAS to start going to him more. Please let him make plays – it’s what he does.
- Besides a long bomb to Issac Bruce (and every third down on the final drive) – the Cards defense actually looked pretty solid the entire game. They picked up four sacks, forced a fumble, and definitely played good enough to win the game.
- The referees certainly didn’t cost the Cardinals the game – but oh my god Don Carey was the worst referee in the history of the NFL yesterday. They didn’t have to keep reminding me it was his first game for that to be blatantly obvious. He messed up team names, calls, and couldn’t even get it together on the 12-men on the field call. Although the game was inside at a cool 72 degrees, Carey was sweating like a mafioso wearing a wire for the first time. Real nice work screwing up that Cardinals fumble return at the end of the first half – nobody blew it dead but that certainly didn’t stop you from pretending they did. Please quit reffing.
- Kurt Warner did not look good. He did not look good at all. Continuing his preseason form of looking clunky and inaccurate, Warner turned the ball over three times (twice in the first half) and helped lead the Niners to points. He started to look a bit better late but something certainly seems to be missing. I vote that he needs to shave the beard – it makes him look like he’s 90.
- Losing the first week at home against a divisional opponent is never good. Now they have to go on the road to Jacksonville (eastern time zone…ugh) and win to avoid 0-2. If they aren’t careful all the good feelings could slip away before October.
