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Melissa's Monday Musings - Week 4

By: The Football Girl | Posted: October 01, 2012

 

Week 4 saw a lot of oddities. Ryan Tannehill threw for over 400 yards. The Saints became 0-4. Mike Shanahan may start the same running back for all sixteen games, and be happy about it. And a serial killer and former ex-CIA operative came out of hibernation. Actually, other than tempting a lot of us to stay up until the wee hours, I don’t know what “Dexter” or “Homeland” has to do with Sunday NFL.  Although I do often wonder if any NFL coaches or players may be living a double life as a serial killer who only kills evildoers.

Something to ponder while I take you through my Monday musings…

 

The Jets QB Problem

Every time Mark Sanchez has an abysmal game that simply punctuates the fact that he should not be the Jets starting quarterback, Rex Ryan finds a way to be the contrarian. Ryan did it yet again yesterday by declaring that Sanchez would continue to be the starter, despite an embarrassing performance at home. 49ers 34 Jets ZERO. Are Ryan’s glasses a different color form the rest of us? Does Sanchez have pictures of Ryan (if so, please god never let us see them) Whatever the reason, Ryan seems determined to connect the temperature of his seat to the success of Sanchez. 

As clear as it was that Tebow should have been in there at least in the mid-4^th quarter, I applaud Ryan for not making that move. Why give Jets fans any hope, and what if, god forbid, Tebow threw a touchdown in garbage time? Now that would really throw Ryan’s unwavering plan off course.

 

Is 55 the new 50?

There were certainly some issues disasters on the kicking front today. (Yes, Billy Cundiff, I’m looking at you.), but Week 4 was just another week in the NFL where the 50+ yard kicks kept coming:

Phil Dawson, Browns – 50,51,52

Greg Zuerlein, Rams – 58, 60

Matt Prater, Broncos – 53

Connor Barth, Bucs – 50, 57

We are seeing this frequency of long kicks more every week. I remember a time when the Bears wouldn’t even trot Robbie Gould out for anything over 49 yards, and 50+yarder were only frequently attempted by Sebastian Janikowski and a small rotation of others. Call it 2010.

 

A.P. is Back

Adrian Peterson had already made a triumphant return, certainly from a production standpoint, but he didn’t really look like the old Peterson until yesterday.  In Minnesota’s 20-13 win over the Lions, Peterson brilliantly displayed one of his greatest assets pre-injury – cutting.  That was an obvious concern for a back coming off an ACL, as ability to cut is directly tied to the health of that part of the body. So A.P.’s performance yesterday was the first legitimate hint that the elite guy of ’07-’10 could be back.  Peterson finished with 21 carries for 104 yards, and 20 yards receiving.

 

Aaron Rodgers’ Belt on Tour

In the Vikings/Lions game, after a Kyle Vanden Bosch sack on Christian Ponder, Vanden Bosch celebrated with a quick Rodgers’ double-check belt.  It seemed like an odd choice considering Rodgers was however far away Detroit and Green Bay are from each other. (Forgive me for not knowing, I have Apple maps.) But it turns out Vanden Bosch and Rodgers may have a thing. Here is Rodgers doing his best Vanden Bosch impression on a radio show last November.

 

Still, I don’t know what Christian Ponder has to do with anything.

 

The Welker Effect

Everyone can stop wondering when Wes Welker (or as Mike Ditka called him on Sunday Countdown, ”the little guy”) was going to join the party. Welker finally became an integral part of the offense with 9 catches for 129 yards, and the Patriots scored 52 points. Coincidence? I think not.

 

Mini-Power Rankings

I am not a huge fan of power rankings because I generally don’t know what other pundits’ views of one team vs. another have to do with anything. Except for now because I happen to be pondering who the best five teams in the NFL now based on what we saw this week. Here goes…

1)   Houston

2)   Atlanta

3)   San Francisco

4)   Baltimore

5)   New England 

OK, I’m ready to be flamed.

 

Vindication for Goodell?

The regular refs made their triumphant return but the rainbows and sunshine didn’t last long.  Jeff Triplette, an official notorious for errors, was sent to Green Bay of all places.  His crew failed to call a fairly obvious pass interference call on Marques Colston before Colston came down with a touchdown in the first quarter. And in the third quarter failed to overturn a Jimmy Graham “catch” that appeared on replay to be a fumble.

In Philly, Ron Winter’s crew called a strange pass interference on Nnamdi Asomugha on the Giants final comeback attempt drive, which helped put them in field goal range.

Goodell has to be secretly happy that the regular refs showed some rust.  But it still doesn’t make the Green Bay/Seattle ending ok. It never will. In fact, as was pointed out in the pregame, that game didn’t just affect the Packers and Seahawks, but potentially bolstered the Vikings, Bears, Lions, and hurt the 49ers, Cardinals and Rams, all who could be one game ahead or behind a playoff spot.  Anyone have Dexter Morgan on speed dial?