One Fan's Perspective

Arizona Cardinals 9 Oakland Raiders 22

The Arizona Cardinals dropped their sixth straight game losing to the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders put up 22 points to the Cardinals 9. Matt Leinert showed us that he is still indeed a rookie as the Raiders defense exploited his current weaknesses.

Yep, firing the offensive coordinator sure made the difference.

Pittsburgh Steelers 38 Atlanta Falcons 41 (OT)

The Pittsburgh Steelers lost in OT from an Atlanta Falcons field goal.

Michael Vick wanted to answer his critics regarding his earlier comments to Inside the NFL and had an amazing game.

The Steelers played well, the Falcons played well, and the only issue I had with the game was Phil Simms’s commentary. I wonder if Simms and Michael Vick are dating? On one of Vick’s touchdown passes, Alge Crumpler ran an inside post pattern and the coverage allowed him too much space. Vick fired a bullet to Crumpler and Simms exclained, “What an amazing pass! Very few quarterbacks can make that throw, like John Elway, and Michael Vick made an excellent pass!”

Okay, so Vick is just as good as Elway? Right. Other quarterbacks can make that throw – almost all of them can. Crumpler was wide open.

Another issue I have is with the Atlanta Falcons fans. The Falcons are a solid team, and I am surprised they are not supported that well. I saw just as many Pittsburgh Steelers jerseys in the stands as Atlanta Falcons fans. Phil Simms thought seeing the Steelers fans in attendance was “just great to see!” I thought that it was pretty sad that the “enemy’s fans” helped fill the house.

Green Bay Packers 34 Miami Dolphins 24

The Green Bay Packers won their second game of the season beating the Miami Dolphins.

Philadelphia Eagles 21 Tampa Buccaneers 23

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had the best come-from-behind win on Sunday as they won with the second longest field goal in NFL history, a 62-yard blast from Matt Bryant, who just a year or two ago worked in a pawn shop before coming to the NFL.

The Buccaneers seemed to have the number of the Philadelphia Eagles. However, the defensive issues that have plagued the Tampa Bay Buccaneers all season came back and haunted them, as the Eagles took the lead late in the fourth quarter as Donovan McNabb threw a strike to Brian Westbrook. There was not one missed tackle or two or even three missed tackles. There were four missed tackles as Westbrook scampered to the end zone.

The defensive secondary had better take Bryant out to a nice dinner – he saved the victory for them.

So, now with my football picks, I am now even. I’m glad I didn’t make that trip to Vegas after all.

I’m also not sure about this week’s Pam Oliver Effect either since I had issues with my DVR…I missed the pre-game.

If anyone saw the FOX NFL Pregame show, and knows who she featured this week, comment below.

Tags: Football, Media, NFL, Television by pbcoyotes
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Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Atlanta Falcons

The Pittsburgh Steelers (2-3) travel to Atlanta to take on the Falcons (3-2).

One player from the Falcons squad was suspended for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. Starting Guard Matt Lehr serves a four-game suspension because he tested positive for Ephedrine, a banned substance according the regulations of the NFL. He took a supplement that had the banned ingredient and will sit.

Another distraction for the Atlanta Falcons is Michael Vick as he sounded off to HBO’s Inside the NFL. I thought Vick was happier this year? When a player wishes for other receivers to be on his team, he insults the current receiving corps he plays with each week. Just give Vick the ball, coach?

Okay then.

Michael Vick’s Quarterback rating for the past five years is a 72.9. His QB rating this season is 66. He only completed 52.16% of his passes within those five years, and has completed only 50.4% this year.

But he’s a rushing quarterback, right?

Fine. He only has been in the top 15 of rushing yards twice in his career, and this season is in the top 25.

Peyton Manning he is not. How can Vick wish for “better receivers” when he can’t get the ball there? When he does rush for yardage, his energy level is shot for the next series of downs and if the offense falls apart before then, the Falcons usually punt.

Give him the ball coach – Vick is just another long list of whiners in the NFL, which I getting mighty tired of hearing. It’s worse this season than in previous seasons.

Pittsburgh will win this game and by a touchdown.

Arizona Cardinals vs. Oakland Raiders

The struggling Arizona Cardinals travel to Oakland to take on the hapless Raiders.

Much is wrong with the Silver and Black and the change in offensive coordinator for the Cardinals could spark the team to a win this week.

The Cardinals will win by a field goal (provided that Rackers can get his technique back).

Tags: Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Football, Michael Vick, NFL, Oakland Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers by pbcoyotes
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The Arizona Cardinals fired their offensive coordinator because the team needed a “change.” Mike Kruscek takes the reigns of an offense that has scored quick leads under rookie quarterback Matt Leinert in the first half for the past two games. The Cardinals had a 14 point lead last week against the Chiefs, and the team had a 20 point lead during the Monday game against the Bears.

Kruczek’s last coaching position before coming to the desert was at the University of Central Florida where he inherited Daunte Culpepper and the Knights had a 7-5 win-loss record. However, in 2002 and in 2003 the Knights posted only 3 wins and Kruczek was fired with two games remaining in the 2003 season. The starting quarterback during the 2003 season was Ryan Schneider who was dismissed from the team for academic violations. George O’Leary took over for the UCF Knights and the team didn’t win a game in 2004. O’Leary turned the football program around in the 2005 season as his team went 8-5.

Dennis Green has been through his share of assistant coaches. Kruczek is his third offensive coordinator and he is on his third offensive line coach. He says of the changes, “[T]here is a job that has to be done, and I’m going to give another guy a chance to do that job.”

Could it be a reason the team has been so haphazard during the past three years? Maybe Dennis Green is not the head coach everyone thinks he is – after all, he led the Minnesota Vikings to a 15-1 record one season only to not make the Superbowl. He should hire better people the first time, or use better screening methods.

Coach Green might think that it doesn’t fall on one guy – it does. It falls to him. If he can’t hire the right people the first time, which causes the players to become even more confused, maybe he is the problem.

Consistency in all levels is the key to success. Doing the same thing over and over again is the true definition of insanity.

Tags: Arizona Cardinals, Football, NFL by pbcoyotes
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