NFL Daily Presents: Analytical Assault Week 12

Before I get to the post with analysis from Matt Williamson and Keith Kidd, I'd like to take a minute to talk about Sean Taylor. As a diehard Cowboys fan, I never liked Taylor; I'd even go as far as saying that I despise Taylor and hoped that he would be injured so that he wouldn't play an amazing safety for the hated Washington Redskins. Sometimes I joke that it would be amazing if this guy gets harmed or that guy gets hurt, but I never really meant it or anything. So I felt bad when I heard the news that Taylor got shot, and I felt even worse when he passed away. From now on I'll try my hardest to take things into context and realize that these players on your bitter rivals have lives outside of the games on the field. They may have wives and children and parents who care for them. So the next time you talk about the certain player on your rival that you hate (everyone has them) maybe think again and remember that it's just a game and you would never want that person to actually get hurt, or worse become another needless victim like a Sean Taylor. I'm sure that many Red Sox fans hated Thurmon Munson with a passion, but never wished that he'd die in a plane crash. So let's try to take things in perspective as we mourn the loss of a damn good football player and someone who was finally coming into his own as a human being. I'll only do the Sunday and Monday games in the assault.

-The Titans are nosediving. Their defense is finally breaking, the running game is falling apart, and Vince Young cannot carry this team. The Bengals were able to stop the run, keep VY in check, dominate the clock with Rudi Johnson, and get a stellar day from Chad Johnson. Cincy had 38 passes and 36 runs, which is nearly perfect. I asked Williamson if the Bengals can go on a run starting this Sunday against Pittsburgh.
"Was thinking that. PGH is the better team, but that game is certainly winnable for Cincy next week. Under the radar-Cincy has SHUT DOWN opposing running games of late!!!"
Willie Parker should take notice, and Tennessee is playing themselves out of this playoff picture. -The Browns keep winning, and Jamal Lewis keeps their offense moving. He's the man behind the scenes with Derek Anderson getting all the headlines; impressive against a Texans team that was good against the run. Kellen Winslow was spectacular, and the Cleveland defense forced 3 turnovers. With a running game that good, it gets to be a lot easier in the 4th quarter. Lewis wore Houston down and they were able to pull away to continue one of the surprise stories.
-There's a certain reason why New York grew sour on Herm Edwards. Oh yeah, it's because his late game decision making is atrocious. He had the chance to tie the game with 4th and 1 deep in Raiders territory, went for it and missed. A field goal keeps you in the game, but Edwards decided to go for the jugular and wasn't even close and the Chiefs suffered a critical loss. His clock management has also been criticized, and now people are questioning his mental capacity. He wasted a phenomenal Kolby Smith game and a game where Brodie Croyle didn't screw everything up. Meanwhile, Justin Fargas is emerging as a really quality back and almost singlehandedly gave Oakland their first big win since the Carter administration.
-It's more than injuries and lack of talent for the Rams, it's the terrible decision making by Scott Linehan and the coaching staff. They had every single opportunity to win this game and blew it. People will look to the dropped snap on 4th down, but St Louis should have won the game wayy before that. Linehan should be canned immediately after their nightmare season is over. Pound Stephen Jackson by the goal line, not put your game in the hands of Gus Frerotte. Seattle played very well in the 2nd half, but were not impressive at all after looking good in previous weeks.
-I met Eli Manning on the street wearing a purple shirt, and he was completely freaked out. I told him that I was the Vikings and he started throwing footballs at me. It's like a reaction at this point. What really led to Manning's total collapse was that without Jacobs and Ward, Minnesota had zero respect for the run and the play-action pass, which is how the Giants get most of their big plays. In addition, Plaxico Burress cannot play effectively right now and Minnesota disguised their coverages just enough to turn the game into a purple pigskin pick six party. That was basically the game right there, and rumor has it that the Bears are adding a purple alternate jersey for next week's game.
-The Redskins were sliding even before Sean Taylor's untimely death, as they turned it over 6 times, dropping the ball more than a corporate executive with short term memory loss. The Bucs had 25 minutes of possession on mostly short fields and won without getting a first down the entire 2nd half. There's still a lot of fight in Washington, and they'll be playing a lot harder in the future. Tampa's legit, though.
-Stick a fork in John Fox and the Panthers, I'd like my piece burnt so I don't have to look at all the potential they had. Carr and Moore were awful, Steve Smith led the team in rushing with 22 yards, and they let the Saints control the ball for over 39 minutes. New Orleans punished with Carolina with the run and then hit the big plays with excellent balance. Is it too late for the inconsistent Saints? All bets are off, I can't solve these guys.
-The Bills aren't the same without Marshawn Lynch. They had to rely on JP Losman, and they can't win like that. Fred Taylor was great, and David Garrard is evolving into a real QB. Look Jeppetto, he's a real QB eat that Leftwich! Buffalo needs Lynch back if they want a shot at the playoffs, but the Jags have a shot at a first round bye and I'm not crazy.
-The Niners can't lose to the Cardinals. Kurt Warner's a good player, but sometimes he can't get out of his own way. Neil Rackers was very unclutch in OT, but the Arizona offense clicked really well. Unfortunately, the defense took a day off on Sunday. Frisco finally gave Frank Gore more than 20 yards, and the 49ers won. What a coincidence, and even Trent Dilfer had a good game. This game confuses me, let's go to the next one which actually contains meaning.
-Todd Sauerbrun insisted on kicking on kicking to Devin Hester, which is the worst decision since Herm Edwards decided to.....and the Iraq War before that. I'll give the Bears credit for the comeback in the end, but they would not have been in that position if Denver kicked it away from him. Cutler and Andre Hall had good games, but their defense imploded late. They're still in this race, but how realistic are the playoff chances for the Bears and Vikings? Williamson has the answer:
"Much better now than a week ago, but still it is a long shot; especially for Minny. How many times are they going to get 3 defensive TDs? I still like the Giants' chances. Maybe NO? What a mess in the NFC now."
-That Chargers swagger is back, and the Ravens' window of opportunity with this team they have now has slammed shut. The Bolts had good balance, and Phil Rivers tore up the Baltimore secondary. But why in the name of Rex Ryan would Antonio Gates be covered by a LB the entire game? 6-105 and two scores later, it was 29-7 and San Diego got their classy back.
-Oh man, the Patriots were nervous, the Eagles figured them out. Run inside routes down the middle of the field, and you can torch the New England secondary. It was so apparent that even Captain Obvious Frank Caliendo err John Madden was saying it 150 times. The Eagles played well, but the Pats persevered. It was a fantastic score for score game, but how will Belichik adjust to what AJ Feely and the Eagles did to his defense? Keith Kidd has the answer:
"One of the ways is to play more inside of the WR, and force more outside throws. But it is obvious if you can keep your QB upright in the pocket it causes problems for the secondary."
-The Dolphins just may pull this 0-16. Nobody could do anything last night, and the Steelers don't look as good as they did a couple of weeks ago. Miami is down to their 87th string RB, and even Ricky Williams made a guest appearance only to be out for the season roughly five minutes after his debut; word has it that he's charging a dime bag for his 2007 season cameo. Cameo Cameron may be riding this imperfect storm, but the Jets will give them a run next week.