News, Notes & Rumors for week 6

nfl

Note:  Join us for the live version of NNR Mondays and Fridays on The Bill Smith Radio Show. The Monday show with co-host Samantha Bunten of NBC Sports reviews the NFL week and Browns game.  The Friday show includes Samantha and Tony Williams Giants beat writer for Metro New York and previews the weekend games.

 

News:

Texan QB Matt Schaub was hurt and could be out next week.  The team also lost SS Danieal Manning with a broken Fibula.  He will be out 6-8 weeks.

 

The Packers lost WRs James Jones and Randal Cobb with knee injuries.  They also lost LB Nick Perry with a broken foot.

 

Pats WR Danny Amendola suffered a concussion.  CB Aqib Talib hurt a hip and LB Jerod Mayo suffered a shoulder injury.

 

The Cowboys RB Demarco Murray hurt a knee and DE Demarcus Ware will miss several weeks with a quad injury.

 

The Vikings have lost LB Desmond Bishop for the season with a torn ACL.

 

The Bills signed former Raider QB Matt Flynn.

 

The Steelers have placed OT Levi Brown on IR.  The team traded for him on Oct. 2 and he never played a game for them.  He injured his tricepts in pregame warm-up.  This is just one more example of the questionable moves by team management.  Brown has had a history of injury.  Check out my analysis of the Steelers drafts “Why did the Steelers fall so far so fast?”
Read more at https://fryingpansports.com/#KYl3oHXhIGVQedFl.99.

 

 

Notes:

Patriots 30 Saints 27 – The key to this game was a brain cramp by DC Rob Ryan.  With 10 seconds left Ryan decided to not double the receivers in the endzone.  There was 1 on 1 coverage on WR Kenbrell Thompkins and QB Tom Brady hit him for the game winner with 5 seconds left.

 

Rams 38 Texans 13 – Those that wanted someone else (anyone else?) to play QB for the Texans got their wish.  But only after the Rams had built a 31-6 lead was starting QB Matt Schaub hurt.  T.J. Yates came in and promptly threw a 98 yard pick 6 to Alec Ogletree.  The Texans were never in the game and looked like a team that has given up.  They had 95 yards in penalties and gave the ball away 4 times.

 

Eagles 31 Buccaneers 20 – Eagle QB Nick Foles was extremely effective and efficient.  He ended up 22 for 31 for 296 yards and 3 TDs without a pick.  He also ran for a TD.  HC Chip Kelly has backed off his plan for 80+ plays a game at least with his backup starting.  The Eagles had only 65 offensive plays.  Bucs QB Mike Glennon played pretty well going 26-43 for 273 and 2 TDs and 1 interception.  The Bucs simply were overmatched by the Eagles speed and efficiency on offense.

 

Chiefs 24 Raiders 7 – Raider QB Terrelle Pryor was running for his life all afternoon.  He was sacked 10 times behind the patchwork line.  The pressure was unrelenting and forced 3 interceptions as well.  Chiefs QB Alex Smith was only 14-31 for 128 yards without a TD or a pick.  The Raider D is playing very well but the injury plagued O line was the culprit for the loss.  The line could not protect Pryor or block to get the running game going.

 

Bengals 27 Bills 24 OT – The Bengals built a 24-10 lead going into the 4th quarter and then tried to hang on for the win.  But new Bills starting QB Thad Lewis threw two long TDs to tie the game including a 40 yard TD with just 1:08 left.  He ended up with 19 for 32 for 216 yards and 2 TDs but no picks and 1 fumble lost.  The comeback took a lot of effort and the Bills just did not have enough left to get over the hump in OT.

 

Packers 19 Ravens 17 – The Raven running game disappeared and it was up to QB Joe Flacco to carry the O.  He failed.  The running game generated 47 yards in 22 attempts.  Flacco was sacked 5 times and converted only 2 of 14 third down attempts.  The Pack was up 16-3 going into the 4th quarter but the Ravens scored 2 late TDs including the last one with 2:04 left in the game.  The Pack found a running game with rookie RB Eddie Lacy gaining 120 yards on 23 carries.  QB Aaron Rodgers was 17-32 for 315 yards with a TD and a pick.

 

Panthers 35 Vikings 10 – Expect the Matt Cassel experiment to be over soon in Minnesota.  The Vikings were never in the game.  The Vike D made Panther QB Cam Newton look like a Hall of Famer.  Newton was 20-26 for 242 and 3 touchdowns without an interception.  Cassel was 32-44 but threw 2 picks.  The running game was understandably down.  Adrian Peterson had 10 carries for 62 yards but got 31 on a single carry.  The Vikes never got the O going.  The Panther D had something to do with that but most of the problem was inconsistency of the Vike O.  They scored their one TD with 1:00 left in the game.

 

Seahawks 20 Titans 13 – This gets the weird game of the week award.  The only TD that the Titans scored was on a return of a blocked FG.  Seahawk QB Russell Wilson drove the team down to the Titan 2 with 2 seconds left.  But their FG kicker was hurt.  The punter Jon Ryan tried to kick a FG but the new holder dropped the ball and tried to throw it.  The ball went backward and Jason McCourty ran it 77 yards for the TD.  Titan QB Ryan Fitzpatrick threw 2 interceptions but the Seahawks fumbled twice including the botched FG.  Wilson was 23 for 31 for 257 with no TDs or picks.

 

Lions 31 Browns 17 – The Browns led at halftime 17-7.  Then the Lions scored 24 straight points aided by a QB Brandon Weeden meltdown.  For my opinion about the game check out my live game notes on fryingpansports.com.

 

 

Rumors:

After watching the Eagles with both Michael Vick and Nick Foles, it is clear to me that Foles should be the QB going forward.  Vick is on a one year contract and has only completed a 16 game season once since returning from his stint as a guest of the state for dog fighting.  Foles is young, talented and more accurate passing than Vick because his mechanics are stable.  Even after years behind center, Vick’s mechanics are never consistent.

 

With the announcement that Brandon Weeden will remain at QB for the Browns it is clear to me that upper management wants to tank the season for a higher draft choice.  It is hard to watch Weeden play.  A good coach can correct inaccuracy due to mechanics or footwork.  A good coach can correct a flawed throwing motion.  There is no hope for a QB that wets his pants every time he gets rushed.  If the team wanted to win they would (1) bench Weeden, (2) start Jason Campbell and (3) sign a young QB free agent.  I would like to see the team sign Tyler Wilson off the Raiders practice squad.  Going into the 2012 college season he was considered a first round pick.  Arkansas had a horrendous season due to a change in head coach and lack of talent around Wilson.  He has well above average arm strength, is accurate even when getting hit and has experience behind a less than optimal offensive line.

 

The biggest impact that the Browns decision to keep starting Weeden may be their inability to keep their own free agents and sign those from other teams.  No quality NFL player wants to play for an organization that is willing to tank a season for a draft pick.  C Alex Mack, S T.J. Ward and LB Craig Robertson will be free agents at the end of this season.

 

The Chargers showed other teams the formula for beating QB Andrew Luck and the Colts.  The Bolts held the ball for 38:31 and scored on 5 possessions.  They also held the Colts to 2 of 10 3rd down conversion attempts.

 

There are a bunch of trade rumors floating around.  Last season the trading deadline would have been 4PM EDT today.  This year it was moved back 2 weeks.  The majority of rumors are about the bottom feeders trading players for 2014 draft choices.  There are usually few deals done around the trading deadline.  But with so many injuries around the league this year for teams in contention, 2013 could be the exception.

 

After week 6 it is time to look at the coaches on the hot seat.

 

Bucs HC Greg Schiano has irritated the other coaches, his players and this season is 0-6.  He is dead man walking.

 

Texans HC Gary Kubiak is on the hot seat with his team at 2-4.  The struggles of Schaub should put team management on the hot seat as well.

 

Giants coach Tom Coughlin has 2 super bowl wins but with the team at 0-6 the heat is on.  Despite injuries the team has not won this year and has not been a factor in the NFC East in the last couple of seasons.

 

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has struggled this year.  The issue is not coaching.  The problem is the lack of quality draft choices.  GM Kevin Colbert is the guy that should go.

 

Atlanta coach Mike Smith is on the hot seat but should not be.  The injuries combined with a lack of depth have caused the team to go 1-4.  He should survive and coach next year.

 

Jaguars coach Gus Bradley is in his first year but the team has been bad.  He is likely to stay but will be on shaky ground next season.  He is not a very good head coach.

 

 

That’s what I think.  Tell me what you think.

 

Bill Smith is a former coach of several semi-pro teams, has officiated both football and basketball, done color on radio for college football and basketball and has scouted talent. He edits https://fryingpansports.com.  He has also published several novels on and a non-fiction work at http://www.merriam-press.com/.  Follow him on twitter @NNRonDSN to get the schedule of Special News, Notes and Rumors broadcasts.  You can hear the previous shows on https://fryingpansports.com/radio-show/ and the live show Mondays at 6 PM Eastern time on The Bill Smith Radio Show.  

He also edits .  

To keep up with the News, Notes & Rumors podcasts, follow me on twitter @NNRonDSN.

 

Rating: 5.0/5. From 1 vote.
Please wait...