Monday AM QB

Arizona 30 - Atlanta 24

I am a bit surprised at the outcome of this one. I am not surprised Matt Ryan had some rookie jitters. But I am surprised that Arizona's defense was able to stop the run.

Understanding that Michael Turner lost a grandmother he was close to, his pure strength and athleticism should have been good for more. But give some credit to the defensive front line of the Cards, they worked very hard at reading the snap count. (This is something Ryan will need to work on.) They executed their plan very well.

But make no mistake here, the Falcons have already surpassed any expectations. It gives them something to build on, if they want to have a good run the next few years. As for Arizona, they can play the role spoiler well. They have a crafty veteran QB in Warner, who makes the best decisions of anyone at that position, in the game today.

They key for Arizona to stay in the hunt will be the running game. They need all three of their RBs to deliver when their numbers are called. If they can do it, they will score points and they will be hard to beat. But with the running game, the defense will need to step up once again, and make the plays they need to, when they need to.


San Diego 23 - Indy 17

The Colts have no one to blame but themselves. With most of the blame, once again, lying squarely on the shoulders of the defense. No, SD did not win this game, the Colts handed to them.

Indy's defense played remarkably well up until the last drive of regulation and on the game-winning drive in overtime. Penalties accounted for three first downs and were uncalled for. They were the killer blows that put this in the hands of the Chargers, gift wrapped. The only thing missing was the card.

As I feared, SD was a tough match-up for the Colts. The Chargers' defense played exceptionally well, considering they have such a poor secondary. And as a result, the Colts' offense could never get into a real flow. They had to settle for what was given to them (and they were not in a very charitable mood).

Not to be overly critical of the defense, the Colts' absence of a running game was also a major factor in the final outcome. You cannot win in this league without the ability to force defenses to respect the run. Addai clearly does not have what he had in the SB season, Rhodes has aged, and the promising Mike Hart was delivered a season-ending injury earlier in the year.

I don't mind losing, except it was to the Chargers. I don't even mind losing to them, if the Chargers played better and earned it. What I hate is the fact that the Colts' are supposed to be better disciplined and make the plays they need to, when it counts the most. And in this game, it was the last drive of regulation and the next one, in overtime.

That's when the Colts imploded. That was the game. And that may very well have been the last of the Colts' dynasty.

SD gets to lose next week at Pittsburgh, they have never had a dynasty.


Baltimore 27 - Miami 9

I actually got tired and took a nap during this one. By the time I checked out, the Ravens were well on their way of keeping the Dolphin offense out of the end zone. As I expected, they were just too strong for such an inexperienced unit. Pennington can only do so much and can only play so well, given the fact that he isn't that great to begin with. He can win games, but as was the case with the Jets, he isn't a difference maker.

But give the guy some credit, he was highly instrumental in getting them to this point. The entire organization has undergone and attitude overhaul. This was another case of surpassing expectations and giving cause for an optimistic future.

Pennington won't be so bad, if he has someone that can run the ball well, to take some of the pressure off of him. he's not a Manning, he's not a Brady. His goal should be to emulate QBs like Kerry Collins, efficient in execution and prudent in decision making.

Baltimore is a team to watch. Tennessee is going to have to play hard and play smart. This Ravens defense is capable of shutting down anyone in the league. This will need to be a chess match, because overpowering them is not always an option. They fast and they are strong.


Philadelphia 26 - Minnesota 14

This one went as I thought it would, the Philly defense was just too strong for the Vikings. Holding Jackson to 164 passing yards and Peterson to 83 rushing was what the Eagles needed to do. Minnesota's defense was all that kept this from being a blowout.

McNaab did a good job of spreading the ball around. Anytime a QB has multiple targets, he can keep the opposing defense on their heels and keep them guessing. In football, this is what you need to do when the pass is the main weapon. The more hesitation you can cause, the more time it gives the receivers to get behind the secondary and get them out of position to make a play.

I think the Giants are going to have to play their best, next week. These two division rivals know each other well and McNaab is playing better than the last time they met.