10 Things We Learned: Stellar Week 9 edition

By Jonathan Comey
Cold, Hard Football Facts Scholar-Athlete

Here are 10 things we learned from an NFL Sunday with a few playoff-quality gems, plenty of road-dog glory and … boos in New England?

1. Everything’s coming up Mike Brown.

On Sunday, the Bengals moved into a tie for the AFC lead, watched Carson Palmer throw three interceptions, watched Chad Ochocinco run wrong routes all day in New England, won against a Quality Opponent on the road and saw their rookie quarterback throw three touchdowns and no picks in a comeback win.

Someone get head honcho Mike Brown a cigar. He deserves one. The least-respected (at least in media circles) personnel chief in the NFL has had a flawless season, and deserves Executive of the Year.

All of the Bengals’ offseason moves are looking like winners: Nate Clements has replaced Johnathan Joseph nicely at cornerback, the decision to stick with Cedric Benson has paid off with the same type of tough running that makes this team go, Andy Dalton and A.J. Green are the best QB-WR rookie combo maybe ever, and the 2010 draft class (Jermaine Gresham, Carlos Dunlap, Geno Atkins) is also a winner.   

But his best decision, one that was roundly mocked, was extending Marvin Lewis’ contract instead of firing him in the wake of a four-win season. Rather than do the easy thing -- firing the coach and shuffling the pieces around, Brown rebuilt from within and through the draft, and the Bengals became the first team to go over their Vegas over/under number. That’s an impressive feat with only eight games in the books.

The glass slipper could fall off, of course, with the prospect of home-and-homes against Baltimore and Pittsburgh still to come looming large. But just being in the conversation for the No. 1 seed in the AFC at midseason is mighty impressive.

2. The Jets’ remarkable patience with Mark Sanchez is paying off.

Rex Ryan is the only coach in the league that’s been winning big games without a franchise QB over the last three years. The fact that he got the Jets to back-to-back AFC title games with Sanchez ranked 28th and 27th in passer rating is one of the great achievements in league history, especially in this pass-first era.

There must have been a huge temptation to make a splash for a veteran quarterback while Sanchez was costing the Jets wins, but Mike Tannenbaum held the line.

And now, it’s paying off. Sanchez only had 16 games with passer ratings over 80 in his first 32 regular season starts, but he’s done it seven of eight weeks here in 2011.

He’s No. 16 in passer rating for the season (84.0), which isn’t great – but the Jets don’t need him to be, as they showed Sunday in holding the Bills to 11 points that could easily have been a shutout.  

3. Patriots fans booed Tom Brady.

It was brief, only lasting for about five seconds, but it was loud and clear: after an incomplete Brady pass in the third quarter with no points yet on the board, the fans at Gillette Stadium actually booed. This wasn’t the “Cruuuuuuz” that erupted from the many Giants fans who snapped up tickets and enjoyed every Victor Cruz catch, this was an honest-to-god booing.

Yep. A guy on the CHFF forum even started a thread called “Tom Brady has to go,” which we were sure was meant to be satirical, but nope, the person was serious.

In case Patriots fans need a refresher, Mr. Brady:

• Hasn’t lost three straight since 2002
• Is 14-5 lifetime in the playoffs
• Has only had seven game passer ratings under 60 since 2003 (121 regular-season starts)
• Has led his team to 20+ points in 34 of his last 40 games, and 30+ in 21 of 40.
• Is Tom F---ing Brady.

Philly booing Santa Claus is one thing, but Patriots fans booing Brady is like the rich kid throwing a tantrum because he only got five Xbox games for Christmas instead of 10. Don’t let it happen again.

4. Joe Flacco sucks! No, Joe Flacco is awesome! No, sucks! Awesome! Sucks!

Sunday night’s remarkable 23-20 win for the Baltimore Ravens isn’t going to help clear up the puzzle known as Joe Flacco, a.k.a. “The Great Debate.”

His game-winning, 92-yard drive in 2:16 Sunday night at Pittsburgh was another highlight in what has been a pretty spectacular 3.5-year career in the league. He’s been in the playoffs every year, never had a significant losing streak, doesn’t turn it over, can win games with his arm and not just manage the ship.

When the Ravens lose, it’s because Flacco isn’t a fiery leader. When they win, it’s because he’s a cool customer. When they win playoff games, it’s partially because Flacco is clutch. When they don’t win the Super Bowl, he “can’t win the big one.”

Had the Ravens lost at Pittsburgh Sunday night, it would have been used as evidence that he can’t win the big one. Since they won, he’s going to be the subject of countless “Flacco Finally Makes The Leap” stories … even though he’s the same dude he’s been. Can throw a nice ball, has good poise, but also has a great team around him and needs to go further in the playoffs to become elite.

5. If this was 1982, David Akers would be an MVP candidate.

In a kindler, simpler time, Redskins kicker Mark Moseley won the 1982 MVP award in the strike-shortened season. How this occurred still puzzles us, and frankly this is more embarrassing for the people of 1982 than the box-office success of “Porky’s.”

They don’t vote for kickers as MVPs these days, but Akers is the man in San Fran this year. Akers was inexplicably overlooked by the Eagles during their “Dream Team” offseason despite having three of the 40 highest-scoring seasons in NFL history back-to-back-to-back from 2008-10.

In San Francisco, he’s on pace to score 156 points – which would be the 10th most in NFL history – and has had 50+ yard field goals in four of the eight games thus far. And he’s been brilliant on kickoffs as well; heading into the week, opponents had started their drives at the 21.3 yard line off Akers kickoffs.

When you’re one of the few pound-it-out, win it with toughness teams in the NFL, having a reliable kicker is huge, and kudos to GM Trent Baalke for adding Akers (38 playoff attempts under his belt) to the mix.

6. Home-field advantage was non-existent Sunday.

Not only did nine of the 13 teams lose at home Sunday, seven of the nine home losers were sitting on winning records and six of them were favored. (Note: CHFF chief Kerry Byrne was so pleased with our record vs. the spread Sunday that he just named himself President/CEO of Foresight and Statitudes.)

The Bills, Patriots and Steelers all lost home games for the first time, and only New Orleans and Houston put together strong efforts in front of the fans.

7. The AFC West is about as predictable as Lindsey Lohan in a china shop.

We’ll take it one step further: the AFC West is predictably erratic, like Lohan – who, at last report, talked her way into the J. Edgar Hoover movie premiere event (not invited) and demanded to have her picture taken with Leonardo DiCaprio. Did we mention she was still wearing her hair and makeup from a Playboy photoshoot?

Ouch.

That’s only half as painful to watch as the Raiders, Chiefs and Chargers, who have all flashed greatness this year but find themselves a game up on the Tebows in the ugly AFC West.

San Diego is able to play with anyone, but win or lose? Who knows. The Raiders haven't won four games in a row since 2002. The Chiefs? Any team that can win four straight … then lose by 28 at home to a winless team needs some serious therapy.

At least you more or less know what to expect from Denver now. The total rushing numbers in Tim Tebow’s six starts (three wins) look like numbers on an SAT question about progression: 106, 126, 146, 177, 195, 299. At this point, the Broncos will be putting up 500 yards on the ground a game by season’s end.

And that’s for a team that averaged less than 100 yards a game rushing last year and averaged 86.8 yards a game in the Broncos’ first four games under Kyle Orton.

The Broncos can’t pass, but they’ll run all over you – and they’ll show some spunk, something that was in short supply in the division Sunday.

8. Mike Shanahan and Pete Carroll are getting what they deserve.

There are only two franchises that don’t have their quarterback of the present, near-past or future on the roster: Seattle and Washington. And it’s no coincidence that they’re both about as threatening on offensively as Switzerland.

John Beck is No. 31 among the league’s qualifying passing leaders in rating, with Rex Grossman right behind at No. 33. There’s been a lot of teeth-gnashing about which QB should start, when the obvious answer has been “Neither!” Same goes for Tarvaris Jackson and Charlie Whitehurst in San Diego – a pair of retreads who have had their chances and failed.

Maybe Carroll and Shanahan – offensive gurus both – thought they were more important than the talent. Maybe they just couldn’t come up with the move they needed to make in the offseason, and had to just grin and bear it. But the worst part is, neither team has been bad enough to get the No. 1 pick, and a shot at Andrew Luck.

9. Jim Caldwell is still employed.

Bill Polian isn’t one for sentiment, but how about some indication that someone cares about the season in Indy?
He said this week that Colts fans have every right to be angry, but what about the man in the mirror?

At least when the Lions went 0-16 in 2008, they showed some spunk along the way. This Colts team is completely spunk-free – three games, three weeks, three losses by a total of 96 points.

Firing the coach isn’t going to solve anything (and winning games, in this year of “Suck for Luck” isn’t always a good thing), but this team needs a spark as much as any team ever has. Make Peyton Manning the interim coach, for God’s sake, but do something!

10. The Texans’ Offensive Hogs were spectacular.

It should have been a struggle against Cleveland’s No. 5 Defensive Hogs Sunday, but Houston made it look easy.

The Texans allowed no sacks, ran for 261 yards at 6.0 a crack and converted 64 percent of their third downs. It might have been the best performance by an offensive line all year, and made a shoddy day for Matt Schaub (5.1 yards per attempt, no TDs, a pick) disappear.

Houston has put Wade Smith, Eric Winston, Chris Myers, Duane Brown and Mike Brisiel out there for just about every snap this year – the same five that started for most of 2010 – and has finally developed an identity after almost a decade in the league.

Schaub has been asked to carry this team at times, but with the AFC South more or less wrapped up and the offensive balance the best in the league, dreams are becoming reality for Houston.
 

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