• 
• 
• 
• 

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Andy Richardson

Welcome to the debut column of A Day of Football. I watch as many NFL games as is humanly possible each week, first on Sunday and then later via TiVo. Each Monday I’ll run through some of the highlights (and lowlights) of the previous day’s games….

Not everyone has NFL Sunday Ticket, so not everyone sees all the games. I’m here to tell you that there’s a downside. Sure, you gain an edge on determining who the breakout performers might be in the weeks to come – guys who nearly scored or might be about to move into the starting lineup – but you also get to see a lot of stuff you tend to wish you’d missed. For example….

Marvin Harrison didn’t score on Sunday, and Peyton Manning threw just 1 TD pass. If you had either player in your starting lineup and lost by a narrow margin, you might not want to know that the pair just missed on not one, not two, but at least three different opportunities for touchdowns. Manning underthrew an open Harrison in the end zone once, and threw inside (while Harrison turned outside) on another potential long score. There were also three end-zone throws, one where Harrison couldn’t hang on, one where he couldn’t get his second foot in bounds, and a third where it was tipped away at the last minute. Sorry.

Did you lose to a team that started Jason Elam? The Broncos kicker knocked in three field goals that were little more than extra points, where the lines of scrimmage were the 3-, 6-, and 6-yard lines. The last of those shouldn’t even have happened, but for a timeout the Broncos were able to call moments before Sebastian Janikowski kicked a game-winning field goal. I lost by a fraction of a point in one league, to a team with Elam. I’m sure the Raiders feel worse about it, but not by much.

There were many more such plays, but suffice to say that sometimes “seeing all the games” is both a blessing – and a curse.

Other News and Notes….

- If you’ve already lost one or two games by the barest of margins, don’t feel too bad – it’s the same way in the NFL. The Raiders lost mere moments after celebrating a win, the Bills lost a game after a pass was completed in bounds against them with just 14 seconds left, the Eagles lost almost exclusively due to two muffed punts, and the Rams lost when an accurate field goal attempt fell maybe a yard short of the crossbar. The Titans might have knocked off the Colts but for a late drop by Brandon Jones; the Jets would have forced overtime against the Ravens but for a pair of ugly drops by Justin McCareins. On the plus side, for every heartbreaking loss, there was a fortunate win on the other side, so maybe things will all even out in the end. We can hope, anyway.

- Don’t write off DeShawn Wynn’s 2-TD game for the Packers as just a nice showing against a weak Giants defense. Wynn (a seventh-round pick) has looked better than Brandon Jackson (a second-rounder) in both of the Packers’ first two games. This still figures to be a committee, but Wynn is going to be a part of it.

- I’m a believer in Vince Young, who nearly engineered his second straight upset of the Colts on Sunday, but I’m considering dealing him away in the two leagues I have him in. The man doesn’t know the meaning of the word quit, which is an admirable quality – except for when it opens you up to punishing hits you shouldn’t otherwise have to absorb. Not on fourth down at the end of a game, of course, but there are times where it’s better to throw the ball away or simply get on the ground rather than letting a pair of opposing defenders fold you in half. And by the way, hurdling a potential tackler? Never a good idea.

- Reggie Bush started slowly a year ago, and things should start looking up for Maurice Jones-Drew as soon as this week. With that said, though, their very slow starts make clear the huge risk associated with using a high draft pick on a running back who isn’t even the starter on his own team. Bad enough that a team has a poor day running the ball. Far worse when you only get half of that production.

- Randy Moss will get most of the ink for New England’s resounding 2-0 start, which includes blowout wins over the Jets and Chargers. But don’t forget the team’s key offseason acquisition on the defensive side of the ball, former Ravens linebacker Adalius Thomas, who dropped a potential interception for a touchdown in week 1 and then scored one in week 2. Great player. Great defense.

- Cleveland’s 51-45 win over Cincinnati was a fluke – or was it? Just over two season ago, the Bengals won a 58-48 slugfest that was even more ridiculous. Mark your calendars for the rematch in Cincinnati, which will occur in week 16 – the fantasy Super Bowl week in most leagues. “Why Cleveland’s Braylon Edwards is the key to your fantasy season.”

• Comments [0]

Readers' Comments

Add a Comment

Already a registered user? Please sign in to add comments.

To add comments, you must become a registered user of our site. To register, please click here.