Football Wrap Week 1A (Pac-12 Makes a BIG statement)

(Trying something new this year - separating the Football Wrap into College and Pros. An attempt to keep both shorter and more focused. We'll see how this lasts)

Oregon State QB Sean Mannion helped the Pac-12 make big noise Saturday leading the upset over Wisconsin.

The Pac-12 has taken a lot of heat the last 2-3 years. USC battled sanctions, UCLA’s been embarrassing. If not for Oregon (and Rob Gronkowski's rise), the Pac-12 has had some inconsistent teams as the Ducks have been carrying the conference.

Well two weeks in, the Pac-12 is taking names and making statements. No. 16 Nebraska? Down to UCLA. No. 13 Wisconsin? Done in by Oregon State? And Oklahoma State? The team that barely beat Stanford last year in a bowl game. Outgunned and outmanned by Arizona and new QB Matt Scott.

Big ups to Oregon State also shutting down Heisman candidate Montee Ball, his first game without a TD in 22 games. They beat Wisconsin at their own game - ugly, low scoring and physical.

Football Wrap Week 12: The Return of a Urban Legend

So Urban Meyer returneth eh? The man who wanted to spend time with his family, leave college FB for health issues and enjoy his ESPN gig has come back to do it all again for his first love. That’s college for ya.

First things first, I always respected Meyer. He and Pete Carroll are the best coaches of the last decade and Meyer was great at 2 schools in the BCS era. But the lionization of him came with people overshadowing his faults and the fact that if any other coach had that many arrests at one program as he did at Florida, they’d be looked at sideways.

(Case in point, Jimmy Johnson is arguably one of the greatest and smartest football coaches of the last 25 years. Yet people think of The U as a program full of Black thugs and arrogance and remember the Cowboys running wild. Meyer has somehow escaped that. )

That said, he’s going to make Ohio State dominant again, which won’t be that hard. That’s still a top-5 job in college football and he’ll bring some athletes out there.  The Big 10 won’t be as hard as the SEC so he’ll be all good.

But here's the big if - when Ohio State gets NCAA sanctions courtesy of Jim Tressel, Terrelle Pryor and Co., will Meyer will be the perfect coach to boost morale and keep folks happy? And considering he left Florida after his worst season there, he can be considered a front-runner if there ever is one. And what if his health is another factor - if Florida stressed him out, what about being home? Ask Ken Griffey Jr. how returning home to Ohio worked out. 

I hope he stays healthy. The pressure of winning at OSU will be worse than Florida or maybe Florida prepared him well. Either way, it's going to be interesting to see what happens.

NCAA Tidbits

Shoelace vs. Braxton Miller – can’t wait for Round 2 next year. Glad the Big 10 got to see some modern quarterbacking at work. Shoelace is showing that he’s a better passer and I’m excited to see what he’ll do in a bowl game. Congrats to Michigan finally beating Ohio State. 

Only Georgia stands in the way of LSU v. Alabama Round 2. But after seeing Arkansas and Auburn push up daisies this past weekend, it’s clear the SEC is super overrated this year. Just as I predicted.

Your Heisman Finalists in Virgo's Opinion: Robert Griffin III, Trent Richardson, Case Keenum. Hate to say it but Matt Barkley can finish above Andrew Luck too. It doesn’t matter because it’s no bearing on A. Luck’s NFL projections.

Speaking of which, shut up to the folks who saw Luck is overrated. I watched Stanford play several times this year and he still showed why he has great poise, size, IQ, decent speed and an incredible arm. Just because other QB’s have risen up doesn’t mean he’s overrated, it means he’s not head and shoulders above everyone by that much.

He did, however, prove, that coming back one more year means folks will dissect you more and karma will be a witch. See Sam Bradford, Matt Leinart, Jake Locker and the list goes on….

NFL Tidbits

San Diego has lost six in a row. Dallas is playing better in November. The roles have reversed since my teams faced off in 2009 when I said the Chargers are what the Cowboys should aspire to be.

Now it looks like Romo is finishing games better after he led a last minute drive to beat Miami while Phillip Rivers looks handcuffed to protect him from himself. My teams are going in reverse and while I still swear Rivers is hurt, that whole team is mentally stunted. Dallas, on the other hand, looks motivated and hungry and ready to seize the division.

It's strange. But hopefully this will lead to Norv Turner finally getting clipped. 

Houston Texans may be the best snakebit team in the league. Arian Foster, Andre Johnson, Mario Williams and now Matt Schaub have missed several games due to injury. Now Matt Leinart is on the shelf. Go figure.

Don't be upset Jason Avant, I do this to everybody. It's what I do.

Eagles are unraveling worse than the Magic Carpet when Jafar turns it into a ball of yarn in Aladdin. Tom Brady did his surgery and picked them apart like it was bird hunting season.

Props to Stevie Johnson for maturely handling the aftermath of his celebration by owning it. It was a little low but after I saw it, it was pretty funny. However, he didn’t cause his team the game with it compared to him dropping a few passes in the 4^th. But when will folks learn one play in the first half doesn’t affect a game?

Low twos also to Bob Costas and his reaction on Sunday Night Football. Reminds me of Joe Buck going crazy over Randy Moss and his fake mooning. When people defining what’s acceptable celebration, typically they overreact and 1) go off on guys who do it with style, 2) elevate certain players who keep it simple. There’s a place for both.  I’m all for hating guys who go way too overboard but at some point, we need reasonable folks to have enough influence to say lighten up.

You think they're scared of us yet? Nope? Guess we gotta keep winning and scoring with no mercy.

How is Green Bay 11-0 and still under the radar? I don’t think Denver in 1998 has this less pressure when started off 13-0 after winning the Super Bowl. They just keep winning and winning with no weaknesses and if that defense keeps playing well. Look out.

Let me give the kicker some. Shane Lechler of the Raiders had an 80-yard punt that was a thing of beauty. He just boomed it over Devin Hester’s head and Hester looked lost trying to handle it. Great stuff. 

Football Wrap Week 5: Pack Attack, Black Mamba Strikes and Big Ups to....Kevin Prince???

When’s the last time you’ve seen a defending Super Bowl champion get this little attention? It seems like with all the trendy storylines this year, the Packers have been lost in the shuffle. And that’s just fine. Let them be the first defending champ since 2007 undefeated this late in the season.

We got excited when Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees had that epic showdown to open the NFL season then I think it got forgotten among Sunday’s first day goodness.  The Packers survived Killa Cam Newton’s 2^nd game but knocked out the Bears with little problem.

Then reconsider what they did in their last two games. Aaron Rodgers had 400 yards, 4 TDs and rushed for 2 TDs vs. Denver. Again, one of those unreal performances that didn’t get a lot of run for whatever reason.  Now on Sunday, they scored 25 straight on the road to beat the Falcons while making Matt Ryan look average with 2 INT’s. Oh yeah, Rodgers threw to at least 12 different guys as if he was a socialist bent on sharing the wealth.

Quiet as kept, the Packers are the best team in football right now.  Defensively, they’ve picked it up by stomping a weak Denver squad and shutting down one of the most potent offenses in football at home. Oh yeah, Rodgers is arguably the No. 2 QB in football and if Tom Brady wasn’t putting up loco numbers, he’d be No. 1.

Maybe we’re sleeping on them cause they aren’t steamrolling teams. They aren’t a dominant team by the eyeball test at first but watch a quarter or two and you see that it’s looney how good they are. Every other team that’s one loss or fewer.

Buffalo? New England? = Great offense, shaky defense

Detroit? = Young, hungry and don’t know how to quit. They are scary as well.

San Francisco? =  They’re a Tony Romo comeback from being undefeated.  An easy schedule has favored them.

San Diego? = My No. 2 team has made plays they had to but they’re one brain fart away from being 2-3.

New Orleans? = Quietly they haven’t lost since Green Bay. Another sleeper despite inconsistent D

Baltimore? Washington? = Did we forget who their QBs are? Hahahahahaha.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Green Bay was still undefeated come Halloween with Tampa Bay and Minnesota up next. Maybe then, we’ll start hearing about them getting more respect.

49ers put up 48 on Tampa. Whoa! I haven’t seen an offensive outing like that from them since Jeff Garcia and Terrell Owens were lighting it up during high school.  All that slowdown Stanford offense made me forget how Jim Harbaugh used to light it up at my alma mater.

Rest in Peace Al Davis. Like most people, I think he overstayed his hold the past 6-7 years. But his legacy is set in stone for his vision and foresight. I think it’s a shame the last few years ruined that. He was a leader in making the NFL more diverse on and off the field and a rebel.  No disrespect to Houston, but they weren’t going to win against a ghost and an inspired team.

Seattle’s Doug Baldwin: Peeped him out well for my fantasy team. Good game young man. Rep that Pac-12 proud.

Lord Tebow tried his best but a lightning bolt reminded Denver fans that idol worshippers will ultimately be disappointed. Heathenry won't be tolerated on the Lord's Day. Quiet as kept, my Chargers are 4-1 instead of under .500 this early for the 1^st time in ages. We win ugly but we’re winning.

And for the record, Timmy did a good job in relief. But don’t get crazy, he nearly carved the Chargers secondary last year for a comeback. Show me he can do this for 60 minutes and make the basic throws. He has the gifts but I don’t think he’s a NFL starter yet.

(Edit - Announced Tuesday that Tebow will start. Lord Tebow will have his fans in a frenzy as heathens try in vain to make him more than he is. In reality, what better choice do they....oh, hi there Brady Quinn. Remember when you were a big deal 5 years ago?)

Who’s got a bigger case of Bird Flu? Atlanta or Philadelphia. The media might be making glue of a dead horse with the Dream Team BS but it’s obvious Philly is trying too hard. How else do you explain Mike Vick’s 4 INTs and guys fumbling passes.  Same time, Atlanta looks like a frontrunning team with no D to sustain for the long run. Matty Ice is clutch but his defense isn’t.

NCAA Tidbits

LaMichael James had his usual beastly day for Oregon of 200+ yards and thankfully he didn’t break something worse in his arm on his fall. But the big story for me was the emergence of De’Anthony Thomas in his 2^nd Pac-10 game.

3 TD’s for the Black Mamba (for those who don’t know – he had that name right before Kobe got it) and he’s officially made his claim as the 4^th weapon in the Oregon backfield. Just like Robert Woods, I’ve covered Thomas closely in his high school years and I’m proud of him proving that switching from USC to Oregon was the best decision he made.

He’s playing right away, he’s learning from his mistakes and he’s making a statement for conference Freshman of the Year. It’s reminding me of when I watched his first year of HS football and he found ways to dominate right away.

LSU/Bama are neck and neck to me. Now that both teams destroyed Florida, it’s clear that they are the two best teams in the country.  November 5, that showdown will determine who’s No. 1 I give LSU the edge now for beating a very good Oregon team.

Remember his name. Tyrann Mathieu. The Honey Badger. Maybe the best DB in the country. That SEC swagger is all over this shot staring Chris Rainey down.

Speaking of LSU, that punter deserved a TD. That no taunting rule where touchdowns are taken away? It’s a silly, overreactive rule. If taunting is that much of a problem, you penalize on the kickoff and that’s it. Taking away touchdowns is extreme and it makes a mockery of the game by being policemen of showmanship. I understand when it’s excessive but since refs are poor judges of weighing intent, let’s take it out of their hands.

Shoelace! 300 yards passing, 100 yards rushing. Best performance of the weekend. Maybe he is finally turning into the next Pat White.  It’s a shame Michigan and Wisconsin don’t play this year unless they meet in the conference title game because he and Russell Wilson are heads and shoulders above everyone in the conference.

Big ups to Taylor Martinez and Nebraska for that 21-point comeback. Ohio State’s doomed for a rough year. Karma for that backside.

I think Oklahoma is still out somewhere scoring on Texas. I got out of work looking bug-eyed that they stomped a mudhole in Texas. It doesn’t say Texas sucks, it just says how good Oklahoma is this year.

The words Kevin Prince and 2^nd half comeback shouldn’t belong in the second sentence. But they do. So I’ll give the Hurt Prince his props and with Richard Brehaut out with a broken leg, we’re gonna have to get used to him at UCLA. 

Football Wrap Week 1 (Killa Cam! Tony Romo!!! Shoelace!!!! oh, and Tom Brady too.)

I think I speak for all football fans by saying thank you to the NFL owners and NFLPA. After a lockout summer, football isn’t just back. It’s come out with a bang. Bang with a opening game shootout, bang with impressive performances and bang with a Monday Night Finale of record setting crazy.

Green Bay and New Orleans. WOW!  Aaron Rodgers still has the swagger of a champion and the hunger of something to prove. Drew Brees left his arm on the field but his O-Line forgot their poker face as Mark Ingram was stuffed on the goal line for the tie.

Not a bad call but they didn’t sell it well. I wouldn’t trust Ingram only because he’s a rookie and this isn’t Tuscaloosa, Alabama, but if you got a big man rumbling – you gotta sell it better. That Packers D is tough and remember, they won minus several key folks.

Oh yeah Randall Cobb, welcome to the NFL with a great return for TD and a long TD catch.  Speaking of which…

Killa Cam!!!  422 passing yards in his debut, 77-yard bomb on his 2nd throw, contributed to all 3 Panthers TD, and nearly led them on a game-tying drive. Raise your hands if you saw this – and I mean his poise, accuracy and pocket presence. Great way to show you can play QB.

No Peyton Manning, No Arian Foster, no problem for Houston. Ben Tate did his best Foster impression from a season ago and it was déjà vu for the Colts. The march to 4-5 wins starts now.

When the Steelers lose, it’s all good. Thank you Baltimore Ravens for getting some revenge for last year’s playoff loss. 7 Turnovers! Matching Big Ben’s jersey is even better. Ed Reed – we’re appreciating greatness at work.

Quiet as kept, though. That Ravens offense could be sneaky good. Keep an eye on Pretty Flacco, Sugar Ray Rice and those wideouts.

Tom Brady:  “This is still my league. Remember that.” The irony of me missing the game yet I remember when Brett Favre had a 99-yd TD pass on MNF. Even if he’s selling Ugg Boots, he’s still a G. Heck, he could sell man purses and perfume and he’d still show you why you respect his G.

All these hamstring/ACL injuries – underrated storyline. Nate Kaeding/Eric Berry/Jon Beason are done for the year and Stephen Jackson hurt his quad. The NFL lockout shortened the preseason and offseason workouts so keep an eye on leg injuries early on.

Now on to my teams. San Diego scared me giving up that long return to Percy Harvin, who literally shook Kaeding into next season. But in the 2^nd half, all credit to our defense keeping McNabb, Peterson and Co. in check. It was an ugly win but it was gritty and resilient.

I may hate Mike Tolbert at times because he’s a big lug getting too many carries but he got that win and the game ball. Big ups to Rivers too fooling Minny on those hard counts down the stretch.

(Oh yeah, McNabb is sadly done. I’m getting that feeling I got when I saw Torii Hunter miss a routine pop fly and Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan look old this summer. You hate seeing great players of your youth go out like suckers but it’s not lookin good. 37 yards…….

As for Dallas…..ummm. As for Dallas. How can I put this lightly? It was a great 3 quarters? Ummm Dez Bryant looked good in the 1^st Q…..aww screw it. TONY ROMO ISNT FIT TO WEAR THE COWBOYS UNIFORM.

I’ve defended Romo for years. I defended him in 2009 when I said he quietly had a great 2^nd half of the season and proved it winning a playoff game. I defended losing to Brett Favre in the playoffs because his O-line was shoddy. I defended him saying that I wouldn’t take Eli Manning and his SB ring over him.

But I also said this year was make or break for him. He had to show some growth and he had to win a big game when it counts. I’m standing by him but I also know he’s on the hot seat. Sure enough, the chair got too hot and he went brain dead.

Yeah Tony, watch that replay again. You know you done messed up again, right?

Fumbling near the goal line. STUPID! But throwing to a hurt Dez Bryant covered by Revis Island? BRAIN DEAD!! This dummy right here threw in the direction of Darrelle Revis. OF ALL PEOPLE!!!!

Throw salt in the wound that former Cowboys kicker Nick Folk won the game (and former Trojans RB Joe McKnight blocked the punt that led to a score) and that No. 9 on Romo’s jersey might as well stand for 9 millmeter.

He’s done. No heart in the 4^th Quarter, all slushie and fear. Suddenly, 2^nd place in the NFC East isn’t a guarantee. And I’m looking at Tony like you’re playing for your career right now. You may still have the gifts to be great but your mind is still stuck on the Div. 1-AA level.

SHOELACE!!! I won’t laugh at Notre Dame as much because that was a phenomenal ending. But Shoelace!!! I was mad they tamed him in the pocket because it was foolish yet it paid off. A great throw for the win and just like that, we remember how great he is. 28 4th-quarter points and brought Michigan back from the dead.

UCLA barely beat San Jose State. Are we that desperate that we can’t beat a team by more when we are 21-point favorites. Big ups to Derrick Coleman in the 2^nd half with over 100 rushing yards. I’m worried slightly about Texas but if I know anything, the Bruins are good for birthday presents. My birthday’s on Saturday and I expect them to do what USC couldn’t do 5 years ago. Beat Texas in the Rose Bowl, especially with their mini QB controversy.

As for USC, they still have trouble executing.  They have the offensive weapons and playmakers on defense to make a stand but they still aren’t great. Maybe we’ve been spoiled seeing high level of execution and precision on both sides but something says this team is winning the Pac-12 South not because they’re great, but because their comp is average.

Except for Arizona State that is. What a big win for them!! Pac-12 needed that badly.

Paul Richardson – 286 yards, 2 TD’s for Colorado. They may have lost to Cal in OT but the former No. 3 WR at Gardena Serra HS is about make his name felt in the Pac-12 after being kicked out of UCLA.

*sidenote – I’m gonna start feeling lucky that I covered that 09 Serra team that won state. Robert Woods (USC), Paul Richardson, George Farmer will soon get his chance to shine at USC. Heck, Marqise Lee was just a great defensive back and now he’s getting plays as a true frosh WR at SC.*

News flash. Auburn still is lucky and magical. Toomer’s Corner must have some miracle dust in those oak trees a la Ferngully cause they keep finding ways to win.

Big ups to Alabama. They have a scary D and great running led by future NFL’er Trent Richardson. It could be 09 all over because that QB McCarron looks green and they’re going to win power style.

One more SEC note. Isaiah Crowell for Georgia. Marcus Lattimore for South Carolina. The future of the conference was on display in that classic game and those backs are amazing runners. Even the Freshman FREAK, Jadeveon Clowdey, got him some love with a grown man sack and forced fumble that iced the game for South Carolina.

Still scratching my head that Spurrier had a D-lineman run a fake punt and he actually scored. Ah, the OBC and his trickery.

Football Wrap Week 13 - Oregon/Auburn 1st Look and the NFL wrap

January 10. Get thee to a TV! You have been warned. Oregon-Auburn has the makings of a classic football game and I can't imagine a better game to enjoy.

Both teams handled biz Saturday with the Ducky Boys running wild on their rival Oregon State and Killa Cam Newton having his final stamp on an amazing season in the SEC title game. Shout out to Newton earning style points for that Hail Mary to end the 1st half and offering CBS reporter Tracy Wolfson some of that Cammy Cam Juice. Now if only that was ESPN cutie Jenn Brown...

I've been waiting for this game all year. I'm hyped! The Ducky Boys get to prove how deadly they are to a national audience who thinks they're some gimmick that the Pac-10 couldn't slow down. Let me tell y'all something - Oregon is like a tank on steroids. Speed, speed and more speed. They don't slow down, they slow you down trying to keep up.

The three-headed monster of Heisman finalist LaMichael James (led nation in rushing), Kenjon Barner (above) and Darron Thomas is nearly impossible to stop. Jeff Maehl is as sure a tight end as anybody in the country. And Oregon's defense? Far better than people think and definitely better than Auburn's.

Auburn? They got a beast in D-lineman in Nick Fairley. They got some uber great running backs. And some guy who's probably going to win the Heisman in the biggest landslide since Reggie Bush. Get your TV's ready for a classic.

E-TV Prediction: Oregon wins this by 15-20. It all comes down to ball control and if Oregon has a lead, this game will be in deep trouble. Auburn typically makes a great defensive stand in the 2nd half to turn the tide but I don't see them doing it against the Ducky Boys, who won't fold like Alabama did.

Other college FB hits

(Sigh...this pic says it all)

- USC/UCLA is still a big deal but the rivalry is about as one-sided as it used to be in the 90's. As much I root for UCLA tailback Johnathan Franklin, he fumbles as much as he makes big plays. It's sad that the stupid brawl outside the game seemed more exciting than the game itself. Hope that game never gets televised at 730 again. As a UCLA fan, if we can't beat the most suspect USC team in a decade, it's a long road back to glory, whatever that may be.

- Arkansas vs. Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl (Yaaaaaaaawn), TCU vs. Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl instead TCU vs. Stanford sucks. Virginia Tech vs. Stanford in the Orange Bowl sounds like the best of the BCS bunch. UConn vs. Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl (Smh)

- In case we forgot about Shoelace Robinson, 3rd in rushing yards this season with 14 TD. 2,316 passing yards. There's your Heisman favorite next year along with LaMichael James.

NFL POINTS

I don't know how to feel about Dallas anymore. Jason Garrett is a Roy Williams fumble away from being 4-0 and we've taken advantage of the worst slump of Peyton Manning's career. Yet something about this team just perplexes me.

I've talked with my buddy Shane about the state of the team. I may have to finally accept that seeing Jon Kitna run this team pretty well makes me think that its time for a drastic change to rebuild this team.

Marion Barber's done as a tailback. Felix Jones is spectacular but he's like Darren Sproles - can't use him as the main tailback. Tashard Choice had 100+ rushing yards and it looks like he's got a brighter future. I've told folks that drafting a QB in the late rounds this year is an option but it looks like a necessity because I think Tony Romo gets 1 good year to see what he can do with a better coach.

It's clear though that this team should be much better now and down the road. But watching them now feels like I'm watching a warrior play with pride and I like it, yet that warrior took a furious beating early on.

- Phillip Rivers lost his first December game. Not as much as the Chargers defense couldn't rise up to get revenge against Oakland. They made Jason Campbell look like he was back in Auburn running the ball and guiding that strong ground game. Hate to say it, the Raiders are finally good again and SD's gotta beat KC this weekend to stay in the playoff hunt.

- Matty Ice and the ATL Falcons get no respect. 10-2 and having beaten the Packers and the NFC sleeper in Tampa Bay. Not sure what to make of them but anybody who's sleeping on them is in for a rude awakening.

- Have you ever seen Peyton Manning play this bad? There's a cat on Twitter who thinks this is the end of the road for him. C'mon now, he's throwing to Reggie Wayne, an inconsistent Pierre Garcon and a bunch of backups. You'd suffer too. He deserves his share of the blame but let's get real.

- Glad nobody's talking up big Ben as an MVP candidate with how well his team has played. Good. I refuse to accept any MVP talk for a man who skated on his crimes not too long ago. He's played well but treat him like a pariah just like we did for anybody else.

Football Wrap Week 4: Ducky Boys, Donovan's Revenge, and Sweet Fantasy

"You've never known fear until you've seen ducky boys"

Don't look now but the hottest team in America lies in Eugene. If anyone doubted the Ducks minus Jeremiah Masoli would do anything but win the Pac-10, Saturday should've put them to rest.

Stanford had em up 21-3 in the FIRST quarter. Andrew Luck was auditioning for the NFL as Brent Musberger named him the best college QB he's seen since Peyton Manning. TD pass here, TD run there, he made it look easy.

Somehow, that clicked on a switch and the Ducks just exploded. Drop a 49-pound atom bomb of offense that sent Stanford back to the woodshed. Forget replacing Masoli, they just found the next Dennis Dixon in Darron Thomas (355 total yards, 4 total TD's).

I don't see anybody slowing down this offense. If Thomas isn't throwing and running around like a maniac, he's handing it off to phenom LaMichael James (above, only averaging 8 yards a carry) or Kenjon Barner. They look just as lethal as they with Dixon or Masoli. And in case we all forgot, they shut out the Cardinal in the 2nd half.

Forget winning the Pac-10, if Ohio State loses to Michigan or if by some reason Boise State isn't worthy to be No. 2, Alabama will find out what the Pac-10's gonna see this year. Fear the Ducky Boys.

- Shoelace Robinson nearly put up 500 yards again? But the best part of the last game was that GW drive. That's where you go from an unstoppable video game character to a QB threat. That's how you grow up in 60 minutes - and if Michigan's D ever gets better, the Heisman will be his a landslide

- On that note. Michigan-Ohio State for the Rose Bowl, the Heisman and the national title game???

- I knew Alabama would smoke Florida but I didn't know they'd have BBQ gators by halftime. No. 1 until proven otherwise.

- Deja vu all over again for USC losing a last second kick to UW. Local connects Nick Folk (above with the dagger Pt. 2), Steve Sarkisian and D-coordinator Nick Holt haunt the Trojan program and once Washington sees their Cali recruits pay dividends, it's gonna really haunt USC for years to come. Already saw it with backup QB Keith Price throwing a TD on his first ever college pass.

- I haven't seen UCLA run that well since Maurice Jones-Drew got overshadowed by Reggie Bush 5 years ago. The Pistol is starting produce results and the combo of Johnathan "Jet Ski" Franklin and Derrick "DC-33" is paying off as Thunder and Lightning. Three-game winning streak ain't bad.


If there's a better story than Donovan McNabb coming back to Philly and winning, it'd be his words to his teammates. Everyone makes a mistake and the Eagles made one last year. Nothing better than coming back after you've been kicked out and owning the house you once ruled.

Only regret is that Michael Vick got hurt and had to miss most of the game. Kevin Kolb looked more shook than anybody. Guess that's what happens when your job gets taken and nobody has faith in you anymore. That's the cold part about revenge, it has bigger consequences than you intended.

(#5's prolly got some Kool Moe Dee in his I-Pod: "How Ya Like Me Now")

In one game, McNabb threw a TD, slowed Mike Vick's mojo, made Kolb look like a rookie and turned  Philly into the City of Brotherly Love and Pain. Several players got hurt in the game. Revenge hurts more than your intended target. And McNabb had to revel in it like a champ.

- Glad to see my San Diego Chargers and the NY Midgets have a sack race yesterday. Too bad the Midgets won 10-9 but both defenses tore Arizona and Chicago up like lions. Big ups to Shaun Phillips (3 sacks, scored a TD), Mike Tolbert (first career 100 yd game) and Ryan Matthews scoring his first NFL TD for SD.

- I bugged out when Fox showed LaDainian Tomlinson having 19 CATCHES for 130+ yards. Then I bugged out even more when they corrected their goof. 19 carries, 133 yards??? Turn back the clock LT, nobody's happier than me.

- Sleeper of the year is easily Arian Foster. Best RB of the year so far after he dismantled the Colts in Week 1 and showed his value to his team by playing well after sitting out due to violations. Fantasy owners rejoice but Texas fans should too

- Special Teams Player of the Weekend: Patrick Chung. Blocked punt, Blocked FG and a Pick-6 on Monday? I remember dude at Oregon and thinking he was a good player but THAT's making an impact. Chad Henne must've said "Here have this pass, you played way better than anybody on our team so go ahead and score."

- Hate to admit it but it's getting harder to argue Terrell Owens as not worthy of the Hall of Fame. 1st WR in history to have a 200 yard game with 3 teams and his numbers are still growing. He's a jerk who forced his way off two teams, turned down Baltimore and Ray Lewis (and was unfairly blamed for being a Cowboys distraction)  but he was also one of the best WR's of the last decade.

FANTASY REPORT - Oh, how sweet it is to be back on top. 3-1 this weekend and my only loss was a small one to the fantasy guru in my main ESPN League. I did some extra digging around and found some gems. I'll be going by team names instead of leagues.

ESPN: California Crushers 1-3 (Lost by 9 despite four guys with over 20 point. Freaking Colts D screwed me over)
ESPN: Inglewood Stars 1-3 (Finally got my first win since my opponent apparently took the week off)
Yahoo: EvBeez's Army 2-2 (See Inglewood Stars)
Yahoo: Boltin Cowboys 2-2 (Took down the #1 team in the league. BAM!)

Fantasy Winners: San Diego Chargers D, Patriots tailback Ben Green-Ellis. ATL kicker Matt Bryant. Late pickups that boosted my squads and I see em doing damage later on too. And finally glad Maurice Jones-Drew got off his cold start.

Fantasy FAILS: Giants WR Steve Smith. I had high hopes dude would prove me right calling him a sleeper. It's hard to hate on one of the greatest athletes Los Angeles has ever produced but dude's having a disappointing season. Blame Eli Manning but he's killing me worse than MJD. Same with the Colts D and Jeremy Maclin.

Key this week was being proactive and doing work. Just gotta do it again to keep it a great week.

Football Wrap Week 1 - Fails Fails and Fantasy

(I'll be doing this every Monday night, Tuesday morning - reporting on my squads, the big moments and my fantasy wrapup)

One word describes this football weekend. Gut-wrenching. Bad enough I had to hear about UCLA play one of the worst games in recent memory (thank goodness I didn't see it) but to watch the Chargers and Cowboys come down to the final play of the game only to let it go away was brutal. Just Brutal!

I came home to watch the end of the Cowboys game after hearing it on radio. We couldn't make any moves in the 1st half except that bungled final play that led to a TD (Jason Garrett still a genius? In whose mind?). The 2nd half was better offensively but it shouldn't have taken that long to warm up. And Alex Barron. Oh, that poor excuse of a lineman Alex Barron!

How can I put this. If he isn't out of a job by the time you read this, he's one lucky man. You don't end the game on a holding penalty! Peter King flat said he was a joke starting. Michael Smith lit into him something fierce on Around the Horn. A lineman getting that much attention ain't good.

All in all, offense looked good in the 2nd half. Dez Bryant showed potential, Miles Austin is ready to be consistent and once again, Tony Romo didn't make any mistakes. But a L's an L and we need that offense to make something happen next week against the Bears.

As for the Chargers on Monday, great reminder of why September is the cruelest month to be a Chargers fan (5-7 in the Norv Turner era). It all started so well with Rivers to Gates then it turned into the coming out party for the Chiefs young guns. Jamaal Charles - long TD run that ended with juking that DB twice. Rookie Dexter McCluster - 94 yard punt return for 6.

That rain shorted our fuses cause we couldn't do anything right. Tackling, making simple plays, hiking the ball. It was like watching our JV team against an improving Chiefs team trying to make a name. When we finally did get going, it was back to basics. Short passes and then watch things open up. Made sense to me, made sense when we scored to make 21-14.

Here's a question. If you have four chances to score inside the 5-yard line, how do you NOT do it? It's plays like that which show why Cowboys fans hate Norv Turner and his playcalling. New crop of WR's aside, that was ineptitude.

Likes: Ryan Matthews' debut, Legadu Naanee ready to step up, Antonio Gates making plays, Phil Rivers' fire and decision making (minus the Trent Dilfer lovefest). Week 2 brings Jacksonville and Maurice Jones Drew - I'm cringing in my pants.

Who said Ray Lewis was over the hill? Ask Dustin Keller if he is. That hurt me all the way over here. DANG!

Pete Carroll - new team, same old enthusiasm. Let's what happens when Seattle loses a game. But it looks like I was watching USC all over when they played a patsy in Week 1.

Michael Vick still has it. He shouldn't be starting just yet but Sunday was a great reminder why he can be a great quarterback. It makes no sense that he lost nearly 2 years but can still make people miss and make plays. That said, if Kevin Kolb's healthy, he starts.

Who predicted Arian Foster would have the best Opening Day since OJ? And Sam Bradford throwing 55 times in his debut? Ridiculous.

The NFL needs to change their rulebook. Common sense, replay and watching it live say that Calvin Johnson caught that ball under control.

Quick college note: Trent Richardson from Alabama proved in the first two games he can play in the NFL. He and Mark Ingram, when he gets healthy, are the best backfield I've seen since Felix Jones and Darren McFadden.

Denard Robinson - Beast! 502 yards and the game-winning score against Notre Dame. The biggest buzz Michigan has had in years.

USC is 2-0 and shaky as anybody in the Top 25. They'll be the worst 4-0 team in the nation at month's end.

Virginia Tech's loss to James Madison is the worst of the season because it's repercussions will be felt 3 months from now when Boise State gets left out of the BCS.

Oh yeah, Miami lost bad too. Adding to my bad weekend was Jacory Harris throwing 4 picks to the Buckeyes and their mascot. If I was on the field, dude would've thrown it to me too.

FANTASY WRAP-UP

Went 2-2 in my first week, ironically winning my matchups in my new leagues but losing in my returning ones.

ESPN: U Mad League 0-1

ESPN: South Beach NWO 1-0

Yahoo: Fantaball 0-1

Yahoo: Sports Gurus 1-0

Fantasy WIN: Hakeem Nicks (3 TD's). Not even close. Helped me win both matchups and was the difference in me losing on Yahoo.

Fantasy FAIL: Not starting Steve Breaston in my ESPN league but praying for Lee Evans to fill in for Beanie Wells. Yeeeeah, I could've known that was tragedy waiting to happen. And shout out to Ryan Longwell missing some easy kicks.

So a bad week personally, let's hope my birthday weekend goes better for my teams.