Football Wrap Week 15: DeSean Jax = SoCal's Finest

As freaky as Michael Vick gets in continuing to be as the NFL's version of Neo, DeSean Jackson is showing why he's the NFL's best big play threat outside of Devin Hester. Three seasons, enough highlights to fulfill the promise he showed here nearly half a decade ago.

He was one of the fastest players to come out of Long Beach Poly HS and never set foot on the track field. His final game saw him shine as a DB helping Poly win a sectional championship with two interceptions en route to being named Mr. Football. His flair for the dramatic showed up at the Army All-American Game but that play aside, he won MVP easily.

Outside of Steve Smith (NY Giants), there may not have been a more talented player to come out of SoCal in the last decade. Peep the resume.

- 11 TD's of 60 yards or more in 3 years.
- 101 yards and 2 TD's at his 1st Pro Bowl.
- 100+ yards in his first 2 games. Only the 2nd to do it in 60 years.
- A 91-yard TD styling on my Cowboys with 210 receiving yards total last week.
- The walk-off Punt Return on Sunday that was unbelievable. What's better than winning at the buzzer than stylin on the Midgets at the same time? hahahahaha!


I have to rack my brain to think of a wide receiver that fast who's stepped into the league making an impact like that. Randy Moss is the only that comes to mind. Larry Fitzgerald put up numbers but he was nowhere as explosive as Moss or Jax.

His swagger is straight out of Poly, where athletes are used to winning and act like it. 18 section championships in football, 20 state track titles (11 - girls, 9 - boys), 4 state titles in girls' basketball and that's just the major ones. It's a factory where the players are faster, smarter and way more confident than yours and they know it.

It drives me nuts but in the pros, the motto is simple. If you don't like it, keep them out of the end zone or lay a hit on them. Plus he's reppin SoCal at its finest so while I hate him along with the Eagles, I root for him like I do Steve Smith.

My only question is how in the heck did he fall to the second round in the 2008 Draft? He was smart to ditch USC for Cal because he ended up being a big star there but how could teams pass up a speedy two-time All-American who was gonna make QB's that much better from Day 1.

Other NFL tidbits

- Neo's comeback Sunday should clinch his spot as the runner-up in the MVP. I always thought his 43-yard TD run against the Vikings was his greatest big-time moment. This comeback will be #1.

- The heavens opened, Gus Johnson spoke and Tim Tebow run through a hole 40 yards easily to the end zone. I was waiting for the dove of the Holy Spirit to come on him after that TD pass. Maybe next week when he starts again.

- Great job to Packers' Matt Flynn in your first start, going toe-to-toe with Tom Brady til the final minute. But how in the heck did GB let that lineman run 71 yards on them?

(And now, Virgo Kent goes after the Shanahans...cues "Hit Em Up" and "Bomb 1st")

Mike Shanahan is a fool of a head coach. You already embarrass Donovan McNabb by pulling him for overrated Rex Grossman in the 2-minute drill and then insinuating he's out of shape (the latter might be true, DMac's a lil heavy in the middle). But now you bench him for the season? Demote him to 3rd string? This has gone far enough.

John Elway's not walking through that door. Terrell Davis is too busy enjoying a relatively pain-free anonymous retirement to walk on that field. You're walking around DC like you're the man but you haven't done anything in a decade to earn that.

Whatever happened to standing behind your QB? And no, that knife you shoved in his back doesn't count. If you really believe that Lucky Grossman is better than McNabb and apparently your son Kyle Shanahan still has a man-crush on him, you're stupid.

If McNabb is hurt, you protect him by saying you're sitting him down due to injury. Meanwhile Brett Favre and Carson Palmer still started games this week and I'd take McNabb over both of them easily. So to you, Mike Shanahan, get off your high horse cause that beast died the minute Terrell Davis gave his final Mile High salute in street clothes.

Props to my Cowboys winning despite nearly giving that game away. That was for you, McNabb. Please for the good of men everywhere, stop taking the high road for once and let Mike Shanahan have it as the last man to disrespect your resume and career.

(cuts off Tupac - we resume our regularly scheduled blog)

- So glad Pitt didn't clinch a playoff spot, the less love for Big Ben the better. Props to Jason Taylor's safety.

- Carson Palmer won a game? Barely? I'm shocked. And have we seen the last game of Terrell Owens' career?

- Devin Hester's quietly reclaimed his career this year. Congrats on his 14th TD on a return, a new NFL record in only his 5th season. Here's hoping he can get to 20. Always been a fave since he wore my favorite number at The U.

Fantasy Report

Got a semifinal matchup in my Yahoo League (No. 6 seed with the upset) and a two-week final showdown in my 2nd ESPN league (No. 2 seed). I've never been this close to a fantasy championship and I'm psyched to get the chance. Time to go get fitted for a championship belt.

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.

VSR: Donovan's Being Done Dirty

Donovan McNabb will most likely be traded from the Eagles between now and the NFL Draft on April 24. And one of the most underrated quarterbacks of my era will unfortunately be cast out to pasture if the rumors are true that the Raiders are the leading candidate.

It's a shame. McNabb did everything for Philadelphia except win a Super Bowl. He's arguably the greatest player to wear an Eagles uniform (Ron Jaworski, Reggie White, Chuck Bednarik also in the conversation) but he never got the respect of the fans because he was labeled as a choker.

As a Cowboys fan, my memories of McNabb aren't good. The 14-second scramble and long pass to Freddie Mitchell on Monday Night Football. Beating us 44-6 to end the 2008 season. Watching him go to 5 NFC title games. But my last memory will be a good one - beating the Eagles twice, including our 1st playoff win since 96.

But I also remember McNabb in 02 breaking his ankle and going 20-for-25 with 4 TD's in the game. Who'll forget 4th-and-26 against the Packers in the playoffs to save the season? And there's the 2004 NFC title game with Michael Vick - a historic first for two Black quarterbacks.

Not enough Philly fans embraced him. He was hated in 1998 because he was drafted instead of Ricky Williams. He was hated because he could never get to a Super Bowl and when he did, he was more famous for puking on the field and overshadowed by Terrell Owens' gutsy performance.

Worse he got crapped by media critic Rush Limbaugh who called him an average quarterback propped up because the media wanted to see a Black QB succeed. (cue looney music)

Nevermind that in the 2000's - he was arguably one of the league's top QB's when healthy. Nevermind that he morphed from a dual-threat QB into a pure passer who rarely turned to ball over (the 3rd best interception rate of ALL TIME) or had no help at WR besides Brian Westbrook or T.O. (in 04) until 2008 when DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin came in.

And by the way, he has a Top-5 active winning percentage and went to 6 Pro Bowls.

He never got the respect from anybody because he was easygoing and unconfrontational. People saw his smile and Campbell commercials and didn't think he was a competitor. They saw him get hurt from 2005-07 and figured they were right. But all he did was win and say the right things.

I guess all of that doesn't matter nowadays. But while LaDainian Tomlinson had his pick of contenders to choose from, McNabb is only left with....the Raiders? The worst organization in pro football? He couldn't go to a contender or a team with a chance to win at least 8 games next year?

This isn't the way a borderline Hall of Fame quarterback is supposed to end his career. He deserves the chance to improve his candidacy these next 3-4 years and develop Jackson and Maclin into great WR's while praying for another tailback to take the load off him.

Yeah, it's not personal, its business. Then why does this stink of treachery for one of the NFL's high character guys and most successful players of the last decade?