Ten of the fifteen games this week were decided by seven points or less and two went to overtime. One of those two was the Vikings 23-20 win over the Bears in Minnesota, in which a rather curious coaching decision likely cost Chicago a victory.
On the third possession of OT, the Bears drove inside Minnesota's 30 yard-line. Needing just a field goal to win, rookie head coach Marc Trestman sent the usually-reliable Robbie Gould on to kick a 47-yarder.
ON SECOND DOWN!
A 27 yarder on second down, OK. But 47?
Not sure what Trestman was afraid of. A conservative play call reduces the risk of a turnover. A run-call eliminates the risk of an interception. A loss of any significant yardage is unlikely. And QB Josh McCown could have stressed in the huddle, "No penalties!" But, instead of trying to gain a couple of yards on consecutive plays to either pick up a first down or shorten the field goal attempt, Trestman opted for the 47 yarder. The football Gods, of course, pushed Gould's kick wide right leading to a predictable march down field by Minnesota. A 34 yard Blair Walsh field goal ended it dropping Chicago to 6-6 and putting the Bears playoff hopes in serious jeopardy.
Hey coach, 2nd down? Really?
= = =
Remember about eighteen months ago when Peyton Manning's career seemed to be pretty much over? He had just undergone his 3rd (or 4th) neck surgery and the Colts opted to say goodbye to Manning in favor of top draft-pick Andrew Luck.
Manning's declining arm strength, the neck problems, his looming 36th birthday and the fact that he missed the entire 2011 season was a messy mix of potential career-ending ingredients. A return to the NFL was very much in question. A return to glory was extremely unlikely.
Fast forward to Sunday. Manning tied Drew Brees' NFL record with his 8th career five touchdown game. He has thrown for 4,125 yards this season; most ever by a QB through twelve games. He has 41 TD passes against just nine interceptions, and extended his own record for most 10+ win seasons to thirteen.
Next time you have a chance to watch -- I mean really watch Peyton Manning play, do it. He is inarguably one of the great superstars of our time -- in any sport. .
I'd love to take credit for this line, but admittedly I heard it elsewhere a couple months ago: In a league full of superior world-class athletes, the single most dominant body-part in the NFL is undoubtedly Peyton Manning's brain!
= = =
Incredible record set Sunday in Cleveland. Manning's old teammate Marvin Harrison never did it. Neither did Jerry Rice. Or Michael Irvin. Or Lance Alworth. No, only one player in league history has ever racked-up 200+ receiving yards in back-to-back weeks. That man is the Browns' Josh Gordon.
A troubled college career littered with drug issues, followed by a shaky start in the NFL makes the Gordon success story that much less likely. Last week, he hauled in 237 yards worth of passes against the Steelers. This week, he torched the Jaguars for 261.
The NFL's highest supplemental draft pick since 2003 (Cle, 2nd round, 2012), Gordon has become one of the most productive receivers in the league -- and has done so while catching passes from the likes of Brandon Weeden, Jason Campbell and Brian Hoyer. His 19.5 yards per catch is tops in the NFL amongst receivers with 30 or more receptions, and despite missing two games, Gordon trails only Calvin Johnson in total receiving yards with 1,249.
= = =
It didn't take long for Houston Astros fans to start craving football season during last baseball season. Now though, the sad summer of 2012 seems like the good old days for Houston sports after the Texans just lost their tenth consecutive game; a 34-31 decision to the Patriots.
Hard to believe for a team that went 12-4 and won it's division last year, but at 2-10, Houston has the worst record in the NFL (The Astros had the worst record in MLB -- what a unique yet sad daily-double!).
Yes, the Texans have had their share of injuries, but which NFL team hasn't? Their slide started after two straight wins to open the season, leading the few who were not on the pre-season Houston bandwagon to jump aboard. Now, with three road games and a home game against the Broncos remaining, it's not out of the realm of possibility that the -- by far -- most disappointing team in the league could lose FOURTEEN straight to end the season!
Hang in there, Houston, only about four more months until Astros opening day!
= = =
Of all the incredible stats compiled in the NFL this season, none is more amazing than the TD/Int numbers put up by Eagles quarterback Nick Foles. The exact kind of QB that does NOT fit in Chip Kelly's system is 5-1 as a starter, and lighting up defenses around the league.
He's thrown 19 Touchdown passes.
Amazing, right?
Notice no mention of interceptions. That's because there aren't any. 19 TD's, ZERO interceptions.
I mentioned already that Peyton Manning has thrown nine I-N-T's. Eli Manning has been picked off 18 times. Cam Newton, 11. Andy Dalton, 16. Matthew Stafford, 14.
Foles, who took over for the injured Michael Vick, has become the undisputed leader of an Eagles team that appeared to be shuffling through another lost season. He leads the entire NFL in passing rating at 125.2, and has the birds on a four-game win-streak, tied with Dallas atop the NFC East.
Nice job, young man. Nice job.
= = =
Fantastic Monday Night match-up this week. New Orleans at Seattle. Who ya got!?!
