D-Rock (Packer Addict) -
Week 9
This week the three NFC North teams that were in action each put
on a show of their own. Two of the teams proved themselves to
be legitimate contenders in the playoff race by putting up solid
scores against troublesome AFC teams. The other team showed that
while most of their games aren’t pretty, there is still
one amazing reason to watch. Who would have thought that going
into this game, each representative from my favorite division
would put up 33 plus points against solid AFC representation?
Not I.
(6-2) Detroit Lions: 44 points? Two
defensive touchdowns? The third best record in the NFC?
Maybe it is time I finally lighten up on the Lions. I know they
actually made sound decisions on hiring their coaching staff.
They have the mad scientist, they have a cover-two defensive wizard
and they can call a decent game plan. They have a bona fide pair
of wide receivers and a quarterback who can manage a game. They
have a defensive tackle who plays like a monster week in and week
out. But still, they have Matt Millan. Can they really overcome
the straight jacket that is their GM? Apparently they can. They
have been showing so the first half of their season.
Last week the Lions tangled with a Denver team that was still
licking its wounds from the clash with the Pack. The injury tone
was worsened by Bronco’s “field general” Jay
Cutler being knocked out of the game with a leg injury in the
first half of the game. In came Patrick Ramsey who did as only
Patrick Ramsey can as he fumbled and threw away defensive touchdowns
into the hands of the opportunistic Lions. A game that started
on the foot of Jason Hanson as he kicked three early field goals
became an all-out assault by the time the fourth quarter came
around. When Shaun Rogers returned an interception 66 yards for
the score, Detroit already knew that they had iced their 6th win
of the season and made Jon Kitna’s 10-win prediction seem
light. In the end, the Lions posted a 44-7 shallacking and sent
the Bronco’s crying home to mommy.
This week the Lions take their show to the desert to face Kurt
Warner’s one-armed show in Arizona. The Cardinals have had
a tough season filled with quarterback injuries and spotty defensive
play. For obvious health and momentum reasons, I like the Lions
to move the ball around and Shaun Rogers to be a force in the
middle. The “kitties” will likely take their seventh
win home from the stadium with a tray for a field.
(3-5) Adrian Peterson and some other guys in purple.
(Minnesota Vikings)
Hmmm, what happens when you actually feed the ball to A.D. more
than 12 times, Mr. Childress? Oh, he breaks the single game rushing
record. How about that? It was a record-breaking day at the dome
on Sunday. In the same game, the longest play in NFL history (a
record that can never be broken, only tied) and the single game
rushing record (a record that may be beaten again by its holder)
both took place. In a week where the current king of running backs,
LaDanian Tomlinson was supposed to have a dual with the newest
kid on the half back block, “All Day” Adrian Peterson.
The kid stole the show.
Before I get into the records and outcome of this game, let me
set up how the strengths of the two opponents matched up. The
Chargers had a power-running game with the ability to go down
the field off of play action to their star tight-end and a newly
acquired receiving giant. The Vikings can stop anyone in the running
game, but are completely unable to stop the pass. Like anyone
who has witnessed a Vikings game over the past two years, Norv
Turner should be very aware of these facts. Unfortunately he seemed
to decide his strength was better than the Vikings strength and
the Chargers continued to pound the ball into the immovable wall
that was the Vikings defensive front. It didn’t go well
at all, and the Chargers lost. Again, with my predictions throughout
the year, when the Chargers are involved, I need to remind myself
of one very plain fact. Norv Turner is an idiot.
Shall we move along to the records? Yes, we shall. The Chargers
had a nice record to add to the books, as they ended the first
half by returning a Ryan Longwell missed field goal 109 yards
for the score. How long was this return, you may ask? It was about
six inches short of the end-line in the opposite endzone. Antonio
Cromartie returned the miss through a field goal team made up
of fat guys and kickers all the way to the promise land. It’s
hard to believe that something this amazing happened and was completely
overshadowed, but that was the case.
For the first time under the Brad Childress regime, the Vikings
scored 35 points. And they did so without their top two receivers
and without their number one and number two quarterbacks. They
did so solely on the offensive run-blocking skills and legs of
Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor. The end result was a win and
a combined total 378 yards rushing as a team. That is 296 for
A.D., 60 for Chester and 19 for Jackson, who was smacked into
next week and may still not know how to tie his shoes. Childress
finally realized his best asset is a running back of ridiculous
skill and a change-of-pace back that had over 1200 yards himself
last year. The end-result of this realization was a strong victory,
for the first time this year.
Next week the Vikings find themselves visiting the “Frozen
Tundra of Lambeau Field”.
(3-5) Chicago Bears… didn’t
lose… didn’t win… didn’t play…
Did anyone miss watching the Bears “exciting” team
play this weekend? I didn’t. This weekend the Bears return
to my nightmares by visiting the “Black Hole” in Oakland.
Well, the Raiders are terrible and can’t stop my grandma
from running the rock. Cedric Benson is bigger than my grandma,
so he should have some success as well. If you get the chance
to see this game, or can stomach reading a synopsis, please forward
it to me. I don’t think I could have less excitement for
this game. I’ll go out on a limb and pick the Bears to inch
closer to .500. The return to the Super Bowl is still out of sight.
