Andy Richardson

Bits and pieces from the NFL games I paid the closest attention to yesterday….

Colts at Vikings: We ripped it at the time, but it needs to be said again: What were the Vikings thinking giving Visanthe Shiancoe all that money to play tight end? The man cannot catch. Dropped 3 TDs a year ago. Dropped another against the Colts, on a well-thrown ball after a scramble by Tarvaris Jackson. We’re not Jackson fans or anything, but it’s gotta be disheartening to go to all the work to get free of a pass rush and throw a nice touchdown pass only to have your receiver butcher it. Jackson’s not good, but he’s not getting much help, either. Minnesota’s first two games were close. A big catch or shaking a tackle in each and maybe they’re 2-0.

Otherwise, pretty good game. Possibly a season-saving comeback by the Peyton Manning-Reggie Wayne show, but it looks like they’re going to have to get used to running backs putting up 150 yards against them each week. And yes, I’d rather have third receiver Anthony Gonzalez (9 catches, 137 yards) than fading starter Marvin Harrison right now. I think Manning might too.

Packers at Lions: Rod Marinelli is a defensive-minded head coach, which is pretty ironic considering how inept this defense has looked the first two weeks. Not to take anything away from Aaron Rodgers, but he’s not the first quarterback to rip up this defense and he clearly won’t be the last. Hopefully all the talk about the Packers won’t overshadow how good Calvin Johnson looked; a man among boys gliding through the secondary. (He actually dropped a couple of passes, too.) This is what all the scouts were drooling over last year, and why it remains a head-scratcher that the Raiders elected to go with JaMarcus Russell (even knowing they were going to trade away Randy Moss). Least impressive Packers running back: Ryan Grant. (An amusing mirror-image stat line: both Grant and Indy’s Joseph Addai carried 15 times for 20 yards yesterday.) Of course, backup Brandon Jackson briefly contended for goat horns by dropping a key pass – then scoring the game-clinching touchdown on the next drive. If Grant’s hamstring is bothering him, so be it; either way, I can’t help but worry about a committee developing here.

By the way, a comment on Greg Jennings’ latest huge day. Three years ago the Packers were picking one spot before the Broncos in the second round. They traded that pick to New England, which took Chad Jackson (cut at the start of the season and still unemployed). They then traded Javon Walker to the Broncs for their pick, which could be argued to have turned into Greg Jennings (who the Packers took later in the second round that year). So yeah, that deal turned out pretty well for them, not so much for anyone else.

Patriots at Jets: I was amused at this idea that the Patriots would suddenly flop without Tom Brady. Brady’s great, and they’d have won more easily today with him – on one play Randy Moss was all alone deep for a 52-yard touchdown, and Matt Cassel floated it, enabling the defense to break it up – but this is still a very good team. Brady drove a mean bus, but the bus is still running. They’re still going to win a bunch of games.

As for the Jets, well, I’m guessing Brett Favre isn’t feeling so hot tonight. The overall offensive talent here, and coaching, is well below what he enjoyed last year in Green Bay. Two weeks in a row, the offense has gone conservative on him, leading to some anxious final moments in Miami and a chip shot field goal last week. If you’re going to trade for Brett Favre, do you still give Thomas Jones the ball three times from the 3-yard line? Favre himself threw an ugly interception (one play after a bone-jarring hit) and appeared to miss Jerricho Cotchery in the end zone, Laveranues Coles dropped another pass (although he also bailed Favre out on a pretty 54-yard catch and run), and the worst news is they’re heading to San Diego next Monday night to face probably the most ticked-off team in the league (see below).

Chargers at Broncos: Wow. Is this why we all watch football, to see a game like this one? Took me back to my childhood and an old Dan Fouts-John Elway game. Anyway, Jay Cutler is off to a heckuva start; maybe this year’s Tony Romo and I’m glad he’s on half my teams, all but the ones I thought he’d fall another round in. Brandon Marshall might get his 140 catches. Eddie Royal is a good-looking rookie. And if you have nothing to do with the ridiculously crowded Denver running game this year – and remember, Ryan Torain could be back in five weeks – congratulations. And man, I hate Mike Shanahan, but I tip my cap to him for going for 2 points in the final minute after pulling within a point. Gutsy move, and the right move, but most coaches don’t make it there. (I can recall two others; see today's trivia question.)

Tough to say what the biggest thing to come out of this for the Chargers is. LaDainian Tomlinson, hurt? Clearly not himself; without Darren Sproles the Chargers would have lost this one badly. Philip Rivers stepping up his game? Made some great throws and big plays; off to a fine start as well. (And Tomlinson’s health and San Diego’s slipping defense might benefit Rivers, who will have to do more.) Back to back last-minute losses to start the season? How about getting totally rooked by an official’s screw-up that turned a Jay Cutler fumble – clearly a fumble and even ultimately RULED a fumble, recovered by San Diego – into merely a loss of down for the Broncos, rather than a loss of the ball and loss of game? Yeah, I think that’s going to be the big thing the Chargers take from this game. Those of us who watched it, though, will take a lot more out of it than that.

Andy watches as many games as he can each Sunday. If you do the same, feel free to add your own observations from the previous day’s games below.

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