From the Press Box - Week 3

Today Andrew talks about The Battle of Big Mouths, Namath vs Ryan, Michael Vick: Tackling Dummy and the excitement of undefeated Bills and Lions teams.

It's really hard to pick out where to start this week. Do we start with the pounding Mike Vick took again? Do we talk about the one Mark Sanchez took? Should we chat further about Tony Romo's lung? Or what the hell is going on with Chris Johnson *coughholdoutcough*?

I know—let's start with the two biggest mouths in Jets, nay NFL history!

Joe Willie vs Rex

Apparently the reason the New York Jets lost was overconfidence. Not the lack of center Nick Mangold, who didn't make the trip due to a knee injury. Not the odd dink and dunk offense that never took advantage of the injured secondary. Not the defense that Darren McFadden torched for 171 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the ground.

Although maybe there's something to be said about overconfidence and under-performing the way the Jets did.

Maybe Joe Namath is right?

Don't let current head coach Rex Ryan hear you say that though. Rex took umbrage at Joe Willie's assessment.

Namath can come in here, and if he can still throw, we’ll have him as a backup quarterback, but you know what? He doesn’t know our team. He’s on the outside. Even though he’s a Jet, and once you’re a Jet, you’re always a Jet, but he’s on the outside. He’s not in these meetings. I think if he was, he’d be shocked with the preparation.

I don't disagree there either. Sometimes you get beat. Sometimes you prepare like a champ and get your ass handed to you. You don't win games on the practice field. You win it on the playing field.

There are tons of reasons the Jets lost and I don't know that any of it was purely focus or buying their own hype. I agree with Ryan that the Jets feel they can and should win any game. Isn't that the job of a coach? Get his team to believe that? Does Green Bay walk into a game and say 'Well, today's a loss'? You think Cam Newton is happy to have just one win?

No. Every team believes it can win.

Of course that doesn't preclude overconfidence and Broadway Joe has the pulse of some Jets fans for sure. The Jets keep talking a big game but are usually due for a let down.

Two AFC Championship appearances are great, but at some point they have to get to the big one.

Otherwise what's the point?

Health Care Providers 3, Vick 0

Well, maybe it's Providers 2.5, Vick .5 after the news that his hand is bruised, not broken.

Vick however, is shaken, not stirred.

He was also cheesed off.

That he has now backed off his initial rant is kind of besides the point. He's clearly tired of getting beaten like a drum even when he stays in the pocket.

I wrote a piece on Bleacher Report on Sunday (when we thought his hand was broken) about who is to blame for the consistent injuries Vick is receiving, taking time in another article to examine the offensive line issues Nagler and I have talked about the entire year.

Listen, Vick certainly gets hit in some ways that should be flagged. The current subtext that it's because he's black is pretty ridiculous, even to the point of folks at the World Wide Leader pointing out the following according to ProFootballTalk:

And then the scene shifted to Dallas, where ESPN analyst Trent Dilfer vehemently disagreed that Vick is being treated differently, showing video of a wicked helmet-to-helmet hit that Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan received last week from Eagles defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins.  The hit drew no flag, but Jenkins eventually was fined $15,000.

It’s not just Ryan.  Last week, Tom Brady’s knee was nearly caved in by Chargers defensive lineman Antonio GarayBen Roethlisberger took a pair of low hits, with only one flag thrown.

Vick's not the only Qb missing out on the laundry party guys like Tom Brady get. He's certainly not being singled out for his color anymore than Ryan or Big Ben are getting special treatment.

It's not happening. Is he not getting calls? Sometimes (though I'd argue the hit that hurt his hand wasn't late).

He's just not the only one.

Back to subject number one though—the offensive line was not built to protect Vick. You can't build an offensive line with journeymen and rookies and assume they will be able to keep up with Vick. That's insane.

As is the concept he's going to make it through the season.

Say It With Me: Bills and Lions are Undefeated

Just....just take a moment to go back and re-read that sentence. I know I just did.

I love that the Bills beat the Pats and not just because I grew up watching the Jets. I'm truly happy for Bills fans and the team. They are performing so far beyond any expectations I had that it's kind of hard to wrap my head around.

It's spectacular and what's more they beat the Pats with both offense and defense. They picked Brady off like his name was Jimmy Clausen. Meanwhile, Brady still threw for forty billion yards and yet the Bills' offense kept up with him.

You have to love it. Until they play your team and then you're hoping the wheels come off.

I don't know they will.

On the other hand, I have long said the Lions can go as far as Stafford takes them, which involves him being healthy.

Healthy he is, and the offensive line (unlike the Eagles' line) is keeping him clean with just five sacks so far this season.

The other key is the Detroit defense which is rated fourth best defense against the pass in the league through three weeks. It's had a little more problems handling the run (they're rated 21st) but overall this is a team which is playing very solid on both sides of the ball. Getting rookie Nick Fairley in there will only make it better.

These are two teams playing winning football right now. It's too early to declare anything really, but I can say one thing: it's going to be a lot of fun to watch.

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Comments (2)

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PackersRS's picture

September 27, 2011 at 10:38 am

Vick is so full of... How many times has Rodgers being hit on the head and not a single penalty was thrown, only to have the infractors penalized by the league later? It happened against the Bears before, against Washington...

I really hate this "singled out" crap.

I watch brazilian soccer and the NFL. It's the two sports I love.

It's nowhere close. Soccer is run by the betting "organizations". It is absolutely putrid. Things like a nonexistent penalty in the last minute happen ALL THE TIME, and ALWAYS for the most popular team. Italy will tell you about how, in doubt, it's pro-Juventus. And it's almost everywhere.

The NFL is absolutely imparcial. What does happen in the NFL is home field pressure, but that is natural.

The rest, it's just poor jobs by the refs.

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Andrew Garda's picture

September 28, 2011 at 11:19 am

/signed

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