NFL Week 4-5

We will talk at length about the Randy Moss trade in a second, but let's start with this...if you were to write down in order the team you predict will be the last remaining undefeated team in the NFL in 2010 how many teams would you have written down before you came to KC?!?!  Yet at 3-0 they are the only unbeaten team!!!  wow



Moss doing a great SideShow Bob

 On Monday October 4th Randy Moss and  quarterbacks coach Bill O'Brien got in a heated argument at halftime of the Pats/Dolphins game...2 days later New England trades WR Randy Moss plus a 7th rounder to the Minnesota Vikings for a 3rd rounder...where to start?!?!  Well how on earth were the Vikes prepared to part with a 2nd rounder and 4th rounder to trade for San Diego WR Vincent Jackson, yet land Moss for just a 3rd rounder?  Even Vincent Jackson's mom and dad would have to admit that Moss is the superior WR, so why the super-low selling price for #81?  Heck I even want to know why no contract extension was even discussed with Moss...have you ever seen a 3-1 team give away an asset like Randy Moss before?!?!

What will this mean for the 2010 Pats?  What will this mean for now #1 WR Wes Welker?  Will the underneath routes that Welker runs brilliantly even be available anymore with no double-team needed to cover Moss?  Will teams be able to now double Welker and force the Pats to beat you with their running game of BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead (hey good luck with that New England)?  Was this kept so quiet for fear that if Tom Terrific knew his WR core going forward was going to be Wes Welker and Brandon Tate (good luck with that part II) that he may not have signed his contract extension?

A lot of questions raised here by this move...

For me this is a R.I.P. to the Pats Dynasty...hate on me if you must Pats fans but your roster is very underwhelming at this point...for the first time in ages I am predicting that despite your 3-1 start you will not qualify for post-season play in 2010 (side note - for you haters who don't believe that the Pats were a Dynasty just check the results from the 2000's...3 Super Bowl Title's...2007 Patriots were the best NFL team ever...2008 won double-digit games despite losing Tom Brady in the first game...2009 back on top of the Division as usual...a TON of W's for the Pats in the Belichick era, and yes they were truly a Dynasty)

In New England's defense this does set them up with 2 picks in each of the first 4 rounds of the 2011 NFL Entry draft...that is a great way to kick-start your re-building program, but it is going to take a while for me to get used to the idea that the Pats are in re-building mode (all they did in the 2000's is stack W's)

side note - for the love of God PLEASE do not let this mean that Favre and Moss create the kind of chemistry that makes Favre not want to retire...pretty sure we are all very sick of the annual will he/won't he Brett Favre retirement saga

Skeletor

Let's move on to other Week 4 thoughts...In Jokeland the Raiders had the lowest home crowd in over 40 years...BAD news for NFL fans...why does this affect all NFL fans?  Because there is certain labour unrest coming after this season and surely a work-stoppage looms for next season, so to have Skeletor aka Al Davis (Owner of the Raiders) seeing his #'s plummet he is going to be as cantankerous as ever when it comes to the next Collective Bargaining Agreement which could really muddy the process...ever deal with a bad situation with 2 sides angry with each other?  Then you know the last thing you would want is to throw in a cranky old man with a cranky old attitude...I have said it before, I will say it again folks - enjoy the 2010 NBA and NFL seasons are there are work-stoppages coming in 2011 for both leagues :(

QB Ryan Fitzpatrick throws 12-27 for 128 yards (snicker snicker snicker)...then the Bills trade RB Marshawn Lynch to the Seahawks for a 4th rounder in 2011 plus a conditional draft pick in 2012 (MORE than the Pats got back for Moss...somebody help me please...CONFUSED!!!)...Lynch was the Bills best option at the Goaline to punch it into the End Zone, but thankfully for Bills fans the team has not been on the Goaline since Jim Kelly was running the no-huddle in the mid-90's so no real loss here...

Since New York Jets fans were put on suicide watch after week 1 the team has beat all 3 AFC East foes the next 3 weeks with QB Mark Sanchez throwing 8 TD's with 0 INT's in those wins...are we impressed yet?  There was a TON of criticism for Mark's poor 2010 debut vs the Ravens but A) a lot of QB's look bad against the Ravens and B) where is the fair-is-fair praise for this guy?!?!

Cleveland RB Peyton Hillis had his 2nd straight 100+ running game in week 4

Detroit falls to 0-4...they have been down to the wire all year, but when you have a culture of losing like the Lions do I guess things just don't break in your favour at the end of games (it all started with the week 1 Calvin Johnson game-winning TD that was somehow not a TD)

Good for Rams QB Sam Bradford...he has the Rams on a 2 game winning streak which is actually huge for them

I have been critical of Miami's play all season and week 4 was certainly no exception...the fact that Chad Henne and Tom Brady both were QB's at Michigan is where the similarities stop...a L O N G way to go still for young Henne

Anyone able to explain how the only way Baltimore beats Pittsburgh is if they score a TD vs the great Steel Curtain D, yet there was T. J. Houshmandzadeh all by his lonesome in the End Zone with 30 seconds left to win the game?!?!

Defending Champs Saints need to find a running game

How does a team in the NFL today have Todd Collins as their back-up QB?!?!  Bears I am of course asking you that question...I have follow-up questions too...How does an NFL team even have Toidd Collins as a 3rd string QB?!?!  How does an NFL team even allow an old bum like Todd Collins to purchase tickets to watch them play?!?!...all the QB movement in the NFL in the off-season but the Bears have Todd Collins as their back-up (good luck with that part III)...and Chi Town is a cool 3-1, but hello?!?!  Windy City?!?!  Are you there?!?!  Ever heard of a running game?!?!?!?!


Week 5 thoughts

St Louis @ Detroit...we had hoped this was going to be #1 overall 2009 draft pick QB Matt Stafford hosting #1 overall 2010 draft pick QB Sam Bradford, but an injury to Stafford has that looking like the ol' no such luck

Green Bay @ Washington...the first place - say it again - first place Redskins host the Packers

KC @ Indy...do any of us see the Chiefs, even with a bye week to prepare, go into the Dome and beating the Colts...especially when a loss for Indy would put them at 2-3?!?!  Doubt it...

Giants @ Houston...even with their week 4 victory if the G-Men lose this game to fall to 2-3 there will be heads rolling in New York...and if the Texans win they will be officially on the map at 4-1

Tennessee @ Dallas...the loser of this game is not where they expected to be after week 5 - the Titans would be 2-3 with a loss, or the 'Boys will be 1-3 (gulp) with a loss



Moss vs Revis

 The big game of week 5 does not take place until Monday Night when Randy Moss leads his Vikings into New York to renew his rivalry with ol' pal Darelle Revis...even if Revis Island isn't healthy enough to play the story lines in this game write themselves

Keep the comments coming folks...I truly enjoy hearing from you... craig.ballard@hotmail.com