Week 4 NFL Thoughts

I want to change things up a little bit and instead of talking about the same three teams week in and week out, I wanted to touch on the few games that really jumped out to me from week to week.

Broncos beat the Raiders 37-6. This is the best the broncos have looked since the season started. I knew Peyton still had it, and I will continue to defend the fact that he should be in Arizona until I see him win a Super Bowl in blue and orange, but this was a good step in the right direction for him and the Broncos.

I knew he still had it, it was the team around him I was not sure about. 

There were a few mistakes on defense and one really big one from Demaryius Thomas on offense, but the Broncos offense really started to click a little bit. 

You can't argue with 30/38 for 338 yards and 3 touchdowns from Manning. I can't wait to see if this team is for real next week when they take on the Patriots. 

Tom Brady shredded the Broncos defense twice last season and like I said when Arizona played them, this will be a good test for Denver to see what they are really made of early in the season.  

Vikings take down the Lions 20-13. A lot of people have their surprise teams of the season, mine is the Vikings. Back to back wins over the 49ers and Lions is very impressive. 

The Vikings defense did their part to shut down the Lions rushing game. Stafford was able to throw the ball all over the place, but the Vikings defense held the Lions out of the end zone when it counted. 

I am still not totally sold on Christian Ponder at quarterback yet, but for right now, who cares? If Adrian Peterson can keep running the football for 100 yards a game and the defense can keep other teams to just a touchdown a game, the Vikings will be in a good way in a down NFC North division. 

 

Falcons survive the Panthers 30 to 28. 

This picture says it all.

I don't know the guy personally, but I feel like Cam Newton has lost passion for the game or at the very least for the Panthers.

Newton has plenty of energy when he scores a touchdown and dances, but I want to see him fire his team up and rally them. We all heard the depressing Newton press conference last week...if you didn't, go ahead and Google it, I will wait.

C'mon Cam, you are better than that, rally your team! Show that same energy toward them that you show when you score a touchdown and dance.

It took a big time stroke of luck for the Falcons to win this game and stay at 4-0, but Matt Ryan looks crazy good. One of only three quarterbacks to ever win a game on the blue turf at Broncos Stadium, I can see a Super Bowl in his future. Maybe not a win, but I think he can get there one day.

Poor Billy Cundiff. He had missed three field goals in the game before he kicked though the game winner that barley slipped by the upright. Redskins edge out the Bucs 24-22

Robert Griffin III had another really big game. He made plays happen through the air with 300 yards passing and with his legs, scoring touchdowns and picking up clutch first downs.

How can you not like this guy? He has a great attitude and a great energy for the game. Take notes Cam.

As for Tampa, 1-3 is rough, I really feel like this team can be so much better than their record shows. I remember what this team did last season at Green Bay and I have watched them have very close calls and near wins against good teams like Dallas and the New York Giants. 

You hear it a lot on sports center, and I agree with them, I believe in Josh Freeman and I think he has a world of potential to be a star quarterback one day. The sky is the limit for Freeman.

Arizona has another miracle win 24-21 over Miami.

Wow. I watched this game live and it had so many twists and turns. Just like they did last season, Arizona is pulling out wins from no place and finding a way to win games. A lot of people missed what the Cardinals did last season because people stopped caring after they started 1-6.

Go look at some of the crazy games the Cardinals had last season to finish their year strong. People talk about Tebowmania and his and the Broncos four overtime wins, but Arizona had the same number of crazy come from behind overtime wins last season. Maybe Tebow should have gone to Arizona? hmmm....

Check out some of the crazy games from last season

Kevin Kolb came close to throwing this game away when they could have put it away, but he redeemed himself in the end. Crazy plays on 4th downs to pull out this win.

We can't leave out the Cardinals defense, they did it again forcing four turnovers on Miami to help the offense out.

  

People said before the season started that the Texans would be the team to look out for to make a Super Bowl run. I did not buy it, but now I do.

Texans dominate the Titans 38 to 14.

Matt Schaub looks really good. he threw for more than 200 yards and 2 Touchdowns. Schaub has tossed just one interception all season in four games. 

Put that together with a really good defense, and you have a really good team on your hand that can sneak up on you. Of the three 4-0 teams left in the NFL, the Texans have looked the most dominate.

Watch out for this team.

Talk of the Patriots demise were greatly exaggerated. Tom Brady did what Tom Brady does. Win football games.

Patriots pound the Bills in the second half 52 to 28.

New England scored 31 points in the fourth quarter! That looks like something a college football team would do, not an NFL team.

Fans on twitter and facebook who were freaking out, no need to worry, this team still has it. And they are doing it with some of their best players out injured.

The Patriots had two players rush for 100 yards each!

Patriots get the Broncos next week, and as I said, I want to see Brady and the Broncos defense again. A rematch of two playoff teams and two teams that very well could be going back to the playoffs. Lets see who wins out, Brady or Manning, Broncos or Patriots defense.

Finally, the most embarrassing game of the week. 49ers rout the Jets 34 to 0.

If not for the Jets playing tough on defense, this score of this game could have been 20 times worse than what it was.

You heard it all week long on twitter and on sports center. San Francisco out "Tebowed" the Jets. They walked into the Jets home stadium and and one week, did more with a wildcat offense than the Jets have done in four weeks.

Mark Sanchez was 13 of 29 for 103 yards. I know the poor guy is trying hard, but the moment he walks out onto the football field, he just looks defeated. Like I said about Cam Newton, get your team fired up Mark! Don't look like your going to fail the moment you walk onto the field. As a quarterback you are the leader of this team and it is time to act like it. I leave this blog with thoughts from ESPN personalities and others on the New York Jets quarter back situation:

Mike Greenberg ‏@Espngreeny
In 17 minutes, the #49ers have been infinitely more creative with their 2nd QB than the #Jets have been all year.


Skip Bayless ‏@RealSkipBayless
Harbaugh showing up Rex, unleashing Kaepernick the way Rex should be using Tebow, letting Kaep run option, throw deep, run for TD. Love it.


Smart Football ‏@smartfootball
Is Jim Harbaugh running spread offense stuff just to show Ryan/Sparano that they don't know what they're doing with Tebow?


Stephen A Smith ‏@stephenasmith
This is unbelievable. The 49ers are running @TimTebow plays better than the Jets do for Tebow. Lawd have mercy.


Mike Greenberg ‏@Espngreeny
I'm not sure how much worse you can look playing quarterback than Mark Sanchez has looked today. #Jets


Howard Finkel ‏@howardfinkel
It's time to put Tebow in and see if he can get a spark going!


Bill Romanowski ‏@billromanowski
Sanchez doesn't love football and it shows. #Jets

Bill Romanowski ‏@billromanowski
#Jets season is over unless they turn to Tebow.


Skip Bayless ‏@RealSkipBayless
Sanchez has turned into a brain locked basket case, Jets down 34-0, yet Rex won't play Tebow. Afraid he'll spark team, create controversy


Manish Mehta ‏@MMehtaNYDN
Time is now to make a change at quarterback: Put Tim Tebow behind center and see if he can provide a spark today. Sanchez doesn't have it


Skip Bayless ‏@RealSkipBayless
Now clear Rex signed Tebow to be nothing more than circus sideshow - a gadget back, decoy, distraction. Tebow can't be happy. Joke is on Rex


Skip Bayless ‏@RealSkipBayless
Rex should've played Tebow down 10-0 at half. What he does best is ignite/unify undermanned team with his force of will. Would've scared SF.


Skip Bayless for Jets Head Coach.

Gaming World - 2027 Troy Trojans - Awards Night & Bowl Selection

So here we are.  For the second time in an eight year coaching career, we completed the season in front of us with a perfect 13-0 record.  The only thing that was left to do was sit and wait. What bowl game would we be going to? And for that matter, would we be going back to the national championship game? The Trojans would find out their fate on the Bowl Selection Show on ESPN, but before then it was awards night in New York City.

The Trojan players and I arrived in New York on Saturday and I sat in the crowd and watched with some of the greatest coaches in college football history. 

It was time for the for the trophies to be handed out to the best players in college football in 2027.

No successful 13-0 season goes unrecognized, and the Troy Trojans took home plenty of regular season awards.

Our record breaking starting quarterback Alonzo Roberts took home the Maxwell Award for outstanding player of the year.

Roberts also took home the Walter Camp Award as national player of the year.

Roberts made it three for three on the night, taking home the Davey O'Brien Award, recognizing the national quarterback of the year.

Wide Receiver/Tight End Kyle Kidd won the John Mackey Award for outstanding tight end of the year.

Trojan Adam Roberts took home the returner of the year trophy.

And finally, last but certainly not least, for the fourth time in seven years, I was called up on stage to receive the coach of the year trophy. As always, the credit goes to these great Trojan football players, they earned this trophy for me.

The Main Event of the night was up next. It was time to find out if Troy University would take home a second Heisman trophy.  

By more than 400 votes the voters decided, Trojan quarterback Alonzo Roberts would become Troy's second Heisman trophy winner! Congratulations to Alonzo Roberts! He joins Josiah Higdon as Troy University's second Heisman Trophy winner. This can only help in the future when it comes to recruiting quarterbacks to come to Troy University. 

After sitting on the bench his first two years behind Higdon, and being benched last year due to poor play, there is no better feeling for Roberts than to bounce back in his Senior year and be recognized as the best player in college football in 2027!

Here you can see Roberts & Higdon's Heisman Trophies as well as my four coach of the year awards. Also other awards from present and past players, most of them won by Josiah Higdon.

On this Saturday night, the Trojan football team was on top of the world. All these regular season trophies and Conference USA Championship was nice, but there was one thing left for this football team to get.

Even with a 13-0 record and a #2 ranking, would to voters vote for us to go back to the National Championship game just two years after losing it all to Air Force? Or would they vote in 12-1 Alabama or 12-1 Wisconsin?

ESPN's Bowl Selection show was here. All the football players, Troy staff and Troy students gathered in Trojan Arena to watch to show. ESPN sent a camera crew down to either film our excitement...or disappointment. 

After 30 long minutes of waiting....it was official.

The Troy Trojans were going back to the National Championship game. This time it was in the Super Dome in New Orleans. A dome this Troy team plays in every other year and played in this year when we went up against Tulane back in week three. Advantage us! 

Big XII Champion, 12-0, #1 TCU vs. Conference USA Champion, 13-0, #2 Troy!

The two top teams in the nation going head to head. We have a month to prepare for this big game. The Trojans are determined not to go home empty handed again! Lets get to work Trojans!