Week Five Observations

1. Josh Johnson could be the closest thing we have to Michael Vick in today's NFL - closer, even, than Michael Vick. I'm not sure how Johnson dropped to the fifth round - his talents are immense. His feet are as quick as a running back's. His arm is huge. From what I can tell, his accuracy is good too. There's a reason Johnson made the team and Luke McCown did not. I know last year I said Dante Rosario was "the most athletic tight end to enter the league since Antonio Gates" so take it with a grain of salt when I tell you that Josh Johnson is going to be a star quarterback in the National Football League.

There are several things he needs before that happens:
1. Practice
2. Film study
3. A better running game
4. An offensive coordinator
5. Practice with the first team
6. A holster
7. A defense
8. Receivers who catch the ball
9. More playing time
10. Practice

The situation clouds even further when one considers the other Josh, '09 first round pick Josh Freeman. The Bucs are a bad football team and bad football teams like to get their first round picks on the field. It would be a shame if the Bucs played Freeman for no reason other than obligation, because they've got something in Josh Johnson.

2. Maybe I missed the boat on Rosario but I nailed it on Ahmad Bradshaw. I've been hyping this guy for two years. No doubt about it now - he's one of the best. His electricity rivals Adrian Peterson's.

3. The Giants offense was scary good on Sunday. They've got it all right now.

4. Their only chink in the armor against the Raiders was Sinorice Moss fielding kicks.

5. David Carr looked competent against a worn-out Raiders defense.

6. Shane Lechler is living a punter's fantasy right now. He gets paid more than any of his peers. He punts more than any of them, and he often has the length of the field to blast away at.

7. Question for college football fans - was JaMarcus Russell good in college? Did he play well? I understand he's enormous and has a cannon and why he was drafted #1 overall, but I wonder, was he ever good at playing football? He's like that 6-5 friend of yours who should be a monster on the volleyball court but just isn't good. There are direct measures of athleticism like size, speed, and strength and then there is actually being good at the game.

8. Yes David Hoedeman, I am ready to admit Ray Rice is a stud.

9. The only game the Bengals have lost was to an undefeated team. They have wins over the Ravens and Steelers, two consensus top-ten squads. The other two teams they beat, the Packers and Browns, have only lost games to powerhouses. So why don’t I believe in the Bengals? They’re definitely a solid team but I see them more in the San Francisco/Miami category than the Pittsburgh/Baltimore one…even though they beat both of the latter teams.

10. I didn’t think we’d see a worse game than Chiefs/Raiders in week two…but I was wrong. It can’t possibly get worse than that Browns/Bills debacle.

11. Derek Anderson was TWO OF SEVENTEEN FOR TWENTY THREE YARDS and the Browns won the game!

12. I don’t know what it is about D.A., but everybody drops his passes. On Sunday the Browns dropped at least four times as many balls as they caught.

13. Jamal Lewis and Ricky Williams are two older running backs who looked surprisingly spry this week; Clinton Portis and Brandon Jacobs are two who look worn-down.

14. As bad as things have gotten in Buffalo, they’re about to get worse with the losses of linebackers Kawika Mitchell and Marcus Buggs. The Bills could be the worst team in the league.

15. Watching the games there is not much that pisses me off more than watching a quarterback throw a two-yard checkdown on third and ten with plenty of protection – aka “the Brady Quinn.” Trent Edwards is throwing a lot of Brady Quinns.

16. It hasn't really showed up on the scoreboard yet because of red zone turnovers, but the Rams are improving on offense. They are getting things spaced out, which we haven't seen from them since 2007.

17. Another guy in the Josh Johnson mode who should make it in the NFL is Tarvaris Jackson. His strength is throwing short to intermediate passes in the face of pressure.

18. You often hear about quarterbacks "running for their lives." Game after game, it really does appear like Matt Cassel is running for his life. I think he's playing pretty well overall.

19. Todd Haley is trying anything and everything he can think of to get that offense going, but not much is working. It all looks very laborious.

20. Dallas offensive coordinator Jason Garrett continues to call too many pass plays.

21. Limas Sweed is a poor man's Braylon Edwards. He can't catch anything.

22. Detroit's schedule so far: @New Orleans, Minnesota, Washington, @Chicago, Pittsburgh. Many teams would be 1-4 with that schedule. The Lions are going to pick up some wins against the weaker teams. They have more going for them than the bottom-barrel squads.

23. I honestly think the Texans have a better shot at converting a third and 5 than a third and 1 right now.

24. Matt Schaub is very good at throwing to wide open guys when he gets protection - and not much else.

25. ***Softball analogy of the week***
The last few weeks I have seen a few players on our teams suddenly and unexpectedly smack the ball over the heads of outfielders pushed in to take away the short single. The outfielders have shaded correctly based on the information available - these blasts shocked everyone in attendance. The players broke through in unexpected fashion. They made a leap forward. They got better.

We saw it last year with Kyle Orton, and I'm hopeful we're seeing it again this season. He got better. Watching the first few games Chicago played last season, there was no reason to believe Orton had the ability to be an above-average quarterback in the NFL. Same story this season with Denver. But then he suddenly put it together, and looks like a top-half NFL QB.

26. Welcome back to the NFL, Eddie Royal!

27. I am having a hard time deciding if there are any elite defenses out there. Baltimore’s defense, for sure, is not as good as it was last season. Pittsburgh’s is not as good due to injury. The New York Jets were pushed around by Miami’s offensive line. San Francisco was shredded by the Falcons. Minnesota gives up big pass plays. The Denver Broncos may just have the best defense in the league, and the Saints might not be far behind. I am not shocked that these teams are winning, not completely stunned that they are undefeated, but I am just blown away that their defenses have improved this much. It doesn’t seem possible. These defenses were awful in ’08. There seemed to be little to build on. Denver having the best defense in the league is the biggest surprise of the season.

28. I think we can conclude the Broncos have the best secondary in the league.

29. Josh McDaniels has excelled in game management, clock management, play-calling, adjustments, and game-planning. The Broncos have played better every game than the one before. McDaniels is the early leader of a large pack of Coach of the Year candidates.

30. Denver is 5-0, 5-0 against the spread, coming off two straight wins as a dog…and they are four-point underdogs to the 2-2 Chargers this week.

31. Another funny line – Jacksonville is a double digit favorite (over the Rams) a week removed from a 41-0 loss to a team with a losing record.

32. It’s hard to fault a team that wins by five touchdowns on the road, but I thought the Falcons weren’t sharp in San Francisco. One thing we know is the Falcons can handle teams that don't have a vertical passing game.

33. Shaun Hill is the poor man’s Kyle Orton – no mobility, no pizzazz, no playmaking, no mistakes, mediocre accuracy. If the Niners continue to win games with Hill, they may fool themselves into thinking they don’t need a quarterback. They do. When your offense can only put up ten points at home against a bad defense like Atlanta, you have a long ways to go. Of course, it’s not all on Hill –

34. San Fran’s offensive line was atrocious on Sunday.

35. I thought the Monday night game between the Jets and Dolphins was the best of the season so far. There are so many things I look for watching a game, things like clock management and play-calling, that were well executed by both teams. This was mistake-free football from two well-coached teams.

36. Although we had a large bet on the Jets, I found myself pulling for the Dolphins at times. Every year I develop crushes on certain teams (last year the Chiefs, Falcons, and Ravens), usually because of innovation and overachieving. So far this season, Miami is the only team that has really endeared itself to me in. Even falling asleep that night, I was smiling thinking about how the Miami Dolphins pulled this game out. Some guys visualize pretty girls as they lie in bed at night; I think about Tony Sparano.

37. My favorite teams will always be the ones I have money on, but there are some I root for a little more than others. My ten favorite teams at this moment:

1. Broncos
2. Dolphins
3. Packers
4. Steelers
5. Lions
6. Falcons
7. Ravens
8. Saints
9. Giants
10. Colts

Defensive MVP of the Week: Dave Zastudil, Cleveland
Offensive MVP of the Week: Peyton Manning, Indianapolis
Defensive coordinator of the week: Mike Zimmer, Cincinnati
Offensive coordinator of the week: Dan Henning, Miami
Defensive breakout player of the week: Aaron Curry, Seattle
Offensive breakout player of the week: Austin Collie, Indianapolis
Goat of the Week: Mike Sims-Walker, Jacksonville

Power Rankings:

1. New York Giants (1)
2. Indianapolis (2)
3. New Orleans (3)
4. Minnesota (6)
5. Pittsburgh (5)
6. Philadelphia (8)
7. New England (7)
8. Baltimore (4)
9. Denver (13)
10. Atlanta (10)
11. New York Jets (9)
12. Cincinnati (17)
13. Dallas (11)
14. Chicago (14)
15. Green Bay (15)
16. San Diego (16)
17. San Francisco (12)
18. Miami (24)
19. Seattle (25)
20. Arizona (18)
21. Houston (21)
22. Jacksonville (19)
23. Detroit (26)
24. Tennessee (22)
25. Carolina (20)
26. Washington (23)
27. Kansas City (30)
28. Cleveland (28)
29. Tampa Bay (29)
30. Buffalo (27)
31. St. Louis (32)
32. Oakland (31)