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List: Seahawks could use another bye week
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The good news for the Seahawks was the fact that their bye week this past weekend came as such a appropriate time for them to heal so many injured players. The bad news is they don't have another bye this weekend.
It's going to take more than a week to heal the wounds of their 2-4 start. It's such a desperate time for them that they simply need to beat teams they aren't expected to beat, beginning with Dallas Sunday.
The Seahawks likely will – or should – win the rest of their home games but if they are going to have any chance at a post-season they have to pull of not just one but several road upsets of teams such as Dallas, Minnesota, Arizona, Houston and Green Bay. At least three of those. Such is their sad state.
Here's this week's football reflections:
1. First, the Huskies. What a despairing season scenario they now face. The Huskies needed a positive effort last Saturday against Oregon, perhaps even an emotional USC-like upset. Not even close. What it means, as they come off a bye week, is they have to win three of their final four games to reach six wins and become bowl-eligible. They likely will be favored in only one – Washington State.
2. With no bowl game this season, it also mean that QB Jake Locker, who will be compelled to declare early for the NFL draft (nee: Sam Bradford), will complete his career without playing in a bowl. Was it worth it attending UW during this down cycle? Certainly not from a competitive perspective.
3. Arizona's defense looked pretty dang good against the New York Giants. The Cardinals improved tremendously since last year's Super Bowl team. They are more than a passing attack. They have a pass rush. That's going to make the Cardinals extremely tough to catch, especially since they finish the season with teams such as Tennessee, St. Louis and Detroit over their last six games. If there's a must win for Seattle, it's at Arizona Nov. 15.
4. San Francisco has last two in a row and three of its last four. Now they're making a quarterback change, from Shaun Hill to Alex Smith. Their early season momentum has dissipated.
5. Where did Dallas WR Miles Austin come from? He's had back-to-back sensational weeks. The 25-year-old played for Monmouth College (N.J.). He wasn't drafted. He was on the scout team for most of his first season. He had just 18 receptions in three seasons before this year. He has 21 already this year with five touchdowns. That's good scouting and even better coaching. He's a budding star.
6. You may have seen or read the statistic about the three NFL unbeatens, Indianapolis (6-0), New Orleans (6-0) and Denver (6-0). It's the first time in league history that there have been three unbeatens this late into the season (four if the Vikings didn't turn the ball over so much). Is that really so surprising? Look at the bottom of the league. There never have been so many horrible teams this late into the season. There are at least 10 or more that are shamefully bad, such as Cleveland, St. Louis, Tennessee, Buffalo, Tampa Bay, Detroit, Washington, Kansas City, Oakland and Carolina. Seattle is riding the fence. St. Louis, Tampa and Tennessee haven't won a game. How many times has that happened?
7. Redskins' coach Jim Zorn looked like dead man coaching Monday night. He's just twisting in the wind in Washington now, as his play-calling duties have been taken away from him and handed to Sherm Lewis. How lame is that? How can they been any continuity or cohesiveness on that team? According to general manager Vinny Cerrato, Zorn's job is safe for the rest of the season. But impulsive owner Daniel Snyder is not making any such commitment. Zorn's fate is sealed. The club should let him go and save all this embarrassment and uncertainty. How bad did the Redskins look Monday night?
8. For me, Indianapolis QB Peyton Manning is the best player in the game, the league MVP and well on his way to Canton. He has just phenomenal vision and football intelligence. He instinctively knows how what the defense is trying to do on any given play and how to call the audible to give his team the advantage. Just thinking here since it's so far down the road, but he would make a brilliant coach one day should he decide to stay in the game.
9. It's almost the halfway point in the season and already I'm worn out by the TV analysts. Come on. How many years must we continue to endure the obvious. Don't tell me 'they need to pick up the first down here,' tell me what you would call to do it. Don't tell me, 'the defense is going to pin their ears back now,' come up with something else. What does that even mean? Don't tell me, 'the defense has an answer for everything today,' tell me why. Something original. Something I haven't heard over the past 30 years or so.
10. Cincinnati is 5-2 coming off a 45-10 trouncing of Chicago. Are they finally for real? Is everyone on the same page there? How long has it been since they've been this competitive? They have the week off this week then will have their two biggest tests of the season, Baltimore at home followed by a road game in Pittsburgh. That AFC North is the new black-and-blue division and everyone beats up on Cleveland.
Mini Lists:
Top Five: 1. Indianapolis. 2. New Orleans 3. Minnesota. 4. New England. 5. Denver
Bottom Five: 28. Tennessee. 29. Buffalo. 30. Tampa Bay. 31. Cleveland. 32. St. Louis
Player of the Week: Cincinnati QB Carson Palmer, who had a down year last season coming off an injury, is reaching his potential. He completed 20 of 24 for 233 yards and five touchdowns against the Bears.
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