Ball or Nuthin' » Michael Vick

Bears Withstand Third Quarter Flurry, Top Eagles

T Lamont — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 05:48:37 +0000

Lovie Smith and his Chicago Bears followed the “how to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles” blueprint to a tee.

They got out to the early lead. Matt Forte provided a strong ground game. Jay Cutler didn’t get careless with his pass attempts. Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs and Julius Peppers didn’t allow Michael Vick to run wild.

But Chicago almost let go of this one, relinquishing the lead to Philadelphia in the third quarter. Cutler rallied his troops and comfortably marched down the field to resume the advantage.

What were the keys to the victory?

Matt Forte’s elusiveness.

Forte, who currently has the most yards from scrimmage in the NFL, gave Philly’s defense fits tonight. Forte rushed for 133 yards on 24 carries, and probably collected two-thirds of them after breaking a tackle or absorbing contact. Forte wore out the Eagles’ defense, and helped neutralize a usually aggressive Philly pass rush.

Linebacker containment and pursuit.

Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher roamed sideline-to-sideline to ensure that Michael Vick and LeSean McCoy didn’t get any clean runs on the perimeter. Even defensive end Julius Peppers snuffed out a couple of potential Vick scrambles.

Julius Peppers worked hard to keep Michael Vick under wraps on Monday night.

Cutler’s cool demeanor.

For the entire contest, Jay Cutler was very well-protected and made just about all of the right decisions. Cutler did not get rattled by the Philly pressure, and repressed his urge to take unnecessary chances. Cutler did not get sacked tonight – a fact that contributed to Jay’s relaxed performance.

Eagles playmakers held in check.

Desean Jackson (2 catches, 16 yards), LeSean McCoy (16 rushes, 72 yards) and Michael Vick (213 yards passing, 1 INT, 34 yards rushing) were limited by the veteran Chicago defense. Philadelphia is a home run hitting team, and the Bears were clearly content to give Philly the small stuff and focus on the preventing the big plays.

The Chicago win kept them one game behind the Lions – their NFL North competitors – and in full striking distance for the upcoming playoff stretch.

As for the Eagles – well, they fall to three games behind the division-leading Giants. And those playoff hopes are, indeed, fading away.

Ryan, Falcons Show Resilience Against Eagles

T Lamont — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 04:15:14 +0000

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This was the early season game that everyone had highlighted on their calendar.

Michael Vick, coming home to the Georgia Dome, with his new mates.

Action and excitement were abundant in Sunday night’s 35-31 win by the Falcons over the Eagles.

How did Atlanta do it?

Stick with Michael Turner- The Falcons are at their best when they operate through Michael Turner. Early in the first quarter, it seemed as if it would be a long night for the Eagles’ defense as Turner gained major yardage on the ground. But Philly made the necessary adjustment, and for the next two quarters, Turner had no rushes for more than 2 yards. But Atlanta stuck with their game plan, and Turner hit a 61-yarder that set up the go-ahead touchdown.

Michael Turner ended the game with 114 yards on the ground.

Quieting Philly’s Playmakers- Aside from a long screen and run play for Jeremy Maclin, the home team was able to bottle up Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson and LeSean McCoy. Vick had a productive night, going 19-29 for 242 yards. Jackson only had 2 catches for 21 yards, and McCoy managed 116 yards rushing and receiving. But the Eagles were unable to hit the home run, and it was because of the discipline exhibited by the Atlanta defense.

Matt Ryan’s Toughness – It’s common knowledge that Ryan can be rattled with heavy pressure, but it has been a rare thing to see him get anxious in the pocket. But the Eagles got tremendous pressure with their front four, never allowing Ryan to comfortably get his feet set and survey the entire field before throwing.

Bye, Bye Vick – Perhaps the biggest play of the contest occurred late in the third quarter, when Michael Vick went down after completing a 9-yard pass. Vick was hit after releasing the ball, and was slung into his offensive lineman. The impact caused Vick to sustain a neck injury (later defined to be a concussion), which kept him out for the remainder of the game. Atlanta got after Vick all night, and knocking him from the game shrunk the Eagles’ playbook. Philly has encouraged Vick to stay in the pocket and make plays, and ironically, that was exactly what crippled the visiting team tonight.

Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number – With all of the offensive weaponry on the Falcons roster, it’s easy to overlook a player who may be regarded as the best offensive tight end to play the game. Tony Gonzalez posted seven receptions for 83 yards and two scores. Upon being asked how he felt about climbing to fifth on the all-time receptions list, Gonzalez answered, “It feels like I am getting old.” The Eagles certainly didn’t have his number, and that was key to the Falcons’ success.

NFL Week 1 – T Lamont’s Thoughts and Rants

T Lamont — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 04:04:45 +0000

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After a thrilling season opener, the rest of the National Football’s week one matchups came through with a bang. And what better way to celebrate and remember the losses and heroes a decade ago than in all of the stadiums where the ‘new national pasttime’ is played.

But having opening Sunday fall on the date of such a memorable tragedy is only one of the reasons that this NFL debut was so heavily anticipated. First, there’s the appreciation that professional football is actually being played – after a work stoppage threatened to have everyone looking for sporting alternatives this autumn. Of course, there’s the personnel changes including everything from the prediction of a ‘dream team’ to the concern surrounding the untimely absence of a 4-time MVP.

Well, each week, we’ll take a glance at some of my random thoughts from the week’s contests. Let’s get started with Week 1:

- I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a moment as spine-tingling as I did when I listened to the sailor that sung the Star Spangled Banner at the start of the Eagles-Rams game. My wife and I were about to do some odd chore (I can’t recall what) when we overheard the gentleman hurling out operatic notes. We immediately jetted back to the television and stood with our mouths open as we listened. Amazing.

- As for the Eagles-Rams game, I have to give credit to the Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg. Philly obviously has supreme talent at the skill positions, but the cynics continue to focus on the extremely weak offensive line – and how that weakness will be the team’s eventual downfall. Now, I know today’s game was only against St. Louis, but Mornhinweg showed that he is going to do his best to keep Michael Vick from being a sitting duck. On nearly every offensive play – whether run or pass – the line pulled or the the pocket moved, in a clear attempt to negate any defensive momentum that the Rams could gain. Surely, the Eagles need to upgrade their linemen, but at this point they have to get the best out of what they have.

After committing five turnovers, Big Ben already has his sights set on his next game against Baltimore.

- Where do you start with the Steelers-Ravens? Seven turnovers – five from Ben Roethlisberger. Giving up 170 yards rushing to Ray Rice and Ricky Williams. This is the most lopsided contest that I can recall in some time between these two. As Baltimore sprinted out to a 14-0 first quarter advantage, all I could remember was last year’s playoff debacle. But the Ravens kept the pressure on, and Pittsburgh never saw the light of day. John Harbaugh’s group sent its message, and the Steelers already have the night of November 6 circled on their calendar.

- Atlanta, what happened? After last season’s 13-3 regular season mark, big things were expected from the Falcons. They ran into a sizzling Aaron Rodgers in last year’s Divisional Playoff round, and they were history. But they were supposed to build on their unexpected success, and the predictable Chicago Bears were supposed to be their first victim in the 2011 campaign. A quick look at the box score shows Matt Ryan putting up a 31-47, 319 yard game, and Michael Turner collected 100 yards on the ground. That would normally be the recipe for success, but the Falcons couldn’t finish anything today against the Bears. Chicago used turnovers and a ‘bend but don’t break’ defense to put the contest out of reach. The Falcons now face the real possibility of getting out of the box with an 0-2 start as they face Vick-adelphia on Sunday night.

- Welcome back Plaxico. It was good to see Plax catch a much needed 26-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter as the Jets tried to slice into a 14-point deficit against the Cowboys. Minutes before, Burress laid out Mike Jenkins to give Santonio Holmes more running room on a key play to extend the drive. And in classic Plaxico-style, the camera caught him mouthing off about the block on the sidelines.

- 41 points for the Buffalo Bills – and none of them came directly from a Chiefs defensive turnover. I don’t think anyone saw this coming, especially Kansas City. The Chiefs were a dominant running team last season, posting two big-time rushers in Thomas Jones (896 yards) and Jamaal Charles (1,467 yards). Although the Chiefs average six yards per rush today, they simply couldn’t keep the chains moving. They only converted 23% (3 of 13) of their third downs. In addition, Matt Cassel completed 22 passes for 119 yards. That almost seems like a misprint, but KC’s leading receiver was Steve Breaston with 26 yards. But back to the Bills – Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for four scores and Fred Jackson gained 5.5 yards per carry.

- Kickoff returners were certainly trying to prove their worth in Week 1. There was a concern the kickoff return specialists would possibly have their value lessened by the league’s mandate to have kickers tee it up from the 35-yard line. To my count, there were three kickoffs returned for TDs this week – Randall Cobb (Green Bay), Ted Ginn, Jr. (San Francisco) and Percy Harvin (Minnesota) – so there will still be opportunities. Touchbacks will be up, but I saw more returners running the rock out when they were seven, eight, or even nine yards deep in the end zone. In prior years, these would be labeled as poor decisions. So…what do you label them now that the kicking team is five yards closer to you than they were before?

- Way to go, Cam Newton. The number one draft pick showed us all that he can get it done through the air (422 yards passing), and that he’s not just the stereotypical dual threat quarterback that almost everyone wanted to label him as. The Heisman winner played great, and, perhaps his most significant accomplishment was developing a rhythm with superstar receiver Steve Smith. Newton has the potential to make the coaches look good, but they’ll need to help themselves, too. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart - both above average backs that competitors would be pleased to have – combined to rush the ball 19 times on Sunday. Regardless of how brilliant Newton is, Carolina will have a hard to winning any game will that type of unbalanced playcalling.

Despite the Panthers' loss, Newton shined on Sunday afternoon.

- The Colts got trounced by the Texans. If I recall correctly, Indy fell to the Texans early last year as well – with Peyton Manning on the field. Kerry Collins didn’t do much today, and one positive (probably the only one) was that he didn’t commit any turnovers. Houston scored 34 points in the first half, and appeared to call off the dogs a bit in the second half. Even a 4-time MVP would have had an extremely difficult time making up for his team’s poor defensive effort. The Texans pounded out 167 yards on the ground and managed 8.7 yards per pass play. Yes, Indy is in deep trouble without Manning – and I mean ‘the Colts won win 5 games’ type of trouble. But on this day, to put it bluntly, Manning would have needed to play on defense as well.

- Hats off to the team from the nation’s capital. After allowing Eli Manning to connect with Hakeem Nicks on a deep busted-play (which set up a TD run), the Redskins marched by down the field and had their drive stalled inside field goal range. However, when the 39-yarder sailed wide, the usual visions of underachievement could have easily entered their heads. But Washington didn’t stop fighting and secured an important divisional win that could give them the confidence that they need to be the second-best team in the NFC East.

Is Vick Worth $100 Million?

T Lamont — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 20:19:48 +0000

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The answer – what we’ll find out after about eight regular season games.

The question – is Eagles QB Michael Vick is worth his new 6-year, $100 million deal?

However, the more appropriate question may be if he is worth the $40 million that they guaranteed him. That, is perhaps a much easier question that can be answered with a resounding “yes.”

But I think its worth taking serious look at his case for $100 million. As an added benefit from his unique talents on the field, Vick is certainly the most breathtaking player in the NFL. And having that characteristic yields an undoubted financial boost to the Eagles, the city of Philadelphia and the NFL.

Vick has the chance to make Philly fans forget about McNabb.

He’s perhaps the most polarizing figure in professional sports today. But as we know, the most polarizing figures are traditionally the ones that hoard the media’s attention, attract the most fans and generate the most revenue. Thousands will pack the stadiums to see Vick succeed. Millions will watch on television to see Vick fail.

Either way, Vick – the formerly self-absorbed, spoiled, unappreciative multi-millionaire – has returned the his post as the NFL’s best asset. And as Philadelphia’s new general, there should be nothing left for NFL fans to do other than show him some real brotherly love.

NFL Free Agency Starts With a Bang

T Lamont — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 20:31:53 +0000

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Now that the NFL is back in business, there’s exponentially less time for players and teams to link up with each other.

Free agency has clearly gotten out a hot and heavy start, and here’s a look at the potential impact from some of the most notable signings and moves:

Plaxico Burress signs with the Jets:

What do the Jets have to lose? Not much, as they answered everyone’s question about where Burress would end up. Plaxico should fit in nicely as a third option, behind Santonio Holmes and Jerricho Cotchery. Although Plax has never really been a consistent deep-ball threat, replacing Braylon Edwards’ 2010 pass-catching totals (53 receptions) should not be a hard thing for Burress to accomplish. While the Virginia Beach native has been away from football for some time, one thing has not changed – his size. It should assist him in re-establishing himself as an important possession receiver for Rex Ryan.

Plax's new deal allows him and his wife to stay in New York.

Nnamdi Asomugha, Vince Young, Ronnie Brown sign with the Eagles:

Word has it that Asomugha, the top corner on the market, left lots of money on the table because he wanted to play for a team that would give him the best chance to win. This says a lot about Asomugha’s priorities, but it also says even more about peoples’ expectations for the Eagles. Philly went out and picked up troubled Vince Young – a great additional to their team as a back up quarterback with a playing style similar to Eagles starting QB Michael Vick (let’s face it – given Vick’s natural athletic attributes, we all know that he will spend some amount of time on the shelf…so this is very significant). Philadelphia topped that off by signing former Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown who, along with LeSean McCoy, will give Andy Reid even more versatility in the backfield. Philly, who was booted out of the postseason by the Super Bowl Champion Packers due to a failed final drive, appeared to be a candidate for the second-best team in the NFL last season. Knowing how difficult it is for NFL teams to repeat, the Eagles – for the first time in decades – sit atop the list of expected Super Bowl participants.

Donovan Mcnabb traded to the Vikings:

Good move by the Vikings? Hardly. Having an experienced quarterback that will set an example for first-round draft pick Christian Ponder is fine and dandy, but McNabb hasn’t been the best at demonstrating good performance habits of late. He suffered mightily with the Skins – so much so that Washington was chomping at the bit to send him packing after one season. Minnesota would have been better advised to stop trying to make last-ditch efforts to make their team relevant (see Brett Favre and Randy Moss), and to simply go back to the drawing board.

McNabb's disappointing tenure in D.C. didn't deter Minnesota from taking a chance on him.

Chad Ochocinco, Albert Haynesworth traded to the Patriots:

Another year, and another couple of players with a past history of disrupting their teams’ harmony get signed by New England. Both Ochocinco and Haynesworth underachieved in big ways last season, but who really believes that they’ll be flops again this season? At the very least, they’ll be on their best behavior. The Patriots were able to reform one of the all-time grumpiest players of all – the recently-retired Randy Moss – into one of the most productive single season performers of all time (in 2007), and were able to appease him for over three years. Comparatively speaking, Ocho and Fat Albert should be child’s play for the motivational abilities of Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the New England organization. And I’m sure that Ocho will tweet us with all of the details.