The Dugout – In the Firing Line
Dropped - Just Like One of His Wild Passes
No wait, Peyton Manning hasn’t been dropped, he’s… *injured*.
Or so they say. It seems like a very convenient excuse to label Elder Manning’s 2015 struggles on a variety of niggles – the likes of which any QB his age may suffer, yet Tom Brady’s in MVP form – which gives the adoring broadcasters every reason to keep fawning.
Quite a lot was made of Peyton nearing the all-time passing yards record, which he narrowly missed last week, so for him to finally pass it on what may have been the worst game of professional football he has ever played was kinda strange. “Congratulations Peyton, you’re a legend of the game, the likes of which we will never see again, and… oops there’s another pick”.
Poor Peyton. It’s tough to see him get his back scratched by the Old Boys’ Club as he plays so poorly but to be fair that stuff is all true. Nobody dislikes Peyton (except for a few scorned fans). Everybody wants to see him playing well and looking great. But it really seems like health is catching up to him and he can’t seem to hit the throws he used to make in his sleep anymore, even though he’s probably a smarter player than ever before. He leads the league in interceptions. It’s not close, either.
So with that in mind, Peyton (who was benched in the second half of the loss to Kansas City) will not play next week. Brock Osweiler will take his place. A tear in his plantar fascia is the diagnosis (It’s something in his heel, don’t worry). There’s no doubt that the injury is legit and that it’s hurting him, but Eli Manning played through the same knock in 2009 without missing a game. This is not an injury that needs to keep him out. This is a product of an aging quarterback not making the plays he’s expected too, and with a 7-2 start there’s no reason to risk him. To be honest, they should have kept him in cotton wool more often, it was a problem in the playoffs last season and nothing’s gotten better. Manning will always be the number one on this team and he’s starting in week one of the playoffs as long as they are there. But if Osweiler is competent then it’ll be an interesting situation.
Nate Burleson said that if his name wasn’t Peyton Manning, he’d have been benched already. True. Nick Foles’ name isn’t Peyton Manning and he’s been benched too. Case Keenum will start for the Rams after they fell to the Chicago Bears. Foles is throwing at a mere 56.6% completion this season.
Ah, but while we’re on the topic of possible lost jobs, New Orleans Saints defensive co-ordinator Rob Ryan has definitely lost his. It’s sad to see another tragic ending for the long-locked madman that has made so many teams happy with his blitz-heavy schemes. But this is what happens when those happy teams tend to be the opposition of his own.
Rob (brother of Bills coach Rex, of course), is something of an in-between coach. They have these guys in English football all the time (Tim Sherwood), where they come in and do a great job of mopping up other people’s scraps but it’s all bad from there on. He took over a Cowboys team in 2011 that had given up the fifth most yards per play. He didn’t really help them in that manner though he at least got them to 14th in total yards. That levelled off in 2014 and his contract wasn’t renewed (Dallas was then abysmal in 2013, tbf).
Ryan then took over a Saints D that had just leaked a record 7042 yards on defence. What he did with that unit is probably his finest work, getting them to fourth in both yards and points allowed. But since then they’ve sunk to worse than ever. 27th and 31st in those same categories in 2014 and in 2015 it’s even worse – dead last in both. They’ve conceded 38 points more than any other team already (315 of them). They’ve still got a bye to come so that’s exaggerated but then the Steelers haven’t had a bye either and their 190 points against is far better off – and this from a defence that isn’t fantastic in talent either. That’s straight up awful, there’s no surviving that, not after giving up 47 points and 526 yards of offence to the Kirk Cousins’ Washington R**skins. Jeeezus, Robbie.
If you needed even more reason as to why Rob Ryan’s job had become untenable, take a look at this graphic. It’s actually incredible, some of the dudes to have started against the Saints include Brandon Weeden, Sam Bradford and Jameis Winston:
Another question: you can’t overlook the loss of Orlando Scandrick, their best CB, before the season but the Dallas Cowboys were 2-0 with Tony Romo starting. If losing one player, albeit a franchise fella, turns you into a team incapable of ever winning another game, they you have to wonder how long Jason Garrett has in his head coaching role. Their defence is doing alright, there’s not a lot of talent there, but they cannot seem to make crucial stops in the fourth quarter and the team can’t score points. Dez Bryant let them down in this one, of all people, but they were never able to get the run game going that has sustained them early in other games. It seems nobody is capable of stepping up when they need it. Times are tough, hey?
At least that man Romo is returning now, and even with a 2-7 record they’re still, impossibly, only three games out of first place, behind the 5-5 Giants. This season is complete madness.
Chur Steve
Whatever the bother with Steven Adams’ free throws, it looks like the work he’s put in has been worth it. He started off pretty subpar but, you know, small sample size and all that. The last couple of games have seen a few rare Hack-A-Kiwi situations and Adams has responded by shooting 12 of 14 from the line against the Celtics and his ol’ favourite Grizz. He’s up to 63% from the line this season, that’s well above his career average, and well on the way to where he needs to be. The best shooters are up around 85% (the all-time best is Steve Nash at 90.4%). If you can hit 60% then you’ll get by. If you’re a big man at over 70% then that’s solid. With free throws it’s often all a mental game and once you drain a few in a row, get that rhythm, and stop worrying, it tends not to be a problem.
The Steven Adams Stat Lines:
- at Washington (W 125-111) – 21 mins, 4 pts (2/3 FG & 0/2 FT), 6 reb, 1 blk, 1 stl
- vs Philadelphia (W 102-85) – 26 mins, 6 pts (3/6 FG), 2 reb, 3 blk, 1 stl
- vs Boston (L 85-100) – 30 mins, 6 pts (0/0 FG & 6/8 FT), 7 reb, 3 ast, 1 to
- at Memphis (L 114-122) – 27 mins, 14 pts (4/5 FG & 6/8 FT), 7 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 2 to
It was an eventful week, we’ll say that. A couple wins to start (big ones over the Wiz and the winless 76ers) before losses to the Celtics and Grizzlies in back to back nights.
Against the Wizards, the focus was all on Kevin Durant playing in his hometown. After it, it was all about Durant having to miss the next 7-10 days with the hamstring strain that also cost him the second half of this one. However in the 17 mins he did play, he scored 14 with 10 boards and 4 assists. Westbrook then took over with a triple-double and the Thunder pretty much cruised. It was a quiet game for Adams, although he did get a big cheer from the crowd after his back to back FT misses in the fourth earned the whole crowd a free sandwich at a local fast food hut thanks to some promotion.
The Philly win was even tamer. A winless team with minimal talent, at least it was fun to see Adams go to work on the rookie Jahlil Okafor. He helped keep the third overall pick without a field goal in the first half, displaying some damn fine post defence. This from Royce Young on Daily Thunder:
“Steven Adams is really developing as a defender. His timing is getting better and his feel for space is improving almost nightly. I think there’s a very good chance he’s an elite defensive big within the next three seasons. If not sooner.
One quality about Adams that is fantastic and gets overlooked is his complete and total unselfish nature. He even tipped a rebound to Westbrook at one point. He’s never hounding for any kind of statistical bump, and really is completely committed to doing his thankless job, and doing it well.”
The Celtics game, though. That was a capitulation. Without KD to go to in the final quarter, the Thunder were unable to get anything going. Westbrook had an awful game (marshalled well by Marcus Smart) and Adams didn’t even attempt a field goal. The team shot 25% in the fourth and scored 11 points plus the turnovers that had been much better recently came roaring back. A large part of this one was down to a terrible bench performance, which Coach Donovan exacerbated by leaving them in as the Celtics lead rose.
The Thunder also struggled against the Grizzlies. Westbrook had 40 points and 14 assists, an incredible game for him (he shot 13 of 19), but somehow they let a stumbling Grizzlies team score almost 30 points above their season average. Adams had his best game of the season though. He continued that free throw shooting tear (!) and he rose to the physical challenge of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph – as he always does. Remember Randolph was one of the fellas ejected for lashing out at Steve in his first season, Grizzlies fans fair hate him, no jokes. It’s almost a rivalry game for him.
Adams fouled out late in this game but not before only his second double figure scoring night of the season.
And for a little extra credit, check out this interview with Steve from the lads at Believe the Hype. Bit of rugby banter in there too.
Plus you’d better keep an eye out for this if you have the capabilities.
The Strange Tale of Dan Carter and the Patriots
According to click-bait headlines all over New Zealand (and indeed the rugby world), All Blacks legend and arguably the greatest number 10 in rugby history, nearly left the sport in 2013 to switch to the NFL. Kind of an odd one, given what he went on to achieve in the last couple seasons of his rugby life. Let’s let DC introduce this:
“It was a typical winter’s day in Boston. Crisp, clear, freezing cold. It was the start of my second sabbatical in late 2013, and I was determined to get a long way from rugby, to try to rekindle my love for the game.”
It was a dark and stormy night…
“I was with a friend, Luke Lloyd Davies. He is a sports agent and knew I was a fan of the NFL, so he had arranged for the pair of us to tour the New England Patriots’ facilities.
We walked into reception where they welcomed us by name, as if we were arriving for an appointment. The next thing I knew, a couple of scouts came out, and asked, 'Where are your boots?’ They thought I was there to try out for the team! I was floored, and a little wistful. Part of me would have liked nothing more than to give it a shot but I had just torn my Achilles tendon, and was months away from being able to kick again.”
The whole story, extracted from his new autobiography, is here on the Telegraph. He goes on to say how he had a sit-down meeting with Pats owner Robert Kraft who started asking him questions about what he’d offer the team and all that. They ran through the process of making the switch and then Carter spoke to a few scouts about kicking in the NFL, and how intricate and precise their whole thing is.
“I don’t think any competitive athlete could walk into an environment like that, be received in that way, and not feel a desire to rise to the challenge.”
In the end he couldn’t do anything there because of the injury and he was contracted to NZ Rugby until 2015. Had he chosen to go down the battling route then he might be heading over there now to see what’s what but Carter chose a contract in France instead.
So, despite what you’re inclined to think based on headlines (never judge a book by its cover or a story by its headline!), this wasn’t actually close to happening. But it’s curious that it was an option. What if Carter had beaten Jarryd Hayne to the transition? Admittedly a running back is a little more glorified than a kicker but even still.
TRADE TIME!
No sooner has the MLB season ended than the shuffling for next season has begun.
Hey but it wasn’t only the baseball getting into the trade talks, there was a very interesting on in the NBA. The Miami Heat sent Mario Chalmers and James Ennis to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Beno Udrih, Jarnell Stokes and a second-round pick. The move saves the Heat about $6m on the luxury tax, while giving 29 year old Chalmers more of a chance to play solid minutes. The Grizzlies needed an extra go-to man after slumping through the start of the season. After Chalmers drained 29 points (including 16 in the fourth) in a win over the Thunder, it looks like the found the right dude too.
Of course, James Ennis is a known name too after he spent a season in the Australian NBL the other year with the Perth Wildcats. So, if you were wondering what happened to him, there ya go. He averaged 5 points and 2.8 boards a game last season as a rookie but had only played 7 minutes in this campaign.
NFL Week 10 Power Rankings:
- New England Patriots (Last Week = 1)
- Carolina Panthers (3)
- Cincinnati Bengals (2)
- Arizona Cardinals (5)
- Minnesota Vikings (7)
- Denver Broncos (4)
- Green Bay Packers (6)
- Atlanta Falcons (10)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (NA)
- Buffalo Bills (NA)
Memphis Sound Throwbacks, So Good
30 For 30: Rocky IV
Social Media Game Level 10
Journalist Burn
Half Time Entertainment, Perfected
Fan Trolling
Quote of the Week:
“Our job today was to make the Red Rifle look like a Red Rider BB Gun. We did that.” – J.J. Watt.
Who had the previously undefeated Bengals losing to the Houston Texans? Anyone? Coz they did.
Andy Dalton did not take the comments very nicely. (Bit of a sore loser…)
Good Week:
Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks) – It’s nice to see good guys get good things. After the shambles of an off-season that the Mavs had (which to be fair ain’t as awful in hindsight – ZAZA!), it must have been immensely fulfilling for Saint Dirk to guide his Mavs to wins over their two biggest current rivals – the Clippers and the Rockets. Dirk didn’t play the Rockets game but is having a blindingly great start for a guy who looked on the wane a year ago. Few things have been cooler than this, this season. Dirk draining a three over DeAndre Jordan…
Kirk Cousins (Washington R**skins) – Forget for a second that it was only against the Saints. This was still a magnificent day. 20-25 passing, 324 yards and 4 TDs.
Kris Bryant (Chicago Cubs) – The last hitter to unanimously win the NL Rookie of the Year was Albert Pujols in 2001. That’s an esteemed comrade right there. Bryant got the nod after hitting .275 in his first season through 151 games, homering 26 times and knocking in 99 runs. Remember the name. (Carlos Correa of the Astros won AL RoY – We’ll have more on the MLB Awards next week when they’ve all been named).
Bad Week:
Peyton Manning (Denver Broncos) – It really wasn’t good.
Dumb NFL Penalties – As it turns out, the Ravens should have won their game against the Jaguars on a false start penalty, but that doesn’t make the facemask call that extended the game a play and put the Jags in position to hit the winning FG as time expired any more excusable. Nor the holding call on the Cowboys that overturned what would have been an outrageously lucky game-ending Jameis Winston fumble, untouched on the 1 yard line. Seriously, folks, you just couldn’t script it!
Philadelphia 76ers – Why no, they haven’t won a game yet. Thanks for asking. 0-11, the most consecutive losses to start a season is 18, by the 2009-10 Nets, while the Sixers’ own record was last year’s 0-17 beginning. Up next they host the Pacers before an away trip that includes the Hornets, Heat and T-Wolves.
Player of the Week:
DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento Kings) – Ol’ Boogie averaged 32.5 points and 11 rebounds a game this week over four starts, including a dominating 40p/13r pasting of the Nets. He even made Andre Drummond look his age, as nobody else has been able to do so far. It was enough to get the previously 1-6 Kings up to 4-7, though it was far from enough to ease those pesky trade rumours. Hey, if someone can afford him they’ll be getting one heck of a player.