Charles and Chiefs Dominate New England

Coming into the new week for the NFL I saw the Monday Night game to be the most interesting. Two teams with great Quarterbacks, but one who I knew from the start had more personnel, would come out to be victorious. I didn't expect such a blow out from Kansas City however. These guys were rolling. They had to roll, having only one win and two losses, one f which was at home. The Chiefs needed the spark to light the fire under their backside. That spark came from a returning leader to the field Jamaal Charles. Coming off an injured ankle Jamaal said to coach Chip Kelly that he did not want to be the only running back without a touchdown. Without Charles the Chiefs have used all they have, every Chiefs running back that has touched the grass this year has scored a touchdown besides Charles . So Jamaal made up for it against a shaky Patriots team. Even with Knile Davis getting more yards on the day, Jamaal Charles had more touches and a touchdown on the night. Just enough for the Chiefs to fire something up. Charles wasn't stressed at all for scoring last night because the rest of his Chiefs team help out immensely.

 The Chiefs putting up together a staggering 41 points to the 14 of New England was quite enough of a boost for the Chiefs. Chiefs defense had two interceptions, one for 6, and a fumble recovery. Brady and the New England offense definitely did not have the kind of night they hoped for. Too many people already within the next morning have said Tom BRady is not an elite Quarterback, especially since his interview in the past weeks when he said, "I'll retire when I suck". Which indeed this monday night he sucked. I don't believe myself that Tom Brady is finished. A lot of people expected him to flourish with new young guns running the field alongside Gronkowski which seemed to be one of his only used targets this season. Brady says he just needs to gain some trust in his young receiving core, but the film says they just need to get open. Brady finished his night completing 14 of his 23 passes for 159 yards, a touchdown, two interceptions and a stripped fumble. That's quite a mouthful for an elite quarterback like Brady, I bet you he also had a mouthful that tasted sour when Coach Belichick pulled Brady to give back up quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo sometime on the field. Belichick commented on the decision with a firm, "Just wanted everyone to play." Which is every coach's job to make sure your backups get the reps they need. Maybe to search for the same flame that Jamaal Charles should be burning under Tom Brady and the rest of the New England teams ass to get them moving after the embarrassing loss on a Monday Night game. They all need some work, get in that film room, find every hole in their very young offensive line, every flaw in the offense against the Chiefs big defense. Change is needed, anyone could tell you that.

DETROIT LIONS INJURY UPDATE:

Joseph Fauria the Lions tight end hurt his ankle not at practice, not at a game, but in his apartment. Chasing his 3 month old puppy attempting to potty train it, Fauria took a bad step and sprained his ankle. Of course he did. Only a Lion could put himself through such a ridiculous injury. From Fauria now slipping in dog pee, to Tulloch tearing an ACL with an on the field celebration and the classic Nate Burleson breaking his forearm trying to stop a sliding pizza in the seat of his car. injuries that only make the Lions look more and more like an old character from a movie I once saw...

A Super Bowl Rematch

There was no doubt in my mind what game I was going to pick to write on this week. Of course I watched the Lions beat up on the Packers and the Packers foolish Offensive Line got my guy Stephen Tulloch on a nasty looking celebration. Tulloch is now out with a torn ACL. I couldn't focus on any other game but the demanding rematch of the top 2 teams of last season.

The Broncos started out Super Bowl XLVIII pretty rough, with miscommunication and a snap flying over Peyton Mannings head, into the endzone for a safety. As you can imagine, that pretty much destroyed any momentum they had and they played like a middle school team the rest of the night. However in the new 2014-2015 season rematch, the Denver Broncos came to play ball. In a much closer game, it would need extra time! The Seahawks have the best home record of 16-1 since 2012. After battling for almost a full 4 quarters, Peyton Manning hits Jacob Tamme in the end zone with only 24 seconds to go in the final quarter making Manning's 100th career touchdown pass with Denver. With the score now 18-20 with the Seahawks lead the Broncos convert on 2 points after the touchdown to send this one into overtime. The Broncos overcame a 2 touchdown deficit going into overtime but there luck would run short.

 The Seahawks win the coin toss and put their outstanding offense out on the field with Russell Wilson. Wilson already with over 200 yards, rushes for 21 yards in overtime. Stretching out twice for first downs making those plays count in a close game and not sliding as quarterbacks do to protect themselves. We all know Peyton Manning can make those plays just as well with his arm, but where was his overtime play at? We did not see Peyton in overtime because he had no chance! With 1st and Goal the ball on the 6 yard line with 9:18 left to go in overtime, the Seahawks Marshawn BEAST MODE Lynch punches the ball in for a game ending touchdown. The final score at 20-26, a Seahawks victory in the second Super Bowl XLVIII. Peyton can only look onto the field in disbelief. The Broncos end this one with Peyton Manning making 31 of 49 pass attempts, not an uncommon day for man with a cannon on his shoulder. He finished with 303 yards total, 2 touchdowns and one interception. The Broncos Tight End Jacob Tamme finished the day with 2 receptions for 22 yards and that 4th quarter touchdown catch. The Seahawks end this win with 384 total yards. Quarterback Russell Wilson going 24-34 passing with 258 total yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Marshawn Lynch also being a key player with 88 yards, a game winning rushing touchdown and a reception for a touchdown.

This game definitely satisfied my uneasy feeling of a blown out Super Bowl XLVII. Heck this game should have been played last February! I would rather see a crazy overtime showdown over a blowout in one of the most watched sporting events in the world. Even though now we can expect the head of Richard Sherman to expand bigger than any of the hot air balloons at the festival in Midland, Michigan these past few weeks. Along with a slouching Peyton Manning and lawsuits against Welker with his drug problems.

Monday Night Football Giants vs Lions

Oh the wonderful Detroit, Michigan. It's September 8th, 2014, a beautiful day in the Motor City. The city is bustling with cars, buses and tailgate-goers filling the local parking lots. Stuffing themselves with not only the Rib Rub Pubs famous ribs, but also a lot of doubt in their beloved Lions. I was fortunate enough to snag a few tickets off of StubHub for this great event. However, some people thought it was a waste.

 My buddy and I started taking the long haul to the stadium, and heard nothing but a downpour of jeers on the lions. "Man that Stafford really needs to step up this year or he's done. And that Caldwell guy? HA, I don't even think he knows a football from a pylon." I was surprised in all these statements form the fans of the streets. The Lions have done well in building their team this offseason. A new Head Coach Jim Caldwell from the Baltimore Ravens. The new offensive coordinator, Joe Lombardi and his New Orleans inspired offense. Not only with new great coaches, but the addition of key players like Wide Receiver Golden Tate, who caught all six passes from Lions quarterback Matt Stafford for a solid 93 yards. It has been said and shown by his performance this past Monday opener, that he is one of the "most sure-handed receivers" in the league. 

It was not a surprise to see the returning players and vets putting in their hours on the field as well as the new guys. Calvin Johnson and Matt Stafford's dynamic duo lit up against the Giants defense in the first ten minutes as the best statistical first quarter of their careers. Johnson had 7 receptions for 164 yards and 2 touchdowns on the night, not an unexpected performance coming from the franchise Wide Out. I can't blame hecklers for being down on Mr. Stafford. Not saying that I dislike the guy at the position for the Lions. The last 3 years he's had over 14,500 yards passing, which is an eye-opener of a stat for the caliber team he's played for in those 3 seasons. Being in his 6th season in the NFL, there's still something about him that catches my eye. As a football player, you can usually tell what goes through any players mind during a game, whether it's a 12 year old playing Pee Wee football or a seasoned Quarterback in the NFL. When I watch the Lions Stafford, he seems, skittish. He knows what he's doing, but he rushes things way too quickly. That's just the guy he is, look for one deep route with Calvin and the run to the sideline and pray for someone underneath. That skill did pay off when he made a Giants defender look like a fool, that made everyone in the  building cringe. That is acceptable in some cases of course. It is, however, nice to see a quarterback sit in the pocket too look for more than a Calvin Johnson down the field. That is something he's always been looking to work on along with his arm strength. To many a surprise, he did just that on his spectacular decision making and strength in his arm throwing without his feet set. Stafford going 22 completions on 32 attempts with 364 yards and a rushing touch down. The Lions defense managed to hold New York to 14 points and 2 interceptions from an acrobatic Linebacker DeAndre Levy, concentrating on the nearly impossible snag and the Free Safety Glover Quin on the goal line from the driving Giants. George Johnson also with a notable sack against a very disappointing Giants offensive line. 

As I walked out of the stadium after the Lions first victory of the season, chest puffed out with pride, with a grin on my face from ear to ear. I knew that the streets of busy Downtown Detroit would be buzzing with hopes of a playoff run in the months ahead.

Let The Games Begin

Being a life long fan of football, and playing it successfully throughout high school, gives me good reason to start a blog on one of the most popular professional sports played today. Football is my kind of game, whether I'm watching football on TV with NFL Sunday, College Football Saturdays, Friday night lights at a high school game, or being a volunteer referee at the local Flag Football games. I hope to coach at least some High School Football some day. I love this sport. It's the hot blood in my body that keeps me chugging along in this world. If football was the sun, I would still watch it even if it made me blind. Just so I could still tell the story's of games I witnessed to other people.

By now you're probably thinking, "Wow, his love for football makes him a poetic mess. So he's crazy." Yes, this may be true. However, Joe Namath said it the best. Football isn't just 22 guys on a field, hurling their body's at each other, it's all about life. Learning life lessons. I've learned most of that from playing the game myself but I've also learned a lot from other people who play in the NFL. That's why I picked to write about the NFL. The NFL sticks out to me the most not just because of life lessons but I like seeing the inside aspects of the game. I've never participated in a fantasy league, but watching over my buddies shoulders, and seeing the shows about all the stats behind the leagues and highlights of the game have always intrigued me. Why did the Quarterback throw the ball to the post and not the out route? Why did the coach call a zone and not a man to man coverage on defense? What kind of drills are used in practiced to slow down a high paced offense? These are some of the aspects I would like to bring to this blog, not only learning more about the game myself, but for the reader as well. Along with stats and highlights of different teams playing every week in the NFL. Starting with my home town the Detroit Lions after attending their Monday Night Football season opener against the New York Giants. Hopefully coming back with good things to say about the Lions , considering their past few, if not all the seasons I've had to watch in agony my whole life.