The Hangover: Week 12

 
By Joe Schackman

            Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Easily the best holiday of the year; a full day of family, food, booze and football, what else could you want?

• Stevie Johnson may be the most underrated wide receiver in the game. I don’t see him play a ton but the last two times I have, he has done things to Revis that never happen.
• We are being privileged to the Mark Sanchez-is the-most-inconsistent-quarterback-in-the-league show
• Brian Schottenheimer’s play calling is horrendous but Sanchez has to be more careful with ball and see the field better. I do like that the Jets are airing it out this game. They haven’t thrown deep much this season but they have to pick and choose their spots better.
• Matt Leinart goes to the locker-room with an apparent injury. The Texans, who looked to be going deep into the playoffs this year, are in rough shape. [UPDATE] Looks like a fractured collarbone for Leinart and his season is over before it really began. Wow. God really does hate the Texans. (Pic via Mike Tunison)

 

• Dustin Keller has the talent to be a top-flight tight end but, like Sanchez, he is so inconsistent. He can make a few huge catches early and just disappear for the rest of the game.
• Aaron Maybin with two sacks against his former Bills team. This is the year of the re-birth of first round picks. Maybin, Alex Smith, Carlos Rodgers and Ted Ginn Jr, even Aaron Curry is playing better with the Raiders.  Maybe Jamarcus Russell should make a comeback attempt
• The fact that Antonio Cromartie is allowed to field punts and kicks is absurd. He hasn’t shown much burst all year and he has had two huge turnovers on special teams. One that basically cost the Jets the game againts Oakland.
• Next play he gives up another big pass. So goes life with Antonio Cromartie. Inconsistently is just a general problem with the Jets.
• Patrick Peterson returns another punt and is having a huge rookie season. His instant impact can only help Tyrann Mathieu’s draft projection. The Honey Badger may be undersized but he’s got breakout speed and has shown the ability to cover big wide receivers. With guys like Hester and Peterson proving to be such special teams threats, Mathieu has a chance to be a real impact player.
• Cromartie whiffs on an important tackle on 3^rd down that would have ended the drive. Wonder if Kyle Wilson is ready to handle CB 2 duties?
• I give the Bills credit for going after Darrelle Revis but if you continue to throw his way he will make you pay. This is not the case of an overrated New York star. Revis is probably the best defensive player in the league.
• Sanchez and Santonio Holmes have zero chemistry. Seriously it’s a joke how poorly they communicate on the field. Mark overthrows him and Holmes starts to bitch. Santonio drops a pass and Sanchez pouts. It is pathetic.
• Tone with the game-winning touchdown. They still have issues but that was a play that may save the Jets season.
• Stevie Johnson drops another late game ball that probably would have won the Bills the game. Reminiscent of last year when he dropped the TD to beat the Steelers. Won’t be an elite wide receiver until he catches those.
• Also Jets get last laugh after his taunt of Plaxico. Although it was hilarious.
• Jets win in ugly/lucky fashion but that’s not unusual for Rex Ryan’s club. Great picture of Keller celebrating after second TD reception.

• Sanchez throws four touchdowns, leads the game winning drive and I guarantee he still gets shit on tomorrow. It wasn’t a great stat line but he made plays and won the game for the Jets. 
• Vince Young opens the Patriots-Eagles game by going ’06 Texas on them. Eagles come out roaring.
• Beanie Wells with the huge week. 228 yards and a touchdown. If he can stay healthy he could be one of the better backs in the league. But he has been battling injuries even since his final year in college.
• Adam had an interesting observation the other day that there are no real mediocre quarterbacks anymore. Not crappy backups but average QBs that teams can count on to stop gap their injury problems. No more late-career Vinny Testaverdes. With Jay Cutler, Matt Cassell, Matt Schaub and Peyton Manning getting injured this season teams haven’t really had many options to look at. One of the reasons why the release of Kyle Orton was so interesting.
• Andy Dalton is not getting enough love for Rookie of the Year. Cam Newton has been electrifying but Dalton has gotten the Bengals in the playoff picture. That deserves some serious attention.
• Really Fox the best you can do is Oakland-Bears? Carson Palmer vs Caleb Hanie? I still blame Cablevision.
• Tim Tebow doing his thing against San Diego. His thing being incomplete passes.
• Tom Brady’s story doesn’t get enough attention anymore. I sports-hate the dude and his team but it really is absurd the guy was drafted in the 6^th round and will retire as one of the best quarterbacks of all time. He has been so good for so long that people just kind of forget it.
• Patriots seize control of the game as Welker springs free for a 41-yard TD reception and have now scored 21 unanswered points.
• Shady McCoy continues to run all over the place. Its like the Eagles got rid of Brian Westbrook and just found his younger brother.
• Julian Edelman going both ways for the Patriots. Shades of Troy Brown. Belichick is great at getting the most out of his players. See Vrabel, Mike.
• It always seemed like a mistake for the Eagles to have Vince Young as their backup. Ya he is a similar mold to Mike Vick so the offense won’t have to adapt to a massive change but believe they would have been better off with a quarterback like Marc Bulger or Sage Rosenfels. They have the receivers and running back to make plays with an average thrower.
• Caleb Haine's poor play has to remind Bears fans how nice it is to have a quarterback like Jay Cutler.
• Sebastian Janikowski is 6 for 6 on field goals today with kicks from 40+ yards. There will be a lot of people out there who are going to lose in fantasy because of a kicker. They will not be happy.
• Can Andy Reid really survive this season? Not that Reid isn’t a good NFL coach but after all these years might be time for a fresh face.
• SUCK FOR LUCK: This is pretty much over edition.
• Colts (L-Carolina): Their schedule may have gotten a little easier with the Texan’s injuries but still not likely they win more than one game down the stretch. So it truly begins, do the Colts take Luck?
• Rams (L-Cardinals): They are 2-9 and have two games against the Niners along with a game against Steelers and Bengals. They may sneak one more win in against Seahawks so they have an outside shot at the first overall pick.
• Shane Lechler just hit an 80-yard punt over Devin Hester’s head. That is unreal. He hit it from his own 10-yard line to the other 10-yard line and it rolled into the end zone. That is one way to prevent Hester from returning anything.
• This Raiders-Bears game is a special teams battle of kickers and punters. It is really not exciting at all.
• Johnny Knox just maybe had the catch of the year on a fantastic throw by Caleb Hanie. Ya that Hanie.
• Could Jay Cutler look any more miserable on the sideline? Or in life? 
• Nick Novak pissing on National TV:

• Jeff Triplett a 13-year NFL Umpire just completely botched the overtime rules on national television at Broncos-Chargers game. Told NFL players they both got a possession. 
• Tebow looks like shit in this overtime.
• The announcer actually just absolved Tebow of completely missing his receiver because he had TOO much time in the pocket. 
• Novak then misses a long field goal that would have ended Tebow's fourth quarter mystique. Can Tebow answer his own prayers?
• Broncos win this in overtime. People will gush over Tebow's moxy but in reality he was very mediocre in OT. I can't handle the Tebow love. I'm not watching anymore football.