Post week 10

Some musings after watching games during week 10 of the NFL.

The importance of being ready to play was never more evident in the Jets defeat of the Steelers yesterday.  The Steelers, having walloped better teams in prior weeks, thought they could sleepwalk passed the 1-8 Jets.

Jay Cutler really is playing poorly. I don't know the man but it does not seem as if he can accept that he needs to work on his game. Rather, his attitude appears to be that he is great no matter what. Some horrible throws, bad clock management. Guy was defeated before the game started. 55-14 and one of the two Chicago touchdowns came on a special teams play.

Eli Manning's pass in the beginning of the third quarter was the one play that cost the Giants a chance at victory. Difficult to claim that one play in a game that ended with a more than one touchdown difference could have caused the defeat.  However, this did. The Giants were still in the game and he throws up a prayer.  Not sure to whom he was kvetching when he saw the throw was intercepted. Pretty good picture of Tom Coughlin on the bench after the play.

Speaking of good pictures, best of the day was the 49er head coach throwing up his play cards into the air when it looked as if the Saints had won in the last second on a hail Mary. As it turned out the Hail Mary reception was disqualified because of a push off.

Speaking of push-offs, it was a good call to call Graham for the push off in that game.  He doesn't push off he does not catch the ball. True, very good Marlon Brando acting by the offended defender, but it was still a push off.

Kansas City is a very well coached team and will beat the Broncos at home when next they meet.

Any coach saddled with an inept quarterback will look bad. And a coach with a great quarterback will look good. John Fox in Denver looks like a genius. Tressman in Chicago looks like a stiff. If Tressman has Peyton Manning, he gets coach of the year honors.

Arizona will do well with the back up quarterback.  Carson Palmer was erratic and did not come up big in big games.

Saw Birdman this weekend.  The difference between Theatre and Sport is that in Theatre you can pretend to be what you are not. In sport, if you pretend to be what you are not, you will be exposed and it will take an army of sympathetic reviewers to create a positive narrative from the actual one.