Good teams comeback

Sometimes a team with lesser talent, but more focus and determination humbles a very talented team.  What makes a talented team a good team is the ability to identify the issues, quickly make adjustments and play to their full potential.  Good teams comeback.  Sometimes the comeback is after a shocking first half.  Other times it is after a devastating loss.  This weekend some good teams bounced back.  Others were humbled, so we’ll see in the weeks to come if they are truly good teams.

College Weekend

There was not any movement among the top 10 teams in the BCS Standings.  Some exciting games over the weekend, but the race for the championship remains the same.  Oregon survived a close game with California and won on the road 15 – 13.  Auburn’s starting quarterback, Cam Newton, got the team together and they beat George 49 – 31 after trailing 21-7.  Wisconsin continued its fight for the Big Ten title by punishing Indiana 83 – 20.  Steve Spurrier has officially turned things around at South Carolina.  In 2005, he took over the program, which had only won more than 8 games in a season twice in the school’s history.  South Carolina’s 36 -14 victory over Florida secured the schools first SEC East title and trip to the SEC Championship game. 

This weekend Oregon #1, Auburn #2 and TCU #3 do not play.  As a result, none of the games this weekend will have an impact on the BCS Championship Game.  Look forward to Thanksgiving weekend when Oregon plays Arizona #22 and Auburn plays Alabama #11. 

NFL Week 10

The Cleveland Browns’ luck ran out against the New York Jets.  Their two-game winning streak with surprising victories against the New Orleans Saints and the New England Patriots ended yesterday.  The New York Jets did not dominate, but as good teams do they pulled it together and won in overtime, 26 – 20.

Detroit Lions fans can’t get a break.  Just when they were getting excited about their future, they are reminded of the shameful records that they hold and humiliated in a game that they should have won.  It was called the Futility Bowl, because both the Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills just seem incapable of success.  Going into the game, Buffalo had not won a game this season and Detroit had not won on the road since 2007.  In a messy game filled with penalties and punts, the Buffalo Bills beat the Lions 14 -12 and get their first win of the season.  The Lions now hold the record for most consecutive road losses with 25.  What makes this worse is that they took the record from themselves.

The Dallas Cowboys got a makeover and things look better already.  Team owner, Jerry Jones, fired Head Coach, Wade Phillips last week.  Jason Garrett is the interim coach charged with salvaging the Cowboys season and at least look like a decent team.  He is off to a good start.  They looked like the talented group that people thought would contend for the Super Bowl prior to the season.  Even with back up quarterback, Jon Kitna, starting, Dallas made a lot of big plays and beat the New York Giants, 33 – 20.  And it was on the road. 

The New England Patriots bounced back after their embarrassing loss last weekend to Cleveland.  Patriot QB, Tom Brady, had three touchdown passes and even scored a touchdown.  The Steelers defense was not able to contain him at all.  Meanwhile New England’s defense sacked Steelers QB, Ben Roethlisberger 5 times.  New England won on the road 39 – 26.

Are you ready for some football?

Tonight Monday Night Football is in the nation’s capital.  The Washington Redskins are hosting the Philadelphia Eagles at FedEx Field.  Redskins QB, Donovan McNabb is playing his old team on national television.  The Redskins won earlier this year in Philadelphia, but Michael Vick did not play the entire game.   He went out early in the game with a rib injury.  Vick is back and with him in the pocket, the Eagles are a tough team to beat.  On top of that, I feel like Redskins Head Coach, Mike Shanahan is full of shenanigans.  In their last game two weeks ago against the Lions, Shanahan put McNabb on the bench supposedly because he did not know the two-minute offense.  Really?  A 12-year veteran, pro-bowl quarterback can’t learn a two-minute offense in 6 months?  Since then the reason for the decision has changed to hamstring injuries and cardiovascular endurance problems.  As I said: SHENANIGANS!  With this type of decision-making and Vick having a spectacular season, the Eagles will win and tie the New York Giants for first place in the NFC East.

MNF is at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN.  If you’re in DC, you can join us at Degrees in the Ritz-Carlton Georgetown. 

Ciao! 

Heels & Helmets®

Vick’s ride from coddled superstar to team leader

Michael Vick is proving to be a good decision for the Philadelphia Eagles.  With Vick’s pro bowl performances over the last two weeks, fans are jumping on the Eagles’ bandwagon, fantasy league owners are regretting not drafting him and sports pundits are noting that Vick is not only back, but also better.  I am thinking about Michael Vick’s journey from public housing in Newport News, VA passing the campus of Virginia Tech; through the 2001 NFL Draft where he was the first overall pick, traveling to the Atlanta Falcons, speeding with million dollar endorsements and a lavish lifestyle, then crashing and landing in United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth, a federal prison in Leavenworth, Kansas. 

After two years away from the NFL, Vick began his second tour of professional football in 2009 with the Philadelphia Eagles.  The key he was handed was not to a shiny new starting quarterback position.  It was just to a roster spot – a modest opportunity to get him from point A to point B.  A year later, Vick has displayed that he is very appreciative for his “hooptie.”  He put everything that he had into it and shined it up, so when Andy Reid called him to be the starting quarterback, he was ready.  He showed that he is still an elite quarterback, displayed a passing skill set that many did not know existed and drove his team to victory.  What makes Vick so much better than he was before?

Expectations.

Vick was blessed and cursed with exceptional speed.  Like many talented young athletes, he was spoiled.  His community praised him and teachers let him slide.  People gravitated to him because of an ability that came natural to him.  Football was not work for him, it was a fun game that he had been playing since he was 3.  No one told him anything differently and did not demand more for him.  This proved to be to his detriment.  While he was great, we now see that he still had not reached his potential.  How much better could he have been if his parents, teachers, advisors, mentors and attorneys had demanded more from him?

Admittedly, Vick did not give his all when he was in Atlanta.  He would arrive at practice late and leave early.  He did not condition or read his playbook.  Why?  He was Michael Vick and he had excelled without doing any of those things.  In the post game press conference, after the Eagles beat Jacksonville 28-3 yesterday, Vick was asked about his passing game being better than it was before.  In answering, he explained that in Atlanta the offense was about his running game.  Passing was not expected of him.

Vick’s journey is not only a warning for young athletes.  It is a lesson for parents and adults in authority over children.  How many other Michael Vicks are growing up being pampered because of their athletic abilities?  Instead of being challenged to do better, they are coddled and complacent.  Adults have to be leaders and set high expectations.  Children will meet them.

The Eagles organization made their expectations crystal clear.  Vick was to compete, earn a spot on the roster and not be an embarrassment to the team.  As his mentor, Tony Dungy, was straightforward about his expectations of Vick respecting his profession and being a responsible citizen.  Vick is meeting the expectations and setting higher ones.   

Quick notes from the NFL in Week 3

-       The Cowboys and the Vikings got their first win of the season.  The Vikings victory was not impressive.  Favre is still throwing interceptions, but they played the Detroit Lions who have only won 3 games since December 2007.  Luckily, Adrian Peterson rushed for 160 yard.   

-       Kansas City beat San Francisco 31 - 10 and remains undefeated.  However 2 of their first 3 opponents have not won a game.

-       Atlanta gave the defending champs, New Orleans Saints their first loss of the season in overtime.  The final score was 27 – 24.

-       Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers are still winless.

-       Chicago Bears play Green Bay Packers at home tonight on MNF.  The winner will be the division leader in the NFC North.  Both teams are undefeated, but I don’t feel like Chicago had any real competition in the first two weeks and they barely beat Detroit.  I think Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and defensive back Charles Woodson will be too much for Chicago.

Around college campuses

-       Alabama capitalized on Ryan Mallets interceptions in the fourth quarter and survived an upset.  Alabama  24 – Arkansas 20

-       The leaders in the Big Ten pounded on non-conference opponents.  Things will start to get tough this weekend when conference action begins.

-       Boise State eventually pulled out a win over Oregon State 37 -24.

-       Texas is completely embarrassed by its loss to UCLA.  The Bruins killed them 34 -12.

-       Notre Dame loss its third consecutive game.

-       This week get ready for these conference battles: Alabama #1 against Florida #7 at home in the SEC and Wisconsin #9 at Michigan State #21 in the Big Ten. (USA Today Poll)

Ciao! 

Heels & Helmets