Didn't want to watch the Rewind of the Chargers-Dolphins game, but did anyway. Nothing good to be said. Chargers didn't force a punt until the end of the 3rd quarter. Phillip Rivers played one of the worse games I've seen him play ever, going 12-23, 138 yards, 3 interceptions. He was going into the game with a franchise record 7 straight games with multiple TD passes...obviously that's over. If it wasn't for Andy Dalton's pathetic display last night, the sportscasters may be talking about Rivers. The offensive line was horrid, getting beat consistently one-on-one by Dolphin defenders. I read somewhere that the Dolphins only blitzed 6 times, but sacked Rivers 4 times and harassed him all night.
It was an awful performance by the entire team...well the special teams played OK.
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I don't know how I feel about games in London. I know it has to be a burden on both teams and really detrimental to the team that has to give up a home game. It's not like they're going to give London a game that could possibly bring in a big TV audience here in the states. Next years London games are Dolphins-Jets (first time for a divisional matchup...don't know who's the home team, but that doubly hurts losing a home division game), Bills-Jaguars, and Lions-Chiefs. You think a Broncos-Patriots game will ever be in London as long as Manning and Brady are playing?
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RB Denard Robinson is an interesting story. Robinson played QB in college and in high school, he was once ranked as the 16th best CB prospect in the country...and he had never played the position. Over the last three weeks, Robinson has more rushing yards than anyone in the NFL not named Demarco Murray. This Bleacher Report story covers how Robinson became an NFL running back.
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I've been claiming here that despite the winning record, that the Patriots are a team in decline. Well, in Week 9 the Pats beat the Broncos, the team most sportscasters say will return to the Super Bowl, quite handily. I don't know where that performance came from, but it sure wasn't the team I've watched for the first 8 weeks of the season. This was a defense that got mauled by Alex Smith for 41 points and an offense that managed only 16 against the Raiders. That's earlier in the season you say? Just two weeks ago they needed a blocked field goal to beat the Jets. Patriots are on a bye in Week 10, but go to Indianapolis in Week 11...that will be interesting to watch.
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And the crazy QB statistics keep coming. Last week Ben Roethlisberger became the first QB to toss for 6 TDs in back-to-back games. Prior to this, YA Tittle (1962) was the only QB ever to do it twice in the same season. I wonder if it's a product of the new pass defense rules...figure it's has to have at least played a part.
