Winless In Seattle
Steve Sauro
Elliott SmithWeek 11 picks!
November 19th 2011 06:39
:
Tebow! Tebow! Tebow!
I don't know what to say about Tebow. My write up yesterday was way off. After watching the game, I had originally planned a column comparing him to NFL legends. It would have been along the lines of "John Elway had a completion ratio of 60% his rookie year, and Tebow is already at 44%!". Or "Troy Aikman had 20 TDs his rookie year, Tebow already has 8!". The whole thing was going to be a column jokingly calling Tebow a Hall of Famer (but is he a 1st ballot Hall of Famer?). But then I looked up the stats. Aikman lost every game he played in as a rookie, throwing 18 (!) picks and only 9 touchdowns. Elway, the same guy looking slightly unhappy as Tebow was driving for the winning TD on Thursday, had 7 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Tim Tebow is currently completing 44.8% of his passes. Elway's rookie season? He completed 47.5%.
I try not to read other football columns before writing mine, mainly because I don't want to chance being influenced. I really only write one thing a week, sometimes two; I can't afford to regurgitate the same stuff that is already out there. My stuff may be accidentally similar to other things (there are a lot of football columns), but if anything was intentionally similar; what's the point of writing this? However, this week, I couldn't help myself. After watching that game last night, I was dying to read what my favorite writers had to say. Sure enough, we were all on the same page. Tebow looked terrible. Luckily, for Denver, Sanchez looked worse. I kept joking with my buddy Jon, another Seahawk fan, how Tarvaris Jackson looked so much better than either QB. I sent a few texts out with lines like "How many gophers has Tebow killed?" and "This is like watching Ray Charles facing off against Stevie Wonder". Both QBs looked horrible. Heck, both QBs ARE horrible. However, Tebow prevailed, something I did not expect.
I don't want to pretend that Tebow made all the difference. I don't want to pretend that he made much difference. I felt that Denver won because every other player played above their level to make the team play above it's level. Their defense has been terrific since he became the starter, the game plan has been superb since he became quarterback. The team, for lack of a better breakdown, has just tried harder. It's almost like the team knew the weaknesses going in and banded together to overcome them however they could.
You won't be able to convince me that Kyle Orton couldn't have put up the same stats that Tebow has. You can't convince me Tebow has a future as a quarterback (I think he would be a great fullback to have, someone that could open up the playbook). You CAN convince me that he makes this team better. Like the way an older brother protects a younger brother going to his high school for the first time; the Broncos have rallied together so Tebow doesn't embarrass himself his first time in the NFL spotlight. I don't buy into the whole "Tebow is a winner" thing. He is a winner, and he is probably someone you would want to date your daughter (or son, or whatever. I don't have kids). Michael Jordan was a winner and he carried his team to 6 championships. You can do that in the NBA (when you're Jordan). You can't do that in the NFL. This is different. Tebow is a winner; but his team is carrying him. Everyone is playing better because they don't want him to fail. He has given the team a reason to win, a reason to play harder, and that is all you should have to ask from a rookie. Aikman didn't win a game his rookie season. Elway went 4-6. Tebow has already won more games than both those quarterbacks. In the end, that's all that really matters.
Onto the picks...
Jacksonville @ Cleveland
It's kind of funny that I spent 4 paragraphs theorizing that a team is rallying around a shitty, young quarterback, and then the first game on the schedule involves Colt McCoy and Blaine Gabbert. For the record: I feel that the Broncos have rallied behind Tim Tebow. I am not hypothesizing that ALL teams rally behind their shitty, young quarterback. Case in point: This game. The good news for both teams is that I honestly don't know a single person that will watch this game.
Jags (or Browns) 17- Browns (or Jags) 13. Don't care. And I will count this as a win.
Carolina @ Detroit
I'm rooting for Detroit, so it pains me to say this, but I think the Lions are beginning to fall back to earth. Or have already begun. Or are currently. Not sure what the correct term is for their return to normalcy. However, last week, after a few jabs by loyal reader and very good writer Joe Soriano, I picked his Carolina Panthers to beat the Titans. They responded by scoring 3 points.
Nothing against Joe's team, but I think the limping Lions pull this one out.
Lions 35-21
Tampa Bay @ Green Bay
Every year a team seems unstoppable for a certain period of time. This may last a couple weeks, this may last a couple months. In my lifetime, a team has never finished undefeated (obviously including playoffs). At some point, the Packers will lose. I don't know when, I don't know how, but they will. At home against the Bucs will probably not be that game.
Packers 38-17
Buffalo @ Dolphins
All the stuff I just wrote about the Lions you can just reread and apply to the Bills. Again, I'm rooting for these guys. They've been exposed the last two weeks, so much so that the Dolphins are favored to win this game. Road game or not, the Bills are still in the playoff hunt and the Dolphins are still a two win team. Expect a bounce back game from Buffalo. Or don't. I didn't mean to be bossy.
Bills 26-21
Oakland @ Minnesota
Through 5 games, McNabb had a 60% completion, 1026 yards, 4 TD and 3 picks, Through 4 games, Ponder has a 51% completion, 744 yards, 3 TD and 3 picks. Yet the overwhelming majority felt that McNabb was washed up and that Ponder has looked great. It is amazing what youth can do for perception.
Raiders 24-21
Dallas @ Washington
Let it be known that Dallas is in the middle of a 5 game stretch that involved SEA (W), BUF (WIN), @WAS (probable W), MIA (probable W), and @ ARI (probable W). You will see a ton of Sportscenter and ESPNews features about the reemergence of Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys. Don't buy into it. You have all been warned.
Cowboys 29-20
Cincy @ Baltimore
I already felt that Baltimore would bounce back in this game after a loss to my Seahawks, but the Bengals not having A.J. Green really takes the guessing out of this one. The Bengals are a great surprise this season, but losing Green is a big hit it will take at least one week to overcome.
Ravens 31-21
Seattle @ St. Louis
I wasn't kidding when I said I would take TJax over Sanchez and Tebow. Neither was my buddy Jon. To put that in perspective during the 3rd quarter the bottom of the screen lit up with NFL headlines, which included the line "Seahawk QB Tarvaris Jackson expects to have off season surgery to correct his torn pectoral muscle". Immediately, both of us agreed that we didn't care since he probably won't be a Seahawk after this season. So, to emphasize the point, we would take the guy we are hoping is gone after this season over two young, 1st round quarterbacks. Yep.
Hawks 17-13
Arizona @ San Fran
I keep writing something about these teams, followed by me cracking up laughing as soon as I think about the Cardinals beating the Eagles last week. I have tried like 5 times. Seriously. The Cardinals. The Eagles. Hilarious.
Niners 26-10 (because they're better than the Eagles. Still chuckling.)
Tennessee @ Atlanta
It would be awesome to watch Matt Hasselbeck make the playoffs with his new team. I love the guy, even betting on the Titans to win more than 6 games before the season started (a bet I'm liking right now), and the window is open wide with division leading Houston having to rely on Leinart the rest of the season. Still, despite Atlanta's overtime decision to go for 4th down on their own 29 last week being as dumb as the last few Republican debates, I have faith in their ability to bounce back. My Vegas bet will have to wait a couple more weeks.
Falcons 31-21
San Diego @ Chicago
At this point, I would need a very good argument as to why I would want Phillip Rivers over Tarvaris Jackson. I wouldn't think twice about taking Jay Cutler. It's amazing how quickly things change.
Bears 24-17 (with Rivers throwing a late-in-the-4th-quarter interception)
Philly @ NY Giants
The Cardinals! The Arizona Cardinals!!
Giants 35-21
Kansas City @ New England
So you lost your starting QB? Huh. Well, I mean, teams have bounced back from worse. Who is your back up? Tyler Palko? That's his name? No, I mean at quarterback. Isn't it Brodie Croyle? No? His name really is Tyler Palko? Steve DeBerg didn't change his name or something? So it's not Steve DeBerg. You're being serious. Tyler Palko? You sure you're pronouncing that right? Huh. Well, um, anything can happen...
Patriots 44-10
Last week : 10-6
Season: 95-50
I try not to read other football columns before writing mine, mainly because I don't want to chance being influenced. I really only write one thing a week, sometimes two; I can't afford to regurgitate the same stuff that is already out there. My stuff may be accidentally similar to other things (there are a lot of football columns), but if anything was intentionally similar; what's the point of writing this? However, this week, I couldn't help myself. After watching that game last night, I was dying to read what my favorite writers had to say. Sure enough, we were all on the same page. Tebow looked terrible. Luckily, for Denver, Sanchez looked worse. I kept joking with my buddy Jon, another Seahawk fan, how Tarvaris Jackson looked so much better than either QB. I sent a few texts out with lines like "How many gophers has Tebow killed?" and "This is like watching Ray Charles facing off against Stevie Wonder". Both QBs looked horrible. Heck, both QBs ARE horrible. However, Tebow prevailed, something I did not expect.
I don't want to pretend that Tebow made all the difference. I don't want to pretend that he made much difference. I felt that Denver won because every other player played above their level to make the team play above it's level. Their defense has been terrific since he became the starter, the game plan has been superb since he became quarterback. The team, for lack of a better breakdown, has just tried harder. It's almost like the team knew the weaknesses going in and banded together to overcome them however they could.
You won't be able to convince me that Kyle Orton couldn't have put up the same stats that Tebow has. You can't convince me Tebow has a future as a quarterback (I think he would be a great fullback to have, someone that could open up the playbook). You CAN convince me that he makes this team better. Like the way an older brother protects a younger brother going to his high school for the first time; the Broncos have rallied together so Tebow doesn't embarrass himself his first time in the NFL spotlight. I don't buy into the whole "Tebow is a winner" thing. He is a winner, and he is probably someone you would want to date your daughter (or son, or whatever. I don't have kids). Michael Jordan was a winner and he carried his team to 6 championships. You can do that in the NBA (when you're Jordan). You can't do that in the NFL. This is different. Tebow is a winner; but his team is carrying him. Everyone is playing better because they don't want him to fail. He has given the team a reason to win, a reason to play harder, and that is all you should have to ask from a rookie. Aikman didn't win a game his rookie season. Elway went 4-6. Tebow has already won more games than both those quarterbacks. In the end, that's all that really matters.
Onto the picks...
Jacksonville @ Cleveland
It's kind of funny that I spent 4 paragraphs theorizing that a team is rallying around a shitty, young quarterback, and then the first game on the schedule involves Colt McCoy and Blaine Gabbert. For the record: I feel that the Broncos have rallied behind Tim Tebow. I am not hypothesizing that ALL teams rally behind their shitty, young quarterback. Case in point: This game. The good news for both teams is that I honestly don't know a single person that will watch this game.
Jags (or Browns) 17- Browns (or Jags) 13. Don't care. And I will count this as a win.
Carolina @ Detroit
I'm rooting for Detroit, so it pains me to say this, but I think the Lions are beginning to fall back to earth. Or have already begun. Or are currently. Not sure what the correct term is for their return to normalcy. However, last week, after a few jabs by loyal reader and very good writer Joe Soriano, I picked his Carolina Panthers to beat the Titans. They responded by scoring 3 points.
Nothing against Joe's team, but I think the limping Lions pull this one out.
Lions 35-21
Tampa Bay @ Green Bay
Every year a team seems unstoppable for a certain period of time. This may last a couple weeks, this may last a couple months. In my lifetime, a team has never finished undefeated (obviously including playoffs). At some point, the Packers will lose. I don't know when, I don't know how, but they will. At home against the Bucs will probably not be that game.
Packers 38-17
Buffalo @ Dolphins
All the stuff I just wrote about the Lions you can just reread and apply to the Bills. Again, I'm rooting for these guys. They've been exposed the last two weeks, so much so that the Dolphins are favored to win this game. Road game or not, the Bills are still in the playoff hunt and the Dolphins are still a two win team. Expect a bounce back game from Buffalo. Or don't. I didn't mean to be bossy.
Bills 26-21
Oakland @ Minnesota
Through 5 games, McNabb had a 60% completion, 1026 yards, 4 TD and 3 picks, Through 4 games, Ponder has a 51% completion, 744 yards, 3 TD and 3 picks. Yet the overwhelming majority felt that McNabb was washed up and that Ponder has looked great. It is amazing what youth can do for perception.
Raiders 24-21
Dallas @ Washington
Let it be known that Dallas is in the middle of a 5 game stretch that involved SEA (W), BUF (WIN), @WAS (probable W), MIA (probable W), and @ ARI (probable W). You will see a ton of Sportscenter and ESPNews features about the reemergence of Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys. Don't buy into it. You have all been warned.
Cowboys 29-20
Cincy @ Baltimore
I already felt that Baltimore would bounce back in this game after a loss to my Seahawks, but the Bengals not having A.J. Green really takes the guessing out of this one. The Bengals are a great surprise this season, but losing Green is a big hit it will take at least one week to overcome.
Ravens 31-21
Seattle @ St. Louis
I wasn't kidding when I said I would take TJax over Sanchez and Tebow. Neither was my buddy Jon. To put that in perspective during the 3rd quarter the bottom of the screen lit up with NFL headlines, which included the line "Seahawk QB Tarvaris Jackson expects to have off season surgery to correct his torn pectoral muscle". Immediately, both of us agreed that we didn't care since he probably won't be a Seahawk after this season. So, to emphasize the point, we would take the guy we are hoping is gone after this season over two young, 1st round quarterbacks. Yep.
Hawks 17-13
Arizona @ San Fran
I keep writing something about these teams, followed by me cracking up laughing as soon as I think about the Cardinals beating the Eagles last week. I have tried like 5 times. Seriously. The Cardinals. The Eagles. Hilarious.
Niners 26-10 (because they're better than the Eagles. Still chuckling.)
Tennessee @ Atlanta
It would be awesome to watch Matt Hasselbeck make the playoffs with his new team. I love the guy, even betting on the Titans to win more than 6 games before the season started (a bet I'm liking right now), and the window is open wide with division leading Houston having to rely on Leinart the rest of the season. Still, despite Atlanta's overtime decision to go for 4th down on their own 29 last week being as dumb as the last few Republican debates, I have faith in their ability to bounce back. My Vegas bet will have to wait a couple more weeks.
Falcons 31-21
San Diego @ Chicago
At this point, I would need a very good argument as to why I would want Phillip Rivers over Tarvaris Jackson. I wouldn't think twice about taking Jay Cutler. It's amazing how quickly things change.
Bears 24-17 (with Rivers throwing a late-in-the-4th-quarter interception)
Philly @ NY Giants
The Cardinals! The Arizona Cardinals!!
Giants 35-21
Kansas City @ New England
So you lost your starting QB? Huh. Well, I mean, teams have bounced back from worse. Who is your back up? Tyler Palko? That's his name? No, I mean at quarterback. Isn't it Brodie Croyle? No? His name really is Tyler Palko? Steve DeBerg didn't change his name or something? So it's not Steve DeBerg. You're being serious. Tyler Palko? You sure you're pronouncing that right? Huh. Well, um, anything can happen...
Patriots 44-10
Last week : 10-6
Season: 95-50
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