New York Football Recap

Bloody Sunday
A look back at the ugly week that was in New York football.

          Looks like this pro-New York OneHopSports contributor picked the wrong week to take off. After missing an opportunity to bask in the glory that was week 9, where the Jets and Giants pulled off two incredibly satisfying road wins, I'm back in time for an extremely disappointing look back at week 10. (Sidenote: For those of you who don't know there are at least two contributors to OHS, allow me to introduce myself as SlideStep.)

          Where to begin? How about three timezones away in sunny San Francisco, where the Giants continued their varsity schedule against the surprising 7-1 49ers. Here on the east coast, the success of a west coast team is usually just word of mouth. Except, as it turns out, in the case of the niners, who have played more than enough games east of the Mississippi to get a good look at. They've torn through the NFC East, going 3-1 after Sunday, and also have wins at Detroit and Cincinnatti, closer to home than California. And that all makes you look at the quality teams San Fran has run through on their way to an 8-1 start. In the same vein a win at Philly meant a lot more when the schedules came out than it does now, road wins at the Lions (6-3) and Bengals (6-3) are downright impressive at the current NFL juncture. Their only loss was to a hot-at-anytime Dallas Cowboys team in OT. In a sense, the Giants have nothing to be ashamed about. And they probably aren't. But there's more to their performance and its implications than W's and L's.

One of a very select group of people that can eat Brandon Jacobs.

          The Giants played a well enough game to be sure, and yes, they left a lot of points on the board with two long first half drives netting only six points on two mid-20 yard field goals. Yes, the final drive of the game was a bit of a downer, but the G-men played a good game against a great team in their building and lost. It happens. What stinks are the tiebreaker implications in all of this. The Giants trail the Niners by two games now for one of the NFC's byes (probably the second seed, because let's be honest, no one's catching the Pack.) There's a good chance they won't catch San Fran, who still have five games in their own decrepit division to play. Now the focus shifts to keeping the New Orleans Saints and their red-hot Quarterback at bay. Oh, speaking of red hot, the Giants now have the Dallas Cowboys breathing right down their necks. Did I mention that three of their last seven games are against the Saints and Cowboys, respectively? Yikes.

"At least we're not the Eagles!"

          Now, unlike the Giants, who did alright for themselves in a loss, the Jets put up an absolute stinker in the Meadowlands air on Sunday night, losing 37-16 to the always ahead Patriots. Presented with a golden opportunity the likes of which rarely happens in Gang Green, New Joisey, the Jets found tin and called it a day. Here came Brady and the Pats. Arch-rivals, bad guys the dudes you just wanna beat. Here they came on a two game losing streak, beaten and stumbling. Here they came, with first place in the AFC East on the line. And the Jets played scared again. The D looked like the almighty Mangina was still calling plays. Tom Brady was taking full advantage of his daylight saving's time extra-hour in the pocket. Aaron Maybin whiffed on a few gimme sacks, which isn't really a joke and more the tagline of his career. Vernon Gholston could have gotten more pressure than the Jets front four. Ochocinco even got in on the action! It was a night to forget. Also, Rex Ryan apparently doesn't entirely believe the hoodie is a better coach than the sweater vest.

Rick Mirer thinks he could've done better Sunday Night.

          Look, the Jets aren't better than the Patriots, we all know that. But they did beat them twice the last two seasons at home, not to mention the playoff triumph last season. So under Rex, the idea that the Jets had to pencil in two losses before the season even started was all but erased from Jet thought. Not this season. The Jets have looked horrendous against the Pats in both meetings this year. From week to week, the word is Mark Sanchez is regressing, and I don't know if that's true or not, but regardless, it's a topic for another week. What is true is the gap between the Jets and New England is widening. Rex Ryan had made it bridgeable, and this season, it seems to have reverted to a chasm. The Jets got punked at home by the Patriots. That tagline was getting old the last two years. Now it seems unfortunately appropriate again. And to make matters worse, the Jets head to Denver on a short week in which they have to prepare for the most enigmatic offense in the league. This is a game they can't afford to lose. It's also a game they could very easily drop. Tough night for the green and white.

Also, the Bills lost. Bad. The Bills loss shows what's wrong with the American economy. It would have made more sense to stay in Buffalo and forfeit the game, donate the travel fees to charity and just gear up for next week. But the schedule called for them to get whipped in Texas, and whipped in Texas they were. What a week.

-SlideStep

NFL Week 7 Picks

Week 7 NFL Picks in 140 characters or less

          What an unfortunate week for the NFL. Not that no one will tune in, but the slated primetime games for week touchdown stink. Colts-Saints? Okay, that one's understandable, since the primetime picks are made well in advance of the NFL preseason, and a recent Super Bowl rematch is usually a solid get. But Ravens-Jaguars? What was the thinking behind that one, ESPN? MJD versus the Ravens D? The public execution of Blaine Gabbert? A dream matchup between two animals who wouldn't fight in nature? Looks like this Monday night will be a good time to pick up some overtime hours. Here are the OneHop picks for Week 7, in 140 characters or less.

San Diego Chargers(4-1) at New York Jets(3-3)
San Diego's circadian rhythm says its 10am, we shouldn't be playing football. Rex Ryan's mouth will fix the lethargy for Phillip Rivers and co. #ShutUpRex
SD 24-NYJ 14

Seattle Seahawks (2-3) at Cleveland Browns (2-3)
Ehh, this game. Teams are too good for Luck and too bad for anything else. #Whatareweplayingfor
CLE 20-SEA 17

Atlanta Falcons (3-3) at Detroit Lions (5-1)
Matty Ice fails to keep his cool in frenzied Ford Field. #MoTownThanYouCanHandle
DET 24-ATL 17

Houston Texans (3-3) at Tennessee Titans (3-2)
Hobbled Houston loses ground in Manningless division race. #whocares
TEN 31-HOU 24

Denver Broncos (1-4) at Miami Dolphins (0-5)
Fins honor 08 Gators, in time for Tebow. If the Fins win, they can have Tebow next year. #SuckforLuck
MIA 20-DEN 16

Chicago Bears (3-3) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-2)
Cussin Cutler stumbles against Freeman's panhandle pirates.
Bucs ride late offensive wave to victory. #TellMartzF*%kHim
TB 20-CHI 17

Washington Redskins (3-2) at Carolina Panthers (1-5)
How often is a 1-5 team a no brainer? Newton scores second NFL win. Indian giving Skins want McNabb back. #QBHelpWanted
CAR 24-WAS 19


Kansas City Chiefs (2-3) at Oakland Raiders (4-2)
Carson or Kyle, Raiders romp for Al in emotional first home game since Davis's death. #JustWinBaby
OAK 27-KC 13

Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) at Arizona Cardinals (1-4)
Maybe I was wrong about recent SB rematches being generally memorable. #WheresKurtWarner
PIT 27-ARZ 14

St. Louis Rams (0-5) at Dallas Cowboys (2-3)
Bradford hasn't practiced all week. Romo will play. Which one is better for the Rams? #RomonotbeingRomo
DAL 31-STL 13

Green Bay Packers (6-0) at Minnesota Vikings (1-5)
What is there to (Christian) Ponder? Rodgers is the best. #Metrodromemassacre
GB 34-MINN 10

Indianapolis Colts (0-6) at New Orleans Saints (4-2)
Super Bowl rematch includes no Peyton picks or Painter TDs. Saints rebound in Sunday night snoozer. #wherestheremote
NO 24-IND 9

Baltimore Ravens (4-1) at Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5)
Ray Lewis and co decleat Gabbert, send flowers to his hospital bed. Gabbert considers putting communications degree to use. #welcometotheNFL
BAL 38-JAX 13 



-OneHop

Carson Back in Cali.

      It's been ten days and all of Raider Nation and the NFL could still feel the presence and spirit of the late Al Davis. Today the Raiders pulled of a trade that had an eerie Al Davis feel to it. The Oakland Raiders traded their 2012 1st round draft pick and a conditional 2013 2nd round draft pick that will become a 1st round pick if the Raiders win a playoff game this season with Carson Palmer under center.
      Both teams could potentially be winners in this deal. The Raiders have a offense that is on the ground running and ready to roll, all that's missing is someone to put the ball/offense into motion. Carson Palmer could and will fit perfectly into this playbook. Hue Jackson knows Carson like the back of his hand and Carson knows Hue's playbook and style like he played for him in USC and Cincinnati. With McFadden and Bush setting the pace and tone of this offense, speedy receivers will be running lose waiting for Carson and Hue to call plays that will get them the ball. This Oakland offense  is ready to explode and they don't necessarily need a gunslinger. This young team needs a leader, veteran wisdom and a smart QB who could deliver the ball and show them how to put it all together.
       The Bengals are 4-2 ! An offense led by Andy "Don't Call Me Ginger" Dalton and a young A.J. Green. A defense that lost Jonathon Joseph but still ranked top 5 in the NFL. This young team is not overachieving, they're a young team that is learning how to put it all together and win in the NFL. They may not make the playoffs playing in a division with the Ravens and Steelers, but they've had already made a name for themselves as a team to watch out for. With an extra 1st round pick in the next draft and another potential 1st round pick in 2013 but at least a 2nd round pick, this team is in a prime spot to get the right pieces needed to become contenders and show the league that they're for real. It did not take Packers long to stop missing Brett Farve and it will take the Bengals less time to move on after Carson...who?

-One Hop

A Very Special Super Bowl

    

I was once asked "who do you think were the best football movie athletes/characters ?" But I did one better: I gave said person the greatest football movie scene ever (if I were ever allowed to write a movie scene, yet alone be allowed within 100 yards of a movie set.)
      Ultimate Football Movie Scene- Nigel "The Leg" Gruff (The Replacements) stands, staring down field as the leagues most feared Return Man, Forrest Gump (Forrest Gump,) is returning his kick off. He stands there hoping his gunner Bobby Boucher (The Water Boy) will bring Gump down and possibly take him out the game, like Boucher  has done all season to anyone who dares cross the 50 yard line. It's not going to be easy, because special teams coach Radio (Radio) has been drawing up some really tricky schemes that have allowed the speedster return man Gump  to get into the endzone. Some say Gump and Radio speak their own language. Gruff needs his team to get the stop because his gambling problems have finally caught up to him. In the stands, sits his dangerous, violent , break your-legs-if-you-don't-pay bookie, Rain Man (Rain Man). But as he looks into the stands, his worries are quelled. He's no longer focused on the game or his bookie. He sees a man and his little daughter sharing an ice cream cone, enjoying the moment and the game. That mans name is Sam.


-One Hop

Sport Psychology

Names: Do they tell your destiny? (NFL)

      Name, its defined as: a word or a combination of words by which a person, place, or thing, a body or class, or any object of thought is designated, called or known. But in the world of sports, a name is more than just a title. Your name could dictate whether you have a long lasting career, whether you're a feast or famine player and definitely gives it away when a team just wasted a franchise pick , because you're going to be bust and nothing more, because your full government name just told us so.
Let's cut right to the chase.  "And with the second pick in the 1998 NFL Draft, the San Diego Chargers select Ryan Leaf, Quarterback,  Washington State". Where in that sentence do you see "hope, future, championship, franchise QB?"  Nowhere. The name Ryan Leaf sounds like a 4th grade math teacher. "Mr. Leaf, may I please go to the bathroom?" It doesn't sound like it could be succeeded with "Super Bowl MVP." Just saying that made me chuckle a little. Fast forward 12 years, and The Chargers have a top 5 QB at the helm named Rivers. Philip Rivers.  Now that's a name that says gunslinger, throw bombs in the end-zone, successful NFL Quarterback.
      But not every players misfortune on the field is a result of his full name. In some cases an unsuspecting athlete will fall victim to a letter being out of place. Consider if you will, one Joey Harrington. First off, nothing much is expected from you if you're the starting QB of the Detroit Lions. But with that being said, Joey Joey Joey, sounds like the man who never was. The man who always came close but fell short, never made an entrance when entering a room. Now what if he was named Joe Harrington ? Then he would be a grizzled QB, known for not being scared, getting into bar brawls the night before the game and the QB who came into Detroit, kicked ass and took names. A guy named Joey Montana was not going to win 5 super bowls. Joey Namath? He would never make a guarantee. Mean "Joey" Green? Probably drinks Pepsi. A young hot shot named Joey Flacco goes into that tenacious Ravens locker room and gains respect? Not even in your slightest dreams.
      Hey look, I know there are no sabre-metrics or advanced calculations to back this all up, and young parents, naming your kid Peyton or Tom doesn't guarantee him a spot in Canton. I mean, if you already picked Reginald, why go through all the trouble of changing that garish name now? But if you want your kids to have a better shot at hitting boxcars in the veritable crap shoot that is professional football success, try calling him Reggie. At the very least, it'll make high school easier.

-One Hop