Short Cuts: Jermichael the Joker

After watching every play from every game this past weekend, and talking to some people who have broken down the games on film this week, here are some random thoughts from last week.

• The Packers were using TE Jermichael Finley(notes) as a moveable joker last week, and it really gave their offense a boost. With him in the mix, QB Aaron Rodgers(notes) may develop more rhythm.

• Lions TE Brandon Pettigrew(notes) is not going to be a great receiver – he’s an old school TE, not the new-breed athletic TE we see so many of these days. He’ll be good for what he is, and he’s an excellent blocker, but he’s just not that athletic.

• Dallass was horrendous on offense last week. They were trying to hide QB Tony Romo(notes). They game planned to hide him, so it was more than just running the ball more. The offense has zero rhythm right now, and there’s no discipline to Romo’s game at all, so it’s a big problem moving forward. He’ll probably still make some big plays, but he has big downside the rest of the season.

• The Redskins defense dominated the Cowboys offense last week. It looked like their defense was playing at faster speed than the Cowboys.

• The Raiders really rushed the passer well last week – they were quicker than the Bengals OL.

• The Giants may settle into being a passing offense the rest of the way, which is the opposite of what we’re used to seeing. WR Hakeem Nicks(notes) is going to be really good, but Mario Manningham(notes) is really playing well, so they may even end up being a 3-WR offense with these two and Steve Smith. They threw the ball down the field more to TE Kevin Boss(notes), so they were very aggressive with the passing game. Their talent is leading them to being a passing game.

• The Giants OL is not playing particularly well this year. RB Brandon Jacobs(notes) is running hard, but he’s not running through tacklers like he used to.

• They were doing a good job earlier in the season, but the Broncos defense hasn’t rushed the passer very well lately.

• Falcons QB Matt Ryan’s(notes) still not looking very sharp, but he was a little better last week. He’s still not getting the ball to the intermediate and deeper levels, so he might not be seeing things still.

• Falcons RB Jason Snelling(notes) was about as good as we thought he’d be last week. He ran hard and well at times, but his skill set is not that of a starting NFL back.

• Bucs QB Josh Freeman(notes) was bad last week. He lost some of his poise, and he didn’t see the rush well. He doesn’t look very comfortable, likely because he’s not seeing things.

• The Bengals know their OL has issues, and that they really have only one WR, so they don’t throw it as much as we think they should. The loss of Chris Henry was big, even though he wasn’t catching a lot of passes. They miss his dynamic ability.

• Bengals RB Bernard Scott(notes) ran pretty well last week, but he doesn’t have much vertical speed. He’s more of a quickness guy who runs hard and always falls forward. He’s probably not a lead back in the NFL, though, and will need to be in a rotation much like Giants RB Ahmad Bradshaw(notes).

• The Titans are doing the right thing with QB Vince Young(notes). They know what he is and what he isn’t. They limit his reads and progressions, and they are okay with him taking off and running a lot. He’s never going to be a legit QB throwing the ball, but it’s extremely hard for NFL defenses to stop the triple option they are running with Young right now, so he’s going to be very effective the rest of the year, as will their whole offense. He’s going to run for a lot of yards the rest of year. In fact, he’s even more deadly on the ground than ever, thanks to Chris Johnson. When Young does throw it, he’s throwing it well, with accuracy. The Titans will have success every week with this, unless they are playing from far behind.

• The Vikings OL has a lot of holes in the running game, and Adrian Peterson’s not a very patient runner. His propensity to get the ball and go has hurt his production this year, and he would be better off being a little more patient. This is why he has a lot of short runs this year, but also because their OL has not been very good as a run-blocking line.

• Bears QB Jay Cutler(notes) has zero confidence right now. He’s not seeing things, and he’s afraid to make throws. He’s in about as bad of shape as a QB can be. He’s good enough to work his way out of it, but it’s going to be a slow process, and the Bears need to get the ball out of his hands quickly with a lot of three- and five-step drops. The problem is, defenses know this.

• Vikings QB Brett Favre(notes) has never played better mentally than he has this year. He’s been unreal in the red zone. His speed of decision making and his accuracy in the red zone is incredible. He’s not making any poor throws that make you scratch your head at all. He’s seeing things in slow motion right now, like he invented red-zone offense.

• Jets QB Mark Sanchez(notes) is going through a terrible time. He’s so overly reactive and he’s playing so fast mentally and physically. His footwork is not good, and you can judge a QB from the waist down. He shouldn’t be playing right now and may be better off sitting for a while.

• Eagles RB LeSean McCoy(notes) looked quicker than he has all year last week. He ran hard, yet he was also very shifty and elusive.

• The Eagles are struggling with a lot of leakage in pass protection, so TE Brent Celek(notes) is being used more as a blocker.

• Redskins RB Rock Cartwright(notes) is really tough, and he moves a little better than we thought. But this isn’t a tough offense to defend, so it won’t be easy for him while he’s the guy. The Redskins don’t have a consistent or dangerous passing game, obviously.

• Redskins QB Jason Campbell(notes) needs weapons because he doesn’t make people around him better. He’ll give guys a chance to make plays, but he doesn’t do things at a quick tempo.

• The Colts ran the ball the best they have all year last week. It was actually a sustaining factor in their offense for the first time all year. They were efficient and they stayed with it. RB Joseph Addai(notes) ran well.

• Texans QB Matt Schaub(notes) is hanging in there and maintaining a solid level of play without TE Owen Daniels(notes), who was looking like one of the best 1-3 TEs in the league before going down.

• Texans RB Chris Brown used to have some juice, but he’s lost that. He basically has no game.

• Texans WR Kevin Walter(notes) is what he is, which is a No. 3 in the NFL, ideally. He has good size, hands, and awareness, but he’s not that quick and fast. He’s just not getting open this year and they are having trouble getting Walter back in the flow.

• Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles(notes) needs space to run effectively; he’s an edge runner with no physicality, so the Chiefs have no inside running game.

• Chiefs QB Matt Cassel(notes) is an average NFL thrower with an average arm. The ball comes out erratically, and he needs space in front of him to throw it effectively. You’re almost surprised when he makes a good throw.

• Chargers RB LaDainian Tomlinson(notes) still has issues with balance and body control, but there’s certainly quickness with him lately that was not present early in the season. They are committing to him more, and he’s getting into a better rhythm, so that’s been the key. They are running the ball more, and that’s also taking some pressure off their defense.

• 49ers QB Alex Smith is much better in the shotgun and when they spread it out. If he’s to have any chance to enjoy sustained success, he has to be in the shotgun, but they probably won’t go to it unless they are behind. Smith did make a great throw on that TD to TE Vernon Davis(notes), who continues to basically just run in a straight line and split the safeties. His game is limited, but it’s really working.

• Jaguars WR Mike Sims-Walker(notes) has become a very solid NFL receiver. They are a scheme passing game, a lot of play-action, and it’s really making him look good because he’s always open, sometimes wide open.

• Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger(notes) has had a hard time the last two weeks. They are throwing it too much lately, yet he’s not seeing things that clearly and he’s holding on to the ball too much. Despite the numbers last week, the Chief defense got to him.

• The Ravens passing game is struggling still. QB Joe Flacco(notes) is not quite as quick with his decision making this year, so the picture isn’t as clear for him right now. He does not get a clear picture, particularly when he throws in between the numbers.

Near Misses
I don’t claim that these are every near miss from this past weekend, but this is what I saw.

• Eagles QB Donovan McNabb(notes) threw a pass to TE Brent Celek in the end zone, but he led him a little too far.

• Bears QB Jay Cutler just missed TE Greg Olsen(notes) for a potential 35-yard TD. Cutler on the next play missed a wide open WR Devin Hester(notes) for what should have been a TD. Later in the game, Cutler missed an open Johnny Knox(notes) for what should have been a 70-yard TD. So he left 3 TDs on the field.

• There was a pass to Packers TE Jermichael Finley in the end zone early in the game, but it was batted away and they kicked a FG on the drive. Finley later had a 20-yard pass to him in the end zone, and there might have been interference, but it wasn’t called.

• Vikings WR Sidney Rice(notes) had a pass thrown to him in the end zone that was broken up on the play before Vishante Shiancoe’s TD.

• There was a pass to Ram WR Brandon Gibson(notes) in the end zone; he appeared to have lost the ball, or else it would have been a TD. He had another ball thrown to him in the end zone on a later drive, but it was also incomplete.

• Rams WR Danny Amendola(notes) just missed a TD on a 30-yard pass down the middle, but he was downed at the 1.

• Rams WR Donnie Avery(notes) had a 25-yard pass thrown to him in the end zone, but he was covered well by the Cardinal corner. Avery had another ball thrown to him in the end zone on the same drive, incomplete.

• Bills RB Fred Jackson(notes) had a 9-yard TD run nullified by penalty.

• Lions WR Calvin Johnson(notes) caught a 25-yard pass in the end zone, but he was ruled out of bounds. Later in the game, he was downed at the 1.

• Jags WR Mike Sims Walker caught a 30-yard pass and was tackled at the 1, so he came very close to scoring 2 TDs.

• Texans QB Vince Young just missed a TD on the ground, getting tackled at the 1.

• Bills WR Terrell Owens(notes) had a pass thrown to him in the end zone early in the game, but it was too high.

• Bengals RB Brian Leonard(notes) missed a TD by about an inch on a run, and then Carson Palmer(notes) snuck it in.

• Bills WR Lee Evans(notes) had a 45-yard TD called back on a holding penalty.

• Patriots QB Tom Brady(notes) almost hit WR Randy Moss(notes) for a 50-yard TD and then missed him in the end zone later in the game for a short score. But Moss scored on the next play.

• Steelers WR Mike Wallace(notes) had yet another pass thrown to him in the back of the end zone, but it was too high.

• Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger led RB Rashard Mendenhall(notes) too far on what could have easily been a 20-yard TD pass. But the play would have been called back due to holding.