Fbkid's Monday Morning Quarterback

Usually I don't have the chance to do an article about the happenings in all of Sunday's games so here is a special editon of my thoughts on what happened this week in the NFL.


When Shaun Rogers wants to play, he is a monster. It is rare that a defensive tackle stands out and has that big an impact on the entire game. Rogers had 9 tackles along with a sack, a blocked field goal and he also recovered the blocked field goal. He also helped the Browns hold Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew to 53 yards on 20 carries. Overall the Browns defense is a very underrated unit and players like Rogers, D'Qwell Jackson, Sean Jones and Eric Wright could be getting free trips to Hawaii in the next few years. Derek Anderson also made some big time throws including a 53 yard pass to Syndric Steptoe between two defenders.

What a difference a year makes for Matt Jones. A year ago Jaguars fans are calling for his head and wanting him out of town. Now they are praying they throw the ball to him when the game comes down to the wire. Even though he could miss 3 games for his incident this offseason, Jones has been one of the most improved players in the league this season. Fans are also wondering where Jerry Porter is. The team signed Porter to a 6 year deal worth $30 million. So far this season he only has 1 catch for 6 yards in 4 games. With every passing game, fans think he will breakout, here is the slogan for his stay in Jacksonville. "The Jerry Porter Era: Maybe Next Week" Porter has the potential to make a huge impact for the Jaguars but so far he has made the teams signing of Hugh Douglas 5 years ago look like a bargin.

While many of the AFC's powers struggle this year, don't be surprised if the Texans emerge as a potential wild card. They are getting hot at the right time and due to how tough the AFC South was last year they are playing a last place schedule. If Andre Johnson and Matt Schaub continue to play this well, the offense is going to be hard to stop.

While most people look for players out of big conferences such as the SEC and Pac-10 to become stars at the next level, Conference USA is very quietly having a big impact this year on the league. Rookies such as Chris Johnson(East Carolina), Matt Forte(Tulane) and Donnie Avery(Houston) have become big play threats and key weapons for there team. That's not all though as David Garrard(East Carolina), Brandon Marshall(UCF) and Asante Samuel(UCF)have also played well this year.

With many of the league's receivers lashing at their coaches and starting trouble in the media, it's time that some of the league's most underrated receivers get their due. Roddy White has very quitely been one of the most productive receivers in the league this year as he is 3rd in the league with 679 yards. White also has 43 receptions along with 5 touchdowns and that's with a rookie quarterback throwing him the ball. White and Matt Ryan could be one of the league's elite tandems in the next few years. Another receiver is Anquan Boldin. While most people got caught up in the Chad Johnson circus this offseason, Boldin wanted a bigger contract as well. But unlike Johnson, Boldin didn't legally change his last name and is putting his money where his mouth is. In 5 games, Boldin has 36 catches 429 yards and is one of the league leaders with 7 touchdowns. With those kind of numbers, it's about time for Boldin to get payed.

The Steelers offensive line is really going to have to improve. Ben Roethisberger got sacked 5 times against the Giants and was hit even more. While many people praised the Steelers draft in April, they didn't need to take glorified positions such as running back and wide receiver in the first two rounds. Instead, they should have added offensive line depth as right now Rashard Mendenhall is out for the season and Limas Sweed has only played one game and has 3 catches for 28 yards.

The Redskins need to learn how to put teams away. They outgained the Lions 439 to 274 in total yards but that didn't show up in the scoreboard only winning 25-17. Yes, a win is a win but the Lions shouldn't have been in that game in the 4th quarter. Especially with the way Jason Campbell was throwing the ball.

The Jets aren't as good as people think. When you are playing the Chiefs at home and you think that you a contender that is a game you need to win in a big way. The game can't be decided in the last minute like it was. They were outplayed for the majority of the game. If Tyler Thigpen plays like he did on Sunday though, the Chiefs are going to be in a lot of games as they have lots of young talent.

Mike Singletary made the right move sending Vernon Davis to the locker room. This was made into a really big deal by many in the national media. But it was a very good move by Singletary. He is trying to show them how to play the game the way he does and he is an admitted "old school" guy so don't be surprised if this happens a game. Singletary also tried to show a message to his players that what Davis did isn't acceptable and won't be tolerated for the rest of the season. If Singletary had his way, he would probably give the ball to Frank Gore 25 times a game and have Patrick Willis and the defense do the rest. With J.T. O'Sullivan at quarterback, that is a very good strategy for the team to win games but with Mike Martz calling the plays, it is very unlikely.