NFL News, Notes and Rumors for Week 10 of the Regular Season

News:

What have we learned from Week 9 of the NFL season?

5.  The Bengals have gotten to their current record of 6-2 by beating weak or very weak teams.  They struggled to beat the Titans a team without a quarterback and with a running back weighted down with an over-stuffed wallet.

4. The "All-Star" team formerly known as the Eagles is not going to make the playoffs. At 3-5, they are a long way from a playoff spot now and have gotten worse over the last couple of weeks. They cannot protect quarterback Michael Vick or stop the run.

3.  The 49ers will make the playoffs by default. The NFC West is so weak that it should be banned from the playoffs.

2.  The Ravens play their best against the Steelers. Their comeback in the last minute against the Steelers indicates they are really good. But their loss to the lowly Jaguars says they play down to the level of their competition. They will beat the Bengals and win the AFC North division title.

1.  The Packers are really good. They have issues in the defensive backfield, but no team so far has been able to take advantage of that weakness. They have a real chance of going 16-0.

Other News:

• The 9-6 win by LSU over Alabama was a defensive gem. There were 10-12 defensive backs alone in that game that will play in the NFL. While some may have thought the game was dull, the NFL scouts in the stands were treated to a great college football game. The BCS will not allow a replay, but these are the two best teams in the country. 

• The Pats released defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth after a confrontation with the coaching staff. Defensive line coach Pepper Johnson and Haynesworth got into an argument over his lack of production and playing time. Haynesworth will be picked up by some team, but it looks like he needs an attitude readjustment.
• The Redskins cut wide receiver Donte Stallworth. 

Injuries:

Injuries continue to cost key players games:

• Steelers wide receiver Sanders has undergone arthroscopic knee surgery and will miss a couple of weeks.
• The Cardinals hope that quarterback Kevin Kolb will be ready to play this week. He has missed games with injuries to his toe and foot.
• The Jaguars have put tight end Rucker on Injured Reserve, ending his 2011 season.
• The Cowboys have lost wide receiver Miles Austin for several weeks with a hamstring injury. They are not likely to get running back Darren McFadden back for their game this week. He has missed the previous two games in part because he is not big enough to be a feature back.

• The Bears are worried about wide receiver/kick returner Devin Hester’s leg injury. He will be checked out this week.
• Rams’ offensive tackle Smith will not practice until he passes the concussion tests to make sure he is symptom free.
• The Buccaneers have lost defensive tackle Gerald McCoy for the season and have placed him on Injured Reserve. They signed defensive tackle John McCargo to replace McCoy on the roster.
• The Bills have put Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kyle Williams on Injured Reserve, ending his season.

Notes:

• The loss by the Pats in the last couple of games has shown the lack of athleticism on the roster. QB Tom Brady lacks a deep threat that can consistently catch the ball. The defense struggles to cover receivers and stop the running game. Bill Belichick is a great coach but has failed as an evaluator of talent. The team is undermanned and no amount of schemes can cover that up.

• Panther TE Jeremy Shockey is looking for a contract extension. However, he is 31 and has only 23 catches this year. The team will not rush to extend his contract.
• The NFL has flexed the Patriots-Colts game off the prime-time schedule for week 13. This game has been moved to 1 p.m. EDT. A replacement Sunday night game will be selected by Nov. 22.

Rumors:

There will be a lot of changes in Indy after this season of despair. The one thing that must be very obvious to everyone is that the offensive shortcomings we see in 2011 have been covered up in previous seasons by the brilliance of quarterback Peyton Manning. But this team lacks both physical talent and heart. 

Colts’ owner Robert Irsay recently said the changes would involve more than just the coaching staff. Sources close to the Colts indicate that general manager Chris Polian’s job may also be in question. There is no question the team has had consistently bad drafts. Look for the general manager and head coach to be replaced.

Just when it looked like the Chiefs had turned things around, they dropped a stink bomb at home on Sunday by losing to the previously winless Dolphins 31-3. The smell was so bad the team may have to call in the Super Fund to remove the lingering odor. I was the first one to report the tension between head coach Haley and then offensive coordinator Charlie Weis more than a year before the latter resigned to take a similar job with the University of Florida.

With Weis gone, the offense has been totally dependent on the head coach. That has been a failure. Look for changes in Kansas City after the season as well.

The decision by the Browns to start quarterback Colt McCoy was done in part to find out if he might be the future of the club in that position. But despite Holmgren’s comments that the club was fine at the wide receiver position, it is clear that McCoy cannot depend on his receivers or his protection. 

The team has its top 3 running backs out with injuries, including Peyton Hillis, who ran for 1,177 yards last year and caught 61 passes. The bottom line is that the team cannot make any definitive decision about McCoy because of the lack of weapons around him. Look for the team to draft a quarterback in the second or third round in 2012 and let that player compete with McCoy for the starting job.

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