Monday, Oct. 8, 2001

Monday Musings

Zero-for-Monday; seeing Green; Browns are back

By Jeff Reynolds, Associate editor of special projects

With Watters now expected to miss up to eight weeks with a shoulder injury, Alexander put on his best face and gained 176 yards and scored two touchdowns in a 24-15 win over Jacksonville to lift Seattle to 2-2.

• The catch of the day could have gone to a number of players, including Joe Horn (New Orleans) for a midair adjustment against Minnesota, or David Boston (Arizona), who made a juggling grab against Philadelphia. But the honor belongs to Kansas City TE Tony Gonzalez, who managed a seated grab after two Denver defenders deflected a pass from QB Trent Green.

• He would never use it as an excuse for an interception, but Jets QB Vinny Testaverde is colorblind. Perhaps he could see Green, as in Kansas City QB Trent Green. Coach Dick Vermeil brought Green in for his "uncanny accuracy." Sunday at Denver, Green’s leading receiver was TE Tony Gonzalez, but Broncos LCB Deltha O’Neal wasn’t far behind. O’Neal intercepted four passes, tying an NFL record for interceptions in a single game. He dropped another sure pick.

• Don’t expect Kansas State graduate and Carolina Panthers S Jarrod Cooper to challenge Roy Jones Jr. for the title as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. In Sunday’s game at San Francisco, Cooper (6-0, 210) had his helmet removed before taking a running, helmet-first blow to the chin from 6-3, 300-pound OG Ray Brown, then was ejected from the game for a swing and a miss. Stick and move, kid. Stick and move.

• If you don’t have plans next Monday, make them now. When was the last time you took the wife to dinner instead of watching "Monday Night Football"? Here’s your chance. You are sure to score more points than the Redskins and Cowboys, who meet in Dallas Oct. 15 in a meeting of two winless teams.

• LaDainian Tomlinson has 412 yards four games into the season. San Diego rushed for 1,000 yards as a team last season and has not had a 1,000-yard rusher since Natrone Means in 1994.

• You can start the Coach of the Year campaign for Butch Davis right now. Davis should be unbeaten, with a 9-6 opening-week loss to Seattle serving as the only blemish on the Browns’ record. Davis has brought a winning attitude to a team that had only five wins in the last two seasons combined. It got win No. 3 Sunday, when QB Tim Couch marched the team down the field for the winning score in the fourth quarter and a come-from-behind victory. Davis was the DL coach at Miami in 1984 when Doug Flutie hit Gerard Phelan with the game-winning Hail Mary and went on to win the Heisman Trophy. Davis said he was nervous once Flutie crossed the 50-yard line. One attempt fell in the endzone, just a few feet from an uncovered WR Curtis Conway.

• The Eagles were Snake-bitten again. Leading 17-14 with 1 minute, 30 seconds on the clock, QB Jake Plummer led the Cardinals onto the turf at The Vet knowing he had brought his team from behind four other times against Philadelphia. Just as Plummer did when he handed Andy Reid his first professional coaching defeat, Plummer found MarTay Jenkins for the decisive score from 35 yards out. Many have tapped Philly for the playoffs, but a postseason contender doesn’t lose close games at home, where the Eagles are a frustrated 0-2. Now all they have to do to get back on track is beat the Giants, who have won nine in a row over Philly, in New York.

• How about Bears LB Brian Urlacher’s performance Sunday? All Urlacher did to help Chicago’s cause in a 31-3 rout of Atlanta was record five solo tackles, a sack, an interception and return a fumble 90 yards for a touchdown.

• With an injury to the AC joint in his left shoulder, Saints RB Ricky Williams decided the same malady that forced former New Orleans QB Bobby Hebert to miss eight weeks wasn’t enough to keep him off the field. Those who have questioned this kid’s toughness in the past need only look at his 134-yard rushing performance Sunday against Minnesota for a rebuttal.

• Is it too soon for a Rob Johnson-Alex Van Pelt QB controversy in Buffalo? No, but I’d prefer Bills coach Gregg Williams handle Johnson with care until Oct. 28 when Doug Flutie rolls out the welcome mat and unleashes Junior Seau and the hounds on the brittle beau.

• Dallas RB Emmitt Smith has not scored a rushing touchdown yet this season. Cowboys PK Tim Seder crossed the goal line on an eight-yard jaunt last week in Oakland on a fake field goal.

• It’s time to start the playoff-suicide watch in Tennessee. The Titans, a chic pick to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, are 0-3 following a loss to Baltimore Sunday. The time is coming for Minnesota, too. And good luck finding the "experts" who said Washington would make the playoffs.

• Finally, we would like to encourage football fans to join us as we track Tampa Bay DT Warren Sapp’s sack total throughout this season. Let’s explain. Sapp said in the preseason that this would be the year that he would break the single-season sack record of 22, set by former Jets DE Mark Gastineau. Including zero sacks of Brett Favre Sunday, Sapp has zero total sacks in three games this season. He’s on pace for a total of zero sacks this season.

The Archives
2001 - 2002 Season