Monday, Oct. 15, 2001

Monday Musings

Photo finishes; streakin’ Strahan; tough-luck Rams

By Jeff Reynolds, Associate editor of special projects

Then again, when you subtract Buffalo, Washington and Dallas from a Sunday schedule, you literally take out the trash.

• Some of the season’s best individual performances were on display Sunday, including the one-man defensive show that is Michael Strahan. The New York Giants’ defensive end had four sacks, running his total to 8.5 on the season. He also forced a fumble and was in on six tackles.

• The runner-up to Strahan was Seahawks S Reggie Tongue. While DT John Randle & Co. were pressuring Denver QB Brian Griese, Tongue intercepted two passes, returned one for a 55-yard touchdown, recorded a sack and made 10 tackles

• Colts QB Peyton Manning probably didn’t picture it like this in his backyard, but Raiders DB Anthony Dorsett may have. The two progenies hooked up when Manning, son of Hall of Famer Archie, was picked off by Dorsett, son of Hall of Famer Tony, and returned 39 yards for a touchdown.

• We’re ready to grant Seahawks coach and general manager Mike Holmgren a redo. Holmgren’s loyalty to RB Ricky Watters may have been just, but you have to wonder what kind of reputation second-year RB Shaun Alexander would have right now had he logged time as the starter during Seattle’s six-win season in 2000. My guess is Alexander would be under the 159 rushing yards per game and two-touchdown averages he has in two starts this season.

• One of the reasons Holmgren left Alexander on the bench was his inability, or unwillingness, to pick up the blitz. The matador-style block attempt looked to have spread to Raiders RB Tyrone Wheatley and Broncos RB Mike Anderson Sunday. Both backs failed to chip or cut unblocked defenders who came up with sacks.

• The St. Louis Rams have stabilized their place as the best team in the NFL. Forget the wealth of talent; the gritty 15-14 win over New York Sunday told us all we needed to know about the makeup of a champion. Their next test comes over the next three to four weeks when the offense looks to continue raring without one of its key components, RB Marshall Faulk. Faulk sprained his surgically repaired knee after fumbling twice, his third fumble in two games. Prior to putting the ball on the ground last week at Detroit, Faulk had gone 501 touches without a fumble.

• Who would have expected the comeback of the day to come out of the Minnesota-Detroit game? OK, but from Detroit? That’s exactly what happened when QB Charlie Batch pumped life into the Lions after they trailed 31-6, but Detroit’s rally fell short, 31-26. Midway through the fourth quarter, Batch’s numbers read like this: 24-of-27, two touchdowns, 129 quarterback rating. You’d like to think things are starting to look up in the Motor City. I’d like to remind you that this came against the pass rush of DEs Lance Johnstone and Talance Sawyer and the pass defense of Kenny Wright and Eric Kelly.

• It didn’t hurt me to see both Super Bowl representatives from a year ago lose Sunday. It felt even better to see Ravens MLB Ray Lewis record only two solo tackles and watch his defense get shredded for 337 passing yards. Let’s see ya dance now, Ray.

• Seattle is finally healthy, and the AFC West is a logjam with Oakland (4-1), Seattle (3-2), Denver (3-2) and San Diego (3-2) in contention for the division crown, with Kansas City (1-4) driving Dick Vermeil to tears of another kind.

• Here’s one passenger jumping off the Aaron Brooks bandwagon. The Saints’ QB did his best to throw away the game at Carolina, putting up 40 passes and completing just 14. Brooks is completing just 49 percent of his passes and should be thanking his stars for the presence of RB Ricky Williams. Before Williams took the pitch around left end for a touchdown in the final seconds to beat the Panthers Sunday, all he had done was run for 147 yards to go with 41 yards receiving.

• Way too many analysts describe players as underrated. In the case of San Francisco QB Jeff Garcia, the description fits. Garcia has the 49ers off to a 4-1 start, with only a loss to the St. Louis Rams marring their record. For his latest trick, Garcia pulled a victory from the jaws of defeat by connecting with WR Terrell Owens for game-tying and game-winning touchdowns. Garcia finished 27-of-41 for 332 yards and three touchdowns passing; 14 carries for 70 yards and a rushing touchdown.

• DT Warren Sapp said in the preseason that he would break the single-season sack record of 22, set by Mark Gastineau, this season. Including one sack of Steve McNair Sunday, Sapp has ONE total sack in four games this season. Get busy, big fella!

The Archives
2001 - 2002 Season