Friday 19 December 2014 07:40, UK
Week 15 in the NFL allowed us to witness just how tough it is to make the jump from being a college quarterback to life as a passer in the professional ranks.
The starting debut of Cleveland’s Johnny Manziel was among the storylines that caught my eye this past weekend.
Johnny be bad!
Okay, can we all now please calm down when it comes to Manziel and stop anointing him as the second coming of Joe Montana?
I have been fed up with all the hype surrounding Manziel since he was drafted by the Cleveland Browns back in May. I felt all along that he was a limited pocket passer – at this stage of his young career – and that people expecting miracles similar to those he performed at Texas A&M when he reached the NFL were being naïve.
Manziel got a rude welcome to the big leagues on Sunday, failing to register a single point on the scoreboard in a 30-0 home loss to Cleveland’s arch rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals. Manziel looked out of his depth as he completed just 10 of 18 passes for 80 yards and two interceptions.
At times, he tried to inject the unique improvisational skills that made him a college star into the game against the Bengals. And against quicker and stronger athletes than he would ever have faced in college, Manziel was found wanting.
Such bumps in the road are to be expected with a rookie quarterback and we’ll see more Manziel now that the Browns are out of the playoff race. But here is the potential for an ongoing problem for Cleveland – Manziel comes across as relatively cocky and flashy and the Bengals took great pride in giving him a beating on Sunday. Opposing defences are going to bring their A-games every week when facing Manziel, which will make life even more challenging for the young signal-caller.
Consistent Patriots do it again
We talk all the time about how unpredictable the NFL has become and how any team can beat another on ‘any given Sunday’. We also talk quite a bit about how each year there is a surprise team that comes from lower down the NFL totem pole to challenge for honours.
All that is true but then, each year, we also have the New England Patriots, who have become a model of consistency that is historic in its greatness.
Some fans jealously begrudge the Patriots their success but I can’t help but admire their ability to win games year-in and year-out. With Sunday’s 41-13 hammering of the Miami Dolphins, New England clinched a sixth straight AFC East crown. In today’s parity-chasing NFL, that is outstanding.
New England’s streak of six straight division titles is second only to the Los Angeles Rams, who won their division seven years in a row from 1973-1979. With Bill Belichick marshalling his troops from the sidelines and with Tom Brady under centre, my money is on the Patriots matching that Rams’ record in 2015.
Enjoy it while it lasts
Denver Broncos fans can happily point to a big division win over San Diego on Sunday night (22-10 on the road) as proof that they are right in the thick of the Super Bowl race.
I would agree with that sentiment and think John Fox deserves some praise here for winning his fourth straight division title in Denver. And before you all shout about how easy that must be with Peyton Manning at the helm, let’s not forget that Foxy also won a title with Tim Tebow under centre.
The Broncos are Super Bowl contenders but I say enjoy it while it lasts because, to me, the physical skills of Peyton are deteriorating at quite an alarming rate. I know he had a thigh injury on Sunday night but some of his throws were really wobbling even before that.
As he showed with his 28-yard touchdown lob to Demaryius Thomas, Manning can still drop the ball on a sixpence from distance. But if required to do so in the cold and windy weather in the playoffs, can his arm drive the ball 30 yards downfield with serious velocity? I’m not sure the answer to that question is a resounding yes and I still wonder if Manning will consider retirement in the off-season.
More than ever as they enter the stretch run on the road to the Super Bowl, I feel these Broncos are going to need to lean on their running game and their defence. Manning can play his part and, of course, he will but he will need some help along the way.
Bills bully the NFL’s best
Given recent form, I don’t think it would have been an understatement to have said that the best quarterback in the NFL was heading into Buffalo to face the Bills on Sunday evening.
And Aaron Rodgers, of the Green Bay Packers, had a very torrid time indeed. The Buffalo Bills may not get much out of their offense, but their defence is top-notch and that side of the ball led the AFC East club to a surprising 21-13 win.
Rodgers threw a career-high 25 incompletions and was harried and harassed throughout the night. It was a classic case of a mauling defence getting the better of a high-powered attack and although it was surprising, few would say the Bills were not deserving winners.
Rodgers' stats line told the whole story, for me, as he hit on just 17 of 42 passes for 185 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions.
49ers run out of ideas
The San Francisco 49ers kissed goodbye to their chances of making the playoffs this season as they fell to a 17-7 defeat at the hands of the Seahawks in Seattle. For a team with such high standards, the 49ers being at 7-7 is quite the fall from grace.
I have spoken in the past about the lack of form being shown by quarterback Colin Kaepernick but the problems in San Francisco run a lot deeper than that. Every time I checked in on the 49ers via RedZone on Sunday night I was thinking, ‘I’ve seen that play before… and that one… and that one.’
In my opinion, there is a startling lack of creativity on this offense. Now, that could be due to a problem up front along the offensive line and it could also be because the Niners don’t fully trust Kaepernick. Whatever the reason, you cannot win a championship in the NFL playing offense like the 49ers.
If changes are coming during this off-season, I would imagine they will feature head coach Jim Harbaugh and then extend to offensive coordinator Greg Roman. I’m not sure if they reach as far as Kaepernick, but has he really shown a reason to be kept on board?
Luck must tidy up game
The Indianapolis Colts clinched the AFC South Division with their tenth win of the season on Sunday night but they need to tidy up their game if they are to advance deep into the playoffs.
Quarterback Andrew Luck was inconsistent for the second straight week as Indy recorded a 17-10 win over the Houston Texans. He threw an early pick six that gave the Texans an early lead but did find a way to fight back. But can he fight back in the postseason if he makes those mistakes against the likes of Peyton Manning and Tom Brady?
Luck is hard on himself and will not have been happy with his poor start, but he should not put it all on his shoulders. The Colts are struggling to protect their star quarterback and that pressure – J.J. Watt had another two sacks for the Texans – is resulting in mistakes.
Fortunately for the Colts, Luck has the spirit and will to win required to come back from early mistakes. But that kind of sloppy play – albeit for just the odd quarter here and there – could prove very costly when we reach the straight elimination games in the playoffs.
