Eight in the Box: Play on Players

Here’s a tip to those of you who love to sit back and watch the Red Zone all day when your team happens to be off that day: don’t invite a whole bunch of rabid Eagles fans over to your house to enjoy watching every game that happens to be on that day. Since the Eagles were playing I understand that they would want that game to be on exclusively. But bitching when you switch to the Red Zone during a commercial so you could check up on all of the other games that are being aired live? I was apparently unaware that watching meaningless and annoying commercials for products that none of us planned on purchasing was more important than watching the greatest channel ever created, even though I had full intentions of flipping back to the Eagles broadcast in two minutes when the game was back on. As you can tell, I thought this to be absolutely ridiculous. Obviously I was willing to oblige them by putting on the Eagles game even though I would have much rather sat back and not had to touch the remote all day and watch a channel that has no commercials and shows football for 95% of the time it’s on the air, but instead I was forced to sit through a monotony of commercials in between a game between two teams with inept play callers and suspect quarterback play. It was completely scintillating to say the least. Well, at least yesterday’s games weren’t of the must-see variety as the schedule provided us with very few meaningful games between contenders, but by the end of the day there were quite a few games that were definitely worth watching. But since the games themselves had very little meaning, even though we did find out a lot more about who is a pretender and who is a contender, I decided this week my Eight in the Box column would focus on the players (not necessarily the ones with best performances either) that I took notice of yesterday while watching the plethora of games I was enabled to after the Eagles beat the ‘Skins and I was allowed again to bask in my glory. So here goes (in no particular order of importance).

1. Chris Redman. After Matt Ryan hurt his widdle toe and was forced out of the game in the first quarter, the Falcons chances of being upset by the pathetic Bucs increased greatly and grew even stronger when Michael Turner also hobbled off and joined Ryan in the trainer’s room. But Falcons fans needed not fret as the Louisville product and NFL journeyman, who was out of football two years ago, lifted the team to an impressive fourth quarter comeback. Trailing 17-13 with time running out, Redman led the Falcons on a 15 play, 59-yard drive and capped it with a 5-yard touchdown toss to Roddy White. It was an extremely improbable chain of events for a guy who no one wanted two years ago, but like Tom Petty sang, even the losers get lucky sometime. Now let’s see if he can keep up his level of play next week when the Eagles fly in for a visit in the battle of the birds.

Redman did the old from zero to hero routine after Matty Ice melted. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

2. Larry Johnson. Who saw this one coming? Johnson may have turned in the most improbable performance of the day yesterday as he broke the 100-yard barrier for the first time this year in a win over the Cleveland Browns. This was a guy who was smacking chicks up at clubs and running like Stephen Hawking in Kansas City and then suddenly he comes to Cincinnati and he finally got his groove back? Kind of takes the luster off of Cedric Benson’s resurgence doesn’t it? I mean, apparently every supposed washed up running back can come to Queen City and resurrect their career. Someone call Shaun Alexander.

 
3. Jake Delhomme. So apparently that was someone else wearing Delhomme’s jersey for the last couple of weeks when he was leading the Panthers to wins and actually completing passes to guys on his team because yesterday the real Jake Delhomme emerged again and like always, it wasn’t pretty. He added four more picks to his atrocious interception total and now throws 2.25 interceptions for every touchdown. We all know the guy sucks, but for some reason John Fox continuously throws him onto the field to simply embarrass himself. I’m beginning to think Fox lost a bet to someone and the payment was humiliating yourself in the worst way possible.

4. Vince Young. That was one hell of a drive to end the game (not to mention it elicited the most girlish scream I have ever heard from my buddy who had bet on the game and was praying for a Titans touchdown for a push; it was honestly blood curdling and very disturbing and all for a push). For as much as Jeff Fisher wanted to believe that Kerry Collins gave them the best chance to win, we have all now seen the error of his ways. The 99-yard drive that Young led to end the game will be remembered in Tennessee for a while and possibly even longer if they somehow find a way to squeeze into the playoffs. The touchdown pass to Kenny Britt was a thing of beauty and for everyone that was thinking he was merely a run threat with a wobbly arm his 384 yard performance was a testament to his ability. He has pretty much locked up his roster bonus for next year and stamped Collins’ ticket out of Nashville. It’s simple with Young: he’s a bona fide winner. He’s 5-0 this year and 23-11 for his career. That drive also marked a pretty remarkable turnaround for a guy who supposedly wanted to commit suicide last year after turning in a couple of terrible performances. If only Kurt Cobain knew things could have turned out like this maybe we wouldn’t have been subjected to his hideous wife’s antics and uncalled for nudity.

And for his next improbable comeback trick, kicking a coke habit and starring in the sequel to Iron Man. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

5. Matt Leinart. He didn’t play terribly, but he just proved to all of us exactly how important Kurt Warner is to this team. After getting outscored 24-0 in previous games this year with Leinart under center, things were not looking great for the Cardinals coming into this game with Warner riding the pine with a concussion. But he did all that he could in putting the Cardinals in a position to win, except the defense couldn’t close the door. But something needs to be said for Leinart because the game plan was extremely more conservative than when Warner is in the game and that should not be the case for a guy who was the tenth overall pick and is in his fourth year with the team. He didn’t throw a touchdown and held this explosive offense back. As a matter of fact, if it wasn’t for LaRod Stephens-Howling’s performance (see below), Young’s drive at the end of the game would have been unnecessary. I’m pretty sure the Cardinals know he isn’t the long-term answer and will look for that person in one of the next two drafts.

6. Hines Ward. I was pretty shocked to hear the normally affable Ward blatantly blast Ben Roethlisberger before the game for not playing through his concussion. I was under the impression that these guys were pretty good friends and that sharing a few rings was good for a few mulligans, but apparently Ward thinks Ben is a patsy because he practiced all week, yet the doctors said it would be unwise for him to play. Then in a sissy move himself, he said that he didn’t want to get involved in a war of words with his quarterback. Well maybe he should have thought about that before he started a war of words with his quarterback. Should be an interesting next few days at the Steelers’ training facility and I bet both make sure their soaps have ropes for the rest of the year.

7. Chris Johnson. So the Cardinals went into their game yesterday with the best run defense in the league? Someone should have warned Johnson because he didn’t seem to notice. He shredded the Cardinals for 154 yards on 18 carries, including a scintillating 85-yard touchdown dash in the third quarter. The guy is simply unstoppable and has clearly become the best running back in the game. He is on pace for the fourth best rushing season in league history and barring injury will surely break the 2,000 yard mark. I thought about a joke here but there really isn’t one with this guy. He’s as serious as it comes at the position and right now there is no one better.

This has become an all too familiar sight this year as Johnson runs by people like he snatched a purse. (AP Photo/John Russell)

 
8. LaRod Stephens-Howling. The Cardinals may have lost, but Stephens-Howling did everything he could to carry them to a win, but since he doesn’t play defense his amazing special teams effort was for naught. He put in the single-best all-around special teams effort all season. After Johnson had broken off the 85-yard scamper, Stephens-Howling (can I just stop to tell you how annoying it is to keep writing his long ass hyphenated last name, but I digress) took the ensuing kickoff 99 yards for a score. Then while working the punt coverage units he twice downed a Ben Graham punt inside the five-yard line forcing the titans to start drives in the most inconvenient real estate. Then again, if it wasn’t for LSH (yes, I’ve resorted to the ole acronym technique) Yung’s drive wouldn’t have been nearly as epic, so I guess Young can thank him for assisting in building his legend. But you will be seriously hard=pressed to find another special teams performance like that one.

 
And before I leave you I just want you all to know that I am taking the Patriots in tonight’s hype-fest of a game. I think they’ll find a way to pull off the upset and will escape New Orleans with a 36-32 victory. You heard it here first boys and girls. Be back tomorrow with some more on what should be one hell of a game.