We are at the quarter pole of the NFL season, so let’s examine the horse race to Super Bowl XLVIII:
Peyton Manning is Secretariat, and the only thing that might stop him is a blizzard at MetLife Stadium at the first New York-New Jersey Super Bowl. At his current pace, Manning will finish the regular season with 64 TD passes and no interceptions.
That can’t possibly happen, of course, but he’s clearly in a league of his own, and if there is any chance for a perfect season, Manning likely will remember how Bill Polian’s reluctance to threaten the ’72 Dolphins against the Jets in 2009 did not end with a Lombardi Trophy for the Colts.
A shame Woody Johnson claimed the Jets weren’t interested in Manning two summers ago. Imagine if Manning wanted to play for Rex Ryan: Mike Tannenbaum would still be GM … there would be no record of a Buttfumble … there would have been no Tim Tebow … there probably would be no Geno Smith … and Eli Manning and the Giants would have been the Jets’ little brother.
Broncos-Seahawks would be the best Super Bowl. Pete Carroll’s offensive line was every bit as depleted as the Giants’ offensive line on Sunday, and Russell Wilson, who would make Fran Tarkenton smile, led them to a stirring comeback victory in Houston anyway.
Remember how the Giants in the summer were expressing their distaste for any other NFC team using their locker room during Super Bowl XLVIII? Well, now it looks like a good bet that Wilson will be dressing at Eli Manning’s locker, Richard Sherman will be dressing at Prince Amukamara’s locker, Carroll will be using Tom Coughlin’s shampoo, etc., etc. The Seahawks are the only team in the league tough enough to bloody J.J. Watt’s nose.
Bad ratings for ‘Stump the Schaub’
Fans in Houston aren’t exactly known for their anger or passion, which is why their reaction to Matt Schaub on Sunday was a strong indication the Texans quarterback has already passed the point of no return.
After booing him throughout the second half of an ugly collapse to the Seahawks that ended in a 23-20 overtime loss, fans were pictured burning Schaub’s jersey in disgust in the parking lot of Reliant Stadium.
Houston didn’t score in the second half or the extra session, blowing a 20-3 lead in the process, so Schaub wasn’t the only culprit. But the interception he threw with 2:40 left in regulation that Sherman returned 58 yards for the tying score was a crusher, and the harsh display afterward was the clearest sign yet that Texans fans are out of patience.
Consider Schaub is now in his seventh year as Houston’s starter with just two measly playoff appearances — both of them coming last season, including a blowout loss to the Patriots — to show for it.
The loss dropped the Texans to 2-2, which isn’t disastrous, but the AFC South is tougher than expected with the Colts and Titans both off to legitimate 3-1 starts. As a result, Schaub might not have much longer to stop the jersey burnings and get the fans back on his side.
Schaub is only in the second year of a five-year, $66.1 million extension, but the Texans would actually save money by releasing him this winter because eating the $10.5 million prorated remainder of his signing bonus would still come out to $4 million less than his scheduled $14.5 million cap number for 2014.
The draft also is considered extremely deep at quarterback — deep enough that the Texans could still land a potential replacement for Schaub in the middle of the first round.
Schaub might have gotten a much longer honeymoon in laid-back Houston than just about anywhere else, but that honeymoon is definitely over.
Chip’s Eagles haven’t quite landed
Assuming the Eagles aren’t too shell-shocked by their 52-20 pasting at the hands of Peyton Manning and the Broncos, don’t be surprised if Philadelphia makes a move in the hapless NFC East very soon.
The reason: Their schedule.
The Eagles’ last three opponents are a combined 10-2, including 4-0 Denver and 4-0 Kansas City, but their next eight are just 7-24. In fact, the next team Philly faces that currently has a winning record is the Lions on Dec. 8, meaning the Birds will have the opportunity over the next two months to grab a division no one else seems to want.
To do that, though, the Eagles have to find some kind of tourniquet for their defense. Including Manning, three quarterbacks this month have thrown for at least 320 yards against Philly, and the 52 points allowed Sunday were the most by the Eagles since a 62-10 loss to the Giants in 1972.
As a result, Chip Kelly’s madcap offense has been rendered almost meaningless, despite piling up impressive numbers. The Eagles are the first team in NFL history to roll up at least 430 yards in three consecutive games — and lose all three.
Winners and losers from coaching ranks
Rookie Coaches: Marc Trestman is 3-1. Bruce Arians, Doug Marrone, Mike McCoy and Rob Chudzinski are 2-2. Kelly is 1-3. Gus Bradley is 0-4. Marrone gets bonus points for developing rookie EJ Manuel, as does Chudzinski for rallying the Browns behind Brian Hoyer following the Trent Richardson trade.
Best Coaching Performance: Andy Reid of the 4-0 Chiefs. He had worn out his welcome in Philadelphia, but Iggles fans are beginning to realize you better be careful what you wish for sometimes. Kansas City finished 2-14 last season, so this could be a bigger turnaround than the eight-game improvement Bill Parcells made with the Jets in 1997 after inheriting the Rich Kotite mess.
Worst Coaching Performance: Coughlin and Mike Tomlin. You are what your record says you are.
Assistant Coaches Up: Browns players are hailing defensive coordinator Ray Horton’s schemes. which throttled Andy Dalton, and Cardinals players are singing the praises of defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, who suffocated the Bucs’ Doug Martin and dared rookie QB Mike Glennon to beat him. Chiefs defensive coordinator Bob Sutton stymied Eii Manning without stud cornerback Brandon Flowers. Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia doubled Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez with the game on the line and kept Matt Ryan out of the end zone. Chargers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt (with McCoy) has resurrected Philip Rivers. Bills defensive coordinator Mike Pettine turned Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco into a less-than-average Joe (five interceptions) in a 23-20 win over the Ravens.
Assistant Coaches Needing Assistance: Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride is drawing the ire of Big Blue Nation for an offense in complete disarray. Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley is on shaky ground, and has been from the day he arrived to replace Arians.
Hurt Locker is Titans’ least favorite film
The surprising Titans’ feel-good story might have come to a screeching halt Sunday with the hip injury to Jake Locker — and there was concern Locker’s budding pro career could have been halted right along with it.
Initial indications were Locker did not suffer a dislocated hip when the Jets’ Mo Wilkerson and Quinton Coples combined on him in the third quarter of Tennessee’s 38-13 win, but the second-year quarterback was taken to a Nashville hospital by ambulance and kept overnight.
The (Nashville) Tennesseean reported some within the organization were alarmed enough by the injury to speculate about it ending Locker’s career, which would be a shame because the former University of Washington star has come into his own amid the Titans’ unexpected 3-1 start.
Locker was in the midst of his first three-TD game as a pro when he went down and had gone into Sunday’s game with an impressive 89.8 passer rating while not throwing an interception in any of the first three contests.
Locker was replaced by Ryan Fitzpatrick, and the former Bills starter threw for 108 yards and a TD in a little more than a quarter of work. Although Fitzpatrick was a turnover machine in Buffalo while going 19-31 as the starter, the Titans didn’t ask Locker to carry them and won’t expect Fitzpatrick — a competent game manager — to do that, either.
So the switch to Fitzpatrick might work out for Tennessee in the short run. But that doesn’t mean the Titans are any less nervous waiting for a clear diagnosis on Locker.
Little big men
Trindon Holliday, 5-foot-5, 170 pounds: A 105-yard kickoff return for the Broncos against the Eagles.
Dexter McCluster, 5-foot-8, 170 pounds: An 89-yard punt return for the Chiefs against the Giants.
Danny Woodhead, 5-foot-8, 200 pounds: Touchdown catches of 26 and 13 yards from Rivers against Cowboys.
Russell Wilson, 5-foot-11, 206 pounds: Led comeback victory for 4-0 Seahawks against Texans with 74 rushing yards in fourth quarter.
Extra points
Unlike the Seahawks, the Cowboys still have not learned how to win. But at least Jerry Jones apparently has learned how to handicap, if he were so inclined.
“I’m surprised we’re the favorite, being on the road,” Jones said before resurgent Rivers added credence to the Cowboys’ owner’s contention that he has a 40-year-old brain with a 30-21 Chargers win.
*
Darrelle Revis can’t catch a break when he isn’t breaking the bank. After losing his marquee showdown with Larry Fitzgerald, Revis had insult added to his career-changing injury by Arians, who anointed his Cardinals cornerback, Patrick Peterson, the best in the league.
“I’m sorry, some will argue that Darrelle is, but I don’t even think it’s close,” Arians said.
Expect the quote to wind up on Sherman’s bulletin board before the Oct. 17 Arizona-Seattle game. Except delirious Browns fans dreaming division title would nominate Joe Haden, who shadowed A.J. Green and limited him to seven catches for 51 yards as Cleveland beat Cincinnati, 17-6.
*
Someone should have reminded Cris Collinsworth that Bill Belichick hasn’t quite been able to rehabilitate every problem child he has welcomed to the Patriots.
*
The AFC’s 4-3 edge against the NFC on Sunday gives them a 15-6 record this season. It’s not just that Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are in the AFC. The NFC East is 1-7 against AFC foes.
*
Famed sports analyst and handicapper Danny Sheridan tells us that the Giants have been a bookmaker’s dream.
“I spoke to some bookmakers in NYC, and they’re ecstatic because the Giants are 0-4 vs. the spread and their customers continue to bet them heavy every week,” Sheridan said. “While the Jets are 3-1 vs the spread, New Yorkers are betting against the Jets every week!”