W2: View from the Window Perch

[TheBlackCat]

When last the Black Cat logged in, he was picking apart ProInfoSports Saints predictions BEFORE the games like McNabb picking apart the Saints defense. (If you didn’t read it, go read it for a tame laugh...) After rewatching part of the game, I can attest that the Saints defense was NO defense. They might have well have hired OJ’s prosecuters to clear Kobe’s name. It wasn’t that the Eagles were really that good but the Saints picked up right where they left off last year...in the toilet. However, Monday Night left no doubt that the Saints will lead the pre-season in the coveted “Yards After the Whistle” stat.

I re-interate one of my claims from last week: preseason tends to correlate more with LAST season than THIS season. Picking through the scores, I think this could have been Week 18 of the 2002 NFL season so long as Tommy Maddox was coming off another injury (like when they lost to Houston). I imagine a lot of people are licking their wounds after Week 1 though. I know one talented handicapper who went 0-12. That's right -- ZERO for 12. And you thought that wasn't possible? (Just for the record, that talent was not me this time, as I am UP for NFL pre-2003). I take heart in 0-12. If you can go 0-12, you can go 12-0! See, preseason isn't luck!

Home teams and favorites were smashed across the slate with few exceptions. I think some of the better squads were on the road, though, and a couple of the games probably should have swung the other way (for whatever that this is worth).

One team that really impressed me was the Raiders. For those few who got to see what I saw in spite of the fact that the NFL has competently masterminded national coverage of their version of Arena Football like network coverage of the WNBA, the Raiders are capitalizing on that Gruden trade in style! So long as they continue to get good results from the QB position (yes, a cliche statement), they will continue to hang at the top of the NFL. We’ll put that Stephen Davis effort vs. Washington in the memory vault too. Hey, who is that on the Panther schedule in November?

One ad that didn’t impress me was Britney’s. “Am I ready for...” BRITNEY?!? Ouch, no person should be billing themselves above the sport of football!!! – particularly a POP singer – She might have well have pulled out a sharpie and wrote on Christina’s breasts. Okay, honestly, that would have been funny but don’t stand there in a basketball uniform and tell ME about football. If you can’t wear the skirt, go play in the dirt.

Sounding off on REPLAYS: why do they show us the 1 yard dive rather than the spectacular 72 yard run that ended on the 1 yard line? C'mon!!! Isn't it time to change this time-honored tradition of showing the 1 yard dive for the TD??? Show us the BIG PLAY that set up the TD and then just say, "they go on to score from there". I don't even want to see the dive!! Tell me who it was for my preseason fantasy football team (ha!) and MOVE ON.

You have to love the preseason stat sheet! Look under RB. “Labrandon Toefield” “Sultan McCullough” “Patrick Pass (for a RB!! Watch the fake...) American Idol “Reuben Droughns” “Iam Smart” The Qbs are better though. Start your Friday with a “Tom Collins”, then go out for your “Booty” to “JT O’Sullivan” bar and pub. By the end of the night, you’ll feel “Wuerffel”. Oh, for the love of Peete! Time to go Winke, Winke. Huard out all the bad spirits and then call a Plummer to clean up the Tuiasosopo.

This week, the preseason matchups look like a bit of a nightmare to me. State rivalries and overly similar teams are giving me a feeling of the BLECHs here. I’m not even sure if I can count on Rob Johnson to stink up the field again. (And you wonder why Tampa is suddenly winning all of its preseason games). All you need to know is that the leading passer is Shaun King, the leading rusher is Brian Allen, and the leading receiver is Clarence Coleman. And if you’re like me you’ve never heard of 2 of those 3 guys until right now.

Cheers,

The Black Cat