Move over Bartman, Babcock is here

Yes, that happened.

Whenever you’re having a bad day, just remember that you are not Casey Babcock.  I don’t know anything about this poor kid, but just imagine if he’s a senior and this gaff costs Otter Valley a trip to the playoffs.  But I don’t put the entire blame on him, sure he made a mistake, but a lot of crazy things happened in the final quarter to allow Casey to be put in that situation.

Following the terrible turnover by the Cougars as they tried to run out the clock with 14-7 lead, why did Otter Valley go for two to take the lead after scoring a quick touchdown?  I thought maybe they had no field goal kicker, but they kick a 20-yd field goal later in the highlight so there was no excuse.  Instead, Otter Valley’s coach made his first mistake by attempting to go for two and failing, leaving the score at 14-13.  Following a three and out by the Cougars, the “Lee Corso wannabe” local sportscaster compares Otter Valley’s quarterback to Tom Brady after throwing a wobbly 15-yd out leading to the aforementioned field goal……16-14 Otters with only 16 seconds remaining.

Following the kickoff, the Otters elect to rush four guys instead of playing a prevent defense (mistake #2 for coach) allowing Tom Lacey of the Cougars to make a spectacular catch on a 35-yd pass in the middle of the field.  How those corners did not have safety help in that situation is beyond me.  Regardless, Lacey’s Steve Largent impersonation set up a game winning 46-yd field goal for the Cougars with 1 second remaining……a play that Casey Babcock would remember for the rest of his life.

Mistake # 3 for the Otter’s coach comes by placing Babcock and his buddy in the endzone for the field goal attempt.  They have absolutely no reason to be there, the Otters have a two point lead, all they need to do is not jump off-sides, and maybe attempt to block the kick, and then watch the 46-yd attempt fall to the ground short of the field goal post and win the game.  Were they trying to return a missed field goal attempt 100 yards for a touchdown a la Ed Reed and Antonio Cromartie?  Unfortunately, Casey, who was probably not given proper instructions to knock the ball down, decided to catch the missed field goal and ultimately ruin his life.

As I stated before, it wasn’t all Casey’s fault.  If it weren’t for the fumble, the botched 2-pt conversion try, the Tom Brady led drive, Lacey’s catch, and horrible coaching, it would have been just another game for Casey Babcock’s Otters and he would not have become a You-tube sensation.

Hump Day Highlights: Week 3

Admittedly a weak post today, but the NFL isn’t overly friendly with allowing the internets to post its videos. Therefore, all we’ve got for you today are the Vikings’ top 2 plays and a quick review of Michael Vick’s return.

Greg Lewis’ Amazing Catch Of Brett Favre’s Incredible Throw

Percy Harvin’s 101 yard kickoff return

Michael Vick’s Return

Week 3: Top NFL Stories

There were five gunslingers named Matthew, Brett, Carson, Peyton, and Mark whipping the pigskin around the gridiron this past week who all made the Top 5 NFL Stories cut. While that quintet does prance around in spandex quite often, they certainly aren’t some new boy band.

Here are the Top 5 NFL Stories from Week 3 in no particular order. As always, click on the headlines & links for NFL.com video highlights and other gems…

1. Detroit Wins. Detroit Wins? DETROIT WINS!

Yes, the Detroit Lions finally won. Even though they allowed the Washington Redskins to get all the way to their 22-yard line, they finally broke their 19-game losing streak in a 19-14 win. Top pick Matthew Stafford was able to hook up with Bryant Johnson for a touchdown in the 1st quarter and the Lions never looked back. Stafford picked up his first career victory as he threw for 241 yards & 1 TD. It was a good thing that Detroit won when they did as they have to travel to Chicago, host Pittsburgh, and travel to Green Bay in their next three games before hosting the NCAA Division I-AA St. Louis Rams. By the way, should Redskins coach Jim Zorn start packing his bags?

2. Vintage Favre
I was hesitant to add Brett Favreto the list, but that game-winning touchdown pass was unreal. With 0:02 seconds left, Favre hooked up with Greg Lewis on a ridiculous 32-yard slingshot to give the Minnesota Vikings a 27-24 win over the San Francisco 49ers. The Vikes are now 3-0 and the Minnesota brass is looking rather clever, but the almost 40-year-old QB has seen his passing attempts jump from 21 to 27 and now up to 46 this week. Did they not watch him play last year? With the New York Jets, Favre finished the season 1-4 with 2 TD passes & 9 INTs in that 5-game span.

3. Bengals Top Steelers in Comeback Win
Led by Carson Palmer’s 98 yards passing on their final two possessions, the Cincinnati Bengals were able to seal up a victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers with 0:14 left after trailing the entire game. This was a huge W for the Bengals as they not only defeated last year’s Super Bowl Champions 23-20, but got a much needed home win against their AFC North foe. Crazy to think the Cincinnati Bengals would be 3-0 if not for that unfathomable 87-yard TD catch by Brandon Stokley in the waning seconds of Week 1. Next week they take on the 0-3 Cleveland Browns who began their QB carousel with Brady Quinn & Derek Anderson just last week.

4. Peyton Tosses 4 TDs in Blowout
The Indianapolis Colts got off to a slow start, but Peyton Manning’s 4 TDs & 379 yards passing and Reggie Wayne’s one-handed acrobatic TD & 126 yards receiving boosted the Indianapolis Colts to 3-0. Even though the Colts defense allowed the Arizona Cardinals to gain over 300 yards through the air, they still easily won 31-10. Peyton has thrown for over 300 yards in every game this year and shown there has been no drop-off with the departure of Tony Dungy.

5. Mark & the Jets are 3-0
Am I suffering from déjà vu? Well, just like in Week 1 & Week 2, Mark Sanchez & the New York Jets grab the bottom spot on the Top NFL Stories. As I am a Sanchez fan, I hope this trend continues. Aside from enjoying the NYC life, Mark has now led the Jets to a 3-0 start with a 24-17 win over the surprisingly winless Tennessee Titans. The Jets defense finally allowed a touchdown, but Mark and his old-school Namath jersey threw for 2 TDs and rumbled for a tough 14-yard TD run on New York’s opening drive. By the way, when will the Mark & the Jets CD finally be on iTunes?

See you all in Week 4…

More rumblings from Casey can be found on BuyAthletes.com.

Wildcat Wonder

Exploring two myths about the Wildcat offense.

Myth 1. “Michael Vick will excel in the Wildcat formation”

The Wildcat is not for finesse runners like Vick, or any quarterback, except maybe Thom Brennaman’s boy.  It is for bruising, dynamic backs like Ronnie Brown.  The Wildcat is designed for the offense to put a blocker on the entire front line of the defense allowing the running back to take the direct snap and run in between the tackles and put his shoulder down and take on a safety at the next level.  It is not designed for fragile quarterbacks to run around the end.  The Wildcat is also not a passing formation. The Dolphins threw the ball twice last year out of 103 snaps in the Wildcat formation, this is why I never understood why the Eagles signed Vick unless they planned on only using him as a traditional back-up quarterback. Vick was productive in his Falcons days when he improvised and used his legs scrambling outside of the pocket. He will not have that type of success in a Wildcat formation.

Myth 2. “The Wildcat is a fad, and will be non-existent in a year”

The Wildcat may not have the level of success this year as it did for the Dolphins in 2008, but it will not go away.  As we saw on MNF in Week 2, the Wildcat is still effective despite the element of surprise. The Wildcat works well in exploiting a soft run defense. Indy cannot stop the run, so when Miami pulled Pennington out of the game in the Wildcat formation, the Dolphins gained an additional blocker, or decoy. The defense was put at even more of a disadvantage despite knowing that Miami was running the ball.  The Colts made zero adjustments at halftime to stop the Wildcat, and it worked the entire game as evident by the Dolphins 239 rushing yards.

I’m not suggesting that the Wildcat is the next revolutionary offense. In fact, it should only be mixed in by a handful of teams. Teams with solid quarterbacks in traditional offenses, like Indianapolis, New England, Pittsburgh, and San Diego, to name a few, shouldn’t really bother. The Patriots would be doing themselves a disservice having Tom Brady split wide or holding a clipboard next to The Hoodie for fifteen plays a

game.  But, for teams with running back depth and a mediocre quarterback like the Dolphins (no offense, Chad) it can be helpful.  A traditional offense is the ideal situation for a NFL success, but there are only so many Brady’s and Manning’s out there.  Some teams can really benefit through these gimmick offenses to help move the ball. As long as there are weak run defenses and mediocre quarterbacks, the Wildcat can have its place in the league.  The Wildcat will not win you a Super Bowl, but it can certainly have some success (2008 AFC East Champs) if it’s run properly.

Week 3 NFL Cheerleader Roundup

Because even the docs need a break from the analysis, here’s the best of the best from NFL.com’s week 3 cheerleader photos:

Rankings Reaction

NCAA Top 25 Rankings Reaction

1 – Florida 4-0…This should be a “Gator Blowout, Continue to Roll” sort of tag but they received a scare as the golden child Tim Tebow left the game with a concussion.  His status is uncertain.

2 – Texas 4-0…The Horns stomped UTEP.  Colorado will be a warm-up for the Red River Shootout.

3 – Alabama 4-0…Bama steamrolled the Razorbacks and head on the road to Lexington and Oxford.

4 – LSU 4-0…The Tigers were a yard away from a significant drop in the polls, but there is something to be said for a tough goal line stand on the road.  It only gets harder as they head between the hedges this week in Athens.

5 – Boise State 4-0…Broncos handled Bowling Green; Return home to UC-Davis.  Might be #4 next week.

6 – Virginia Tech 3-1…The Hokies have endured a vigorous schedule and after a thrashing of Miami, they continue to get better.  Easy win over Duke this week.

7 – USC 3-1…The Trojans won easy but enter a gauntlet that includes four conference road games sandwiched around the only team to beat them last year (Oregon State).

8 – Oklahoma 2-1…With the exception of a certain Heisman QB, the Sooners are coming off two easy wins and a bye, and should be fresh for the Canes on Saturday.

9 – Ohio State 3-1…Since a rough start, the Buckeyes are starting to get going.  The defense has pitched two straight shut outs and are poised to keep it going against the upstart Hoosiers in Bloomington.

10 – TCU 3-0…Gary Patterson led his troops too two road ACC victories and has his Horned Frogs feeling good heading into the conference slate.

11 – Cincinnati 4-0…The Bearcats sweated out a tough home win over Fresno State.  They’ll take the drive up to Oxford and return with the Victory Bell this Saturday.

12 – Oklahoma State 3-1…The Pokes picked on Grambling this weekend and get a week off before a trip to College Station.

13 – Penn State 3-1…The Nittany Lions got shut down by Iowa and now have a very small margin for error if they’re to return to Pasadena.  They go to struggling Illinois Saturday.

14 – Georgia 3-1….The Dawgs gutted out a win over Arizona State and host LSU this weekend.  Big game to earn some SEC respect.

15 – Houston 3-0…Another Big 12 foe falls to Case Keenum and the Cougars.  Three straight road games will test this talented bunch.

16 – Kansas 4-0…Reesing rallied Rawk Chawk to a win in their first real opponent as KU prepares for Big 12 play.

17 – Iowa 4-0…Apparently the scare vs. Northern Iowa struck a nerve with the Hawkeyes.  They have responded with four straight convincing wins.  After a tune-up with Arkansas State, Michigan comes to Iowa City.

18 – Ole Miss 2-1…The Rebels looked terrible in their Thursday night loss to South Carolina.  They look to get back on track at Vandy.

19 – California 3-1.Hopefully the Bears don’t hibernate thru the rest of the season.  USC is next.

20 – Michigan 4-0…The weak Wolverine defense couldn’t stop the juggernaut that is Indiana football.  They will need a much better showing to take home the Paul Bunyan-Governor of Michigan trophy.

21 – TIE:  Miami 2-1…The U didn’t live up to the hype they generated.   A visit from the Sooner Schooner could bounce them out of the rankings this week.

21 – TIE:  BYU 3-1…Back on track after the FSU debacle.  Utah State this week.

23 – Missouri 4-0…Road win at Nevada on Friday night.  A win over Nebraska will get people talking about the Tigers again.

24 – Nebraska 3-1…A one point loss to Virginia Tech is not a bad loss.  A weekend romp of Louisiana-Lafayette has them primed for Mizzou.  The winner will take a step toward the Big 12 title game.

25 – Oregon 3-1…Since getting smurfed in week 1 and the whole Rocky 28 audition by Lagarrete Blount, the Ducks are on a roll with three big wins in a row.  Please keep the old school unis!

10 Things from Sunday Funday: Week 3

10 fun things I heard and learned from the Sunday slate.

1. My buddy keeps on yelling “crush his face!” at Kerry Collins. Can you imagine if that actually happened to the poor guy. Kerry Collins, out 4-6 weeks, crushed face.

2. Whenever someone yells something like, “Come on throw it to Andre!” Someone inevitably responds “No no, I can’t have that, I’m playing against Schaub. Then immediately both guys come up with some sort of ridiculous dream scenario like this: “Ok fine, how bout a direct snap to Slaton where he hits Andre in the corner for six and Schaub hurts his throwing shoulder trying to throw a block!” “Yessir!!” says the other guy, and they high five… Then 5 seconds later Schaub hands the ball off to Slaton for two yards, and both guys move on to another game.

3. Desean Jackson is super talented and crazy fast, but if I’m not practicing all week because of a nagging groin injury groin, I’m probably not doing this  outlandish flip dive split jump after this 64 yard score. Unfortunately DeSean can’t help himself as he suffers from “insanely irrepressible excitement” whenever he’s about to cross a goaline, causing him to black out for a few moments at a time and do something really stupid. Remember these?

4. At 0-3 the Titans should probably bring back Jeff Fisher for week 4 instead of this “Coach the Titans for a day” contest winner guy.

5. Playstation 3 is now only $299! And still really expensive!

6. Mark Sanchez is just so freaking excited to play football.

7. And the Chicago Bears take the field vs. the California Redwoods? What is this the XFL? No wonder Cutler threw that pick, these unis are blinding. This radioactive mesh is having a ninja turtle like effect on Julius… Keep it up? Would you like a Corona with that thing? More? Who dropped a highlighter in the team laundry? Another? Worst. Jerseys. Ever.

8. I know you didn’t ask, but you did with your eyes. Troy Polamalu is the best defensive player in football, and its showing.

9. Jim Zorn’s job should be safe for at least another week as his team hung in ‘til the end against a “tremendous” team.

10. I’d probably rank ‘em something like this: Florida, Texas, Detroit, Alabama, St. Louis, Cleveland.

Top 5 Option Coaches

The option offense has always been fascinating. Few teams have stuck with it and even some coaches have let it come and go. Usually coaches like Jim Tressel or Joe Paterno or even Bear Bryant tailored their offenses to their talent. That has certainly worked for these respective coaches and others, but a coach that sticks with his system and tailors his players to it, is truly impressive. Obviously it takes a certain degree of talent to run a triple or spread option and the below coaches have found a way to get the most out of their players within option offenses. Let’s be honest, you don’t see Rich-Rod throwing a guy like Sweet Steven Threet or Nick Sheridan out there to juke guys out of their jockstraps. Oh wait…

On to the Countdown:

5 – Rich Rodriguez

All jokes aside, this guy is a real innovator. Last year at Michigan was a unique year for Rich-Rod. He didn’t have the talent to run his offense, but he sacrificed last year and stuck with his offense, knowing that his personnel would get better and the more reps in his system, the better off the future would be. Rich-Rod’s track record speaks for itself. He led the charge of implementing the spread option out of the shotgun (along with the late Randy Walker (RIP) and Urban Meyer. Rodriguez helped lead Tulane to a 12-0 record as Offensive Coordinator in 1998 and as OC at Clemson , he put Woody Dantzler in the right spots to rank 16th on the all-time career QB rushing list. His move to WVU took it to a new level. In his 2nd year, the Mounts won six more games and Rasheed Marshall emerged as one of the top duel threats in the country. Rodriguez recruited a special player in Pat White in 2005 and the rest is history. Literally. The devastating White/Rodriguez combo won 4 straight bowl games and White is the all-time leading rusher in college QB history. Currently at Michigan, Rodriguez now uses the two-headed freshmen monster of Tate Forcier and Shoelace Robinson en route to another successful season.

4 – Darrell Royal

Considered one of the granddaddy’s of the wishbone formation that was prevalent in the 1960s, Royal coached his Texas Longhorns to three of their four national championships. His star QB James Street was 20-0 as a starter and fueled Texas victories over Arkansas in one of the too-frequently used “Game of the Century” and also over Notre Dame for the 1970 title. Royal put Texas on the proverbial map of college football and there’s a reason their massive stadium bears his name.

*Fun facts: James Street threw 2 no-hitters for the Longhorn baseball squad and also fathered fellow Longhorn and Colorado Rockie Pitcher Huston Street. Royal also played QB and DB at rival Oklahoma and holds the record for most career interceptions (18).

3 – Fisher DeBerry

Wait…the guy from Air Force with the sweet name? Yes indeed. DeBerry is the epitome of a tried and true option coach. No matter the year, the competition, the Falcons themselves, they are running the option. A look at the NCAA record book for single-season and career rushing leaders is littered with blue and white zig-zags. Chance Harridge, Beau Morgan, Dee Dowis, and Dr. Pancake’s fellow high schooler Shaun Carney are all among the top 20 leaders in career rushing yards for QB. Joining them in the top 20 best individual seasons are Rob Perez and Keith Boyea. Clearly, the Commander in Chief had a hand in this.

2 – Barry Switzer

The longtime Sooner and more recent Dallas Cowboy mastered the option. His Sooner teams won three national titles and QB Billy Sims won the Heisman in 1978 and led the nation in rushing with 1,896 yards. Perhaps Switzer’s greatest talent at QB was Jamelle Holieway, who led his Sooners to a national title and executed the option as well as anyone. His career was cut short by an ACL injury. As evidence of Switzer and Holieway’s creativity with a little help from Sooner great Keith Jackson (and legendary broadcaster Keith Jackson), let’s go to the video:

1 – Tom Osborne

Cool and calm and oft-ridiculed for his performance in bowls. His performance speaks for itself. He won two national titles, shared another, and was a missed field goal from his first in 93. Osborne turned Eric Crouch into a Heisman. Tommie Frazier and Scott Frost tore up the record books. A great o-line and fast Rbs contributed, but look at Nebraska now. They fight just to remain relevant. The Huskers under Osborne were a fixture in the top 10 and dominated college football. Check this awesome clip of Frazier bulling through the Florida Gators in the Fiesta Bowl:

Favre Does It Again!

Get ready to hear about this one all week. With time winding down, Brett Favre launched a pass to the end zone that Greg Lewis hauled in with an incredible catch to beat the 49ers:

Here’s the play from every angle:

Week 3 NFL Power Rankings

A weekly peek at the NFL from top to bottom.

NFL Power Rankings

1 Last Week: -	New Orlean Saints (2-0) An offense that is unstoppable. A passing game reminiscent of Dungy’s Colts. A plug-em in and win running system like Shanahan’s Broncos. If the defense makes 3 stops a game, the Saints win.
2 Last Week: -	New York Giants (2-0) Nothing flashy, very well rounded. Eli is a big time quarterback, if the game is on the line in the 4th quarter, Eli and the Giants get it done.
3 Last Week: -	Indianapolis Colts (2-0) Hasn’t been pretty, but the Colts are 2-0. Must find a running game, and really need someone to step up opposite Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark. Could it be the speedy Pierre Garcon?
4 Last Week: -	Baltimore Ravens (2-0) The Ravens are an offensive team?! Flacco manages the game well, have a new budding super star in Ray Rice. The defense is still well above average.
5 Last Week: -	Atlanta Falcons (2-0) Young, explosive team that is fun to watch. Matt Ryan is the real deal, Michael Turner and Roddy White could score on any given play.
6 Last Week: -	Minnesota Vikings (2-0) Adrian Peterson…has anyone else seen him running at you in the commercial? Scary!!
7 Last Week: -	New York Jets (2-0) Rex Ryan has this team believing they can do anything. Very physical team that really leans on the defense. Revis SHUT DOWN Randy Moss AND Andre Johnson…Impressive.
8 Last Week: -	San Francisco 49ers (2-0) See Jets …coach has them believing in themselves. Shaun Hill finds a way to win as a starter.
9 Last Week: -	Denver Broncos (2-0) Only here because they are 2-0….kind of. Does a fluke against the Bengals and a win over the Clowns count? Defense looks solid, but they’ll fall drastically with a loss to the Raiders.
10 Last Week: -	New England Patriots (1-1) They get Wes Welker back this week, and Tom Brady is only going to get more comfortable. Lots of changes on the defense, they will climb.
11 Last Week: -	Pittsburg Steelers (1-1) Must find a running game to get Hines and Santonio open. Really need Troy P. back to lead that defense.
12 Last Week: -	Dallas Cowboys (1-1) This team would be better if they worried about football, not looking the best and having 110,000 seats. I think half of those people were watching the Texas Rangers on one of the 50,000 TV’s.
13 Last Week: -	Cincinatti Bengals (1-1) One fluke play from being 2-0. Carson Palmer missed all of last season, and took only about 10 snaps in the preseason. Watch out when the offense really starts to click.
14 Last Week: -	Green Bay Packers (1-1) One spot behind the team that beat them last week. Well rounded team with a great leader in Aaron Rodgers.
15 Last Week: -	Philadelphia Eagles (1-1) Team that really needs McNabb back. We will see some excitement this week with Vick back on the field.
16 Last Week: -	Arizona Cardinals (1-1) Warner, Fitz and Boldin are great…they need a running game. Beanie Wells needs to step up for this team to contend.
17 Last Week: -	San Diego Chargers (1-1) One of the best teams in the league…on paper. It’s not translating to Sunday afternoons.
18 Last Week: -	Houston Texans (1-1) Could beat the NFC pro bowl team one week, and lose the Lions the next. Andre, Slaton, and Co. need to be more consistent.
19 Last Week: -	Buffalo Bills (1-1) Get TO the ball! Just ask him!! Fred Jackson has been great. Lynch comes back soon, could be a very nice duo.
20 Last Week: -	Chicago Bears (1-1) Will improve weekly as the offense begins to click with Cutler. Losing Urlacher is tough.
21 Last Week: -	Washington Redskins (1-1) Is there anything special about this team? We need some fashion tips from Portis to spark my interest.
22 Last Week: -	Oakland Raiders (1-1) Physical team with talent. They will be in a lot of close games this year. But can they score?
23 Last Week: -	Seattle Seahawks (1-1) Hasselbeck out is bad news.
24 Last Week: -	Tennessee Titans (0-2) Only here because they are 0-2. Chris Johnson is great. I’m still waiting for a Vince Young wildcat package. Coach, watch the Eagles this weekend for some ideas.
25 Last Week: -	Miami Dolphins (0-2) Having the ball for over 3 quarters of the game and losing is heartbreaking. Why doesn’t Ronnie Brown take every snap?
26 Last Week: -	Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2) Another team that will climb quickly. Colts and Cards are a tough way to start the season. They get back on track in Houston.
27 Last Week: -	Carolina Panthers (0-2) Delhomme is awful. Panthers are wildcats right? Give me Steve Smith, Jon Stewart, and DeAngelo Williams! At least it would be fun to watch.
28 Last Week: -	Kansas City Chiefs (0-2) I bet Matt Cassel wishes he had Tony G to throw to.
29 Last Week: -	Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-2) Ride Caddy Williams for a few wins and call it a year. The team website doesn’t even have the stats up.
30 Last Week: -	St. Louis Rams (0-2) This is a 3 way tie for 32nd place. Rams are the leaders because they have cool helmets?
31 Last Week: -	Cleveland Browns (0-2) Only ahead of the Lions because they won a couple games last year.
32 Last Week: 32	Detroit Lions (0-2) This could be the week!!! One win gets them out of the cellar.

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