Sports Agenda for Tuesday (9/10/13)
Top Stories:
Mike Wallace became the center of attention this week, but it's all good. The Marlins still stink. Monday Night Football was great last night, especially the late game. Plus, why Chip Kelly can run his offense in the NFL. And links and more in the Agenda.
Quote of the Day:
"I have noticed even people who claim everything is predestined, and that we can do nothing to change it, look before they cross the road." – Stephen Hawking
Miami Dolphins: (practice Tuesday, next game @ Indianapolis Colts)
Well, Mike Wallace addressed his whining after Game 1 and said he was simply mad at himself for not playing better in the game.
So our question is, should we believe him?
I'm going to say we give him the benefit of the doubt and let it go.
Who among us hasn't had one of those days where we get out of work and don't want to talk to anyone?
Same concept here, but file it away just in case he blows up again.
The fun part for Wallace and the Fins is this week they get to take on former cornerback Vontae Davis.
So our multi-million dollar wide receiver versus the cornerback we could live without.
Interesting.
I really look forward to seeing if the D-Line can put pressure on Colts quarterback Andrew Luck.
That will be the key to the game, because if they can put hits on Luck like they did against Cleveland, look out.
Still, watch out for T.Y. Hilton if he's healthy.
Remember him, the FIU product?
He'll be lined up against either Dmitri Patterson or Nolan Carroll.
If it's the latter, we are in trouble.
I think the Dolphins can win, but they really….REALLY….need to get the running game going.
More on the Fins throughout the week.
Miami Marlins:
We're at T-minus 20 games and counting until the end of the regular season for the Marlins.
*holds hand over microphone* Thank God! (vague Major League the movie reference)
The Marlins just finished losing 2 of 3 to the Nationals and lost last night to the Braves.
The Fish will face the Mets, Phillies, Nationals, and Tigers to end the season.
But hey, we can all go out and maybe get a chance to see Miguel Cabrera win the Triple Crown?
How does that humble pie taste Mr. Loria?
NFL/Monday Night Football:
Last night we got a treat of a Monday Night Football double-header.
I wish they had those every week, but start it a half-hour earlier please.
Anyways, what we saw in the first game was Chip Kelly's Philadelphia Eagles offense run through and over the Washington Redskins defense.
Here's how he did it…his hurry-up offense forces a defense to tackle.
As we saw last night, much of the NFL isn't very good at tackling.
But Kelly's offense puts players across the field into open space.
That gets defenders alone in open space which means if they miss that first tackle, big yards are coming.
It's so simplistic, yet so tough to beat.
The only teams I've seen consistently beat it are Alabama and Stanford, mainly Stanford.
But you have to be fundamentally sound tacklers or you are dead in the water.
Plus, Kelly runs his offense at a breakneck speed to start the game to put points on the board early.
Think about an Oregon Ducks game the last few years….
They jumped on their opponents and had 30-40 points or more at halftime.
If you slowed down the offense early, it got the team out of sync and you had a chance to stay right there with them.
But to do that you have to tackle, and tackle well.
It's so fundamental, yet so easily missed by most defensive players at all levels.
The question is can he do it for 16 games.
Yes, yes he can.
He'll need some more athletes going forward, but as they adapt to his offense, it will get faster.
Think about that.
Plus, he's smart enough to know that at times in the game he needs to slow it down to give his defense time to catch their breath and protect leads.
It's a new era in the NFL and as QB's get better and better at the read-option and offense adapt to faster paces…defenses are going to be tested and had better keep up.
Ask Monte Kiffin of the Dallas Cowboys how hard it is to stop Kelly's offense? He couldn't do it at all at USC and was basically fired for it.
In the second game, we saw the Texans exert their will in the fourth quarter.
San Diego is a bad team, and Philip Rivers is a bad quarterback.
I've said that since he entered the NFL and I still stick with my guns on it.
He had good talent around him and he was good. But unlike Peyton, Brady, Brees, Eli, and others…he's not capable of carrying a team and making others around him better.
That's just a fact.
Links and More:
SI.com Drops The Bomb On Oklahoma State…but everyone says there's nothing to see here. I bet UM fans would beg to differ. If what is reported here is true, it's as bad as SMU in the days of the Pony Excess.
Key Plays From Week 1 In The NFL
Green Bay Keeps It Classy When Dealing With Jim Harbaugh's Comments
A Baylor Quarterback Is Tearing it Up With STUPID Video Game-Like Numbers This Season….where have I heard that before.
Steve Spurrier Gives Assessment Of His Team: "We're Not A Very Good Team Right Now."
The Canes Are On A Bye Week…Well Two Bye Weeks Because Savannah State Isn't Really A College Football Team
Tim Tebow Still Thinks He's Going To Be An NFL Quarterback….BWAHAHAHAHA
