Quote of the day
"I don't think any of these guys are panicked. But I do feel like the urgency will definitely pick up." -- Vikings head coach Brad Childress, after an 0-2 start Daily blurb
A few random observations on yesterday’s action:
Brett Favre might just have come back one year too many. Then again, it’s only week #2.
It’s hard to imagine the season getting off to a much worse start for Kevin Kolb. Even if he retains the starting QB job once he returns, Michael Vick has ensured that Kolb's leash is going to be much, much shorter. (Is “leash” a bad metaphor to use with Vick?)
Sometimes, a last-second timeout to “ice” the kicker backfires. I actually like it when that happens. But Houston head coach Gary Kubiak had the magic working yesterday. First, he kept Neil Rackers on the sidelines, eschewing a potential game-winning 52-yard FG attempt on the Texans’ first overtime series. Then, when Washington marched back to try their own 52-yard game winner, Kubiak’s last-second TO negated a good attempt by Skins’ kicker Graham Gano. The second attempt was wide right. Houston then won a few plays later on a Rackers 35 yarder.
Speaking of kickers, Mike Nugent apparently just needs to be kicking in Ohio. His five FG’s in Cincy yesterday were two more than he has kicked in the previous two seasons combined. Nugent was once a prodigious kicker for Ohio State, even winning the team’s MVP award in 2004. Who needs Batman and Robin?
Hakeem Nicks owners got a surprise gift at the end of last night’s game. With two minutes remaining in the game, Nicks had caught only one pass (7 yds), and even that didn’t occur until 4:18 to go in the 4th quarter. All Indy needed to do was run out the clock. But rather than simply taking a knee several times, Peyton Manning handed off to rookie RB Devin Moore – presumably to give him a few rushing reps with the game safely in hand. Moore fumbled it away, giving the Giants one last chance. And on the next play, Eli Manning found Nicks in the end zone for a 31-yard TD catch. Sometimes, it’s better to be lucky. I’ll bet some fantasy football game results were reversed based on that serendipitous ending.