Steelers-Ravens

If this game didn't get the testosterone flowing, none would. It was the brutal, snorting, bloody and broken-nosed defensive battle that has defined this rivalry, and fittingly the key play was made by a defensive lion in the form of Troy Polamalu.

Polamalu arrived with speed from Joe Flacco's blindside, jarring the ball from the quarterback's grasp and sending it bobbling along the turf in the opposite direction. Several players gave urgent chase, but Pittsburgh's LaMarr Woodley was first on scene, securing the ball and precious possession for his team.

Just watching Baltimore linebacker Terrell Suggs was worth the ticket price alone, and such sterling effort didn't deserve defeat. Offensive blocking issues aside, Suggs shrugged his opponents out of his way and charged endlessly for the ball, crushing plays in their infancy. His approach typified the fear that both defenses created when they took the field, and it was terrifyingly amazing to witness.

In the other standout play of the game shortly after Polamalu's forced turnover, Suggs arrived at Steelers' quarterback Ben Roethlisberger determined to rip the ball from his grasp. For what seemed an eternity the two were twisted together, helmets clashing like rutting stags, Suggs manic in his efforts to rip the ball free. But Roethlisberger held his ground, established a strong left arm and somehow rotated away, shovelling the ball in sheer desperation out of play.

It was breathtaking stuff, and it was a brilliant, electrifying game.

College and pro talking points

* It's almost impossible not to love college football at this time of year, simply as a result of the sheer raw emotion involved. Whether it's teams saying goodbye to their seniors, players playing together for the last time, playing for rivalry wins, conference titles, bowl chances and Heisman trophies, there is so much more invested in each play and drive that it's hard to tear your eyes away.

* I forgot to mention in my review of Boise State-Nevada that I thought Joe Tessitore and Rod Gilmore did a fantastic job in the booth. If I'm eager to point out mistakes, I should be as eager to point out when announcers have a good game, and this pairing did a fantastic job.

There were no major errors, they were informative and crucially they knew when to be quiet and when to convey the excitement of the action on the field.

* Green Bay-Atlanta was a brilliant game in week 12 of the NFL season, and hopefully an indicator of the excitement we can expect come play-off time. Both sides are attractive to watch offensively, and Matt Ryan and Aaron Rodgers surely represent the future elite quarterbacks in the league.

* Brian Billick called the game for Fox, and whilst I've heard frequent criticism of the use of Billick for Atlanta games when his brother-in-law is Falcons head coach Mike Smith, I thought the color commentator had a solid game.

Billick made good analytical points, noticed formation tendencies, predicted upcoming plays accurately through good appreciation of situations, and also correctly assessed which audibles both quarterbacks were using at the line of scrimmage. His linguistic style may not be to everyone's tastes, but he displayed technically sound knowledge.

* Pro Football Weekly recently criticised Fox's lack of a sports ticker akin to CBS or ESPN during their NFL broadcasts, but I much prefer the lack of clutter on the Fox broadcasts.

The cleaner look makes it much easier to focus on the action on the field, and the graphical redesign with the new scoreboard in the top left corner of the screen is easier on the eye than the old full screen bar.

Alabama-Auburn

I didn't come away from this Iron Bowl with the same sense of awe that it seems everyone else did. It was an incredible Auburn comeback when you look back at the first half, but it unfolded in two distinctly different halves that felt almost like separate games.

In this regard it was more akin to watching two legs of a knockout round in a soccer competition. Alabama comfortably winning the first, Auburn going one better in the second.

The hosts early dominance was astonishing to watch, rolling out to three touchdowns on three drives, QB Greg McElroy completing all ten of his attempted passes.

The Tigers couldn't get started offensively, Alabama's defensive linemen were seemingly all over the field and frequently in the Auburn backfield milliseconds after the snap. Newton was ineffective, using screens and draws to little avail, and Auburn was repeatedly forced to kick the ball back to the Tide.

It wasn't until 6.40 to go in the second quarter that Auburn finally completed a first down pass, and Newton began to look like a potential threat. He looked at his best throughout the game when utilising play action and throwing lazy-looking spirals deep downfield; Bama for the most part keeping his ground game contained.

In contrast, Alabama looked to have the better of Auburn all over the field when the ball was in their hands. Julio Jones and Daryl Hanks showed sure-hands and fought for yards after the catch, whilst Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson provided the formidable running threat.

However, the second half changed dramatically within two plays; Newton lofting another easy pass to Terrell Zachary for a 70 yard touchdown. It was immediately a different encounter, Auburn defensively stepped up, blitzing and sacking McElroy, breaking up passes in their secondary.

Two possessions for Auburn later and they scored again. Driving down the field on the back of Onterio McCalebb runs and catches, Newton powered in from a yard to bring the Tigers within three.

The pendulum of momentum was fully swinging in the visitors favour now, first holding Alabama to a field goal, then driving down the field themselves, converting a crucial 4th down in the process on a gutsy pass play to Darvin Adams.

Again Newton began scurrying to his right, found pressure, shuffled back to his left and lofted the ball back across his body to Philip Lutzenkirchen in the endzone.

It was an impressive turn-around, but it played out with such a matter-of-fact inevitability that it lacked the drama of the Boise-Nevada game that would follow that night.

Newton did what he had to, but this wasn't the eye-catching performance of a Heisman winner. The real story of the game was the second-half improvement by the Auburn defense, a unit that had looked utterly helpless in the opening salvos, to one that was comfortably containing Alabama by the conclusion.

Boise State-Nevada

Talking points

But what a game Boise State-Nevada turned out to be. Whilst I would normally include these talking points at the bottom of the previous post, it would seem an injustice to relegate such a pulsating and thrilling encounter to mere footnotes.

There were so many story-lines to follow; Boise State targeting another unbeaten campaign and their first national championship game appearance, Nevada determined to finally overcome their biggest conference competition after several years of crushing disappointment, the homecoming game for seniors such as Wolfpack tandem QB Colin Kaepernick and RB Vai Taua, who broke new college records for tandem career rushing yardage with their performances on Friday night.

It was a game that Boise looked to have in the bag in the early going, a combination of the familiar easy-on-the-eye passing attack led by Kellen Moore looking so calm and poised with every snap of the ball and delivering passes with beautiful timing and accuracy, and the brutal bowling-ball style running of Doug Martin. Martin's squat, sturdy running style is a joy to watch. He combines sure-footedness with great power and burst, and crucially, extra yards at the conclusion of runs.

They are complemented with an excellent receiving corps including Austin Pettis and Titus Young, two of the most athletic and agile receivers I've had the pleasure of watching play the game.

By the third quarter, Boise looked to be on a familiar path to victory, 24-7 ahead and seemingly good value for their lead. In the opening half Nevada had looked distinctly average; Kaepernick running screen passes and sweeps to little effect, whilst the Bronco defense were comfortable in containing the edge and bringing up safeties and linebackers to stuff attacks early.

But by repeatedly throwing up jump balls for favoured receiving target Rashid Matthews to grab and grinding out a running game with Vai Taua, the Pack began to turn the tide. Kaepernick rolled out and into the endzone to reduce the deficit, and the Nevada defense at last made their presence felt. Moore was pressured at almost every snap, the secondary coverage tightened and started to out-muscle their opponents. At the start of the fourth quarter Matthews took the ball, absorbed several attempted tackles and rotated to freedom on a 44 yard touchdown run.

Boise couldn't keep the ball on their next possession and a Nevada field goal tied the game. The momentum had swung decidedly in the hosts favour. Or so it seemed:



But Nevada recovered from this body blow, driving the length of the field to score once again when Kaepernick found Matthews in the endzone with just 13 seconds left on the clock.

Boise got the ball with nine seconds to play, game tied and headed for overtime:



It was drama of the highest order, Titus Young sitting on the turf calmly calling the timeout with a second to spare. The Nevada fans falling into stunned silence, heads in hands in disbelief. Boise players were elated. Kyle Brotzman would kick the field goal, win the game, and the Broncos would remain on course for a shot at the national title.

Except.



Who'd be a kicker. eh?

So we go to overtime anyway. Boise is stopped on downs. On trots Kyle Brotzman again, promptly booting the ball suspiciously closely over the top of the left hand shorter-than-standard-length goalposts. Close, yes, but the officials signal no good.



Who'd be a kicker, eh?

It was a fantastic game, one of the best I've seen in my relatively short time watching the sport; twisting and turning with such unpredictability and savagery that it left the viewer dazed, elated and drained all at once.

Boise falls

You could almost hear the shouts of delight ring through media and coaching offices across the United States. Boise State finally fell to defeat on a freezing night in Reno-Nevada, puncturing their hopes of a National Championship berth for good.

There has always been a sense that certain groups have been waiting for this moment. Boise play in the WAC, a conference that is dismissed as inferior and commands significantly less lucrative television rights deals. How dare they make a nuisance of themselves and challenge the college football world-order by trying to land a spot in the title game?

This year marks the first season that they have begun to be talked about in more respectful tones. In previous terms their achievements have been dismissed as being a result of easy scheduling and weaker opposition. Both complaints have solid grounds; Oregon and Auburn stand with unbeaten records after facing significantly stronger conference opponents on a weekly basis. But Boise have often felt as if they are not only playing against their opposition, but also the goodwill of those that determine the rankings and bowl match-ups.

Of the most irritating tactics in this campaign, retrospectively attempting to down-grade victories against ranked opposition is perhaps the most mindless. After Boise legitimately beat then #10-ranked Virginia Tech in a tight and exciting game on national television to open the season, Tech lost to FCS James Madison. In certain critics eyes, this was reason enough to render Boise's win less impressive.

Not even appreciating that the James Madison loss was up there as one of the shock results of the year in the sport, such analysis ignored the fact that Virginia Tech played Boise as a #10-ranked team would both physically and mentally, that perhaps the loss to Boise had in fact subsequently affected the VT efforts against James Madison, and that if Tech were not as strong as the coaches and media had assessed before the season, that it was the fault of the system, not Boise State.

The archaic nature of the college football system has long been cross-questioned and argued over, and there have been calls for a playoff system for a significant number of years now. But if Boise had gone unbeaten again this year as they did last and were again denied a berth in the Championship game (last year both unbeaten Boise and TCU were matched up against each other in the Fiesta Bowl to fudge the issue), it would have been deeply unfair to deny them a shot at a National Championship once more.

The current system essentially prays for there to only be two unbeaten sides come the conclusion of the regular season, and if Boise and TCU are in a list of several unbeatens, their lack of historical prestige and conference strength will always play against them. But without the ability to play the bigger teams (who are eager to avoid such match-ups for obvious reasons; they have everything to lose), Boise and TCU can never break that vicious cycle.

In cases such as these where there are multiple undefeated teams, they should be matched up in a semi-final (where #1 plays #4, #2 plays #3) and final series. These additional games would attract huge television audiences and commercial potential, and most importantly, would be a step towards fairness.

College round-up

Stanford @ Oregon

The NFL draft is always of course, a lottery. However there are some picks that it feels far more easy to be confident in. Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck is one such player.

From all the college games I have seen this year (and some of the pros), Luck has shown the most poise, awareness and accuracy. Most importantly, he remained consistently productive in this game and looks set to have an immensely bright future ahead of him.

ESPN commentator Brent Musberger assessed that Luck reminded him of a certain Peyton Manning, and it wasn't all hyperbole. There are still obviously areas which need development; Oregon managed to stifle Luck with blitz pressure from the cornerbacks in the second half.

But his easy-looking throws behind an offensive line that often blocked as a single wall were a joy to behold, and play-action was run with deadly efficiency by the Cardinal. Luck is also able to throw with stunning accuracy whilst on the move and tellingly, he also stood in and took hits to deliver an accurate ball, the sort of plays that have pro scouts drooling.

Ultimately Stanford couldn't halt the Oregon offensive juggernaut. You know exactly what's coming when you face the Ducks; read options, sweeps and screen passes aplenty, but it's quite another thing stopping them.

Oregon quarterback Darron Thomas inflicted damage most effectively on the ground, and although he passed for three touchdowns, the Ducks' down-field threat is reliant on catching the opposition on the backfoot. The big pass plays for Oregon were largely as a result of blown coverages by Stanford defenders biting on play-action fakes.

Alabama @ South Carolina

The week prior to Terrelle Pyror's troubles in Madison saw a South Carolina team led by the brilliant efficiency of quarterback Steven Garcia beat the then #1 ranked Crimson Tide.

Garcia was 9/9 at the half as the Gamecocks opened up a 21-3 lead that proved to be too difficult to surmount for the visitors.

Aided by strong performances from running back Marcus Lattimore and the reliable hands of receiver Alshon Jeffery, Garcia made the plays look easy. The Gamecock offense took the yards in manageable chunks over the middle of the field, and when they were forced or chose to go deeper down the field, Garcia's pinpoint accuracy was highly impressive.

Garcia actually looked more comfortable with these difficult throws; he was more wayward with the shorter screen passes and crossing routes. He began the second half with a poor mental error-choosing to rescue an errant snap by flinging it out the back of his own endzone for a safety, rather than simply falling to the ground and taking the lost yardage. But he recovered the very next drive to show impressive leadership in dragging his team down the field and scoring once more; over the course of the game South Carolina took advantage of a sluggish-looking Alabama linebacker corps and frequent poor tackling.

Offensively Greg McElroy looked his usual relaxed self, perhaps overly so; he appears to suffer a touch from Brett Favre-itis in hanging on to the football for lengthy periods of time even as the pressure closes in. He turned the ball over on a fumble ending one drive, while at other times taking disastrous sacks in the redzone that cost the Tide critical points.

Poor field goal misses and botched extra-point snaps also contributed to a stuttering performance by the #1 team, the only bright spots coming with McElroy taking advantage of a Julio Jones match-up on shorter back CC Whitlock to score the first touchdown, and spotting a coverage error from DeVonte Holloman in burning the Gamecocks deep with a Darius Hanks score to begin the fourth quarter.

The final 'gamble' came with Alabama's fake field goal attempt, coming after Tide freshman DeMarcus Milliner had broken up a pass and allowed a Will Lowery interception. The attempted fake failed disastrously, South Carolina promptly marched down the field and scored, and Alabama's further two possessions yielded no reward.

College round-up

Ohio State @ Wisconsin - October 16th 2010


Ohio State took the poisoned chalice of a #1 ranking into Wisconsin, and promptly lost it. There's something special about Big 10 football when Autumn comes around. I'm in admiration of the breadth of talent across the SEC and the sheer scale, colours and vibrancy of that conference, but a wintry game in Madison or East Lansing has an utterly unique appeal.

Wisconsin played to their primary strength as they had when I saw them last against Michigan State; running the ball behind their giant offensive line. They built up a sizeable lead early on and forced Ohio State to be more aggressive on offense.

Terrelle Pryor simply couldn't respond. He couldn't throw with any accuracy, frequently firing the ball nose-down into the turf yards short of his receivers. Other times Pryor relied on the superhuman and apparent telepathic efforts of DeVier Posey, Dane Sanzenbacher and Jake Stoneburner to pluck the ball from the air and ground, but by the fourth quarter even they could not make the catches needed to move the chains.

His inconsistently was infuriating, as he has the ability to fire the ball with some zip down the middle and scramble with deceptive pace and agility on regular occasion. But worryingly, when chasing the game late and under pressure, Pryor looked unable to plant his feet properly before throwing and settle into any form of rhythm. He was rushing throws, looking down receivers, and under-throwing passes.

Without consistent passing accuracy, and appearing unable to leave the ball in running back Dan Herron's hands for any length of time, Ohio State were left rather toothless.

Wisconsin stuck to what they do best, and John Clay made the field appear as though it were tilted down the throats of the Buckeye defense. The blocks were again easily established; holding Ohio State defenders static and perfectly legally, whilst clearing out second level threats in addition. Clay often had a choice of several lanes to pick from, and did substantial damage as a result.

James White was out in force again, although largely featuring in power formations and running a more physical game than I had seen before. It's a mightily impressive tandem, and Ohio State were powerless to stop them.

Scott Tolzien was largely unimpressive when passing and benefitted from receiver Al Toon out-muscling State cornerback Chimdi Chekwa on multiple occasions. Chekwa is good when brought up to the line on blitz plays and a strong tackler, but was too easily hustled off the ball when deeper in pass coverage.

On other occasions Tolzien missed a great one-on-one chance with Toon racing down the left sideline by placing the pass too far to the inside, and later threw a pick when completely failing to see Buckeye safety Andrew Sweat racing across the field. Maybe I happen to only see his less-productive games, but I don't get any sense of a consistent deep-threat from Tolzien's passing game. Not important to Wisconsin when they're beating the number one team in the country, but potentially damaging to his pro potential. The Wisconsin quarterback threw just 16 passes all game.

The Buckeye defense looked to have slowed Wisconsin in the third quarter; bringing extra pressure up to the line against a tiring Badger front four and holding them to a solitary possession. But in the fourth, Tolzien used a combination of safe screen-passes to Toon, checkdown passes to White and the dominant run game to puncture any air left in the State balloon with a touchdown.

Wisconsin's corner coverage showed significant improvement from when I saw them last; Antonio Fenelus had excellent knockdowns and was equally effective in coming up to make tackles, Aaron Henry was unlucky to not stay in bounds when intercepting Pryor early on.

Wisconsin were still vulnerable over the middle for medium gains, however. Ohio State's receivers were, through design or Pryor's throws, brought back to the ball and drawn into space for solid receptions. But the strong play of the linebackers in the second half and JJ Watt's relentless pursuit against inadequate blocking ensured that the Buckeyes were rocked back on their heels on a regular basis, and this was just about enough to counter the holes in pass coverage.

So the offensive line and running game won the game for the Badgers, Pryor's inaccuracies cost the Buckeyes. Another top-ranked seed falls in college football.

Vikings @ Packers frustrations

Two things should have had Vikings fans steaming by half-time in this one;

-How is Visanthe Shiancoe's catch not a touchdown? He maintains a solid grasp of the football in the air when falling to the ground, never bobbles it, and neither does the ground cause the football to squirm away from him and require an arm to pull it back into his body.

On top of all this, the call on the field was a touchdown and so the officials had to see indisputable evidence that they had made the wrong decision. Where was this evidence?

I'm all for receivers having to make solid catches and maintain a control on the ball, but give the guys a chance. Shiancoe stretched out and grabbed the ball out the air with brilliant control. As Cris Collinsworth said in the booth, what more do you have to do to make that a score?

- Brad Childress not going for a score before the half. If anything, this made me more angry than the Shiancoe call. Officials may beat up on you, but don't beat up on yourself. This kind of play-calling conservatism is infuriating.

OK you've just had a penalty draw the ball back down the field, but that very same penalty-(offensive pass interference overturning a huge reception for Randy Moss), showed that you have a credible deep threat. You've just run the ball with Adrian Peterson for a nice gain, you've got timeouts in the bank. What's there to lose?

Moss was clearly frustrated and Brett Favre showed a smile of disappointed resignation with his coach's decision. All of this coming on the back of an interception where you've stopped Green Bay as they appeared destined to score. A golden rule in football is surely to not kill your own momentum.

---

As for the overall game, this will be a painful and critical division loss to take for Minnesota. Rodgers looked uncharacteristically inaccurate but was at least able to complete passes when feeling the pressure or going to ground.

Brett Favre was his usual frustrating self, the love-hate relationship with the man continues. On one series he tries to make plays in hopeless situations and gifts the ball to the opposition, displaying as Mike Carlson asserted, a certain arrogance in believing he will always out-think and play the defenders.

And the next series and he's the same 41 year-old with tendonitis, but he's flinging the ball with ease downfield and into the endzone.

It was my opinion that Collinsworth gave Favre too easy a ride on his first two interceptions. (the third was a great defensive play by Woodson) Not least because Favre had also attempted to complete a further pass whilst being tackled by lobbing the ball weakly forward with an underarm throw, another pass that could have easily been picked.

He should be criticised for these mental errors, regardless of his career achievements or impact on the sport. They are basic errors that quarterbacks of his caliber simply shouldn't make. Supporters of Favre will claim that this is what you get with a gunslinging quarterback in his mould; you learn to take the bad with the good. But when the bad is the difference between winning and losing a game, it's difficult to stomach.

Play hard, die young

Recently, by coincidence, I have been reading the grimly-titled Play Hard, Die Young; Football Dementia, Depression and Death by leading forensic neuropathologist, Bennet Omalu.

Published in 2008, it helps provide some very interesting and relevant context to the currently unfolding events.

My post on Wednesday entitled 'applauding the NFL' should be taken within this context; I am fully aware that the league has been guilty in being too slow in both recognising the existence of brain damage caused by the sport, as well as in aiding those directly effected by it.

Here is an extract from the chapter entitled 'The response of the National Football League'. I encourage you to buy the full book.

'In 1994, Paul Tagliabue, the commissioner of the NFL, formed the Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI) committee to examine the issue of concussions in football. The committee later recommended that the NFL should sponsor independent scientific research into the causes, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of concussions. These independent research projects may not have been as independent as we would have wanted them to be, since the one who pays the piper dictates the tune.

A globally significant mistake was made when the six initial members of the MTBI committee were appointed; they included a neurologist, a neurosurgeon, a neuropsychologist, a bio-mechanical engineer and an epidemiologist. There was no neuropathologist or an expert in the genesis or cascades of developments of disease (pathogenesis). The focus of the MTBI committee expectedly drifted to the biomechanics and acute manifestations of sports-related brain trauma. They published many scientific papers on these subjects without paying any attention to the possible delayed effects of repeated concussions. Understandably, we are all human and we all make mistakes.

Following the diagnosis of gridiron dementia on the first NFL player in 2002, my colleagues and I were obliged to climb to the top of the mountain of science and announce the news to the scientific community. Our professional obligation and responsibility was to report the case in a reputable scientific journal since it would be the very first autopsy-confirmed case of dementia in a football player published in the medical literature. We chose to publish this first case in the journal Neurosurgery because the NFL published most of its brain trauma-related medical research in this journal, although the validity of some of the research findings has been questioned.

The case was finally published in July 2005 after a drawn-out and tiring struggle to convince the reviewers and editors of the journal that the case was scientifically valid. But thankfully, and with our deep appreciation to the editorial board of the journal, especially Dr. Donald Marion, a prominent neurosurgeon, the case was finally published.

Several months after the publication of the first case, I received an email from Dr. Marion requesting that I respond to an attached letter that the MTBI committee of the NFL had submitted to the journal. He called me later to discuss the NFL letter and gracefully advised me on what was expected from me. My initial response was that of fear and trepidation. I have sweated profusely out of fear only on several occasions in my life; this was one of them.

I felt very intimidated by the fact that doctors who represented the almighty NFL had submitted a letter requesting the retraction of our printed paper. After a gulp of my favourite whisky, I settled down, printed the letter, and perused it. First, I noticed that it was rather too lengthy for a letter to the editor in response to a published paper in a journal. Second, I noticed that it may have been even longer than the original paper that was its subject matter. Third, I noticed that it was rather too unfriendly and noncollegial, too confrontational and accusatory, and just too critical. I smiled, my heart beat much slower, and the profuse sweating stopped. Perhaps the whisky was taking effect.

I smiled because the letter from the MTBI committee was too defensive. It reeked of ulterior motive. I was surprised by this response and stance since I had presumed that the NFL would be happy with our scientific findings, which I had assumed would enhance their research and understanding of concussions. I was proven wrong.

I shredded the printed copies of the letter and went about my chores for the day, hoping to deal with it some other time. I forwarded copies of the letter to my coauthors. Two weeks later I composed a response and sent it to my coauthors, who made changes before we finally submitted the response to Neurosurgery in May 2006.

The letter from the NFL was written and signed by Drs. Elliot J.Pellman, Ira R. Casson, and David C. Viano, three of the most prominent NFL physicians. Dr. Pellman was actually the chairman of the MTBI committee. They essentially requested that our paper be retracted since it was scientifically invalid and flawed. The only papers that are retracted from publication are papers written by authors who lied or who have forged results and conclusions-that is, dubiously and intentionally falsified scientific papers. Ours was not the least bit falsified. We simply reported what we saw. These NFL doctors probably wanted to set a precedent that if certain powerful and influential doctors do not like a published scientific paper, they may have it retracted. Certainly, they weren't the first group to try.

Drs. Pellman, Casson and Viano attacked us, claiming that we seriously misinterpreted the neuropathological findings in the case and that we had a complete misunderstanding of the relevant medical literature. Neither Dr. Pellman, Dr. Casson, nor Dr. Viano was a neuropathologist. I wondered how doctors who were not neuropathologists could interpret neuropathological findings better than neuropathologists, especially when these doctors did not think that it was prudent to appoint a neuropathologist to their committee, even in an advisory capacity.

They extensively reviewed the neuropathological literature in their letter, arguing that our first case did not have gridiron dementia and did not meet the neuropathological criteria for such a diagnosis. I was extremely disappointed, for it seemed then that the NFL may have unfortunately adopted a stance of denial. I truly understand the embarrassment our report may have caused the members of the MTBI committee, but rather than adopting a stance of denial, they should have considered options more constructive than spurting a rather emotion-laden letter to the editor of Neurosurgery.

We replied with a more collegial and fraternal letter, recognised their "scholarly" letter, and suggested that the NFL should seriously consider our first case as a sentinel case that warranted further investigation by the NFL to confirm if there was a danger of professional football players developing chronic and irreversible brain damage. We reiterated that the NFL should begin examining the long-term effects of brain injury in its former players and volunteered to collaborate with the MTBI committee in developing and implementing an optimal research program that would address this important issue. At the time of publication of this book, almost five years later, the MTBI committee of the NFL has neither sent me a letter nor given me a phone call.'

What I have found most disconcerting reading various stories about how the NFL has dealt with the issue, as well as case studies of those former players now suffering at various stages of mental problems, is that the more you read, the more horrors appear.

It slowly unravels; more pieces of the jigsaw begin to fall into place. New names appear, new cases, and one begins to realise that the sport has, until now at least, done a remarkably effective job of pushing the issue clean off the agenda. Frankly, it's frightening.

Inside the NFL addresses helmet-to-helmet hits

Excellent debate on the dangerous hitting issue on Inside the NFL, proving itself to be the best analysis programme on television again.

I'm in favour of the introduction of in-game ejections for players caught illegally hitting as suggested by Cris Collinsworth. Punish the offending team through reviewing plays on the spot, and cause them to suffer an immediate disadvantage whilst playing the team they have committed the offense against.

Equally I was pleased to hear James Brown bring up the issues around Alzheimer's and brain damage sustained from playing the sport; not nearly enough debates around the issue have addressed this specifically.

I wouldn't consider myself a fan of Phil Simms normally, but was delighted to hear him slam a fan who messaged in supporting the violence in the sport.

'I'm just going to say to him, be quiet, because you don't know anything. I don't want to hear that argument any more. Don't give me that 'quarterback wearing a skirt' thing either- that stuff is over. I mean do we have to have somebody die before we go, let's do it?

The game will still be great, they'll still watch, it'll still be exciting. So let's do it for the best interest and health of the players.'

Well said, sir.

Chiefs-Texans

Chiefs-Texans was a fantastic spectacle, mainly thanks to both sides almost complete lack of pass coverage across the middle, and inability to stop the other side marching back up the field.

It was a classic game for the manic Gus Johnson to call, but Steve Tasker needs to learn to think before he speaks. Tasker is an analyst that feels the need to fill dead air with meaningless cliches or worse still, basic errors. As Kansas City attempted to drive down the field and behind 35-31, Tasker assessed that the position of the ball for the Chiefs would make it a 'long field goal', before realising that three points weren't quite what KC had in mind.

And having criticised the Texans defense all game long, as they were driving to score the winning touchdown, he announced:

'Two really, really good football teams going at it late in the fourth quarter!'

Contradicting statements like this through a lack of focus over the course of the game is infuriating to listen to.

Tasker is still far better than Mike Patrick, mind.

Talking points

* Brandon Flowers had the better of Andre Johnson at several points throughout the game and was unlucky to concede a soft-looking interference call that should have gone against the Texan in Houston's final drive.

* The Chiefs were impressive running the ball. Jamaal Charles has an attractive light-footed lateral ability that means he can hop around until he finds an open lane. His statistics look more impressive given he was running against a previously strong defensive line for the Texans.

Supporting the new NFL rules on dangerous tackles

Following several incidents in week 6, the National Football League has made the decision to introduce fines and possible suspensions for players who commit dangerous and unnecessary helmet-to-helmet tackles on 'defenseless' ball-carriers.


Patriots defender Brandon Merriweather launches himself at the unprotected Todd Heap


Dunta Robinson collides with Desean Jackson


Steelers player James Harrison hits Cleveland's Mohamed Massaquoi

Being an issue that I feel passionately about and that I have written about before, I'm fully behind the NFL's decision to introduce such measures.

Predictably, many current players saw it a different way. Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher spoke to the Chicago Tribune:

"It's freaking football. There are going to be big hits,'' Urlacher said. "I don't understand how they can do this after one weekend of hitting. And I can't understand how they can suspend us for it. I think it's a bunch of bull (crap).

"You know what we should do? We should just put flags on everybody. Let's make it the NFFL — the National Flag Football League. It's unbelievable.''

And James Harrison, involved in one of the two more-flagrant incidents on Sunday and fined $75,000 as a result, threatened to quit the game.

What Harrison has said has made him look both petulant and immature. Here is a player who has in the past made no secret about going out in games and attempting to injure opponents, and with such an attitude he will, in my eyes at least, no loss to the sport should he decide to leave.

What needs to change quickly is the attitude that 'it's football, get on with it'. Tell that to former professionals now struggling with the devastating effects of brain damage induced by repeated concussions. Protective equipment was developed for the game following injuries to players, and this same equipment has now become a weapon itself. The sport must do what it can in order to adapt again.

I get the appeal of the big helmet-on-helmet hits; the dramatic immediacy of the stop, the testosterone-fueled reaction it brings, and the sheer drama of the play. But you cannot keep such hits and also keep the long-term health of players safeguarded. And in a choice between the two, I'll put the player's safety first, every time.

The idea that the game will fundamentally change, or that the physical nature of the sport is being completely removed is flawed. Only the unnecessarily violent plays will be penalised. The message to defenders is this; tackle properly and without causing undue injury or distress to your opponent. That is hardly too much to ask for, is it?

Anything that can be done to reduce the frequency of concussions and head injuries in general must be encouraged, and simply asking that players avoid such tackles is ultimately for their own benefit. (What the league has yet to consider is the concussive effects of regular and repeated helmet contact between players at the line of scrimmage)

The debate currently being had has at least meant that we have heard players such as former Patriots safety Rodney Harrison, voicing his regrets about the way he played the game following his retirement.

The possibility of getting fined or ultimately suspended should mean that players have to think before they tackle, which can be no bad thing. For one it should see coaches having to instruct players on how to tackle properly, not leading with the head but wrapping the arms and bringing the player down.

By tragic coincidence, this week in college football saw Rutgers defensive linesman Eric LeGrand being paralysed from an impact during a special teams play, when he lowered his helmet into the body of an opponent. If these are the possible immediate effects from head collisions, the significance of the long term effects should also be apparent. If anything can make professionals like Harrison think twice before either speaking or tackling, LeGrand's life-changing injury should.

Revisiting Vikings-Jets

'Redben' over at nfluk.com made valid criticisms of some of the points made in my Vikings-Jets Monday night report:

'I'd take issue with a number of points there.

The Vikings defense isn't weak. It hasn't dominated at the line of scrimmage the way it has in the past but it remains a classic bend-but-don't-break Tampa 2. We give up yards but not points. Despite frequently being left in difficult situations due to the offenses inability to move the ball and its turnovers the defense has conceded just 4 touchdowns in 4 games (the other two we've conceded were by the offense).

Failing to pick up the blitz isn't really the fault of the O-line. The additional rushers should be getting picked up by other blockers and on Monday it was the backs in particular who were at fault. One of the major reasons we improved as the game went on was because the backs started picking up on their blocking assignments and Favre was able to stand in the pocket.

Moss beat Cromatie for his touchdown. He needs an accurate pass as well but he blew by the coverage.

The Jets threw the ball 44 times to 30 rushes and 2 wildcat rushes. Sanchez' completion percentage was under 50% and in the first six Jets possessions he threw ball deep six times but completed only two. So much for conservative play calling failing to take advantage of a weak Vikings secondary. In the second half in particular Sanchez struggled to get a completion.

AP only ran the ball 18 times for a very healthy 4.9 ypc. Gerhart added another 2. Favre threw 34 times and on a further 4 occasions was forced to run due to pressure from the Jets. We were no more successful throwing on early downs than running on early downs in the first half of the game. In six possessions we threw on all downs twice and failed to move the ball any further than when we ran on the first two downs. So much for conservative playcalling costing us.

The Jets play 8 in the box a lot regardless of the opposition running game. Rex Ryan schemes his defense that way (he takes after his father). Ryan's defense's rely on the CB's and FS being able to cover the secondary without any help. That's why players like Ed Reed and Darelle Revis are so important to their success.'

This caused me to revisit the game, as well as look at the statistics and drive charts. What I found was surprising; had I been watching the same game?-the Vikings had indeed attempted more pass plays in the opening half than I had originally credited, and as redben pointed out, it was more a case of inability to get any form of offense started, as opposed to rigidly sticking with only run plays.

American football is a unique sport in that it creates games with such distinct momentum shifts and a mixture of the incredibly memorable against the immediately forgettable plays that I had convinced myself of a play-calling trend that was perhaps not there. Therefore the running plays, although largely held in check by the Jets, did at least acquire short yardage which grabbed my attention. The broken pass plays and incompletions slipped my memory when writing the report.

I had fallen into the trap that befalls many sports commentators out there; assessing trends that you convince yourself you are seeing instead of what is actually happening in front of you.

That is not to say that I have become a fan of Brad Childress' play-calling all of a sudden. I still find him to be overly cautious and predictable; but the fact remains that he had attempted to move the ball aerially in the opening half.

---

Part of the attraction of the sport for me is this hidden complexity; reviewing the game afresh with relevant statistics and drive charts can completely change your perspective of the action. As, of course, analysing the game again free from the emotional involvement of being a Vikings fan with a more objective cap on.

American football is a sport of smoke and mirrors and different perspectives. When I first began watching in 2005 or so, I found the game to take too long to complete, and by last season I was concerned that the games to be too fast with too little on field action.

Take this article in the Wall Street Journal for example. Even as a relatively seasoned American football fan I found the headline statistic on the small percentage of time the ball was in play during a game to be fascinating.

But in another way, such a statistic is utterly worthless; it is the equivalent of measuring the amount of time the pieces in chess are actually in movement, or dismissing the athleticism of the 100 metre sprint as it is over in 10 seconds.

I realised that I like the fact that a game takes 3 hours or more to complete. The best games are those that play out slowly like a classic film; there are constantly developing plot lines as the plays go by, there are heroes and villains, moments of dramatic action and emotion, as well as periods of calm.

Watching just the action from the ball being snapped to the whistle blowing in an NFL game gives a black and white picture of what happened sequentially, but only by watching the moments between the plays can you monitor the personnel changes, the one-on-one strategical match-ups and appreciate the intangibles such as momentum shifts and players putting in great performances.

No other sport combines strategy with agility, skill, aggression and violence in such a captivating manner.

Various college games round up

A few talking points from some of the college games I've finally got around to watching recently.

Wisconsin @ Michigan State - October 2nd, Week 5

First time I've seen the Wisconsin offensive line in action, and they are mightily impressive. They put on a master class in legal blocking, blitz pick up and driving the Michigan State D-line back on almost every play.

Even I could run for good yards behind such ability, and so John Clay was able to with relative ease. Clay is a good downhill momentum runner, but he sometimes makes unnecessary cuts, and I was more impressed by freshman running back James White who has greater agility and acceleration. White ran in for Wisconsin's first touchdown behind the line who not only picked up the Michigan State blitz, but actually drove the Spartans back a step. Stunning:



Because of the effectiveness of the running game, the Spartans were forced to bring linebackers up to make tackles, leaving their defensive backs dangerously exposed. Though passes were completed as a result and often under heavy blitz pressure, there were also a number of drops from Badger receivers, and the passing game never really got going for Wisconsin.

Strangely, the Badgers also adjusted their running strategy to using outside runs and end- arounds for no apparent reason, and it ended drives prematurely. One such resulting punt ended up with Keyshawn Martin returning the ball to the house for a State touchdown, and the momentum began to shift.

I love watching Michigan State with Kirk Cousins at quarterback, as you know you are guaranteed some offensive fireworks. Cousins flings the ball with almost reckless abandon to a number of different receivers, but despite his good accuracy especially when throwing deep or to the sidelines, he doesn't particularly have a great deal of pace on the ball.

Every once in a while this results in an errant throw for an easy interception as happened here. If he goes pro, Cousins will face defensive backs with far more pace and vision and is liable to throw plenty of interceptions unless he learns to check down or throw the ball away.

The Wisconsin D-line were as solid as their offensive counterparts, and even with Michigan State throwing in Tight-Ends for extra blockers, Wisconsin were still sacking Cousins. The Spartan running game largely suffered too as a result, but State showed some ability of their own to block downfield on a number of outside runs. It was strange that State's play-calling appeared to ignore this; with a 1st and goal and on all four subsequent downs they resolutely tried to run the ball through the middle, unsurprisingly to no avail.

The Wisconsin secondary was also decidedly porous, and against a receiving corps as talented as that of MSU's they were always liable to be punished. With a running game established, the play-action pass was devastatingly efficient for State, and Charlie Gantt and B J Cunningham converted endless first downs and scores.

On the other side of the ball, Wisky quarterback Scott Tolzien appeared to lose confidence in his receivers deep downfield, and wary of MSU's talented linebackers, attempted to rely on shorter routes underneath interspersed with White running the football.

But it wasn't enough. State ran the clock on a huge drive in the last quarter, and Wisconsin were unable to slow them. Wisconsin lost thanks to bad drops, penalties, and questionable play-calling.

This being the first time I have seen Wisconsin this season, maybe that is all they can offer; a strong offensive line and running game. But if you struggle to score and cannot stop teams from scoring the other way, you're heading for defeat.

Sunday Night Football review

What an utterly strange game this was.

Having made my post about Cutler last week, he turned in awful performance here against the Giants. My biggest concern about him has been his mental fortitude, too many times in the past I have seen him crumble into negativity after one mistake, which often leads to more.

Eight more, in the case of this game. Cutler was sacked (or at least technically chased out of bounds for a sack) 9 times in the opening half by a Giants defense made to look better by an amateurish Chicago O-line performance. He would retire from the action with a concussion sustained during one such slam to the turf.

It was, as Cris Collinsworth said, circus stuff.

A percentage of the blame can be apportioned to the protection, which repeatedly became laughably porous; Giants defenders often reaching the Bears ball-carriers within seconds of the snap. But Cutler made bizarre decisions, throwing the ball for an interception when there was nothing open, but holding the ball for an eternity when the pressure demanded he at least throw it away.

A team in better form than New York would surely have piled on the points in the early going, but it wasn't until late in the 3rd quarter that the Giants were able to put together a sustained drive for an Ahmad Bradshaw touchdown.

This was in part down to a solid defensive display by the visitors led by defensive end Julius Peppers, but also from a stuttering offensive production by New York that saw Brandon Jacobs continue his frustrating tendency to fumble the football.

It was a game that for long periods looked set to end 3-0 to the Giants, which in truth would probably have been a fair score-line. The brightest moves were the neat plays of Giants receiver Hakeem Nicks in both dipping shoulders to out-manouvre Bears defenders, and physical play to come back to an Eli Manning pass to set up a Giants score in the final quarter.

A game to remember for the most unusual of reasons.

Talking points

* A number of teams seem to use a large number of offensive plays that are simply too slow to develop. The Wildcat offense has lost its ability to surprise defenses, and most pro players are too fast to use end-arounds and sweeps with much effect. I'd rather be seeing more direct runs at the line of scrimmage to gain at least small yardage.

* It's now week 4 and there are no excuses for players not being aware of the rules. Leading into tackles with your helmet (as the Giants did last night on Todd Collins) will most likely result in a penalty, and whether or not you agree with the principles, a rule is a rule. Wrap the carrier properly and stop incurring costly penalties.

Cutler, Gruden and Monday Night Football

There are American football analysts who take the simple option of re-evaluating the entire game afresh after each play. ESPN's Jon Gruden is particularly guilty of this. Following Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs stripping the ball from James Jones late in the Monday night game, Gruden fell into a reverie of admiration: 'this is simply what they do!', later adding: 'and it's just non-stop passion to the football when you talk about Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs. Who says those two guys are slowing down?'

In doing so Gruden completely overlooked the fact that Urlacher had, until that point, had a very average game; missing an interception opportunity by turning his shoulders square to the play on the Packers opening score, and missing key tackles on the Packers previous possession.

Both Gruden and Ron Jaworski were equally guilty of talking up Jay Cutler to an overstated level. Cutler is, in his current guise, a middling quarterback. He makes just enough big down the field gains with pretty passes to Johnny Knox to distract from his generally poor decision-making under pressure.

His fondness of throwing the ball into heavy coverage has not disappeared, nor has his willingness to fling the ball wildly in any direction when the pocket collapses around him and defenders close in. Two times the Packers dropped easy interceptions, whilst two more were overturned for defensive penalties.

There is a significant quality difference between his opposite number on Monday night, Aaron Rodgers, a player who looks to be entering the elite class of quarterbacks in the league, and Cutler. Rodgers makes more accurate passes, and crucially, far better decisions. His ability in reading Urlacher's shoulder turn for example, allowed him to zip the ball past the stranded linebacker to the speedy receiver Greg Jennings beyond.

Rodgers also has a very fast release when under pressure, but still makes the correct read to find an open receiver. He is also more agile and speedy than Cutler when flushed from the pocket. Several times plays looked to be dead before Rodgers made backwards, lateral and acceleration moves upfield to escape the attentions of Bears defenders. Cutler looked decidedly slow in his scrambling attempts by comparison.

It helps of course that Rodgers has arguably the league's best receiving corps, the still criminally-underrated trio of Jennings, James and Jermichael Finlay. Beyond this, they even have fine fourth and fifth level receivers in the form of returner Jordy Nelson and Brett Swain, and newly-promoted running back Brandon Jackson added to the reception tallies against Chicago.

The Bears won thanks to the Packer mistakes. Long drives resulted in costly penalties and dropped catches, and poor special teams and turnovers gave Chicago easy points.

ESPN coverage

ESPN's coverage of Monday Night football has always been pretty poor, with the sole exception of lead commentator Mike Tirico who has grown into the role well. I have never understood the insistence on utilising a three man booth when one would be enough, and ESPN have certainly picked out some sub-standard analysing teams.

Gruden and Jaworksi may not be as bad as Tony Kornheiser's painful sensationalist sports talk radio material was, but I don't understand those that praise Gruden's 'down-to-earth' style, which as far as I can see, involves him making overly obvious points interspersed with 'what I'd do if I was still coaching' offerings, which invariably turn out to be disastrously wrong. Maybe that's why you're not still a coach, Jon?

And if I never hear the word 'escapability' again, I'll die a happy man.

Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth may not be perfect, but they are the best the league's TV coverage can offer at the current time. This is primarily because Collinsworth makes the viewer see things that they might otherwise have missed, and is able to give you a good sense of which individual battles on which to focus your attention in advance of the action.

American football concussions

As much as I love American football, there is no doubt that it is both a dangerous activity, but also a sport where the NFL has been slow to deal with the issue of long-term injuries caused by playing the game, particularly in the case of concussions and brain damage.

Before the 2009 season when the league finally made a high-profile attempt to crack down on players being put back into games following concussions and introducing on field penalties for helmet-to-helmet contact, it has so far appeared that the culture of the sport has failed to adapt sufficiently.

In week 1 of the season for example, Philadelphia Eagles players Kevin Kolb and Stewart Bradley both suffered concussions, Bradley's with dramatic immediate effects


Stewart Bradley falls concussed to the ground

Almost defying belief, Bradley was put back into the game shortly afterwards only to be fully withdrawn later on. Incidents such as these, where despite the league insisting that coaches must perform substantive 'tests' on the sidelines to determine whether a player can return to the action, clearly show that the policy is not working.

And there is plenty of tragic evidence from the league's history, often swept under the carpet or blamed on other problems that signifies the extreme jeopardy players are being placed in when such apparent disregard for safety occurs.


Mike Webster, who died in 2002

Mike Webster, Justin Strzelczyk, Andre Waters and Terry Long are just a few of the known cases of former players who went on to develop serious mental issues in later life, often resulting in suicide.

Scientists believe that repetitive stress on the head and frequent concussions can lead to chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, similar to the condition that many boxers face following their careers in the ring.

CTE causes symptoms ranging from memory loss, a deterioration in mental ability, loss of co-ordination and speech problems, and a host of more general behavioral issues-explosive, inappropriate or uncharacteristic actions, jealousy, paranoia and depression.

Research is still in a relatively early stage in this area, and has meant that players such as Waters and Strzelczyk were only posthumously identified as having suffered brain damage caused by playing that may have determined their tragic final actions.

As a result, researchers are now encouraging both current and former players to help participate in co-operating with ongoing studies in an effort to better understand the long-term side effects of the game.

What is most worrying is that once you begin to research the effect of concussions in football, you find extensive examples of the devastating results.

In his book 'Head Game: Football's Concussion Crisis' published in 2006, former Harvard footballer and pro wrestler Chris Nowinski, who suffered his own career-ending concussive injury, describes the fog of ignorance surrounding the problem:

'The more I looked into my concussive problems, the more I realized that I had never heard of any of the true dangers posed by head injuries. Nor had the rest of the United States, it seemed. Why? Because the organization (NFL) with the most money to study concussions and the biggest stage from which to spread the message at this point hasn't shown the ability to publicize the truth about these devastating injuries.'

Part of the problem is the culture of the sport, from sidelines to locker rooms, where players are both scared to speak out when they have suffered an injury for fear of losing a spot on the team, and feel peer pressure from team mates to not appear 'soft' by stopping playing. It is not just players either; cases such as that of Stewart Bradley show that certain coaches are just as guilty of putting the performance of the team above the safety of their players.

The game itself has also evolved so that the helmet is no longer as much a protective item as a weapon. The frequency of helmet-to-helmet hits over the standard wrap-tackling has increased rapidly in recent decades, as defensive players go for dramatic show-reel plays that broadcasters such as ESPN show endlessly on Sports Center.

It's encouraging to see new helmet technology being developed to try and combat the effects of blows to the head, but it's going to take a sea-change in player attitudes led by early education to protect oneself properly on the field to avoid future cases like that of Justin Strzelczyk.

College round-up week 4

Miami-Pitt

Is this the core of the same Pittsburgh team I saw last year? It's hard to believe how average they looked against the Hurricanes. Simply unable to get anything going on offense all game long, they could barely accumulate first downs, let alone look threatening downfield.

Starting QB Tino Sunseri was eventually benched, and back-up Pat Bostick at least looked comfortable in the position, generating a drive made up of lofted passes steadily down the field, before also lofting up an easy interception.

Most worryingly, Dion Lewis, touted as a potential dark-horse for the Heisman trophy after an excellent freshman year has not found his 2010 rhythm yet. Instead Pitt's running game (and only positive news from the game) came in the form of power RB Ray Graham.

Hopefully Lewis can regain his 2009 form, he is incredibly exciting to watch when he makes cuts and escapes the first tackler. I have no doubt he will make an impact in the NFL one day.

Miami's pro-style offense made them look a class above Pitt, and the Hurricanes have a fine selection of receivers in Travis Benjamin, LaRon Byrd and Leonard Hankerson. These are players that already look capable of making an impact in the NFL, and backed up by a solid defensive effort they easily won this game.

Alabama-Arkansas

A great game of football played in perfect conditions and with the most electric crowd that only the college game can produce.

It was such a tight game that mistakes were ultimately the difference, and it's impossible to look past Arkansas' QB Ryan Mallett's two late interceptions as the primary cause for defeat.
It was not the picks themselves that particularly cost the Razorbacks, more the momentum shift and deflation you could feel from the stands in their aftermath.

It had looked as if Arkansas were headed for the comfortable win, but Alabama managed to establish the running game with Mark Ingram more consistently in the second half, and this coupled with key defensive stops and the turnovers were enough to guide the Tide to victory.

There is no more galling loss than one such as this for Arkansas, and this would have doubtless been the signature win of their season had they pulled it off.

Mallett looks to have definite pro-potential. His foot work is for the most part, very solid, and he made some nice step up into the pocket moves not often seen at this level. He also made several stunningly accurate passes, and was helped with equally strong receiver performances by Greg Childs, Joe Adams and Jarius Wright.

Worryingly though, he made risky throws, and could even have been picked off more than the three times he was.

Alabama QB Greg McElroy also made mistakes however, throwing two picks, one of which he clearly failed to see the Arkansas defensive back at all until he cut to the ball.

The difference was that McElroy adapted his game in the second half, and the play calling changed. There was more commitment to the run game for starters, but also the passes that were called were largely safer, shorter routes to the sure hands of Julio Jones, who had the better of his match-up with cornerback Ramon Broadway.

This game also showed the importance of having a running game; Arkansas started with reasonable production in this area but fell away badly in the second half, heaping more pressure on Mallett and allowing Alabama to predict the play-calling.

Sunday Night Football review

New York-Miami




A very watchable Sunday Night Football then on Channel 4, where two teams regarded highly for their defensive football also managed to produce decent moments of attacking intent.

Miami were unlucky to lose what turned out to be a predictably tight encounter given the similar nature of the setups of the teams, and most surprisingly managed to develop a strong passing game that represented the opposite philosophy we had seen the week before in Minnesota.

Miami's receivers impressed across the board, and Brandon Marshall stood out most with big gains on crucial downs, whilst all the time being involved in a heated match-up against old AFC West-foe, cornerback Antonio Cromartie.

The momentum of the game swung fairly wildly. It had looked like a potential blow-out win for the Jets when they extended to an easy two-score lead following a Mark Sanchez completion to Dustin Keller at the back of the endzone early in the second quarter.

But Miami were able to find momentum by spreading pass receptions across Marshall, Davone Bess and Brian Hartline. Indeed there were times when the Jets vaunted defense seemed unable to stop the catches along the sidelines from Bess, whilst Henne was delivering the ball with confidence, good-timing and precision, albeit occasionally interspersed with the more familiar risky tosses into double coverage.

The famed wildcat offense was largely unproductive-used predictably or delivered with such languid sweeps that the Jets were able to make easy stuffing tackles, and it was this inability to get the running game motoring that went some way to costing the Dolphins the game.

They were unlucky to concede the headline touchdown to the Jets most-wanted receiver Braylon Edwards, when covering defender Jason Allen lost his footing on the newly laid turf covering the baseball infield at Sun Life stadium, and this was Edwards primary impact on the proceedings.

NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth generously blamed only the field for the resulting play, but Allen also over-ran the action, and was guilty of doing the exact same later in the encounter in allowing Edwards another easy completion.

It was also Allen who drew the pass interference penalty on Edwards late in the dying minutes of the game that presented the Jets with the fresh set of downs and Ladanian Tomlinson's charge into the endzone to ultimately seal victory.

Cornerbacks are struggling to cover Edwards for whatever reason, and whilst I don't consider him anywhere near an elite receiver in the league given his previous form, he has successfully made a nuisance of himself at the start of this season, both on and off the field of play. The Patriot's Darius Butler had an equally torrid time in attempting to get to grips with the receiver in their week 2 clash.

With the exception of the cornerbacks Miami were as impressive when the opposition had the football. Cameron Wake made several good defensive plays, including the seemingly physically impossible leaping from a cut block to knock down a Sanchez pass at the line of scrimmage. Karlos Dansby also had important tackles and a strong presence on the field and looks to be a bad loss for the Arizona Cardinals.

Overall it was difficult to be blown away by the performance of the Jets; they showed us nothing here that we perhaps didn't already know. Sanchez is capable of delivering strikes but still has vulnerabilities in his game, and nearly delivered a disastrously soft interception to Dolphins defensive-end Kendall Langford in the last quarter. Their defense occasionally looked strong at the aggressive point of attack with Shaun Ellis and Jason Taylor making dramatic plays, but Miami's offensive line were able to buy the time and protection for Henne to pass the ball with ease at other points in the game.

The major positive for New York was the return of bruising running back Shonn Greene running downhill towards the end of the game, although for reasons unknown they chose to abandon this tactic late on.

What the game did tell us is that the AFC East will be ultra-competitive again this year (with the exception of the Bills), and with the Patriots looking hitherto shaky, it is up for the taking.

A breakdown of the rest of the NFL week 3 encounters and college games to follow shortly