Drafttek Draft Takes

10/18/08 - Senior Writer, Scott Lilliston - Football Analyst and Team Correspondent

If you have a favorite NFL team or, heck, if you’ve ever rooted for ANY team, you have likely had one of those moments during the game where you just know this thing isn’t going to turn out well for your squad.  It’s like seeing a black cat tapdance on a broken mirror under a ladder after he just knocked over the salt….or like being “Joe the Plumber.”  You didn’t want to see it…you wish you hadn’t seen it….but these moments - these signs - set the fate of your team in stone.  

Let’s look at one example from last week in the NFL.  Rams vs. Skins at DC….Washington a two touchdown favorite to win after coming off back-to-back road wins against Dallas and Philly.  The Rams, coming off a bye where they had just fired their coach, hadn’t won a game all year. 

**NOW LET’S JUST STOP RIGHT HERE….let’s say you didn’t watch the game on Sunday and the next morning you hear that lead-in on your local or national sports station.  You hear it just before they showed you the highlights….you could guess who won, couldn’t you?  I mean, it even SOUNDS like a set-up!  Interesting that you can’t spell “up-set,” without “set-up.”**

The game starts out well for the home team…recovered fumble at the Rams 2 yard line and then a 7-zip lead.  But then something a little odd happens.  On the next offensive possession, Rams QB Marc Bulger hits Redskins Middle Linebacker, London Fletcher right between the 5 and the 9, on a 15 yard square-in pattern intended for Torry Holt, and Fletcher drops the ball.  Bulger gasps a big sigh of relief and then moves his team into scoring position.  The lifeless Rams suddenly have life. 

“No big deal,” I thought at the time, but if you did see the highlights, what followed was a circus that would make P.T. Barnum beam.  Another dropped interception, on the SAME ROUTE, this time by Redskins safety, Laron Landry; and a lineman catching a batted pass and inexplicably trying to channel the ghost of Sweetness himself before being tackled and fumbling the ball.  Of course the fumble is scooped up and ran back for 6 the other way. 

Unbelievably, the Redskins are up by one point with 3:49 to go in the game.  On third-and-long, with Skins CB Fred Smoot on the sideline tending to an injury, Marc Bulger tosses a wobbly, dead duck-looking ball down the field and underthrows second-round pick Donnie Avery by nearly ten yards.  Avery is being covered by the Skins 4th corner with NO SAFETY HELP!  This is because first year safety, Kareem Moore was suppose to blitz but he didn’t and got caught in no-man’s-land about 5 yards from the line of scrimmage.  Avery makes the adjustment and the CB doesn’t……BALL GAME.  A field goal with no time remaining sinks the home team that was favored so heavily. 

It’s important to note that ”The Set-Up Moment” as I’ll refer to it…isn’t always the biggest play of the game, or the turning point of the game, it’s just the sign, THE sign that you better put your thick-skin on for Monday at the office.

So why didn’t Skins fans see it coming?  They should have…all the signs were there.

On to this week’s games… 

Looking for a stud defensive lineman to put up a statement game?  Keep your eyes on Texas Longhorn defensive lineman, Brian Orakpo.  The Longhorns take on the number 11 ranked Missouri Tigers which will put Orakpo and his other 10 defensive pals to the test.  One thing to look for: if Orakpo doesn’t have great stats after this game, see if his linemates do…Mizzou is bound to put two and even three blockers on Orakpo all day.  Orakpo reminds me of a Patrick Kearney kind of pass rusher.

For an offensive player, look for this to be the day that Ohio State Freshman QB, Terrelle Pryor, introduces himself formally to college football.  Though only a freshman, Pryor will be the jackpot in the 2011 draft. 

For the Sunday matchups, there are several rookie running backs who should continue to shine.  Look for the Lions’ Kevin Smith to break out against the Texans and Matt Forte and Chris Johnson for the Bears and Titans, respectively. 

Interestingly, there has been no real front-runner for NFL defensive rookie of the year.  The rookie of the month was Redskins 7th round safety Chris Horton, but no true leader at the quarter mark. 

Matchup of the Week - For my money, it Denver QB, Jay Cutler vs. San Diego QB, Philip Rivers.  No, their respective teams don’t play each other this weekend, but Cutler had some things to say about Rivers to the media while appearing on the Best Damn Sports Show.  Dang boys, can’t we all just get along!?!?  See it here…  http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=44731688

Until next week, Tekkies….don’t let your meat loaf.

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