SPORTSNET.CA’s Jim Lang looks at some of the NFL’s Week 5 games that are intriguing for not-your-typical reasons.
The $90-million-for-two-players game
Rams vs. Lions in Detroit
Ninety-million dollars represents the amount of guaranteed money that Rams' first-round pick Sam Bradford and Lions first-round pick Ndamukong Suh will earn in their current contracts. After four games, the powerful Suh has 15 tackles and three sacks. Three sacks in four games for a rookie interior defensive lineman is pretty impressive. Especially when you consider that the entire Bengals team only has three sacks this year. Last year, the Lions only had 26 sacks for the whole season, ranking them as one of the worst teams in the NFL at getting to the quarterback. The addition of Suh has paid immediate dividends along the Lions defensive line.
Bradford's impact on the Rams is a lot more obvious. Bradford has more passing yards than Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Jay Cutler. Considering how young he still is, Bradford is only going to get better. The upside to having a teammate like Bradford is that with his $50-million in guaranteed money, the Rams will always have someone to pick up the tab.
By no means is this going to be an easy game for the Rams. Steve Spagnuolo will have worked overtime this week to remind his players that their current two-game winning streak is nice, but it means nothing once they walk onto Ford Field on Sunday. Despite their record, the Lions have proven to be a dangerous team to play against. Lions receiver Calvin Johnson is a nightmare for any defensive back to deal with and rookie Jahvid Best has speed to burn.
The glowing tribute to Hazel Mae game
Chiefs vs. Colts in Indianapolis
Former Sportsnet anchor Hazel Mae is now a star at the MLB Network. But no matter where she works, Hazel will always be a passionate fan of the Kansas City Chiefs. Hazel and the rest of the Chiefs fans across North America have had a lot to cheer about this year. The last remaining undefeated team in the NFL will truly find out what they are made of Sunday when they take on the Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Peyton Manning and the Colts will not be in a charitable mood after losing to the Jaguars last week and falling to 2-2 on the season. For the Colts to bounce back from last week's loss to the Jags, they are going to have to find a way to stop the Chiefs' punishing running game. The combination of Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones will get a lot of work Sunday as Todd Haley looks to wear down the Colts defence and keep the ball out of the hands of Manning.
Jim Caldwell doesn't have too much to worry about when it comes to Manning and the offence. It is the defence that is giving Caldwell and the Colts nation the most trouble; after four games, the Colts rank 29th in the NFL against the run. Put another way, opposing teams are averaging five yards a carry every time they decide to run on the Colts' D.
The Dawg Pound has a new hero game
Falcons vs. Browns in Cleveland
The infamous Dawg Pound in Cleveland hasn't had a lot of cheer about the last few years. But over the past few weeks one man has injected new life into those beer-swilling, dog-bone eating Browns fans: running back Peyton Hillis. Averaging an impressive 4.9 yards per carry, Hillis has racked up two straight 100-yard games. More importantly for coach Eric Mangini, Hillis has provided the Browns a steady, reliable running game to eat up the clock and take the heat off of quarterback Seneca Wallace.
Wallace isn't shy about telling everyone that he is a fan of watching Hillis do his thing: "It's exciting when you have a physical running game like that." It is exciting and it is very effective. Of course, the fact that Hillis is six-feet, two-inches tall and weighs 250 pounds doesn't hurt. Mangini and the Browns will really need the Dawg Pound to be in full roar on Sunday, because facing a solid team like the Falcons, the Browns will need every advantage they can get.
Now in his third year in the league, Matt Ryan has not only taken his play to another level, he has taken his leadership skills to another level as well. If the Falcons are going to take the next step to being a legitimate contending team in the NFC, these are the kind of games they need to win. Atlanta is coming off an emotional last-second win over the 49ers, they are on the road, and they will have to deal with a hostile crowd.
The Vince Lombardi legacy game
Packers vs. Redskins in Washington
Most people remember Vince Lombardi as the iconic coach of the Green Bay Packers during their glory days in the 1960s. What some people don't remember is that after Lombardi coached the Packers, he coached the Redskins for one year. Coach Lombardi will be up in football heaven watching this game with great interest. With the Vikings' acquisition of Randy Moss, all of a sudden there is a lot more pressure on the Packers.
The Packers barely beat the Lions last week and this week the team was hit with the news that linebacker Nick Barnett will likely miss the rest of the season with a wrist injury. Meanwhile, Donovan McNabb and the Redskins are coming off that emotional win over the Eagles. Mike Shanahan seems to have found a running back that he might be able to rely on in Ryan Torain. That's a good thing because Clinton Portis will be gone for at least a month with a bad groin injury.
I did like how McNabb hit Chris Cooley for that 31-yard touchdown against the Eagles. McNabb needs to get the ball into the sure hands of Cooley more often. A bigger challenge for the Redskins will be trying to contain Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offence. Green Bay has scored more points so far this year than any other team in the NFC.
The Jay Cutler is not a human pinata game
Bears and the Panthers
I would have loved to have been able to sit in with the Bears coaching staff as they reviewed the game film of that debacle against the Giants. What I wouldn't like to be is a Bears offensive lineman. Jay Cutler is still feeling the after-effects of the beating he received from the Giants. That means Todd Collins will get the start at quarterback.
This will be Collins' first start at quarterback since 2007. Before 2007, Collins previous starting assignment was back in 1997 with the Bills. So Cutler gets off easy this week as the ancient Collins will be thrown to the wolves -- or the Panthers in this case. Collins is a little lucky because the Panthers are second-to-last in the entire NFL with only four sacks. Cynical Bears fans will point out that after facing that offensive line, Carolina will soon lead the league in sacks.
Like a lot of people, I never thought the Bears were quite as good as their 3-0 record. The crushing loss to the Giants and the subsequent all-out assault on Jay Cutler confirmed that. With Cutler not in the lineup, one would think that Mike Martz will adjust his playbook slightly and put more of an emphasis on Matt Forte and the running game. Even against a team like the Panthers, there's no way the Bears will be successful if they ask a career backup like Collins to throw the ball 40 times.
The Andy Reid needs to take a course on how to tell time game
Eagles vs. 49ers in San Fran (Sunday night)
Andy Reid needs to start wearing a big-ass clock around his neck like Flavor Flav used to rock during his glory days with Public Enemy. Reid has a lot more than just time issues to worry abut this week as the Eagles hit the road for Northern California. Michael Vick is still recovering from a rib cartilage injury. If he can't go, Kevin Kolb would get the start. Have no fear Eagles fans, there is no quarterback controversy in Philly. The only reason Kolb is in there is because Vick is hurting. Once he's healthy, Vick will be back as the starter and Kolb will be back holding a clipboard.
Elvis Presley used to sing an inspirational gospel song during his Vegas days called "you never gave me a mountain." It was about a guy in jail and his woman decides to run away with his son while he's doing time. The song could have been written about Mike Singletary and the 49ers. Every time they look to be on the verge of winning a game, the football gods take it away from them.
The 49ers will be a dangerous team for the Eagles to face. The Eagles know the 49ers are too talented to keep losing so many games. Eventually the 49ers are going to get off the schneid and start winning again. The Eagles are hoping that the 49ers' losing streak can last at least one more game.
The this time it isn't all about Brett Favre game
Vikings vs. Jets in N.J. (Monday night)
No, this week, it is all about Randy Moss. The Vikings stunned the NFL when they acquired Moss from the Patriots for a third- and a seventh-round pick. I am quite sure Rex Ryan dropped more than a few F-bombs when he was informed that he would be facing Moss this week. Even with the addition of Moss, the Jets still have to make sure they find a way to slow down Adrian Peterson. The Jets have faced some good running backs this year, but none of them are in the class of AP.
I spoke to another veteran AFC scout this week and he had an interesting take on the Moss deal: "When Moss first got to the Pats, their locker room had a lot of veterans. He wasn't a distraction. But now with so many new young guys, he could have been a problem." That is one thing the Vikings have going for them, good veteran leadership in the locker room. From Antoine Winfield, Jared Allen, Steve Hutchinson, Kevin Williams, Pat Williams and old man Favre, the Vikings have a lot of seasoned professionals to handle a player like Moss. Nothing makes Moss happier than a quarterback that will feed him the ball deep down the field. Favre is more than capable of doing that. But playing a team like the Jets, feeding the ball to Peterson will be more important.
This game will be a big test for the Vikings offensive line. The Jets have a great defence and are ranked fourth in the NFL against the run. Even with the addition of Moss, Favre is still an old, immobile quarterback; rock solid protection and sound blocking technique are crucial playing a team like the Jets. It is kind of ironic considering all of the headlines the Jets have made this year, but all the media focus on this game surrounds the Vikings. From allegations that Favre took pictures of his "junk" to the addition of Moss, the Vikings have been tabloid fodder all week.
Lost in all of this is the fact that the Jets will have receiver Santonio Holmes in the lineup now that his four-game suspension has ended. So if Jared Allen and the front seven can't get some pressure on Mark Sanchez, it could be a long day for the Vikings secondary.
A word of warning. Do not accept any offers to take a drink every time Jon Gruden says "this guy." It will only result in a severe drunkenness and the possible removal of your pants at an inopportune time.
