I get a kick out of Jeff Reed, Week 8 NFL Thread

I don't think they are getting there even with Conner, but that's a big story of the game tonight.

Sounds like we aren't going to find out tonight. If it really is a shoulder problem and not a broken collarbone, that's certainly a big positive.

 

Look at their schedule so far and what remains. Yeah, they're 3-4, but Seahawks-Patriots-49ers gauntlet is behind them. Upcoming: Evil Irsays, Rams (both at home) and then three straight with the Browns and Bengals. Winning the four division games, a streak ending with the finale in Baltimore, should get them to at least 9-7 and victory in the tiebreaker.

 

You have to hand it to them.

 

It's possible, though unlikely. It gets a lot tougher without Conner, though maybe Samuels makes it back early. He was supposed to be out longer with the knee injury, but he did practice this week. Conner was a beast tonight. It sure seemed to help that they got Nix back, too, but they just can't get a break on the injuries this season.

 

Mike Tomlin should have considered your fantasy team!

 

They never ever shut up. Ever.

 

It wasn't so much rushing eight.
It was failing to cover one of the three receivers.

 

That was their best cornerback blowing his assignment, but why take that kind of risk on a third-and-20?

 

Do we know that he was supposed to faceguard the receiver? Playing an umbrella coverage on 3rd-and-long is usually the way to go. Let them catch and be more certain to bring him down, as opposed to getting beat on press coverage, falling for either a double move or simply getting blown by.

Rushing eight is NOT the way to go. The block Washington got on the Dolphins' DB at the five to complete the scoring play got the attention of someone who was watching in the same room as I was, and it was good work by ESPN production to get Mike Tomlin patting Washington on that play.

Simple summary: Unless you've got the Legion of Boom or something of that ilk, don't do what the Dolphins did. How many times has Darius Rucker cried lately?

 

It was definitely a great block by Washington, a bright spot in a bad day for him. I don't think the coverage the Dolphins ran on that play would have been smart no matter what kind of talent you have on defense.