The mission to watch the entire 2011 season is anything but over. I haven't been able to watch at the same pace as earlier but I'll catch up and behind the scenes it is still ongoing.
This week I'll kick things off with Seattle's week four game against Atlanta and the finish up week four with bye weeks on the horizon, and therefore shorter weeks for me to watch. Thanks for reading along with me! Let's not waste any time. Follow me on Twitter.
Falcons at Seahawks
Week four offense:
Matt McCoy, how can that be YOUR leg?
Week four defense. No Kam Chancellor and announcer talks about "LeRoy Wright"
The Seahawks defense stops Michael Turner on first and goal at the one (The Hawks strength) but on 2nd down, Matt Ryan hits Tony Gonzalez for the score (covering tight ends, not a strength.) 7-0 Falcons and FOX plays "Hey Ya" by Outkast on it's way to commercial break.
Camera Ready! Set Ready!! Action! Action! Mike Williams, I said Action!!!
In absolute fairness, this was a mess of a snap. Seahawks called for illegal motion, and Mike catches the next pass.
John Lynch is the color commentator. John Lynch doesn't sound anything at all like what I would expect John Lynch to sound like.
11:44 in the 2nd and Curtis Lofton makes the interception on a tipped pass to Mike Williams. Tarvaris has targeted Williams a lot so far in this game and with Mike Williams constantly covered, this is a risk that they took throwing it to him in a crowd and the Falcons have the ball.
John Lynch wants to circle Roddy White on the telestrator and accidentally presses the wrong button.
He may not sound like how I'd expect him to sound, but he telestrates exactly how I'd expect John Lynch to telestrate.
Michael Turner runs it in from 21 yards out. Falcons lead 14-0 and FOX sends us to commercial with "Roam" by the B-52's.
Doug Baldwin is hit hard on a pass and the ball is popped out, ruled incomplete. Very next play, back to Baldwin and he catches it for 30 yards. On the very next play the Falcons jump offsides and its an easy freeplay 52-yarder to Sidney Rice.
14-7 Falcons. Rice called for a 15-yard penalty for a "throat slash" gesture. How important is it for players to really make that gesture? I don't get it. FOX plays us to commercial with Alice in Chains "Man in a Box." That, I get.
On the ensuing drive, Atlanta converts a few long passes (twice on third down) and finally Michael Turner gets in from the one to make it 21-7. FOX plays us off with some song I can't make out. It's some honky tonk or something.
The 2011 starting linebackers. One is gone and the other two may be too.
Seattle can't keep the Falcons from adding a FG and it's 24-7 at half. This FG would indeed by important as insurance points.
Halftime:
First play of the second and Ryan bombs it down the sideline. I can't explain how ridiculous this catch by Julio Jones was. He's somethin' special.
Matt Bryant makes a FG from 50 and FOX plays us off with "I'll Be Missin' You" by P Diddy and Mase. Remember Mase? Why did they play us off with "Missin You" when he made it? They should have played "I Made It" by Kevin Rudolf.
27-7.
The Seahawks pick up the pace on offense and finally drive down the field thanks to a couple of catches by BMW end ending in a Williams touchdown. BMW had 18 catches this season and it seems like they all came in this game. 27-14 is the score and FOX plays us off with "Better Man" by Pearl Jam.
Seattle wastes a timeout on third down when they had 12 men on the field.
On offense, Seattle is rolling. After missing a wide open Ben Obomanu on a TD pass, Tarvaris hits Zach Miller for a would-be TD but the ball pops out and is intercepted. How many ways Seattle could have won this game...
Let's play a game called "Are you any of these people or do you know any of these people?"
The turnover doesn't hurt Seattle that badly. Three-and-out and Leon Washington returns the punt to the 11 and Marshawn Lynch runs in a TD on the next play. 27-21... FOX messes with my head and doesn't cut to commercial.
Falcons FG makes it 30-21. "Save Yourself" by Audioslave.
Doug Baldwin can become the best slot receiver in the NFL. He's got hands, quickness, speed, toughness and can turn a small gain into a big one. Baldwin, just an unbelievable pickup.
Nobody covers Ben Obomanu because he's like the 9th receiver on the team (always forgotten) and Jackson finds him for the score. 30-28. No commercial break.
Seattle's D is called for illegal contact on 3rd and 7 with over six minutes left, giving up a first down. Just a killer.
Gonzalez converts on 3rd and 2. Five minutes left.
Petes Face
The women are fired up and the men are like whatever. Don't tell me stereotypes are all correct. Also, hi ladies.
What's with cell phone wig guy?
Third and seven and Matt Ryan scrambles for a first down with four minutes left. Just brutal.
Hawks get the ball back at their own 15 with 1:49 left and one timeout. Lynch foreshadows coaches talking about "Hauschka can go 60" on a FG.
Sidney Rice is called for a critical false start with :22 left. Seattle kept a timeout in their pocket and used up some clock getting to where they were. They could have saved some and who knows but on fourth down it's either "Go for yards" or "Go for the kick."
They went for the 61-yard kick and it failed. But Seattle lost because of penalties and failure to stop the Falcons in the fourth quarter on third down.
ATL 30, SEA 28
Lions at Cowboys
Up 7-0 early, Dallas fails on fourth and goal from the one and turns it over on downs.
I don't know how clear I've made this but I really like the Lions. Love Matt Stafford, Calvin Johnson, Jahvid Best... and others.
I also love the talent of Dez Bryant and he has two early touchdowns to make it 14-0.
One of my heros, Washington State grad Jason Hanson on the 2nd half opening kickoff:
Up 27-3, Tony Romo throws back to back pick sixes and the Lions get back in the game in a few short minutes in the third quarter.
Going into the fourth quarter, the Dallas defense has actually held the Lions to three points.
With a little over four minutes left, the Lions make a field goal and are down 30-27. Romo's very next, ill-advised pass is intercepted. The Dallas defense had a great game, but the Lions scored 34 points because the Dallas offense had a great game that was also TERRIBLE.
Calvin scores the game winner.
DET 34, DAL 30
Giants at Cardinals
Arizona gets lucky on the first Giants series when a false start on 3rd and 10 negates what would have been an incomplete pass for Eli Manning. On 3rd and 15, Manning dumps it off to Ahmad Bradshaw, who fumbles and gives it to the Cards on the NYG 16. Arizona manages only a field goal.
The Cardinals proved to be a better team than we thought (in the second half) but held the Super Bowl champion Giants scoreless until 2:55 left in the first half. However, like I said about "Losers Kick Field Goals" the score is NYG 7, ARI 6 even though Arizona has basically outplayed them up until this point except for where it matters: The Red Zone.
I sing the praises of Calvin Johnson as the best WR in the NFL, but hard to argue against Larry Fitzgerald when he catches 40-50 yard bombs like this:
Beanie Wells scores and AZ leads 13-10.
Eli Manning is sacked and fumbles, Cards recover on the NYG 4 and Wells scores again. 20-10.
Down 3, former Cardinal Antrel Rolle picks off Kolb in the fourth quarter but they can't capitalize.
Beanie Wells does, with his third TD. In fantasy, he was very inconsistent, but this was a good day to have Beanie Wells.
Jake Ballard scores on the next drive to make it 27-24 Arizona and the Giants stop the Cards to get the ball back with over three minutes left. The pivotal play comes on a long pass to Victor Cruz, who appears to slip and fall...
Nobody touches him and he walks away from the football, which is picked up by Arizona..
But it's ruled that Cruz "Gave Himself Up" and that is not reviewable. Hakeem Nicks catches a 29 yard TD pass on the next play and the Giants go up 31-27.
Arizona had a fourth-and-one with 1:09 left and one timeout. They decide not to use the timeout in order to gather themselves and the pass attempt to Fitzgerald is broken up.
NYG 31, AZ 27
Broncos at Packers
Before there was Tebowmania, there was Ortonpalooza.
The Denver defense, which was basically the same with or without Tebow, stops the Packers on a 4th and 1 in the first quarter. They don't stop Jordy Nelson on a 50 yard TD later in the quarter, and they can't be blamed for a Charles Woodson pick six a minute later, or a surprise onside kick after that TD that was recovered by Green Bay. It went from 3-0 Denver to 21-3 in a matter of minutes.
Brandon Lloyd had a long reception called back but still finished with 8 for 136, he still had some good games this year. Remember when it seemed like Denver was giving up and traded Lloyd and started Tebow and then made the playoffs?
Down 35-17 in the third quarter, Denver fumbles at the Packers 1 yard line. This game was technically a "blowout" game, I suppose, but could have turned on a few key plays.
Kyle Orton threw for 273 yards and three touchdowns, but also threw three interceptions. Tim Tebow would start to take over the following week against the Chargers.
The Broncos tried a desperation, ridiculous comeback attempt that couldn't be accomplished in a million years.... unless you play Tim Tebow. But they didn't. Those fools.
GB 49, DEN 23
Patriots at Raiders
The Patriots have a long drive in the first quarter, ending in a Wes Welker TD to go up 7-3, but 30 yards are given on the drive on Raiders penalties.
The Raiders have changed a lot from Week One of 2011 to now and yet they still have a few major holes, no cap room, and no draft picks.
The Raiders score a TD to go up 10-7, then the Patriots drive down to re-take the lead. Oakland has 7 penalties and there's eight minutes left in the first half.
Darrius Heyward-Bey has come a long way. (Hey!)
This Raiders defense is pretty damn terrible.
Vince Wilfork INT. That is one big dude. You'll also notice the score change from the last screenshot:
Like I said... DHB got much better. This was a 50-yard pass in double coverage and he caught it:
This was a fairly easy game for the Patriots. The Raiders will really have to hope that they're young in-house players get much improved next year or they might be really bad.
NE 31, OAK 19
Dolphins at Chargers
This near 60-yard TD grab by Vincent Jackson is why he's going to make a difference in Tampa and got a big contract. He's a true #1.
I have not been the biggest Mike Tolbert fan. He just fumbled. Recovered it, but lost it nonetheless. I just don't think he's great with the football, even if he's a little bowling ball that can dunk a basketball.
Welp, there just wasn't much to say about this game. Matt Moore came in for Chad Henne, his season now over. It wasn't that close of a game. Yip.
SD 26, MIA 16
Jets at Ravens
On the Jets first offensive play of the game, Mark Sanchez can't feel the pressure coming from being behind him and the ball is knocked out and returned for a Baltimore TD. On the ensuing kick off, Joe McKnight returns it for a score. So, it's 7-7 instead of 0-0 and though fun, the last minute of football was meaningless.
Sanchez is a walking disaster though. He's a backup QB. (Since writing this, he is now some sort of starting hybrid QB with Tim Tebow behind or perhaps next to him.)
Ray Rice scores to make it 17-7. Next drive, Sanchez can't handle a snap and loses it, Ravens ball.
Mark Sanchez... sacked.. fumbled... TD. That's three Sanchez fumbles for 17 points. It's 27-7. Only halfway through the 2nd quarter.
Aaron Maybin strips Joe Flacco and then on the next play, Mark Sanchez throws a pick six to Ledarius Webb. Flacco and Sanchez... mediocre "franchise" qbs.
The Ravens basically score 24 thanks to Sanchez alone.
BAL 34, NYJ 17
Colts at Buccaneers
Scheduling MNF games so early without a chance to change them can result (and often does) in games like this one.
Fun Fact by Mike Tirico: Michael Koenen (Tampa Punter) went to Western Washington. (RIP Western Football)
A 60 yard TD pass to Arrelious Benn is called back for illegal touching.
Curtis Painter hits Pierre Garcon for an 87-yard TD pass and there is no naughty or illegal touching. The Colts lead the Bucs in Tampa 10-0 in the 2nd Q. Even though the Bucs started 4-2, the writing was on the wall.
Bad clock management at the end of the half costs the Bucs a game-tying FG. Colts lead 10-7.
Pierre Garcon (85) has a lot of red jerseys around him but great downfield blocking leads to a 59-yard TD pass.
3:15 left, LeGarrette Blount runs a 30+ yard go-ahead TD, which was setup on the previous play by a nice 3rd down run by Josh Freeman.
Indy goes nowhere and punts it with three timesouts but can't stop Blount.
TB 24, IND 17
Games Remaining: 192
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