Large Stories in the NFL

In the past few days, there have been some major occurrences in the NFL. A few things that could drastically change the outcome of the season. Some things that are just interesting. Let's go.

The Eagles played as well as they could have the other night. They didn't win. But what they did do is expose the Patriots. They took away Randy Moss and made Wes Welker beat them. Well, he did, but the Eagles aren't the best team around. The Eagles busted the Patriots and disrupted their offense with hard-nosed play (ever heard that before) and enough blitzes to put Brady on his rear enough to get in his head.

The Steelers are not a finesse team. They are going to physically pound the Patriots. Their defense is one of the best in the NFL. Wes Welker wants nothing to do with Polamalu's hair. They can pressure the quarterback. I am going to say it right now...the Steelers, thanks to Andy Reid's blueprint, will beat the Patriots. Hello Larry Czonka.

Devin Hester scores apparently about 25-50% of the time he touches the ball. I don't know what you think, but that's a pretty substantial number. I would doubt that anyone can match that. Let's analyze this.

People talk about kicking to Devin Hester and it should never be done. People are "idiots" for kicking to this guy. Let me tell you who the idiots are...the coaches in the NFL whose teams cannot cover a kick. Unacceptable. The special teams game wins and loses games. The Bears have the best return "team" in the NFL. Hester was touched how many times on his touchdowns last week? Somewhere between zero-two. I've got new for you...anyone with speed would have taken those kicks to the house.

So now you don't kick to this guy and you sacrifice 15-20 yards of field position because your team can't cover a kick? Special teams need to be taken seriously and since the Bears have no offense whatsoever, they take it seriously. PS, if Devin Hester was really this good, don't you think you would want to get him in on offense?
Seriously. Stop crediting Hester and give the entire Bears return team a trip to the Pro Bowl. Then learn how to cover a kick. I can hear Bob Daman yelling "Hells bells Jon Petree, stay in your damn lane."

Finally, the most important story. I'm not a Washington Redskins fan. I'm not a Miami Hurricanes fan. I'm a football fan, and regardless who you root for, you appreciate good football. Sean Taylor was one of the best, most underrated and most under-appreciated players in the NFL.

Taylor died this morning at being shot in the leg in his Miami home this weekend. He showed signs of life after surgery last night but in the end, the loss of blood was too much to overcome.

Sean Taylor was given a very difficult task: enter the Miami secondary after three starters were selected in the first round of the NFL draft, one being Ed Reed. What did Taylor do? He became an All American safety after the departure of the legendary Ed Reed and was selected higher in the NFL draft than any of his recent predecessors. By the age of 24, he had been selected to a Pro Bowl and already had a career high in interception this year.

Sean Taylor had the speed to make him a ballhawk and the power to hit like a linebacker. He was a football player's football player.