Fluck's Football Friday

     Last Sunday was supposed to be a day to remember. It was a day the money-man, Johnny Manziel was going to get his first career start. I was looking forward to this one and had the DVR set. Unfortunately, I messed something up and the game didn't record. Based off of Johnny's stat line, it looks like I did not miss much!
     Every head coach is "married" to their quarterback. If there QB is a clunker, then they will be out of work. Look back at some examples: JP Losman & Dick Jauron, Tim Tebow & Josh McDaniels, and Brian Billick & Kyle Boller. As you can see, these coaches didn't last long because they missed in the draft when bringing in their QB of the future. Will Mike Pettine and Johnny Football be a part of this group? Or will they be named with the likes of Brees & Payton, Belichick & Brady and Rodgers & McCartney? It is too early to tell but if I had to put money on it, I'd vote for the former!
     Now on to the games I did see:

1. The NFC West Matchup between the 49ers and the Seahawks: Early in the game I liked what the 49ers were doing. It looked like the Kaepernick of old. He completed 5 of 8 throws in the first and was running the football on designed runs for positive plays. But then he started missing some throws. I have to think the amount of pressure the Seahawks put on the 9ers played a huge role in this. I don't know what is going on with Kaep but he is not the same player that ran for 181 against the Packers a few years ago in the playoffs. 
2. AFC West Showdown between the Broncos and Chargers: Not a lot of action early in this one. I never envisioned a Peyton Manning offense using unbalanced formations with extra offensive lineman on the field but there first few drives had plenty of this. They were adamant on pounding the ball and CJ Anderson & Juwan Thompson did a great job of doing it. Demaryius Thomas continues to impress me. He is fun to watch and one of the best WR's in football. I do not think Peyton Manning is right by his standards. Their willingness to forgo pass plays and run the football could be a sign of this. His arm strength just isn't what it used to be. The only thing that stood out for the Chargers is safety Jahleel Addae. This dude was laying people out!
3. NFC East battle between the Eagles and Cowboys. Tons of gaffes in this game which led to an abundance of scoring. I coach defensive backs at the high school level. One of the toughest things to do in football is cover somebody man to man. The Eagles ask their secondary to do an almost impossible task: defend a WR with no help. Now, there are technique flaws on some of these plays when they are getting beat. But to continue to ask your players to do something they may not be physically able to do could lead to trouble in the playoffs...if they get in!
4. I did watch the Rams v Cardinals last week. This was not the most exciting offensive game. I will say this, Kerwyn Williams looked pretty good for the Cards. It is unfortunate that their QB's are dropping like flies but this team is going to struggle come playoff time!
5. I have had my eyes on the NCAA FCS Playoffs and enjoy watching these games. New Hampshire has a ton of local players that are playing at a high level. Guys like Mike Coccia out of Freedom, the McNeeley brothers out of Central Catholic and Cody Muller who's father is the Notre Dame Green Pond football coach. Watching these games from a year ago introduced me to names like Terrance West and Jimmy Garoppolo. Some of these guys will be playing on Sunday next year. More to come on these games soon!
6. Games to Watch this Weekend: Chiefs v Steelers; Colts v Cowboys; Broncos v Bengals. I'll be keeping my eye on the Seahawk v Cardinals & Falcons v Saints as well (I love the DVR)

Anything you want to see my discuss or breakdown? Post it in the comment box and I will answer it ASAP!

Chris Fluck