Your N.F.L. Questions Answered

Judy Battista, the N.F.L. reporter for The New York Times, answers questions from readers.

Two things: One, how long will Tim Tebow last as the starting QB of Denver. And what kind of impact do you think he will have? I.E., will he win the spot for the season and win, or will he go the Cam Newton route and show flashes of brilliance yet still lose out in close games?
– Posted by Justin, Quad Cities

The Denver Broncos should only hope that Tebow looks like Newton does, because Newton has been spectacular — far beyond what anybody expected. Tebow is not Newton, though. Newton does not have throwing mechanics issues, for one, and he is a superior athletic talent to Tebow. Having said that, the spark Tebow provides the offense when he is in the game is undeniable.

I imagine that at least for the first few games, he will look a lot like he did when he went in at halftime last week: some badly misfired throws, some short completions, some thrilling running. One of the biggest concerns with his style of play is that no team wants their starting quarterback to get crushed by linebackers on a regular basis — can Tebow hold up to that week after week?

That’s why everybody wants him to become more of a pocket passer. I think he will give the Broncos a jolt and, as opponents will discover at least early on, he will be a challenge to prepare for because of the threat that he’ll run. But the Broncos’ losses have not all been Kyle Orton’s fault, so if the defense doesn’t start playing better, Tebow alone won’t be able to change the results.

Unless he is absolutely terrible or gets hurt, I expect he’ll be the starter the rest of the season. This is a move made as much for the future as for now. The Broncos have to find out if he can be a starting quarterback in the N.F.L. The coaches and John Elway clearly didn’t think he could do it at the start of the season and if they are right, they’ll have to draft a quarterback next spring.

What happened to the Jets linebackers? I don’t see them making the big plays they made the last two years, especially Bart Scott. Does this account for the run production against the Jets?–Posted by Stoli, Washington, D.C.

If you remember, Bart Scott didn’t look great at the end of the playoffs last year either. Lots of things have happened — the departure of Kris Jenkins certainly does not help the linebackers or the defense as a whole, and at least from my perspective, the defense has looked a little slower this season so far. The fact that the Jets could not stop BenJarvus Green-Ellis — a nice running back, but not exactly Adrian Peterson — last week, when they knew the Patriots wanted to run, is telling and troubling because if the Jets’ offense continues to fall behind, the Jets are going to see more running until they prove they can stop it. They are currently ranked 26th in rushing yards yielded. Last year they finished ninth

Why are the Eagles sticking with their obviously flawed wide 9 defensive scheme AND sticking Asomugha in zone coverage most of the time? It’s beyond me why anyone would bother working so hard (and spending so much money) to get a player like Nnamdi and then play him in a zone 90 percent of the time.–Posted by Rich, Atlanta

Great questions and right now unanswerable. The Eagles’ defense is a mess across the board — the linebackers are not good (and that’s being especially exposed by the Wide 9), nobody is tackling well, only Cullen Jenkins and Jason Babin are living up to their free agency hype — but it’s hard to scrap an entire defensive system midstream and start over. The Eagles are clearly hoping that some of their issues are due to lack of familiarity and that once everybody settles in and knows where they are supposed to be, the gaping holes will disappear. That may be wishful thinking, and Andy Reid could  be answering for a long time why he thought it was a good idea to make his longtime offensive line coach his defensive coordinator in the same year when there would be massive influx of new personnel and limited time to work together.

Do you think the new rule placing kickoffs at the 35 will survive after this season?–Posted by Dave, Connecticut

Yes, I do, because it is having exactly the effect the N.F.L. wanted when it voted for it: reducing the number of collisions on kickoffs. By drastically reducing the number of kickoff returns, it has definitely accomplished that. This was a move made for safety reasons — some of the biggest and most damaging collisions happen on kickoff returns — not for aesthetics. The N.F.L. knew it would greatly decrease the number of kickoff returns, and even though big returns are some of the most exciting plays in football, the league was willing to take that tradeoff if it meant cutting down on big hits.

The Chargers, who usually stumble out of the gate, are 4-1 and in first place– does that mean they won’t make the playoffs?–Posted by zb, New York

Ha! No, I think they’ll make the playoffs, and it probably helps that there hasn’t been much attention paid to them this year. Also helps that, while the Raiders are surprising, the Chiefs and Broncos have struggled early.

A lot of heat gets put on the Jets offensive coordinator, Schotty. But don’t you think he and Rex Ryan are simply calling the plays that they think the QB can make without turning the ball over?–Posted by Steve, Connecticut

Yes. I think the coaches know their offensive line is in transition (read: not very good right now) and therefore they can’t make Mark Sanchez spend too much time back there waiting for plays to develop. Sanchez is still not overly accurate, and at this point I’m not sure that is ever going to get better. You have to wonder if he will ever be the kind of quarterback who can consistently take over a game and win it on his own. It probably told us a lot that the Jets did not take too many shots outside the numbers and down the field last week, just to test a Patriots defense that had really been struggling in that area.

I continue to hear from everyone it seems (Rex Ryan, Mark Sanchez, other current Jets, former Jets, pundits, analysts and prognosticators) that this Jets offense “isn’t built to put up huge numbers of yards or 30+ points/game.” Judy, what group in the offense ( O-Line, receivers, running backs, etc) would agree with that statement?–Posted by Steve, Connecticut

Not sure I entirely understand the question, Steve, but let me give it a shot. If the offense is built to run the ball, it’s clearly not built to be a scoring machine. Furthermore, as we’ve already discussed, the Jets seem reluctant to let Sanchez go downfield with his passes. This is not going to be a Packers/Patriots kind of offense, clearly, even though the receivers probably think they are capable of it. I don’t think saying it’s not built to put up 30 points a game is derogatory, it’s just the truth. This team is supposed to win by playing great defense and running the ball. Right now, it’s not doing either of those, and it doesn’t have a passing game capable of overcoming it, the way we saw Brady do in the first few weeks of the season.

To what extent are the Steelers’ difficulties this season due to their offensive line or the age of their defense? And what explains the dramatic increase in the number of yards rushing the defense is allowing this year? Is it regression to the mean, or something more insidious?–Posted by Carey, Pittsburgh

Well, the offensive line is a MASH unit, and the impact of that can’t be overlooked. They are getting Roethlisberger hit constantly. I haven’t seen enough of their games to know what is happening to their defense, except that their run defense is clearly giving up more yards than usual. But the defense is still ranked second in the league in yards given up. It will be interesting to see if the wallopping of the Titans marks the turning point for the Steelers.

Are the 49ers and Alex Smith for real? What is Smith’s QB rating score?–Posted by Ole Holsti, Salt Lake City

Alex Smith might be the best argument going for the value of good coaching. He was left for dead and his career looked to be over, and — presto — bring in Harbaugh. Now he’s third in quarterback rating (104.1 with seven touchdowns and one interception), behind only Brady, who is second, and Rodgers, whose rating is an absurd 122.9. Short answer: yes, the Niners are for real. They are playing well, and the rest of their division is a mess. If they don’t win it, I’d be shocked. This weekend’s game against the Lions will probably tell us a lot about them.

It’s safe to say the 49ers will win their division. They’re playing better football than anyone else in the NFC West. Can they prove that a team doesn’t need an elite QB to win big?–Posted by Greg, Silicon Valley

You’re assuming that Alex Smith — a former first pick — is not elite. I’m not sure we should do that. He has had a carousel of coaches and offensive systems and has never had a coach with the offensive mind or devotion to quarterback development that Harbaugh brings. I’m not saying Alex Smith is Aaron Rodgers, but with consistent coaching and an offense that suits him, he might be in the second tier of quarterbacks.

We see so many games plod along (see Jet offense most of last year), until crunch time then suddenly come alive in a flurry of offense, risk taking and big plays — what drives this transformation? Are the coaches inherently conservative until they have to open up? Is it really the grand chess match until inches become yards (yes, that “Any Given Sunday” reference) or the ball bounces one way or another?–Posted by BankerBoy, New York

I think it’s a combination of things. Yes, if a team is trailing and the clock is winding down, they have to take more chances going downfield. And, on the flip side, the team that holds the lead is often in some kind of a prevent defense, which allows the bigger opponent to get bigger chunks of yards, as long as the plays stay in front of the defense. In other words, force the opponent to drive down the field, but don’t give up the touchdown. You can’t say coaches are inherently conservative — how would you explain the offensive attacks of the Packers, Patriots, Saints, Colts (with Manning)? But you can say that coaches play to the strengths of their teams as long as they possibly can and deviate from that only when forced to.

Given the success of Victor Cruz and the fact that Steve Smith has not been a factor in the Eagles offense (according to Sheil Kapadia of Philly.com, he played in three snaps last week and has not been targeted in the past two weeks), doesn’t Jerry Reese and the Giants front office deserve some credit for not overpaying for Smith, especially considering the backlash the front office received from the media and fans after Smith signed with the Eagles?–Posted by Matt Barbarasch, New York

I don’t think anybody thought the Giants should overpay Steve Smith. But the criticism came when the number of players that the Giants theoretically wanted to keep piled up — including Kevin Boss (who was definitely overpaid by the Raiders) and Smith. There is no question that the Eagles thought Smith would be healthier sooner than the Giants did. The Giants trusted their doctors who, after all, did the surgery on Smith. So far, it looks like the Giants made the correct bet. As for Victor Cruz, he is delightful when he makes those circus catches, but he has also made some bad mistakes. If the Giants had been able to retain Smith — and not rush him back on the field — there’s not much question who the better receiver would be, if the health of both is equal.

The Jets and Jones-Drew

With the N.F.L.’s trade deadline approaching (Oct. 18) and the Jets in need of a jolt, should they be among the teams looking to buy? If so, Jacksonville could be a place to look.

Did Jacksonville’s game against Carolina two weeks ago rub off on Jaguars Coach Jack Del Rio that much?

As the rest of the N.F.L. world is in the process of discovering, Carolina has decided to turn the rookie quarterback Cam Newton loose. Newton was supposed to have trouble adjusting to the rigors of an N.F.L. passing offense, but instead has lit up the skies in the first four weeks of the season, throwing for 1,386 yards and 5 scores. Carolina is 1-3  under the new coach Ron Rivera, but the message is clear: The Panthers are going to win or lose with the ball in Newton’s hands.

The Newton-Del Rio connection comes into play based on how the Jaguars played the Saints last Sunday. Del Rio, a coach who loves to run the ball, called seven consecutive pass play in the Jaguars’ first possession after winning the coin toss. The possession ended with Blaine Gabbert, Del Rio’s rookie quarterback, throwing incomplete on fourth-and-six from the Saint 38.

It didn’t stop there. The Jaguars threw on 75 percent of their plays in the first half as they fell behind, 14-10. Gabbert was busy, completing 12 of 24 passes for 165 yards and a score. He also ran twice for 14 yards.

And what of Maurice Jones-Drew?

He rushed three times for 0 yards.

The Jaguars were held scoreless in the second half of the Saints’ 23-10 victory. Gabbert struggled in that half and finished 16 of 42 for 196 yards. What bears watching, though, is the approach Jacksonville (1-3) may be taking. Are they going to continue to let it fly with Gabbert? If so, how does that affect the status of Jones-Drew? The Jaguars have already cut David Garrard, their former starting quarterback, in a cost-cutting move. The Jaguars are committed to going with a younger roster. On a financial note, Jacksonville regularly has trouble selling out its stadium.

If the Jaguars were to lose this Sunday to Cincinnati, they would be 1-4 with a game at Pittsburgh the following Sunday. Would another cost-cutting move be out of the question? Would they dare part with the popular Jones-Drew?

If Jets General Manager Mike Tannenbaum is going to earn his money this season, he needs to continue to monitor every situation around the league. And not just at running back. The Jets reportedly have some room to maneuver under the salary cap.

Jones-Drew, who finished the game against the Saints with 84 yards on 11 carries, is in the third year of a five-year, $30.95 million contract. He is due to make $4.05 million this season.

Jets fans may only be able to dream of a backfield of M.J.D., L.T. and Shonn Greene —  instantly one of the N.F.L.’s best.

But the least Tannenbaum can do is make a phone call.

Are you ready to talk some football? Join the discussion on this and other topics with George Bretherton and Bret Leuthner tonight from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. by clicking here. Listen in or call us at 609-910-0687.

Week 4 Film Review: Cam Newton Rising

A closer look at some of the games in Week 4, via film analysis.

Panthers O vs. Bears D

There are still plenty of reason for Panthers fans to be excited. Cam Newton looks like the real deal. Against Chicago he was comfortable locating the voids in the Cover 2 defense. Several times he used his strength and speed to elude rushers or scramble effectively (including two first-half touchdowns). And, most enticing of all, he exhibited rare arm strength both inside and outside. His ball truly zips. That said, the Panthers can be concerned about losing their rhythm in the second half (they did that against Green Bay in Week 2, as well). They got away from their run game even though DeAngelo Williams was highly effective cutting back against the fast-flowing Bears linebackers. They also got away from Steve Smith in the second half, particularly down the stretch when far too many balls were thrown to Legedu Naanee (an uncomfortable downfield receiver). Over all, the Panthers’ offense still played well enough to win, but the Bears’ front seven successfully upped its tempo down the stretch and preserved a lead that their great special teams built.

Bears O vs. Panthers D

It was an uncommon run-first approach taken by Mike Martz. That may have been because Chicago’s make-shift offensive line had major issues in pass protection on the right side. Right tackle Frank Omiyale was embarrassed by Charles Johnson a few times and was benched for Lance Louis, a guard who struggled with his footwork playing out of position. Jay Cutler was under siege a few times early and looked a tad hurried the rest of the day. Thus, Matt Forte ran the show. It was a very good rushing performance that, augmented by two long runs, looked dominant on paper. All of Forte’s big runs came outside, where the Bears had tremendous success exploiting Carolina’s Jon Beason-less linebacking corps. In reality, the Bears’ offense only drove for 13 points; their other 21 points were scored or set up by defense and special teams.

Chargers O vs. Dolphins D

It was a well-executed plan from a Chargers offense that was without superstar tight end Antonio Gates. Norv Turner mixed his run-pass play-calling well and effectively used play-action, particularly with some deep passes in the first half. Vincent Jackson’s smoothness and power were on full display early in the game; in the second half, San Diego attacked underneath with dumpoffs and screens, a tactic they’ve had success with all season. Much of their passing game revolved around attacking  safety Yeremiah Bell, who was slow to recognize routes and consistently  poorly positioned in coverage. Attacking Bell was something the Chargers planned to do. Running back Ryan Mathews benefited from good initial spacing in his touches and was able to show off his natural acceleration. The key for him in taking that next step will be to consistently conjure this attribute when running lanes are less defined.

Dolphins O vs. Chargers D

The Chargers were sound and cohesive playing a Dolphins team that, with Matt Moore replacing the injured Chad Henne, posed minimal threat through the air. Moore was hit or miss with his reads, and many of his completions were a result of the Chargers playing to the situation and keeping everything underneath and in front of them. San Diego’s front seven was effective across the board, and both safeties were stellar in all of their assignments. For Miami, two concerns stood out: left guard Richie Incognito getting beat a few times and Reggie Bush stopping his feet when approaching defenders.

Saints O vs. Jaguars D

After the Saints methodically pushed the ball down their throats the first two quarters, the Jaguars finally realized that it’s unwise to play a traditional vanilla zone against Drew Brees and Sean Payton. Brees knows all of his receiving outlets far too well on every snap to be disrupted by a base zone (assuming there’s no pass-rush, which, with the Jags, there wasn’t), and Payton is way too crafty in his route combination designs to not calculate mismatches against the banal coverage. In the first half, those mismatches took place underneath with the speed and quickness of Darren Sproles and versatile athleticism of Jimmy Graham. Those two were the crux of New Orleans’s gameplan. The playing field leveled a bit in the second half once Jacksonville started going to  zone blitzes and hunting up the underneath routes, but by then, the Saints had already established the lead they needed.

Jaguars O vs. Saints D

It was interesting that Jacksonville assumed a spread-out, pass-first approach in Blaine Gabbert’s second game. It obviously didn’t work. The Saints’ secondary was simply too much for Jacksonville’s ho-hum receiving corps. And because Gregg Williams can be so aggressive in his blitzes, the Jacksonville running backs were used as pass protectors, not receivers, which meant the ball was not in the hands of Maurice Jones-Drew. Gabbert read the field fairly well but was a half-beat reactive and also inaccurate in the face of pressure. Typical issues with a callow quarterback. The Saints got an outstanding performance from their defensive line (Shaun Rogers had his best game of the season) and from cornerbacks Jabari Greer and Patrick Robinson.

Titans O vs. Browns D

The Titans made their money with three big first-half plays: Chris Johnson’s 25-yard first-quarter run (which highlighted the first scoring drive, capped  by Craig Stevens running a deep out in the end zone with Browns safety T.J. Ward staring in the backfield too long from his zone position); Jared Cook’s 80-yard touchdown; and Nate Washington’s 57-yard reception to set up a late second-quarter score. The Titans took advantage of man coverage on the two big pass plays (Cook easily won his matchup against linebacker Scott Fujita, and Washington got open because of a brilliant pick play  by Damien Williams). Matt Hasselbeck had good command of the offense. The Titans put up decent numbers on the ground but Johnson still didn’t show his usual initial explosiveness. The Browns’ linebackers did a very solid job containing him and recognizing the blocking assignments in front of him. The only Browns defender who really stood out, though, was the rookie end Jabaal Sheard. He owned right tackle David Stewart on running downs. Sheard, however, like the rest of his teammates all season long, made little noise rushing the passer.

Browns O vs. Titans D

Cleveland’s high volume of pass plays was mostly a product of circumstance. The Titans struck quickly on offense and took a 25-point lead into the fourth quarter. The Browns’ hurry-up, pass-oriented approach inflated McCoy’s pass attempt numbers. Coach Pat Shurmur knows it would be foolish to throw over 60 times every week – as this game showed, his team doesn’t begin to have the resources for that. Cleveland’s lack of speed and general potency at wide receiver made them easy for the Titans to defend. The Titans rarely bothered to blitz and were able to stay in traditional zone coverages that kept the action in front of them on third downs. Their front four gave the Browns’ young guards a little trouble at times, but McCoy had a clean pocket most of the afternoon. The few times he didn’t, he rolled outside and took questionable chances, like his pick-six to Jordan Babineaux. I don’t think even McCoy could tell you what he saw there. One last note: Montario Hardesty basically split snaps with Peyton Hillis.

Andy Benoit is an N.F.L. analyst for CBSSports.com and founder of NFLTouchdown.com. He can be reached at andy.benoit@NFLTouchdown.com or @Andy_Benoit.

Why Passing Totals Can Be Deceiving

We’ve seen monstrous passing numbers in this young  N.F.L. season. With the rule changes and proliferation of spread offenses, those numbers will only climb in the coming years.

But how much do the numbers really mean?

Cam Newton is second in the league in passing yards (854). His Panthers are 0-2. The next four passing yards leaders – Philip Rivers, Drew Brees, Tony Romo and Matt Hasselbeck – are on teams that are 1-1. It’s too early to read much into the numbers, but it’s not too early to understand why the numbers are climbing and why it may not matter.

The N.F.L. is undergoing a defensive revolution. Ten years ago, the idea of “good defense” was to stop the other team from moving the ball. The 2000 Ravens were a brick wall that yielded just 970 yards on the ground (fewest for a 16-game schedule in league history). But today, teams don’t sustain offense with the traditional run-run-pass approach. New rules and improved athletes have led to an explosion in the passing game, making it too much to ask for a defense to hang in there and continuously stop an offense.

The idea of “good defense” has morphed from stopping the opponent to making big plays. The best way to do this is to trick an offense into making a mistake. This is why we’ve seen rapid growth in versatile and confounding 3-4 schemes that are predicated on disguise concepts and blitzes (especially out of sub-packages). This has been the defensive approach of the past two Super Bowl champions (the ’09 Saints were second in the N.F.C. in forced turnovers and the ’10 Packers were fifth; ahead of the Packers were the Steelers, Patriots, Giants, Bears and Eagles – all playoff teams save for the 10-6 Giants).

Creating big plays requires taking risks (which often means blitzing). Those risks are contributing to more passing yards. But passing yards don’t always lead to points. Defenses know that with space being limited, offenses can’t spread out and dictate terms of engagement in the red zone the same way they can between the 20s. Thus, in taking risks, defenses have embraced more of a “bend but don’t break” mentality.

A great illustration of how this revolution is playing out can be found in Cam Newton. In Week 1, he went up against a Cardinals defense that’s run by the first-year coordinator Ray Horton, who came over from the Steelers. Horton has installed myriad blitz packages and is a proponent of taking risks to force offensive mistakes. His Cardinals D gave up 422 passing yards to Newton … but only 21 points. Late in the fourth quarter, on Carolina’s final drive, the Cardinals repeatedly blitzed Newton from inside the red zone. On fourth-and-five in that final drive, the Cardinals blitzed again and gave up four yards. Bending, not breaking.

The next week, Newton torched the Packers through the air. But Dom Capers also confused Newton with coverage changeups in the third quarter, resulting in two interceptions (Newton had also been baited into a pick by Charles Woodson late in the second quarter). Green Bay also capitalized when space became limited, holding the Panthers to two red zone field goals in the first half.  In the end, Newton had played well for 90 percent of the snaps and posted 432 yards through the air. But the Packers were able to make big plays on the other 10 percent and, consequently, Carolina finished with only 16 points.

Quarterbacks are playing well these days. But defenses are more willing than ever to let quarterbacks play well. They just don’t want quarterbacks playing mistake-free. Thus, one of the reasons passing statistics are destined to inflate.

Andy Benoit is the founder of NFLTouchdown.com and an analyst for CBSsports.com. He can be reached at andy.benoit@NFLtouchdown.com or @Andy_Benoit.

Surpassing Numbers From Tom Brady and Cam Newton

In Week 1, Tom Brady and Cam Newton were outstanding. Among all quarterbacks since 1960:

As great as those two were in Week 1, Brady and Newton served up some excellent encores. Facing two of the best defenses in football — the Packers finished the 2010 season second in points allowed, 3rd in net yards per pass allowed and 5th in passing yards allowed, while the Chargers led the league in yards allowed, passing yards allowed and net yards per pass allowed — didn’t intimidate Newton or Brady. Newton torched the Packers for 432 passing and added 53 more yards on the ground. Tom Brady lighted up the Chargers for 423 passing yards.

Newton became the third-youngest quarterback to throw for 400 passing yards, a week after becoming the second youngest. Brady became the first quarterback to  throw for a 500-yard game and a 400-yard game in consecutive weeks. Newton’s start to his career has been both entertaining and eye-opening: here were the top 10 leaders in passing yards in a player’s first two games before 2011:

Newton didn’t just break the record, he obliterated it, throwing for 854 passing yards in his first two games. In fact, immediately after Newton’s performance, he became just the seventh quarterback — of any age or experience — since 1960 to pass for 850 yards or more in consecutive games. But by the end of the day, he was passed by Brady, who finished five yards shy of tying the record for most passing yards in consecutive games:

Record-Setting Day in Detroit

The Detroit Lions are one of the oldest franchises in the N.F.L., dating to their days as the Portsmouth Spartans in 1930. The Lions won three N.F.L. titles in six years in the ’60s, and played in their 1,122nd regular-season game Sunday. Never had Detroit won a regular-season game by more than 44 points, as it did against the Chiefs (48-3) in its home opener on Sunday. Whenever a team as old as Detroit sets a franchise record, that’s impressive. In 1957, the last year the Lions won a championship, Detroit crushed the Cleveland Browns, 59-14. Lions fans can only hope that this year’s edition continues to evoke comparisons to the ‘57 team.

Meanwhile, things went from bad to worse for Kansas City. After being blindsided by the Bills, 41-7, at Arrowhead in Week 1, the Chiefs somehow managed to look even worse in Week 2. The Chiefs are last in the league in points scored and last in the league in points allowed; that’s what happens when a team starts off the season by being outscored, 89-10. How bad has Kansas City been? Over the last 75 seasons, only three N.F.L. teams and one A.F.L. team have been outscored by more points in their first two games:

Adding insult to injury for the Chiefs? Before becoming Buffalo’s coach, Chan Gailey was hired as the Kansas City offensive coordinator in 2008; three games into the 2009 preseason, Coach Todd Haley, in a stunning move, fired him. Gailey got his revenge in Week 1; the Buffalo offense exploded for five touchdowns. Gunther Cunningham coached for 11 seasons in Kansas City (including two seasons as coach in ‘99 and ‘00), but was relieved of his defensive coordinator duties as part of the regime change from Herm Edwards to Haley. Cunningham’s defense dominated the Chiefs’ offense on Sunday, and the Lions gave Cunningham a Gatorade bath in the final minute. After the game, Lions General Manager Martin Mayhew ignored etiquette and refused to acknowledge Chiefs General Manager Scott Pioli. Why did Mayhew turn his back on Pioli? Last year, the Chiefs and Pioli filed tampering chargers against the Lions, alleging that Cunningham contacted Chiefs safety Jarrad Page (and perhaps other defensive players). Detroit’s punishment was levied via the 2011 draft, as the league took away the Lions’ seventh- round pick and forced the two franchises to switch fifth round selections (which moved Kansas City up 14 spots). Haley and Pioli haven’t made many friends in Kansas City, and it seems as if opposing teams aren’t shy about exacting their revenge against the Chiefs on the field.

Profiles in Futility

The Chiefs are in the running for worst team in the league, also known as the Andrew Luck sweepstakes. But while no one has equaled the depths of Kansas City’s ineptitude, Kansas City is not alone in looking ugly.

No team has been worse on the road than the Seattle Seahawks. After being shut out in Pittsburgh, 24-0, the Seahawks have now:

The Indianapolis Colts were annihilated on opening day by the Texans. The Peyton Manning-less Colts fared better on Sunday, falling, 29-17, to the Browns. But consider how far the Colts have fallen. From 2000 to 2010 — ignoring  Week 17 games in which the Colts announced their intention to rest most of their starters — Indianapolis was a home underdog only one time in that 11-year stretch, and that was when they faced the ‘07 Patriots. This was only Cleveland’s second double-digit victory in its last 62 road games.

Come for the nightlife and scene, stay for the win: The Miami Dolphins have now lost 11 of their last 12 home games. Miami became just the fourth team in the past eight seasons to start the season by losing at home in Weeks 1 and 2.

Pay money to star running back, lose leads late, anyway: From 2000 to 2010, only 12 teams lost two games after jumping out to double-digit halftime leads in the same season. No team lost three. After two weeks, the Minnesota Vikings are 2 for 2 in 2011. The Vikings stunned the Chargers in Week 1, jumping out to a 17-7 lead at halftime. The Vikings did not score in the second half, and San Diego won, 24-17. In Week 2, the Vikings stunned the Buccaneers, jumping out to a 17-0 halftime lead. The Vikings were held to just a field goal in the second half, and lost, 24-20. Adrian Peterson has 218 yards and 2 rushing touchdowns, but his teammates have not been as productive.

Chase Stuart contributes to the Pro-Football-Reference.com blog and to Footballguys.com.

Cam Newton Appears to Be Ready for the N.F.L.

The only problem with Cam Newton’s passing for 422 yards in his N.F.L. debut was that his Carolina Panthers needed 423.

For Newton, the first pick in the draft, the first day at work was full of positives. He completed 24 of 37 attempts — short passes, long passes, passes across the middle and passes to the sideline. He was intercepted only once, mostly avoided trouble (though he was sacked four times) and even ran for a score. His yardage total broke Peyton Manning’s mark for the most by a rookie making his debut.

The only thing Newton did not do was win the game. Trailing by 28-21 in the fourth quarter, Newton got one final chance to produce a winning ending when he took over at Carolina’s 17 with 2:20 left. Two quick completions moved the Panthers into Arizona territory before the two-minute warning, and a deep ball to Steve Smith and a roughing-the-passer penalty gave him the ball at Arizona’s 11 with 1:39 to go.

But Newton threw three straight incompletions, and another on fourth down that was erased by an offisde penalty. That gift gave him one do-or-die play: a fourth-and-5 from the 6. But Newton’s final pass, a quick throw to running back Mike Goodson out of the shotgun, gained only 4 yards.

The ball went back to the Cardinals, and Kevin Kolb — who had a pretty good day in his own debut for Arizona — kneeled three times to seal Newton’s first loss in two years.

“The last time I lost a game was Navarro Junior College,” said Newton, who was unbeaten and won the Heisman Trophy last year in his only season at Auburn. “What do you want me to say, it feels great? It is not a comfortable feeling for me.”

There was one big winner for Carolina, though. That man was Steve Smith, who had eight catches for 178 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Smith is entering his 11th season with the Panthers, and for most of them he was reliably productive — and frequently sensational — at the end of balls thrown by Jake Delhomme. But Delhomme lost his way, and a series of replacements left Smith waiting for off-target and underthrown balls from the likes of Matt Moore, David Carr, Vinny Testaverde and, at rock bottom, Brian St. Pierre.

It got so bad last year that Smith told the team’s bumbling rookie savior, Jimmy Clausen, that he ought to apologize for the way he was playing.

Newton is more likely to get a thank-you card.

“He was everything everybody didn’t expect him to be,” Smith said. “He was on point, he made some great runs, he made some great reads, made some fantastic throws. He made some throws out there that honestly as a receiver it made it easy to catch them.”