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 Chris Mortensen analyzes the Cincinnati Bengals' coaching situation.
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Dan Patrick Show
Will Brian Griese have surgery on his injured shoulder? Chris Mortensen answers.
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Dan Patrick Show
Chris Mortensen reviews the ups and downs of the 49ers' receiving corp.
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Dan Patrick Show
Chris Mortensen believes that Kurt Warner is for real in the NFL.
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Week 4 review: Martin playing like MVP
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Here's my quick review of everything we saw in Week 4:
Colts 43, Jaguars 14: This was a problem everyone had last year -- how do
you choose between Peyton Manning and Kurt Warner as your QB or MVP? It's early, but Manning's 440-yard performance (and the Colts had five dropped
passes) in this Monday night game proves again that he has to take a backseat
to nobody. For the second straight year, his competition is far greater -- compare the defenses Manning faces in the AFC East (Dolphins, Bills, Jets and, yes, even the Patriots) to what Warner faces in the NFC West (Falcons,
Panthers, Saints and 49ers). Aside from Manning and WR Terence Wilkins' 2000
debut, the most promising part of this victory for the Colts was a pretty
good defensive performance. But the Colts' D also got the benefit of a home
game in the dome and a generous lead provided by Manning & Co. Let's see how
they fare Sunday in Buffalo. The Jaguars still have some O-line problems, but
I wouldn't overreact on a negative basis. Things just snowballed Monday
night. It can happen against good teams on the road.
|  | | Wayne Chrebet had the last laugh Sunday, catching the game-winning touchdown. |
Redskins 16, Giants 6: Funny, what one week can do to your impressions. I thought the Redskins played with tremendous urgency, and for good reason. Brad Johnson looked like a totally different QB, and WR Albert Connell made plays, just like the old guys, Irving Fryar and Andre Reed. I'll say this -- the defense really looks very improved, and I think this Sunday's Redskins at Bucs game will tell us a whole lot about both teams. As for the Giants, maybe the Redskins just have their number. It happens in this league (just as the Cowboys may have the Redskins' number). The Giants face adversity for the first time; now they play at Tennessee. Let's see how they respond.
Jets 21, Bucs 17: If Kurt Warner wasn't off to such a fantastic start, I'd say the league MVP is the Jets' Curtis Martin. His halfback touchdown pass to Wayne Chrebet for the winning touchdown may not have been pretty. But if Martin wasn't a true threat to run the ball, the Bucs may never have bit on the gimmick play. It was a brilliant call by offensive coordinator Dan Henning. Martin had 90 yards rushing and 27 more receiving against the great Bucs defense. Still, the Bucs would never blow a 17-6 lead in the fourth quarter, let alone on home turf. I saw the game. I watched it on "Primetime." I have to believe it really happened. Was Keyshawn Johnson the goat? No. Mike Alstott is a Pro Bowl fullback but if he has one flaw in his game, it's his tendency to fumble. The ball he lost at the Bucs 24 to set up Martin's winning pass was inexcusable. The amazing thing about the Jets' 4-0 start is not that it has come against impressive competition, but that it has come with Vinny Testaverde playing subpar football. Give Vinny credit for hanging tough after getting pulled for a series, though. Johnson vs. Chrebet? Well, both defenses pretty much nullified the two premier receivers. Johnson had one catch (on a shovel pass) for one yard. Chrebet had only two catches (for 34 yards) -- but, oh what a catch that second one was -- for 14 yards and the win from Martin.
Chiefs 23, Broncos 22: We learned one thing from this game -- not just
any quarterback can win with Mike Shanahan's system. Gus Frerotte had the
benefit of taking the snaps in practice all week and, quite frankly, was
close to stinko, especially when the Broncos needed him to make plays. Give
the Chiefs credit. Down 22-10 on the road, Gunther Cunningham's team played
gutsy football. Elvis Grbac made big throws in the fourth quarter. He's got
some weapons in Tony Gonzalez, Derrick Alexander and Sylvester Morris. And
fullback Tony Richardson is one tough hombre. The Chiefs' youth movement
could end up paying huge dividends down the road. As for the Broncos, they
better hope Brian Griese's shoulder heals quickly. Injuries are taking its
toll on a potential championship team.
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It was disappointing to see a class act like Terrell Owens of the 49ers lower himself to showboating with his midfield celebrations. ” |
Rams 41, Falcons 20: About four hours before kickoff, Jamal Anderson
returned a midweek phone call and talked about the Falcons' magic number. It
was 30. "I've got to have 30 carries and we need at least 30 points," he
said. "And we need a big zero on turnovers." Uh, didn't happen. Anderson had
just 14 carries and his fumble at the Rams' 6 turned a close game into a
rout. The Falcons had four turnovers. Kurt Warner was just average by his
standards, but it was another 300-yard, four-TD performance. I think he's a
keeper. Do you realize the Rams are averaging exactly 40 points per game?
Tennessee 23, Steelers 20: When I spoke with Titans coach Jeff Fisher on Friday afternoon, he had just come off the practice field. The subject was
Steve McNair's status after his first real practice. "He just ran our two-minute drill to perfection," said Fisher, who nevertheless hinted strongly
that Neil O'Donnell would start against Pittsburgh. So, what happened? O'Donnell was knocked silly with 2:35 left to play, and McNair responded by
going 3-for-3 for 55 yards and a winning TD. O'Donnell struggled (13-of-27,
237 yards, two INTs), so that should silence any Titans fans wondering
whether McNair should be the QB. I see some improvement by the Steelers but,
as Bill Parcells often lamented, you are what you are. The Steelers are 0-3.
49ers 41, Cowboys 24: Does anybody appreciate what a great job Steve
Mariucci is doing with the 49ers offense? The 49ers have scored 115 points
in four games -- only the Rams (160) and the Broncos (133) have scored more
in the NFL. Interestingly, Charlie Garner ran for 201 yards against the
Dallas defense, the exact amount that Duce Staley got on the same field
against the same defense for the Eagles. (Garner left Philly because of
Staley's emergence). It's always good to see Jerry Rice do his thing (two TDs). But it was real disappointing to see a class act like Terrell Owens lower himself to showboating with his midfield celebrations. Truth be told, Cowboys
safety George Teague did the right thing when he decked Owens, who should have a fine coming from the NFL, if not his own coach. What does this game
mean for the Cowboys? It completely wipes out their splendid win over the
Redskins. Yes, Randall Cunningham might be the right QB, but it still doesn't excuse Cowboys fans for booing Troy Aikman. I think he did win three Super Bowls.
Lions 21, Bears 14: People can complain all they want about the Detroit
offense. All I know is the Lions are 3-1 with two road wins. Actually, there
were some signs that the Lions' O is coming around with QB Charlie Batch
throwing a couple of TDs. Bears QB Cade McNown is learning about life in the NFL. He's now 2-8 as a starter, 0-4 this year, and he was booed again at Soldier Field. "I feel like I've had four road games," said McNown. No, Cade.
On the road, when you throw three interceptions and lose a fumble, they cheer.
Eagles 21, Saints 7: Good thing for Donovan McNabb that he came out the
winner, or else those Philly fans might have resurrected their "We want
Ricky" cries. Ricky Williams did have 150 yards total offense (103 rushing,
47 receiving), but he lost two fumbles. McNabb's best game yet (222 yards,
two TDs, 25 yards rushing) could be something to build on. Did anybody notice
that the Saints sold out the Superdome for the second time this year? Atlanta
fans should take note -- the Falcons were well short of capacity for a much
bigger game Sunday vs. the Rams.
|  | | Peyton Manning threw for a team-record 440 yards Monday night against the Jags. |
Ravens 37, Bengals 0: Mike Brown must be at a professional low. In the Bengals' new stadium, he saw the new Cleveland Browns
whup up on his team, and then in Baltimore, he watched Art Modell's group do the same thing. The
Ravens look like they have hit the jackpot with their two top-10 picks, Jamal
Lewis and Travis Taylor. Lewis had 116 yards rushing and a TD. (He'll be offensive rookie of the year...watch). Taylor had another receiving TD. The Bengals? Ah, this is pretty sad.
Packers 29, Cardinals 3: Hey, Packers, I'm paying attention again. This
is really an impressive win and at 2-2, Green Bay may not be buried in the
NFC Central, after all. Packers coach Mike Sherman had Brett Favre playing within the system, and I liked the way the Pack used Dorsey Levens and Ahman
Green. The Packers defense may be coming around. Either that, or the
Cardinals really did blow it by giving all that money to QB Jake Plummer
(four interceptions).
Raiders 36, Browns 10: You know, the Raiders at least are playing to
their franchise identity -- they play black-and-blue (okay, silver) football.
Browns QB Tim Couch came back to earth. He'll have to regroup in a hurry -- the Ravens come to Cleveland on Sunday.
Seahawks 20, Chargers 10: Ryan Leaf probably understands what it's like to be a rookie again.
Dolphins 10, Patriots 3: I'll keep this short. The Dolphins defense is pretty good.
Chris Mortensen, ESPN's NFL reporter, offers in-depth analysis each week on ESPN.com.
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