Monday 29 October 2012 11:17, UK
What a weekend! The NFL came to town again and did what the NFL always does - they put on a quality show from start to finish, even though the game itself turned out to be the most lop-sided of the six we have seen at Wembley Stadium to date.
Falcons continue to soar Tom Brady is an undoubted long-time star of the NFL, but the hottest player in the league this season might just be Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. Ryan is flourishing this season and threw three first half touchdowns to inflict a damaging 30-17 defeat on the Philadelphia Eagles. While the Falcons are soaring as the last remaining undefeated team in the NFL at 7-0, the pressure is mounting on the under-performing Eagles. Andy Reid has long been a successful coach in the NFL but his message might be getting old in Philadelphia now. While I think he would be snapped up by another team very quickly, Reid might be on his way out in Philadelphia. He was told in no uncertain terms that last year's 8-8 record was embarrassing and unacceptable yet he may end up doing even worse in 2012. Only a strong finish and an extended playoff run can save Reid now. Miami nice The Miami Dolphins went into the 2012 season as the whipping boys of many pundits and commentators of the NFL. Many predicted a tough campaign ahead for first-year head coach Joe Philbin but his team have shown tremendous spirit and could easily be 6-1 right now had their kicker put his proper shooting boots on during losses to the New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals. Miami got their revenge on the Jets Sunday to the tune of a 30-9 thrashing that saw production from all three phases of the game - offence, defence and special teams. And the Dolphins won despite losing their rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill to a leg injury. While coaches such as Reid and San Diego's Norv Turner are sitting on ever-warming seats, Philbin deserves credit for the job he has done with the 4-3 Dolphins in the first half of this season. Chief disappointment One of the biggest disappointments of this 2012 NFL season has been the Kansas City Chiefs. I expected them to be a lot better. They dropped their fourth consecutive game on Sunday night, tamely losing at home 26-16 to the Oakland Raiders. The problems for Kansas City lie at the quarterback position. Brady Quinn was handed the chance to be the long-time starter heading into this game. How does he repay the faith of head coach Romeo Crennel? He completed just two passes for one yard before exiting with an injury. So the Chiefs went back to former starter Matt Cassel, who proved - once again - that he is not the long-term answer at that position. With a mauling offensive line, a decent running game, some offensive weapons in Dwayne Bowe and a decent defence, the Chiefs are a prime example of why having a good quarterback is essential in today's pass-happy NFL.
