NFL Week 4: "I Got a Feeling . . ."

That Seattle is going to the Super Bowl. The overtime win in Houston last Sunday was huge. It is the kind of win a team needs in a Super Bowl run. On the road, down by a large margin in the second half, nothing going your way, yet you hang tough, stay focused, get a few breaks, make a few big plays and take home the win.

The negatives. For the first three quarters Matt Schaub looked like Tom Brady. The Texans QB was able to find and connect with Andre Johnson and his tight ends whenever he wanted. The Seahawks were not able to generate a significant pass rush. Also, Seattle's run defense was shredded as Arian Foster and Ben Tate piled up yardage. Seattle does not have a good record of stopping the run on the road. Week 1 in Charlotte DeAngelo Williams had a good game (except for his fumble which led to the Seahawk comeback); now, Arian Foster.

The overwhelming positives were Russell Wilson and Richard Sherman. In those two guys you have the 21st Century Seahawks equivalents of Joe Montana and Ronnie Lott -- the insatiable appetite for victory. Shut down for most of the game, Russell Wilson jump-started the offense in the fourth quarter by his scrambles. He ended up accumulating 77 yards on the ground. Combined with Marshawn Lynch's 98 yards, Seattle had an impressive day rushing the ball. The game itself was actually salvaged by Richard Sherman's interception return for a touchdown of Schaub's ill-advised pass.

Based on net points the Broncos are the best of the five remaining unbeaten teams -- Denver, Seattle, Kansas City, New Orleans and New England -- after Week 4.

I watched the afternoon game between the Broncos and Philadelphia. Denver set a team record for points scored in a game by blowing out of the new Chip Kelly Eagles, who look just as lousy as last year's Andy Reid team. The Philadelphia offense is talented with Mike Vick at QB, LeSean McCoy at tailback and DeSean Jackson at wideout. But there is the same chronic lack of focus that plagued the club last year. At some point the conclusion has to be reached that Mike Vick is not a winner. The truth though is that it is the defense that is to blame for the Eagles' woes. At 138 points allowed in four games only the winless Giants are worse in the NFL.

Texans Roll + Joe Webb Underwells

My impression of yesterday's action is that everything pretty much went to script.  Arian Foster ran well which set up the play-action pass for Matt Schaub.  One phase of the game that stood out was the manner in which Texans tight ends Owen Daniel and Garrett Graham consistently beat the Cincinnati linebackers, Rey Maualuga in particular, on crossing patterns for catches of 10-15 yards.  Since Andre Johnson was largely held in check this was critical; it prevented the Bengals from keying on Arian Foster and making the Houston offense one-dimensional.

The Texans have a good defense. J.J. Watt played with his usual intensity.  Andy Dalton seem harried.  Jonathan Joseph bottled up A.J. Green until the second half.  All in all it was a good game.

The conventional wisdom is that the Patriots will repeat their Week 14 demolition of the Texans.  It's hard to find fault with this.  Cincinnati wideouts had Houston defensive backs beaten long several times but Dalton couldn't connect.  Unless Tom Brady is having a rare off day the Texans won't be so lucky in Foxborough.  I'll be rooting for Houston though.

One thing that didn't go to script yesterday was the game-day scratch of Christian Ponder because of a bruised triceps.  Joe Webb started and on the opening drive ran the read option and Minnesota almost scored a touchdown but ended up having to settle for a field goal.  This was the last hurrah for the Vikings.  For some reason Minnesota abandoned the read option and Webb started to pass from the pocket.  He had no touch.  He short-hopped balls or threw out of bounds.  On defense the Packers were able to keep Adrian Peterson from getting to the edge.  Green Bay basically had the game won by the end of the first half.

When Joe Webb filled in a couple games for an injured Brett Favre at the end of 2010 season I was excited.  He was big and fast and could throw; he changed the whole vibe of the game on offense; he beat the Eagles.  I thought he was going to be a player to watch in 2011.  But then the Vikings made the poor decision to sign Donovan McNabb who was a washout with the Washington Redskins.  Then when McNabb was benched Ponder got the start.  Webb disappeared until now.  It's too bad he didn't run more out of the pocket last night.

While not playing spectacularly, Aaron Rodgers performed at exactly the level needed to notch a convincing win against a gritty divisional opponent.  My concern going into Candlestick Park next week is what Aldon Smith is going to do.  Rodgers has taken a lot of sacks this year.  It's hard not to pick the 49ers in this one.  Unless Green Bay's defense really steps up and shuts down Kaepernick and creates some turnovers the 49ers are going to the NFC Championship Game.

Orgy of NFL Action the Next Two Weekends

The orgy of NFL action begins tomorrow.  For the next two weekends there will be two playoff games televised each Saturday and Sunday.  By the time the conference championships games  arrive at the end of January I'm usually ready to throw in the towel.

I'm hoping Arian Foster has a big day tomorrow and that the Texans triumph.  Not that I don't like the Bengals.  I just love to watch Arian Foster run. 

Since I'm a Berkeley man I've got to go with Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay.  One of the largest disappointments from last season was how he underperformed in the playoff game against the Giants.

My prediction is that the Ravens will have a big day on the ground against Indy.  I appreciate the Ravens.  The largest disappointment of last season was Lee Evans not hanging onto the football in the end zone to beat the Patriots. 

And the final game of the weekend the ascendent Seahawks travel to Maryland to joust with chivalrous RG3 and his fellow rookie Alfred Morris.  I think Darrell Bevell will have an answer to all the blitzes the Redskins threw at Dallas, if in fact that's the way Washington plays Russell Wilson.  I think our -- meaning the Seahawks -- receivers are better than Washington's.  Yes, Pierre Garcon and Santana Moss are talented.  But they're not Sidney Rice and Golden Tate and Doug Baldwin.  We've got to have production from Marshawn Lynch; he's got to run with Alfred Morris.

As an old Montana-era 49ers diehard I don't like my team having to travel back to D.C. to play a game in the dark of winter.  It's tough for a West Coast team to win on the East Coast in a winter playoff game.  But it can be done.  And I'm hoping it will be.  Afterall, this bachelor goes to bed every night wrapped in a Seahawks blanket.