Lightning in a Bottle

It's very interesting to see Darren Sproles run, cut and juke his way around defenders wearing the lightning bolts of the San Diego Chargers.

Just last summer, Sproles was coming off missing an entire year after breaking his leg. With LaDainian Tomlinson and Michael Turner ahead of him on the depth chart, Eric Parker still around as one of the main return guys and new rookie sensation Antonio Cromartie creating a with his ability to run with the football, Sproles looked like a man without a team last year, even though he started fall training camp No. 1 on the depth chart as the Bolts' return guy.

If Sproles didn't win that job, he would have been cut, and another team in the League would have an electric running back.

Fast forward to this year, and after last week's game against Denver, and the way he played tonight against the Jets, Sproles has become invaluable for the Chargers--especially with Michael Turner in Atlanta now. Sure Sproles didn't have as great a game that he had last week, but he was still effective, giving San Diego the ability to pick up first downs on third downs.

LT isn't the same. He's still great, but I wouldn't expect the 2001-2006 Tomlinson to suit up for San Diego every Sunday.

But Sproles is a little bit different than what Turner was to LT as a backup. Sure, Turner can take it to the end zone as good as anyone, but Sproles, he's the type of hold-your-breath-and-don't-blink player that make the Chargers so dangerous, even without LT on the field.

And it's amazing to see that, especially since Sproles almost got cut last year.

I'm sure that everyone in the Chargers organization and every San Diego fan out there is relieved that Sproles is backing up LT (and that the team finally won a game tonight).

So Who's The Favorite Now?

I don't remember where I saw it or where I read it. But I did see it. I did read it. And it went something like this: Because of Brett Favre, with Tom Brady out for the season, the New York Jets are now the favorites to win the AFC East.

Say what?

First, I don't know if there's a favorite out east anymore? New England was the prohibited favorite to defend its AFC East crown, but with Brady sidelined, obviously the Pats aren't favorites. But then, I don't think anyone is in that division. I think New England, the Jets and Buffalo all have a shot of winning the division. Miami not so much.

But to say that the Jets are the favorites? C'mon. And all this after the Jets (who by the way won only four games last year) inched by a team that won one game last year.

And the Bills? Let's just say that that offense is beginning to gel a little quicker than most thought. And, Marshawn Lynch is brining the hyphy, while Trent Edwards is showing how good of a quarterback he can be if someone just blocked for him just once.

Second: just because of Brett Favre the Jets are going to win the division? Please. What is with this love affair with Favre and (most) of the media. Maybe it comes from the fact that during the summertime, when baseball's beginnings are too far away in the rear view mirror and baseball's postseason is too far ahead to see over the horizon, that the media actually loved to cover Favre and his soap opera in Green Bay.

I have to say that's it. Because the Favre I saw Sunday was a Favre that took too many risk, and just prayed for this to go right. Maybe that's another reason people love him. He doesn't care. He's that epitome of the gunslinging cowboy, out to do good with a reckless abandon. But if you asked me, in this generation's NFL, you don't want a quarterback who'll just throw it up and hope someone catches it. You want efficiency. Yes, Favre stats seemed efficient, but if you watched his play, it looked nothing like the new breed of NFL quarterback that is prevalent today.

That miracle play he made, when he just threw the ball up on 4th and 13, that pass could have easily been intercepted. Easily. But it's Favre and he's magical. We know.

And maybe that's what the media people like. He's different. Different in a sense that he's "old school," though no one has said that about him.

But one person doesn't make a team (cliche, I know, but it works), especially in football. And, in this generation's football, I'm sorry, but the quarterbacks aren't the true focus anymore. Yeah, there's the whole leadership and star power that still comes to NFL qbs, and yes, a few teams still use the passing game as their centerpiece of their offensive attack, but it's the running game that dominates.

I don't care how good your passing game is, if there's no attack on the ground, then there aren't any wins, especially in the playoffs. And, so many teams are no beginning to use this dual back threat, having as many as two or three backs as the featured guy, all being different and giving offensive attacks a different look.

It's now up to the quarterbacks to "manage" the football games and not go out and win them.

And for that reason, I don't think the Jets can be labeled "favorites." I still don't think their in the top half of that division. The Pats and Bills look mighty fine, and guess what, they both have good running games.

Show me a Jets running game, and I'll show you a winner.

Oh, and by the way, Aaron Rodgers sure looked good tonight.