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| Tom Brady threw the game-winning touchdown to beat New Orleans, but was he the real star? (Flickr) |
Every Tuesday during football season, editors Jeremy and Joe will bring you the good, the bad and the ugly from the college and pro football weekend that was.
(Editor's Note: Joe is too busy this week "going to New Hampshire" and "getting married to his fiancee" to contribute to the recap. I know, selfish, right? So I've taken it upon myself to do the Weekend Roundup myself this week, which is why you won't see initials designating the author of each section. Except this one. Also, I didn't watch any college football on Saturday, so you're only getting NFL coverage this week. Don't blame me, blame Joe. Nobody is forcing him to get married. -JC)
The Good
Aqib Talib
Everyone's favorite NFL writer Bill Barnwell already covered this in his column yesterday, but Talib may as well be the best cornerback in all of football so far this season. After three good-to-great games in coverage opposite Vincent Jackson, Julio Jones, and A.J. Green, Talib produced the best cover game of any defensive player in the league this season, holding Jimmy Graham to zero catches off six targets in Sunday's game.
Playing Talib in "zero" coverage (i.e. no help over the top) for most of the game allowed Devin McCourty to constantly shade towards Marques Colston's side of the field, and Colston ended up with just one catch (off three targets) for 11 yards. When the top two downfield targets for an explosive passing attack combine for just one catch off nine targets, that's an indisputable win for the defense.
