John Madden

Each week John Madden answers readers questions. To ask Coach a question, e-mail him at:

What are your thoughts on the Panthers running game? Do you think they have the best 1-2 punch at RB in the league?
Jake from Charlotte

Madden: Watching them Monday night I was very, very impressed with both their runners, Jake.  DeAngelo Williams was something. He looked like he was so quick and so strong and powerful and then they bring in Jonathon Stewart and he kind of does the same thing. They are very close, if they are not the best 1-2 punch in the NFL, they are very close. 

Just two weeks ago I did the Minnesota Vikings and to me Adrian Peterson is the most impressive back in football right now and he and Chester Taylor make a pretty good combination, but I think it is because of Adrian Peterson. So to me it would be between those two but that is what makes the Panthers what they are, the running game, with their offensive line and those two running backs.

What has happened to the Jets? They looked so good and now have played poorly in their last two losses.
Nick from Jersey

Madden: Nick, they had showed signs of that before. I remember the week they played the Raiders, I was at that game, and the Raiders kind of exposed them a little. They beat them in overtime but I thought the Jets in that game were very lethargic and kind of overlooked the Raiders and didn't play very hard or very well. After that instead of learning from it, they had more games like that, including Week 14’s against the 49ers.

How much does this year's Ravens team remind you of their Super Bowl champion team?
Ned from Maryland

Madden: A lot Ned. They are still a defensive team and a running team. Although Joe Flacco to me is going to be a top quarterback some day, he’s a quarterback that they just ask to run the offense and don't make any mistakes. So in that way they remind me a lot of the Ravens Super Bowl team. 

I don't know that they run the ball as well. I don't know that they have the same running game as they did with Jamal Lewis. They kind of do the three thing with Willis McGahee, Le`Ron McClain and Ron Rice. So I can see where they look an awful lot like the Super Bowl team without a dominant running back.

How devastating do you think the Cowboys loss to the Steelers will be for them and can they recover?
Courtney from Arkansas

Madden: We are going to find that out Courtney. The thing about the position that the Cowboys are in now is they have to darn near win out. They have a tough schedule and in my mind if they do win out with that tough schedule, then they belong in the playoffs. If they don't win out or they can't beat good teams, then they don't belong there. 

To say that Dallas has it tough because they have a tough schedule, I think that is a bunch of bologna. That is the schedule they have and if they can't beat the good teams then they don't belong in the playoffs with the good teams.  I think if they can go through these last three games and win. Then they are going to be in real good shape for the playoffs.

Coach, what's been behind the turnaround in Indy? Is it more than just Manning?
Dennis from Toronto

Madden: It is always a little more because it is a whole team, Dennis, but the big, big, big part is Peyton Manning.  He started the season and he didn't have any training camp or preseason and he wasn't ready. He wasn't ready physically, mentally or emotionally and I think that affected their offense and kind of affected their whole team. 

So he was really having his training camp and preseason in the first half of the season and when he got it and got back to normal, now we see the old Peyton Manning. And Marvin Harrison looks like the old Marvin Harrison and therefore the Colts offense looks like the old Colt offense. Right now when you talk about playoffs and Super Bowl possibilities, I think the Colts are in pretty good shape. 

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