HOUSTON 31 – BUFFALO 10
Houston outgained Buffalo 454 – 214 yards and held the ball for almost 40 minutes. Buffalo becomes more and more hapless every week, as we witness the Texans waking up as the season progresses. Steve Slaton was benched for not keeping a hand on the rock, while Ryan Moats rumbled for three scores. (Did anyone else catch Terry Bradshaw asking ON THE AIR how to pronounce Matt Schaub’s name during the half-time break?) Houston is still inconsistent, but to make the playoffs you need to beat the bottom feeders; and that is sure what the Bills have become.
CHICAGO 30 – CLEVELAND 6
Nothing ends a losing skid like playing the ultimate bottom feeder, the Cleveland Browns. The GM was fired after this atrocity, yet Eric Mangini will continue to prove he is the worst coach in the NFL for another season. He is taking his seat with illustrious names like Rod Rust, Rod Marinelli, and Rich Kotite. Not only do the Browns play poorly, but they give their opponents plenty of chances- this one coming in the form on five turnovers. D-coordinator Rob Ryan kept the family tradition of running his mouth then getting routed when it counts, as he screamed a blue streak at QB Jay Cutler, then watching his defense fall apart when they were needed. (How many playoff games did his dad win?). QB Derek Anderson went 6-17, throwing for only 76 yards; Bears RB Matt Forte had 90 on the ground! Look out 76 Bucs, 90 Pats, 89 Cowboys and 2007 Lions, here come the 2009 Browns!
DALLAS 38 – SEATTLE 17
Dallas for the past three weeks has become a well oiled machine, and Tony Romo looks like the QB he can become. Miles Austin is the darling of the league now, and can shove DBs out of the way without being flagged. The defense is playing hard, and OLB DeMarcus Ware is in the groove. However, OLT Flozel Adams is a detriment and this line allows too many people into the backfield. Matt Hasselbeck missed open receivers, and was looking over his shoulder the whole game. The Seahawks defense had no answer for the Boys passing attack, could not tackle or cover, and Romo did whatever he wanted. Both Philly and Dallas seem primed for an exciting showdown this Sunday night.
ST. LOUIS 17 – DETROIT 10
The battle of the baddest – but not in a good/bad way. St. Louis scored a TD on a fake field goal, and Steven Jackson willed himself into the end zone for the first time this season. Both these teams have very little talent, and are years away from being even decent. I thought the Lions would win this one, but Spagnulo’s group outcoached Jim Scwartz’s bunch, and it was on to the first win of the year. Hey, you gotta start somewhere, right?
INDIANAPOLIS 18 – SAN FRANCISCO 14
This one went exactly the way I thought it would. In Indy’s first real challenge, they struggled, and needed a HB option pass to seal the victory. The Niner’s defense was stout and kept Manning in check, (well no tds, but 347 yards that is), all day by hassling him. Peyton didn’t look so comfortable in this game. Reggie Wayne was the difference maker in this game, catching 12 passes for 147 yards and a TD. Mike Singletary has got his men playing hard, with the most vivid example being TE Vernon Davis who went from first round bust to potential pro-bowler in less than a year. The Niners are only a few pieces away from being a top team. Unfortunately for them, one of the positions in need is QB.
MIAMI 30 – NY JETS 25
If you caught only the first half of this game, thinking it was a snooze fest, you missed another classic between these two teams. Rex Ryan’s team once again talked like they were the top dog, only to be dropped on their heads. Ryan is not doing a good enough job getting out of his tendencies during games, and teams now know how to prepare and what to expect from them. The second half was a wild time, and Ted Ginn Jr. fresh off losing a starting WR spot ran with violence to score two special teams tds, the difference in the game. Miami is a really fun team to watch, and their upcoming matches with the Pats ought to be some fun football.
PHILADELPHIA 40 – NY GIANTS 17
Good thing the Empire State, (or should we say New Jersey), has the Yankees, because both of their teams are in trouble. The difference is people expected the Giants to contend for the Lombardi Trophy this year. Instead they are in a three game skid, and Eli Manning has regressed. The Giants offense gets to the line without enough time to make adjustments and Eli is indecisive in what he wants to call. He checks down way too much behind center, and draws a few delay of game penalties every contest. Giants offensive coordinator, the man who said Ryan Leaf was better than Peyton Manning when they were coming out in the draft, must do a better job getting the plays to his QB. The Eagls’s safeties also dropped two easy interceptions, so it could have been even worse for Eli. Defensively, the Giants cannot cover, and are very vulnerable to the deep pass, which QB Donovan McNabb exposed. They are also getting softer in stopping the run. We will see what Tom Coughlin can do to stop the bleeding. We will know a lot more about Philly after their Sunday night’s showdown with the ascending Cowboys.
BALTIMORE 30 – DENVER 7
Didn’t see this one coming. It was the Broncos screaming “Nevermore!” on this Halloween weekend. Baltimore was just way too tough, turning this into a street fight that the finesse Broncos could not handle. The game was won on the line, where the swarming Baltimore defense made life miserable for QB Kyle Orton. RB Knowshon Moreno was abused by the defense as well, and was nearly knocked out of the game. Look at the stats and you would think Denver should have won. Look at the game, and you will see a knockout on the field. The questions coming out of this game is - can Denver rebound from a thrashing after being the top dog, and can the Ravens become more consistent week after week with performances like this one?
TENNESSEE 30 – JACKSONVILLE 13
Before there is great rejoicing over Vince Young’s career getting back on track, remember he played a terrible opponent, and this one looked more like a high school game with the running everywhere. The QB play for both teams was sub-par and neither team is going anywhere fast except to the top of the draft next year. However, Tennessee running back Chris Johnson might be the best offensive weapon in the NFL with 228 yards on 24 carries. He is a threat to score anywhere on the field the likes we have not seen since the great Barry Sanders was in his prime. He accounted for over half the of Titans offense this game. That will help any QB.
SAN DIEGO 24 – OAKLAND 16
This just in – the Chargers are not that good. But the Raiders are a lot worse. I think this sums up everything we need to know about Oakland; after throwing for 109 yards, former number one overall pick QB JaMarcus Russell told reporters after the game: “I think I did pretty good.” That’s like telling your parents your report card full of straight Ds is good, because there are no Fs on it. I don’t think this is what they thought of when they drafted him. But seeing the Raiders last several drafts, it is hard to know what they think about. The highlight of the games was LaDanian Tomlinson’s 2 td runs. The next day the Chargers released enigmatic WR Chris Chambers, who cost them a second round pick a few seasons ago in a trade with the Dolphins. Even worse for the Raiders is that oafish, ogre-like coach Tom Cable is being highlighted on an ESPN show that he physically abused two former girlfriends. Do not be surprised to see the Commish step in soon.
CAROLINA 34 – ARIZONA 21
Another one no one saw coming. The Cardinals are another team that is hard to figure. Are they the team who dominated the NFC last year in the playoffs, or are they the team that barely won an awful division last year? They seem to be somewhere in the middle. The Panthers must be pleased that their million dollar a game man Julius Peppers registered another sack. Jake Delhomme went down with a chest injury, but the jury was in on this contest by that time. It is still very hard to see where either team ends up this year. NFL Guy guesses in the middle of the pack for the Cards, and nearer to the bottom than top for the Panthers.
MINNESOTA 38 - GREEN BAY 26
Enough already, enough.
NEW ORLEANS 35 – ATLANTA 27
For a while the Falcons defenders were finding a home behind the O line of the Saints. Then it went the exact other way. Both teams defenses were able to confuse and beat on the other’s offensive line. When the protection was there, both QBs really put on a show, coupled with great running, catching, and some of the most athletic jumping ever displayed on a Monday night game, (and that is saying something). Allow me to also say, the announcing crew of MNF is really enjoyable, and one of the few three person teams to work in the booth. Mike Tirico does a fine job running the show, and really can bring excitement and emotion at the right time. This was a great game to finish up the week, with an exciting finish, thrilling ending, and top notch football.
