So the defending champions win their opener without Big Ben. Nicely done. Wiilie Parker is turning out to be quite a nice back.

Culpepper still has to prove he isn't just a creation of Randy Moss.

And Nick Saban needs to learn to throw a flag with more "Umph" than some 18th century woman dropping her hanky trying to get the attnetion of a gentleman caller. He also needs to learn to not whine about it afterward.

We got football!!! That's all I care about. One game 3 days early is such a tease but a nice appetizer. I promise to be more bitchy in week two.

Regarding Saban and the half-hearted attempt to throw his red rag, he is quoted as saying "They said they didn't see it--whose fault is that?"
Yours, Nick. One second before the ball is snapped, do you think the officials should be watching THE PLAY, or you? Idiot.

Buffalo v New England(-9)

Heavy dogs the Bills are, and a rebuilding process they are in. While winning the game may be out of reach for them, being competitive shouldn't.

Last year they almost pulled out the W in Foxboro against a Pats team all riled up for "The Tedy Bruschi Show". And the Pats may have some lockerroom issues concerning Branch's holdout.


The Bills had the Pats in a similar situation in Week 1 of '03 and throttled the eventual SB Champs 35-0...this won't happen Sunday, but this will be closer than expected. Take the 9 and the Bills...

Maybe he should have thrown it into the ref's eye, I hear that gets people's attention.

[ September 08, 2006, 06:00 PM: Message edited by: Illini_fan ]

Atlanta made a statement today going ito Carolina and kicking the crap out of the presumptive NFC Champions.

Some good early games. I'm curious whether the Manning match-up hype will meet expectations tonight.

Buffalo blew a great opportunity to spring an upset. JP Losman just doesn't have it as a QB.

Still waiting on Losman....it's an improvement over last season though. All in all, a much better showing than expected.

Still trying to figure out why they blew the whistle on the INT in the fourth quarter.....

Caught a bit of the Ravens/Buccaneers game--the Ravens should thank Chris Simms for his help in their solid victory over the Bucs. Three interceptions---yeesh. Thought Chucky was going to pop a vein!!

~Adam

That was a poor performance by CS wasn't it? And yes, you should always thank someone when they give you gifts, which CS certainly did.

The games I'm looking forward to though are the Redskins season opener tomorrow night (let's hope they get it together) and the Manning brothers battle tonight.

But it's good to have football back, though with baseball still going, my remote is getting a big workout.

Anthony

Rams won, Jets won, whoooeee!

Week 1 notes are posted.

Either the Bears looked impressive or the Packers looked pathetic.


Maybe both...

It did, in every way. The Giants/Colts game was a pleasure to watch, the most competitive game of the day. But as much as I like Peyton and the Colts, I'm beginning to think that some of their critics might have a point. The refs screwed the Giants big time in this game, especially that bullshit pass interfernece call against Carter, and that phantom illegal snap that cost the Giants 10 of the remaining 17 seconds. Every team does this and it rarely gets called. So, while I defended the refs reversal of Palamalu's interception of Peyton Manning in the playoffs last year, I'm really starting to think that maybe the refs do give the Colts a little too much respect. Their calls really hurt the Giants tonight. Had that PI call not been made, the Giants wouldn't have faced a third-and-fifteen, and Eli would likely not have thrown that fatal interception.

[ September 10, 2006, 10:54 PM: Message edited by: Thomas ]

I did not have a very good opening week 1 pick em, needless to say......some rather shocking results. I was blown away by the Ravens just destroying Tampa in Tampa.

Both -- but the Packers really are pathetic. Never made it to the red zone; 1 for 11 on third downs; Favre trying to do too much again in the 4th Q -- and paying for it.

I must've not been paying attention because I missed most of the type about this game, but a lot of my sports attention is still focused on baseball, I admit. In fact, it wasn't until Saturday morning when I asked a friend of mine what the Sunday night game was that I learned that the Manning boys would be playing one another. I agree that it was the most competative game of the week. Both Mannings played well and the calls against the Colts, especially the one at the end, was unfair at best. However, the Colts should have reason to be concerned about having no running game at all. They'll have to do something to work on that if they want to get into the postseason, much less the Super Bowl. Eli's team looks quite solid I think and they'll probably have a good season. Overall, though it's pretty clear the Manning family are glad this game is over.

Anthony

Forget the hype and the Manning boys in diapers. The good news is-- it was a fun game to watch and despite too many errors, a few bad calls and Eli still needing more accuracy-- the Giants are set to het 11-5 or better. Shockey got shook but kept spinning. G-men defense was better than I expected -- Jacobs is da bomb--- and Tiki, will you marry me?

Dan D

From Brett Favre following the game: "Yeah, give the Bears credit. But maybe we just ain't very good."

No more calls; we have a winner.

~Adam

Week 1 winners: Deion Branch and Aaron Rogers. The Pats are going to have to extend a olive branch and Rogers is that much closer to finally ending the Favre Era in Green Bay.

Well scratch that since I only just heard that Branch was traded to Seattle.

Hey George:
Branch is still a winner since he got a lot more $ from Seattle than NE was offering.

[quote]Anthony D. Langford:
[/quote]I must've not been paying attention because I missed most of the type about this game, but a lot of my sports attention is still focused on baseball, I admit. In fact, it wasn't until Saturday morning when I asked a friend of mine what the Sunday night game was that I learned that the Manning boys would be playing one another. I agree that it was the most competative game of the week. Both Mannings played well and the calls against the Colts, especially the one at the end, was unfair at best. However, the Colts should have reason to be concerned about having no running game at all. They'll have to do something to work on that if they want to get into the postseason, much less the Super Bowl. Eli's team looks quite solid I think and they'll probably have a good season. Overall, though it's pretty clear the Manning family are glad this game is over.

Anthony [/quote]

That's ok, Anthony. I know how much you love the Nats. I do too. And they are playing better right now. But I don't expect the rest of the football world to be as intersted in the Mannings boys as we are down here. Most Louisianians watched them play since they were in high school, so I guess that's why we like them so much.

I don't know why Giants fans are so surprised that Eli plays with little emotion. He's always played that way. He is not Peyton; not even close. As Archie has stated, Peyton has his dad's fiery personality but Eli is laid back like his mom. Peyton is myopic in reading and identifying defenses, very competitive, full of confidence; will throw the ball with accuracy into the tiniest opening in the seams and can embaress a defense on CB or safty blitzes. Eli is at his best on short curl-ins and slants, but is pretty accurate on short range 10-15 timing routes as well. He has never been very good with the long ball and is dependent on fleet-footed, smart receivers to run under or chase down his slightly errant projectiles on fly patterns; he's a prototypical West Coast QB and will thrive so long as Tiki keeps running the ball well. But Peyton can do it all, short and long. The only thing he can't do is win the big one. And that, my friend, is a continuing problem, and appears to be his destiny.

[ September 13, 2006, 11:36 PM: Message edited by: Thomas ]

I wonder when was the last time 3 home teams were shutout on the same day? The Bays (Tampa and Green) and Oakland (ironically from the Bay Area. Hmmmm?) were all shutout at home.

It was a "Bay of Pigs" weekend.

Clever....Very clever....

[ September 14, 2006, 04:28 PM: Message edited by: Thomas ]

Chris Berman gets credit for that one. Back in the late 80's-early 90's, that was what he called the GB-TB game. Once they both got good though, he called it Baywatch.