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The Titans won.
They're still finished, but they won.
The Bucs, on the other
hand, lost. If it weren't for last week's miracle win
over Green Bay, they'd be 1-3. It just doesn't seem to
matter who they plug into the Tampa offense - they just
continue to suck. Warrick Dunn is a top player
- something that Dr. Z (Zimmerman) said early last
year. In St. Louis or Indianapolis, he'd be as good as
Faulk or James. It's not too early to panic in
Tennessee or Tampa.
Something is wrong in
Indianapolis, and I'm worried it's Peyton Manning.
His whole career, he has fallen apart in big games. As
a senior at Tennessee, his team got killed by Nebraska in
the Orange Bowl, 42-17, after Manning threw for only 134
yards. In his first postseason game as a Colt in 1999,
Manning failed to throw a touchdown pass (though he ran one
in) and his team lost, 19-16, at home. Last year,
Manning's offense failed to score in the second half of
their first round game against the Dolphins, and lost,
23-17. Now, on Sunday Night Football at home against
the Raiders, with his team down five and 2:15 left, Manning
rushes a play before the two minute warning that costs the
Colts a down (though this didn't hurt them in the
end). Then, he throws a game-ending interception
after, again, rushing a play. Jim will say that
Manning is still learning but, after 3 1/2 years in the
League, I'm starting to think that he just melts down in
games, particularly big games. On Dec. 10, the
Colts have a Monday night game at Miami--and it could be
for the division title. We'll see how my theory holds
up then.
Last year, Miami visited the Jets
on a Monday night game, blowing a huge lead in the fourth
quarter. This year, Miami visits the Jets, and blow a
17-0 halftime lead. Every time I'm ready to anoint the
Dolphins as the team to beat in the AFC, they screw
it up.
For only the second time in
his life, Doug Flutie lost a game at Foxboro
Stadium. Will there be a quarterback controversy in New
England after backup Tom Brady starts 2-1 as a
starter? There certainly shouldn't be but, knowing New
England sports fans as well as I do, there will be in the
press.
Look out for New England
now. Bill Belichick knows how to coach
defense. He also just got his top receiver back, Terry
Glenn, who lit up the Chargers for 110 yards and
a touchdown. When was the last time the Pats
had to receivers with 100+ yards in the same game?
With Troy Brown's 117 today, this may have been the
first ever.
Trent Dilfer is 2-0 as
a starter in Seattle. That means he's won his last 13
starts. Matt Hasselbeck is 1-2 as a
starter. Hom will Mike Holmgren start for Seattle
after their bye? He'll have an extra week to think
about it.
There are five teams with
zero or one loss in the NFC. There are only two
teams with one loss in the AFC. This doesn't
mean the NFC is better - it means it's less
competitive. The NFC has nine teams with two or fewer
wins; the AFC has only five.
TOP FIVE: 1) St.
Louis, 2) New Orleans, 3) Green Bay, 4) Baltimore, 5)
Oakland.
BOTTOM FIVE: 5)
Tennessee, 4) Washington, 3) Dallas, 2) Detroit, 1) Buffalo.
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Brett Favre was brilliant
in leading the Pack over the Ravens. The great Baltimore
defense looked ordinary and confused. The best defense on
the field was actually Green Bay's, which picked off Elvis
Grbac twice. There was no doubt that the Packers were
the better team.
The Packers showed how
to move the ball on Baltimore: a quarterback on top of his
game, imaginative play-calling and receivers not afraid to
take hits. Not many teams have all three.
Thank God the Titans
won. It'll shut up Cyd for a week.
Goat of the Carolina-New
Orleans game was Panthers' DB Doug Evans. Late in the
game, with his team up 25-20 and trying to stop the Saints,
Evans dropped a sure interception that hit him right in the
hands. The game would have been over. Instead, the Saints
won on the final play, 27-25.
Fashion Foul! I hate the
Saints' black
pants, which combined with their all-black tops make
them look like a JV team from Wyoming.
Guess who's in first place in
the AFC Central? It's not Baltimore, Tennessee or
Jacksonville, who have won it the past three years. It's the
Pittsburgh Steelers, who stand at 3-1. The Steelers
have won by combining a solid running game, stout defense
and soft schedule.
San Diego started 3-0
but has now lost two straight. On Sunday, the Chargers blew
a 10-point fourth-quarter lead to a New England team playing
with its backup QB. Looks like the Bolts are coming back to
Earth.
Fantastic Finishes: 49ers and
stud
QB Jeff Garcia rally to beat the Falcons in OT; Joe
Nedney drills a 49-yarder as Tennessee beats Tampa in
OT; Adam Vinatieri nails a 44-yarder as New England
beat San Diego in OT. Add that to the Saints' last
play win, the Rams 1-point win over the Giants and
the Vikings hanging on to beat Detroit and it was a
great day to watch football. Top
5 teams: 1. St. Louis (their defense bailed them
out this week); 2. Green Bay (nice to see somebody
shut the Ravens up; 3. Oakland (they aren't pretty,
but they win); 4. Baltimore (they're glad they won't
see Favre again unless they meet in the Super Bowl; 5. San
Francisco (Jeff Garcia has been terrific).
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During
the week Baltimore Raven linebacker Ray Lewis said no one
player was good enough to beat their defense. Think again.
Brett Favre sliced, diced and shredded the Ravens
for 337 yards and three TDs as the Green Bay Packers
drubbed Baltimore, 31-23. Favre was do dominant that he he
made the great Lewis look fairly ordinary.