How We Saw Week 7

My sister has a history with NFL players.  The first was Terry Glenn.  Glenn was an all-Pro receiver . . . until he met my sister; then, Parcells left and the team went kaplooey - as did Terry Glenn's all-Pro status.  Then, she started dating a Colt.  This was the year after Indy's miraculous turn-around; suddenly, the next year, with my sister dating one of their defensive players, their D was Swiss cheese - and so were Indy's Super Bowl hopes.

Saturday, I got a call from my sister - she lives in Miami and was going out with Ty Law (they're friends) to hang out with Tom Brady, who was in town for some fun.  Last I heard, around 2amET Sunday morning, Tom and my sister were trading glances.  

My sister, the ultimate NFL bad luck charm, is about to strike again . . .

Which couldn't make former Patriot quarterback Drew Bledsoe happier.  After being traded by the Patriots, his Bills now lead them by 1/2 game in the standings - and those Pats are only 1 game out of last place in the division.  The Bills' big win in Miami signifies two things:  1) there are no great teams in the NFL this year and, every week one gets anointed, they lose (Green Bay is lucky they have a bye week this week, as they'll surely be the new darlings); 2) Drew Bledsoe is the MVP of the League this year, and the Bills could very well find themselves in the playoffs (which Jim and I both picked in August, believe it or not).

Another team that just might find itself in the playoffs (and whom I picked there) is the Arizona Cardinals.  They take a three game winning streak into San Francisco this Sunday; then get St. Louis and Seattle at home.  2-1 is very doable for this team and, by mid-November, the Cardinals should be sitting at 6-3.  At that point, their schedule gets very difficult; But, in the NFC this year, 9-7 can mean a trip to the playoffs.

The NFC South is intriguing to me.  New Orleans is playing better - and faster - than any other team in the Conference right now.  But, Tampa Bay is playing better defense than anyone else; and the Vick-led Falcons are a complete wild card; the Panthers are done.  I see some real shaking up in that division before the season is over; and, I still hold the hope and belief that Atlanta will be hosting a playoff game come January.

Quick - name a team with a winning record Green Bay has beaten.  Nice try - but, they haven't.  In fact, the only team they've PLAYED with a winning record is New Orleans - and the Pack lost by 15.  For the rest of the season, they only have four games against teams presently with winning records; bodes well for home field advantage, but not for playoff preparedness.  

I am having a terrible season with my "Best Bets."  This week:
Vikings +3 LOSS
Lions +3 WIN
Redskins +7 LOSS
Jaguars +1 1/2 LOSS
Colts +4 1/2 ???

Of course, for the rest of the games (my "non best bets"), I went 6-2-1.  Go figure.

My Top Five:
1) New Orleans: The team that quit last year never quits;
2) San Diego: After last year's turn-around in Washington, how could you not believe Marty is the best coach in the NFL?
3) Indianapolis: I'm banking on a big game from this team on Monday Night (which means they'll lose by 20);
4) Philadelphia: They held Tampa Bay to three offensive points and the team to 10 points (their lowest of the year);
5) Green Bay: If they beat Miami, they'll move up quickly.

--The Chargers' win at Oakland was the most impressive win of the week. Going into the Black Hole that is the Oakland Coliseum and beating the Raiders is no easy feat. But San Diego had a secret weapon in coach Marty Schottenheimer, for whom beating the Raiders is second nature. Schottenheimer is now 20-5 lifetime vs. the Silver and Black. When he coached the Kansas City Chiefs, Schottenheimer always told his players to keep it close late and they would win because the Raiders would choke. Oakland didn't choke on Sunday but Schottenheimer still walks away a winner.

--After LaDainian Tomlinson scored the game-winner for the Chargers and his teammates celebrated in the end zone, the classless Raider fans pelted them with water bottles and any other garbage they could get their hands on.

--The league's worst defense resides in Kansas City, which blew a double-digit second-half lead for the second straight week. The Chiefs may also have the league's best offense. Here's a stat that may be a first this late in the season: The Chiefs lead the league in both points scored and points allowed.

--Hard to believe anybody would be pining for Jay Fiedler to come back from injury, but the Miami Dolphins certainly are after the performance of his backup Ray Lucas. All Lucas did was throw four interceptions against a Buffalo Bills team that hadn't intercepted anybody in six previous games.

"The way I played today was probably the worst a quarterback has ever played in the history of the NFL," Lucas said. "I don't think I've ever thrown four picks since I was born." Actually, we hear Lucas once threw five picks as a 2-year-old.

--If Tampa Bay hopes to go anywhere in the playoffs, they better hope they don't have to play Philadelphia. After losing badly in the playoff to the Eagles the past two seasons, the Bucs came into Sunday with a 5-1 record and left after laying an egg, 20-10. Despite the hiring of alleged offensive guru Jon Gruden, these look like the same-old-Bucs: a great defense and anemic offense. The Tampa D scored the team's only touchdown, and Keyshawn Johnson (who seems to disappear in big games) had only three catches for 38 yards.

--The New Orleans Saints at 6-1 have a great chance to capture the NFC best record. Of their final nine games, the Saints play only one team that now has a winning record (Tampa Bay). The Saints are an odd team: Their defense has given up 29, 27 and 27 points in their last three games, but have won all three. They've beaten Tampa Bay, Green Bay, Pittsburgh and San Francisco, but lost to Detroit.

--Here's hoping Brett Favre's knee injury is minor and the game's coolest player is back in two weeks after the Packers' bye. Fortunately for the Packers, they have a 3 1/2-game division lead and look like a playoff lock, so Favre could miss a couple of games and they would survive.

--Don't laugh, but the Detroit Lions aren't all that bad. They've already won two games (as many as all of 2001) and came within a hair of beating Green Bay. Joey Harrington looks like the real thing at quarterback.

--Another perennial loser playing well is the Arizona Cardinals, 4-2 and tied for the division lead, their best start since 1988. They were less than impressive in a lucky 9-6 overtime win against Dallas. Fortunately, their secret weapon was wearing a Cowboy star--quarterback Quincy Carter, who three four interceptions (two in the end zone).

--My Top 5 (or 6 in this case): 1. San Diego (Martyball lives!). 2. Green Bay (given up only one TD in two games). 3. New Orleans (They have so many weapons). 4. Miami/Denver/Oakland (hard to separate them).

--My Bottom 5: 32. Cincinnati (Were 5-point dogs to Bye). 31. Minnesota (fire them all and start over). 30. Houston (Expansion growing pains). 29. Seattle (Mike Holmgren looks like a goner). 28. New York Jets (They beat the Vikings--big deal).

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