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Ring Of Honor

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How We Saw Week 8

Michael Vick is the man.  This guy is amazing.  He is what all the scouts said he was coming out of college last year - revolutionary.  He is adding a dimension to this game that no one has before him:  speed AND mobility AND an arm at quarterback.  Do you think the Chargers are shooting themselves for trading away that #1 pick?  I doubt it - they got LaDainian Tomlinson and Drew Brees out of it; they're just fine.  But, Vick just may overtake #1 Randy Moss in my "greatest player in the history of the NFL" ranking.

Another note on Vick, and a more personal one:  he's fun to watch.  There are a lot of players in this League who are OK to good, but aren't fun (Peyton Manning, Jerome Bettis, Jerry Rice).  If he continues to progress, he just might be "the Michael Jordan of the NFL."

Speaking of Peyton Manning . . . Jim, Jim Allen and I were watching that game together Sunday night, as the Colts were driving down the field in the fourth quarter.  "Peyton can't bring a team back - watch, he'll throw an interception this drive."  Sure enough, he did.  Manning just doesn't have it.  Now that Tony Dungy has bottled up one of the things he does well (throw strikes deep), Manning is shutting down.  The Colts need to stop making him "the coach on the field" and start designing plays for him down field.

By the way, Peyton is growing on me in the looks department.  Saw a good close-up of his eyes Sunday night - very nice.

With Jeff Blake at the helm, the Ravens could provide even more excitement this year.  He's a talented quarterback who can win games - as he showed in both Cincy and New Orleans (you CAN lose a starting job to an injury).

I am fantasy-blessed this season.  My tight end, Randy McMichael, has a bye week - so, I read about how Billy Miller is getting more touches with the Texans.  I pick him up, start him, and he leads my League for tight ends this week with 70 yards and a touchdown.  With about 1/2 my team on bye this week, it looks like I'll go to 7-1 (unless Barber and Staley combine for four touchdowns and 300 yards Monday night).

The Cardinals.  What can you say?  They played well enough to win, but badly enough to lose.  They coulda shoulda woulda been 6-1 at this point, but are 4-3.  They are the Cardinals.

My Top Five:

1) San Diego Chargers - Could they be the first team to play the Super Bowl in their own stadium?
2) Denver Broncos - They have lots of weapons, and they're starting to fire.
3) Green Bay Packers - Haven't beaten anybody; their game against the Dolphins will tell us lots about both teams.
4) Miami Dolphins - If they beat the Packers with Lucas, they could jump to #1;
5) New Orleans Saints - They lost to an inspired, and dangerous, Falcons team.

--MVP: Drew Bledsoe (Buffalo quarterback). In 2001, the Bills were 3-13. They are now 5-3 and Bledsoe is the reason. He's thrown for more yards than any QB and keeps Buffalo in every game. Plus, he's as cute as a button. Brett Favre would be my runnerup.

--Coach of the Midseason: Marty Schottenheimer (San Diego). Marty has the Bolts at 6-1 and has had no problem turning the offense over to second-year man Drew Brees. The guy is 14-4 in his last 18 games as a coach.

--Top Rookie: Clinton Portis (Denver running back). He's fast, can run with power and has taken a big load off of Brian Griese.

--Best Defender: Derrick Brooks (Tampa Bay linebacker). The best player on the best defense, Brooks is a key reason the Bucs are 6-2 (it's certainly not their lousy offense).

--Surprise Teams: San Diego (AFC); New Orleans (NFC).

--Team Flops: Chicago (NFC); New York Jets (AFC). Hard to believe both these turkeys made the playoffs last year.

--Best Game: Buffalo 45, Minnesota 39 (overtime). Any newbie fan would have been hooked watching this thriller.

--Worst Game: Just about any involving the Bengals.

--Bonehead Player: Dwayne Rudd, the Cleveland Brown who threw his helmet on the final play vs. KC and cost them the game. Rudd will own this honor for the millennium.

--Super Bowl teams: Green Bay vs. Pittsburgh (what I picked in the preseason). No reason to bail on them yet.

Sunday thoughts:

--Peyton Manning doesn't look like he's having any fun as Colts QB. He used to be so free-wheeling, now he looks tentative.

--Only the Bengals can lose a game when a running back (Corey Dillon) basically gets tackled by his own offensive lineman (Matt O'Dwyer) on fourth down and goal and less than a minute left. Dillon tripped over O'Dwyer on a play where the hole was huge, but that's the 0-7 Bengals.

--The Patriots have now lost four in a row and are in serious trouble. Tom Brady looks lost and the defense looks soft.

--After losing three in a row, the Raiders suddenly look old.

--Here's how Baltimore coach Brian Billick described his team's 31-18 loss to Pittsburgh, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

"On offense, those 11 kicked the [stuffing] out of us. On defense, those 11 kicked the [stuffing] out of us, and on special teams, whoever's out there, they also kicked the [stuffing] out of us." Funny, I doubt Billick said "stuffing."

--Can't sleep? Then watch a tape of Tampa Bay 12, Carolina 9. You'll be out before the first punt.

Week's Hot Player

Michael Vick is our choice for the most exciting player to watch in the NFL. He makes a 7-yard scramble riveting. On Sunday, the Atlanta Falcons quarterback threw for only 195 yards against New Orleans. But he beat the Saints with his feet, rushing for 91 yards and two scores as Atlanta went into the Big Easy and came away with a 37-35 last-second win. Vick is Michael Jordan in cleats.

2004 Update: "Vick is Gay" story a hoax