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Cyd Zeigler
Patriots Dynasty
In
improving to 3-0, the New England Patriots tied the NFL
record for consecutive victories with 18. They gained almost 400
total yards, got the key plays when they needed them and
beat former Patriot Drew Bledsoe and the division-rival
Buffalo Bills by two touchdowns. With a win at home over
Miami next week, the Patriots will set the league record for
consecutive wins and should be regarded as one of the
greatest teams in NFL history. And it won’t hurt that a
victory over the Dolphins would send the Fins to their worst
start in 40 years.
I did take
issue with one brain fade by Patriots coach
Bill Belichick. After Bills punter Brian Moorman ran for
a first down, Drew Bledsoe completed a 41-yard touchdown
pass to Eric Moulds. The Patriots asked to review the play,
despite the obvious integrity of the reception. That
challenge was their second of the game and left them without
a challenge the rest of the game. Fast-forward to a play
later in the game that consisted of a fumble by both teams.
If the Bills hadn’t fumbled the ball into the end zone, the
Patriots would have been left without a challenge on a key
play.
I watched
the games on Sunday at Bowery Street Ale House with one of
our longest-running discussion board members, Munson Man.
For some reason, the Patriots game was running late and,
with under three minutes left and the Bills driving deep
within Patriots territory, the game suddenly cut to kick-off
of the Jets-Dolphins game. Flashes of the Heidi game flashed
the eyes of the couple dozen Pats fans there and me. I got
right on my phone only to find out that the Pats ran a
fumble back on the next play for a touchdown.
Not a
One-Man Team
Last year
the Atlanta Falcons claimed they weren’t a one-man team.
They were more than Michael Vick, they said, when their star
quarterback went down with an injury for the first 12 weeks.
Last year, that claim was wrong. This year, it’s right.
Michael Vick is having a mediocre season. In four games,
he’s thrown only two touchdowns and has thrown two
interceptions. But, the team is 4-0 and has put what seems
to be an insurmountable distance between themselves and the
rest of their division. Let the rumblings of Jim Mora, Jr.,
for Coach of the Year begin.
The
Good, the Bad and the Lucky
The New
York Giants are this year’s luckiest team. Their last three
games they have played teams at just the right time in just
the right place. This week, they went into Green Bay, fell
behind, 7-0, and knocked Brett Favre out of the game. This
is not to take anything away from the Giants’ 3-1 start.
They are playing as well as they possibly could. But, I have
to imagine this will all come crashing down.
I hate
Jeremy Shockey. Not only is he a homophobic bigmouth, he is
disgustingly boisterous on the field. He alone makes me hope
the Gi’nts get punked sooner than later.
The
Fantasy Illness
Fantasy
football is an illness. My team, after the first three
weeks, was the highest-scoring team by far. In Week 4, a
face the worst team in the league. Of course, I’m missing
three of my four best players and lose. Still, at 2-2, my
team is kicking ass. We’ll choke though, as my team does
every year in the playoffs. Oy.
Lookin'
Good - At Last
I love the
Pats’ victory, but it was the Texans over the Raiders that
excited me most. Houston won back-to-back games for the
first time in the last two seasons. I’m hoping that David
Carr, as promised, will finally cut his hair! I mean, he’d
look good in anything. But that buzz cut looks better on him
than any cadet I’ve ever seen.
I've long
wondered why so many football players seem to try to not
look their best. Carr, with the floppy hair, just didn't
work. Peyton Manning's facial hair - no. The goatees on half the
linemen in the league - ugh. It's almost as though it's cool
or more masculine to be less attractive. Regardless, thank
God for Houston's victory - God knows the Houston team did.
Other
Notes
Great win
by Indianapolis. I’ve never liked Peyton Manning because I
have always seen him as a choker. It’s victories like this,
on the road against a solid defense, that build character
and draw my respect.
For some
reason, I couldn’t care less about any of the teams in the
AFC North. Even when they’re intriguing, like this week’s
Bengals-Steelers game, they are just snoozeville to me.
Denny Green
is back. The man who turned around programs at Stanford
University and the Minnesota Vikings is building a team in
Arizona that will contend next year. This week, they put up
34 points, scoring on running plays, passing plays, trick
plays, on defense. Hell, Emmitt ran for a touchdown and
threw another! This is the dawn of a new era for Arizona
football.
Cyd’s
Top Five
1) New
England – 16 wins to go;
2) Atlanta – Playing well as a team, they have a
couple quality wins with the Lions and Chargers visiting in
the next couple of weeks;
3) Philadelphia – After the pom-pom stunt last year,
T.O. followed up his gay TD celebrations this week with some
crunches;
4) New York Jets – If they were in any other
division, they would be playing for the division title;
5) Seattle – With Atlanta, may have the easiest time
cruising to a division title. But can they get home field
advantage?
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Jim Buzinski
--Hard to
get a handle on a season where the Houston Texans and
San Diego Chargers each have better records than the
Green Bay Packers and Tennessee Titans. While
some teams are playing as expected--New England,
Indianapolis, Philadelphia and San Francisco come to
mind--there is enough wackiness to suggest each week will be
hard to predict. Some teams that have caught my eye, both
good and bad:
New
England (3-0): All the Pats do is win. They got some
breaks from the refs and some good fortune on the field, but
in the end made enough plays to win at Buffalo, 31-17. There
was an awful roughing the passer call on the Bills that kept
one New England drive alive.
There was
also a bizarre play where a Patriots receiver caught a pass
on third down and fumbled and the ball was picked up by
Buffalo linebacker London Fletcher, who ran it down
to the Pats’ 2 before the ball was knocked out of his hand
and into the end zone. The result was a touchback and ball
back to New England. Buffalo challenged the play, saying the
ball wasn’t caught (an incompletion would bring up fourth
down) and the call was reversed. But had Fletcher not lost
the ball, the Bills would have had it first-and-goal at the
2 and down by only seven (New England could not have
challenged since they were out).
This is not
to imply the Pats were lucky to win. They converted a 1st
and 35, and their creative defensive schemes frustrated the
Bills all day. But the champions in all sports often seem
charmed and the Pats fit that bill (remember in Week 1, when
Indy’s Edgerrin James fumbled at the Pats’ 1 on first
down when the Colts were going in late for the win).
Indianapolis (3-1): This is the best team in football
not named New England. The Colts have beaten the Titans and
Packers and on Sunday went to unbeaten Jacksonville and came
away with a 24-17 win. Peyton Manning looks more in
control at quarterback each week and he engineered a huge
game-winning TD drive after the Jags had tied the score at
17 in the fourth.
Atlanta
(4-0): I had been unimpressed by the Falcons, who beat three
cupcakes to start 3-0. But on Sunday they went into Carolina
and spanked the defending NFC champion Panthers, 27-10. The
Falcons are efficient on offense, but have really excelled
on defense. In four games, the Falcons have not trailed once
and have a two-game lead in their division.
Green
Bay (1-3): The Packers started the season with an
impressive Monday night win at Carolina, but it’s been all
downhill from there. On Sunday, the Packers lost at home for
the second time this season (to the New York Giants) and
quarterback Brett Favre went out with a concussion.
The Lambeau Field mystique is gone as the Packers are only
6-6 in their last 12 games there.
Tennessee (1-3): It was bad enough for the Titans to
lose at home to Indianapolis and Jacksonville at home, but
to lose to the San Diego Chargers by 21 is unforgivable. I
know that Titans QB Steve McNair didn’t play, but
that doesn’t explain how their defense collapsed and made
Drew Brees look like Dan Fouts. Brees was 16 for
20 and three touchdowns for the 2-2 Chargers.
--The
Houston Texans beat the Oakland Raiders, 30-17, the first
time they ever have won two games in a row. This means that
quarterback David Carr will finally cut his hair,
which has been growing since last year. His dad, who looks
awful with his unruly mane, will also get clipped. For my
money, Carr looks much better with
very short hair, though his wife apparently likes
his longer locks. We’ll see who wins out. Update: Seems like
Mrs. Carr
got her wish.
--Bonehead
call of the day came from Buffalo coach Mike Mularkey.
His Bills trailed the Patriots, 24-17, with less than 3
minutes to play and had fourth-and-2 at the New England 22.
With the human statue Drew Bledsoe at center, the
only logical move was to put him in the shotgun formation
and pass. Instead, Mularkey played to his last name and had
Bledsoe do a naked bootleg (meaning that Bledsoe fakes a
handoff to one side and runs around the other end “naked,”
without blockers). Not a bad call if you have Michael
Vick at quarterback, but Bledsoe is about as mobile at
the Statue of Liberty. The Patriots blitzed, Bledsoe had no
chance; he was sacked, fumbled the ball and Richard
Seymour picked it up and ran it back 63 yards for the
Patriots’ clinching score.
--Homoerotic
moment of the week came in ESPN’s pregame segment on the
relationship between centers and quarterbacks. We heard and
saw a lot about touching butts.
Read all the details.
 --Hot
player of the day is Buffalo punter Brian Moorman.
Against the Pats, Moorman dropped the snap from center, but
picked up the ball on the bounce and ran 34 yards for a
first down, showing some good speed. He’s only 6-feet and
175 pounds, but very athletic (he ran hurdles in college).
It was fun seeing a teammate towel the sweat off his head on
the sideline(sweat being something rare for a punter).
--Weird
stats: The Jaguars have scored 52 points and given up 52
and are 3-1; the Washington Redskins have only allowed seven
more points than they scored but are 1-3. ...The Miami
Dolphins defense has allowed 10, 9, 13 and 10 points in four
games. But their offense has given up 21 points by having
three interceptions returned for touchdowns; this is the
main reason the Fins are 0-4 for the first time since 1966.
--Best
catches I saw: San Diego’s Reche Caldwell made a
brilliant one-handed catch as a defensive back tried to make
the interception; Caldwell kept his feet and ran 58 yards
for a score. Tampa Bay rookie Michael Clayton dove
for an amazing catch against Denver, lost his helmet but
still was able to get up before being touched and run in for
a score.
--My Top
Five: 1. New England (the best coaching staff in the
league). 2. Indianapolis (Marvin Harrison,
Brandon Stokley and Reggie Wayne make up the
league’s best receiving corps). 3. Philadelphia (T.O.
hasn’t bitched … yet). 4. Seattle (ex-Ram Grant
Wistrom has been the difference-maker on defense). 5.
Atlanta (4-0 for the first time since 1986). |
