NFL Thoughts: Week 6

You know what I'm having trouble with? Tivo. Specifically I'm struggling to keep from flipping to the end of games I've recorded but not seen. It takes all the fun out of watching games if you know the outcome, but I'll be honest, the temptation is almost killing me. So far I'm resisting. I'm a trooper and I don't know why my wife doesn't recognize this amazing display of self control as deserving of some kind of reward. Anyway I had a few observations from today's action:


Seahawks 30/Rams 28
Ouch. The Ram pass defense really let me down today. Tory Holt and Marc Bulger were on fire but they couldn't stop Hasselbeck when it counted. I really hate that bald guy. I mean I really really HATE that guy. I see now that having a Tom Brady voodoo doll is not enough. Believe me, Hasselbeck's effigy will be in the works tomorrow. Next time the Rams play the Seahawks this situation will be rectified. Seriously though, if they can't beat Seattle without Alexander I'm not sure they are ready to take the Seahawks division title away this year. And don't you just hate a turf field when you're praying for a missed field goal? arggg. I don't want to talk about it anymore. Excuse me while I go slam my fingers in a car door to ease the pain.


Giants 27/Falcons 14
If you like good running this was the game for you. Barber and Dunn were awesome and Vick had his usual spectacular play or two. But tell the truth, would you want Vick on your team if you fall behind and need a comeback? Playing with a lead is Vick's strength but once he's down, he's out. Also I thought more highly of the Falcon defense but I may have to rethink that after they gave up 259 yards rushing (185 to Barber) to the Giants. I only caught highlights of this one but it appears that despite early hiccups Elisha got it together for the second half. Still, Barber is the soul of this team. When he's on a roll the Giants usually win.


Saints 27/Eagles 24
It's not a total shocker with the way the Saints have been playing but it does merit a raised eyebrow or two doesn't it? I think the Saints defense is still a little suspect but their offense is for real. Brees, Bush, McAllister, Horn and some guy named Colston are bringing a little fire to the Superdome and it's kind of fun to watch. And by the way do you think Dolphin coach Nick Saban just sits at home at night giving himself paper cuts and wondering aloud, "Culpepper over Brees, Culpepper over Brees. What the hell was I thinking?!"



Cowboys 34/Texans 6
Yay. T.O. is back is scoring touchdowns and celebrating like the doofus he is.
We can all move on with our lives now.


Panthers 23/Ravens 21
McNair gets hurt again. Shocker. This guy is going to really feel it when he retires. I've got a father-in-law who punted in the NFL in the 70s and his body is a wreck now. I can't imagine how an NFL player who actually gets hit on a regular basis will feel after he's done playing. McNair may need a wheelchair. But his replacement, Kyle Boller played pretty decent actually. Still, I'm pretty sure the Raven fans aren't ready to start screaming for Boller. They've been down that road before and it was one of those winding suckers that get you lost in the middle of the night.
As for the Panthers; It's always nice to see Steve Smith get going again. When he does, Carolina is almost unbeatable.

Buccaneers 14/Bengals 13
What's up with Cincy? Their last two games have been absolutely mailed in and it's an embarrassment for a team that has Super Bowl dreams. You knew the Bucs would want that first win bad but I kinda figured the Bengals would show a little more spunk. Instead they ate a big bowl of bran flakes and laid a huge dookie on the field.


Denver 13/Raiders 3
I'm not sure which is more embarrassing, the Raiders winless season so far or the fact that the Broncos only put up 13 points on the Silver and Black. It's a toss up. The Bronco offense is not going anywhere in the playoffs (if they make it that far) unless Jake Plummer and that offense start playing better.


Jets 20/Dolphins 17
Did I already mention Nick Saban might be regretting the decision to sign Culpepper?. But hey Harrington is performing surprising well for the injured/benched Culpepper, and besides this was almost a win. That counts for...somethi......well....ok it doesn't mean squat but hey what about those Dolphin cheerleaders? A couple of them are really hot!


Detroit 20/Buffalo 17
At least they've got one of their touted wideouts picks playing well. Roy Williams is destroying cornerbacks at an alarming rate. Detroit may not be as bad as their record. They've botched some games they probably could have had. Sounds like something Mike Martz could have been involved in. But hey you know, a win is important for Detroit because they are starving for a winning team right now.......oh wait....


Titans 25/Redskins 22
Should I be surprised with this win after the Titans played Indy so tough last week? I'll admit it I'm still a bit shocked. I thought the Redskins would bounce back from last week's loss to NY. If Brunnell can't outplay an inexperienced Vince Young at this point then the Skins really are in trouble


Steelers 45/Chiefs 7
Ben Roethlisberger, Hines Ward, and Willie Parker all had an excellent game. No surprise with the results then. Said Roethlisberger, "I tried throwing to the guys in the black shirts rather than the guys in the white shirts." This man is a genius. Helmet, who needs a helmet?


Chargers 48/49ers 19
Does that score look like "marty ball"? After criticizing him early in the season, I'm willing to cut Schottenheimer some slack now. Two weeks in a row he's given Philip Rivers the green light to throw it and check out the result. Could the conservative coach rear his ugly head again come December and January? Of course but for now let's just enjoy the development of a star in the making. That'd be Rivers not Schottenheimer. I'll admit I was anti-Rivers the minute he held out for more cash when he was a rookie. Then when Brees became a Pro-Bowler as the kid from N.C. State sat on the bench I was further smugified (what? it's a word isn't it?) and I couldn't believe the Chargers were thinking of dumping Brees in favor of an untested 3rd year QB who hadn't shown much in the preseason games he had played so far. But as this year's preseason began I decided to not hold the past against Rivers anymore (very sporting of me don't you think?). I like the Chargers and I didn't want to root against them just because I had a beef with their general manager and precocious young QB. Granted if Rivers had stunk it up I probably would have hopped on my high horse and written nasty e-mails to Charger G.M. A.J. Smith. You know..because I'm sure he'd read them.... But rather than failing, Rivers has the gall to prove me wrong and the Chargers look like a title contender. And now I'm a gutless flipflopper and I'm riding the Philip River and San Diego Charger bandwagon. Hop on it's a fun!