13 games played on Sunday and one more in just a couple of hours. Let’s break them all down in 500 words, shall we? First, a quick thought on the Titans/Jags game tonight. Look for a hard-fought and punishing game between two teams that will look to establish the run game with their superstars. Chris Johnson is the focal point of the Titans offence and Maurice Jones-Drew stirs the drink for Jacksonville. I wouldn’t want to pick a winner, but with the over/under at 45, I would stick with the under.
Eagles beat Falcons 31-17
Give a lot of credit to Kevin Kolb for a great performance. Andy Reid has got a great problem on his hands because whether it’s Kolb or Michael Vick, the starting quarterback has gotten the job done every single week. Kolb decimated the Falcons pass defense.
Steelers win over Browns in Big Ben’s return
No need to worry about problems with rust for Big Ben. After a shaky first half, Roethlisberger found his rhythm and threw three touchdown passes. Makes you wonder how we doubted this team in pre-season.
Seattle edges Chicago
Don’t ask me what either of these teams are going to do from week to week, but the pickup of Marshawn Lynch by the Seahawks gave them a nice 1-2 punch at the running back spot with Justin Forsett.
Miami wins in OT over Green Bay
Considering how banged up the Packers were for this game and are for the near future, this could be the start of some bleak times in Green Bay. A win here would have been huge for confidence, but the loss reminds them how difficult it will be for them to win without premier players.
Giants beat Lions
They are a quiet team at 4-2. If you polled 100 NFL fans that didn’t know what their record was, I bet that over half would classify them as under .500. They’re back into the national spotlight thanks to a game in Dallas next week.
Saints thump Bucs
I like it when a game goes exactly how you drew it up in a preview. I wrote that the Saints had too much talent for the Bucs to handle and a 25 point beating proved me right. They just have to do that consistently now.
Rams shock Chargers
Upset of the week as the Rams get their biggest win in recent memory and the Chargers have one of their more embarrassing losses in recent memory. There’s too much talent in San Diego for them to be this bad. Something needs to change immediately.
Houston completes comeback over Kansas City
Much like the Giants, a lot of people would be surprised to see the Texans at 4-2. What a gutsy comeback win for this club. It’s these types of wins that allow a team to be in the playoffs. Could this finally be the year? It remains to be seen because the rest of their schedule is still very difficult.
New England squeaks out win against Baltimore
Everyone was curious about how Bill Belichick was going to adjust to life without Randy Moss. After a less-than-stellar 3 quarters, the Patriots found a way to come from 10 down in the fourth to force OT. They eventually squeaked it out with a field goal in OT. We need to give constant credit to a hell of a coach and a great leader in Tom Brady.
San Fran finally wins first against Oakland
Alex Smith leads the Niners to win number one on the season, but how many Niners fans want him to continue as the starting quarterback? Not many. He still missed a lot of easy throws and made a lot of bad decisions, but got away with them because they were taking on the Oakland Raiders.
Jets win in final minutes against Broncos
Good effort from the Broncos against a rugged Jets team, but they just don’t have the talent in place to win these tight games at the end. The Jets pulling it out with less than 2 minutes to go show why they’re a Super Bowl contender and why the Broncos are on the outside of the playoff bubble.
Vikings win Panic Bowl versus Cowboys
We’re not used to seeing Brett Favre win ugly games, but that’s what he did yesterday in leading the Vikings to victory. Can they use this game as a stepping stone? On the other side, the Cowboys made enough mistakes again to prove how dumb of a football team they really are. Is it safe enough to write them out of the playoff race now?
Colts win Sunday nighter in Washington
Good road win for the Colts as they needed to prove to the rest of the NFL that there were no cracks forming or that the foundation of the dynasty was starting to crumble. The Redskins may not have the talent, but Mike Shanahan will keep them in every single game. The Redskins now have enough discipline that they will make you earn a victory.
Quick questions for both sides in Sens vs. Pens matchup:
For the Sens: What do you do defensively to match up against Crosby/Malkin?
For the Pens: Are any of the forwards outside of Crosby/Malkin going to be consistent contributors this season?
I might as well touch on the ALCS and NLCS as well while I’m here. ALCS Game 3 goes tonight and I’m convinced that the winner of this game wins the series. If AJ Burnett is truly going to pitch game 4 for the Yankees, I believe his confidence will depend on whether he’s pitching with the series lead or not.
The NLCS is going as expected for me. Game 3 tomorrow has the same feeling for me. Whoever wins that game will win the series.
Well, I decided to go past the 500 mark and make it an even 1000. It’s just so easy for me to get carried away with numerous breakdowns. Enjoy the games tonight!