NFL FanHouse

NFL FanHouse Week 11 Chat

Bruce Ciskie — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Browns, Buccaneers, Colts, Lions, Ravens, Saints, NFL Fans, NFL Live Blogging

We still have two unbeatens in the NFL, New Orleans and Indianapolis. The Saints visit Tampa, so they shouldn't be threatened, but the Colts have a doozy of a game at Baltimore. Meanwhile, it's a clash of titans in Detroit, as the 1-8 Lions host 1-8 Cleveland. Join us at 12 PM ET to discuss all the Week 11 NFL action.

&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amp;task=viewaltcast&amp;altcast_code=b6a445c4bc&quot; &gt;NFL FanHouse Week 11 Chat&lt;/a&gt;

NFL FanHouse Week 11 Chat originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steelers Fan Claims He Was Poisoned, Blinded in Chicago Bar

Adam Gretz — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:33:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago Bears, Steelers, NFL Fans

If you've ever seen the Pittsburgh Steelers play a road game, it's not uncommon to see thousands of fans in black and gold in the stands (much to the chagrin of the local fans/writers), while you can probably find a "black-and-gold-bar" in just about every major city in the United States.

Needless to say, if the Steelers are playing, there's going to be a lot of fans with Pittsburgh-ties in the area. Their Week 2 game in Chicago, a 17-14, loss was no different, and one fan, 46-year-old Zack Eddinger, claims he was poisoned (and blinded) in a Chicago bar after an altercation with a group of Bears fans.

According to WTAE in Pittsburgh, Heddinger said his friends were involved in some trash talk with a group of Bears fans, and eventually the Bears fans offered a drink as a "peacemaker."

That's when Heddinger claims things started to go terribly wrong.

From WTAE:

Not long after taking the drink, Heddinger passed out and was rushed to a nearby hospital, his heart stopping four times.

At first, doctors thought he had too much to drink, but realized there was more to it.

"They thought it was antifreeze or something like that ...because it was so strong," said Heddinger.

Heddinger's family rushed to Chicago to be with him after doctors told them he wasn't going to make.

"I literally watched him say, within a matter of hours, 'I'm getting really scared. I can't see anything,'" said sister Lisa.

According to the report, doctors believe the drink may have been spiked with toxic grain alcohol, while Heddinger added: "I don't think they tried to kill me. I think they tried to hurt me, but the killing came pretty close."

Steelers Fan Claims He Was Poisoned, Blinded in Chicago Bar originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Redskins Reverse Stadium Sign Policy

Will Brinson — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:56:00 EST

Filed under: Redskins, NFL Fans

Dan Snyder, in making absolutely sure that no one was aware how horrible a job he was doing with the Redskins, recently banned signs from FedEx Field under the pretense of "safety." Local media -- particularly Dan Steinberg -- and fans were outraged (the latter so mad they even drove to Atlanta to protest) ... and rightly so.

It appears now, too, that their effort was worth it -- Snyder and the Redskins announced today that they were reversing the sign policy at FedEx Field.

"We have no intention of trying to control our fans' varied ways of expressing their views on the Redskins organization and the team's performance," said David Donovan, the team's Chief Operating Officer, who has overall responsibility for the stadium.

"We've disappointed our fans so far this season, and I'm as disappointed as they are," said team Owner Daniel M. Snyder. "I understand that some fans want to express their feelings with signs and they should do so, as long as they stay within the boundaries of good taste and don't block the view of other fans."

Of course, it's unlikely you'll see many signs today; the Redskins released the news at approximately 10:30 Sunday morning, just a scant 2 1/2 hours before kickoff against Denver -- given the proximity of the stadium to D.C. and the propensity of 'Skins fans to tailgate, well, yeah, it'll be a signless game except for the folks that thought to bring markers and posters out in their cars.

Additionally, there's two more pseudo-sneaky issues involved here: first, the 'Skins are on the road the following two weeks before returning home for a game against New Orleans, at which time most fans probably will have lost the will to actually be creative. And secondly, the signs must be "within the boundaries of good taste" and not "block the view of other fans." Something tells me anything really nasty about Snyder won't be considered in good taste.

Still, it's at least somewhat refreshing to see Snyder take responsibility as owner and actually admit that Washington's football team is a total embarrassment.

Redskins Reverse Stadium Sign Policy originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:56:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NFL FanHouse Week 10 Preview Recap

Bruce Ciskie — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Bengals, Colts, Cowboys, Packers, Patriots, Steelers, NFL Fans, NFL Live Blogging

For weeks, people have asked if the Cincinnati Bengals are for real. The team keeps responding by finding ways to win games, but the questions keep coming in. This week, they get a chance to sweep the defending Super Bowl champions. Green Bay was picked by many to be a playoff team this season, but they've limped their way to 4-4, got worked by a former teammate, and now face a virtual must-win against red-hot Dallas. Meanwhile, the Colts and Patriots are stealing the spotlight for another high-profile meeting.

We'll chat about all of this at 12 P.M. Eastern, and we invite you to join us after the jump!

&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amp;amp;amp;task=viewaltcast&amp;amp;amp;altcast_code=859ac6836f" &amp;amp;gt;NFL FanHouse Week 10 Chat&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;

NFL FanHouse Week 10 Preview Recap originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Studs and Duds, Week 9: Vintage Warner Reappears

Shane Bacon — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: NFL Fans

Each week in the NFL, there are players that impress and players that distress. One week a certain quarterback might toss four touchdowns and run around pointing skyward, while the next he's laying on his back, holding his facemask as the other team returns one of his three interceptions for the game-winning score. With that in mind, here's Studs and Duds.

Studs

Kurt Warner, QB Arizona (22-32, 261 yards, 5 TDs, 0 INTs) -- Last week, Warner had five interceptions, looks his age, didn't appear to be comfortable with a receiving core most would quarterbacks in the league would die for. This week, in a much-needed victory over the Chicago Bears, Warner flipped the switching, tossing five touchdowns to tie his career high and put his Cardinals back in the driver's seat of the NFC West.

Warner threw touchdown passes on Arizona's first four possessions even without Anquain Boldin, who was second on the team in receiving yards heading into the Bears game. That didn't seem to bother Warner, as he connected with four different teammates for scores.

Michael Turner, RB Atlanta (18 carries, 166 yards, 2 TDs) -- Up until last week, Michael Turner was suffering a little hangover from his breakout 2008, when he was second in the regular season in rushing behind Adrian Peterson in his first full season as a NFL starter. Turner had only one 100 yard game is his first six outings this year, but has combined for 317 yards in the last two games including his game this week against Washington where Turner averaged 9.2 yards per carry. Atlanta, who will be battling the Eagles and Giants for a Wild Card bid, seems elite when Turner is running the ball well, freeing up Matt Ryan and their sneaky explosive passing attack, and Sunday was their X's and O's. Give it to the Human Bowling Ball, let him run over defenses, and hold on for dear life.

Philip Rivers, QB San Diego (24-36, 209 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs) -- Statistically it wasn't one of his best games. Not even close, in the short career of Philip Rivers, but as for defining moments, it was as important as any game he's played. Needing a touchdown to not only beat draft foe Eli Manning and his previously dominant New York Giants, but to keep pace with the Denver Broncos in the AFC West, Rivers drove his team down the field 80 yards with 2:05 left on the clock in the fourth quarter, hitting Vincent Jackson in the back corner of the end zone with 21 seconds to play to give the Chargers a one point win and their third win in a row.

Less than a month ago, this was the same Rivers who got sacked five times against Denver, and the Chargers didn't look to have a shot at a playoff spot out of their division. Now, with the Broncos losing to the Steelers on Monday Night, it's only a game deficit, and most of that lies with Rivers and his heroic effort on Sunday.

Duds

Tommie Harris, DT Chicago -- Hitting people in the face rarely leads to anything positive, but doing it when the person is wearing a helmet? Downright idiotic. Harris, the Bears three-time Pro Bowler, punched Deuce Lutui in the first possession of the game against the Cardinals, leading to an automatic ejection and quick winner of the "more likely to do damage to yourself than someone else" award for this week. (possibly called the "Plaxico Burress All-Stars?") The Bears defense, a week removed from forcing four fumbles and two interceptions against the Browns, looks like a completely different unit out without Harris, and only he's to blame.

Matthew Stafford, QB Detroit (22-42, 203 yards, 2 TDs, 5 INTs) -- Here's a group you don't want to join when referring to starting quarterbacks in the NFL ... Derek Anderson, JaMarcus Russell, and Josh Johnson. Those are the three guys with worse quarterback ratings than Stafford, who clocked in at a 42.2 this week in the loss against Seattle. The more disappointing part than that? Stafford had the Lions up 17-0 on the Seahawks after the first quarter, thanks to consecutive touchdown passes. Seattle rallied off 15 straight points before a field goal in the fourth quarter got the Lions back within five, only to have Stafford throw a pick that Josh Wilson kindly returned to the end zone to put Detroit away for good. Being a quarterback in the NFL is tough enough ... being a rookie quarterback for the Lions is damn near impossible. So far this season, Stafford is making it look as tough as should be expected.

Alex Smith, QB San Francisco (29-45, 286 yards, 2 TDs, 3 INTs, 1 Fumble) -- It had been over two years since Alex Smith was starting at home for the 49ers. In the final 6:24 seconds of San Fran's loss to Tennessee, all the fans in attendance remembered why. Smith tossed two of his three picks in that stretch, fumbled twice and was sacked four times to go along with his already tough day, that saw the Titans tack on 17 points thanks to 49ers turnovers.

Insult to injury? Smith was playing against Vince Young, basically a one-year younger version of himself. Young, like Smith, was drafted in the top-3 coming out of college, has yet to live up to the hype and is just now starting to get a chance to play on a team that doesn't look to be nearly as good as previously expected. Young is now 2-0 as a starter for the Titans while Smith still seems to struggle when it matters.

Studs and Duds, Week 9: Vintage Warner Reappears originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NFL FanHouse Preview Chat Recap

Bruce Ciskie — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Bengals, Colts, Ravens, Saints, NFL Fans, NFL Live Blogging

Most teams will play their eighth game this week, meaning that we're hitting the halfway mark. Already, there's talk of 16-0 teams and teams that have played themselves out of serious contention.

We previewed this weekend's big games, got your predictions, and found out who you think has the better shot of running the table among the remaining unbeatens. Read all about it after the jump.

&lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amp;task=viewaltcast&amp;altcast_code=b2b20c2f1f" &gt;NFL FanHouse Week 9 Chat&lt;/a&gt;

NFL FanHouse Preview Chat Recap originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chiefs Petition a Protest From the Heart

Dan Graziano — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Chiefs, NFL Fans, NFL Analysis

The Chiefs fans who want Larry Johnson off their team aren't your typical angry fans, lashing out over something as unpleasantly common as another losing season. The online petition they started, which was barreling toward 20,000 signatures Thursday afternoon amid a surprising run of national publicity, says nothing about wanting a coach fired or demanding that an owner sell. It is a petition from the heart, whose roots lie not in anger over the team's record or current stretch of on-field futility, but rather in a deep and abiding love of the team and its history.

"People in Kansas City, we don't mind losing," Dan Cataldi said. "We get used to it, actually. But it just gets frustrating when we don't like the team. That's what we can't stand."

Hence, this petition, which is addressed to new Chiefs GM Scott Pioli and makes the simple plea to remove Johnson from the field and/or the team before he collects 80 more yards and surpasses Priest Holmes as the team's all time leading rusher.

"Priest was one of the good guys in the NFL, and we were proud and happy to have him as a Chief," said Andy Phelan, another of the petition's founders. "We have a unique relationship with our players in Kansas City. They're a part of our community. It's not like it is in bigger cities. There's an intimacy there that we really kind of cherish, being Kansas Citians, and what Larry's done over the past few years has really been a slap in the face."

Johnson's rap sheet from prior years includes assault charges, suspensions from the team and the occasional public comment that's made it clear he doesn't have much use for that "unique relationship" between Kansas City and its sports heroes. More recently, he made waves with a Twitter explosion that was derogatory toward new Chiefs coach Todd Haley, used homophobic epithets toward members of the media and now finds himself in the middle of a two-week suspension."People in Kansas City, we don't mind losing. We get used to it, actually. But it just gets frustrating when we don't like the team. That's what we can't stand."
-- Dan Cataldi

So this has been a big topic of conversation among Chiefs fans, as you might imagine. And Cataldi (who now lives in Des Moines), Phelan (Chicago) and Pinsky (Seattle) were having a conversation last Wednesday when Cataldi mentioned that Johnson was 80 yards away from erasing Holmes from the team's record book and must be stopped.

The three friends wrote e-mail letters to Pioli through the teams' Web site, but they kept getting bounced back, so they decided to try the online petition.

"We figured probably 100 or so posts, get it some attention on Facebook, you know, have a little fun with it," Cataldi said.

Then TMZ found it. Then ESPN, Fox News, USA Today ... before they knew it the thing was at 18,428 signatures (as of 4:30 PM ET on Thursday) and climbing.

"It kind of went viral on us," Phelan said.

And good for them, because this really is coming from a place where fandom is deeply and honestly felt. What Phelan said about Kansas City and its sports fans is true. They embrace their teams through good and bad. They continue to sell out Arrowhead Stadium every home game, no matter that the team has won just seven of its last 40 games. When the Royals fielded a surprise contender in 2003, fans flocked back to a ballpark that had once been home to baseball's model franchise. When Derrick Thomas died in a car accident in 2000, it was a community tragedy, intensely affecting people who'd never even met the man.

"We're really loyal people," Phelan said. "I'll always bleed red and gold, and blue and white. No matter what."

As a result, they appreciate when the players reciprocate. They loved Holmes because he was a single dad who drove his daughter to school every day and picked her up, because he stayed and signed autographs for two hours after home games, because he worked in local soup kitchens.

So this guy Johnson? Well, he doesn't really fit in with what the people of Kansas City are looking for in a running back. And it's not just because he's not playing well.

"We won't stand for a player like Larry Johnson," Cataldi said. "I mean, this isn't his first incident -- it's like his fourth incident. We just don't want his name being in the record books forever. I mean, how many strikes does he get before it's enough?"

There remains the chance that these guys get their wish. Even once Johnson's suspension is over, the Chiefs could still release him, or simply deactivate him every week. If they choose to pursue either of those avenues, they're likely to face some push-back from the league, the union, Johnson's agent or all of the above. But who knows? If Pioli can wave tens of thousands of signatures in front of Roger Goodell or an arbitrator and make the claim that his paying customers desperately want the guy off the team ... that could actually help.

"That would be beyond our wildest dreams," Cataldi said. "But if it did, that would be great. We're comfortable now that they're very aware of the petition and the groundswell of support for it. I'll never fault the Chiefs for taking their time. I just hope, in the end, they do the right thing. Whether they cut him, whether they deactivate him, whatever it takes, we just don't want him to carry the ball."

A simple request from a fan base that really doesn't ask for much. These guys aren't whining or pouting or demanding that things turn around right now or else. They just want to be able to be proud of the people they root for. And in an era where impatience, incivility and winning at all costs dominates the sports landscape, the Chiefs fans' humble sincerity really makes you hope they get what they want.

Chiefs Petition a Protest From the Heart originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Larry Johnson Petition Pretty Clear Proof How Much Chiefs Fans Hate Him

Will Brinson — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:45:00 EST

Filed under: Chiefs, NFL Fans, NFL Coaching, NFL Media Watch, NFL Rumors

Larry Johnson is a mere 80 yards away from passing Priest Holmes as the all-time leading rusher in KC history, but if the fans who put together an online petition have their way, he won't get there.

You see, it turns out that LJ's recent actions -- tweeting at coach Todd Haley, calling reporters homophobic names, being suspended by the team -- combined with his past transgressions -- police problems, being suspended by the team (again) -- have created a sort of pent-up anger within the fanbase.

You can read the entire (and quite lengthy) petition here: petitiononline.com/StopLJ, but for those of you who don't care to parse through (deservedly) bitter, Midwestern ranting, here's the skinny: fans of the Chiefs are loyal, which is true, and they care deeply about and want to support their team, even when the Chiefs stink.

The petition seems to insinuate they realize that 12-win seasons aren't happening every year and they're not around the corner -- meaning they're cool with GM Scott Pioli rebuilding -- but that allowing Johnson to permanently etch his name atop a pretty important team record is simply unacceptable.

And you know what? I completely agree with them, at least in the sense that if I were a Chiefs fan, I would have wanted Johnson gone a long time ago, and I would be none too happy (particularly considering his production this season, which they cite in the petition) if he were still on the team despite his repeated efforts to not be a part of it.

Additionally, I salute these fans for taking a stand that doesn't involve eBay or craigslist -- as much as I would enjoy seeing Johnson up for purchase online, it's pretty inspiring to see a downtrodden group of fans take a stand on a moral level.

Larry Johnson Petition Pretty Clear Proof How Much Chiefs Fans Hate Him originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Studs and Duds, Week 8: The Ginn Mill

Shane Bacon — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: NFL Fans

Each week in the NFL, there are players that impress and players that distress. One week a certain quarterback might toss four touchdowns and run around pointing skyward, while the next he's laying on his back, holding his facemask as the other team returns one of his three interceptions for the game-winning score. With that in mind, here's Studs and Duds.

Studs

Ted Ginn Jr., WR Miami (6 KRs, 299 yards, 2 TDs) -- Miami fans didn't want him, and how could you blame them for what Ginn Jr. had done so far this season? One touchdown and just 30 yards receiving per game for the former Ohio State star forced a benching by head coach Tony Sparano, only to have Ginn do something on Sunday that had never been done before.

Ginn returned two kicks of 100 yards or more in the same quarter, becoming the only man to ever take two kicks back of more than 100 yards and the first man since 1967 to return two in the same quarter. Sure, Ginn still didn't snag a pass in the game, but in a wacky special teams season (his two kick returns made it 10 this season in the NFL, three shy of the entire 2008 regular season with nine weeks to play), having someone as quick as Ginn always makes kicking the ball scary.

Chris Johnson, RB Tennessee (24 rushes, 228 yards, 2 TDs) -- Through the first seven weeks of the season, Johnson, the rookie standout of last season that had nine touchdowns, was suffering some serious sophomore hangover. Johnson had found the end zone twice, in the same game, and was just another part of a Titans offense that looked decades away form what it was able to accomplish a season ago.

That changed Sunday, when Johnson ripped the Jaguars for 228 yards on just 24 carries, nearly 10 yards a touch, and was invited in the excessively painted area twice, with his second touchdown coming on a 89-yard scamper. Tennessee isn't going to the playoffs this year, but if something could happen with Johnson and, gulp, Vince Young for offensive chemistry, at least they'd have a chance to build up for next year.

Ryan Moats, RB Houston (23 rushes, 126 yards, 3 TDs) -- You are Ryan Moats. You've scored four touchdowns in your career in the NFL, and before this season had accumulated 441 total yards ever. The starting running back for your team, Steve Slaton, has decided to hold the football like it was a burnt Thanksgiving ham, handing it over to whoever and whatever defense would like to borrow it. Coach calls you in. What do you do? Not much, except rush for three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to give your team its third straight win and become the first player in franchise history to find the end zone three times in a game. I have a feeling Moats will become a name the Texans call on a lot the rest of the season, and all those Slaton fantasy owners will probably be looking at the nearest place to dump his body, along with that ham he's still carrying.

Duds

Kurt Warner, QB Arizona (27-46, 242 yards, 2 TDs, 5 INTs, 1 Fumble) -- Jake Delhomme got a rare opportunity on Sunday at the University of Phoenix Stadium. He got to see someone do the exact same thing he did in the playoffs last year, at home, in what was considered one of the worst performances in the history of quarterbacking. Delhomme tossed five picks and fumbled when the Panthers lost to, who else, the Cardinals, in that divisional loss of last season. This time, it was Warner who couldn't tell which players were on his team.

Five picks, one fumble, and now an 11 touchdown-11 interception season for the aging quarterback of a team that can't seem to figure out if it's good or not. A loss to Carolina has Arizona 4-3 on the season, and still leading the NFC West, but not by much. With the receiving core Warner has with the Cardinals, it seems any plus interception game should fall directly on his Ed Hardy'd shoulders.

Mike McCarthy, Coach Green Bay -- You've got a few choices when you're down five in a close game against evenly matched teams. Vikings 31, Packers 26, 4th-and-8 with 5:38 left. You can A.) Punt the ball and hope to pin the Vikings back in their territory since you have the momentum, at home, after you just scored a touchdown to get back in the ballgame. B.) Go for it, in hopes you pick it up and keep driving since a field goal doesn't really help you in that situation and you'd still need a defensive stop just like that if you punt it. C.) Attempt a 51-yard field goal, with the failed outcome meaning Brett Favre and the Minnesota offense gets the ball on a short field, leading the game, with the best running back in the game ready to burn clock and pound yards.

McCarthy went for option C, which ended up backfiring after Mason Crosby missed the field goal (understandable) and the Vikings drove and scored, putting the game away. Either pin him or go for it. Your two options. Option C shouldn't even be on the board. Terrible play calling by McCarthy.

The Bills -- Did you know the Bills were beating the Texans through the first three quarters, at home? You probably didn't, since the final score was 31-10 Houston. 21 points. That's what was scored in the fourth quarter against Buffalo, at home, by a backup running back!

There are a lot of dudly performances to talk about each week, but when you're winning a game in the fourth quarter and give up 21 unanswered points, you are making the list. Hey, but Terrell Owens had a touchdown! At least one person is happy in Buffalo.

Studs and Duds, Week 8: The Ginn Mill originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Football, Baseball and Brotherly Love - Philadelphia Is Sports Heaven

Dan Graziano — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Eagles, Giants, NFC East, NFL Fans

PHILADELPHIA -- Mike Alvarez is a lifelong Philadelphian with a Cole Hamels haircut and a vintage maroon Phillies cap who spent his Sunday in a parking lot. Alvarez didn't have tickets to the Eagles-Giants game in the afternoon. He didn't have tickets to the Phillies-Yankees World Series game at night. What he did have was a parking space for his truck, a seemingly bottomless supply of beer and enough slightly slurred wisdom to know that there was no place he would have rather been than this particular parking lot on this particular day, surrounded by his fellow Eagles and Phillies fans.

"They got flat-screens over there," Alvarez said, waving his beer can in the direction of a nearby RV. "Everybody's grilling food. I've made a ton of new friends. What more could you want?"

This was around 5:30 pm, an hour and a half after the Eagles had finished throttling the Giants and about three hours before Joe Blanton drilled Alex Rodriguez in the back with a first-inning fastball. It was the chilly intermission of one of the great days in Philadelphia sports history. An NFL rivalry game in the afternoon and then, across the parking lot, a World Series game under the full moon. Big, bad New York teams the opponents in both. Sure, it ended in disappointment, with the Yankees coming back to win the baseball game, 7-4, to take a 3-1 lead in the World Series. Still, for a day this city got to feel like the center of the sports universe. And the beauty part was, pretty much everybody behaved themselves.

That may be the most amazing thing about what's happened here, in a sports town famous for having booed Santa Claus and having taunted Michael Irvin as he lay injured on the artificial turf at old Veterans Stadium. Somewhere along the line, as the Eagles began consistently fielding playoff teams and the Phillies somehow turned into a mini-dynasty, Philadelphia sports fans appear to have shed some of the anger and bitterness that always defined them. Now, they find themselves able to look around on a day such as this and appreciate how special it is.

"I think the town feels like there's a lot to appreciate," said Joe Butkus, who was grilling in the drizzly morning with a mixed group of Philly and New York fans. "Look around. How can you not love this?"

Alvarez told a story of when he was a young boy at an Eagles game at the Vet. It was a cold, icy day, he said, and fans were walking the concrete ramps to the exits at the end of the game, and a woman in a Giants jersey fell and injured herself. As Alvarez tells it, the Eagles fans that day offered no sympathy -- just walked right past her and said, "That's what you get for wearing the wrong colors."

"That's what it used to be like," Alvarez said. "But we're polite now. We have that old reputation, but really, we're a lot more polite now than people say."

Of course, just as he was saying that, a guy walked by wearing a Michael Vick Eagles jersey and carrying a stuffed dog with bandages around its head and legs.

Didn't exactly help Alvarez make his point.

"You're always going to get a couple of nuts," he said.

And, of course, there were on both sides. A fan in a Yankees jersey got into a fight with two minutes left in the first half of the Giants-Eagles game, prompting loud boos and a "Yankees suck" chant from a crowd that had no reason all afternoon to be anything but deliriously happy. A guy in an Eagles jersey, lugging a cooler, tore through a crowd of anti-Vick protesters shouting obscenities and telling them to go away. And even the tamer interactions were designed to let the visitors from the Big Apple know who was boss.

"A guy with a green beard told me, 'You're in for a long day,'" said Vince Gilligo, who came from Hamilton, N.J., wearing a Giants cap.

Considering the setting and the circumstances, the proceedings leaned hard toward harmony. Gilligo was walking peacefully around the packed parking lots with his friend, Chuck Costello, who was decked out in Phillies gear. Tom Gussen and his son Maxwell parked their car early, while the lot was still somewhat empty, got out and started throwing a football around -- father in his green Stewart Bradley Eagles jersey and son in a blue Eli Manning number. Jose and Stephanie Torre, New York natives who now live in Northeast Philly, grilled side-by-side -- him in his Gaints garb and her in her Eagles wear, talking trash with smiles on their faces.

Kenny Kortright was part of a crew of Giants fans who drove in from Long Island. They were just going to the football game, not both. Kortright is a Mets fan, so this year's World Series matchup is a special sort of personal pain for him. After some soul-searching, he said he decided to root for the Yankees, because the Met fan in him sees the Phillies as "arrogant" and he likes too many of the players on the Yankees -- Teixeira, Sabathia, Jeter and Rivera to name a few.

But Kortright and his pals were in town to see the Giants, and as of 11 a.m. they were feeling pretty good about things.

"I'm gonna say 40-17, Giants crush em," Kortright seriously predicted.

And then of course the Eagles won, 40-17, dominating the visitors from the outset and turning the parking lots into a place where Eagle fans could drive by Giant fans flapping their arms out the window and taunting.

"I got the score right," Kortright said between games. "But wrong team. Very disheartening."

In a way, the lopsided football score contributed to the peace that pervaded the late-afternoon portion of the tailgate extravaganza. With an outcome so decisive, what arguments were there to have? What, exactly, was there for the Giants fans to say?

"Go Yankees?" Larry Riefenberg offered.

Oh yeah. Larry Riefenberg. Of Danbury, Conn. If there was a dude who summed up this day, it was our man Larry. He and his friends rented an RV, hired a driver and left at 6 a.m. They hit no traffic and pulled into the parking lot between Lincoln Financial Field and Citizens Bank Park around 9:30. They set up their grills and their beer coolers and their washer-toss game and settled in for a tailgate with their Philly-based attorney friends, who got them the tickets. As of 11 a.m., Riefenberg and Co. only had tickets to the football game, but they were at work on making it a doubleheader. As soon as they arrived, they connected with a ticket broker and began negotiating a price on some World Series Game Four tickets.

"Got to," Riefenberg said. "How many times do the stars align to where you're going to have a football game here and a World Series game 100 yards away?"

At 5 p.m., with the sun starting to go down and the chill starting to bite, Riefenberg snapped his cell phone shut and said, "We're in. We got 'em." He and two of the other guys in the RV had scored their Series tickets. They knew they were going to the game.

They didn't know much else, though. Like, where they were going to stay after it was over. Or how they were getting home. See, the rest of the RV crew was heading home. The vehicle pulled out of the lot at 6 p.m., bound for Danbury, with three of its original passengers grinning happily as they swigged Bass Ale and marveled at their good fortune. Riefenberg's friend, Arnie, was bemoaning the fact that he was now required to spend as much ($350) on his wife's birthday (Tuesday) as he did for his ticket. And there was some chatter about those little nagging issues of how they were going to find their way back to Connecticut. But all of that was drowned out by the fact that these guys were going to the World Series, and they were fired up about it.

"How can you not?" Arnie said, open arms raised to the red brick baseball stadium across the street from the RV's spot. "I mean, it's right here!"

Right here in the sports complex section of South Philadelphia. Which, for this Sunday at least, was the sports capital of the world.

Football, Baseball and Brotherly Love - Philadelphia Is Sports Heaven originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Favre's Return to Lambeau Highlights Mistakes Made in Packer Divorce

Bruce Ciskie — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 11:40:00 EST

Filed under: Packers, Vikings, NFC North, NFL Fans, NFL Quarterbacks

Outside of Sunday being a day many Packer fans have dreaded for months, it's just another football Sunday in Green Bay.

The hype surrounding this regular-season battle of NFC North rivals surpasses anything most fans will see in their lifetimes. The reality is that football fans in Wisconsin are stuck in the middle of the tension that developed between Brett Favre and the Packers. It was this way in August of 2008, when the whole thing blew up, and it isn't going to change for some time.

Both sides talk about respect. Packers head coach Mike McCarthy said this week he felt the organization did well in not disrespecting Favre in that summer drama last year. Of course, the trade to the New York Jets simply put off the inevitable.

Was that a mistake? Should general manager Ted Thompson have traded Favre to the Vikings all along?

Absolutely not.

Thompson might have been criticized -- and rightfully so, for the most part -- for his handling of the Favre saga, but he would have been digging his own grave as an executive by trading Favre to a division rival. You're bound to read comments from alleged Packer fans on message boards, blogs, and newspaper sites that say Thompson is ruining the Packers. However, the team has only had one bad season since Thompson began overhauling the organization after the firing of head coach Mike Sherman.

Through all the hoopla surrounding Favre's presence in Minnesota, it's easy to forget that Green Bay is 4-2, and they're coming off back-to-back dominating wins. Yes, those wins came over bad teams, but you can only beat the teams the league puts in front of you, and the Packers have shown throughout the first part of the 2009 season that they're far from a bad team.

As pointed out in the Green Bay Press Gazette, Thompson's biggest mistake may have been reacting to Favre's push to return with virtually no action at all.

In an ideal world, Thompson wouldn't have to treat Favre like anything more than another player on the team. However, he gave 16 wonderful years to the Packers, and he was revered by fans and players alike. Covert attempts to paint Favre as a bad teammate or a disingenuous fellow were simply not going to work. Fans knew he was not a great decision-maker when it came to his retirement, but they weren't going to hold it against him.

While Thompson was right not to "beg" Favre to return, and the organization was right not to hold Favre's job open for him until he had fully made up his mind, Thompson's mechanical reactions and overall lack of outgoing compassion made him an easy target for Favre faithful.

Meanwhile, Favre likely overestimated his value to the Packer organization at the age of 38. While he may act now like he didn't have a problem with the Packers moving on to Aaron Rodgers, that was not the case in 2008. He felt like that job was his, and he was angry the Packers would be willing to move on without him. Of course, when you retire in March, and wait until June to inform the team that maybe you don't want to be retired anymore, it's hard to reasonably expect that the team is going to open their arms and welcome you back unconditionally.

The Packers were upset, as Andrew Brandt wrote on National Football Post, when the NFL cleared the Vikings of tampering charges last year. Favre claimed he was just chatting with his friends, who happened to be Minnesota head coach Brad Childress and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell. It was clear Minnesota was his desired destination, and it turns out his desire to play there was so great that he was willing to play a full season with the unfamiliar New York Jets just to make it happen.

This all brings us to a day Packer fans probably thought they'd never see. Brett Favre dresses in the visitors' locker room at Lambeau Field, and he will face a hostile crowd in his former home for the first time. People have been asking about the potential reception at Lambeau for a long time, but there's really only one answer that makes sense.

During the summer of 2009, former Steelers safety Rod Woodson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In his speech, Woodson referenced Pittsburgh fans, who booed him mercilessly when he returned to Pittsburgh as a rival Baltimore Raven.

I want to say thank you for giving me ten wonderful years there. To the Steeler nation thank you for accepting me. For cheering me on. And after I left, for booing me. No, I'm serious for booing me. Because you know, if you cheered me when I put on a Raiders uniform or a Ravens uniform, I think I would have lost a little respect for the Steeler nation. So I'm glad you booed me, because you should.

This is what Favre should expect today. It's not about blaming Favre for his departure, or absolving Thompson and McCarthy of their responsibility for what happened.

Favre is the enemy now. There would be no greater respect Packer fans could show than to boo him. Respect for the game and the traditions created by rivalries is greater than respect for individual players, and this fanbase is one that understands and respects history. There is a time and a place to cheer Brett Favre. Sunday afternoon is not it.

Favre's Return to Lambeau Highlights Mistakes Made in Packer Divorce originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 11:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Studs and Duds: Cars-On Target

Shane Bacon — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: NFL Fans

Each week in the NFL, there are players that impress and players that distress. One week a certain quarterback might toss four touchdowns and run around pointing skyward, while the next he's laying on his back, holding his facemask as the other team returns one of his three interceptions for the game-winning score. With that in mind, here's Studs and Duds.

Studs

Carson Palmer, QB Cincinnati (20-24, 233 yards, 5 TDs) -- There was an interesting moment during "Hard Knocks" on HBO this year when Palmer was giving his center, Kyle Cook, a little bit of grief about the smell that Carson had on his hand after taking snaps. It was essentially boys being boys, but Palmer played it well and had some fun at the expense of Cook.

So far this season, that was the only thing that didn't seem right for Palmer and the Bengals, and it came together Sunday when they absolutely embarrassed the Chicago Bears in every sense of the word. Like Tom Brady a week ago, Palmer did most of his damage in the first half, tossing four of his five touchdowns in the first two quarters, all to different receivers. His second half hookup with Chad Ochocinco was reminiscent of the 2005 Bengals, the last time this team started 5-2, and now has the Bengals in serious contention for either the AFC North or the Wild Card.

I guess everything smells pretty nice right now in Cincy.

Jets Rushing Attack (316 total yards, 4 TDs) -- It was only a week ago that Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez found himself on the other end of this list, tossing five interceptions in a disappointing loss to the lowly Bills. That game, his ground game combined for 318 yards. This week, they eclipsed the 300 yard mark again, becoming the first team to do such a thing in 34 years, and making Shonn Greene, a rookie out of Iowa that rushed for 144 yards and two touchdowns, look like this year's Chris Johnson.

Thomas Jones was there to help Greene out, adding 121 yards and a touchdown himself in the blowout victory against the Raiders. A little known fact I was told by my junior varsity football coach -- if the opposing team's quarterback is enjoying a hot dog on the sideline before the game ends, you probably aren't going to have a fun week of practicing the next week.

DeSean Jackson, WR Philadelphia (2 catches, 69 yards, 1 TD, 1 rush, 67 yards, 1 TD) -- The list is short in the NFL of guys that can make this big of an impact only touching the ball three times. Jackson is on it, along with Devin Hester, Johnny Knox, Percy Harvin and when healthy, Felix Jones (We could probably call this group the "Reggie Bush at USC All-Stars" if we were a certain someone else).

Against the Redskins, Jackson took an end-around to the house to start the game and then caught a pass Donovan McNabb underthrew, but he was so far ahead of everyone else, it didn't matter. Ron Jaworski spent most of the second half talking about Jackson's speed, doing some noise when he ran that resembled brushing your teeth with an electric toothbrush, but he had the speed part right. When he gets some space, you're almost positive it's going to be six.

Duds

The London Game -- I'm all for growth in sports. I with people in the United States cared more about soccer, and didn't hate the David Beckham experiment, even if it seemed more bling than bam. I wish people in states other than Michigan and Pennsylvania cared about hockey (including myself). I also wish the NFL would become widely popular around the world. What is an effective way to not have this happen? Pit two teams on the complete other side of the spectrum against each other, as the NFL did when the Patriots calmly destroyed the Bucs 35-7 at Wembley Stadium. Now I know your argument and I hear it -- this game was scheduled a while back and there is nothing that could have been done.

I call B-S. If you want people in England, or any country for that matter, to get pumped up about the NFL, you need to be able to flex this game. You need to send Minnesota over there to play Pittsburgh, or have the Broncos host the Cowboys or show Peyton Manning going against Tom Brady. You can't expect an entire country, fixated on another sport, to care when we ship them our Boston Market platter instead of Ruth Chris. It's insulting, and it isn't getting anyone excited.

Bears Rush Defense -- I play kickball (yep, adult kickball!) with a friend that used to play linebacker for the Chicago Bears. It was a short stint, but just to say you were a part of that squad is something to brag about to anyone, and though he approaches it humbly, it's a rare treat to say you are buddies with a guy that rubbed shoulderpads with Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher.

Or so it was. The Bears defense isn't what it used to be, and that was exposed on high this Sunday against the Bengals. Sure, Palmer tossed five touchdowns, but Cedric Benson had 189 yards on the ground, and made it pretty clear that this isn't the same defense Chicago fans were used to bragging about.

The Horrible Teams -- You all know about this 2009 seasons -- ton of Megan Foxs, ton of Amy Winehouses, not a lot of Tina Feys. The good teams are really good, the bad teams are really bad, and the bad teams are really, really, really bad (wait, did I mention that?). There are nine teams (Browns, Titans, Raiders, Chiefs, Redskins, Lions, Bucs, Rams, Panthers and Seahawks) that have won two games or less (most way less). The Titans, Lions and Seahawks were on a bye (hey, they didn't lose!), but of the other seven teams, six failed to score 10 points. Of those six, one got blown out (Oakland), two didn't score a touchdown (Cleveland and St. Louis) and all made us with wish that eyes were an option at birth.

The combined score against the horrible teams this weekend -- 230-49.

Studs and Duds: Cars-On Target originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sorting the Sunday Pile, Week 7: Brett Favre Is Fallible

Ryan Wilson — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: NFL Fans

Sorting the Sunday Pile looks back at the NFL weekend that was. It's also an unofficial Cedric Benson blog.

The talk Monday will no doubt be about the officiating, specifically the tripping call on the Vikings that negated a third-quarter touchdown. A few plays later, Brett Favre fumbled, LaMarr Woodley scooped it up and ran it 77 yards for six, and the Steelers led by 10 instead of trailing by four. The bigger story: why the hell did Favre throw it 50 times with the NFL's leading rusher standing seven yards behind him all afternoon?

The Steelers are tough against the run, but Adrian Peterson is tough on defenses. That's sorta the point: people get tired of pretending to tackle him, and by the fourth quarter they quit. Not in the game plan. Instead, Brad Childress and Darrell Bevell decide that the Vikes' best chance to win came in the form of a 40-year-old gunslinger who was brought to Minnesota to hand the ball to Purple Jesus.

The Vikings have improved in each of Childress' four seasons. And that's swell, particularly in the post-Love Boat/Mike Tice era, but he'll always be the guy to do just enough to lose the games that count. Silver lining: that telemarketing headset is very becoming.

Jerry Dome: It's a Feature!

It took seven weeks, but the Cowboys finally have a legit win. Just like Jerry Jones had hoped. On top of that, it came in the shiny, new stadium. Which reminds me: in addition to all the other hidden gems in this architectural masterpiece, who decided to have one of the end zones facing due west? Nice touch, the natural light, but it's sort of a problem when the sun sets right in the players' faces. Upside: it's only a problem no more than eight times a year.

Browns Are Worse Than Imagined

Not sure what Derek Anderson has to do to get benched. At this point, it might include cutting off both arms. Of course, if you told me Anderson had played the entire 2009 season without limbs I wouldn't blink. In fact, it would explain a lot. Meanwhile, Brady Quinn remains anchored to the bench, presumably counting the $11 million No Arms Anderson is costing him. This just serves as a reminder that sometimes being a professional athlete isn't all about makin' it rain and dispensing beatdowns to random Western Pennsylvania Sheetz' bathrooms. Sometimes it sucks.

Kyle Boller Still Not Peyton Manning

Evidently, the Rams' scouting report was flawed. As it turned out, Peyton Manning didn't yell "Kyle Boller! Kyle Boller! ICE CREAM!"

Small Hands Smith Gets Chance

Power Alleys are underrated.

Also worth noting: Michael Crabtree played well in his debut (5 receptions, 56 yards). Maybe the whole, "If you're not in training camp don't expect to contribute as a rookie" theory no longer holds. The 49ers' 2005 first-round pick, quarterback Alex Smith, replaced Shaun Hill to start the second half ... and promptly threw three touchdown passes to tight end Vernon Davis (2006 first-round pick). That works out to 10 TD passes when you take into account Smith's child-sized mitts. Finally: dividends.

Captain Checkdow Could Be Outta Work

I'm pretty sure NFL executive VP of football operations Ray Anderson would gladly look the other way if Steve Smith decided to go "Ken Lucas" on Jake Delhomme. And as long as he passing out beatings, Kenny Moore, queue up.

And I guess the Bills have a quarterback controversy. For the second straight week, the Harvard egghead has played well in place of the injured Stanford egghead. That may have something to do with Ryan Fitzpatrick being able to throw the ball more than 10 yards down the field. When Trent Edwards won the job over J.P. Losman, he was a nice change of pace because he could throw the short pass. Turns out, that's all he can do. You don't get the nickname Captain Checkdown by winging balls all over the yard.

Belichick Prepared for Bucs by Sightseeing

At one point Sunday the Patriots led the Buccaneers 21-0. Going back to last week they had put up 80 unanswered points. They eventually gave up a Josh Johnson-to-Antonio Bryant touchdown, but that might have something to do with head coach Bill Belichick not really doing much in the way of preparation. To the post-game comments:

"I was here before and I didn't get a chance to see the, um, Churchill war bunkers and so I was able to swing over there yesterday. It was ... that was pretty interesting. Um, you know, how that was set up and how tight it was and, uh, all the ... you know, everything they gave, you know, during that time, you know, to fight off, you know, the London bombing and all that. It was pretty ... that was pretty special part of the trip."

It's almost as if I'm watching the History Channel.

Jam-Jam: A Brief History

April 2007: Selected first-overall by Raiders
Dec. 2007: Earned first NFL start against the Chargers.
Oct. 2009: After starting every game this season, and tossing two touchdowns and eight picks, Jam-Jam was benched for journeyman Bruce Gradkowski, a Buccaneers 2006 sixth-round pick.

If nothing else, it was a nice break for Mark Sanchez.

Cedric Benson ... HAHAHAHA

This is how bad the Bears are: J.T. O'Sullivan got into the game. Cedric Benson ran up and down the field on his former team like he was doing pregame wind sprints, Carson Palmer and Chad Ochocinco played catch for most of the afternoon, and after Cincy got up by seven scores, they brought in O'Sullivan, who looks like the hobo living in the bus station bathroom.

Good news: the Bears just signed Cutler to a huge extension. Maybe at some point before his contract is up the front office will have cobbled together an offensive line.

WWBD

I was all set to write my "THE SAINTS SHOULD HAVE TRADED FOR DAUNTE CULPEPPER BACK IN '06 INSTEAD OF GIVING RAG-ARMED DREW BRESS A CHANCE" diatribe after Brees' slow start against the Dolphins. But after trailing 24-3 in the first half, Brees and the Saints outscored the Dolphins 22-0 in the final quarter to win by 12. Nothing to worry about.

(Something that occurred to me as this game entered its sixth hour: New Orleans is the Red Sox or Yankees of the NFL. Every game lasts forever and apparently there's not much you can do to avoid it.

Something else that occurred to me: after watching the Dolphins continue to feature the Wildcat, the Browns should go Wildcat-only. Josh Cribbs is the best player on that team -- at just about every position, frankly -- and there is no reason to keep the ball out of his hands and put it in Derek Anderson's.)

Commence Sam Bradford Watch

Sam Bradford's college career is over. He'll have shoulder surgery, get healthy for the combine and subsequent pro days, and prepare for the NFL draft.

Might as well crank up the speculation machine on possible destinations: Cleveland and St. Louis are obvious destinations. And the Washington Redskins are another potential suitor because Jason Campbell's contract is up and, well, they're the Washington Redskins. Plus, with all the free time Jim Zorn now has with Sherm Lewis calling plays, he can focus on developing Bradford's talents.

Dark-horse candidate: Tennessee. Because not even Jeff Fisher thinks Kerry Collins or Vince Young is the long-term answer.

Post-Game Debaclings
Quotes that Emmitt Smith might like...

"Aggressive, intense, tough, physical, finishing ... consistency, execution (editor's note: I'm in favor of it!), communication ... good, solid, sound, fundamental, tough football. Physical football. Intense football. That's what I want every week." -Eric Mangini, making out his early Christmas list

"Very disappointed. Expected a lot more than what we got today." -Tom Cable, who then (allegedly) punched Randy Hanson in the face to send a message to the rest of his team

"You know, he has very good ... timing on certain things that ... I ... like to have a receiver have timing on." -Tony Romo waxing Austin Powers on Miles Austin. Romo continued, "Allow myself to introduce ... myself..."

This Week in Fake Tweets

Matt Snyder: aggrieved Bears fan, everybody!

Week 6's Pretty Picture

Miles Austin is good.

Sorting the Sunday Pile, Week 7: Brett Favre Is Fallible originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jeff Fisher Stars in Titanic: Video of Manning Jersey Photoshop Mischief

Stephanie Stradley — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Colts, NFL Fans, NFL Video

Some Titans fans weren't amused when coach Jeff Fisher wore a Peyton Manning jersey at a Nashville fundraiser, and he joked "I just wanted to feel like a winner today." Fisher seemed surprised anybody would be angry about this, even after his 0-6 team just got humilated by the Patriots 59-0.

He gave the "apology to those I've offended" non-apology, saying he wore the jersey in honor of former Colts coach Tony Dungy who he was introducing, it was all in fun, and even with what he knows now, he would do it again. Really?

How about if he knew some Bud Adams-hating Houston Texan fans got pictures of him in the jersey and decided to do their own Photoshop fun? The video of the result is after the jump. I have to give a Celine Dion warning, and tell you that the video starts off a little slow but then gets very wrong, which means it gets very funny.

Jeff Fisher Stars in Titanic: Video of Manning Jersey Photoshop Mischief originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Studs and Duds, Week 6: Back to Brady

Shane Bacon — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: NFL Fans

Each week in the NFL, there are players that impress and players that distress. One week a certain quarterback might toss four touchdowns and run around pointing skyward, while the next he's laying on his back, holding his facemask as the other team returns one of his three interceptions for the game-winning score. With that in mind, here's Studs and Duds.

Studs

Tom Brady, QB New England (29 of 34, 380 yards, 6 TDs) -- People were questioning his knee this season. He seemed jittery in the pocket, made throws he didn't used to make, and wasn't leading the Patriots like he had during those three Super Bowl years and undefeated regular season in 2008.

I guess all Brady needed was a little winter weather to get back in his groove. Brady completed 85.3 percent of his passes against the ~~Volunteers~~ Titans in snow, including a flea flicker to start the second quarter. Oh, and he had four more touchdowns after that in the same quarter, breaking a NFL record for most passing touches in just one quarter of play. Again, he did all of this in the snow, when most teams focus their offensive attack on the ground.

Four of Brady's touchdown passes were for 30 yards or more, and most were as on target as one would expect when they're playing on Christmas Eve in October. The "struggling" Patriots are now 4-2, and with Tampa Bay and Miami up in the next three weeks, including their bye, they could be hosting Peyton Manning and the Colts, Sunday night on NBC, for another matchup of the two premier teams in the AFC. Glad to see Brady has put the Patriots back on that list.

Eddie Royal, WR Denver (Kick return for TD, punt return for TD) -- The Broncos have a rich history in Denver, but the second year man out of Virginia Tech did something on Monday night that had never be done with a Donkey on the helmet -- returned both a kickoff and punt back for a touchdown.

It helps your stats when you don't catch a pass as a receiver, but Royal's speed has made him as big a threat on kicks as anyone in the league not playing for the Chicago Bears. Royal's first return, a 93-yard burst of speed after the Chargers had kicked a field goal put Denver up 7-3, and his punt return from 71-yards later in the second quarter kept the Broncos leading their division foes.

Initially I thought the Broncos were a team that got lucky from a tipped pass and rode that momentum through the early part of their schedule, but it is becoming abundantly clear that they have all the pieces. Posed quarterback, great wideouts, tough running game and refreshing defense. Now, with Royal doing what he can with returns, the special teams is a solid as their record.

Richard Seymour, DE Oakland (4 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 Forced Fumble) -- If you ever wanted the football equivalent of our country's economy the last 18 months, look up Richard Seymour. Riding high in New England, where he had spent his entire career, the five-time Pro Bowler was looking at another chance for a Super Bowl ring until he was traded to the Raiders (the Raiders!) before the '09 season. This was his downfall. Or so it seemed. On Sunday, against an Eagles team that was favored by more than two touchdowns, Seymour took advantage of a Jason Peters injury, and was all over Donovan McNabb most of the game, sacking him twice but disrupting him a number of other times. Add in a forced fumble, and Seymour might be the reason the Raiders (the Raiders!) got a win over Philadelphia.

Duds

Mark Sanchez, QB NY Jets (10 of 29, 119 yards, 0 TDs, 5 INTs) -- A pretty standard scale in the NFL for describing the near perfect awful game -- if your jersey number nearly resembles your passer rating, it wasn't your best day. Sanchez, No. 6, carded an 8.3 passer rating in the Jets loss to the Bills on Sunday, throwing nearly as many picks as he has dimples for all the ladies in the stands, including a gut-wrenching interception in overtime that set up the Bills for a game winning kick. You know it was an ugly week when Sanchez even admitted after the game, "I don't know if I could play any worse." Well Mark, you're not alone, because ...

Kerry Collins, QB Tennessee (2 of 12, -7 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT) -- This is my second year of doing Studs and Duds, and it is the first time I have ever used the minus sign. Collins, who looked to be taking instructions from Balloon Boy's parents, played the anti-Brady, making passes that looked like he was chunking a medicine ball to his receivers, not an oval pigskin. There comes a point in everyone's career when you realize, "I ain't got it anymore," no matter what job you have (According to most commenters, this has come and gone for me), and it appears Collins has found that moment. In six games this season, Collins has thrown eight interceptions to five touchdowns, eclipsed a quarterback rating of 82 just once and been benched for Vince Young ... twice.

If you're a Titans fan, the road doesn't look to be improving.

Orlando Pace, T Chicago -- There are a ton of goats each week, but only a few make their mistakes at the heat of the moment, when your team needs you more than ever. For the Bears, that was a final drive late Sunday night against a tough Falcons team, who was up seven and had been all over Jay Cutler most of the evening. Cutler picked apart Atlanta on the final drive, however, and a long pass over the middle to Earl Bennett on third-and-25 set up the Bears for fourth-and-1 on the five.

With time winding down, the Bears had to go for it, and with the play called and the line set, Pace, a seven-time Pro Bowler, jumped, pushing the Bears back five yards and forcing Cutler to make a hurried pass that eventually hit turf. Nobody will ever know if on fourth-and-1 Matt Forte could have picked it up over the middle or Cutler could have snuck it across the line, but I guarantee Lovie Smith would have loved the opportunity to see.

Studs and Duds, Week 6: Back to Brady originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sorting the Sunday Pile, Week 6: Brett Favre, 40-Year-Old Game Manager

Ryan Wilson — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: NFL Fans

Sorting the Sunday Pile looks back at the NFL weekend that was. It's also an unofficial John Riggins blog.

We're six weeks into the 2009 season and Brad Childress looks like a bald, bearded genius. When Brett Favre chose to announce his annual unretirement plans (conveniently after training camp had started), Childress was the guy who picked him up at the airport. Not typically part of the job description for a head coach, but he probably wanted to stress that his future with the organization would be directly tied to Favre's performance. Obviously the actions of a man clinging to his job.

Decisions motivated by desperation usually end badly, but for Childress, so far, so good. Favre, for the first time in his career, is regularly making good choices with the ball and that, along with Adrian Peterson and a stifling defense, has everything to do with the Vikings' 6-0 start.

I was one of those people who thought Sage Rosenfels could manage Minnesota's offense since the gig mostly entailed giving the ball to All Day and occasionally throwing a screen pass on third-and-5. The rest of the time Rosenfels would stay out of the way and let the defense do the rest.

Apparently, it's not quite that easy, and after watching the lethal combination of Gus Frerotte and Tarvaris Jackson sabotage an otherwise loaded team last season, Childress wasn't going to wait around and see if Rosenfels was the missing piece to a Vikings Super Bowl run.

Maybe he was onto something. Or maybe it's too early to tell.

You know, sorta like the Ravens, a team that started 3-0, was declared the league's best team by late September, and promptly lost three straight. The offense has improved under Cam Cameron, but the bar wasn't set particularly high. Brian Billick came to Baltimore as an offensive mastermind, and now he's best remembered as the guy who thought he could build the franchise around Kyle Boller.

The Ravens won 11 times last season, John Harbaugh's first as head coach, and they made it to the AFC Championship game. With quarterback Joe Flacco a year wiser, it was reasonable to think that the 2009 version would be even better. And while Flacco has been good (or "THE NEXT COMING OF BABY JESUS!" if you believe the announcers), the defense hasn't. In fact, the Ray Lewis All-Stars have given up back-to-back 100-yard rushing performances after not allowing a running back to crack the century mark in the 40 previous games.

It's easy to point the finger at new defensive coordinator Greg Mattison, but some of the blame falls on general managers Ozzie Newsome. He's the guy responsible for putting together the roster, and Baltimore's cornerbacks are a joke. A big part of their scheme is man-to-man coverage, which allows Ray-Ray and the linebackers to be aggressive. If Domonique Foxworth or Chris Carr or Frank Walker can't cover anybody, it doesn't much matter what the front seven do.

Plus, Mattison would have to be blindingly awful to undo more than a decade of defensive success. They have cycled through the coordinators -- Marvin Lewis, Mike Nolan and Rex Ryan all had the gig and did well -- and have remained one of the league's best units. The one constant: Ray Lewis. Too bad he can't play cornerback.

For now, the Ravens fall to third in the AFC North, behind the Bengals and Steelers. The season's not over, but it only took three weeks for Baltimore to go from playoff-bound to .500 outfit.

Muffed Punts
Leftovers from Sunday's action...

... In general, a non-conference Week 6 win doesn't mean much, but for the Saints, who smacked the Giants around the Superdome for nearly four hours Sunday, it does two things. First, everybody will rush to anoint New Orleans the best team in tackle football. That's certainly believable, but hardly original. Second, the Saints are in great position for homefield advantage. When media folk quit beating the "THIS IS A MUST-WIN GAME!" drum, they turn to the "DOME TEAMS HATE COLD WEATHER" banalities.

New Orleans might not have to worry about that come January. But even if the road to Tampa ends up going through, say, New York, I can't imagine freezing temperatures will much affect Drew Brees. The biggest change for the 2009 Saints is that they finally have a defense, and defenses travel. (Something else to consider: Vikings earning homefield-advantage means more domed football.)

... Rodney Harrison has been disrespected. The 2007 Patriots, one of the most potent offenses in NFL history, never scored more than 56 points in a game. On Sunday, they hung 59 on 53 cardboard cutouts dressed in Houston Oilers uniforms. Tom Brady threw five touchdown passes in the second quarter, six for the day, and Randy Moss and Wes Welker combined for 279 receiving yards.

Clearly, Bill Belichick is the devil as evidenced by his decision to run up the score. The thing is: never once did I think that's what the Pats were doing. It's one thing to hang 50 on the 2007 Dolphins, an band of misfits that went 1-15. It's something entirely different to pimp slap the team with the best record in the AFC last year. Or maybe I'm biased. Stay hot, chubs!

... Jim Zorn Death Watch, Week 6. This is FUBAR, even by Redskins standards. Sports Illustrated's Peter King offered these thoughts on NBC's Sunday night pregame show: "... [if] they fire Jim Zorn [it'll be during the bye week and] they give the job to defensive coordinator Greg Blache -- not so fast. I think it's more likely that they would go to secondary coach Jerry Gray. He's 14 years younger and I just think he's more of an energetic presence for this team right now -- BUT Dan Snyder, I believe, has decided that he hired the wrong guy when he got Jim Zorn."

Right. Because an energetic presence worked so well with the current head coach. King later added that Redskins' vice president of blah blah blah Vinny Cerrato recommended that Zorn give up play-calling duties and just focus on being a head coach. Roughly translated, I think that means: "If it comes down to me or you, it's gonna be you."

Sherm Lewis has really turned things around. On the upside: this week's John Riggins' diatribe from Unibomber headquarters should really be fun.

... Earlier this week, Jags running back Maurice Jones-Drew said that no matter who the opponent -- and he specifically cited the AFC Pro Bowlers or the '85 Bears as examples -- Jacksonville has to take the field with the mindset that they can win. In related news, the Jags needed overtime to beat the winless Rams.

... Mark Sanchez's struggles are obviously Braylon Edwards' fault.

... After beating the Eagles, the Raiders are 2-4. It's the Raiders' best start since 2002. Al Davis' patience is paying off.

... Derek Anderson was out-Derek Anderson-ed by Kerry Collins this week. Last Sunday, Anderson completed 2 of 17 passes for 23 yards. Against the Pats, Collins managed 2 for 12 for -7 yards. Vince Young finally got in the game, didn't complete a pass in two attempts, and still had better numbers than Collins.

Post-Game Debaclings
Quotes that Emmitt Smith might like...

"I played with Donte Wesley and I know he's not a dirty player but this is one of the dirtiest, dumbest plays I've seen. The guy had an opportunity to back off, he chose to launch himself and hurt the guy and put the guy at risk." -Rodney Harrison, dirtiest player in NFL history, commenting on Donte Wesley's assassination attempt during the Panthers game.

"One of the things that should be checked out is are our players, when they're in the huddle, and I make this play call, and, uh, what I think we all ought to look at is see if our players are going "WHAT?" And, and I don't sense that." -Jim Zorn, in his own special way, giving his two-week notice.

"As I said to you guys time and time again, stop looking to write negative things or worry about all the B.S. Let's develop a team and an organization that has struggled to win in the last few years. You don't just flip a switch and do that overnight. You don't wake up the next day and everything is rosy and you're ready to go. There's a process to get there." -Tom Cable, who will punch a fool in the face if need be.

"Obviously, you're not going to win too many games through five picks. I thought about pulling him..." -Rex Ryan, on Mark Sanchez's effort against the Bills.

Week 6's Pretty Picture

"Hey, JaMarcus, no need to apologize."

Sorting the Sunday Pile, Week 6: Brett Favre, 40-Year-Old Game Manager originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 08:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Child, Please! Ochocinco Helps Bengals Avoid Blackout

Dan Graziano — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:05:00 EST

Filed under: Bengals, NFL Fans

CINCINNATI -- Chad Ochocinco is taking some of the credit for the fact that Bengals fans in this area will be able to see the team play on TV on Sunday, and it appears he does have something to do with it. On Thursday the Bengals asked for (and got) a one-day extension of the league's deadline for selling out Sunday's home game against the Houston Texans. Had they not done so by Friday afternoon, the game would have been blacked out in the local market. And as of Thursday night, about 3,000 tickets remained unsold.

But at 1:08 p.m. Eastern time, Ochocinco announced on his Twitter page that he and Motorola had bought the remaining tickets and would be giving them away. Problem solved.

More: Benson Leading Bengals' Charge | Ray Lewis Fined for Hit on Ochocinco

"Attention: On behalf of Motorola and Esteban Ocho Cinco we've purchased the remaining tickets for Sundays game= no blackout" the announcement read. It was followed by a tweet that told followers to "stay tuned" to find out how to get the tickets. Four minutes later came this:

"Again there will be no blackout this Sunday, special thanks to Motorola and The Interesting One"

He does keep things interesting, and for a while this seemed as if it were just Ocho being Ocho. But the Bengals release announcing the sellout confirms their star receiver's involvement. It appears he aided in the purchase of 1,200 of the remaining tickets.

"Motorola will give away 1,200 tickets (600 pairs of tickets) to Bengals fans for free, starting at 11:30 am Saturday at the North Ticket Office at Paul Brown Stadium," the release reads. "Motorola is a long-time sponsor of the Bengals and has a newly aligned partnership with Bengals WR Chad Ochocinco."

Ochocinco has recently been using his Twitter account as a way to give away things to fans. He's met people out for dinner at local restaurants, and later Friday night he's offering free tickets to the first 40 people to join him at a showing of "Law Abiding Citizen" at an area movie theater.

Earlier in the day, when Ocho was speaking about the way in which he's using Twitter to distribute free stuff, a Cincinnati reporter asked him for a quote about it. As expected, he delivered one:

"Oprah who?" he said.

Child, Please! Ochocinco Helps Bengals Avoid Blackout originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NFL FanHouse Week 6 Preview Chat

Bruce Ciskie — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Broncos, Giants, Saints, Vikings, NFL Fans, NFL Live Blogging

The battle of unbeatens in New Orleans will certainly get a lot of attention heading into Sunday's games.

Since the Giants and Saints don't look like they're going to fade away, there's a really good chance that they'll play a more important game in January, but this is a pretty big one.

It's not the only game being played Sunday. The NFL's two other unbeatens who are playing Sunday face real tests. Read the chat recap after the jump.

&amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amp;amp;task=viewaltcast&amp;amp;altcast_code=74a87f2d94" &amp;gt;NFL Week 6 Live Chat&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

NFL FanHouse Week 6 Preview Chat originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Studs and Duds, Week 5: Tons of Miles

Shane Bacon — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:40:00 EST

Filed under: NFL Fans

Each week in the NFL, there are players that impress and players that distress. One week a certain quarterback might toss four touchdowns and run around pointing skyward, while the next he's laying on his back, holding his facemask as the other team returns one of his three interceptions for the game-winning score. With that in mind, here's Studs and Duds.

Studs

Miles Austin, WR Dallas (10 catches, 250 yards, 2 TDs) -- My mom, for arguments sake, is probably the nicest person you'll ever meet in your entire life, and I'm not saying that in a "she's my mother so of course I think so" sort of way. It's true. Very, very true.

So, to see her fired up about fantasy football is always entertaining, and boy does she get heated. On Monday, I got the following e-mail from her after the Dolphins-Jets game ended and she dropped her week five battle -- "Well, I lost to Jason. So much for my unbeaten streak. if only i had played Miles Austin!!" My response, was much like what you'd say. If anyone had the internal knowledge to start Austin, his first ever start for the Cowboys, they might be cheating in fantasy football. His game, which was already tops on my list before the game winning scamper from 60 yards to beat the Chiefs, was incredible for all the reasons you'd expect, but to break the record for Cowboys receiving yards, with all the names that have donned the silver star, is something a guy like Austin will never forget.

Hey Wade, maybe it's time to realize that Roy Williams isn't getting it done, but some of these other guys can catch the football? Just a thought.

Roddy White, WR Atlanta (8 catches, 210 yards, 2 TDs) -- In three games before Sunday, White, one of the many breakout stars for the Falcons last season, had totaled 119 yards and just one touchdown. I guess all can be forgiven after he made the San Francisco secondary look like they were playing with ankle weights on. His 31-yard touchdown in the second quarter put Atlanta up two touchdowns, but it was his beastly 91-yard score in the third that put the game out of reach for the 49ers.

If this is Matt Ryan and White finally getting on the same page in 2009, it might be more of the same for Atlanta, especially if Michael Turner can keep it going on the ground (91 yards and three touchdowns himself on Sunday).

Mike Zimmer, DC Cincinnati -- Sometimes in sports, it doesn't matter that you won or lost, it's that you played the game. After Zimmer's wife, Vikki, died of unknown causes on Thursday, leaving Mike and the rest of the team noticeably shaken, the defensive coordinator decided he was going to be on the field Sunday against the Ravens, no matter the emotions that had to be churning inside the 53-year-olds heart and mind.

Zimmer came out, had his defense play their best game of the season against an impressive Baltimore offense, and was awarded the game ball after the game by an emotional Marvin Lewis. What did Zimmer say after the game to the news world that were wondering how a man could be this strong during such an incredibly hard time in his personal life? Well, nothing. "He didn't want to be a distraction to the football team," Lewis said. "That was all he was worried about." Good game, coach. Damn good game.

Duds

Kerry Collins, QB Tennessee (19-32, 164 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT) -- Words you never want to say to your friends if you're a current NFL quarterback -- "I got benched for Vince Young." While it wasn't the worst game you've ever seen from a QB, it was bad enough that Collins was benched after the Titans were on their way to 0-5, an incredible fall from a season ago when they ended the regular season 13-3, sporting the best record in the entire league. So far in '09, Collins has had more games with a passer rating under 67 than he's had over 80, and he has yet to break triple digits in the statistic. The 36-year-old Collins was never supposed to be a superstar for the Titans, who focus on their star running backs to produce on offense, but he has to make some plays before defenses are going to respect him this season.

Dre' Bly, CB San Francisco -- I'm a Cowboys fan, and even I chuckle when watching the Leon Lett play from Super Bowl XXVII. The whole thing is hilarious, right down to when he realizes the ball is out of his hands. Just like with Ken Norton Jr. the 49ers had to go and steal some of our best material. With 10 minutes left in the third quarter of Sunday's game against the Falcons, Bly picked off Matt Ryan and if he could find the end zone, San Fran would be back in the game, trailing only 35-17. Bly started, umm, celebrating at the, umm, Falcons' 25-yard line, still miles from scoring a touchdown. Bly was stripped of the ball, the Falcons recovered, and we have yet another example of premature celebration by a male.

Cleveland vs. Buffalo (Final score -- 6-3) -- Here are some fun stats for your Tuesday.

-- Combined, the two quarterbacks in this game's passer rating was 67.2. (Anderson had an astonishing rating of just 15.1!)
-- The teams combined for just one more first down (10) than total points in the game.
-- Matt Cassel, in the Chiefs loss to the Cowboys, had one more passing completion (23) than the Cleveland Browns had passing yards (22), and they still won the game.
-- Trent Edwards was sacked as many times (2) as Derek Anderson had completed passes.
-- The stat "third down efficiency" seems misplaced. The Browns were 4-16. The Bills, 6-17.

Also, we will be replaying this game on Friday in a new online segment we're calling, "Force Away Traffic." Tune in!

Studs and Duds, Week 5: Tons of Miles originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sorting the Sunday Pile: Josh McDaniels Is Smarter Than All of Us

Ryan Wilson — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: NFL Fans

Sorting the Sunday Pile looks back at the NFL weekend that was. It's also an unofficial bingo blog.

Back in April, when the Broncos sent 2006 first-round pick and franchise quarterback Jay Cutler to Chicago for Kyle Orton and a handful of draft picks (including two first-rounders and a third-rounder), I wrote that it was hard to argue that the Broncos were a better team, at least in the short term.

I also wrote that even though Orton lacked the franchise quarterback pedigree, he had a good chance to be successful in new head coach Josh McDaniels' offense. Part of the thinking was that McDaniels had great success with Matt Cassel in 2008. And although Cassel was more athletic than Orton, the Broncos' new starting quarterback was the more complete player. At the time, former Chicago Sun-Times' beat reporter Brad Biggs told me one of Orton's strengths was his accuracy on short throws.

"That's primarily what [the Bears] did. They didn't have a lot of success throwing the ball vertically, so that was probably playing to some of Kyle's strengths," Biggs said. "I know his percentage doesn't look real good from [the 2008] past season, but I can tell you that he was a victim of quite a few drops.

"You know, he had a clause in his contract where he was going to get a small escalator ... if he hit 60 percent completion percentage, and I remember vividly [writing] that the dropped passes were going to cost him money."

Last year, with no real No. 1 receiver, Orton completed 58.5 percent of his throws. After his 35-of-48 for 320 yards performance against the Patriots, Orton's connecting on 63 percent of his passes. Funny what Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal can do for your completion percentage, not to mention your confidence.

Still, no matter what I thought this spring, nobody had the Broncos starting the year 5-0. Some of that has to do with Orton -- he has just one interception so far (and that was an end-of-half Hail Mary that Randy Moss picked off) -- but the biggest surprise has been the defense.

Before the Pats game, Mike Nolan's unit ranked third in the league, according to Football Outsiders (5th against the run and the pass). A year ago, they were 31st. So Nolan is the latest example of a fantastic coordinator whose talents didn't translate to a successful head coaching career. Before the season started, it looked like McDaniels would add his name to that list. Between the Cutler trade and the Brandon Marshall silliness, everybody wondered what the hell McDaniels was doing. Well, through five weeks, he looks pretty smart.

For the Patriots, who fall to 3-2, Monday will no doubt bring with it questions about Tom Brady, who looked uncomfortable in the pocket for most of the day. Some of that had to do with the Broncos' pass rush, but pre-blowed-up-knee Brady was seldom rattled. Now, passes that would go for big gains, or even touchdowns, fall incomplete. And that, along with a running game hardly worth mentioning -- and a defense definitely not worth mentioning -- leads close games that would previously have been blowouts.

But this is Dreamboat we're talking about. We all expect him to come around, even if it's not for another month or so. The question: will it be too late?

Your AFC North Leaders, Everybody

The Bengals are the second-most surprising story of 2009, and if they hadn't gotten "Stokley-ed" during the waning seconds of Week 1, they would be the story. And much like the Broncos, Cincy's success has just about everything to do with their revamped defense.

But also like the Broncos, steady quarterback play has helped. Carson Palmer missed much of last season with an elbow injury, and that was three years after blowing out his knee during the playoffs. For the first time in a long time, Palmer looks like a former first-overall pick. He led back-to-back-to-back comebacks against the Steelers, Browns and Ravens, and the Bengals currently lead the AFC North.

And Baltimore, the same outfit some folks in the media were proclaiming an offensive juggernaut, suddenly look as if Brian Billick has been guest-play-caller the last two weeks. The Ravens were averaging 31 points per game heading into Week 5 and managed just 14 against the Bengals, seven courtesy of Ed Reed's sixth career pick-six.

Of course, you don't have to be Ernie Adams to game plan against the Ravens. Here's what I wrote last week: future defensive coordinators who will face the Ravens, here's how you stop the unflappable Joe Flacco: triple-team Derrick Mason. I've been screaming this for two years now. Flacco's progressions go something like this: Mason, Mason, Heap, Mason, Mason, McGahee. You're welcome.

On Sunday, Mason had zero catches.

Muffed Punts
Leftovers from Sunday's action...

... It'll be interesting to see who the Redskins bring in next week. They have bingo night covered, maybe a Twister expert. At this point I suppose nobody is off limits.

While we wait for that story to unfold, the Washington falls to 2-3. Every opponent they have faced this season entered the game without a win. Put differently: Washington has won 40 percent of the time against teams that previously hadn't won at all.

... Cowboys win! Cowboys win! They had to take the winless Chiefs to overtime to do it, but unlike the Redskins, Dallas is undefeated against winless opponents. It's not much, but it's something.

... JaMarcus Russell continues to look like he took up football two weeks ago. And he's left-handed. I know a lot of his struggles can be blamed on the situation. The Raiders are a dreadful organization (I can only imagine that Nnamdi Asomugha, one of the league's best cornerbacks and a seemingly solid dude, murdered thousands of women and children as a ruthless tyrant in his previous life to deserve this fate) and the Al Davis Circus hasn't done Jam-Jam any favors. But I don't know how many more weeks of JV-tastic performances he has in him.

I know he's bordering on morbid obesity, and that his weight has been an issue during his three-year NFL career, but I feel sorry for the guy. If we're looking for silver linings, how about this: he threw for triple digits against the Giants. (Okay, it was only 100 yards -- 150 fewer than the Cowboys' Miles Austin had in receiving yards against the Chiefs -- but, frankly, that was the highlight of his afternoon.)

More fun facts: David Carr was on the field BEFORE THE END OF THE FIRST HALF. And it was the first time in history that the Raiders have lost three consecutive games by at least 20 points.

Just set records, baby.

... Either the Steelers have serious problems to address with their defense, or Troy Polamalu is the most valuable player in the history of sports. Since losing their strong safety in Week 1, Pittsburgh is 2-2, but more than that, their defense has had disappeared for long stretches, mostly in passing situations, and always in the fourth quarter.

Trying to replace Polamalu with Tyrone Carter (or some combination of Carter, Keiwan Ratliff and Deshea Townsend) is part of the problem, but the Steelers haven't consistently generated a pass rush, either. I can't imagine Polamalu's return magically fixes all that, but if it does, Pittsburgh could be one of the most balanced teams in the league.

Their identity is a lot like the 2003 club ... except the offensive line can block, the running game doesn't feature Amos Zereoue, the guy under center isn't Tommy Maddox, and Tim Lewis isn't the defensive coordinator.

... Something I wouldn't wish on Gitmo detainees: sitting through the Browns-Bills game. Although Buffalo lost, Trent Edwards should be thankful for Derek Anderson, whose performance (2 of 17 for 23 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT), distracted us from Edwards' J.P. Losman act.

If you missed it (and that's almost certainly the case), here's how a typical Buffalo pass play unfolds: Edwards gets the snap, takes a seven-step drop, holds the ball for a four-count, steps up in the pocket and either a) gets sacked, or b) runs out of the pocket and short-hops a ball to his safety value who is standing two yards in front of him. Hey, you don't earn the nickname Captain Checkdown for throwing bombs all day.

By the way, how low is Brady Quinn's self-esteem right now? And how did he win the job heading into the season? Was he actually better than Anderson? And if so, you're telling me Anderson has improved?

... The 49ers are 3-1 without Michael Crabtree and 0-1 with him. Clearly overrated.

... Upside for Jags: their 41-0 drubbing at the hands of the Seahawks was only the second-worse loss in franchise history. (The Lions whupped them 44-0 in 1995, back during those heady Tom Coughlin-Mark Brunell expansion days.)

Post-Game Debaclings
Quotes that Emmitt Smith might like...

"Physically ... and from a talent level, this is the best team I've ever been on." -Brett Favre, obviously taking a shot at all the citizens of Wisconsin

"You're not going there to win games. You're going there to get paid. And that's it. ... You're going there to get rich." -Rodney Harrison, NBC analyst

"Obviously, this is a low point for the organization and the fan base ... This is not where we expected to be right now." -Bills GM Russ Brandon

"We couldn't stop anything ... That's a bad feeling when you are out there and they are running whatever plays they want to. The third or fourth quarter I think they had their backups in the game and they were still doing whatever they wanted to offensively. There is no excuse for that and everybody has to look themselves in the mirror and say, 'I have to do a better job."' -Raiders defensive end Richard Seymour with my nomination for Understatement of the Week.

This Week in Fake Tweets

Week 3's Pretty Picture

I wonder if Jabar Gaffney will get fined by the league for a uniform violation. Specifically: altering the Broncos' homage to Ronald McDonald by swirling his socks.

Sorting the Sunday Pile: Josh McDaniels Is Smarter Than All of Us originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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