What we learned: The Giants are still good, in fact, damn good, and looking like the best team in the NFL. They took apart a Seattle Seahawks team without their best receiver (Burress) and without breaking a sweat. When the score was 17-3 in the 1st quarter, it was all but over, but that is why they continue to play the game. The final score was 44-6, with Eli Manning, who played a nearly perfect game, coming out after 3 quarters. His stat line was 19-25 for 267 yards and 2TDs. It was his 3rd consecutive game without a turnover and he’s thrown 6 TDs to 1 INT on the season; in his last 9 games, including the Super Bowl, he’s thrown 16 TDs to 3 picks. I think we can safely say that he’s cemented himself among the list of top tier QBs in this league.
The Redskins are good. After a week 1 loss to the Giants, Washington was picked as the cellar dweller in the NFC East; after 5 weeks, it’s not looking that way anymore. Jim Zorn’s play calling has been very creative, he’s riding his horse (Clinton Portis) on the ground and Jason Campbell is making better decisions when throwing the ball. Defensively, they’ve always had a lot of talent and this year’s no different. They moved to 4-1 and have put away the Cowboys and Eagles in successive weeks, and on the road.
The Cowboys were lucky to hold off the 0-5 Bengals. After pulling within one, at 17-16, the Bengals, late in the 4th, recovered an onside kick and were driving for the lead. But on a 1st down at the 40, Cincinnati RB Chris Perry fumbled the ball and Romo went on to hit Owens on a 57 yd TD bomb that was the turning point in the game. The Cowboys have a collection of stars, but as mentioned in last week’s story, not a team, and aside from Jason Garrett, not particularly good coaching. I think the Cowboys can still win the division, but a loss in the 1st round (or 2nd if they get home field advantage) is still probably in order.
As for the Eagles, wasn’t everyone calling for this team to win the NFC East and even possibly the NFC? I don’t think so. Things have gotten stale in Philly and with Reid and McNabb you pretty much now know what you’re going to get; a competitive team that just can’t get it done. After going up 14-0 in the 1st quarter, they were manhandled by the Skins the rest of the way and now fall to 2-3 in the very competitive NFC East, not really a place you want to be.
Shifting conferences to the supposed to be dominant AFC. Let’s look at the SD Chargers. Can this one really be explained? A 17-10 loss at the hands of the Dolphins? The proverbial window on a championship is closing faster for this team than the hole did yesterday for Ladainian Tomlinson on his 4th down attempt at the goal line. There is no excuse for this. It starts at the top – Norv Turner and Co. – and their inability to game plan throughout the week and come out prepared to play on Sundays. They were only saved last week because of a furious comeback after spotting the Oakland Raiders at 15-0 halftime lead. They’ll probably come back at home this weekend and win vs. the Patriots, but if they don’t get their road woes in order, this season will be done, and so will all hopes for the future as the roster is about to have numerous stars test free agency in the next year or two and we’ve all seen how loyal top players are to the big payday.
The Colts are hanging on, barely… Not sure what’s going on down in Colts’ land, but they can’t seem to get things in order either until late in the 2nd half. They were down 27-10 to the Texans, I repeat, the Texans, before a key implosion on Houston’s part, and Sage Rosenfels in particular, allowed the Colts to score 21 points in just over 2 minutes to pull out a late victory. If you’re a Texans’ fan, this is pretty much what you’re used to; if you’re a Colts’ fan, I wouldn’t get too excited. Your schedule is still one of the hardest in the league and until the offense/defense can learn to play a whole game, not every opponent will fold late in the game handing you a must needed win.
Lastly, the Titans roll onto to 5-0. It wasn’t easy though. Once again, the refs had a hand in the outcome with a questionable personal foul call vs. the Ravens for a hit to Kerry Collins’ head, thus giving the Titans new life late in the 4th quarter. They capitalized with a TD in the last two minutes and held off the Baltimore Ravens, 13-10. The Titans aren’t winning any beauty contest points but they’re getting the job done, and in the NFL, that’s all that really matters.
