1) Outcomes that surprised me: None. There were really no surprises at all this week. The better team won pretty much every game.
2) I am definitely the New Orleans Saints' good luck charm. When I'm at the game they blow teams out, the games effectively over by halftime. Plus, they have not lost since I started going to games 3 weeks ago. This week they killed the 49ers, who suck balls, with a classic Drew Brees performance and breakout game by Marques Colston. Even Reggie Bush is continuing to pull his weight. I'm not in love with Bush as a player, but if he keeps this up he will keep me happy.
3) Monster Park in San Francisco needs to be either renovated or demolished. The home of the 49ers is extremely dated. The seating is crowded, the TVs on the concourse are easily 25 years old, there is only one jumbotron and large scoreboard, and the stadium is in the worst location of all time. The traffic situation getting into and out of the ballpark is ridiculous. There is one freeway on which you can either go north or south. That's it. No alternate routes. And the nearby neighborhood is no place you want to get lost in. Also, the parking areas are a freakin' mess. The bay wind blows the tailgaters' trash all over the place. The more I think of it, the more I think renovation is out of the question. That is not a stadium nor a location befitting the NFL.
4) The Patriots are more than crushing opponents, they're crushing the entire league with the weight of their awesomeness. I mean they are insane, out of their minds with playing dominant football. I really can't imagine the Colts beating them next week. The Colts are the second best team in the league, but they're still not going to match up very well against the Patriots. The other three teams in my top 5 are: Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, and San Diego Chargers (I can't count, so what?). Pittsburgh plays New England on Dec. 9, should be an interesting game. The Cowboys know how to make a bye week interesting, they signed Tony Romo to a 6 year, $67 million contract.
5) The San Diego Chargers came up with a dominating win against Houston to a backdrop of soot and ash. I'm glad the damage to the city of San Diego has been ... well, not nearly as bad as it could have been. I can't tell you how disappointed I am to hear that many of those fires were caused by arsonists. What the fuck is wrong with people that they start fires with the intent of doing as much damage as possible. People like that should be hung from a noose in the town square.
6) The 49ers' cheerleaders, called the Gold Rush, came out in the second half wearing Halloween costumes. There was a nurse, a bumble bee, a couple cops, a Supergirl, a Lara Croft, a beer wench, a Dorothy, etc.. At the two-minute warning, they did the famous Thriller dance. It's true about San Francisco, even the straight guys are gay, as the cheerleaders did not receive much attention or applause from the crowd. Nothing like Seattle, where they love their cheerleaders.
7) Brett Favre watch: another week, another win. This time Grandpa whipped up an overtime win against Denver, in Denver, on Monday Night Football. The Green Bay Packers at 6-1 may be the best team in the NFC. They play the Dallas Cowboys on Nov. 29, so that's at least one NFC game to look forward to.
8) I was surprised by the amount of cigarette smoking at Monster Park. Lots of smokers hanging out all over the stadium. Well, maybe it's not "surprising," but in comparison to Qwest Field, where I didn't see any smokers at all, it seemed like virtually everyone was smoking.
9) Fantasy nook: Son of a bitch! Just when I think Marques Colston is cooked, he busts out for three touchdowns. Of course he was on my bench. Of course I lost my fantasy game by only 4 points, points which would have been more than covered by Colston's big day. My fantasy team is 4-4 and in danger of falling out of the playoff picture.
10) Tom Brady is ridiculous. Throwing touchdowns at a record pace is not enough for that guy. He is now rushing for TDs, he ran 2 in against the Redskins. The way he's playing, he's set to have the best season a quarterback has ever had.
Bonus! New Orleans Saints notes!
1) Holy crap! The Saints dominated the 49ers. When they beat the Jaguars next week the league will be on notice that the Saints are back and mean business. Bitches better run for cover!
2) Saints stat of the week: 100, again. The Saints have not allowed 100 yards rushing to any of their last 6 opponents.
3) The NFC South is still very winnable for the Saints. They are only one game out of the lead with 9 games to play. If they can win their remaining division games and half of their non-division games, I'd say that's good enough to take the division.
Week 6 and Week 7 notes on the National Football League
Week 6
1) The reason Week 6 is so late is because I was visiting Seattle and attending the demolishment of the Seahawks by the Saints. I lucked out and my seat was on the aisle, 40 yard line, next to a few other Saints fans.
2) In Seattle they sing the Canadian national anthem, "O Canada", before the American national anthem. And they let fly a live "seahawk" out of the tunnel to lead the players onto the field.
3) 12:38, first quarter: Seattle's first offensive possession ends in a botched punt that New Orleans returns for a touchdown. 7-0, Saints. The route is on.
4) 11:24, first quarter: NBC's skycam crashes to the field, nearly hitting a Seattle player who almost trips up in the wires. The game is delayed for ten minutes, the crowd boos. I've always wondered when a QB was going to throw a pass and accidentally hit that camera, but crashing the field is almost as good. When the game resumed, the crowd was into it, ready for action. For not being a dome, Qwest Field is loud. They did a good job with the acoustical engineering.
5) The lady sitting next to me cheers like only a drunk non-fan can cheer. Cheering when the crowd gets loud, regardless of what just happened on the field, not because she's paying attention to the game. Half the time she's cheering the Saints, half the time she's cheering the 'Hawks.
6) 14:28, second quarter: New Orleans scores their first offensive touchdown. 14-0, Saints. The route is on. Drunk Lady hits me in the head repeatedly with her Saints bandana as she swings it in a circle over her head.
7) 8:06, second quarter: New Orleans blocks a Seattle field goal attempt. 5:18, second quarter: New Orleans scores their second offensive touchdown. 21-0, Saints. The route is on.
8) 3:41, second quarter: stadium employee walks up the aisle telling everyone beer will not be sold after halftime. Drunk Lady immediately grabs her purse and races to the concourse.
9) Seahawks fans love them some cheerleaders. Their cheerleaders are cute and the crowd roars every time one is shown on the jumbotron. 0:30, second quarter: Saints score third offensive touchdown. 28-7, Saints. The route is on, so I give them my permission to score zero points in the second half. You know, to cut the Seahawks some slack.
10) 6:39, fourth quarter: Seattle scores a TD. 28-17, Saints. This is either the beginning of the Seahawks comeback or a garbage time touchdown, depends what happens next. 0:01, fourth quarter: turned out to be a garbage time touchdown. Saints win 28-17!
Bonus! New Orleans Saints notes!
1) Holy crap, the Saints won a game! Looks like all they needed was my attendance to give them the motivation they needed to win. crocoPuffs in the building is the ultimate good luck charm.
2) Saints stat of the week: 5 sacks, which is one more than they've had in their first four games combined.
3) Reggie Bush must be reading my posts and taking them to heart. He looked like a legitimate NFL player out there. Sadly, Colston has NOT been reading my posts, because other than a couple dropped passes (one in the end zone) and a 2-yard touchdown, he was invisible again. David Patten played a hell of a game, though. Maybe he will be the veteran receiving presence the Saints need.
Week 7
1) Outcomes that surprised me: Detroit Lions over the Tampa Bay Bucs was a pleasant surprise, and helpful to the Saints. Buffalo Bills over the Baltimore Ravens. Denver Broncos over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
2) Everyone is now discussing New England in terms of their place in NFL history. While it's probably too early to be calling them the greatest offense ever, they look as unstoppable as any of the great offenses I've seen (1999 Rams, 1998 Vikings, 1994 49ers, 1992 Cowboys, 1989 49ers, 1984 Dolphins).
3) For about three quarters against Atlanta, the Saints looked ready to notch another tick in the loss column. The defense couldn't get off the field and the offense couldn't make any plays, couldn't convert any third downs. But they hung in there and scored the winning touchdown in the fourth quarter on a nice drive capped by a nice run by Reggie Bush.
4) New England Patriots are still #1. My top 5 includes the Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers, and New York Giants.
5) Brett Favre watch: Green Bay was on a bye week.
6) Fantasy nook: Last week the fantasy "experts" were all over the Redskins Defense, picking them to be awesome in week 7. 'Skins had a decent week, but I started the Giants Defense. Seemed obvious to me that the Giants D vs. Trent Dilfer would be a lopsided matchup. Whaddya know, I was right as usual.
7) The Saints still need to improve their game, but a win is a win and they're not completely out of it just yet thanks to a fairly weak division that is still up for grabs and a favorable upcoming schedule.
Bonus! New Orleans Saints notes!
1) Holy crap. The Saints are on a roll, shooting up in the standings like a rocket. Soon to be leading the NFC South. I'll be at the Saints/49ers game this weekend, so it's a lock they will win.
2) Saints stat of the week: 100. The Saints have not allowed 100 yards rushing to any of their last 5 opponents.
3) Reggie Bush showed some power for the second game in a row, he is definitely reading this blog and taking my advise seriously. Colston made a big play against Atlanta, pulling off a 33 yard reception on the winning TD drive on 3rd down, with most of the yardage coming after the catch. Hopefully that will warm him up enough to start posting the big fat numbers.
1) Outcomes that surprised me: Washington Redskins dominated the Detroit Lions. San Diego Chargers dominated the Denver Broncos. Chicago Bears squeaked by the Green Bay Packers in Green Bay.
2) Some strange officiating was going on in the Steelers/Seahawks game and I seem to be the only person who noticed. During the Steelers 10 minute drive in the third quarter I noticed two plays that did not make any sense to me. On 2nd and 1 from the Steeler 41, Willie Parker made a long run and stepped out of bounds at the Seahawk 25. Holding was called on the Steelers. The next play was 1st and 10 for the Steelers from the Steeler 42. Shouldn't it have been 2nd and 11 from the Steeler 31? How in the world did the Steelers gain a yard and a first down on a holding call? Even the Fox telecast graphics thought it was 2nd and 11 until all of a sudden it wasn't.
A few plays later, on 3rd and 10 from the Steeler 41, Najeh Davenport turned a short catch into a long gain to the Seattle 40. Holding was called again on the Steelers. The next play was 3rd and 13 from the Steeler 39. Shouldn't it have been 3rd and 20 from the Steeler 31? Again, I have no idea how the officials determined the outcome of that play.
3) Was the 10 yard holding penalty being applied to the end of the play? If so, then the Parker play would have resulted in 1st and 10 from the Seahawk 35, and the Davenport play would have resulted in 4th and 1 from the 50 yard line. Nope, I guess that's not the answer.
4) Patriots still rolling, and are still the consensus #1. Lots of folks are saying this was the first game that Randy Moss did not make a big impact. I call bullshit. Cleveland's game plan was largely geared around stopping Moss, which enabled the rest of the offense to march up and down the field. He didn't have huge stats, but he had a huge impact on the game nonetheless. The other teams in the top 5 are Pittsburgh, Indy, Dallas, and Green Bay. Same as last week. I'll be shocked if Dallas beats New England next week. Shocked, I say!
5) I've got it! The holding penalty must be applied to the location of the infraction. On the Parker play, the hold was at the Steeler 45, so the next play would be 3rd and 7 from the Steeler 35. On the Davenport play, the hold was at the 50, so the next play would be 4th and 11 from the 40. Hmmm ... that's not it either.
The refs totally blew it on both those plays. I don't understand why no coaches were yelling at the refs about the absurdity of those calls. The Steelers scored a TD on that drive and won the game 21-0, so maybe it didn't matter in terms of the outcome of the game, but maybe it did. And that's kind of the point of having referees in the first place, to ensure the rules are being followed and that each team is treated fairly.
6) In the week leading up to the game, Reggie Bush proclaimed himself a tough runner who loves to carry the rock between the tackles, and he would prove it against Carolina. In related news, Reggie Bush was told (by me) to put down the crack pipe. After watching the kid for a season and a quarter it's clear that he shies away from contact whenever he can. His actions speak louder than his words. He runs out of bounds instead of turning up-field to get the extra yard, he moves sideways more than he moves forward, he curls up and falls down as tacklers approach, he doesn't dish out any punishment to defenses, and he approaches the line tentatively and doesn't hit holes very hard. He's like the Marvin Harrison of the Saints, except Bush is a RB, so that approach just isn't going to cut it.
7) Brett Favre watch: another game, another NFL record. This week Grandpa tied the NFL record for most interceptions in a career. Not exactly the kind of record to make your children proud, but a record just the same. Thanks to those picks Green Bay lost their first game of the year.
8) Matt Leinart broke his collarbone. Kurt Warner is now the full time starter in Arizona. Good luck with that, Cardinals.
9) Fantasy tip: Don't play any Saints until they prove they can win a game.
10) It's official, David Carr stinks. No idea how he lasted 5 seasons as the starter in Houston. Yes, Carolina won the game, but not due to Carr's play.
Bonus! New Orleans Saints notes!
1) This goddamn Saints team is killing me. Killing me, I say! As I said before, Olindo Mare sucks. He has missed more field goals than he has made this season. He's been a huge bust so far for the Saints. He's been terrible on field goals, and couldn't kickoff on Sunday due to an injury. Well, his long kickoffs were the reason the Saints signed him, so without that, he's pretty much useless.
2) Saints stat of the week: rushing defense 4th in the league in rushing average allowed, 3.6 yards/rush.
3) The Saints need a veteran receiver. Right now. Devery Henderson finally had a decent game, but still dropped his share of balls. Marques Colston continues to play uninspired football; I wouldn't be surprised if he was pulled from the starting lineup soon. To add insult to injury, I won't be starting Colston on my fantasy team until he proves he can play like a number one receiver, the way he played last year.
Either you get it and you know what this is about, or you don't. I can thank my "friend" Mike for introducing me to the wild world of parties and lemons.
1) Outcomes that surprised me: Cleveland Browns over the Baltimore Ravens. Atlanta Falcons over the Houston Texans. Oakland Raiders BIG over the Miami Dolphins (Oakland, don't get too comfy just yet. You beat a mediocre Browns team and an awful Dolphins team. Culpepper, 5 of 12 for 75 yards and 2 TDs and 3 rushing TDs, what kind of screwed up stat line is that?).
2) I started this season by stating to a (Chargers fan) friend that I wasn't very impressed with Norv Turner's history as an NFL head coach. What can I say; I continue to be less than impressed. Why do I have the feeling Schottenheimer would have more than one win after 4 games with this team?
Phillip Rivers is also underwhelming. He tossed 2 interceptions and lost a fumble against a crappy Chiefs team. And that lost fumble was huge, by the way. The Chiefs had previously turned the ball over, giving the Chargers a chance to get back into the game. But instead of leading his team to a game-tying touchdown, Rivers dropped the football on the grass while being sacked and Kansas City returned it for a TD.
The Chargers make too many mistakes, which comes down to either discipline or talent level. I think the talent level proved itself last year (Rivers notwithstanding), which leaves discipline, which comes down to coaching. Which makes perfect sense considering the massive turnover in the coaching staff from last year to now.
The most baffling part is that they were winning the game 16-6 at halftime while riding Tomlinson's 116 rushing yards. In the second half, they handed the ball to Tomlinson 6 times. How does that make sense? I'm no NFL coach, but that one seems pretty obvious to me. No wonder the San Diego crowd was chanting "MAR-TY" during the game.
3) Detroit posted 34 points in the 4th quarter against the Bears. Impressive. In fact, it's an NFL record. But what the hell does that mean for the Bears defense, a unit that was supposed to be dominant? Well, they're certainly not dominant when giving up 34 fucking points in a single quarter.
4) The Patriots continue to crush opponents, I can't wait to see them play Dallas in a couple weeks. Speaking of the Cowboys, they destroyed the Rams and are my #2 team in the league. I like them more than the Colts right now, with Indy coming in at #3. The Packers and Steelers round out the top 5, while Seattle looks like it's making a move in the NFC.
5) Donovan McNabb played a hell of a game Sunday, no? He lost a fumble, threw no touchdowns, and was sacked 12 times while making no meaningful plays for his team. Like I said, maybe if he played EVERY game as if he had something to prove, he wouldn't get the criticism he does. Granted, his offensive line was worse than the Saints', using a matador pass protection scheme. Still, when McNabb makes no plays and generally seems lost on the field, he should expect some criticism.
6) Worst team in the league? St. Louis Rams. In 4 games, they've scored only 39 points. In 3 games, the Saints have scored 38.
7) Brett Favre watch: another week, another win, another NFL record. This is getting repetitive. So repetitive, in fact, that I'm simply copying and pasting these lines from last week. Grandpa pulled off the fourth straight win of the season for the Packers and broke the NFL record for most touchdowns thrown by a QB in NFL history. Congratulations Brett Favre! Keep on winning! The Packers 4-0 record is more remarkable than Favre's personal records at the moment. I mean, breaking those records was only a matter of time for Favre, but being at the top of the NFC defies all expectations.
8) Matt Leinart and Kurt Warner are now sharing time at quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals. Weird. Arizona won the game, and both QBs led the team on touchdown drives, but the difference in the game was a punt returned for a TD. Warner was brought in when the score was only 7-0 in Pittsburgh's favor. Seemed kind of early to yank your starter, unless that was your plan going into the game. I wonder how long that strategy will work? My prediction is not very.
9) Fantasy nook: Son of a bitch! I KNEW playing Kevin Curtis would be a mistake, the guy had one big game, which means absolutely nothing. I should have played Derrick Mason instead. Okay, I'm late to these bandwagons, but if Sammy Morris or Dwayne Bowe are available in your league, you should snap them up.
10) Coaches in the NFL are important. Very important. The best coaches win year after year, or have an off year, then come back and win again. Bill Walsh, Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, and probably some coaches not named Bill too, say ... Bill Cowher, nope, damn! All Bills. Anyway, Norv Turner has been an entirely mediocre coach and coached mediocre teams for his career. Fans shouldn't be surprised if San Diego turns up mediocre this year (his name's not Bill, for starters).
Wade Phillips left San Diego to coach the Cowboys. Look how that's turning out. I wonder if the Chargers offered him the head coaching job before he left. Inheriting a very good team and keeping them very good is not as easy a task as it seems. Exhibit A: Norv Turner and the Chargers. It makes me appreciate the job guys like Barry Switzer and George Seifert did when taking over good teams and keeping them good.
At this point, Chargers fans and Saints fans are in the same boat. Both sets of fans had high expectations set from last season's success, and this season's media predictions. Both teams were picked by many to advance to the Superbowl this year. It's one thing to endure a season with your team when you know going in they are going to suck. It's another thing to endure a season of sucking when your expectations are so high. It's extremely disappointing. At least in the Chargers case, you could kind of see it coming when Turner was named head coach. With the Saints, it's the same players and coaches from last year, which makes it both baffling and heart-wrenching.
Bonus! New Orleans Saints notes!
1) It was a good week for the Saints, they did not record a loss.
2) Saints stat of the week: Have not given up a TD on 21 kickoffs & punts this season.
3) Here's how to keep hope alive, Saints fans. Take a look at who they've lost to, and how much those losses mean in the big picture. Every team's goal is to win their division. To that end, beating your divisional opponents is very important. The Saints have lost one game to the Bucs, and have not yet played Atlanta or Carolina. The Saints can conceivably go 5-1 in their division. Face it, the Falcons and Panthers aren't very scary, so if the Saints can play just "good", that's probably good enough to get 4 wins. The Saints/Buccaneers rivalry has been a good one ever since the NFL realignment created the NFC South. The Saints beat the Bucs twice the year the Bucs won the Superbowl. The Bucs are playing well right now, but it seems entirely possible for the Saints to win their next matchup. And if the Saints take care of their division, good things will happen.
The other 2 Saints losses came to teams not in their division, and not even in their conference! From that perspective, things could be a lot worse. It all starts next week against Carolina, which I consider a must-win game. If the Saints go 0-4, they can forget about the playoffs.
