BigDaddyDegnan

By BRAD DEGNAN

Week 17 of the NFL regular season arrived with not as many questions about the playoffs as perhaps the Commish would have liked. It was the first time in the NFL that every game was a divisional game for the final week of the season. The only game that was ‘win and you’re in’ for either team was the dreadful matchup between the Rams and the Seahawks. A few other games had minute questions such as where the team would be seeded. So as you would expect there were some real crappy games. Many starters for playoff bound teams either didn’t play or played very little. It didn’t take long for another coach to get the ax and the league said goodbye to one of the most exciting players it has ever seen; again. So let’s see what happened in week 17 and take a look at what the playoffs have in store for us.

Right off the bat, goodbye #4. There is no reason to linger. There will be plenty of time for that over the off season. Your legacy has changed a few times over the past number of seasons, but what I hope you are most remembered for is your unmatched love of the spotlight. Nobody can hold an entire city and fan base hostage quite like you can. Safe travels friend and please, please, please don’t come back. One more thing; for the love of God stop taking pictures of your penis.

What may have been the most disappointing display for a team that could’ve made the playoffs ever was the effort that the Jaguars put up against the Texans. All the Jags had to do was beat Houston and hope the Colts lose. I don’t think anyone told the Jaguars this because they played like they were already in the playoffs and just were going through the motions. And reports today say that Jack Del Rio’s job is safe. Sorry Jag fan, look forward to more of the same next year. Maybe they’ll put some more tarp over the seats they can’t sell in order to not be blacked out on local TV.

Is it shameful to say that probably the most entertaining game of the day was the St. Louis-Seattle game? The playoff scenario was very easy for both teams; beat the other team and you win the division. Well, the Seahawks prevailed and for the first time in history a team with a losing record will host a playoff game. The Apocalypse is upon us.

The feel good story of the week was definitely in San Francisco. Interim head coach Jim Tomsula had one chance to be the head honcho on the biggest stage his sport offers. The defensive line coach was promoted just a week ago after Mike Singletary was ousted. When Tomsula was asked who he was he answered, “I’m Jim Nobody from nowhere.” That just may be who he will be for the rest of his life, but at least he got to live his dream, if only for one game and his boys routed the Cardinals.

Eric Mangini was seen leaving the Cleveland Brown’s complex with a box full of his personal belongings. What happened to the Mangenius anyway? And will Chumley step down and coach the team himself?

Tampa Bay is the best team not to make the playoffs. I’m sure they’re shaking their heads about Seattle, who by the way will host the Saints this weekend, a team the Bucs just beat in the Superdome. Oh to play in the West.

Speaking of the West, the Raiders swept the AFC West and didn’t make the playoffs. Nearly impossible to do, but they did it. Tom Cable’s job is safe for the sheer fact that Al Davis is afraid of him.

My Super Bowl picks are still alive, but for how long. Baltimore should be able to handle the Chiefs this week, but the Patriots are lurking and might be the only team that stands between them and me cashing in a big ticket. And the Saints as mentioned have to go up against the juggernaut NFC West Champs.

The MVP is wrapped up and stop saying it should be Mike Vick. He missed like four-and-a-half games and the Eagles didn’t even lose all of those. No, Tom Terrific will get his second MVP trophy that he will put on the mantle next to his wife’s… whatever it is she gets for making twice as much as the highest paid player in the NFL.

Arian Foster won the rushing title. If you were reading in the preseason I told you to watch out for this guy.

DeMarcus Ware won his second sack leader award handed out to the player that has the most sacks in a season. Actually I don’t think he wins anything maybe just some more of Jerry’s money.

Rookie of the year without question will be my boy Little Sammy Bradford. Great season Sammy the skies’ the limit.

The Least Valuable Player goes to the Miami Dolphins’ quarterback Chad Henne. I won’t bore you with his mediocre stats; the fact is that this guy has no idea on how to lead a team. One win at home this year? He looked good against the Patriots this week though.

Alright, what is the best matchup for Wild Card Weekend? Green Bay at Philly for my money. The Pack defense is going to give Vick fits.

After that I got the Jets at Indy. Can’t wait to hear Rex try to fire his team up through the media; the sad part is it will probably be the last time we hear from him for a long time.

Baltimore at Kansas City. The Chiefs had the top ranked rushing game in the NFL. They however played six games against the AFC West. Baltimore will handle its business.

I’m not discussing the other game anymore it’s already taken up too much of my time.

Enjoy the first round of the tournament folks. Talk to ya next week.

The Jets continued to struggle Sunday against the ‘Can’t Ignore Us Anymore’ Bears. Despite the loss, the Jets will still be in the playoffs thanks to Jacksonville’s loss. Be wary Jets fan, limping into the playoffs with a warm weather quarterback may not be the walk in the park it was last season.

The Patriots continue to impose their will on the rest of the league. They have gone seven straight games with no turnovers and have only nine on the season. Tom Terrific set the record for most pass attempts without a pick Sunday with his 1300^th unpicked pass. There is no stopping this monster, hide your children hide your wife.

Kansas City went from worst to first in the AFC West. What is it with the West Divisions? Other than K.C. every team sucked this year. If a team with a losing record hosts a playoff game I hope it’s blacked out.

Mike Singletary became the fourth coaching victim to be put out of his misery this season. Four! That is an astonishing number. At least he was able to coach 15 of the teams 16 games. Good luck Jim Tomsula, your fifteen minutes is going to last about three hours and then you can start looking for a new paycheck.

Fans in Houston are organizing a rally to get Head Coach Gary Kubiak fired at the end of the season. The rally will be held before the Texans host the Jaguars on Sunday. Team owner for the Texans, Bob McNair, gave Kubiak a vote of confidence a couple of weeks ago. We all know what that means; Kubiak’s last head coaching gig will be week seventeen of the 2010 NFL season.

The Vikings and Eagles game was postponed Sunday and will be played on Tuesday in Philly, due to snow. It was postponed before a single flake of snow hit the ground. And why Tuesday? Might the four-letter-network have some interest in having the sole game on Monday? Some other questions to ponder: What if the Ice Bowl had been postponed? What precedent might this have? Are we moving to an NFL where every team plays in a dome? From the reaction of the Vikings’ fans at University of Minnesota last week; they no longer wish to watch in the dome, the fans were having a ball outside in the cold and snow. The funniest argument against postponing the game comes from Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell; essentially he said the country as a whole is becoming a wuss. You can read his whole diatribe at profootballtalk.com. It’s way too long to put down here and it also tightropes the line of racism.

The Chargers who never lose in December lost their second game this season after November. What San Diego and the nation have learned is that the Chargers aren’t that good. Carson Palmer proved he doesn’t need his Diva Twins at wide receiver as he threw for nearly 270 yards and four touchdowns. It has to be like two giant mouths were removed from his back.

Miami continues to prove they can’t play in the elements; the pristine elements of south Florida that is. One win at home this year. And they played Cleveland, Buffalo and Detroit who they lost to this past week. The Lions won their second straight on the road after dropping their previous 26. This team has a killer defensive line and if Matt Stafford can stay healthy next year the Lions will return to the playoffs. You heard it here first.

The Jaguars threw their game against the Skins away and probably the AFC South. An ill fated pass in overtime proved to be very costly for Jacksonville and just might get their head coach fired. Because the only way the Jags win the South is if they beat Houston and Indy loses to Tennessee (which ain’t happening).

The chosen one earned his first career victory by bringing the Broncos back from a 17 point deficit in front of his home crowd. Let the anointing resume.

Indianapolis have gone on a 3 game win streak and have scored 30 plus points in all 3 games. Peyton’s will is carrying this team into the playoffs. All the injuries though, will be the downfall for this team.

Aaron Rodgers returned for the Packers to continue the bloodletting of the Giants. It has been said many times before; Eli is no Peyton.

In a game that might have had the biggest playoff implications of the week the Saints edged the Falcons on costly turnovers and strange officiating. For what might be the first time in NFL history, both the receiver and cornerback were flagged for pass interference on the same pass from Matty Ice in the second quarter. Mike Smith very well may have had a heart attack after that flag. Well the Saints are not quite ready to hand over the torch just yet. Drew Brees is a machine, but there is something wrong with Reggie Bush.

Gotta give props to FIU for winning the prestigious Little Caesars Pizza Bowl; their first Bowl appearance. FIU rallied back from a 14-point half time deficit by scoring 27-points in the second half. Including an unbelievable conversion on 4^th and 17 with the ‘ol hook and ladder play in the waning seconds. Before the conversion the Golden Panthers were down by two. FIU fans, which were there en masse, went bananas as the game winning field goal split the uprights with quadruple zeros on the clock. Definitely one of the better Bowl games so far this season. Way to go FIU.

By BRAD DEGNAN

Weather and wacky finishes seemed to be the theme this week in the NFL. There’s just three games left in the regular season and only one team has clinched a playoff berth. The Jets are trippin’, the Raiders are flippin’ and the Patriots are showing no sign of slippin’. The Falcons have the best record in the NFC and the longest winning streak in the NFL and no one seems to notice. A complete collapse in Minnesota and a record streak comes to an end. Let’s peel back the layers from week 14 to see what happened and take a look at some huge games next week with lots of playoff implication.

We have to start off with the statement game of the season thus far; Patriots at a blustery and snowy Solider Field in Chicago. The game was supposed to be a test and a low scoring contest. It was neither. By the time the Bears left the field for the warmth of the locker room at halftime the scoreboard read 33-0. Both teams are cold weather clubs, but only the Patriots looked it. Tom Terrific was unfazed by the elements while Jay Cutler was bothered both by the weather and the Patriots defense. New England had its fifth straight game with no turnovers. This is how you win championships and with their eighth playoff appearance in the last ten years they are now the leader in the club house for Lombardi.

Another AFC East team seems to be imploding before our very eyes. The Jets lost their second straight division game this one at home to the Dolphins. The last two games the Jets have put up a daunting nine points. Is it me or does Sanchize look like a quarterback from Southern California in the cold? If he struggles this December like last, they’re in big trouble. Two of their last three games the Jets travel to Pittsburgh and Chicago, both cold weather and at least one a must win for them to reach the playoffs.  

The Jets’ strength and Conditioning Coach has been suspended the rest of the season (including the Playoffs) for tripping Dolphin’s gunner Nolan Carroll while covering a punt. The play was reminiscent of a Woody Hayes moment.

Jay Feely had the best week ever. The Cardinals kicker banged home five field goals, including a 55-yarder, in addition to scoring a touchdown on a fake field goal attempt. Fantasy owners of Feely rejoice.

The Buccaneers and Redskins game didn’t have the weather that the Patriots and Bears had to deal with, but it was a down pour and Donovan McNabb struggled. Washington’s kicking game also struggled with the wet field. Kicker Graham Gano missed two field goals of 24 and 34-yards. The Skins looked as if they were going to tie the game in the waning seconds though with a simple extra point. The snap however slipped through holder Hunter Smith’s hands; as did the game. Washington is a real mess, but at least they’re not the Cowboys.

Speaking of the Cowboys; how can you justify going up to the quarterback who just beat you and ask him to autograph your glove. Tashard Choice did so by explaining it was for his nephew. The Cowboys continue to amaze.

Of all the games outside, exposed to Mother Nature, there was not one that was worse than the Green Bay Detroit game, which of course was played in Detroit, in a dome. Sure Aaron Rodgers was knocked out of the game with his second concussion of the season, but come on? Unless you’re a Lions fan this game sucked.

Keeping with the weather theme, Minnesota received the fifth largest snowfall in state history over the weekend causing the Metrodome’s roof to collapse. The Vikings’ game against the Giants was then moved to Detroit where all hope of a home field advantage was nonexistent as the freeloading spectators at Ford Field were more interested in doing the wave than watching the football game. This game also saw the end to a true “Iron Man” streak for most consecutive games started by a quarterback. Favre’s’ streak stands at 297. The Vike’s may have to play next week’s game at the University of Minnesota, which is outdoors. If this happens don’t expect #4 to lace ‘em up.

The Jaguars pulled off another victory and are in the driver’s seat for the AFC South. The Raiders squandered a huge day by Darren McFadden who had nearly 210 combined yards and 3 touchdowns, two of which were over 50-yards. The Jags are winning but don’t be surprised if there is a collapse either before the postseason or in the first game they play of the post season. Jacksonville’s point differential is minus 36. No other playoff bound team is close to the negative. That is if you don’t include the NFC West where all four teams are in the negative. Can you believe one of those teams may host a playoff game?

It’s week 15 next week, and as mentioned there are some huge games. The battle for the AFC South takes place in Indianapolis as the Jaguars try to extend their lead to two games over the Colts. Philly travels to New York to face the Giants, these teams have identical records with the Eagles beating the Giants earlier this season. Jets @ Steelers as mentioned just might be a “must win” for the Jets. Will Aaron Rodgers play as the Pack travels to New England? And don’t forget the big Cowboys and Redskins game, woo hoo.

What a weird weekend in the NFL. You had one game in which three quarterbacks went down, and another where the lights went down. There was a game that used every bit of overtime and sadly enough we found the return of the NFL Network’s coverage of Thursday night games. Seriously, as good as that game was the coverage was pitiful. On the flip side NBC continues to deliver even if it is handed a lopsided affair. Finally after that Monday night massacre of the Redskins, fans are exhausted. So let’s discuss week ten.

The Dolphins seemingly didn’t need a quarterback in their disposal of the Titans. After Chad Pennington went down early in the first, recently benched Chad Henne entered the game and led Miami to their highest point total of the season. After the final play of the first half Titan’s quarterback Kerry Collins conveniently hobbled off the field with an apparent calf injury. Henne lasted until he went down in the third quarter with a knee injury. So the Fish resorted to the wildcat for the remainder of the third quarter. Once the fourth quarter began the ever popular Tyler Thigpen took over the quarterbacking duties. Despite playing against a team with no quarterback the Titans could not overcome their three turnovers. Pennington is out for the year and Henne’s season is up in the air, so the Dolphins did what any team would; they signed Patrick Ramsey.

The Thursday night game may have been the best game of the week, but there is no question that it was the worst covered. There are an abundance of things the NFL needs to improve on not least of which is replacing the entire broadcast team. The play-by-play guy is terrible and Theismann and Millen don’t have any chemistry. The audio was awful unless you enjoy the suck fest that the two color guys put on for Matt Ryan. The coverage is markedly improved since the days of Bryant Gumbel, but the NFL needs to fix this, it’s embarrassing.

Did you happen to see Rex Ryan’s press conference leading up to the Ryan Bowl? Dressing up as his now fatter twin Rob, Rex was hilarious. You’ve got to love this guy. The NFL needs head coaches like this; it’s a nice change from the stuffy domineering head master we are used to. By the way the Jets won their second overtime game on the road in consecutive weeks.  Rob Ryan is now 0-3 in the NFL against his brother.

Let’s go Buffalo! In their ninth game of the season the Bills finally found that elusive victory. The Lions have now lost and ever expanding record of 25 straight road games. Next week they are on the road again; this time in Dallas.

As for the Cowboys, I’m going to skip the all too easy “Lights Out” word play. The Cowboys came out swinging like a boxer fighting for pride and dignity. Make no mistake these Cowboys’ players played for themselves. As for the lights going out maybe the Giants should have saved some of the $1.6 billion dollars they spent on their new stadium to pay the power bill. I guess the lights in New Jersey don’t ring as bright as in New York.

What’s up with Todd Haley? After his Chiefs were pummeled by the Broncos Haley refused to shake Coach Josh’s hand; he instead opted for a finger wagging at his opposition. As if his team wasn’t embarrassed enough.

The collapse in Minnesota continued this week and the 41-year-old #4 again looks every year of it. How long is Mr. Noodle going to last as head coach? And aren’t his press conferences the best; standing up there doing his best Dark Knight impression?

Those who attended the Jacksonville game were again treated to a thrilling finish. In what seemed to be yet another game heading for overtime the Jaguars put their paws together in prayer and were rewarded with a 50-yard Hail Mary for a touchdown. In what’s become a routine non sell out and subsequent black out; did anyone in Jacksonville see it?

You knew Hoodie’s team was not about to lose back-to-back games, especially after being manhandled by the Browns.  So Tom Terrific was back to looking terrific and Big Ben looked too big to get out of his own way. The NFL Network should look to NBC to see how they broadcast a prime time game.

What was supposed to be VickNabb Bowl II never happened. Instead Mike Vick continued his community service by putting on a clinic for the kids in the Washington area. Vick had one of the greatest games by a quarterback in the history of the league. Involved in six touchdowns Vick is starting to show that he can pass in the pocket; who knew? Prior to the game McNabb was rewarded with a contract extension for five years and $78 million. Not a bad way to receive an apology. He celebrated by throwing three interceptions.

A post script to this game: DeSean Jackson should really choose his words more carefully. In describing the mood of the Eagles after a pre game altercation with the Redskins he said, “We were like pit bulls, ready to get out of the cage.” Too soon Jackson.

Consistency seems to be the one thing eluding the top tier teams this year, so you still can’t say without reservation who’s the best team in the NFL. Bad weather is on its way and that will reveal a lot more about the so called elite.

We have some marquee match ups to look forward to in week 11. The Pack travels to Minnesota looking for the sweep while the Colts and Patriots duke it out for dominance in the AFC. A couple of key divisional battles include the Giants at Eagles and the Broncos at Chargers. This is the point in the season where things start to get very interesting.

That’s it for this week kids talk to ya next week.

For the first time in 50 years the Cowboys have fired their head coach mid season. Wade Phillips was put out to pasture just eight games into what was supposed to be a promising season. And a week after Jerry Jones said Phillips would remain head coach for the rest of the season. The thumping the Cowboys took for the third straight week must have changed his mind.  The reigns will now be taken by Jason Garrett, the architect of the NFL’s 31^st ranked rushing offense. While Phillips may be partly to blame, there is plenty of blame to share with the entire organization. Don’t expect a quick fix just because Philips is gone; this team is in disarray from top to bottom. Everyone knows the Cowboys need a no nonsense coach and the same names are being tossed around by all the talking heads. Nothing though, will matter much as long as Jerry and his giant ego remain in the way. The Cowboys will improve tremendously the day he realizes to step away and let a general manager and a head coach do their jobs.

Enough about the Cowboys. There was plenty of other headline grabbing games and plays in week nine. The so called best team in the league got beat by a perennial bottom dweller. While one New York team was nearly embarrassed the other was doing the embarrassing on the other side of the country. Week nine also introduced a few new players to the nation and some well known players take their shot at a new position.

The Bucs showed some guts when they traveled to Atlanta. In a back and forth game it came down to the final minutes and a goal line stand. On fourth-and-one from the Falcons two the Bucs decided to run it. It didn’t work as LaGarrett Blount was punched in the mouth for no gain. Atlanta now leads the NFC South by themselves, but Tampa is on their way up.

I don’t often give credit to this guy, when it’s deserved however I do. #4 threw for 446 yards in the Vikings overtime victory against the Cardinals. It was his career best and just the second time in 286 starts that he threw for 400 yards. His 36 completions were also his career best. Way to go #4 at least you didn’t get carted off the field this week and let the media go bananas all week wondering if you were going to start next week.

The Browns had their biggest win since; since they beat the super bowl champs 2 weeks ago. New England went into Cleveland on top of the world and looking to role the pitiful Browns. Mangini had a different plan for his former boss. Some chicanery and a relentless dose of power running was way too much for the Patriots young defense. The Browns’ defense with their different fronts and looks reduced Tom Terrific to a mere average quarterback. If you didn’t know who Peyton Hillis was before the game he made sure you know him now. Hillis was running like a man possessed. He ran for 184 yards and two touchdowns. I think Cleveland made out on the trade when they sent Brady Quinn to Denver for this guy, just another stellar move by Coach Josh. How’s Brady doing this year Coach?

The lone highlight for the Patriots was Wes Welker’s successful extra point.

The Lions nearly pulled off a huge upset this past week against the Jets. If it wasn’t for a complete breakdown they just might have won. A horrible play call in the fourth quarter and a late hit out of bounds allowed Sanchize to stay close and force overtime. The Jets were only down three points late in regulation because of my favorite play of the season. Jason Hanson, the Lions kicker, was hurt earlier when he was roughed up on a field goal attempt. So the backup kicker/defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh replaced him for an extra point try. He was unsuccessful, but he looked great. Suh actually won the backup kicker job in training camp and would probably be playing in the English Premier League if he wasn’t so massive.

Looking forward to next week when the Ryan twins go head to head as the Jets travel to Cleveland.      

Another player you may not have heard of before last week’s games is the Oakland Raider’s Jacoby Ford a rookie out of Clemson. Ford lifted the Raiders over the Chiefs in what could be described as a chippy contest. The most impressive part of the Raiders’ victory was their 15 penalties. It’s pretty tough to get flagged 15 times in today’s NFL.

It was a scary moment in the Colts and Eagles game when Austin Collie took a shot to the head. A flag was thrown on the play which enabled the Colts to continue a drive. The response by the Eagles’ defense seemed a little inappropriate while Collie lied on the turf obviously unconscious. Several minutes passed as the receiver lay motionless and some Eagles’ players looked as if they were ready to fight the refs for throwing the flag. The Refs had to do something in that instance. There was no malicious intent in the hit and it didn’t deserve a penalty, the refs are just taking orders from upstairs. The problems wasn’t in the penalty, it was in the reaction by the Eagles.  

The Bills lost for the third straight week by three points. So now it’s official, the Bills stink in the US and Canada.

The Ravens (my Super Bowl Pick) were very opportunistic with three takeaways in their victory over the Dolphins. Baltimore also held the ball for nearly 20 more minutes than Miami.

The Giants didn’t knock another quarterback out this week, but might as well have. In Charlie Whitehurst’s first NFL start he went 12 for 23 and 113 yards. He did throw a touchdown though in garbage time. The Giants are looking pretty good.

That’s it kids. Talk to ya next week. Sorry for all the stats.

By BRAD DEGNAN

Week eight snuck up on us and with it came the much anticipated London Bowl. Back in the US the rest of the league played minus the six teams with a bye. Of those twelve games there were some great ones, an absolute crapfest and one game in which only one team played. Sunday Night Football drew a bigger audience than the World Series and a couple of former superstars were knocked down a peg by their coaches. Let’s dive into week eight and see what the NFL delivered.

We might as well start at the epicenter of all the mania in the NFL; Donovan getting benched and Randy Moss getting waived.

First off the Moss debacle: You kind of get the feeling that Moss didn’t want to leave New England after all; or is it he just didn’t want to go play for the Vikings again. Moss informed head coach Mr. Noodle that he was going to stay in New England for a couple of days following Sunday’s game; that in and of itself is not that unusual. Recently traded players returning to the town they used to play for and spending extra time there is quite common. It must have been the last straw. The next day it was announced that Moss was going to be waived. If Hoodie has the ability to smile I’m sure he is smiling and thanking Mr. Noodle for the third round draft choice. On the other side Percy Harvin may be weeping in a corner somewhere.

Mike Shanahan benched Donovan McNabb in the fourth quarter in the Redskins’ loss to the Lions. Shanahan said that McNabb has some cardiovascular issues. This begs the question, “Was T.O. right in criticizing Donovan after the Eagles Super Bowl defeat in which McNabb puked in the huddle?” So let’s get this straight, Rex Grossman is a better option than McNabb? I think not. But wait, it gets even better; JaMarcus Russell is working out with the Skins this week. Could the biggest bust in modern football history cause a quarterback controversy in Washington? And how long until Daniel Snyder blows up?

A boy named Suh? Did everyone get a chance to see Ndamukong Suh’s fumble recovery for a touchdown? While Suh was trotting to the end zone seemingly all by himself he nearly pulled a Leon Lett while Santana Moss tried to do his best Don Beebe impersonation. The only difference was that Moss bounced off Suh like a child off of a bouncy toy. Suh may have a funny name, but the way he reacted to Moss tells me this man has a mean streak. Suh later apologized for his premature celebration.

In what may have been the best game of the week the Chiefs kicked a field goal as time expired in overtime to beat the Bills. It was the second time in two weeks that the hapless Bills have dropped a game in overtime on the road. At this point it’s tough to tell if the Chiefs are for real. They lead their division by two games, but the only win that stands out is their defeat of the Chargers. A lot of people have beaten the Chargers. Rushing for more than 200 yards in three consecutive games is quite a feat.

St. Louis is just one game back of Seattle for the NFC West lead. That crummy division is up for grabs and if Little Sammy Bradford continues playing like he has been, it just may be the Rams division for the taking. Bradford tied a record in week eight with 11 touch downs in his first eight starts. I’m so proud of you Sammy.

Yell defense all you want, but the Packers and Jets game sucked. The two teams combined for nine points and 41 incomplete passes. That is not good football. The Jets are back on notice until they start running the ball again. Mark Sanchez does not need to throw the ball 38 times with that running game and that defense.

The Raiders have come out of nowhere with an offensive machine. After a near record low passer rating three weeks ago, Jason Campbell had a rating of well over 100 for the second week in a row as the Raiders thumped the Seahawks. Tom Cable definitely has his team practicing tip drills. Oakland had two ridiculous catches off of tips in this game, one on offense and one for an interception.

The Niners can do one of two things to save their season: Play in London every week or play the Broncos every week.

Jerry Jones apologized to Cowboy fans following their blowout loss to the Jaguars at JerryWorld. The sorries came a little too late. He should have apologized years ago. Tony Romo should be the league MVP. What other team in the league relies on their quarterback so much? The Cowboys didn’t even give the common courtesy of showing up a week after their quarterback went down. Have you ever seen a team quit like the Cowboys have? If Jones was smart he’d fire up that dump truck full of cash and drive right over to either John Gruden or Bill Cowher’s house.

Every team in the NFC West has a negative point differential. The Rams are the closest to positive with -1.

Look at the Bucs at 5-2. Are they for real? We’re still not convinced, but four fourth quarter comebacks this season is pretty impressive. Tampa is also 3-0 on the road this season and they’re tied with the Falcons for the NFC South lead. We’ll know much more about these Bucs after they travel to Atlanta next week.

The Cardinals have had 9 turnovers in its last two games. If Kurt Warner was hurt rather than retired he might give Romo some competition for my MVP vote.

That’s it for this week folks talk to ya next week.

By BRAD DEGNAN

There was no shortage of tricks, picks, bad football by good players and exciting finishes in week seven. League records were tied, franchise records were made and ten teams scored more than 30 points. The Raiders led the scoring onslaught putting up 59 at Mile High against the lowly Broncos. Oakland ran for an astounding 328 yards behind Darren McFadden and his 165 rushing yards and four total touch downs. Coach Josh might want to start looking over his shoulder. The last two times that the Broncos were beaten by more than 3 touchdowns at home against the Raiders the head coach exited after the season. Wade Phillips and Mike Shanahan were patrolling the sidelines the last two times that happened. Jason Campbell took a lot of heat last week for his 10.something quarterback rating; well he improved that mark by 117 points this week.

The Giants knocked out yet another quarterback Monday night when Michael Boley wrapped up Tony Romo and road him to the ground breaking his collarbone. Romo is expected to be out six to eight weeks. You may think, “Well there goes the Cowboys’ season.” Actually, the Cowboys’ season was lost three years ago when they hired Wade Phillips.

The Bills lost another heartbreaker to a really good team this week. They took the Ravens to overtime after they had jumped out early on my Super Bowl favorites. Ray Lewis then gave an inspiring speech to his defense and that seemed to rally his troops. The Bills had 506 total yards in the game most coming from Ryan Fitzpatrick’s 374 passing yards. An untimely fumble in over time though exposed the Bills as the team that they really are. The Ravens have some serious questions that need to be addressed if they are to indeed make my prediction come true.

Jay Cutler essentially said after the Bears and Redskins game that DeAngelo Hall isn’t very good. Really? Hall’s four picks off of Cutler (one a pick six) seems pretty good to me. Who isn’t very good is Cutler. He’s starting to look a lot more like the guy who led the world in interceptions last season.

League-wide there were 9 interceptions returned for a touchdown Sunday the most ever in a single week.

If you were wondering who leads the league in interceptions this season it’s Eli Manning with 11. Honorable mentions go out to Drew Brees and #4 each with 10. Brees threw just 11 picks last season while #4 had thrown just 7.

Aaron Rogers is the happiest guy in the league today. Albeit a short schnide, he finally got off of it. Rogers beat the old man Sunday night for the first time. Rogers certainly didn’t look great, but was effective enough to outduel the turnover prone #4. It doesn’t get any easier for the Vikings as they travel to New England next week to take on Tom Terrific and Hoodie.

Trick plays were abundant for the Browns’ special teams as they got up early on the Champs and stayed up. The first bit of trickery came when Josh Cribbs fielded a punt and threw the ball across field to Eric Wright who ran down to the Saints 19-yard-line setting up the games first three points. Later in the first half, punter, “Fast” Reggie Hodges took the long snap and bolted right up the middle of the field. The Saints were caught unawares and Hodges flew down the field untouched for 68 yards to the Saints nine-yard-line. That led to another field goal. Is the ManGenius back? Brees could never get on track. He threw four interceptions including two to David Bowens who returned both for touchdowns. The second of which he capped off with a very awkward somersault into the end zone; ala Reggie Bush. Bush has a little bit more athleticism.

A side note on Bowens v Brees; Drew Brees’ wife gave birth earlier in the week to a baby boy they named Bowen. Weird.

The Britt’s are invading. Kenny Britt helped the Titans manhandle the Eagles Sunday with seven catches for 225 yards and three touchdowns. The Titans took away the wind from the Eagles in the fourth quarter with five unanswered scoring drives including three touchdowns.

The Dynamic Diva Duo and the Bengals visited the Falcons Sunday, but it was another receiver who out shined the gasbag wide outs from Cincinnati. Roddy White made 11 grabs for 201 yards and two touchdowns. Meanwhile Carson Palmer finally looked impressive throwing for 412 yards and three touch downs in a losing effort.

The Chargers continue to do their best impression of the Cowboys. They outgained the Patriots 363 yards to 179, but had 4 turnovers in the first half. San Diego was unable to overcome their mistakes falling to the Patriots by three points at home. The Chargers have turned the ball over 18 times so far this season; they only had 17 all of last season.

Next week we get to look forward to that game every fan circles on the schedule when it is released. This season’s installment of the Wembley Stadium Bowl will feature the Broncos and the 49ers. Anytime you have two teams that are a combined 3-11 it’s just compelling football. Place that game in London and it… Never mind there’s no way to spin this little slice of crap. If the Niners lose though look out for some players to not make the plane ride home.

The NFC is officially on notice; while they have four teams with two losses at the top of the conference, the AFC has three teams with one loss and five teams with two losses. The teams that sit atop the NFC right now are the Falcons (playing respectable ball), the Giants (who look good against the girls teams), Tampa Bay (they will burn out) and Seattle (probably win the West). Put those teams up against the likes of say: The Jets, Patriots, Steelers, Ravens, the entire AFC South and who do you think looks like a stronger conference? Come the end of the season there’s going to be a serious log jam of NFC teams with 8-8 records trying to vie for playoff spots. It’s not going to matter; at this point no one will win against the very physical AFC.

So long folks, sorry for all the stats.

Well, you could hear the champagne corks popping Sunday night as the old and tiresome ’72 Dolphins celebrated yet another season without an undefeated team. It is the first time since 1970 that the league didn’t have a team with a record of 4-0. What does that say about the current state of the NFL? Is it parity or is it mediocrity that is plaguing our most beloved sport?

Four teams are 4-1, two from each conference. It’s not a huge surprise who leads atop the standings; what is a bit of a surprise is who isn’t at the top. It seems the Saints and the Colts are both suffering from the Super Bowl hangover. You might have thought some other teams might also be right up there, for instance the Chargers, Cowboys and Vikings? The combined record for those three teams is a whopping 4-9. Some of the most concentrated talent in the league is found on those three teams. So what is the reason for their demise thus far in 2010? For one team it might be a 41-year-old gunslinger who’s taking too many risks. Another’s trouble stems from their coaching staff and the subsequent disciplinary problems. The last just doesn’t seem to have the talent that everyone thought they had. Can these teams turn it around? The Chargers have the best opportunity to make the post season since they are in the weakest of the three divisions. The Cowboys and the Vikings aren’t afforded the same luxury. And the loser of next week’s meeting between the two in Minnesota will certainly be in a lot of trouble.

Let’s discuss what went down in Week five and take a look at what is coming up in week six.

Clearly through five weeks the AFC has the two best teams in the league. The Ravens and the Jets share the best record in the NFL and they do it in similar fashion; defense, defense, defense. With a little bit of good old fashion smash mouth running. The NFC also has two teams with the same 4-1 record; however these two are not on the same level as the elite of the AFC. The Falcons are a legit contender in the NFC, not so sure about a Super Bowl though. The Bears on the other hand are a few steps below.

On the flip side there are three teams that are 0-5; San Francisco, Carolina and Buffalo. The latter two not a shock at all, the 49ers are, but no fear, owner Jed York has guaranteed that his team will win the NFC West. Usually it would be a pretty ridiculous thing to say; in this case though he may be right, maybe. Since realignment in 1990 no team has started 0-5 and made the playoffs, let alone won their division. The 49ers though, have played only one division game so far and are in by far the weakest division in the league. Couple that with non division games against the Panthers and the Raiders coming up and we just may have history made. Albeit improbable Mr. York will have to keep his quarterback and head coach from fighting on the sideline to fulfill his prediction.

Another disappointing team is the Cincinnati Bangles. Your father’s Bungles are back, but now they are stacked with talent at the skilled positions. You might think that their two wacky receivers are to blame. I am here to say it’s not their fault. There is something wrong with Carson Palmer and if he doesn’t fix it there’s going to be a lot of trouble in the Natti.

The Packers are a bit of a surprise. They were one of the sexy picks to win the Super Bowl this pre season. However injuries are mounting and there isn’t a team in the league that has been bitten by that bug like the Packers. Rodgers may not play next week due to a concussion and they are down to their third tight end. Not to mention Clay Matthews’ injury troubles. If the Pack doesn’t get healthy and quick, they’re in big trouble.

An undrafted rookie quarterback beat the Champs last week, with a little help from a very impressive defense. Max Hall led the Cardinals over the Saints for his first NFL victory. The Saints continue to struggle; it may get a bit easier though with three of their next four games against the Bucs, Browns and Panthers.

My favorite play from week five without a doubt was the tip, interception and run back for a touchdown by Kroy Biermann, the defensive end for the Falcons. Linemen aren’t the most athletic players on a football team and that is what makes it all the more enjoyable to watch when they chug down the field towards the end zone. All said it was quite an athletic play. Way to go Beer Man.

The ass kissing from the media over #4 continued after Monday night’s game. He threw his 500^th touchdown (commendable) and he has now thrown for over 70,000 yards (also commendable). Both are milestones, but what you didn’t read or hear about was the milestone and record of 163 fumbles. Why does the media love this guy so much? He’s thrown for a ton of yards and touchdowns I know, but he’s been in the league since the 70’s. And to read how some writers called his performance Monday as “Magical” is sickening. What would the mainstream media label a performance by any other QB who lost two fumbles and threw an interception late in the game for a loss? Just sayin’.

Can you believe the Raven’s secondary hasn’t had an interception this year?

Lastly, Big Ben makes his much anticipated debut from suspension this week when the Steelers host the Browns. Not a bad first game for a possibly rusty quarterback. This game will also feature the first start for rookie Colt McCoy. One of these quarterbacks is going to have a lot more trouble than the other. Let’s just hope McCoy can come out of this game with his head still attached to his body.  

So long folks talk to ya next week.