The flu shelved me this weekend -- no, it wasn't swine (I didn't feel like having a BLT or pork sandwich) -- preventing me from hitting the road, which meant I had a day on the couch flicking the satellite dish through the NFL Sunday Ticket like a mad man.
Like good teams find a way to win, John Fox's Panthers -- a bad team -- find a way to lose. (Getty Images)
So what did I see?
• I saw that commercial with a guy talking to himself about erectile dysfunction about 100 times. Does he really get advice from himself?
• I saw some really good quarterback play from guys we expect it from, like Tom Brady, Kurt Warner and Peyton Manning.
• I saw the Cincinnati Bengals show once again what I thought all along: They are for real.
• And I saw two undefeated teams remain that way because of one very important reason:
Good teams find ways to win games that average teams don't.
I'll focus on the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints here, the final two undefeated teams through nine weeks, with the Colts and Saints both at 8-0. To get there, they were both pushed to the limits Sunday.
The Saints fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter at home and looked flatter than a discarded, stepped-on beignet you might find on Bourbon Street. The Panthers were running at will and the Saints' explosive offense seemed lifeless.
Somehow, someway, the Saints got it going and they ended up winning 30-20. Why? With their passing offense, they are never out of a game. Ever. Drew Brees got it cranked up and they got a late-game fumble return for a touchdown to ice it.
Earlier in the day, Indianapolis jumped to a 13-0 lead -- a score that should have been far worse -- but then had to hold off Houston in a 20-17 victory. The Texans had a chance to send the game to overtime but Kris Brown's 42-yard field goal with no time left sailed wide left.
That's what happens to good teams. They get breaks like that. They make some of their own, but they also get them. It's weird how that works.
Those two teams didn't get their normal sterling grades here in our CBSSports.com Weekly Grades, but even their coaches would admit they didn't deserve them. But they will look back on this day and smile.
I got to watch most of both games, in between the 5,000 times I saw cavemen bowling in some ad and the 1,500 times I flicked around, and when both games were over I thought the same thing.
Good teams seem to find ways to win, maybe on days they don't have the A game. The two undefeated teams did that Sunday.
Buccaneers: The Bucs defense came up big with six sacks and three interceptions, one returned for a touchdown by Tanard Jackson to ice it. They also blocked a punt and returned a kickoff 83 yards. That's how you pull upsets. Josh Freeman was steady in his first start with three touchdown passes.
F
1.46
F
Packers: This one really stings. They made way too many mistakes. You can't win on the road like that -- even against a team you should beat. The special teams were a disaster. The offensive line was bad again.
Patriots: Tom Brady had a huge day and Randy Moss was the recipient of most of it. His 71-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown was the big play of the game. The Patriots defense did a better job against the Wildcat this time, although Miami did throw a touchdown pass off it.
B+
3.09
C-
Dolphins: They didn't run the ball like they have been, which put more pressure on Chad Henne. He played OK, but not enough big plays. The pass defense struggled, but that might happen some with rookie corners.
Jaguars: They played well until the final six minutes when they almost blew it. That's a mental lapse. They got some big plays on offense from Mike Sims-Walker. They also ran it well. The pass rush, which has been nonexistent, finally showed up with three sacks.
F
1.98
C-
Chiefs: They did little until the final quarter, but they get credit for not quitting. Matt Cassel did play well in the fourth quarter, but it was too late. His offensive line is really bad. The defense got pushed around.
Colts: The Colts looked like they would blow the Texans out, but kept kicking field goals instead of scoring touchdowns. Peyton Manning was red hot in the first half, but cooled off in the second. He did lead them on the game-winning drive late.
C
3.08
B-
Texans: The defense had problems early, but slowed down the Colts in the second half. Matt Schaub and the offense took time to get going, but they looked good in the second half. And they did drive to a game-tying field goal attempt that Kris Brown missed. He has to make that.
Bengals: They jumped out to a quick lead and then the defense did the rest. The front had four sacks and shut down the Baltimore running game. They also had two interceptions. Carson Palmer and Cedric Benson carried the offense again. Benson went over 100 for the second time vs. the Ravens this season.
A
3.00
C-
Ravens: They looked flat for the first quarter and never seemed to recover. That defense isn't what it once was. The offense couldn't muster any drives early and fell behind. They never could get it going as their offensive line struggled.
Cardinals: Kurt Warner threw five touchdown passes and lit up the Chicago secondary. He did what he wanted. Matt Leinart threw the only interception. The defense played well early, but did give up some passing yards to the Bears when they had a big lead. They did let down some late, which is a concern.
F
2.38
F
Bears: What happened to that defense? They couldn't stop the Arizona passing attack. They had no pass rush. Jay Cutler put up some numbers and did throw three touchdown passes, but he can't do it alone. Falling behind 31-7 at the half is inexcusable.
Falcons: Give this one to Michael Turner. He came up huge with 166 yards and two touchdowns. The defense was good in the first half, but struggled in the second when Washington got back in the game. Matt Ryan didn't do much.
B-
2.76
D
Redskins: The offense was horrible most of the day, aside from the third quarter. In the first half, they couldn't get anything going. And the run defense was terrible. How much did they pay Albert Haynesworth?
Seahawks: Matt Hasselbeck had a 300-yard passing day and he had to after his team started so slow. Rallying from down 17-0, he had to throw the ball well. The defense had five interceptions, the last one returned by Josh Wilson for a touchdown to seal it.
D
1.88
C-
Lions: They looked good early, jumping to a 14-0 lead. But Matt Stafford had problems throwing the ball and turnovers really hurt. The defense also didn't play well. There will be days like this for rookie passers.
Saints: Drew Brees got the passing game going after a slow start, throwing for 330 yards and a touchdown. The defense, after a bad start, played much better in the second half.
B
3.41
B-
Panthers: Give them credit for coming in and fighting, but they don't throw it well enough to win it. You have to against the Saints. They did run well, with DeAngelo Williams going for 149 yards and two scores. His late fumble was a killer.
Titans: Chris Johnson was the highlight again, rushing for 135 yards and scoring two touchdowns. Vince Young played well, completing 12 of 19 for 172 yards, no interceptions and he rushed for a score. The defense gave up some passing yards -- what else is new? -- but it also had three interceptions.
B+
1.80
C-
49ers: Alex Smith threw three interceptions, the last one to kill any chance of rallying for a victory. He did make some plays, but the picks hurt. Frank Gore averaged 5.5 per rush, but only had 15 carries. The defense, usually a strong suit, didn't play well.
Chargers: Philip Rivers didn't have his usual stuff, but he found a way late to drive the Chargers to the game-winning score in the final minute. He knows how to do it in the clutch. Vincent Jackson came up big again. The defense was sound, and holding the Giants to a field goal late was key.
B
2.57
C
Giants: Their decision to play safe late in the game after getting the interception up by three will be questioned -- especially with their defense. The defense did play better, but to let Rivers drive it to the winning score was the difference. Eli Manning was solid, but he didn't hit many plays down the field. It was all short stuff.
Cowboys: The Dallas defense did a great job limiting the high-scoring Philly offense and made plays in the end. The offense didn't get much, bothered by the blitz, but made a big one in the end from Tony Romo to Miles Austin.
A
3.17
B
Eagles: The offensive line struggled against the Dallas pressure and the Eagles couldn't get the offense cranked up. The Philly defense played well, but did give up the big play late. Why did Andy Reid kick the late field goal on fourth down?
Steelers: The defense came up with a huge play early with Tyrone Carter's interception return for a touchdown, but it was the offense that won it in the second half. Ben Roethlisberger lit it up on third down and Rashad Mendenhall ran it well. That was impressive.
B-
3.09
C-
Broncos: At some point, the offense is going to have to make plays down the field. They have to take more chances. They didn't here and it cost them. Kyle Orton wasn't good. The defense wilted in the second half with little help from the offense. It did get the Broncos only touchdown.
As stated last week,NEVER mention Rivers in the same sentence as Peyton Manning unless you say Rivers sucks. Manning carved up the Jets defense for 377 yards and 3 TD and NO INT-the same defense that Rivers could NOT solve and threw the pic that gave the Jets the lead. Manning did not leave it to the kicker to win he game like that loser Rivers did. Rivers not capable of leading a team to anything
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What a waste of all that jack Manning is. I bet the Giants would like a redo and keep Rivers instead of getting Manning. I know, Manning has won a Superbowl, and Burress is not there but Manning is just not consistent enough. Rivers is looking far more consistant right now. No way Manning should be the highest paid player in the NFL!!!
The game was over when Norv decided to lay it down in the 2<sup> nd</sup> quarter, running up the middle on 3<sup> rd</sup> and 5 (when our avg run was like 2 yards) with 2:30 minutes left and then punting the ball was a stupid move, to me that series changed the whole game. Why not put the ball in the Rivers hands and maybe go into half time with a possible 10- 14 p
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Is Prisco the only one saying over and over and over again that the NFL is "all about passing." Look, the passing is game is great and fun to watch but I don't think it is the Superbowl formula. Sure the Saints, Vikings, and Colts have great quarterbacks and can put up points, but the Superbowl is about whose defense is better. The last two years proves my point with the Steelers and Gia
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I think it is quite apparent at this point that Brady is a great statue quarterback. But unfortunately for Tom, in the NFL today it is necessary for the leader of the team to be able to have at least minimal mobility. I saw some of his completions against the Ravens and he literally had the day. However; whenever pressured, he made very poor decisions and threw the ball into cove
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"Facts are facts. Favre gagged in the fourth quarter Sunday, and now the Vikings aren't undefeated anymore. He threw for 334 yards, but two fourth-quarter turnovers for scores were what lost this game.
Free pass? Not here.
On the first turnover, Favre held the ball too long and Steelers defensive end
Seriously, did you want them to go for it on 4th and 11 from the Dallas 32? Were you watching the game? The Eagles O-line was not going to hold up on an obvious passing down like that. At least with the field goal, the Eagles got to kick the ball, and if the D mans up and stops somebody then they get the ball back with 2 minutes left with a chance to run the 2 min offense.
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I am not sure how to look at this playoff picture for the Ravens. They have shown life in many games this season like the dropped pass in NE, missed FG against Minn, or the close game against Pitt and Indy. I think if they wake up they could be a huge threat. What does everyone else think??
Typical response form certain type of sports reportere. Prisco incures this double standard of Sean Paton not being thick skinned about opinions fron the media to the fact that they're rusty down the stretch, yet obviously Payton's one little tongue in cheek comment obviously upset Prisco enough where he has to dedicate his entire lead in to it, instead instad of focusing on the Saints p
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Really Prisco? So after your month-long lovefest with the Cowboys, you're not even going to bring up how wrong you were? You're just going to move on to hopping on the Saints bandwagon?
Look, I hope the Saints win this weekend, very badly in fact. But Prisco has been loving the Cowboys and hating Favre all year long. He has writt
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Come on man, pick the Vikings to win... Most of the teams you pick to win, lose! I want the Saints to win it all so that Drew Brees won't have any trouble getting to the Hall of Fame. You sportswriters seem to think that a team accomplishment is needed to get an individual into the HOF.
Pete - you successfully picked 1 game out of 4 - your grade is 25% and we're going to have to hold you back for another year... your mom will need to sign the report card and send it back.
The Saints receive an "A+" for their "stout" defense which gave up an average of 410 yds in previous 5 reg season games. First play of game for Cardinals was a 79-yd TD run&nb
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I don't know if Prisco is grading on curves here or not, but I have a hard time figuring out how he grades like he does. I am just glad he never was a real teacher, otherwise students would be developing some serious complexes.
Can anyone explain to me why the Ravens and the Cowboys don't get an F?
I know it really doesn't matter since the games are over, and
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Once again Rivers proved he cannot carry a team and cannot win when the chips are on the table. He cannot carry Peyton's jock. The trade by the Giants for Eli has proved to be correct. Idiot Prisco said that San Diego would get the better of Rivers-Eli Manning trade. WRONG! How many rings does Rivers have? NONE! All Charger fans want Brees back. Rivers is a loud mouth,arrogant jerk that will NEVER
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Prissy...what's up with your grading of the Saints and the Vikings? You give the Saints an A+, but only an A to the Vikings. Why?
Weren't you writing the past 2 weeks about how great the Cowboys are and they are the best team in the NFC? And their defense had finally got to the point of being the best and being able to shut down any offense. Where was that defens
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