Entertaining weekend in the NFL
The highlight of the incredible 9 minutes of finals on ESPN was incredible. And in a 6 minute period he had multiple field goal kickers cutting goal posts for the game winners! That was classic.
One of them was the surprising Atlanta Falcons with their kicker Jason Elam defeating the Chicago Bears. The Falcons have simply risen above the ashes of their Michael Vick and Bobby Petrino soap opera season of a year ago and are back to basics. And his rookie quarterback Matt Ryan is showing a maturity beyond his years or should I say years. It is also important for me to point out the game of Kyle Orton about this game. I liked that he came out of Purdue, but I thought he had proven to be an endorsement at best in the NFL. Now all of a sudden he’s straightened out his passing trajectory and learned how to get a ball to a receiver in a timely manner and become a solid quarterback.
Minnesota Vikings Ryan Longwell became another hero by winning the game with a 26-yard endgame. However, this was against the Division 1 Detroit Lions. The Vikings, a preseason flavor of the week for many tipsters, are barely staying alive in the NFC North, let alone keeping up with the NFC leaders. .
The St. Louis Rams also got the victory off their butt by beating the Washington Redskins with a last-minute field goal. This was not only a surprise, it was a bad loss for the Redskins. After 2 impressive road wins against division rivals, the Redskins had a chance to solidify as contenders.
The Arizona Cardinals made a good statement by beating the Cowboys. Maybe, just maybe this is finally the year they make the playoffs. They have had a history of playing Dallas close to the vest, though.
As I have recorded, the Browns usually take 4-5 weeks into the season to play to their best ability. I wasn’t surprised by his home win against the New York Giants.
Tampa Bay really rose to the occasion by defeating the Carolina Panthers. If Gruden could make a decision on quarterbacks, they could build last year’s playoff streak.
Well, it looks like someone found the Indianapolis Colts. Going into the game allowing 188 rushing yards per game, I thought the Baltimore Ravens would be working their way to a win at Indy. Someone forgot to tell the Colts to turn back. Have they come back?
This team has been moving down this path for the past 3 years. Marvin Lewis lost this team in 2006. They suck and have no chance of improving anytime soon. On paper, this should have been unexpected, but if you’ve seen them, you’ve been expecting this.
A great win for Philadelphia, but they were the best team. The Eagles are too heavy and will run out of gas against elite teams as the season progresses. Top heavy means they have a few stars but are mixed in with below-average role players. With a hit Westbrook, they have no chance of a deep run. But against the San Francisco 49ers, Correll Buckhalter is a quality backup. That won’t be the case against better teams.
This was a great victory for San Diego considering they have been cornered. The New England Patriots defense has been in decline for the past two years, but an offense led by Tom Brady kept them winning. Matt Cassell can’t command that kind of production.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have been shot out the door, but little by little they have smoothed things out. The loss to Pittsburgh hurt a bit, but admittedly they put it in their memory bank and beat Denver.