The Week in Review... Most of it Anyway

Games were played, tears were shed, some friends became enemies, some enemies became friends, and we've still got 16 weeks of regular season play to go. Maybe the tears were an exaggeration, but I doubt it. Jake Delhomme strikes me as the type to tough it out for the team, the TV, friends, and family. He can hold his head up high for those around him, but I imagine after throwing almost double-digit interceptions in two games he goes home, opens himself a fresh liter of Stoli Razz, hides in the closet and cries himself to sleep. Or maybe hes a scratcher.

Moving on... the games. I recall having promised reviews of every game, but in all honesty, that's a lot of work, and some teams just suck. The games, in turn, suck as well. As much as I liked watching the Eagles stomp on Carolina, blowouts aren't always that interesting. So, I apologize if the coverage you find for some games is less than interesting or totally irrelevant.

Steelers v. Titans (13-10 Pittsburgh in O.T.)

The Steelers offensive line still sucks. Big Ben is a hefty dude, pretty comfortable out of the pocket, but he was sacked four times. That says something. Their defense will be fine for the time being with out Polamalu, but I don't know if they can carry the dead weight of five incompetent linemen. Santonio Holmes looks like he might finally be a real threat. After that Superbowl winning TD, my guess is that his confidence shot way up. Keep an eye on him. I also noticed that Chris Johnson is going to make Lendale White work for his lunch money. He had 7 more carries, and I imagine that trend will continue as long as Johnson outperforms White. His combination of tremendous speed, crippling power, and pretty good vision makes a threat every time.

Falcons v. Dolphins (19-7 Atlanta)

In the animal kingdom, these two majestic creatures would never cross paths, let alone do battle. Were they forced to fight, I would put my money on the superiority of the aerial prowess winged beast. So it goes in football as well. Matt Ryan looked pretty good, and as I suspected, Michael Turner was limited. Time will tell, but I think the lack of serious defenses he ran against last year inflated his value. Maybe he will adjust and prove me wrong, but I think hes better than average, just not great.

Ravens v. Cheifs (38-21 Baltimore)

Joe Flacco. Woa. I like that Baltimore has given him the space to throw the ball, because I think he can. He shows poise. It probably helped his cause that he was playing against a porous defense. If they continue to let him air it out and balance the throwing with the running, they could have a dangerous offense. I like these guys down the road. I'm still curious to see how Matt "hasn't started a game since a high school until last year" Cassel does without Moss and Welker to throw to and Belichik two steps behind him with the cat-o-nine tails.

Eagles v. Panthers (38-10 Philadelphia)

It's hard to tell if the new Eagles defense is that great or if a little pressure undoes them like Amy Winehouse on a crack binge. They have a serious challenge ahead with New Orleans. Look out for Macho Harris and Quintin Mikell. Dawkins was a huge loss for Philly, but I think these guys can pick up the slack. I'm curious to see how Delhomme does this week. I fail to understand why you would ink a deal for five years with a quarterback who throws multiple interceptions in the playoffs. Looks like somebody is pot committed. Whoops.

Broncos v. Bengals (12-7 Denver)

What a stupid game and what a stupid way to win... or lose. If you don't know what I'm talking about, I suggest you forget all about it and rest easy knowing that everybody involved wasted several hours of their life.

Vikings v. Browns (34-20 Minnesota)

Fact: Adrian Peterson is a monster.
Fact: Brett Favre is still old.
Fiction: Favre helps their chances.

If the Vikings make the playoffs, it will be because of AP and in spite of Favre.

Jets v. Texans (24-7 New York)

What's up with Matt Schaub? What's up with Steve Slaton? What's up with the Jets D? Who is this Mark Sanchez guy? These are all good questions, to which I have no answer. This was a very strange game, and maybe suffered from the erraticness that tends to follow the first week of the regular season like bruises and a hangover follow Tara Reid.

Colts v. Jaguars (14-12 Indianapolis)

Reggie Wayne and Peyton Manning are still monsters on the field. They can do anything. Except win by a lot, which they used to with ease. The question is... should I care? My crystal ball says no. Maurice Jones-Drew seems to have suffered no ill effects from the added attention garnered by the loss of Fred Taylor. It appears the team hasn't given up on Joseph Addai, but rookie Donald Brown is getting some serious looks. I think he'll come in handy down the stretch when Addai is sidelined by his annual collapse.

Saints v. Lions (45-27 New Orleans)

The Saints had to kick only one field goal. They ran the ball as much as they threw it. Detroit still sucks, but the Saints still allowed four touchdowns, which doesn't bode well. Picking off a rookie QB three times is nothing to brag about either. That being said, having a prolific offense can't always make up for a shoddy defense. This weeks matchup with the Eagles should give us a better idea of the Saints as a whole.

Cowboys v. Buccaneers (34-21 Dallas)

Tony Romo is in typical September form, suggesting promises of success and poise. Until December hits, this jury is still out. That being said, who saw Cadillac Williams coming? I sure didn't. As a matter of fact, I had forgotten that he still played. One also has to wonder what kind of drugs they smoke at the Buc's facility. Why would you fire your head coach after posting a winning season, release their quarterback, and then go on to fire their offensive coordinator a week before the regular season? These people are high, and I see nothing good for them for the time being.

49'ers v. Cardinals (20-16 San Francisco)

It seems that the curse of Superbowl losers crashing the following year is a trend that may continue throughout the season. Maybe they will get their act together. Their offense stalled, and Tim Hightower, a second year running back, had the most receptions with twelve. Larry Fitzgerald was nowhere to be seen until the second half, and Anquan Boldin recorded two catches for the day. My guess is Kurt Warner will be struggle this year.

Giants v. Redskins (23-17 New York)

I would have thought that the Giants could have put up a more convincing win, the way people seem to talk them up. Their defense will always keep them in the game, and Manning did pretty well, but for all the hype I'm a little confused. Manning didn't seem to miss Plaxico too much and has taken to spreading the ball around a bit. Steve Smith the lesser seems to be a new favorite target, and the running game was functional if not stellar. As far as the Redskins are concerned, it remains to be seen if the billion dollar deal with Haynesworth will pay out. I'm not so sure. I will only say this once, but how is it that the Redskins are still the named the Redskins? Know what? I want to start an expansion team and call them the Yellowmen, and we'll put a picture of Mr. Magoo on the helmets. Think Roger Goodell would be okay with that? Amazing.

Seahawks v. Rams (28-0 Seattle)

I can't truly express the degree of my distaste for this whole debacle. The Rams are no good, I know, but that bad? Will the Seahawks make a comeback this year? Who cares? Not this guy. They're in a shaky division, so making the playoffs shouldn't be too much trouble. In the playoffs I'm doubtful of their chances for success. Also, I may have predicted the Cardinals to take the division, and I'd like to blame that on some potentially lethal Mexican food I had ingested in the hours preceding my last post. Note that Chimichanga's and suspect beef may cause mild delirium.

Packers v. Bears (21-15 Green Bay)

Aaaahahahahaha! Jay Cutler is a donkey! As much as I can't stand the man, I love to watch him run his mouth and refuse to eat his words. Three interceptions makes my day. Though the Packers struggled to find a rhythm offensively, I believe that they will become one of the more dominant offenses this year. Having Donald Driver as your number two guy is a big plus. Check out the bomb from Rodgers to Jennings.

Patriots v. Bills (25-24 New England)

This game came down to one play. The fumble. Apparently the Bills are in danger of being shipped to Canada. That fumble might have been the nail in the coffin. I liked Trent Edwards' play, and the no-huddle offense seemed to keep New England on their heels. I imagine it was the anger at the thought of losing to Buffalo that forced that fumble. The jury is still out on Brady, but I imagine he'll do fine. I don't really think the Patriots won the game so much as the Bills lost it.

Chargers v. Raiders (24-20 San Diego)

Late game heroics once again foil an otherwise pleasant underdog story. I like the Raiders, and hope to see them smash the Chargers later in the season. LT seems to have maxed out his mileage and I expect Darren Sproles will get his share by the end of the season, and he's hungry for yards. Just watch him play. LT fumbles for the first time in several years. Looks like old father time is about to put his foot down. For the Raiders, I think JaMarcus Russell may pan out, but probably not until Al Davis drops dead from his mind-boggling insanity. Check out the bomb from Russell to Louis Murphy, the rookie WR. He failed to maintain control on an earlier TD pass, and made up for it big by getting about ten yards of separation on a 57 yd TD. While the Raiders are still the Raiders, I like their chances... that being better than awful.

That's all folks. Check back later for some thoughts on the upcoming games.