Week 6 is in the books, and what an interesting week it was! The NFC looks positively stellar with seven teams above .500 while the AFC looks positively average with only two. The Broncos had an historic comeback win over the Chargers, and some key injuries may have ended one team’s playoff hopes. We have a lot to talk about this week so let’s dive right in, shall we?
The Upset That Wasn’t – The Seahawks beat the Patriots in the most exciting game you saw on TV on Sunday. Russell Wilson (16-27, 293 Yards, 3 Tds) outplayed Tom Brady (36-58, 395 Yards, 2 Tds, 2 Ints) The Seahawks made a statement holding New England to only 13 yards total rushing. The frustration was clear on Brady’s face on the sidelines. He doesn’t want to be throwing the ball 60 times a game and you can’t win consistently that way. Meanwhile, in Seattle, they are playing some of the best defense in the NFL ranking 8th overall but the stat is a little misleading. Wilson might be the second coming of Doug Flutie and I think the Seahawks have an outside shot at going to the playoffs. You didn’t think I was going to give this some lame “Sleepless in Seattle” title did you?
4-1 – Speaking of the young guns, they were on full display Sunday with the rookies going 4-1, with the only loss coming from Luck. Wilson has proven he can hang with the big boys, Wheeden got his first victory, Tannehill led his team to victory over a sneaky good Rams team and RGIII put on an amazing display of accuracy and speed. Seriously go look up his 76 yard touchdown scamper, he made the rest of the field look like they were running in water. I’m pretty sure the result in New York for the Colts was caused by coming down from the emotional high they had last week in the victory over the Packers. Letdown games happen, let’s see what happens next week.
Young Guns – I can’t stop talking about these guys enough. We are in an age when several past their prime quarterbacks are making one last grab for glory while younger hungrier guys try to rise up and take their spot. This is a changing of the guard at the quarterback position. Guys like Brady, Manning (Peyton), Roethlisberger, Rivers and to a lesser extent Vick and Brees are giving way to guys like Stafford, Dalton, Bradford and Ponder. Father Time catches up with everyone and quarterbacks are no exception.
Fresh Blood at the Top – Are we noticing a theme in today’s column? The one thing I find exciting about all these young new QB’s being successful is that it means there are new teams sitting on top of the heap. I can honestly say I’ve had an interest in football for close to 30 years. In that 30 years the game has been dominated by a few teams with another team occasionally rising up from the morass to challenge the status quo. Teams like the Cowboys, Patriots, Broncos, Steelers, Giants, Colts, Chargers and Niners get all the coverage. I’m excited that the NFC West has 4 teams at above .500 or better. I’m genuinely excited to see a team like the Falcons or the Texans at the top of their divisions. This is what makes the NFL exciting. It’s nice to see new dynasties rising to the top. That being said, Go Broncos! (It’s been over ten years.)
Gakked at Home – In big-time national televised, games two of the best teams in the game threw in the towel on their home turf. The Niners were spanked by the Giants in a revenge match-up from last year’s NFC Championship game. I think this is a sign of the “Any Given Sunday” aspect of the NFL, still, if you want be considered a serious Super Bowl contender you need to win that game. Meanwhile the Texans also laid a fart on the field versus a Packers team that needed the win more than they did. The Packers came out fired up and saved their season, while the Texans came out flat and played uninspired defense. The Texans committed two key penalties on third downs that kept Packer drives alive and were directly converted into touchdowns. I think this has a lot to do with the loss of Cushing, the emotional heart of the defense. Someone else in Houston needs to step up and lead that defense from the field or they are one and done in the playoffs.
Season-Altering Injuries – In a win over a rather sad Cowboys team, the Ravens lost two key defensive players for the year to injuries. Ray Lewis (MLB) was lost to a torn triceps and Lardarius Webb (CB) tore his ACL. Say what you will about Ray Lewis but he is the man that the Ravens defense revolves around. One of your linebackers, usually the middle or “mike” linebacker is in charge of making the on-field calls. Lewis may have lost a step physically but replacing his experience and intensity is impossible. I think the Texans are in trouble without Cushing because he was their “guy” on the field, which leads me to…..
Hypocrisy Run Wild – Roger Goodell and the rest of the stuffed-suit billionaires who run the NFL would tell you they care about player safety. In the last ten years or so, the pendulum has swung heavily in favor of the offense. These guys don’t give a damn about safety, they care about money. The bottom line is high-scoring games and high-scoring teams sell tickets and score ratings. By handicapping the defense with so many ridiculous rules they are doing a good job ensuring this. Meanwhile, where are the rules protecting the health of defensive players? I bring up (hopefully for the last time) Brian Cushing of the Houston Texans who saw his season end and his career put in jeopardy by an illegal hit that took out his ACL. Look, I saw the play in real time. The guy dove for the knees of Cushing, who was looking the other way. His punishment for ending the season of another player? $10K. I’ve seen bigger fines for players who have had phantom head hits on a quarterback. It’s time for start protecting people on both sides of the ball. They have careers and families just like the offense.
Season Saved/Season Over – The Packers saved their season with an empathic victory over the Texans and the Broncos did the same with a thrilling come-from-behind victory over the Chargers. At this point you can’t write out anyone in the AFC East (the entire conference is 3-3), and the Lions managed to claw their way back into the edge of the picture. Dallas is done, write it down. They are simply a terrible team and should have been able to put away a banged-up Ravens squad.
Weekly Picks (Home Team in Caps)
Bye Week – Atlanta, Denver, Kansas City, Miami, Philadelphia, San Diego
Mr. Ross’s Picks
NINERS over Seahawks, BILLS over Titans, GIANTS over Redskins, Saints over BUCS, PANTHERS over Cowboys (Battle of the Mediocre!), TEXANS over Ravens, COLTS over Browns, Packers over RAMS, VIKINGS over Cardinals, PATRIOTS over Jets, RAIDERS over Jaguars (The “Why Bother Game”), BENGALS over Steelers, BEARS over Lions.
Last week 5-9
Total 47-52
Mrs. Ross’s Picks
Niners, Bills, Giants, Bucs, Panthers, Texans, Browns, Rams, Cardinals, Patriots, Jaguars, Steelers, Bears
Last Week 7-7
Total 50-49
