Week Eight Questions/Storylines

1. Can a team in the NFC prove that they are with the Cowboys in the elite category, and can a team in the AFC prove that they are in the same class as the Colts and Patriots?

2. Can the Colts and Patriots survive trap games before they play each other against the Panthers and Redskins?

3. Who will prove that they are the best team in the NFC North: The Bears or the Lions who are facing each other, or the Packers, who are facing the Broncos?

4. Can the Steelers bounce back against the Bengals on the road and prove they are among the elite?

5. Can the Saints continue their winning streak against the 49ers and prove that they are playoff contenders in the NFC?

6. How will the Giants and Dolphins react to being in London for a game, and how will the fans there be?

7. Can San Diego put all the wild fire news behind them and beat the Texans?

8. Who will win in a game containing two teams that suffered bad losses last week: the buccaneers or the jaguars?

9. Can Vince Young come back from his injury and prove that he is the quarterback that will lead the Titans to the playoffs?

10. Can the Browns show in Cleveland that their serious playoff contenders in the AFC?

NFL News: October 27th, 2007

- Previously suspended wide receiver Koren Robinson will be a game time decision Monday night against the Broncos:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3082730

- Jets linebacker Jonathon Vilma was placed on season ending IR with a knee injury:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3082132


- Close call for Matt Hasselbeck with a crashing podium and camera:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3082365

- New health screenings for NFL retirees:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3082801

- Patriots defensive end Richard Seymour has been inactivated from the PUP list for Sunday's game against the Redskins, playing for the first time this season with a knee injury:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3082717

- Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison will not play in Sunday's game against the Panthers with a knee injury:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3082584

- Former 49er's wide receiver Antonio Bryant filed a motion asking a federal judge to not let the NFL punish him for supposedly violating the league's substance abuse policy:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3081855

- Injury report:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3081939

Week Eight Predictions

Early Games	Question	Prediction	Why
NY Giants Miami	Can the Giants make a smooth transition overseas and beat the winless Dolphins?	27-10 Giants	The Dolphins lost their biggest offensive threat in RB Ronnie Brown; Giants will attack injured LB core of Dolphins
Pittsburgh Cincinnati	Can the Steelers bounce back from an embarrassing loss to the Broncos and beat a team on the road, showing they are in the AFC elite?	31-20 Steelers	Willie Parker will run wild against injured Bengals linebackers, and TE Heath Miller will have a big day; Kenny Watson won't be able to find any holes
Detroit Chicago	Can Brian Grisie and the Bears offense continue to play well, and can the Bears defense stop the talented Lion's offense?	24-17 Lions	Even though the Lions offense has been struggling, Jon Kitna will have a big day, and Brian Grisie will make a critical mistake at some time
Indianapolis Carolina	Can the Colts survive this somewhat trap game leading up to the showdown against the Pats?	24-9 Colts	Vinny Testeverde will be devoured by this stout Indy secondary, and Peyton and co. will have their way with the Panthers defense, even without Harrison
Cleveland St. Louis	Can the Browns continue their hot streak, and can the Rams find a way to finally win?	13-7 Rams	I think this will be a sloppy game, and the Browns will be brought down from the .500 mark
Oakland Tennessee	Can Vince Young make plays and not turn the ball over in his comeback game?	20-10 Titans	Vince Young will play okay, which is all he needs to do against the Raiders
Philadelphia Minnesota	Can go back into form after a very tough loss to the Bears, and can the Vikings actually give Adrian Peterson the ball?	17-13 Vikings	Adrian Peterson will have a big day and get more carries, and McNabb and the Eagles offense will continue to struggle
Late Games
Jacksonville Tampa Bay	Can the Jaguars and Buccaneers both bounce back after bad games?	17-6 Bucs	Quin Grey will have an awful day, and although the Bucs running game will once again be inexistent, the Bucs will win
Buffalo NY Jets	Can the Jets finally get something going and can the Bills build off their win last week against the Ravens?	21-20 Bills	The Jets offense will continue to sputter, and the Bills offense will do just enough to win
Houston San Diego	Can the Chargers get back to football after the stressful week with the fires?	34-21 Chargers	LT will have a great game, and him and Charger's offense will wear the Texan's defense down
New Orleans San Francisco	Can the Saints continue the momentum they have gotten from 2 straight wins?	24-7 Saints	Alex Smith coming back will do little to this bad 49er's offense
Washington New England	Can the Patriots survive this trap game before facing Indy?	38-13 Pats	Tom Brady and everyone else will continue to be unstoppable
Monday Night Game Green Bay Denver	Can the Packers beat a good team and can the Broncos build on last week's win?	27-21 Pack	In a very good, tight game Brett Farve will do enough to beat the broncos

NFL News: October 26th, 2007

- Steelers defensive end Aaron Smith will miss Sunday's game against the Bengals because of a left knee injury:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3081169

- The Eagles could be without right tackle Jon Runyan and safeties Brian Dawkins and Sean Considine for Sunday's game against the Vikings:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3081132

- The Chargers and Texans will play at Qualcomm Stadium on Sunday in San Diego despite the wildfires:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3080874

- Vikings quarterback Tarvaris Jackson is still questionable for Sunday's game against the Eagles with a finger injury, but it looks like Kelly Holcomb will start in place of him:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3080927

- Titans running back Chris Brown will be a game-time decision on Sunday against the RAiders with an ankle injury:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3080924

- The Panthers starting quarterback Sunday will be Vinny Testverde, with David Carr having a bad back:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3080655

NFL News: October 25th, 2007

- Titans suspended cornerback Pacman Jones will wait to see if he faces charges in a strip club shooting:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3078945

- 49ers quarterback Alex Smith will start against the Saints on Sunday, coming back from a right shoulder injury:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3079277

- The Vikings sign punter Chris Kluwe to a six-year extension:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3079232

- Titans defensive tackle Corey Simon retires:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3079160

- The Jaguars sign quarterback Todd Bouman to one-year deal to make interim starter Aaron Gray up and waive linebacker Pat Thomas:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3078629

- Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas will not play game in London on Sunday because of a car accident:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3079119

- Jets linebacker Jonathon Vilma will not play in Sunday's game against the Bills; rookie David Harris is expected to start in place of him:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3079077

- 3 NFL game times changed in week eleven:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3079011

- Panthers starting quarterback still not known:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3078876

- Here is the week eight injury report:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3078279

NFL Broadcasters:CBS

I'm going to be doing a 4 week series looking at the stations that deliver us great football week after week after week. This week will be CBS, then FOX next week, ESPN the next, and finally NBC.

Because I'm a Bengals fan, CBS is the place on Sunday's where I watch most of my football. I usually try to watch a couple minutes of their pre-game show, and obviously then watch the games. CBS has many good announcers, and some not so good ones. I will be grading those announcers and the people in the studio on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest. I will also look at other things in this post that deal with the NFL on CBS.

Announcers:
There are seven pairs of announcers for CBS that do NFL games on Sunday. Here are my rankings of them from best to worst, and why.
1. Greg Gumbel(play-by-play)/Dan Dierdorf: 9/10
Gumbel has always been a favorite of mine. He seems to have the right emphasis when he's calling plays, and creates interesting conversation between him and his partner Dierdorf. Dierdorf provides very good football insight while also being funny at times, making for an enjoyable broadcast. The chemistry between these two is excellent, which makes them the best on CBS.
2. Ian Eagle(play-by-play)/Solomon Wilcots: 8.5/10
Eagle calls the games with smartness and entertainment, getting the viewer excited. At times, he does get overly excited, but that is not such a big deal. Solomon Wilcox is by far my favorite football analyst. He tells things as they are, and provides great football knowledge. These two are a great pair.
3. Kevin Harlan(play-by-play)/Rich Gannon: 7/10
I am not that big of a fan of Harlan, but I can deal with him. Sometimes, he makes very odd comments and seems to be favoring a particular team. I do like Rich Gannon however. He is very smart, and his skills of communicating to the audience are getting much better.
4. Jim Nance(play-by-play)/Phil Simms:6/10
I like Jim Nance a lot in every sport he does. He gives just enough opinion and information that a play-by-play guy should give, and calls the game just as it is. But, i don't like Simms. He really isn't that smart, and he talks slowly at times, acting like the people watching are five year olds.
5. Dick Enberg(play-by-play)/Randy Cross:5.5/10
Enberg and Cross don't really fit well together. Enberg often gets excited, but his partner just sits there and waits for him to calm down. I like both of them, but they shouldn't be together.
6. Gus Johnson(play-by-play)/Steve Tasker: 4.5/10
Gus Johnson is fairly smart and knows whats going on. But he has these flashes of excitement whenever anything close to exciting happens. It gets very annoying after awhile. Tasker is descent, but he needs to talk more. It is difficult to do that when Gus is having one of his shouts of excitement.
7. Bill Macatee(play-by-play)/Steve Beuerlein: 2.5/10
By far, these guys are the worst broadcasters on CBS. They both favor one teams after five minutes is played, and only have nice things to say about them for the rest of the game. Macatee makes odd and awkward comments, and I often have a difficult time understanding him. Buerlein hardly offers anything insight that I didn't know.

Studio Team: James Brown(host), Shannon Sharpe, Dan Marino, Boomer Esiason, Bill Cower, Charley Casserly(GM for CBS): 8.5/10
These guys offer excellent football insight, and also fit well together, thus creating humor. James Brown has been hosting NFL shows for a long time and knows what he's doing. Shannon Sharpe brings descent insight being a former player, but mostly bring lightness and humor, which I find very enjoyable. Marino offers very good insight, but is often to serious. He has opened up considerably in the past three years, though. Esiason is basically the same as Marino. Cower is still trying to fit in, and I think that he is not yet fully connecting with the other guys. It will come with time. Cower does seem to have a bias in his opinions and picks. Casserly is pretty smart, but is not that great in front of a camera.


In-game Updates: 6/10
Many of the updates are late and dated, and I already know whats coming.
Scoreboard: 8/10
The game scoreboard is a little too small, but I am used to it. The other game scoreboard is very nice in keeping viewers alert on other games, making up for the lack of in-game updates. That score board is often wrong in game time for other games and where the teams are. The fantasy updates on it are stupid. That's what the internet is for.
Commercials: 7.5/10
CBS is probably the best in not having too many commercials. At this point, not having one every change of possession is a bonus. But, CBS has many in game ads, promoting shows on CBS.
Stats/Analysts Opinions: 8.5/10
CBS is great in giving game stats for the game that is showing. They are all relevant, and important to the game. The keys to the game, while smart, are kind of chessy for names like "The Task Force" for Steve Tasker and "The Wisdom of Solomon" for Solomon Wilcox. You get the point.
HDTV: 7/10
CBS's HD quality is very good, but not all games are offered in it like FOX. This is because they paid so much money last year for an all HD studio.
Overall Sound/Vision: 9.5/10
Sound is very good on CBS. You can hear all the whistles and players grunting and hitting clearly. The camera angles are all usually very good.



Overall Grade: 8/10


Cbs is very good at broadcasting games. Next week I will take a look at FOX.

Week Eight Power Rankings

1. New England Patriots- 7-0
2. Indianapolis Colts- 6-0
3. Dallas Cowboys- 6-1
4. Green Bay Packers- 5-1
5. Pittsburgh Steelers- 4-2
6. Tennessee Titans- 4-2
7. Washington Redskins- 4-2
8. San Diego Chargers- 3-3
9. New York Giants- 5-2
10. Kansas City Chiefs- 4-3
11. Detroit Lions- 4-2
12. Jacksonville Jaguars- 4-2
13. Carolina Panthers- 4-2
14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- 4-3
15. Cleveland Browns- 3-3
16. Seattle Seahawks- 4-3
17. Arizona Cardinals- 3-4
18. Baltimore Ravens- 4-3
19. Denver Broncos- 3-3
20. Chicago Bears- 3-4
21. New Orleans Saints- 2-4
22. Houston Texans- 3-4
23. Cincinnati Bengals- 2-4
24. Buffalo Bills- 2-4
25. Minnesota Vikings- 2-4
26. Philadelphia Eagles- 2-4
27. Oakland Raiders- 2-4
28. San Francisco 49ers- 2-4
29. Atlanta Falcons- 1-6
30. New York Jets- 1-6
31. St. Louis Rams- 0-7
32. Miami Dolphins- 0-7

NFL News: October 24th, 2007

- Jets linebacker Jonathon Vilma misses practice with knee injury and status still uncertain:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3077726

- Buccaneers release running back Zach Crockett and place kick and punt returner Mark Jones on I.R:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3077671

- Viking's quarterback Tarvaris Jackson still unsure if he will play Sunday against the Eagles with finger injury:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3077669

- Texans quarterback Matt Schaub still listed as day-to-day after practicing with a hip injury:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3077353

- Rams running back Steven Jackson expected to play Sunday against the Browns on Sunday with a groin injury:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3077642

- Saints center Jeff Faine still unsure if he'll play with left arm injury; defensive tackle Brian Young will play with left knee injury; cornerback Jason David practiced and will play first time since injuring left forearm:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3077623

- Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew misses practice with knee injury, but still expected to play on Sunday against the Buccaneers:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3077625

- Jaguars quarterback David Garrard could be out for four weeks with left ankle sprain:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3077173

- Patriots defensive end Richard Seymour returns to practice after being on PUP with knee injury; could be available for Sunday's game against the Redskins:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3077531

- Panthers quarterback David Carr might be healthy enough to play Sunday against the colts with his back, but it's unsure if he'll start yet:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3077142

- Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry returns to practice first time since being suspended, but still has to sit out two more games:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3077409

- Chad Pennington will remain the Jet's starting quarterback:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3077074

- The NFL added ten million dollars to it's medical fund for retired players:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3076677

- Browns sign cornerback and safety Nick Sorenson:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3077059

-Man involved who sold Michael Vick pit bulls to fight with pleads guilty to federal dogfighting charge:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3076823

- 49ers quarterback Alex Smith might start Sunday against the Saints with a right shoulder injury:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3077773

- The Chargers continued to work out in Arizona and still don't know where their game against the Texans will be played on Sunday with the wildfires:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3077843

- Broncos wide receiver Rod Smith back at practice after being on PUP whole season with a left hip injury; it is still unsure when or if he will come back this season:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3077878

- The Panthers place running back and kick returner Nick Goings on IR with a concussion and sign linebacker Donte Curry:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3077819

- Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas unsure if he will be able to play against the Giants Sunday in London after being in a car accident:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3077424

Team Rankings: Post Week Seven

So week seven in the 2007 NFL season has just been completed. By now, we all have a feel for what teams are great, good, decent, bad, and atrocious. So I put a list together that separates these teams from the previously mentioned rankings. Keep in mind that although we are fairly far into the season, some teams are still unclear as to how good they are. Some could move up or down throughout the rest of the season.

Great:
- New England Patriots- 7-0
- Indianapolis Colts- 6-0
- Dallas Cowboys- 6-1

Good:
- Pittsburgh Steelers- 4-2
- Green Bay Packers- 5-1
- New York Giants- 5-2
- Tennessee Titans- 4-2
- San Diego Chargers- 3-3
- Washington Redskins- 4-2

Decent:
- Seattle Seahawks- 4-3
- Carolina Panthers- 4-2
- Jacksonville Jaguars- 4-2
- Cleveland Browns- 3-3
- Baltimore Ravens- 4-3
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers- 4-3
- Detroit Lions- 4-2
- Arizona Cardinals- 3-4
- Kansas City Chiefs- 4-3

Bad:
- Cincinnati Bengals- 2-4
- Chicago Bears- 3-4
- Denver Broncos- 3-3
- Buffalo Bills- 2-4
- Minnesota Vikings- 2-4
- San Francisco 49ers- 2-4
- New Orleans Saints- 2-4
- Oakland Raiders- 2-4
- Houston Texans- 3-4
- Philadelphia Eagles- 2-4

Atrocious:
- New York Jets- 1-6
- Miami Dolphins- 0-7
- Atlanta Falcons- 1-6
- St. Louis Rams- 0-7

What are your thoughts?

NFL News: October 23rd, 2007

I am starting this site up again. The NFL news will look different from now on. I will give a quick one sentence recap of the news story, and then provide the link for the full story on ESPN.


- Rookie Trent Edwards has been given the starting quarterback job in Buffalo:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3076252

- The Chargers have been forced to practice in Arizona with the wild fires in California:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3075012

- Browns cornerback Gary Baxter has been placed on the season ending I.R:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3076234

- Rams offensive guard Claude Terrell is released after being arrested:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3075352

- The Texans release running back Samkon Gado and sign running back Adimchinobe Echemandu from practice squad:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3076170

- Steelers safety Ryan Clark still suffering from spleen problems, but expected to play Sunday against the Bengals:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3076089

- Jets announce deal for new training facility with Atlantic Health to be completed at the end of 2008:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3076003

- Jaguars quarterback David Garrard had an MRI to see the extent of his ankle injury suffered last night against the Colts. He is not expected to play Sunday against the Bucs:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3075813

- The Falcons place starting offensive tackle Renardo Foster on I.R. and sign offensive linemen Terrance Pennington:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3075728

- Falcons unsure how long starting quarterback Byron Leftwich and starting left tackle Renardo Foster will be out after injuries Sunday against the Saints:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3075118

- NFL cuts time between first and second round draft picks and cuts third round on first day of draft:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3075622

A Monday Night To Remember

As monday night began the Cowboys(4-0) had much at stake, to be undefeated for next week against the Patriots, Buffalo(1-3) on the other hand had been upset-minded all week, and also attempting to beat an unbeaten team, something the Bears did just last sunday night against the Packers.

It was also a re-match of the past superbowls these two teams played in both won by the Cowboys

Buffalo not only had something to play for, but someone in Kevin Everett, who has been progressing throughout the NFL season. It meant alot to him that his team had been playing their hearts out for him.

The Bills got off to a fast 7-0 start with just 6 minutes gone by in the game on a 25 yard interception return by George Wilson, which was one of 2 Tony Romo interceptions in the 1st quarter.

But in the 2nd quarter Romo bounced back to tie the game at 7-7 on a 22 yard pass to Jason Witten.

After going 3 and out the bills defense picked off Romo for the 3rd time in the half, setting up a 24 yard field goal by Rian Lindell to give Buffalo the lead 10-3.

Costly penalties moved the Cowboys back into their own endzone, where Chris Kelsay, made Romo pay for throwing instead of taking a safety, by picking him off and walking not even a yard and scoring to give Buffalo a 17-7 lead.

With just 3 minutes to go it was important for Dallas to get at least 3 heading into halftime. Romo had struggled but Sam Hurd made the big catch to set up a Nick Folk field goal, cutting the lead to 17-10, in addition to that the Cowboys would be given the ball as well with a chance to tie the game, 4 turnovers and the cowboys were only down 7, you cant get any more fortunate then that.

Tony Romo opened the half by driving down into Bills territory, which the Bills have been tough on defense all game, Dallas could not get into the endzone, and had to settle for another Nick Folk field goal, which but the lead to 17-13.

Terrance Mcgee made sure Buffalo would score on the next possession by taking the ball 103 yards for the touchdown, giving the bills a 24-13, which was very critical against this kind of Dallas team.

Neither team scored after that in the 3rd, but Dallas was denied of the endzone once again, settling for another field goal, the score was 24-16, Dallas would need a touchdown and a 2-pt conversion to at least tie the game, next Dallas possession Romo fumbles the football, and Buffalo was well on their way to sealing the win.

A solid running game ran off the clock for a good amount of time, but the mistake made by rookie QB in position to clinch it, Trent Edwards' pass from the Dallas 11 was tipped by DeMarcus Ware and returned 70 yards by Terence Newman. Romo looked for tight end Jason Witten, Instead, he found linebacker John DiGiorgio at the goal line and DiGiorgio returned his first career pickoff 38 yards. That was the 5th interception thrown by Romo, and the 6th dallas turnover in the game.

But unfortunatly the Bills could not get a first down to once again clinch the win. Instead it gave Dallas a chance to tie the game, Tony Romo had finally gotten back in his normal stage, but most part thanks to the Bills playing prevent down the field. with 20 seconds to go romo found Patrick Crayton for just his 2nd passing touchdown in the game, but the Bills held strong and prevented the 2-PT conversion.

All Buffalo needed to do was get the onside kick, and a questionable call gave Dallas a chance, Sam Hurd made contact just after the ball went 10 yards but on the replay it showed he made contact much earlier then that. Nevertheless Dallas was given the ball with a chance to win, an incompletion with 1 second left called back gave romo only 16 seconds to get the ball in FG range, and he did just that in only 2 plays, Marion Barber and Patrick Crayton both made catches and ran out of bounds.

With 3 seconds left Nick Folk made the field goal, but Buffalo called a timeout which negated the first one, but the 2nd one went right down the middle, giving Dallas the win 25-24.

Dallas and Buffalo players thoughts after the game

"Oh, it's great," Folk said. "It shows you how good we can be and what we can do if we don't make mistakes. And even if we do make mistakes and we stick together as a team, we still stay in the game."

"That's a sign of a pretty resilient team," Romo said. "I think our team, outside of me, played an outstanding football game. They dug me out of it. It was tough to go through that, especially on Monday night.


"We made too many big plays to lose that game," McGee said. "It just seemed we had it won. We were one play short."

"It was embarrassing, embarrassing," Bills receiver Lee Evans, on the verge of tears, kept repeating in the somber locker room. "We had opportunities to put the game away, put some points on the board, give us a little more cushion. Couldn't do it. It's embarrassing."

Sure it may be embarrassing for the Bills, but was it more big for the Cowboys?. We will find out next week when the Dallas and New England meet up and decide "who is better".

~ucbearcats blog written by marlins2004

News: October 8th, 2007

Some injuries to get to today. I'll do a week 5 wrap after the MNF game.

- Trent Green of the Dolphins suffered the worst concussion yesterday in a loss against the Texans, which is a grade-three. He will undergo more tests to see if this injury will end his long fourteen year career. Nothing is really known at this point, as was said by Miami head coach Cam Cameron. This is the 2nd concussion suffered by Green in the last 2 seasons, with him suffering a severe concussion with the Chiefs last season in the opener. All of this came after Green was trying to throw a block on a Texans defender in yesterday's game. Green's head was hit by Travis Johnson's knee, delivering a blow that left Green unconscious. Travis Johnson got a penalty after the play for taunting the unconcious Green, for the reason in this quote: "The bottom line is, it was a malicious hit. It was uncalled for. He's like the scarecrow. He wants to get courage while I wasn't looking, and hit me in my knee instead of trying to hit me in my head. God don't like ugly, you know what I mean?" Jonhson must have felt very strongly and been very mad, because not too many people would say that about someone who they may have just ended their career. Cleo Lemons will fill in for Trent Green at the quarterback spot.

- Buccaneer running back Antonio Pittman suffered a knee sprain that may keep him on the sidelines for up to two months in yesterday's loss against the Colts. This comes after last weeks news that starting running back Cadillac Williams was out for the year with a patellar tear in the right knee. Tough luck for Tampa Bay, as now they are going to have to start Earnest Graham at running back. They will be on the market for any running back help that becomes available, so watch for them to make a trade or sign someone in this week.

- Panthers starting quarterback Jake Delhomme learned that he had to undergo season ending elbow surgery next week. Obviously, this ends his season, after he played very well in 3 games. Delhomme got the sprained right elbow in a win against the Falcons in week 3. Listed behind Delhomme is David Carr, who is also injured right now. He suffered a back injury in yesterday's win over the Saints that made him miss some time. He is still being evaluated. Behind him is undrafted free agent Matt Moore. Anytime a team looses their starting quarterback, it is a huge blow. Carr will have to play the best he ever has if the Panthers want to make the playoffs this year. With a bad back, I'm not sure if Carr can.

- The Broncos starting center and five-time Pro Bowler Tom Nalen will be out for the season after he tore his right biceps muscle in yesterday's embarrassing loss to the Chargers. This came after he was injured in the first quarter. Nalen will undergo surgery this week, ending his season. The injury is not believed to be career threatening, however.

- Denver also lost tight-end Nate Jackson for the season with a torn groin.

The State Of The New York Giants

This is my first football-related article, so please bear with me...

Weeks 1 and 2:Coming out of the gates 0-2 wasn't much of a surprise to me. Although I liked how Eli played in week 1 at Dallas, I was not surprised with the loss, nor was I surprised when Green bay defeated us at the Meadowlands in week 2. The offense which, in my opinion could be a 10-8 team with a good defense.The offense did not play well because of the inactive Brandon Jacobs, yet the defense was its normal awful self. Going into game three against the undefeated Redskins, I had already all but counted out Big Blue.

Week 3:The first half was normal Giants football. Sloppy defense and many penalties, too go along with a sloppy Jacobs-less offense. But once that second half whistle sounded, the G-Men played like a whole new football club. The defense grinded like I haven't seen in almost five years, forcing turnover after turnover after turnover. And all of a sudden, the offense started clicking as well, led by Eli Manning and...Derrick Ward?

Week 4:I thought, "oh, this was just a fluke.. Donovan McNabb and Brian Dawkins will for sure shut down the Giants on their respective sides of the ball. Although Dawkins did his part, the defense once again came through and shut down one of the top quarterbacks in the league. The Giants tied the NFL record with 12 sacks. Six came from big Osi Umenyiora.

Week 5:Going into the inter-state rival game with Gang Green, I for once felt confident in my Giants. This game was similar to the 'Skins game, sloppy first half and an admirable second half comeback, except this time I was confident the Giants would come back. They did just that, and played equally well on both sides of the ball in an 11-point victory against that other New York Team.


This three game winning streak has given me a little bit of hope. If the Giants can play like they have been against good teams, I can easily see them going 9-7 and clinching a playoff berth. Until I see them beat a truly good team, I only see them finishing off 7-9 or 8-8. But don't give up. You always gotta believe in these New York teams.

Team In Turmoil: Chicago Bears

For the Chicago Bears, losing 3 games last season was great. They were clearly the best team in the NFC, and not surprisingly, got to the super bowl. Although they lost to the Colts, the Bears still had a great season and looked to become even better this year. While, guess what? They have 3 losses, just like last year. Just one difference: 3 losses are coming this year at week 4, not week 17.

Chicago has struggled out of the gate in this odd beginning of the 2007 NFL season. They currently are ranked 30th in total offense in the NFL, and a decent but not good enough for a supposed best defense in the NFL 15th in defense. There are many reasons for this, and here they are.

First, lets take a look at this 30th ranked offense. The big problem everyone knows about from the media cramming it down our throats is the quarterback situation. What Has Happened: Much criticized Rex Grossman, after starting the first 3 games, compiling a 1-2 record, was benched in favor of Brian Griese. Grossman ranked 31st in quarterback rating, and only threw for 1 touchdown. 1 in 3 games. And remember that little goal he had of getting single digit interceptions? Well, if he remains benched, he'll get it, as he has thrown 6 interceptions in just 3 games. Not only did Rex not make plays, but he actually made a negative impact on the rest of the team. So, in comes Brian Griese to try and stop the bleeding with a win over the Lions last Sunday. Well, he did just the opposite of that, throwing 3 interceptions, with 2 of those being in the redzone. In fact, he looked so bad, that many people called him rex-like. Now, to be fair, this was the first game he's started in about 2 years, so one can expect him to be rusty. But he simply didn't have the tools with his weak arm to win. He did look better than Rex in the sense that he made plays. He threw 2 touchdowns, although 1 was in the last few minutes of the game. How To Fix It: I believe that the Bears have to keep Griese out there at least for another 3 starts. He really does need to keep down his mistakes to be able to win. Lets say he has another 3 games like the one he had against Detroit. What would head coach Lovie Smith do? Do you go back to Rex, or keep Griese in? I would put Grossman back in, simply because of this: If he stops making stupid decisions, he has the arm to be a good quarterback. That is what is so frustrating to Bears fans. Grossman makes 2 or 3 bad mistakes during a game that can easily be avoided if he's thinking. What does he do if he sees a linemen coming at him in the backfield. Try to float a ball into a receivers hands that is 10 feet away from him, that will almost need a miracle to be completed. What does a good one do? Take the sack, or throw the ball at the receiver's feet. If both guys don't work, then I think it's time to turn back to Kyle Orton. Not necessarily because Orton is good, but because the position needs a change. Orton will be the last resort however, because I think Lovie Smith will almost certainly go back to Grossman if the Griese experiment fails. By then, it might already be too late for the Bears.

So, going along with the dismal quarterback spot, is the running back position. What Has Happened: Cedric Benson has become the teams feature back in his 3rd season in the league. So far, he ranks 24th in the NFL in rushing yards, with only 1 touchdown. He is only averaging 3.2 yards per carry, and has put it on the ground 3 times. This comes after the team traded away 1000 yard rusher Thomas Jones away to the New York Jets. Although Jones hasn't exactly been tearing it up this season for the Jets so far, one has to wonder if the Bears made a mistake in trading him away. To go along with Benson, Adrian Peterson has compiled 75 yards, with a good average of 4.2 yards per carry, but he has fumbled 2 times in just 4 games. How To Fix It: The Bears running game has been dismal so far this season. Some of that can be put on the offensive line, but the 2 main running backs, Benson and Peterson, have not been good at all. Not only has Cedric Benson not been getting good gains when running, but he's also been making mistakes when he fumbles. Sounds familiar? That is exactly what the quarterback position has gone through thus far. I think that the fix is simple here, mostly because there is only one possible way to fix it. That way is to start being Adrian Peterson and rookie Garret Wolfe more carries. I have been slightly impressed with Peterson these last 2 years, and I think that he can get some nice yardage for the Bears if he is given 5-10 carries per game. Bringing these guys in will not only make Chicago find someone that can run the ball, but will add competition for Benson, hopefully pushing him to do better. One is for sure though, and that is that the running backs have to stop fumbling the ball. A combined 5 fumbles in 4 games is not a way to go about running. But, when it comes down to it, the Bears will have to have a much better offensive line if they want to be able to run the ball.