I knew Jay Cutler wouldn’t be successful this season…but I had no idea he’d throw 100 (17 so far) interceptions. Wow. The Bears are in trouble and will most likely be looking for a new coach in 2010. Mike Shanahan has Chicago roots and obviously knows Cutler. Perhaps they’ll be reunited next season. Frank Gore looked sharp for the Niners, who should not be counted out as far as the playoffs are concerned. The Bears, however, should be counted out.
Carolina improved to 4-5 after a win over the struggling Falcons. It was another poor outing by Matt Ryan, which is odd because usually quarterbacks take a major step forward in their second season. Ryan has not, and the Falcons are certainly going to struggle to make the playoffs…especially if Michael Turner is out for anything more than a game. He was tearing the Panthers apart before he injured himself. As far as Carolina is concerned, they seem to be back to basics—running, running, and not allowing Jake Delhomme to kill them. But they’ve dropped too many winnable games (Buffalo, the first Atlanta game, and even New Orleans, who they had the ropes) to make the playoffs.
The two clear-cut favorites in the NFC won again. Minnesota handled Detroit while New Orleans escaped St. Louis with a win. Both teams had a tougher time than many expected, but sometimes when really good teams play really poor teams, there’s a letdown. The key is to avoid being Philly in Oakland and lose games like this. These teams did, and that’s why they’re the top two in the NFC. Expect them to play much better in the coming weeks.
Tennessee is 3-0 with Vince Young at the helm, but let’s be honest—it’s the rebirth of the defense and the play of all-universe running back Chris Johnson that’s created this winning streak for the Titans. Young has played well, I won’t deny that, but Chris Johnson...he’s the new Marshall Faulk. I don’t care how bad the Titans are, Johnson is worth watching for 60 minutes every week. The Bills, on the flip side, aren’t worth watching for six minutes over the rest of the season. I only wonder who will be coaching there next season, and what they’ll decide to do about the quarterback situation.
The Redskins beat the sliding Broncos, who had to play without Kyle Orton for much of the game. Orton threw for 193 yards and two touchdowns in the first half, but had to be replaced by Chris Simms…who did not throw for 193 yards and two touchdowns in the second half. Without Orton running the show, the Redskins managed to catch-up to the punchless Broncos. Honestly, Phil Simms would have played better for Denver. The Broncos season isn’t on the line Sunday when they host San Diego in a battle for first place, but it’s a big time game in the Mile High.
Miami blew a lead to Tampa…but regained the lead at the final whistle. The win kept Miami’s playoff hopes alive at 4-5. Tampa may have found something with Josh Freeman, their rookie quarterback. He’s got some game and big time chemistry with the enigmatic Kellen Winslow, Jr. You can build around that. As for Miami, it was interesting to watch them successfully throw the ball at the end of the game once Tampa had shockingly taken the lead. However, it was a 27-yard run by the underappreciated Ricky Williams that set up the winning chip shot field goal.
Arizona erased a 14-0 deficit with little trouble, and coasted to a 31-20 win over Seattle. The defending NFC champs (that still sounds weird) are now in control of their weak division, but the takeaway from this game should be sending fear throughout the league: the Cardinals look like they may have found a legitimate running game. Beanie Wells was impressive, gaining tough yards in bunches. His presence allows the Arizona offense to mix it up a bit, which gives Kurt Warner more time to throw and less coverage to worry about. Defenses must now respect the run, something we haven’t said about a Cardinal team in a long time. Beware the desert birds.
Kansas City beat Oakland and I don’t think I could care less.
Baltimore struggled to beat Cleveland and I don’t think I could be less impressed. The fact that they couldn’t manage a point in the first half against a Cleveland team playing essentially without a quarterback would scare me if I was a Ravens fan. They’re 5-4 and in the middle of the playoff chase, but I’d be surprised if they ended up with a wild card. Houston seems like a better all-around team to me and the Texans can score. I’m not convinced Baltimore can these days.
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