Road Upsets Throw a Fork into Week 10 Rankings

Week 10 was characterized by shocking upsets on the road by Minnesota (over the Giants), Green Bay (over the Falcons), and Dallas (over the Eagles). Everything else pretty much went as predicted.



Everyone can shut up for a week at least after watching the NFC North go 4-0, atlhough the Bears win over the 49ers was quite possibly the worst football game every played, besides the 108 field goal return for a touchdown by Nathan Vasher at the end of the first half. Without this play, the Bears would have been trailing 3-0 at halftime. Pretty much tells you why they won't be cracking the top 10 anytime soon. That is unless they beat Carolina this week. Then maybe I'll consider it.

As for the state of the Eagles, and my perspective on the Terrell Owens saga, check out my latest article on Sports Central.

Now onto the rankings of the ten best teams in the NFL...

1. Indianapolis 9-0
A nice easy win for the Colts against the Texans. The Colts have beaten the Texans four times this season already, and the teams will square off again three more times. I guess the NFL really wants to see the Colts get home field advantage this season. Or maybe the Colts are just lucky that the two bottom teams of the AFC South are absolutely terrible this season (Houston and Tennessee). Oh by the way Peyton Manning is back to being one of the best fantasy quarterbacks, and Edgerrin James is still getting 25 carries per game. Pretty good combination. The Colts defense will get another test at Cincinnati this week. Is this the week they lose? Probably not, seeing as Cincy won't be able to stop James.

3. Pittsburgh 7-2 (3)
Pittsburgh might be good enough to move up to number two if Ben Roethlisburger is healthy and is able to continue playing at a high level. Pittsburgh had a small scare against Cleveland, falling behind 7-0 in the first quarter. Of course, Pittsburgh responded with 27 unanswered points behind solid quarterbacking from Charlie Batch, and an impressive effort on defense. Cleveland didn't score again until the fourth quarter, picking up two garbage touchdowns. If Tommy Maddox has to start this week against Baltimore they could be in trouble, wait...nevermind. I could start at quarterback this week and lead them to a win against Baltimore.

4. Denver 7-2 (4)
The Broncos didn't exactly dominate against the lowly Raiders, but they did pull off the win. Every team won't play its best game every week. The defense came up with big stops when it needed to, and the Raiders did the rest, blowing all the opportunities Denver gave them. Plummer didn't look as good, throwing what should been a sure interception, but the story of Oakland's season has been the lack of execution (and getting screwed by bad calls, which wasn't the case in this game). I have a feeling Denver is about to hit a losing streak, but probably not this week against the Jets. Perhaps at Dallas on Thanksgiving.

5. Seattle 7-2 (5)
Shaun Alexander is having an incredible season. His 165 yards rushing carried Seattle to an easy win. As the Rams attempted to come back, as they always have to do against Seattle, it was Alexander who ran for a first down on third and short and then broke into the endzone to seal the game. Although Alexander's effort was impressive, I was most impressed with Seattle's defense, especially their ability to stop Steven Jackson, who had carried the Rams to two consecutive wins. Seattle held Jackson to only 70 yards on 17 carries. Seattle's defense came up with a huge stop early in the game when St. Louis lined up for a short field goal, and chose to ran a fake instead. Seattle stuffed the play, seized the momentum, and have solidified themselves as the team to beat in the NFC. The only question now is what seed Seattle will get in the playoffs, as they have already wrapped up the NFC South, as they are four games ahead of the Rams.

6. Dallas 6-3 (7)
The Cowboys somehow pulled out a miraculous win at Philly on Monday night. The Cowboys looked terrible for 56 minutes, then got its shit together just in time to beat the reeling Eagles team. Maybe we can chalk the poor performance up to Bill Parcells burying his brother that day, maybe.. I think the Cowboys will bounce back, but they could be on their way down. I want to see a strong statement this week against the Lions.

7. Cincinnati 7-2 (9)
The Bengals were on bye, so the only significant thing to report is that Chad Johnson didn't guarantee a win this week against the Colts. He wanted to, but his coach probably told him he wouldn't be playing if he did. Instead he guaranteed he wouldn't be stopped against Indy. Seems to me he should have guaranteed he would do a good job run-blocking, because Cincy needs to run the ball well to win this game. If they can, they will win, but I don't think they will. Pittsburgh goes up a game in the division, and the Bengals start focusing on the wildcard.

8. Carolina 7-2 (10)
Carolina was locked in a low-scoring battle with the Jets, then the Jets remembered they were the Jets and started sucking again. Too many injuries on this team. Meanwhile, everyone can shut up about how much better the AFC is than the NFC. Meanwhile Jake Delhomme is doing what he did with Muhsin Muhammed last year with Steve Smith this year. Can anyone guard this guy? I thought a broken leg was supposed to slow you down (he missed all of last season with a broken leg) Apparently not in his case. Delhomme still is making mistakes, but is making enough passes to overcome them. A matchup with the statistically best defense (Chicago) in the league will say a lot about the Panthers/


10. (tied) New York Giants 6-3 (8)
Who would have thought that both Atlanta and New York lost home games to the Packers and Vikings respectively. Well, seeing as the Giants defense looked really good (except for the one drive at the end of the game), giving up only 3 points, I will list them first ahead of the Falcons. The 3 return touchdowns (kickoff, punt, and interception) by Minnesota was embarrasing to the Giants. Eli Manning threw 4 interceptions against a defense that had 7 interceptions in its first 8 games. Manning looked terrible and as off-target all day. Please, please, someone else agree with me so I don't have to hear how he has matured so much as a quarterback in such a short time. I am so sick of it. Is anyone else wondering how the Vikings shut down Plaxico Burress and Jeremy Shockey? I'm calling it right now: Philly 21 New York 20. Things even out in this world, sometimes.



Speaking of which, check out my opinion on the Eagles

10. (tied) Atlanta 6-3 (6)
Um, Michael, what's up now with your passing skills. You did throw for 200 yards, but it was all in garbage time, when the Packers had control of the game, and were giving your receivers a huge cushion. The Falcons killed themselves with three lost fumbles, and the Packers were due to catch some breaks as Samkon Gado fumbled twice, but the Packers recovered both. Oh yeh, he also ran for 100 yards against what was supposed to be an improving defense. Atlanta's run defense is terrible, and apparently if we're judging Michael Vick the way he wants us to (on wins and losses), he is not a good quarterback. If he gets credit for when the defense shuts down the other teams, he always gets credit for when Roddy White fumbles. So for now, two monumental upsets keep the Giants and Falcons deadlocked at number 10.



As always any questions or complaints, or letters of admiration should be directed to lbpimp47@hotmail.com

Indy Separates Itself from the Pack in the Week 9 Rankings

After watching Indianapolis destroy the Patriots, I came to the conclusion that Indianapolis is the best team in the league (surprise, surprise)and that no one else is even close.



Stay tuned for my article on the Eagles and Terrell Owens on Tuesday.

1. Indianapolis 8-0
So Indianapolis is playing some pretty good ball so far after the first 9 weeks of the season I would say. Now naysayers may say they have played the world's easiest schedule. I mean how many times this season do they play the Browns, Texans, and Titans? 3 times each? The Colts deflected any of that criticism with the way they dispatched the Patriots in New England on Monday night, 40-21. The offense was churning out yards and controlling the clock, and connecting on third down almost every time. This team doesn' appear to have many weaknesses as of so far, although I think a team like Pittsburgh could run it down their throats. For now they are the best in the league, and there is no one even close.

3. Pittsburgh 6-2 (2)
Without Ben Roethlisburger, this team is definitely not the same. I was not impressed with the 20-10 win at Green Bay. A couple of lucky plays on defense were the difference in this game. Green Bay could have easily won if not for the tipped-pass interception deep in Green Bay territory and the Brett Favre fumble (caused by my fifth cousin, Bryant McFadden) that was returned for a touchdown.


Charlie Batch had a horrible game, but it didn't matter. The Steelers only have to rely on him for one more week, and play another creampuff in Cleveland, so expect a similar game against the Browns this week.

4. Denver 6-2 (3)
Bye week for the Broncos provided them the chance to mull over how they always seem to collapse in the second half of the season after impressive starts. It doesn't seem likely that it will happen again, considering how balanced the offense has been. However, the pass defense has not been very good, and Champ Bailey is one of the most overrated "shutdown" corners in the league. If the run defense falters, this team could go into the tank.

5. Seattle 6-2 (4)
There isn't really much more than could be said about this team after a blowout against the hapless Cardinals. Shaun Alexander is a good running back, Matt Hasselback is a slightly above-average quarterback, and the defense is solid, having shut down both Atlanta and Dallas. Seattle's talented wide receiver corps got Bobby Engram back in week 9, and Darrell Jackson will be back soon. Seattle can pretty much lock up their division with a win at home against St. Louis, in what should be a close game with the Rams getting Torri Holt, Marc Bulger, and Isaac Bruce back.

6. Atlanta 6-2 (5)
Michael Vick has arrived as one of the premier passing quarterbacks in the NFL. I can boldy say that after Vick went 22-31 for 228 yards (a season-high) that he has now on the same level in passing as Peyton Manning, Donovan McNabb and Carson Palmer. Ok, so maybe one game does not change the fact that he is a running quarterback and may always be. Chill out Michael, the media is going to continue to criticize your passing ability until you prove yourself on a week-in, week-out basis. You had one good game, and c'mon, it wasn't even that great. You still have never pass for more than 300 yards in a game. Now I do respect you and think that you single-handedly make your team competively, but you are not a good pocket passer. By the way, Warrick Dunn is the man, and the defense is bouncing back after a couple lackluster weeks.

7. Dallas 5-3 (6)
The Cowboys have two weeks to prepare for the Terrell Owens-less Eagles. Will it be enough to ground them for the second time this season? Maybe not, but the 'Boys are playing good defense and Drew Bledsoe is still miraculously playing well. Julius Jones will return against Philly and Marion Barber, who has been filling in admirably, will take on a complementary role. The Cowboys can make a strong statement by beating the Eagles in Philly on Monday night, and possibly end the Eagles' playoffs hopes.

8. New York Giants 6-2 (7)
Again, not really a whole lot to say when a good team (New York) beats up on a crappy team (San Francisco). Although the Giants didn't play very well, they didn't really need to. A touchdown pass by Eli Manning to Jeremy Shockey was about all the offense they needed, and luckily for me in my fantasy league Tiki Barber finally had a bad game. Regardless, the Giants are leading the now-tough NFC East and its there for the taking. It should be noted that the Giants have played the weakest schedule of any NFC East team. This week they play another easy game, Minnesota. 7-2, here they come.

9. Cincinnati 7-2 (8)
Cincinnati looked good this week, defeated Baltimore 21-9. Baltimore's defense is always tough, and the Bengals moved the ball consistently against them. The defense also stepped up and stopped the run, holding Jamal Lewis to 49 yards on 15 carries and Chester Taylor to 9 yards on 3 carries. Although it should be noted Lewis hasn't really had a good game all season. Nonetheless, a solid effort from the Cincy D, but seeing as teh Bengals have lost to the only two good teams they have played this year, they are not in the upper-echelon of the league just yet. They need to prove themselves against a quality opponent (i.e., not the Texans or the Titans). Carson Palmer vs. Peyton Manning is almost here (Week 12)

10. Carolina 6-2 (unranked)
Carolina, a.k.a. the Steve Smith show is back in the top 10. After thumping Tampa Bay (now 5-3), the Panthers have solidified themselves as one of the top teams in the NFC. True, the defense does not seem as dominant as it could be, but Jake Delhomme and Smith have been lighting up the scoreboard.

As always any questions or complaints, or letters of admiration should be directed to lbpimp47@hotmail.com

Week 8 Rankings

I won't waste your time, so let's get right to the rankings of the best 10 teams in the NFL right now. In a week that the worst team in the league finally won (Houston), last year's NFC champions (Philadelphia) lost by four touchdowns and the Super Bowl champs (New England) should have lost.



At last, both these teams are coming back to earth after dominating their respective leagues the past few seasons. Now, there is a chance neither will even make the playoffs.....

1. Indianapolis 7-0
Indianapolis finally plays a real team for once in week 9, as the Colts are headed to New England. Although the 2005 version is a shell of the three-time Super Bowl champs, New England will be Indy's first test of the season. With that said, Indy has been the most complete team in the NFL so far, running the ball and controlling the clock. Indy's defense may be overrated, but as long as the offense continues to be as productive as it is, the defense will not have to spend too much time on the field and continue to put up some of the best numbers in the league.

2. Pittsburgh 5-2
The Steelers didn't bring their A game against the Ravens, but they did just enough to win. Baltimore still has one of the better defenses in the league, so we shouldn't read into too much. However, I certainly didn't expect Pittsburgh to have to kick a field goal in the last 2 minutes to beat a Raven team missing Ray Lewis and Ed Reed.



Nonetheless, Pittsburgh can run the ball as well as anyone in the NFL, and with Ben Roethlisburger making all the passes he needs too, this year's team is as good as last year's 15-1 team. However, with Roethlisburger out for 1, maybe 2 weeks (possibly more), we'll see if the defense and the run game can carry the load.

3. Denver 6-2
Well the Broncos certainly made quite the statement against the Eagles. It's not often a team almost completely blows a 28-point lead, then comes back and wins by 28 points after all. Denver moved the ball at will against a Philadelphia defense ((that shut down the potent Chargers) that was supposed to be one of the best in the league. The Eagles saw firsthand the importance of having a balanced offense, as Jake Plummer and co. illustrated time and time again with the play-action pass. Denver's defense had a great scheme to shut down the Eagles which worked for the whole game, except for 3 series'.

4. Seattle 5-2
Seattle is well-rested after eking out a much-needed victory against Dallas, 13-10, in week 7. The passing game hasn't missed a beat with the Seahawks' top two receivers out the past 4 weeks, and with Bobby Engram back in the lineup in week 9, the offense will be ever more improved. Shaun Alexander is often regarded as a "soft" running back by the experts, and his 72 yard rushing output against Dallas may be a testament to that. He also was shut down this season by Jacksonville (73 yards. With that said, Matt Hasselback has made enough plays to compensate for when the running game is not working, and the defense has risen to the occasion when needed (see Dallas, week 7).

5. Atlanta 5-2
Atlanta's defense is not as good as last year, but can anyone stop Michael Vick and Warrick Dunn? The Jets sure couldn't in week 7 on Monday night. In Week 8 the Falcons had a chance to rest up and decide if they were actually going to attempt any passes the rest of the season, because I sure don't see the point. Vick's passing appears to have regressed this season, but it doesn't matter because has rushed for 302 yards on 49 carries (6.2 ypc). Vick is unstoppable around the goal-line, which is one of the main reasons why Atlanta is in the top 5. Often teams get bogged down in the redzone and have to settle for field goals, but not the Falcons. A Vick play-action fake to Dunn will beat every team. Now, if the defense can get its act together, this team may move up even more.

6. Dallas 5-3
Drew Bledsoe is the number one rated quarterback in the NFL right now and the line is opening up holes for whoever is running the ball. At first I didn't think this would last, but the Cowboys look like they are for real. The defense is much-improved from last season, and the name of the game in the NFL is balance, and the Cowboys have shown they can run the ball to control the clock and put points on the board with the passing game. I'll let the losses to Oakland and Washington slide for now. Dominating wins over New York (I know it went into overtime, but they really did dominate) and Philadelphia more than make up for it.

7. New York Giants 5-2
Who will make it the Super Bowl first? Eli or Peyton? How about who will overreact more to the early success of Eli Manning? Ok, so Eli has looked pretty good so far, especially in the comeback win against the Broncos. But what about that game against San Diego? Everyone was talking about how well he played, but they got blown out of the water. If I'm not mistaken, playing well means more than just picking up garbage touchdowns. And the last time I checked he didn't have a great statistical game in the 26-0 blowout win over Washington in week 8. The real story with this team is the running of Tiki Barber, who is averaging 5.3 ypc. The run defense has also been solid, but the Giants aren't going anywhere allowing 266 yards passing per game.

8. Cincinnati 6-2
Cincinnati should have totally destroyed the Packers. 5 interceptions against Brett Favre and somehow the Packers still had a chance to win at the end, yet the Bengals let them hang around. A win is a win, but Cincy showed me a lot in winning in such an unimpressive way. Yeh they have 20 interceptions on the season, but the offense doesn't appear to be as smooth as it was in the earlygoing, and the Packers aren't exactly a great defensive team. Cincy is struggling to run the ball (and stop the run) and Chad Johnson is not having the impact he should. Cincy has beaten only one team with a winning record (Chicago, 4-3), but Chicago hasn't beaten any good teams, so we can throw that one out). The only thign is Cincinnati has such an easy schedule they could easily finish 11-5. A week 10 showdown awaits with Indianapolis. This game will be a great measuring stick for both teams. Can Cincy stop Edgerrin James? Will Carson Palmer be able to avoid Indy's vaunted pass rush? We'll see.

9. San Diego 4-4
San Diego has lost to Pittsburgh (2) and Denver (3) on last second field goals, and had winnable games against Dallas (6) and Philly. I don't know that we can say San Diego is one of the best teams in the league right now just because they should be 8-0, the fact is they aren't. Somehow they lost four times, and that's what matters. The defense hasn't gotten stops when it needed and the offense has gotten conservative at times when being aggressive could have won the game. Nonetheless, Drew Brees is having another great season and Antonio Gates might have better numbers this year than last year, even playing one less game. The run defense is still playing well, but the secondary is a disaster.

10. New England 4-3
This team is a total mystery to me. They were dominated by Buffalo on Sunday night in week 8, but still found a way to win. I really don't know what to think about this team. They are relying a little much on the pass this year, which is typically not a good thing. The defense is not stopping people the way it has the last few years, and even with Teddy Bear Bruschi back in the lineup, they are still in trouble. Tom Brady will continue to make plays to win games, however, but without a more balanced offense and a stronger defense, the Patriots may not even be able to squeak into the playoffs.

Week 6 Rankings

7 of the teams listed in the top 10 were losers in week 5, making the task of ranking the top 10 heading into week 6 a daunting task. So daunting in fact, that I didn't even do it. Instead I waited an extra week, and put 2 weeks of thought into these rankings. So here it is...

But first, I am also a columnist for Sports Central. Click here to read my latest

1. Indianapolis 6-0
The Colts allowed 28 points on Monday night, and despite winning 45-28, I’m still not convinced they are going to win the Super Bowl. The Rams stormed out to a 17-0 lead, and if Marc Bulger hadnt gotten hurt, I think the Rams would have won this game. Jamie Martin made mistake after mistake in relief, and the Rams were successfully putting pressure on Peyton Manning. The Colts scored most of their points on a short field after St Louis turned the ball over. By the way, you catch Peyton Manning on “Miked Up?” He sounded like a dork to me. On the other hand, Edgerrin James looks pretty good with the Colts giving him around 25 carries per game. He has been stealing Manning's garbage TDs this year, scoring 3 against the Rams.


The Colts are like a college team. They keep running up the score even after the game is over, but for now they are number 1 in the BCS.

2. Denver 5-1
Denver has beaten two good teams in-a-row (Washington and New England, in Denver) and Jake Plummer is actually looking like he knows what he is doing. With a solid run game, Plummer has been making big plays and not making any big mistakes. Tatum Bell has two consecutive 100-yard games on 12 and 13 carries, allowing Plummer more room to work with. The defense has looked good as well, completely shutting down the Patriots for three quarters. If this team beats the Giants and the Eagles in the next 2 weeks, they are the best team in the NFL.

3. Cincinnati 5-1
Yeah I know this is too high, theyÂ’re overrated, they haven’t played anyone. Blah Blah Blah. But let me try to explain. This is team is good. Carson Palmer and Chad Johnson are the best receiver and quarterback combination in the league right now, and the defense is causing turnovers at a record pace. Ok so they almost lost to the Texans, lost to the Jaguars, and were trailing the Titans for much of the game. But good teams need to overcome adversity and be able to play in close games to test their mettle. This team is destined for big things this year because they are winning the close games that they haven’t been able to win for 10 years. And, oh yeah the Patriots beat the Texans in overtime 2 years ago, and still won the Super Bowl…

4. Pittsburgh 3-2
This ranking only holds if Ben Roethlisburger doesn’t miss any more time. Because quite simply, they would have beaten Jacksonville with him. Tommy Maddox cost them the game with his 3 interceptions and costly fumble in overtime. Despite Maddox, they still almost won. With Roethlisburger at quarterback, this team is pretty damn hard to beat. The Steel curtain may have a chink though, as Jacksonville was able to run the ball effectively against them. A battle with Cincinnati in week 7 will show which team has the early edge on the division.



5. Jacksonville 4-2
The Jaguars saved their season by hanging on a for an improbable victory at Pittsburgh in overtime. Unfortunately, I didn’t actually see the end, because it was pre-empted for the beginning of the stupid Oakland-San Diego game, No game breaks until halftime. I had to find out how it ended by watching the score crawler on the bottom of the screen. But damn what an ending. Maddox’s fumble of a snap when the Steelers were in field goal range was a gift. But the Jags came out on top, coming up with some big plays on defense. This team is starting to run the ball effectively, and the combination of Fred Taylor (when he returns to action in week 7 and Greg Jones could be a lethal combo).

6. Tampa Bay 5-1
Tampa Bay really deserves to be higher, but with Brian Griese out for the rest of the year, this team will miss a beat. The defense has continued to shut down everyone, and Michael Pittman has looked great filling in for Cadillac the last 2 weeks. But Jon Gruden's honeymoon season won't last much longer. This team is primed to come back to earth, but it won't happen soon as the Bucs have a bye in week 7 and again in week 8 (at San Francisco) It should also be noted this team lost to the Jets and the 80-year old Vinny Testaverde who barely even moves in the pocket anymore.

7. Atlanta 4-2
The Falcons are hosting the aforementioned Jets, and Michael Vick will continue to do what he always does. Lead his team to victory by rushing around 60-70 yards and passing for around 150 yards, but making just enough plays to give the Falcons the win, as he always does. Vick is still hurting, having missed the week 5 matchup with the Patriots. Matt Schaub filled in well, passing for over 300 yards. If I'm not mistaken, Vick has never done that, but then again a win is a win. Atlanta's defense is looking worse by the week, allowing Antowain Smith and Aaron Stecker to combine for 174 yards rushing and 2 TDs. They better get it together, or they'll have a hard time pulling out the low-scoring games.

8. San Diego 3-3
San Diego's defense may not be able to come up with the stops it needs right now, but it is winning with a high-powered offense. The combination of LaDanian Tomlinson and Drew Brees is getting things done. If Tomlinson gets enough carries, the Chargers will be in any game. But, for those games when Tomlinson doens't touch the ball as much (Dallas, Denver, Pittsburgh) the defense needs to step up, and it hasn't. We'll see how they stack up against the Eagles' high flying offense.

9. Dallas 4-2
I hate to say it, but this team actually looks pretty good. They blew out the Eagles, and hung on to beat the Giants in a game they didn't play well at all offensively. Dallas has shut down the high-scoring offenses of Philly and New York, but somehow lost to Oakland? What's that you say, San Diego lost to Dallas in San Diego? Um oh yeh. Hold on a sec.

8. Dallas 4-2>
Drew Bledsoe can play forever if no one puts pressure on him, but the loss of Flozell Adams on the line may end his dream season.

9. San Diego 3-3
Get some defensive stops when you need them.

10. Philadelphia 3-2
There are so many teams that could be in this spot, but you know what? The Eagles belong here. They may have looked horrible against the Cowboys, but that was only one game. Andy Reid now knows they have to hand the ball off at least one out of three plays, instead of one out of 20. If he doesn't the Eagles may not make the playoffs this year.

Oh yeh, if you didn't see the first link:
Click here to read my latest article about the Eagles



Overtime

32. USC 6-0
You don't think USC could move the ball against Houston? Were you watching on Sunday night when Seattle rushed for 322 yards on 40 carries. Wow. Even after Alexander was pulled with 141 yards on 22 carries, when it was obvious Seattle was going to run every down, the backups continued to run for easy first downs. The Texansembarrassed embarrased.

33. Houston 0-5
I am only interested in this team because Dominick Davis has a chance to score a TD for me every week at the end of the game when they are getting blown out. The Texans offense watched most of the game from the sidelines.



Think I don't know what I am talking about or want to contribute yourself? Send me an email at lbpimp47@hotmail.com or leave a comment.

Week 4 Rankings

Top performances from Week 4

The Chargers absolutely destroyed the Patriots this week. Everyone is saying that the injuries have finally caught up with the Patriots, and quite frankly, they're probably right. San Diego moved the ball up and down the field effortlessly, and their defense put the clamps on in the second half, leading to a 41-17 victory.

Philadelphia showed that they are for real with a solid win at Kansas City, scoring 31 unanswered points to defeat the Chiefs 37-31. Kansas City's defense, after impressing in the first 2 weeks, has looked horrible in the past 2. Tony Gonzalez was a non-factor, with 1 catch for 1 yard. Brian Dawkins told his team at halftime (trailing 24-13) that the Chiefs wouldn't score again. They didn't, except for a garbage TD with a minute left.

The Eagles D looked great, stuffing the run, and pressuring Trent Green into mistakes, and Donovan McNabb had his third consecutive 300-yard game.

Neil Rackers kicked 6 field goals to lead the Cardinals in a 31-14 rout over the 49ers in a game played in Mexico. Props to Rackers for allowing my fantasy squad to eke out a 3 point victory. Without his last "garbage" field goal late in the game, I would have tied. This game bears no other mention, as both teams are going nowhere this season.

Brett Favre threw for 300 yards and 4 TDs in an ill-fated comeback attempt against the Panthers. Looking at the stats from the game, one could argue he still has "it." But I wouldn't. He continues to put up good stats when his team is losing big, and can't come through for his team when it really needs him (ie. the first half of the 4 games the Pack has lost so far). Nonetheless, not just any QB can put up these kind of numbers, earning Favre his spot in this week's top performers.

I would put Atlanta's defense here for sacking Daunte Culpepper 9 times and intercepting him twice, but every team Culpepper has faced has had similiarly gaudy numbers (excluding the Saints). Cincinnati intercepted him 5 times and sacked him twice. Tampa Bay intercepted him three times, and sacked him twice, both causing fumbles. Culpepper has a much-needed bye week, but I would advise you to pick up Chicago's defense in your fantasy league for the week 6 matchup against the Vikings.

David Carr had his breakout game of the season completing 17 of 26 passes for 174 yards and a touchdown. Despite being sacked 7 times (for a total of 20 in 3 games), he nearly led the Texans to a victory at undefeated Cincinnati. Can Carr keep up this tremendous production, and possibly get over the 200 mark for the first time? Only time will tell.

One more thing before the rankings...

The Philadelphia Trojans?

The Philadelphia Eagles and the USC Trojans have been mirror images of each other the past 2 weeks.. They both keep falling behind early, and coming back with a flurry of offense in the second half to win.

The Eagles looked incredibly inept against the Raiders in week 3, falling behind 10-6, before Donovan McNabb and co. caught fire, paving the way for 23-20 victory that would not have been nearly as close if L.J. Smith didn’t lose a fumble deep in Oakland territory late in the game. In the same week, USC spotted Oregon a 13-0 lead, then woke up and scored 42 points unanswered.

In week 4, Philly and USC both spotted their respective opponents (Kansas City and Arizona State) 18-point leads late in the second quarter. The Eagles responded with 31 unanswered points, winning easily (although the final score of 37-31 seems closer, due to a garbage touchdown by Kansas City with a minute remaining) USC outscored Arizona State 35-7 in the second half for a convincing 38-28 win.


On to the rankings of the top 10 teams right now........


1. Indianapolis (4-0) (1)
Can everyone please shut up about the Manning brothers combining for 8 touchdowns. Peyton threw 4 against the Titans, and Eli 4 against the Rams. These are two of the worst defenses in the league. Anyway, the Colts offense is not back just because they beat up on one of the worst teams in the league, and their defense still hasn't shut down a good offense. Next up for the Colts is a tough matchup with a high school junior varsity team (err...the San Francisco 49ers) as they continue to play what appears to be the easiest schedule in the league. In week 6 and 7, the Colts battle the Rams and the Texans. If this team isn't 7-0, I am moving them out of the top 10. With that said, they are still the number one team because the offense will be "back", and the defense is improved, although not as much as the so-called experts would have you believe.

2. Cincinnati (4-0) (2)
How can I keep this team at number 2 after they nearly lost to the Texans at home. Well, on any given Sunday, blah blah blah, anyone can win. Anyway, a team is not always going to play its best every week, and while the Bengals haven't beaten anyone yet (like the Colts), I have been impressed with Carson Palmer, and the balance they have shown on offense. Will this team be in this spot in two weeks? Maybe not, but for now, they are.

3. Tampa Bay (3-0) (3)
Tampa Bay should have lost to Detroit on the terrible call to reverse Marcus Pollard's touchdown. Then again, lots of things "should" have or should happen. Tampa Bay won the game, as the defense carried the load this week with Cadillac picking up a flat tire. Joey Galloway is playing like its 1999, when he was actually good, and Brian Griese has looked competent. Maybe they "should" not be this high, then again the Raiders "should" have beaten the Patriots 4 years ago, and look what both teams have done since...

4. Pittsburgh (2-1) (5)
Pittsburgh had a bye in week 4. Duce Staley, Jerome Bettis, and Willie Parker are all healthy and the defense is still one of the best in the league. The offensive line can create holes for any running back to find room, and Ben Roethlisburger has lost only 2 games he started. The big test for them will be San Diego, who has blown out the Patriots and the Giants in the last two weeks. I will allow them to remain in this high spot for now..

5. Atlanta (3-1) (6)
Any team can sack Daunte Culpepper 9 times and intercept him twice, but the Falcons' defense has shut down one of the best offenses (see below) in the league, and proved it can still run the ball without Vick in the lineup after he left the game with a knee injury. Nonetheless, this team lives and dies with Vick , and as aslong as he is in the game, this team is one of the best in the league.

6. Philadelphia (3-1) (8)
The Eagles showed us they will be a Super Bowl contender this season with an impressive comeback against the Chiefs. They showed they can stop the run again (albeit they didn't at the beginning of the game). McNabb is the new "Brett Favre", according to Cris Collinsworth, and I would agree with that sentiment. With offenses focusing on Bryan Westbrook, Terrell Owens will find room to work and vica versa. This team has a lot of weapons, and McNabb is employing them well.

7. San Diego (2-2) (unranked)
The Chargers looked damn good against the Patriots and the Giants. Martyball is dead according to Marty, which bodes well for San Diego. Last year in the playoffs the Chargers were too conservative, and it cost them. Now the offense appears to be open, and after suffered 2 bad losses, they have shown they have one of the best offenses in the league. And they can stop the run pretty well. If they can learn to stop the pass, they'll keep moving up.

8. Miami (2-1) (9)
Maybe it was a fluke that they killed the Broncos in week 1, but they also beat a good Panthers' team. If they can win some games on the road, they will continue to move up. Ricky Williams will be a factor when he returns in week 6.

9. Washington (3-0) (10)
What can I say. They have to be here. I don't like it but they deserve it. Mark Brunell has shown he can still play, even though Clinton Portis still isn't showing why he was worth the trade. And the defense is still good enough to keep the game close.

10. Denver (3-1) (unranked)
I might regret this, but the Broncos just blew out the Chiefs (at home) and the Jaguars (on the road). They are plugging in running backs and having good results again, and Jake Plummer hasn't done anything yet to convince me they don't belong in the top 10, well other than that terrible performance in week 1, but I'll let it slide. A tough match-up against a good Washington defense will show if either team is for real.

On the Fringe:
New England (2-2) All I ‘m gonna say is this team better find a defense and fast…
New York (3-1) As much as I think Eli Manning is overrated, he has looked good...and Plaxico Burress has done better than expected. Still haven't beaten anyone, and didn't compete with the one good team they played.
Seattle (2-2) A missed FG at the end of regulation sends them out of the top 10. This team goes for dry spells where it doesn't score for long stretches.

Week 3 Rankings

A Quick Rundown on Week 3

The Dolphins, Eagles, and Patriots all kicked last second field goals to improve to 2-1. Dallas scored a late touchdown and Jacksonville notced a touchdown in overtime, as both teams moved to 2-1.

Tampa Bay defeated Green Bay by one point, with Packer kicker Ryan Longwell missing an extra point early in the game. Indianapolis won another low-scoring affair, joining Tampa Bay, Washington, and Cincinnati as the only teams to escape week 3 without a loss. Cincinnati throttled Chicago, picking off 5 passes for the second consecutive week. Washington was on bye, allowing the Redskins to move in to first-place when the Giants got destroyed by LaDainian Tomlinson and the Chargers.



Now the fun part...

While most pundits have been ranking teams all along, I am following the lead of the collegiate Harris Poll, and I am ranking teams based on their performance in the first three weeks of the season. Here are the NFL's top 10 ten teams heading into week 4:

1. Indianapolis (3-0)
The Colts have been winning with defense and a newfound commitment to consistlenly running the ball. Peyton Manning has only 2 TDs after 3 games. putting him on pace for 11, a hair under the 49 he threw for last season. Will this trend continue? Probably not, but the Colts seem determined to hold on to the ball more this season, using the running game to control the clock. So far it has worked. But their defense has not had a real test yet, and likely won't until Week 6, when St. Louis visits Indy for a Monday night showdown.

2. Cincinnati (3-0)
It's not the Bengals fault they have had an easy schedule so far, but Carson Palmer looks like the new Peyton Manning, throwing for 786 yards and 8 TDs. putting him on pace for 42 TDs. Cincinnati will face its first test in week 5, in a road game against Jacksonville. A home game against Houston in week 4 will allow Palmer to keep pace with Peyton Manning of 2004, while the defense will continue to cause turnovers.

3. Tampa Bay (3-0)
The story in Tampa Bay has been Cadillac Williams, who has carried the ball an astonishing 88 times already, picking up 434 yards. How much longer can the rookie handle this kind of punishment? Tampa Bay coach John Gruden will most likely start giving Michael Pittman some carries to lighten the load, because Williams will have a shortened rookie season if he keeps carrying the ball 30 times a game. But so far with a strong running game, and a defense that is stopping the run and putting pressure on the quarterback, this team could be headed back to the playoffs.

4. New England (2-1)
New England beat Pittsburgh, but lost to Carolina, who lost to New Orleans and Miami. Miami beat Carolina and Denver, who got beat Kansas City and San Diego. What does this all tell us? I have no clue, but New England still has Tom Brady, and thanks to a clock error against Pittsburgh, he had enough time to move them down the field for a late win. Brady always finds a way to win (except against Carolina) which is why the Patriots are still near the top. Cincinnati and Tampa Bay ahead of New England? Give it a couple weeks, and things will equal out, but for now that's how it is.

5. Pittsburgh (2-1)
Pittsburgh hasn't beaten any good teams yet, but Roethlisburger is looking good and the offensive line is creating holes for fast Willie Parker, who didn't find much room to run against New England in week 3. The defense is still one of the best in the league, and until they lose to someone other than New England, they are one of the best teams in the league.

6. Seattle (2-1)
Seattle shut out Vick and the Falcons for one half, and Shaun Alexander has rounded back into form after being stifled by the Jaguars in week 1. SO why are the Seahawks number 6, when Kansas City, Denver, and Jacksonville aren't ranked? Well..I don't have answer for that other than not many teams can shut down Vick like they did, which shows me their defense is for real.

7. Atlanta (2-1)
Vick still can't win with his arm, but it doesn't matter because he can with his legs. But will he be able to hold up? He already has a hamstring injury. The defense has played well so far, besides the first half against Seattle in week 2. A week 5 showdown is looming with New England. IF Vick stays healthy, they can play with anyone, even the Patriots.

8. Philadelphia (2-1)
The Eagles lost a tough game to Atlanta, but would have won with Jeremiah Trotter in to stop the run. The offense still looks explosive, and Donovan McNabb is doing is his best impersonation of Steve McNair from two years ago, playing through injuries and leading his teams to victory. The defense continues to impress, although it nearly collapsed against Oakland in week 3.

9. Miami (2-1)
Miami has two quality wins against the Broncos and the Panthers. How have they done it with Gus Frerotte? Nick Saban has somehow got him playing the best he has played in years, and the defense is still solid and opportunistic. Let's see if this lasts. I am buying it for now, but there is still a lot of football to be played.

10. Washington (2-0)
Is this team really one of the ten best teams in the league? Before you stop laughing, let me tell you why they are...and its not just because they are undefeated....wait...ok..here it is. Their defense is still one of the league's best, and Mark Brunell might actually have some football left in him. Ok nevermind, they're only here because they're undefeated.

Fantasy Debacle in Week 3

Another rough outing in week 3 for my fantasy squads. I entered the week with high hopes, and all teams came up empty. 1 came down to the wire, and the other two were blowouts.

A loss is a loss, I guess no matter how many points it is.

Here is the breakdown:

In one league I was going against Drew Brees (2 TDs), LaDanian Tomlinson (4 TDs), and Keenan McCardell. The ultimate insult was when Brees pitched the ball to Tomlinson and Tomlinson proceeded to then throw a TD to McCardell. Chad Pennington's -2 points couldn't quite make up the difference for my squad, as I fell to 1-2. Torri Holt and Chad Johnson had respectable outings, as they always do, but 2 players do not a team make. 1-2 it is.

I left Daunte Culpepper in for an easy matchup against the Saints in my other league, but I again ran into some bad luck going up against Steve Smith who had 375 yards receiving and 6 touchdowns. (Ok it was only 170 and 3, but still...). I might of had a chance if any of my players had bothered to produce any points.

Drew (I can't catch a touchdown unless Billy Volek is throwing to me when we are losing by 20 points in the 4th quarter) Bennett, Deon (I may never catch another TD again because Tom Brady spreads the damn ball around) Branch, and Joe (I can't catch garbage TDs anymore because I am too busy either fumbling potential socres or trying to tackle the opponent after another Aaron Brooks interception) Horn.

Suffice to say, I went down hard, falling to 0-3.

My last chance for a win came down to a Monday night showdown. Things were looking pretty good for me. I was trailing by 10 points, but I had three players going against two of his. Derrick Johnson (a defender), Larry Johnson, and Daunte Hall were going against Rod Smith and DJ Williams.

I watched in horror as the seemingly ageless Rod Smith caught pass after pass. Larry Johnson was getting nothing on the ground because of the stupid backfield by committee that KC does, and Daunte Hall was doing OK. Early in the second quarter, Johnson was in on a series finally, and I began to get my hopes up. I watched in disbelief in the span of seconds as Johnson fumbled, the Broncos recovered, and Jake Plummer connected with Rod Smith on a touchdown pass. This one stung almost as bad as the LT TD pass to McCardell. It was now going to take a small miracle to pull of the W.

As the Broncos built a bigger and bigger lead, things only got worse for my team. The one "positive" came early in the 4th quarter when Rod Smith got knocked out with a concussion. No more catches for him the rest of the game, although I did feel kinda bad since I am from Denver originally, but all is fair in love and fantasy football.

As the game reached its climax (it was a really boring game), the Chiefs were moving the ball down the field, and Johnson was getting some carries, albeit he was not getting much. The Chiefs moved the ball to the Broncos 20. By my calculations, I needed a touchdown to tie it up. Trent Green dropped back and hit Eddie Kennison for a TD. It was over!

Wait a second. Here comes the challenge. The Broncos challenged the play, contending Kennison went out on the 1 yard line. If that was the case, I would for sure get the 6 points I needed to tie it up. Sure enough the challenge is reversed, but not only is the play reversed, the pass is ruled incomplete, and the ball moved back to the 21. Well I still have a shot, although it's not likely they are going to keep it on the ground. Green dropped back and then hit Sammie Parker for a TD and it was all over. I fell to 0-3 on the week, and 0-3 in my last league

A Glance at Week 3

Randy Moss versus Terrell Owens. Tom Brady versus Ben Roethlisburger. Eli Manning versus the San Diego fans. These are the 3 best matchups of the week. Let's start in Philly.

The hype for the Oakland and Philadelphia matchup is all about Moss and Owens. But the real difference in this game will be defense. The Eagles have one of the best defenses in the league, and with Jeremiah Trotter back in week 2, their defense was dominant. Granted it was the 49ers, but they still allowed only 3 points, and didn't even allow any garbage points in the 4th quarter. With Trotter stuffing the run, the Eagles would have handled the Falcons in week 1. Without him, they still nearly won, even with McNabb hurting and the offense struggling.

Moss will still have a big game against the Philly D, posting 150 yards and 2 scores, about the same numbers as his counterpart TO will have. The only difference will be TO's numbers will come in the first half, and Moss' will come in the final quarter, when the Eagles already have an insurmountable lead. Lamont Jordan won't be able to get much on the ground, and the Raiders will be forced to rely on the pass, playing right into the Eagles blitz crazy defense. Eagles win 37-21.

The Panthers didn't exactly blow the Patriots away with their offense in week 2, but their defense shut down the Patriots' attack, as I predicted. They beat the Patriots at the their own game, with just enough big plays on defense and special teams to post the victory. New England isn't going to lose its second game in-a-row, especially not without a fight. But Pittsburgh has cruised to 2-0 with easy blowout victories against the Titans and the Texans, behind a stout defense and back-to-back 100 yard games from Willie Parker.

New England has a much better defense than Houston and Tennessee, and will be aiming to slow down Parker. Roethlisburger will again have to prove that he can perform well without depending on the rushing attack. With New England in its 4-3 alignment, Parker won't find as much room to run, and the game will come down to whether or not Roethlisburger can consistenly move his team down the field with his arm. The Patriots win in a close one, 20-17, as Roethlisburger makes costly mistakes in the passing game, and New England bounces back.

The Giants are coming off a dominant victory against the Saints, looking to go to 3-0 against the Chargers. San Diego is 0-2, losing two close games to Dallas and Denver, two games which they should have won. San Diego hasn't used LaDainian Tomlinson enough. Tomlinson has only 124 yards on 38 carries, an average of 3.3 yards per carry. The line isn't getting the job done, and is giving up on the run too early. With a 14-3 lead in the second half against the Broncos, the Chargers should have given Tomlinson the rock on every play. Instead Brees threw a costly interception, and after Champ Bailey took it the house, San Diego lost all of its momentum.

Against the Giants, they must find a way to get Tomlinson involved in the passing attack, as he has not caught a pass is so far this season. Lost in all this is Eli Manning is making his first appearance in San Diego, the team he refused to play for when he was drafted by them 2 years ago. San Diego's D (and its fans) will give Manning a rude welcome, putting pressure on the young quarterback, forcing him into costly mistakes. Tiki Barber won't find much room to run, and Tomlinson will run all over a Giants defense that is not good as adverstised. The Chargers are too angry to fall to 0-3. LT leades the way in a 24-13 San Diego victory


Flashback

Truth:

"The Patriots take an early loss as they struggle to get their run game going and Julius Peppers terrorizes Tom Brady"

"Carson Palmer has a big game against a Vikings defense that is not as good as everyone thinks.."

"Things only get worse for the Texans this week against the Steelers. The one positive from this game is Dominick Davis picks up a late TD when the game is already over.."

"The Eagles get their offense going against a 49ers D that taktes a step back.."

Myth:

"The Colts win in a shootout and everyone stops talking about how much improved their defense is and focuses again on how good Manning is."

"The difference in this game is McGahee's ability to gain yards wtihout much to work with and Cadillac's failure to do so..as Buffalo goes to 2-0.."

"The Ravens win a defensive struggle..."

Observations from the First 2 Weeks..

Daunte Culpepper has shown that much of his success was tied to Randy Moss. He has thrown as 8 interceptions (the combined total of TDs of Donovan McNabb (6) and Peyton Manning (2). The Vikings are 0-2, and if Culpepper doesn't get it together against the Saints this weekend, they're not gonna make it to the playoffs.

Kansas City's and Indianaoplis' defenses have both played extremely well so far. The Colts have given up only 10 points in 2 games. Granted the first game was against Baltimore, who couldn't score against a high school football team. Yhey only allowed 3 points to Jacksonville, who put up 26 points against Seattle in week 1. Kansas City did a good job shutting down the Raiders on Sunday night in 23-17 victory. However, it should be noted that the Raiders had 2 touchdowns called back on penalties, one of them (the offensive pass interference call on Randy Moss) was questionable to say the least. Regardless all the matters in the NFL is the bottom line. Both teams' defenses have gotten the job done the first 2 weeks.

Washington is 2-0! Maybe Joe Gibbs knows what he is doing. Their defense still looks solid, and if Mark Brunell can continue to hit Santana Moss deep ( as he did twice for touchdowns in the final 4 minutes of their Monday night victory over Dallas, 14-13), then the Redksins could be legitimate contenders in the NFC East, and maybe in the NFC.

Stephen Davis has actually played this season, and despite my prediction (that he would never play again), he has looked pretty good. He has 4 tds, rushing for 158 yards on 38 attempts, helping lead the Panthers over the Patriots in a surprising 27-17 victory. The Panthers defense looks very good, which may be enough to get them deep in the playoffs season. The only snag might be Jake Delhomme hasn't looked very good. That interception he threw against the Patriots looked like a Jake Plummer pass. I'm tired of the "Poor Man's Tom Brady" analogies he has been getting.

The Eagles are in last place in the NFC East! Ok, so they are only one game back, and they have a favorable matchup against the Raiders this week. They definitely won't clinch the division in the the fourth week of the season as they did last year. This one could come down to the final week, if Drew Bledsoe and Mark Brunell can continue playing well. That's a big IF, considering both are in the twilight of their careers, but it could happen...

Priest Holmes and Curtis Martin both look like they are done. Holmes went out for a series with a shoulder injury against the Raiders and Larry Johnson scored almost immediately. Johnson looks much better than Holmes, running for 151 yards on 18 carries (8.4 ypc), while Holmes has 41 carries for 160 yards (3.9 ypc). Vermeil continues to use Holmes for two-thirds of the carries, despite the fact that Johnson is doing more with the same blocking. Martin has rushed for 129 yards on 51 carries, a whopping 2.5 yards per carry. Now he has a knee strain. He is 32, and doesn't appear to have much, if any gas left in the tank. He has two tough defenses coming up next (Jacksonville and Baltimore). I don't think he will play more than 8 games this season, and he won't be a legitimate fantasy option. The Jets will wish they had kept Lamont Jordan around to split carries with Martin this season.

Tennesse came out of nowhere and blew out Baltimore in week 2. Maybe this team will go somewhere this year. Now I am not saying they are going to make the playoffs, but 8-8 is a real possibility.

The Saints got screwed by the NFL. Would the Saints have beaten the Giants if they didn't have to travel to New York for a "home" game? Probably not, but they became the 2nd team in NFL history that had to do a silent snap count at a home game (the first being the Cardinals). It just wasn't fair that the Giants got to play at home. Some of the Giants players commented after the game that it was the loudest crowd they had ever heard! Apparently, painting one of the endzones with Saints' colors and having 3 Doors Down perform at halftime were the only signs that this was a home game for the Saints. And since when did having a band from the home team's city give a team an advantage?

The Giants and Buccaneers are both 2-0, and look like legitimate contenders. The Buccaneers blew out the Bills 19-3 after shutting down the Vikings in week 1. Their defense is looking very impressive, and Cadillac Williams drove through a pretty stingy Buffalo defense. He has posted 100 yard rushing in his first two games and is averaging 5.4 yards per carry. Eli Manning has shown flashes of "getting it" in the first two weeks, and the combination of Tiki Barber and Brandon Jacobs (the new "Thunder and Lightning") is very effective.

How my fantasy teams have fared:

0-2 - Thanks to a late collapse by Aaron Brooks and a late sack by Roy Williams, I fell to 0-2. Ouch
On the bright side, I traded Eli Manning and Deuce Mcalister for Donovan McNabb, unfortunately the trade did not take effect until Tuesday. McNabb vs. the Raiders this week. I am penciling him in for at least 3 TDs, and that is being conservative.

0-2 - I am trailing my 4 points. Joe Horn catches the ball near the endzone, he stretches for the endzone, and FUMBLES! I lose by 6, thanks to -2 from the fumble.
Maybe I should take out Daunte Culpepper. This season he has given me a grand total of -2 points. My backup. None other than Byron Leftwich, who is hurt...

1-1 - My formidable trio of receivers (Torry Holt, Roy Williams, Chad Johnson) all blow up, giving my first win of any league in a blowout.

Fantasy Football Running Diary

9 p.m.
So here I am watching the closing minutes of the Cowboys/Redskins game. I'm losing by 4 points in my league. It was tied but then Roy Williams got a sack for the Cowboys. My league has individual defensive players. I'm gonna drop to 0-2 in my league unless my last player, Marcus Washington can somehow come up with an interception or a sack. The Redskins have the ball and they're losing. There's no way in hell they are coming back.

9:10 p.m.
Oh my god, the Redskins just threw a bomb for a TD. After the extra point, they'll be up by 1. I still have a chance. The Cowboys are going to get the ball back. There is 2 minutes left. The only problem is the guy I am playing has Drew Bledsoe and Julius Jones. Here is what needs to happen. Drew Bledsoe throws an interception and Marcus Washington returns it for TD. That would pretty much guarantee victory for me. Or Marcus Washington sacks Bledsoe twice in-a-row. Here we go.

9:12 p.m.
This is what football is all about. Watching the end of the game, not because you care which team wins, but because you're praying a defensive player is going to get a sack or make an interception. Damn it , I don't have a chance. If anything, I am going to lose by even more. Jones just rushed for 5 more yards. Incomplete pass by Bledsoe. There's still a chance.

9:17 p.m.
This is horrible. I'm losing everything tonight. In my other league I would have won if Joe Horn hadn't fumbled on the 1 yard line. He was about to score his second TD of the game, giving me the victory, but he fumbled on the 1 yard line. Damn it. Not that it matters that the at the time the Saints were losing by 17 and there was only 50 seconds left in the game. I'm not addicted or anything though.

9:20 p.m.
The Cowboys just turned it over on downs. It's all over for me. Washington didn't get a tackle, interception, or sack. Nothing. My team would have beaten any other team in the league, except the one that had Roy Williams, picking up that sack. The clock is ticking down. Washington played it conservative and they're about to punt. Let's hope Marcus Washington is on the punt coverage team.

9:24 p.m.
The Cowboys didn't return the punt, so no points for Washington. 36 seconds left, Bledsoe throws incomplete. Marcus Washington needs to come up big for me here. Send him on a blitz. Incomplete again. My heart skipped a beat as the Redskins nearly got an interception. 25 yard completion. Clock running down. The Cowboys have a chance. 10 seconds left. They are almost in FG range. Incomplete. 4 seconds left. They have to throw in the endzone. It's too far to kick a FG. It's all over. The Cowboys tried a screen pass to Julius Jones. Great more points for Jones and Bledsoe. What a disaster. How the hell did the Redskins win this game. Freaking ridiculous. I'm 0-2. Oh well there is always next week....

Week 2 Predictions

This week's game of the week is a Super Bowl rematch from 2 years ago, the Patriots and the Panthers. That game, arguably one of the most competitive and entertaining Super Bowls ever, was won by a Adam Vinateri field goal. It'd be easy to say that's how this one is going to end up, but I'm taking the Panthers in this one. The Patriots take an early loss as they struggle to get their run game going and Julius Peppers terrorizes Tom Brady.

Daunte Culpepper tries to wake up from his week 1 nightmare against the Bengals in Cincinnati. The Bengals' D is much improved, and is just enough to stifle the Vikings. Carson Palmer has a big game against a Vikings defense that is not as good as everything thinks, and the Bengals move to 2-0 for the first time anyone can remember.

Peyton Manning faces off with Byron Leftwich in Indianapolis. Last year the Jags were the only team to defeat the Colts in Indy, but it won't happen again this year. The Colts win this one in a shootout, and everyone stops talking about how much improved their defense is and focuses again on how good Manning is.

Pittsburgh is on the road this week for a tough matchup against the upstart Texans, well not exactly. The Texans looked miserable against Buffalo last week, and things only get worse for them this week against the Steelers. The one positive from this game is Dominick Davis picks up a late TD when the game is already over, keeping all those fantasy teams' hopes alive that took them with their first pick in the draft (myself included).

Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens send the 49ers back to .500, but the game is a lot closer than everyone thinks. What I mean is the final score is a lot closer, as the 49ers score two meaningless touchdowns in the 4th quarter and to make the score seem a lot closer. The Eagles get their offense going against a 49ers' D that takes a step back in week 2.

Buffalo and Tampa Bay do their best impersonation of Chicago and Washington's 9-7 thriller from week 1. The difference in the game is McGahee's ability to gain yards without much to work with, and Cadillac's failure to do so. Buffalo builds on last year's hot finish with a 2-0 start.

Baltimore is favored by 7 on the road at Tennessee. My question is who is going to score that touchdown for the Ravens? Ray Lewis or Ed Reed? After watching the Ravens shoot a blank against the Colts last week, it's obvious this offense is not any good. But then again, the Titans didn't show us much of anything against the Steelers in week 1. The Ravens win in a defensive struggle, with Ed Reed bringing a pick to the house for the decisive TD.

Pistol's Fantasy Football Week 1 Rant

Having no job and very little to do, I took it upon myself to assemble 30 fantasy football teams for the upcoming season. It's a formidable task to monitor and keep up with 30 different teams, but I have been able to manage so far. It only takes me about three hours to set the line-up for 15 of the teams. In one league, I am the "commish." Since it's on yahoo, there really is very little responsibility involved with being "commish." I don't have to organize anything or inform people of pending deadlines. Yahoo takes care of everything for me. I just like the fact that I can call myself the "commish". That's pretty much the best part.

I also have my “main” league, which is the only one that actually takes place in real life, as opposed to being on the internet. Everyone has to pay $50 to enter, but it's not to pay for a prize or anything like that. We meet twice during the season at a restaurant for the draft and the supplemental draft. In other words we pay $50 for the food we eat during our drafts. Most "real" leagues you pay to enter then bet money on each game every week. It just becomes another form of gambling. But this league is more "pure", well as "pure" as fantasy football can be I guess.

Then I have 28 public leagues through Yahoo. I started early in the Summer doing drafts, and before I knew I had 28 teams. Nothing beats the thrill of a fantasy draft. By the time I made it to my 28th draft, I could pretty much predict where every player was going to be drafted, well except for the asshole that drafted Alex Smith with the 1st pick overall, thinking maybe being the 1st pick in the real draft means something in fantasy football.

I picked Daunte Culpepper in about all of my public leagues with my 1st pick. Some people were down on him without Randy Moss, but I had a feeling he was going to have a big year. I guess there is nowhere but up to go for him after a disastrous first week. I got annihilated. I managed to win a third of them by dumb luck and easy match-ups and was more than happy with this outcome. On one team I play no tight end, because I have so many solid players and happened to win this week even with Culpepper at the helm.

But, what really pisses me off about public leagues is that two teams that clearly know each other made a ridiculous trade, one of them giving up Peyton Manning and Steven Jackson for absolute garbage. Now the team that traded Peyton is starting Kurt Warner. That's a real upgrade.

Then there are the leagues where a team makes no roster changes the whole season. I'm playing three teams this week alone that are still starting Jevon Walker, who is out for the season. What's the point of even doing a fantasy draft if you're never going to do anything with your team? And how the hell do I still end up losing to a team that is starting Jerry Rice at wide receiver?

However, for the most part public leagues are a good solid way to waste a few hours a week. In a few of my leagues people dropped Brett Favre and Trent Green, after one bad game. Both these QBs are top QBs in just about any fantasy expert's board. It amazes me that people care so little or are just that stupid, but I’m happy to pick these guys off waivers and trade them to these idiots later on in the year.

In the league I’m the commish I played Steve in the first week and beat him until he was purple. If he had combined the points of the 5 players he had on his bench with the rest of his team, I still would have won by 10 points. I proceeded to tell the league that he picked shit for qb’s and needed to get off the can the following week in my weekly breakdown of the league's matchups, my only real duty.

In my main league the results are not still posted yet (its Wednesday) because the commish doesn’t know how to work a computer. I told him I’d put the league on yahoo for free, but he's trying to keep things the same way they have always been, which gives you a clear indication of how old he is, and also probably the way he votes.

That's it for this week.

Written by Peter Moulton
Edited by Steve McFadden

Week 1 Roundup

Week 1 of the NFL season has come and gone, and there was a number of shocking upsets. In a week that ended the same way last season ended (a dominating performance by the Patriots and a frustrating loss for the Eagles), the 49ers, Dolphins, and Cowboys all managed to pull of upsets. These three teams, arguably three of the worst teams from last year, that pulled off surprising victories.

The most shocking game of course being Miami's total domination of Denver, 34-10. Miami looks like a new team this year, even with "old" Gus Frerotte at the helm. Denver looks like it's regretting committing so much of its financial resources to Jake Plummer. Plummer couldn't complete any passes until the game was over, ending up with average fantasy stats at the end thanks to a late meaningless TD.

How did Mike Martz's Rams lose to the 49ers? Well apparently Martz gave his Defensive Coordinator the day off, because the 49ers scored 3 TDs in the 1st half! 2 questions: 1. Did the 49ers even score 3 TDs last season? 2. Why do the Rams not run the ball with Steven Jackson more often? The Rams came back from 3 TDs against Seattle last season, but they couldn't come back against the 49ers, losing 28-25! As good as the Rams offense is with Martz, he won't survive much longer with this team if they lose games like this.

Bill Parcells unfroze Drew Bledsoe just in time for him to throw 3 TDs against San Diego in a 28-24 victory. San Diego missed Antonio Gates dearly down the stretch, as Drew Brees couldn't connect with any of his receivers on 4 passes into the endzone. Gates will be back for Week 2. Let's not be to quick to say the Cowboys are back, but even Keyshawn looked good for the 'Boys

Caught up in all these upsets was New Orleans shocking victory in Carolina. America's new team showed heart, as Aaron Brooks brought the Saints down in the field in the final minute and John Carney kicked the go-ahead field goal for the 23-20 victory, defeating everyone's favorite sleeper to knock off the Eagles this year.

Daunte Culpepper fell flat on his face against Tampa Bay in his debut without Randy Moss. He spent most of the game dumping the ball to the tight end or running back on screens, lacking confidence in his receivers. Tampa Bay's D swarmed him throughout, forcing 3 interceptions and recovering 2 fumbles.

Meanwhile on Thursday night Randy Moss put on quite the show in New England, catching a 77-yard bomb for a TD, looking like he might be able to turn the Raiders into a playoff team. Yes I said maybe, and not definitely. They still have Kerry Collins at QB.

Carson Palmer looks like he's the real deal this year, leading the Bengals to an impressive victory over the Browns, 27-13. Well I guess any victory over the Browns isn't impressive, especially with Trent Dilfer at QB. But Palmer completed 26 of 34 passes for 280 yards and 2 TDs (and a pick), with Rudi Johnson going well over 100 yards. The Bengals look like they might finally finally make it back to the postseason. Then again, it's only week 1, and it was the Browns. The same team that almost single-handedly let Jamal Lewis set the rushing record 3 years ago.

Moving on, Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson gave the JETS fits in KC, combining for 3 TDs and almost 200 yards. Johnson was more impressive, gaining 110 yards on 9 carries. With an actual defense this year, the Chiefs seem poised to re-enter the playoffs after dismantling the JETS, 27-7. Chad Pennington looked like his shoulder still isn't healed from last year, and may never be, and Curtis Martin looked like last year was his last stand.

Ben Roethlisberger showed us why the preseason is meaningless, throwing for 218 yards and 2 TDs. Either that or the Titans are even worse than we thought, losing to the Steelers 34-7.

In a game that "bears" no description, the Redskins defeated Chicago 9-7.

In another offensive shootout, the Lions knocked off the Packers 17-3. Favre suddenly looks like an old man, and his best receiver is gone for the year. Things are not going well in what will most likely be his last season. Joey Harrington had a solid game throwing for 2 TDs, but the Packers D is going to be one of the worst units this season. Harrington still has a long way to go before he has "arrived."

David Carr started right where he left off from last season, with another terrible performance, Losman did just enough to lead Buffalo to the 22-7 victory.

Kurt Warner failed in his attempt to prove to the Giants they shouldn't have let him go, as the Giants ran away with their special teams, returning two kicks for TDs, winning 42-19. Eli Manning looks like he has improved, but let's not put him up there with his older brother just yet.

Speaking of which, Peyton carved up the new Ravens 4-6 defense, and Kyle Boller may not be a NFL QB for too much longer, as the Colts won 24-7.

Byron Leftwich put in a strong performance, leading the Jags to an impressive victory against Seattle. Matt Hasselbach got off to a poor start to the 2005 season throwing three picks in a 26-14 loss.

The Monday night game featured a rematch of last year's NFC Championship, the Eagles and the Falcons. Jeremiah Trotter, the heart of the Eagles defense was ejected before kickoff, and the Eagles defense sorely missed his run-stopping presence. Vick and the Falcons rushed for 200 yards, and McNabb had a hard time finding his rhythm against a Falcons unit that pressured him on nearly every pass attempt. McNabb looked afraid to run, trying to prove he can be a pure pocket passer, while his counterpart again showed he is a merely a tailback that completes an occasional pass. But the Falcons got the W, and that's what matters in the NFL

Everyone tends to put much too much stock into the results of the first week of the season. Many players are still getting in shape, and teams are not at their best. Some teams play their best game of the season the 1st week, others their worst. Buffalo beat New England 31-0 on opening day 3 years ago, and didn't do anything the rest of the year. Look for the Dolphins to come back to Earth in week 2. The Eagles are going to take their frustrations on the 49ers next week, so don't count on San Fran pulling off it's second victory of the season. TO will have some special celebrations in store for the game for all 4 of his TDs. I'll say this much. If San Fran wins this game, they are for real. But it's not going to happen.

At the same time, there are many things we can take out of the 1st week. We know the Pats haven't lost a step. We learned that Drew Bledsoe had at least one game left in him. If Bledsoe can continue to play a high level, the Cowboys might prevent the Eagles from clinching the NFC East in Week 14. Then again, the Eagles are the only team without a win in the NFC East. Maybe they fall apart this year. We also know Joe Gibbs still doesn't know what he is doing. Clinton Portis is a small, speedy runner. He's not an old-school 25-30 carry per game kind of back. He will go down this year with an injury if Gibbs continues to run him so much. We also know that Vick will never develop into a passing QB. Jim Mora called more running plays for Vick than pass plays it seemed like. And Vick is not a better passer than when he entered the league 5 years ago. Chances are he will also miss significant time with an injury this season. It's not a question of if, but when.

Lastly, it's great to have the NFL back. Sundays just aren't the same without football. No other sport compares to the drama and intrigue of the NFL. For those of us that work for a living, it gives us an escape from the monotony of our daily routines. For those that don't, well at least you have time to manage as many fantasy football teams as you want.

Be sure to check back for this week's predictions and fantasy update.