Three Technique- Week 6

(2-3) VIKINGS 34, (2-4) BEARS 31

1. Mark this game down as the game that Adrian Peterson, who ran for 224 yards and 3 TDs, officially became Purple Jesus.

2. The 3 most valuable players in the league right now are Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Devin Hester. Hester is valuable not only for the TD return he seems to get every week, but he's valuable because the Bears almost never get the ball inside their own 40 because teams are so afraid to kick to him, and now as a receiver the fear of him means that it's easier for the rest of their receivers to get open.

3. I bet someone a dollar this week that the Vikings would win the NFC North this year.






(4-2) PANTHERS 25, (3-3) CARDINALS 10

1. This game taught me that the Texans should have drafted Vinny Testaverde with the top pick in the 02 draft instead of David Carr.

2. The Panthers are 4-2, but they'll probably have Vinny as their QB the rest of the season. If Vinny Testaverde finally gets to a Super Bowl now after 20 years in the league, so help me God I will plotz.

3. I swear to God I thought I saw Tim Rattay on the Buccaneers sideline this weekend. I think he may actually be playing for 2 teams. I'm not sure that is prohibited by NFL bylaws.





(5-1) PACKERS 17, (3-2) REDSKINS 14

1. Santana Moss fumbled the game away and then benched himself. "I had to really sleep on it to understand you ain't perfect, you know what I mean." was how Moss summed up the situation. Sometimes this stuff just writes itself.

2. I no understand how a team can have its QB go 19 of 37 with two INTs, and have a leading rusher who ran wild for 37 yards, and still win. This Packers team is doing it with mirrors.

3. Brett Favre broke the all time record for interceptions thrown in this game. They stopped the game for a video montage, and then Chris Berman and John Madden came on the field to pay homage to his balls.





(3-3) CHARGERS 28, (2-3) RAIDERS 14

1. I know the Raiders have been kind of a feel-good story this year because they've been competitive for the most part, but let's not forget that they had the first overall pick in this year's draft, and they used it on JaMarcus Russell, who is still not signed, and if he ever does sign I feel like it's guaranteed he'll be a bust. That and their defense has completely gone in the toilet after being pretty good last year.

2. In a trade deadline deal, the Chargers acquired former Dolphins WR Chris Chambers. Chambers was on pace for a 1000 yard season on a terrible Dolphins team, now he goes to a team that never throws to its wide receivers. Is it because the receivers are bad or is that just how the Chargers roll? I guess we'll find out now.

3. I guess this was a big win for Norv Turner since apparently he once was the Raiders head coach, although I don't remember it.




(4-2) BUCS 13, (3-2) TITANS 10

1. You won't see a better 2 minute drill than the one Jeff Garcia led at the end of this game. The Bucs had first and 10 at their own 20 with 1:17 left. Garcia then completed 4 out of 6 pass attempts to get the Bucs to the Tennessee 25 with 11 seconds left for the game winning field goal.

2. It looks like the Bucs new feature back is going to be Michael Bennett, who was acquired from KC this week. Bennett was last an effective NFL running back in 2003, when he was averaging 5 yards a carry for the Vikings before getting injured. This year, he's averaging 2.6 yards per on 20 attempts.

3. Vince Young left this game with an injury after completing 11 of 14 passes. He's been limited in practice this week, but he's probably going to play this week against Houston, if for no other reason than to make Mario "Chopped Liver" Williams look bad.






(4-1) JAGUARS 37, (3-3) TEXANS 17

1. For all the rending of garments over the Falcons trading Matt Schaub, let's note that thru Week 6, Schaub has thrown 5 TDs and 5 INTs, while Joey Harrington has thrown 4 TDs and 4 INTs for the Falcons. I don't see that big of a dropoff.

2. The top 3 QBs in the league in passer rating thru Week 6 with a minimum of 5 starts are: 1. Tom Brady, 2. Peyton Manning, 3. David Garrard. It's absolutely true.

3. This week's Monday Night game at home against Indy is a huge game for the Jaguars franchise. They've been chasing the Colts for years, and this is their chance to claim a spot as their equals.





(3-3) CHIEFS 27, (1-4) BENGALS 20

1. What is it with the AFC North? Marvin Lewis is supposed to be a defensive genius, but his defense is terrible. Same with Romeo Crennel. Meanwhile, Brian Billick is supposed to be an offensive mastermind and the Ravens have had a bad offense for almost a decade now.

2. The Bengals are in complete chaos right now. Carson Palmer and Chad Johnson are regularly bitching at each other on the sideline, their 1st round draft pick is on an illegal substances suspension, their coach is crippled. I almost expect David Klingler to apparate at this point.

3. If you asked me to name a coach of the year right now, I would have to say Herm Edwards. I thought this team would be a Miami Dolphins-esque disaster this year, and here they are at 3-3 and with Larry Johnson heating up they are only going to get better.





(4-2) RAVENS 22, (0-6) RAMS 3

1. I think finally, at long last, this 5 INT performance may mean that this is the last time Gus Frerotte ever starts an NFL game. He almost got to start for every NFL team once. Of course, Vinny just won a game last weekend so I'm sure we'll see Gus again somewhere.

2. The Ravens are a very soft 4-2. The combined record of the teams they've played this year is 10-24. They better fatten up while they can, because beginning Thanksgiving weekend they play the Chargers, Patriots, and Colts in succession. Now THAT'S a difficult schedule.

3. There might be some hope for the Rams, because this week they get back Marc Bulger, Steven Jackson, and Isaac Bruce. Of course, Scott Linehan will still be coaching them. That's why I said MIGHT be some hope.





(2-3) EAGLES 16, (1-5) JETS 9

1. I've noticed a trend with the Eagles. They only win when one team is wearing goofy looking throwback uniforms. Those looked like Rams throwbacks, not Jets throwbacks.

2. Speaking of which, how come whenever a team wears throwback uniforms it's always some uniform they wore for one year a million years ago that nobody remembers. If the Jets want to wear throwbacks why don't they bust out the Mark Gastineau/Richard Todd getups with the green helmets and the big fat green stripes on the sleeves. That might warm my cochals a little.

3. The Eagles have very quietly played some really good defense this year. They rank in the top 10 against both the run and the pass. and DE Trent Cole already has 6 sacks.





(3-3) BROWNS 41, (0-6) DOLPHINS 31

1. Now Trent Green says he's fine and wants to come back. Uhhh..yeah..sure...the Dolphins have one young QB who looks like he can play a little in Cleo Lemon, and another guy they drafted early in the 2nd round this year in John Beck, and they're going to want Trent Green's old, concussed ass back to QB their winless team. That makes total sense.

2. This week's trade of Chris Chambers to SD was made so the Dolphins could get WR Ted Ginn, the 9th overall pick in this year's draft, on the field more. So far Ginn has caught only 3 passes this year, but he's averaged almost 30 yards per reception. I picked his ass up on BOTH of my fantasy teams.

3. Kellen Winslow won his showdown with Dolphins LB Joey Porter. The two had been sniping at each other all week. Winslow had 5 catches for 90 yards, Porter had 4 tackles and was basically as invisible as he's been all season. Porter had 17 1/2 sacks total in the last 2 seasons with Pittsburgh, this year he's got 0.





(6-0) PATRIOTS 48, (5-1) COWBOYS 27

1. The Patriots are really good. They are 6-0. But they aren't going to 16-0. Here's why.

2. They are giving up 4 yards a carry on defense. That's not awful, but it's not impermeable either. If a team committed to running the ball against the Pats, it would keep Tom Brady off the field and it would probably keep the game close.

3. The Pats aren't particularly adept at running the ball either. If I'm scheming a defense to stop the Patriots. I drop 8 or 9 guys into coverage on every play, and dare Maroney, Kevin Faulk, Sammy Morris, or whoever they have running the ball to beat me.





(1-4) SAINTS 28, (3-3) SEAHAWKS 17

1. I know that in Seattle they are big on calling their fans the "12th Man". Why is it then that I kept hearing the "12th Man" booing their offense thru most of the game. If they truly are the "12th Man" on the team, they shouldn't boo their teammates should they? Not even TO has ever done that yet.

2. That said, they were booing Shaun Alexander mostly, who at this point in his career has a running style similar to someone trying to play wearing an Easter bunny costume.

3. A nice win for the Saints, but they are still done as far as 2007 goes. They'll probably play more like the team you saw in this game than the team you saw in Weeks 1 thru 4 the rest of the way, but 0-4 is a hole too big to climb out of.




(4-2) GIANTS 31, (1-5) FALCONS 10

1. Lord almighty, just how brittle is Brandon Jacobs? He looks like he gets hurt every time he touches the ball. It's like watching Frank Thomas play running back or something.

2. For the moment it seems like Tom Coughlin is turning into the new milennium's Wayne Fontes, having a team just good enough for him not to get fired.

3. Meanwhile, the Falcons can't stop bitching about Bobby Petrino. Alge Crumpler's all like, "Mehhhhhhhhhhhhhh he's phasing out the veterans...meeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhh". Well YES of course he's phasing out the veterans because the veterans haven't won anything and are not that good. This isn't Japan or Germany or some other pinko country where you are promised employment for life. Why is it surprising to Alge Crumpler or D'Angelo Hall or any of the other crybaby Falcons that a new coach would want to see who he wants to be a part of his program and who he doesn't and then "phase out" those he wants gone? Jeebus just because Jim Mora Jr. kissed the asses of his players doesn't mean every coach will. This probably goes all the way up to the owner, Arthur Blank. He treats his players like his sons, so the players feel like they don't have to sweat some lowly head coach. God what a fucking mess this team is.