Book Reviews by Elizabeth A. White

What a great NFL season it has been, with compelling action both on and off the field. I may or may not blog about the playoffs at some point, but here are the All Purpose Monkey’s final thoughts on the 2008 NFL regular season.

Amazing Turnarounds

Atlanta Falcons – It may be easy in light of the Falcons disappointing first round loss to lose sight of what an amazing success their season really was, but that would truly be a shame. All the Falcons organization did was take a team in absolute shambles, stick a rookie coach at the helm, a rookie quarterback under center, tap a career backup as their starting running back, and hope people would forget – or at least move past – the Michael Vick fiasco. How’d that work out for them? Coach of the Year honors for Mike Smith, Rookie of the Year Honors for Matt Ryan, a 1,700 yard / 17 TD season (both 2nd in the NFL) for Michael Turner, and a +7 game turnaround from 4-12 to 11-5 and a trip to the playoffs… pretty damn good I’d say! Kudos to Arthur Blank and the entire Falcons organization!

Miami Dolphins – It would seem difficult to top the turnaround made by the Falcons, but what the Dolphins did was nothing short of miraculous. True, they didn’t have the off the field baggage the Falcons did, but they did come into the 2008 season having only won 1 game in 2007. With NFL legend Bill Parcells in place as “Executive Vice President of Football Operations” the Dolphins replaced over 50% of their roster (including the pickup of 2008 NFL Comeback Player of the Year Chad Pennington at QB), replaced their head coach, and turned the “wildcat” offense loose on the NFL. The result? The biggest turnaround in NFL history (finishing +10 games at 11-5), an AFC East title and a trip to the playoffs.

Baltimore Ravens – The Ravens also pulled a pretty drastic u-turn, reversing a 5-11 record to 11-5 and, as of this writing, having gotten to at least the second round of the playoffs. And like the Falcons, the Ravens also managed this with both a rookie coach and quarterback. Between the Falcons, Dolphins and Ravens the pressure will be more enormous than ever for rookie players (especially QBs) and coaches to deliver, quickly, and with no “excuses” about learning curves.

Disasters & Disappointments

Dallas Cowboys – Wow. Is train wreck too strong a term to use here? Meltdown? Implosion? How about disaster? Suffice it to say the wheels most definitely fell off the wagon that was the Cowboys’ 2008 season (and I’m just talking about on the field). Despite starting 2008 as one of the NFC favorites following their 13-3 season in 2007, the Cowboys never really got things consistently on track in 2008. Romo was sidelined with a finger injury for 3 weeks mid-season, rookie running back Felix Jones went down for the season in Week 6, and both TE Jason Witten and RB Marion Barber spent the second half of 2008 perpetually nicked up. The result for the Cowboys was a 9-7 finish, including losing 3 of their last 4 games (2 of which were “win and you’re in” games), and a final, humiliating 6-44 thumping at the hands of the Eagles in Week 17. Jerry Jones has already sacrificed special teams coach Bruce Read at the alter of no-playoffs disappointment, and don’t be surprised if Wade Phillips follows no matter what Jerry Jones is currently saying.

Jacksonville Jaguars – The team that many “experts” picked to at least make it to the AFC title game, if not actually be the AFC representative in the Super Bowl, finished 5-11 and in last place in the AFC South. And they didn’t have any excuses. Sure they had some injuries here and there throughout the season, every team does, but the Jags were still able to play QB David Garrard and running back Maurice Jones-Drew in every game, running back Fred Taylor played in all but 3, and leading receiver Matt Jones played in the team’s first 12 games before his 4 game drug suspension kicked in (by which time the season was already lost). Disappointing. There’s simply no other way to describe the Jaguars’ season.

Head Coach House Cleaning

It’s as sure a thing as death and taxes… before the corpse of the NFL regular season even has a chance to get cold head coaches start getting shown the door. In fact, this year some teams didn’t even wait until the season was dead: the Raiders (Lane Kiffin), 49ers (Mike Nolan) and Rams (Scott Linehan) all kicked their coaches to the curb while the season was still on life-support. And though not a firing, it was known going in that this was Mike Holmgren’s last year in Seattle (former Falcons coach Jim Mora was already tapped as his replacement).

Since the end of the season the Browns have let Romeo Crennel go, the Jets fired Eric Mangini (who is rumored to be the leading candidate for the Browns job), the Lions justifiably canned Rod Marinelli once the final nail was in their 0-16 season coffin, and, in what most considered a relatively unexpected move, the Broncos parted ways with Mike Shanahan after 14 seasons. Crennel and Marinelli probably have a more realistic shot at coordinator positions somewhere than they do another head coaching gig, at least in the immediate future, but Shanahan will be a hot prospect for any of the open positions… well, except Oakland.

And though the dust from the initial flurry of firings has settled, there are still a couple of coaches who aren’t out of the woods yet. No matter what Jerry Jones says now, there’s always the chance that the slow burn of the Cowboys failure to make the playoffs will get the better of him and he’ll still show Wade Phillips the door. Herm Edwards is also in a very precarious position in Kansas City. Even though he is loved by the owner, long time GM Carl Peterson is leaving after 20 years and there is a very real possibility that whoever replaces him will want Edwards out in favor of a coach of their choosing. And despite their division title and first round playoff showing, don’t be surprised if Vikings coach Brad Childress loses his job given the erratic season they had and extremely tepid support he (and the team as lead by him) has received from the Minnesota faithful. Finally, Colts coach Tony Dungy has not decided whether or not he will return, and most observers think he will not.

Of the three interim coaches named after in-season firings, only Mike Singletary with the 49ers has been given a contract and had his interim tag removed. Tom Cable in Oakland and Jim Haslett in St. Louis will apparently have to hang tight through a coaching hunt to see whether their respective teams can dig up anyone they like better. In any event, the start of the 2009 NFL season will see at least 8, and possibly as many as 12, changes at the head coaching position.

Quest For The “Perfect” Season

Well, they did it. The Detroit Lions went a perfect 0-16 and cemented their legacy as (statistically) the worst team ever in NFL history. And now that they actually have… I kinda wish they hadn’t. All goofing on the “Cowardly Lions” aside, this team is much better than their record indicates. They were very competitive in at least half of their games (losing 6 games by 8 points or less), and only really got “blown out” 4 times. With 2 first round draft picks, a high (like first or second pick) second round pick, one of the better receivers (Calvin Johnson) in the league already in place, a strong rookie season from RB Kevin Smith (nearly 1,000 yards / 8 TDs), and anchor.. er, GM Matt Millen finally gone the Lions should be able to take some serious steps toward making the team legitimately competitive in 2009. Hey, it’s not impossible… look what the Dolphins did!

Players To Watch In 2009

Matt Ryan/Roddy White (Falcons) & Matt Shaub/Andre Johnson (Texans) – Not only was the Falcons 2008 season a great success, but we may well look back on 2008 as the dawning of a new Joe Montana/Jerry Rice, Peyton Manning/Marvin Harrison like QB/WR combo in Matt Ryan and Roddy White, who connected for 88 receptions and 7 TDs in ‘08. The same thing may also be happening in Houston (yes, Houston) with Matt Shaub and Andre Johnson, who lead the NFL with 115 receptions and 1,575 yards.

Darren Sproles (Chargers) – He’s not a new face, but Sproles will be interesting to watch in 2009, at least initially to see where he actually ends up playing. Sproles is a free agent this off-season and given his clutch performance in the Chargers first round playoff game (all he did was tally 328 all-purpose yards, 3rd most ever in a post-season game) and ability to change games on special teams it’s likely the Chargers will have to pony up if they want to keep him out of the hands of likely suitors Denver, Cincinnati, Arizona, and Cleveland.

Kevin Smith (Lions) – It’s hard to believe that there was actually a bright spot in the Detroit Lions 0-16 season, but rookie running back Kevin Smith should give the folks in the Motor City at least a glimmer of hope for the Lions ground game in ‘09. In his first season, on a team that was a disaster mind you, Smith ran for 976 yards, notched another 286 receiving, and accounted for 8 TDs… and he only lost 1 fumble all season. If they can get a decent O-Line in place they may just have something there at RB in Detroit.

DeSean Jackson (Eagles) – If he can remember to hold on to the ball until after he crosses the goal line (second only to Dan Orlovsky’s “safety dance” for bonehead play of the year), DeSean Jackson is going to be a force to be reckoned with for many years to come. Not only is Jackson a dangerous receiver, he scored a TD both rushing and on a punt return this year as well. Once he settles down and has full command of his route running defenses will have to seriously think about double-teaming Jackson to keep him in check.

…and all through the league, the Vikings, Broncos, Bucs and Jets wanted a playoff spot, they didn’t care what seed. Unfortunately, they all fell flat on their faces and failed to lock up those coveted playoff spots.

Despite putting up a 10-0 fourth quarter the Vikings, who lost at home to Falcons, were simply unable to climb out of the 24-7 hole they had dug for themselves through the first three quarters. They now go into Week 17 needing to beat the defending Super Bowl Champion Giants to secure the NFC North. The Buccaneers, also at home, managed to let a 24-20 lead and an NFC Wild Card berth disappear when their defense allowed the Chargers to score 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. They now need a win, and a Dallas loss to Philly, to get in.

The Broncos also had fourth quarter issues; up 20-16 heading into the final 15 minutes they were outscored 14-3 and let their chance to lock up the AFC West slip away. Now it’s winner take all in a head-to-head showdown with the Chargers in Week 17. The Jets didn’t have fourth quarter issues. No, they just stunk period. Managing only a field goal in the first, they went on to lose to the Seahawks 3-13, wrapping up a perfect 0-4 West Coast record for the Jets this year and setting up their own win and you’re in (and AFC East champs) head-to-head with the Dolphins.

So, some great games are headed our way on Sunday!

Quest For The “Perfect” Season

Detroit Lions (0-15) – Well, it looks like reality finally returned to Detroit. None of that silly “We’re actually going to try hard” for the Lions in Week 16. Nope, this week they rolled over early and often, getting thoroughly stomped 42-7 on their home field by the New Orleans Saints. So, already having set a record by being the first team to lose the first 15 games of a season, next week they go for immortality and that mythical “perfect season”… a perfect 0-16. Come on guys, I know you can do it!

*At least that must have been the philosophy of several NFL teams in Week 15, as the Bills, Chiefs and Titans fully embraced the spirit of the season and absolutely gave away games to the opposition.

Bills give to Jets – The Bills are up by 3, there’s barely over 2 minutes to play, it’s only second down, the Jets defense has been pathetically unable to stop RB Marshawn Lynch… all the Bills need to do is give Lynch the rock, run out the clock and the game’s a done deal, right? Wrong. They decide to throw, QB J.P. Losman is sacked and fumbles, and the Jets recover and return it for the game winning TD. Yes, Losman (a truly unfortunate last name) played the part of Santa in this game, single-handedly giving the Jets 4 turnovers: 3 interceptions and a fumble. Have a Holly, Jolly one Jets!

Chiefs give to Chargers – The Kansas City Chiefs managed to blow a 21-3 lead, giving up 19 unanswered points which included 2 TDs in the final 1:19. Yes, you read that correctly. The Chiefs allowed the Chargers to drive 89 yards and score a TD with 1:19 to go, allowed the Chargers to recover the ensuing onside kick, then allowed another drive of 61 yards culminating in a TD with 0:36 to go. At home. Oh, and then the Chiefs missed a 50 yard FG attempt that would have won the game for them. Hey Herm? I thought you played to win the game. Thanks to the Kansas City Santas the Chargers actually remain on life support – barely – for a shot at the AFC West.

Titans give to Texans – What was Jeff Fisher thinking?!? Down by 1 with only 2 minutes to play Fisher chose to go for it on 4th and 3 rather than allow his Pro-Bowl kicker Rob Bironas to try a 49 yard go-ahead field goal. Bironas, who is consistently one of the top kickers in the league, had already made 4 field goals in the game (accounting for all of the Titans scoring), including a 51 yarder. I love my team and love Jeff Fisher, but that was just a bad, bad call. Merry Christmas Houston, we gave that one to you.

Playoff Seeding Slugfest

AFC East – Going into the final 2 games of the season the New York Jets, Miami Dolphins (!!!) and New England Patriots remain in a 3-way tie atop the AFC East at 9-5. The hard charging 10-4 Colts and 9-5 Ravens are only getting into the playoffs – if they do at all – by way of the Wild Card. Considering there are only 2 of those spots to hand out, with 4 teams fighting for them, it may well end up that the AFC East is a win or go home division. Having both won this week the Jets and Dolphins still control their destiny: win out and win the division… which makes that week 17 head-to-head between the Jets and Dolphins a monster matchup.

AFC North & South – The Steelers (North) and Titans (South) will meet head-to-head in Week 16 for what will most likely be the deciding game for the #1 seed and home field throughout the playoffs in the AFC. WIth the Titans losing DT Albert Haynesworth this week to a left knee injury (early reports indicating an MCL sprain) and DE Kyle Vanden Bosch still a game to game decision with a lingering groin pull, it will be an uphill battle to beat a tough as nails Steelers team. At least the game is in Tennessee… so they’ve got that going for them.

NFC North – The woefully disappointing Green Bay Packers were eliminated with their loss last week, but the Vikings and Bears look like they’re going to take it down to the wire for the NFC North title. And this is most definitely a win or go home proposition. Chicago would seem to have the easier road with 5-9 Green Bay (eliminated from playoffs) and 7-7 Houston (eliminated from playoffs) as their remaining two games. By contrast, Minnesota has to face the 9-5 Falcons (fighting for a playoff spot) and the 11-3 Giants (fighting for the #1 seed).

NFC South & East – Though they haven’t technically locked up the NFC South outright (their win this week assures them of at least a tie), it seems very likely that the 11-3 Panthers will do so, which makes next week’s head-to-head with the 11-3 Giants a must win if the Panthers want the road to the Super Bowl to run through Charlotte. That leaves the 9-5 Bucs, Falcons and Cowboys fighting it out for the 2 Wild Cards spots. The Bucs don’t have a team with a winning record on their remaining schedule, while the Falcons have to face the scrapping for a playoff spot Vikings next week (but they get to finish up with the Rams). The Cowboys would seem to have the toughest end game, having to face the 9-5 Ravens and 7-5-1 Eagles (who aren’t mathematically eliminated) in the last two weeks.

Quest For The “Perfect” Season

Detroit Lions (0-14) – They’re determined to give me a heart attack. They have to be. How else to describe the fight they gave the Colts on Sunday? What did they think they were doing putting up 11 unanswered points to come from behind and tie the game at 21-21 with under 9 minutes to go? They even pulled off a 2 point conversion for goodness sake! Nevertheless, when all was said and done the Lions did the right thing, buckled under, and chalked another one up in the “L” column. The end is in sight guys… only 2 more games and you make history as the first team to go winless in the 16 game schedule era!!

“Smash & Dash” or Identity Theft?

There’s controversy brewing in the NFL. Are we talking about players carrying guns? No. How about suspensions and lawsuits over fraudulent product labeling and “banned” substances? Nope. No, we’re talking…. nicknames. Yes, nicknames. Here’s what’s going down…

Following their big MNF performance on December 8th both the Panthers and the media started calling running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart “Smash & Dash”. The problem? LenDale White and Chris Johnson, running backs for the Tennessee Titans, had already coined and claimed the moniker to refer to themselves during Week 7 back in October. Seriously claimed. As in copyrighted claimed. As in t-shirts printed up and on sale (all proceeds going to charity) claimed.

So, considering the nickname was so clearly established it seems pretty weak for Williams and Stewart to try and hijack it… in fact, LenDale White even had a tongue-in-cheek suggestion for a new nickname for the Panthers running backs: “Identity & Theft”. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against Williams and Stewart. They are an awesome running back duo… they just need to get a new nickname.

Seriously though, following a week where the NFL news headlines were dominated by guns, suspensions and lawsuits this “controversy” was a welcome and amusing distraction.

Ticket Punched Or Flying Standby?

Several teams had their tickets to the post-season punched in Week 14: Arizona cliched the NFC West for the first time in 33 years; Tennessee clinched the AFC South and a first round bye; and the Giants, despite losing horribly to the Eagles, still clinched the NFC East because of Dallas’ loss to the Steelers.

A few other teams have their post-season tickets in hand and are flying standby going into Week 15: the Ravens, Steelers and Colts can all clinch playoff berths this week if the right combination of wins/losses line up for them; the Panthers control their playoff destiny – and the possible 1st overall seed in the NFC – if they win out; and the Dolphins also control their playoff destiny if they win out, and may possibly go into Week 17’s head-to-head with the Jets with the outcome of that game deciding which team goes to the playoffs and which goes home.

Milestone: Morten Andersen Retires

The NFL’s all-time leading scorer kicker Morten Andersen announced his retirement on Tuesday. The 48 year old cited knee problems as the reason he’s finally hanging up his cleats after 25 seasons.

During his tenure in the league Andersen played for the New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons, Kansas City Chiefs, NY Giants and Minnesota Vikings en route to racking up his record setting 2,544 points, and it was Andersen’s game winning field goal in the 1998 playoffs that sent the Falcons to their one and only Super Bowl appearance.

Quest For The “Perfect” Season

Detroit Lions (0-13) – I admit it. I was very nervous about last week’s game against Minnesota. I really thought it was the week the Lions might trip up and win one. So, you can imagine my horror when Vikings starting QB Gus Frerotte went down with a back injury in the first half. Thankfully, backup Tarvaris Jackson had a respectable performance: 8 of 10, 105 yards and a TD.

Darn if the Lions didn’t come close to a win with their 16-20 loss, but in the end they manned-up, came from behind (ahead), and got the job done. Only three more to go guys, stay focused!!

A slightly different approach to the wrap-up this week given all the off-the-field, legal related wranglings.

Plaxico “Quickdraw” Burress

By now everyone in the free world is aware that NY Giants WR Plaxico Burress managed to shoot himself while at a nightclub a week ago today. My, oh my… where to start?? Carrying an unlicensed firearm within the NY City limits (probably the strictest gun laws in the nation); carrying an unholstered handgun in the pocket of sweatpants (sweatpants?!?!); shooting yourself in the thigh (smooth move, quickdraw); giving false information to medical personnel (false name – Harris Smith – and location of the shooting – Applebee’s… Applebee’s?!?); involving friend/teammate Antonio Pierce in your mess/coverup…. all indefensibly, inexcusably stupid beyond belief.

Of course, considering Plax had already been fined $25k for refusing to practice at pre-season minicamp, suspended one game and fined $117K in September for violation of team rules, and fined $45k for abusing an official and throwing a ball into the stands in October, I suppose something like this was almost inevitable.

Given the huge distraction this has turned into I think the Giants made the right move putting Plax on the non-football injury list and suspending him for the remainder of the season. After all, they won the game they played in September when he was suspended, won this past Sunday when he was out (and would have been out anyway because of a bad hamstring), and Plax wasn’t leading the team in any receiving category anyway. Burress is undeniably a great receiving talent, it’s just too bad he seems to have such a serious lack of judgment and professionalism.

The “StarCaps” Suspensions

Long story short: 6 players were initially suspended 4 games each by the NFL for violating of the NFL’s anti-doping policy. After their appeals to the NFL were heard, 5 of the 6 suspensions were upheld: Kevin Williams and Pat Williams (Minnesota Vikings – pictured at right), and Charles Grant, Deuce McAllister and Will Smith (New Orleans Saints). Under the NFL’s anti-doping policy players are held strictly liable for anything they put into their bodies. The catch? Not only was the banned substance not listed on the list of ingredients on the product, but the NFL acknowledges that the banned substance was not listed on the label and that they knew it was in the product even though it wasn’t listed.

In fact, the product taken – a dietary supplement called StarCaps – was neither a steroid nor controlled substance, but rather an over-the-counter diuretic the players were using to lose weight to make team weigh-ins. The banned substance included in the product, bumetanide, is not a performance enhancer. Generally speaking I’m not a fan of strict liability in drug testing anyway, and given that the NFL knew the supplement contained a non-labeled banned substance but did not inform the players of this, despite knowing numerous players used the product, in my opinion negates the “strictly liability” aspect of the anti-doping policy in this case.

You have to be able to trust / go by what’s listed on the label at some point, and I think it’s fundamentally unfair to hold someone responsible for ingesting something they had no way of knowing was in the product (due to improper – deceptive – labeling), especially when the governing body knew it was present but took no steps to pass that information on to the people being tested. I’m all for drug testing in sports and taking personal responsibility for your actions, but I’m with the players on this one.

Two lawsuits have already been filed as a result of the suspensions. First, Vikings players Pat and Kevin Williams (no relation) have filed for a temporary injunction in Minnesota State Court to block their suspensions. The temporary injunction has been granted and if the NFL can’t get it overturned in the next 48 hours the Williams duo may well play in Sunday. The NFL PLayers Association has also filed a lawsuit, theirs in Federal Court, seeking to have the suspensions of all 5 players overturned. A hearing on that suit is expected to be held at some point today.

The Rest…

Shaun Ellis – In lesser legal news, NY Jets DE Shaun Ellis was charged with speeding, driving without insurance, and possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia last weekend. Considering Ellis is both a team captain and the longest tenured member of the Jets this certainly comes up as lacking in the leadership department. To his credit, however, Eliis has made no excuses for his behavior and issued a prompt statement apologizing and taking full responsibility for his actions.

Kareem McKenzie – Continuing the legal bonanza for New York players, NY Giants OT Kareem McKenzie was charged for drunken driving in New Jersey as a result of a breathalyzer test that was administered on November 14th following a traffic stop which found McKenzie’s blood-alcohol level to be above the state’s legal limit.

Charles Rogers – Former Detroit Lions WR Charles Rogers has been jailed in Michigan for probation violation. Originally charged with assault and battery in September, Rogers eventually pled no contest to a reduced charge of trespassing and was sentenced to probation. A former #2 overall pick in 2003, Rogers was cut in 2006 after 3 injury plagued seasons and failure to produce on the field.

O.J. Simpson – And our coda this week… O.J. Simpson’s sentencing in Las Vegas. Having been convicted of 12 charges, including armed robbery and kidnapping, by a jury back in October, O.J. was sentenced today to 15-33 years in prison by Clark County District Court Judge Jackie Glass. No matter how one feels about O.J. as a person, he was undeniably one of the greatest running backs in both NCAA and NFL history and his fall from grace – even if self-created – has been tragic.

OK, we all knew that the Oakland Raiders were seriously bad, but holy cow!!! Have you ever seen a team self-destruct as badly as the Raiders did on Sunday??? The horrific stats:

• -2 yards offense at the half
• 77 total yards for the game (team’s lowest since 1961)
• 3 first downs… in the entire game
• Held the ball for less than a quarter!!
• JaMarcus Russell was sacked 4 times & fumbled twice
• JaMarcus Russell was 6/19 for a grand total of 10 net yards… and an interception
• Great big goose egg on the score board

It’s enough to make Tom “The Cable Guy” Cable, 1-3 since taking over head coaching duties, apply for a real cable job! That sound you hear? Lane Kiffin laughing his butt off.

In late breaking Raiders news, after only 8 games the Raiders have decided to release CB DeAngelo Hall in order to rid themselves of his $70 million contract (though they will still have salary cap repercussions). In a note of supreme irony, Hall, who was a member of the Atlanta Falcons last year, was cut by the Raiders a mere 3 days after they were thoroughly thrashed by…. the Falcons! Look for more cuts and fire-sales by the Raiders in the next week or so. Why? Why not. It’s the Raiders.

Thriller In Tennessee

Once again it wasn’t pretty, with the Titans D carrying the day: two stops on 4th down attempts, twice making the Packers settle for a field goal despite driving to inside the Titans’ 15, an interception in the end zone by Chris Hope (who had 2 last week on MNF against Indy), and a forced fumble on Aaron Rodgers by Albert Haynesworth & Jacob Ford.

The game also included a missed 47 yard field goal by All-Pro kicker Rob Bironas at the end of regulation, good luck on a coin flip to get the ball first in OT, and then redemption for Bironas from 41 yards, but in the end the Titans beat the Green Bay Packers on Sunday to remain the only undefeated team in the NFL, running their record to 8-0. GO TITANS!

Contenders…

Baltimore Ravens – The Ravens have run their record to a very quiet 5-3, which puts them only 1 game behind the Steelers in the AFC North. The Ravens have always been known for their defense, but rookie QB Joe Flacco has shown steady improvement over the first half of the season, giving the Ravens a legitimate offensive presence. Flacco has thrown for 620 yards, 4 TDs and 0 INTs during the Ravens current 3 game winning streak. Pittsburgh better not take their foot off the gas because objects in the rear view are closer than they appear.

Tampa Bay – The NASCAR division continues to be brutal, and the Bucs desperately needed their gutty OT win against Kansas City to raise their record to 6-3 and keep pace with the Panthers in the NFC North standings. The Bucs, who are 4-0 at home this season, have a bye this week, host inconsistent Minnesota in week 11, then go to Detroit in week 12, which sets the stage for the Bucs to be 8-3 come the season’s three-quarter mark.

Atlanta Falcons – Speaking of the NASCAR division, Atlanta’s complete beatdown of the Raiders brought the Falcons’ record to 5-3 to help them stay in the hunt for a legitimate shot at a wild card, if not the division, when all is said and done. Matt Ryan continues to play beyond his years (it’s easy to forget he’s a rookie!) and is clearly making quite a case for Offensive Rookie of the Year honors (798 yards and 5 TDs in his last 3 games alone).

…or Pretenders

Dallas Cowboys – Their 5-4 record puts them last in the cutthroat NFC East, they’ve lost 3 of their last 4, and if the season ended today they wouldn’t even be in the playoffs. Fed up with the poor play of backup QB Brad Johnson, Wade Phillips put 3rd stringer Brooks Bollinger into the game on Sunday, whereupon he promptly threw an interception on his very first pass. Add to that four turnovers and 9 penalties and it all added up to a miserable 35-14 thumping at the hands of the G-Men… the bye week couldn’t have come soon enough for the Cowboys.

Jacksonville Jaguars – Based on their solid performance the second half of last season and Wild Card win in the playoffs, the Jaguars were picked by many experts to make it to the AFC championship game this season. Injuries (especially along the offensive line), however, have crippled the Jags in the first half of the season and they’ve struggled to a 3-5 record. They’ve lost 3 of their last 4, the last coming in an embarrassing defeat at the hands of the previously winless Bengals, and seem to have lost their offensive identity; Garrard had 38 passing attempts compared to only 21 running plays. That’s not Jaguars football.

Denver Broncos – Another team earmarked for AFC greatness at the beginning of the season, the Broncos have ridden a 3 game losing skid to a 4-4 record. Since they’re in the same division with the pitiful Chiefs and Raiders and struggling Chargers 4-4 is good enough for 1st place in the division at the moment. Still, this team has seriously underperformed and has suffered key personnel losses of RBs Michael Pittman & Andre Hall, CB Champ Bailey, and OLBs D.J. Williams & Boss Bailey over the past 3 weeks.

Injuries, Benchings & Acquisitions

Kyle Orton – Orton was carted off the field Sunday with what was diagnosed as the dreaded high ankle sprain, initial reports saying he could be out for 4 weeks. Late news out of Chicago, however, has Orton saying he wants to play this week against the Titans.

Let’s see, the Titans are defensive BEASTS who make a habit of knocking QBs out of the game (Kyle might want to text Titans’ victims Brodie Croyle, Damon Huard & Gus Frerotte). Yeah, go ahead, start on Sunday with a bad ankle…. please!

Ben Roethlisberger – Big Ben aggravated a preexisting right shoulder injury on a QB sneak during Monday night’s game. The Steelers say any decision on Roethlisberger’s playing status will depend on the results of his MRI (still no word as of Wednesday), but considering how well Byron Leftwich played in relief I don’t see the need for them to rush Roethlisberger back if there’s any question about whether he’s 100%.

Matt Shaub – His injury seems to have gotten lost in the shuffle and been very underreported, but he was knocked out of the Texans’ game on Sunday and has been diagnosed with a torn MCL. He’ll be out for 2-4 weeks.

Derek Anderson – The Browns announced on Monday that Anderson would be benched for the Browns’ game against the Broncos on Thursday…. let the Brady Quinn era begin.

Daunte Culpepper – Culpepper had previously talked with the Chiefs about a possible QB position in Kansas City, but chose to sign a 2 year deal with the Lions instead… hey, why sign with a 1 win team when you can hop onboard the 0-8 Lions train and ride it to a perfect season!!

Quest For The “Perfect” Season

Bungles – Ok, I have to admit I had a bad feeling about this game coming in given T.J. Houshmandzadeh’s guarantee that the Bungles would win at least 1 game this season. Who’s-Your-Mamma and the Bengals made good on his promise, defeating the plummeting Jaguars 21-19. Sorry fans, but there will be no perfect season in Cincinnati this year.

Cowardly Lions – All my hopes now ride on the Lions for a perfect season. It doesn’t look promising however, as for the 3rd straight week the Lions played with actual effort (they knocked Chicago’s QB out of the game for goodness sake!!) and now have gone and signed a real QB in Daunte Culpepper (thank you for playing Dan “Safety Dance” Orlovsky, we have some lovely parting gifts for you).

Well, Tommy Bowden was fired* by Clemson after a 10 year run, Ty Willingham was ousted in Washington (but will coach out the season), and now Phil Fulmer will also be out at Tennessee at the end of this season. Those are some pretty high profile firings so far this year, and there’s still 4 weeks to go!

Bowden, who had just signed a contract extension at the end of the 2007 season, was 72-45 overall at Clemson, with 8 bowl appearances in his 10 years. His downfall, however, was a failure to ever win the ACC title. His firing has not been without repercussions, as the Tigers have already lost 5 “name” recruits who had committed to Clemson before Bowden was let go and who now want to take their skills elsewhere.

Fulmer’s firing is a head scratcher on the face of it. His career record is 150-51 (.766), he was 10-4 in 2007 and 9-4 in 2006, has taken Tennessee to a bowl game 15 of his 16 seasons, and only had 1 losing season in 16 years when he went 5-6 in 2005, though he was 10-3 in each of the two seasons before that. Fulmer’s downfall, similar to Bowden’s, would seem to be struggles within conference despite overall winning records; Tennessee is only 14-12 in their last 26 SEC games and hasn’t won the SEC since 1998.

Tyrone Willingham’s is by far the easiest of these to understand in my opinion. Since his arrival in Washington Willingham has not had a single winning season, going 11-32 over the past 4 years (including 0-8 this year, and counting) and has, obviously, not taken the team to a bowl game during his tenure. Add to that his losing record his last two years at Notre Dame (and two bowl game losses there) and, despite him being by all accounts a great guy, he is arguably just not a very good coach… at least not since he left Stanford.

*technically he “stepped down”, but that is in name only and we all know that he was forced out in reality.

Well there’s insult, and there’s injury. Then there’s what’s happened during the MNF game last night, where insult was added to injury for the Denver Broncos who were not only thoroughly manhandled by the Patriots in their 41-7 defeat, but also suffered several key injuries:

Jay Cutler went down on the very first play of the game after hitting his throwing hand on the helmet of a New England pass rusher. After missing a couple of series at the end of the first half, Cutler did return in the second half, though the index finger on his throwing hand seemed to bother him all evening and his passing was not nearly as sharp as is usually seen from Cutler.

Champ Bailey, who had held Randy Moss in check when he was in the game, went out with a groin pull / tear during the 2nd quarter. Bailey’s replacement was not able to keep up with Moss, who scored his two touchdowns after Bailey left the game. Bailey’s injury is expected to keep him out for at least 3 weeks.

Boss Bailey also left the game last night, with a knee injury of undisclosed seriousness.

Michael Pittman, whose running style is punishing to begin with, was bounced around hard during the game, having to leave the field at one point looking very dazed and unsteady (concussion?), though he did return to the game.

And even though they came out of the game with a convincing, possibly season-righting win, the Patriots did not escape unscathed on the injury front either:

Rodney Harrison went down with what appeared to be a serious right knee injury during the second half last night. This is his second serious knee injury in the past 3 seasons, and given his status as a 15 year vet who wavered on whether to return this year, not only is this a season ending injury it may well be career ending. [Note: Latest news indicates it is actually a torn quad, but still season ending]

Sammy Morris, who absolutely lit up the Broncos D in the first half with 138 yards rushing and a TD, did not return after the half with a knee injury of undisclosed seriousness (speculation is a sprain).

Laurence Maroney, though not actually injured during the game, was put on season ending IR before the game started, making him a victim by association of the Monday Night Massacre.

Poor, poor Sage “Helicopter” Rosenfels. With his team up by 10 with less than 4 minutes to go in the game the Texans QB fumbled twice, which allowed Indy to score 21 points in only 2 minutes and 10 seconds for the comeback win. He then capped off the hideous outing by throwing a game-ending interception. Think we’ll see Matt Schaub as the starter next week?

Tampa Bay QB Brian Griese was knocked out of the game (shoulder / elbow) against the Broncos in 3rd quarter and is questionable for next week.

Buffalo QB Trent Edwards was knocked out of the game (concussion) against Arizona on the third play of the game. At least Buffalo has a bye next week to allow Edwards extra time for recovery, though he too is currently listed as questionable.

Lions QB Jon Kitna was benched at halftime in Detroit, allegedly due to back spasms and not poor play… uh-huh.

Contenders or Pretenders?

Buffalo Bills – Did their loss to the Arizona Cardinals reveal the previously 4-0 Bills to be pretenders? Did QB Trent Edwards getting knocked out on the 3rd play of the game have that big of an impact on the Bills performance and, if so, what does that mean for the Bills should Edwards have to miss a game or two?

Arizona Cardinals – So, is it time to admit the Cardinals are “for real”? True their record is “only” 3-2, but those 2 losses came against the surprising Washington Redskins (4-1) and defending Super Bowl champs and undefeated NY Giants (4-0). And all Kurt Warner does is throw for miles and miles with his plug-n-play receivers… Anquan Boldin’s out? No problem! Larry Fitzgerald will catch 2 TDs for you and Steve Breaston will chip in with 7 catches for 77 yards. Oh yeah, and some rookie RB named Tim Hightower (who?) will rush for 2 TDs out of the backfield for you.

Philadelphia Eagles – With their loss to the hard charging Washington Redskins the Eagles fell to 2-3, and in his first game back after missing time due to an ankle injury Philly RB Brian Westbrook broke 2 ribs on the Eagles’ first offensive series… offensive indeed! Westbrook is a crucial part of the Philly machine and him out with injury – or playing at less than 100% – does not bode well for the Eagles in the cutthroat NFC East.

Dallas Cowboys – Yeah, they won. But it wasn’t very impressive… and that was against the Bungles! The Cowboys offense can put up points but it doesn’t always look like it’s firing on all cylinders, and the defense has been somewhat hit-or-miss. Despite the 4-1 record the Cowboys could still go seriously sideways at some point if they don’t get their feet solidly under them.

Miami Wildcats… um, Dolphins

Thought the Miami Dolphins use of the “Wildcat” last week was a one hit wonder? Surely no other team would be caught off-guard after what the Dolphins did to New England, right? Wrong. Though not quite as successful as last week’s 4 TDs on 6 tries outing, the Dolphins did run the Wild Dolphin 10 times effectively against San Diego, and the formation did produce Ronnie Brown’s game winning TD. The single wing… it’s not just for college anymore!

Still Under The Radar?

Tennessee Titans – They’re not flashy. They’re not exciting. And let’s face it, their win on Sunday was downright ugly. But, it did move the Titans to 5-0 keeping them with only the NY Giants in the ranks of the unbeatens. They have a smothering defense on pace to be second only to the 2000 Ravens in points allowed, and are also fielding the front runner for Offensive Rookie of the Year in Chris Johnson… and still, no national love.

NY Giants – The defending Super Bowl champs came out of their bye week and absolutely pummeled the Seahawks, improving to 4-0. And they did it without suspended WR Plaxico Burress, arguably their best player and certainly their best receiver… unless you want to count that Domenik Hixon kid who stepped up for 102 yards and a TD. Wanna bet Plaxico sets his alarm clock and shows up on time this week?

Carolina Panthers – Perhaps even quieter than either the Titans or the Giants, the 4-1 Panthers have the league’s fourth-ranked defense and currently hold a 1 game lead in the very winnable NFC South.

Pittsburgh Steelers – These aren’t your father’s Steelers. 3 yards and a cloud of dust? I don’t think so! All Big Ben did was throw 41 times for 26 completions, 309 yards and 3 TDs!! The 4-1 Steelers were dangerous when all Roethlisberger did was “manage” the game and let the running backs and defense carry the load. Now that he’s actually airing it out… watch out AFC!

Freak!

Did you see that insane one-handed catch by Marty Booker in the Bears vs Lions game?!? While being interfered with?? One of the 10 best catches ever.

Freak! – Part 2

Even though the Saints lost, all Reggie Bush did was return 5 punts for 179 yards – 2 of them for TDs of 71 & 64 yards – and rack up 269 all-purpose yards.

Quest For The “Perfect” Season

The Cincinnati Bungles continued their run toward a complete team implosion and winless season with their loss to the Cowboys. But at least Chad Johnson – excuse me – Chad Ocho Cinco has a cool new name!

The Texans snatched defeat out of the jaws of victory to maintain their perfect 0-4 record.

The 0-4 Lions show no signs of becoming anything other than a doormat in the NFC. Matt Millen may be gone, but it’s going to be a long time before there’s anything to cheer about football wise in the Motor City. At least the WNBA Detroit Shock won the title!

The 0-4 St. Louis Rams managed not to lose this week… but only because they had a bye. Expect them to continue their quest for the perfect season next week when they face the Redskins juggernaut.

The Rams become the first team to fire their head coach this season, ousting Scott Linehan after the Rams lost their 4th straight game amid a questionable decision to bench starting QB Bulger, a move that was publicly questioned by several players, including star RB Stephen Jackson. Jim Haslett, former N.O. Saints head coach, has been named the interim coach.

Which brings us to the Lane Kiffin vigil in Oakland… is this the week he finally gets it? Or will crazy Al Davis continue to let Kiffin twist in the wind?

Which other coaches do you think are seriously on the hot seat this season? Herm Edwards in KC (1-3) perhaps? Romeo Crennel in Cleveland (1-3)? Marvin Lewis in Cincy (0-4)?

“Old Man” QBs

In Tennessee, “old man” Kerry Collins (who will be 36 in December) has led the Titans to the first 4-0 start in the team’s history, dating all the way back to their days as the Houston Oilers!

Arizona QB and fellow “old man” Kurt Warner (37 years old) racked up 472 yards passing on 57 attempts, with 2 TDs.

And last, but certainly not least, Brett Favre (39 on Oct. 10th) dusted off his rusty old arm and chucked a career high six touchdown passes… yes, SIX!! Holy cow! The NFL record for TD passes in a single game is only seven. Guess the old man has some magic left in that arm yet! Let’s hear it for the “Old Man QB” brigade!

Contenders or Pretenders?

How ’bout them Cowboys?! No, seriously… how about them? Should the Redskins victory Sunday night in “Big D” be cause for concern? After all, the Cowboys were supposed to stroll to the Super Bowl this year, right? Not to mention, T.O. is getting grumpy (did you see that surly post-game interview?) and that’s not a good thing.

Similarly, has the Broncos “D” been exposed as a serious weakness? The hapless Chiefs (1-3) were able to put up 33 points on them, including a resurgent Larry Johnson rushing for 198 yards (yes 198!!!) and 2 TDs!! Concern in the Mile High city?

Are the glory days on the way back in Buffalo? The Bills have plugged along to a 4-0 start under the steady and developing hand of QB Trent Edwards and solid rushing of Marshawn Lynch. True, it was the Rams they beat this week, but 4-0 is still 4-0.

And speaking of 4-0…. has there ever been a team getting so little talk (ah-hem, R-E-S-P-E-C-T!) for a 4-0 team as the Tennessee Titans?!? All they have is the best defense in the league: #1 in interceptions; #1 in sacks; tied for #1 in turnover differential (+6); #3 in points allowed; #3 in total yards allowed. And offensively, don’t forget early Rookie of the Year contender RB Chris Johnson, who has rushed for 337 yards with a 5.0 per carry average and is quietly being compared by some to Adrian Peterson. Then there’s that “old man” Kerry Collins….

Injury Report

Two players taken off the field on stretchers this week with concerns over hits to the head / possible neck injuries. Arizona’s Anquan Boldin was absolutely smashed between two defenders while trying to catch a pass in the end zone late in the Jets / Cardinals game. Though he is reported to have movement in all extremities, there are questions about whether the hit by Jets defender Eric Smith was an illegal helmet-to-helmet hit. Thoughts?

Broncos WR Clifford Russell was also taken off on a stretcher after being hurt on special teams during kickoff coverage. A team spokesman reported that: “His condition seems to be resolving they are still doing some tests and we are hopeful that he will be coming back on the team plane with us. We are just not sure yet.”

Favre’s replacement in Green Bay, Aaron Rodgers, was knocked around in the game against the Bucs, and had to leave the game late in the 4th with a sore (possibly separated) shoulder. An MRI and other tests today will nail down how badly it’s hurt, and the GB faithful are praying it isn’t serious.