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.

The story of Week 12 in the NFL? Massive scoring across the board resulting in the highest combined point total in a single week in NFL history. The notables:

• The upstart Atlanta Falcons beat the Carolina Panthers 45-28 on the strength of 4 rushing TDs by the NFL’s third leading rusher Michael Turner.

• New Orleans beat Green Bay 51-29, with Drew Brees throwing for 323 yards on 20 of 26 and 4 TDs on his way to possibly breaking Dan Marino’s single season yardage record of 5,084 yards. With 5 games left Brees needs to average 303 yards a game to take the record… not out of the question considering the numbers Brees has been consistently putting up.

• The NY Giants outlasted the Arizona Cardinals for a final score of 37-29, with Manning passing for 240 and 3 TDs while Warner notched another 350 yard game (but only 1 TD).

• Tony Romo decisively answered any questions about the status of his broken finger’s recovery by throwing for nearly 350 yards and 3 TDs in the Cowboys 35-22 win over the 49es.

• Matt Cassel is making people in New England say “Tom Who?” with his recent play, putting up 415 yards and 3 TDs in the Patriots 48-28 trouncing of the Dolphins.

• The Buffalo Bills circled the wagons big time on the way to their 54-31 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Though the Chiefs are a disappointing 1-10 they have had one bright spot in QB Tyler Thigpen, who has thrown for at least 235 yards and 2 TDs in 4 of the Chiefs last 5 games.

• Heck, even the Detroit Cowardly Lions managed to put up 20 points before losing to the Buccaneers 38-20.

All in all 837 total points were scored. Now that’s some exciting football!!

Contenders…

Tampa Bay Buccaneers – In 2 of their last 3 games the Bucs found themselves down by at least 17 points, and in both games they rallied to come back for the win. In Week 9 they overcame a 24-3 deficit to beat the Chiefs 30-27 in overtime, and this week they scored 5 unanswered TDs to comeback for a 38-20 win over the Lions. They sure aren’t making it easy on themselves, but the Bucs have managed to take sole control of the NFC South by riding a three game winning streak to an 8-3 record. Though the Panthers have the same overall record, the Bucs have a better conference (7-2) and division (2-1) record. Both teams have some tough games left on the schedule (Bucs: New Orleans, Carolina and Atlanta // Panthers: Green Bay, Tampa Bay, NY Giants and New Orleans), which should make the race to the division title very interesting… especially with the 7-4 Falcons nipping at both their heels!

NY Jets – The NY Bretts raised their record to 8-3 in week 12, and in the process became the first team to knock off the Tennessee Titans. Brett Favre has – for now – given up his gunslinger ways and settled nicely into what has become a very balanced offensive attack. Leon Washington has turned into a legitimate threat to score every time he touches the ball, and the defense has silently become one of the league leaders (especially in rushing), with off season free agent pickup Kris Jenkins arguably having made more of an impact on the Jets great season than Favre. Given the cream puff of a remaining schedule the Jets have they’re not just looking at a division title, but are playing for a legitimate shot at home field in the playoffs.

…or Pretenders

Green Bay Packers – The Packers were stomped 51-29 by the Saints and fell to 5-6 in the NFC North. Considering this is a win or go home division – there won’t be any wild cards coming out of the NFC North – the Packers will need a strong showing in their last 5 games if they want to prove that in the post-Favre era they can be more than inconsistent pretenders.

Philadelphia Eagles – The Eagles embarrassing 36-7 destruction at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens pretty much extinguished any slim remaining hopes there may have been of the Eagles making the playoffs. True they won on Thanksgiving against the Cardinals to raise their record to 6-5-1, but given the standings in the NFC East and South it’s a case of too little too late. The only drama left in Philly is the speculation over whether Donovan McNabb and/or Andy Reid will be back next year given the Eagles’ disappointing season and McNabb’s benching against the Ravens.

Quest For The “Perfect” Season

Detroit Lions – What an outstanding 5 day span for the Lions! First they overcome a 17 point lead against the Buccaneers, allowing 5 unanswered touchdowns on the way to a come-from-behind 20-38 loss. Then, not allowing the short week turnaround to affect them, they kept their eyes on the perfect season prize and played an absolutely atrocious game on Thanksgiving Day, losing 10-47 in a thorough beat-down at the hands of the Tennessee Titans to run their record to a perfect 0-12. I’m very nervous about the week 14 game against Minnesota, but if they can just get by the Vikings the remaining schedule (Indy, New Orleans and Green Bay) looks very favorable for the Lions to close out the season o’fer!!!!

There seem to have been an unusually high number of obviously bad calls (and non-calls) this season: the Ed Hochuli incomplete pass that should have been a fumble in the Broncos/Chargers game; countless “roughing” the QB calls; the Eli Manning “was it or wasn’t it an illegal forward pass” call; the phantom offensive pass interference call against Tony Gonzalez on Sunday which wiped out a catch would have allowed the Chiefs to run out the clock (instead they went to OT… and lost); etc., etc.

Well, week 11 leaves me with one big question as far as the officiating goes: What game were the refs in Pittsburgh watching, because it sure wasn’t the same game I was! Forget the gamblers and fantasy football players, who are understandably horrified at what occurred, and tell me how in the world a call could be botched so badly?! The officials initially got the call right live on the field, ruling that Troy Polamalu broke up an attempted (backwards) lateral, recovered it, and returned it for a touchdown. Even though the score (as time expired) would have no affect the outcome of the game from a win-loss point of view, the officials decided to review the play and, upon review, upheld the ruling of a fumble returned for a touchdown.

Then, inexplicably, before the extra point could be kicked the officials decided to huddle up and discuss the play further amongst themselves, whereupon they determined that what everyone in the free world saw had been a perfectly legal lateral earlier in the play had actually been a forward pass, ending the play, therefore no touchdown… what?!?! First, the lateral was at the very least just that – a lateral – and it certainly looked to be backwards. Either way, legal. Second, even if the first attempted lateral was an illegal forward pass that would not make it a dead play at the time the pass occurred. The play continues to the whistle and then the defense has the option of declining the penalty if doing so is to their benefit… like if a change of possession occurred during the play, as was the case in this game.

The officials getting the call wrong, bad. But getting the call wrong because they (apparently) don’t know how the rules work, inexcusable.

Contenders…

Carolina Panthers – The 9-1 NY Giants don’t have any trouble getting people to talk about them and, after kicking in the door to the tune of a 10-0 record, it’s difficult for even the most devote haters to ignore the Titans any longer. But the Carolina Panthers continue to creep along under the radar having improved their record to 8-2 this weekend with a 31-22 win over the Lions that included a franchise setting rushing performance of 264 total yards on the ground. Both Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams rushed for over 100 yards, with Williams matching Stewart’s 1 TD… then doing him one better by adding a second. The last time the Panthers started 8-2 they played in Super Bowl XXXVIII…. I’m not saying anything, I’m just saying.

Indianapolis Colts – Don’t look now but the Colts, you know, the ones written off as dead sometime around week 7? Well, they’re baaack! Currently on a 3 game winning streak, the 6-4 Colts find themselves right back in the AFC Wild Card race with a very favorable remaining schedule against teams with a combined 23-36 record, including the Lions and Bengals, and with 3 of their final 4 games at home. The Colts are getting healthy at the right time, Addai had his first 100 yard game of the season on Sunday, and come that final, season-ending stretch in the race for the playoffs the experience of Super Bowl MVP and future Hall of Fame member Peyton Manning cannot be discounted. As things now stand the teams the Colts will be fighting for the Wild Card spots are the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens, and the Colts currently hold the best conference record of the four.

…or Pretenders

Philadelphia Eagles – A tie? Against the Bengals? Are you kidding me?!? The Giants have a lock on the NFC East, and the way things are shaping up it looks like at least one of the Wild Cards will be coming out of the NFC South, whichever of Tampa Bay and Atlanta that doesn’t win that division. That leaves Philly in the position of competing with the Redskins and Cowboys in the East (whom they play again back to back in weeks 16 & 17), as well as potentially the Bears and Vikings in the North for the final Wild Card spot. The Eagles next face a Baltimore Ravens defense that is going to be looking to prove something after being thoroughly embarrassed by the Giants on Sunday. Given that the Redskins next get the Seahawks and the Cowboys get the 49ers, things do not look good for the floundering Eagles to gain any ground.

San Diego Chargers – The Chargers are pretty much circling the drain as well. With their loss on Sunday they fall to 4-6, having lost three of their last four and barely beating the Chiefs for that one win! Nothing is going right for the Chargers this year. Nothing. They lost their season opener (at home), they’ve fallen prey to the “West Coast team going to East Coast = loss” stat 3 times (including the far east game in London), they were victims of the bad incomplete pass/fumble call in week 2, and they’ve only beaten 1 team that had a winning record at the time the Chargers played them. Add to that L.T.’s lingering foot issues (no matter what the official injury chart says) and not having had Shawne Merriman all season and it just looks like a snake bit year for San Diego.

Quest For The “Perfect” Season

Cowardly Lions – Despite moving their record to a perfect 0-10 the Lions continue to perform in such a way that seriously draws into question their commitment to a perfect season. Hanging tough in a 22-31 loss against the NFC South leading Carolina Panthers (8-2), the Lions actually outperformed the Panthers in several statistical categories: more first downs (20 to 16), time of possession, third down efficiency (66% to 25%), fewer penalties (1 for the Lions, 7 for the Panthers), and even went 2/3 on fourth down attempts…. if not for Culpepper’s 2 INTs, 1 fumble (plus 2 from other Lions), and 3 sacks things could have turned out horribly, horribly wrong.

Who one thinks is the MVP depends almost entirely on one’s definition of MVP. Some define MVP as the player with the best individual stats, period, regardless of team record. Some think the MVP is the player with the best stats on the best team, even if another player at the same position has better stats (but on a bad/losing team). Personally, I take the “V” in MVP literally: I think the MVP should be the player who is most valuable to his team; the player without whom the team would not be in (contention for) the playoffs. So, using that definition, I give you my mid-season MVP candidates:

Kerry Collins (Tennessee Titans) – Ok, not really. But, his contribution to the Titans’ success has been overlooked and downplayed, with critics hanging the dreaded “game manager” tag on him. Collins has thrown for over 35,000 career yards and made his bones in this league with his arm; he is not “just” a game manager. Anyone who doubts that Collins is still able to get it done through the air need only look to last week’s game against the Bears. The Bears committed 8 men in the box to take away the run, daring Collins to beat them with his arm… and he did, completing 30 of 41, throwing for almost 300 yards, 2 TDs and no INTs in route to the Titans’ win. So, while he’s probably not a realistic NFL MVP candidate considering the outstanding competition, he has been invaluable to the Titans’ success and I don’t think anyone could say with a straight face that the Titans would be 9-0 with Vince Young at the helm.

Kurt Warner (Arizona Cardinals) – Warner is 2nd in the league in total yards (2,760), yards per game (306), TDs (19), currently has the best completion percentage at 70.6, the highest QB rating in the league at 106.4, and has lead the upstart Cardinals to an NFC West leading record of 6-3. Considering Warner’s career looked to have stalled following the 2003 season, for Warner to have had such a rebirth 7 years after last receiving the NFL MVP is nothing short of amazing and could be a story many voters find hard to pass on when casting their ballots.

Clinton Portis (Washington Redskins) – Beast. Clinton Portis is just a beast. Period. Despite being dinged up virtually since the start of the season, Portis has carried the Redskins to an NFC East second best 6-3 record on the strength of his 995 total yards / 110 yards per game / 7 TD performance. That opponents must respect his rushing threat so seriously opens things up for QB Jason Campbell, who is having by far his best season to date. As Portis goes the Redskins go, and if that’s not MVP material I don’t know what is.

Adrian Peterson (Minnesota Vikings) – Peterson is somewhat of a dark horse in my race at the moment (only because of his team’s record), but has come on amazingly strong over the past 3 weeks, rushing for 452 yards and 4 TDs, including carrying the Vikings to a win over the Packers on Sunday virtually single handedly. Peterson leads the NFL in total yards, yards per game, and rushing attempts. Should his numbers hold up and the Vikings win the NFC North Peterson must be considered a serious MVP candidate.

Albert Haynesworth (Tennessee Titans) – Another dark horse candidate – because defensive players rarely win the MVP (Lawrence Taylor in 1986 being the most recent) – Haynesworth is nevertheless a legitimate MVP candidate as far as I’m concerned. Unquestionably the heart and soul of the Titans defense, Haynesworth has helped lead the D to an NFL leading fewest points per game allowed (13), best turnover differential (+10), 6 individual sacks (the team overall is 2nd in the league with 15) a forced fumble, and is an every down player equally efficient against the run or the pass. The difference when Haynesworth is on the field is palpable, and the Titans’ 2-6 record without him over the past 2 seasons is a testament to the crucial role he plays. The Titans are the NFL’s only unbeaten team at 9-0, and are doing it in large part on defense. Haynesworth is the key to the Titans D, and that makes him a legitimate NFL MVP candidate.

Contenders…

New England Patriots – Yeah, how about that? The Brady-less Patriots are quietly tied for 1st in the AFC East and that guy Cassel actually seems to be able to play a little ball back there at the QB spot. Though not setting the world on fire, Cassel has been more than serviceable for the Pats and has lead them to an overall 6-3 record, including 3 wins in their last four outings. The Thursday night showdown with the Jets is for outright ownership of 1st place in the AFC East, and if the Pats can get past the NY Favres they have a very manageable remaining schedule, with their last six opponents currently sporting a combined 26-28 record.

NY Jets – The Jets go into Thursday night’s match-up with the Pats riding a 3 game winning streak, having finally gotten Thomas Jones rolling with his 149 yard / 3 TD performance in the Jets’ 47-3 blowout against the Rams on Sunday. But, it was only the Rams (2-7), and Favre has thrown twice as many INTs (8) than TDs (4) over the past 5 games, and also fumbled 6 times. The jury’s still out on Favre and the Jets, but their performance against the Patriots tomorrow night will go a long way toward deciding whether the Jets are legitimate contenders or just overhyped pretenders.

…or Pretenders

Buffalo Bills – The jury isn’t out, however, on the Bills, who have cooled off considerably since their 4-0 start. After teasing us all with thoughts of a possible return to the Jim Kelly era Buffalo Bills of old, the current Bills have lost 4 of their last 5, including the last 3 in a row. With Cleveland, Kansas City and San Francisco lined up as their next 3 opponents the Bills have a chance to get back into the hunt, but if they can’t circle the wagons over the next 3 weeks against teams that are a combined 6-21 they’ll cement their pretender status.

Green Bay Packers – For two glorious weeks everything looked like it was going to be all right in Green Bay post-Favre: the Packers charged out of the gate to a 2-0 start, beating their first two opponents by a combined score of 72-44, and heir apparent Aaron Rodgers threw for 506 yards / 4 TDs / 0 INTs…. oh how things have changed. Since then the Packers have gone 2-5 and have fallen to third in the NFC North behind the solid Bears and surging Vikings. The 2007 Packers were 8-1 at this point last season and the Cheese Heads are getting restless. With tough defensive teams Chicago and Carolina and high scoring New Orleans up the next 3 weeks the Packers could be in serious trouble, with their shot at the playoffs fast slipping away since they are unlikely to get in unless they win the division.

Quest For The “Perfect” Season

Cowardly Lions – Ah, finally a satisfying, not even close loss for the Lions! After 3 weeks of real effort I was getting concerned, but the Lions looked in complete shambles against the Jaguars and notched up a nice 24 point loss… and on their home field to boot! Culpepper demonstrated in his hasty, 5 days of prep start that he is clearly not in any kind of game shape and was replaced by rookie QB Drew Stanton after throwing for 0 TDs, 1 INT, and compiling a QB rating of 47.5. Stanton, however, could definitely be a problem; in limited playing time he went 6 out of 8 for 94 yards, 1 TD (on his first NFL pass ever!), 0 INT, and had a QB rating of 153.1. I’m going to be very displeased with this rookie should he dash my dreams of a perfect season in Detroit!

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).

After their dominating performance last night on Monday Night Football it’s hard to think there could be anyone left who would deny that the 7-0 Titans are for real and a serious force to be reckoned with in the AFC.

The NFL’s stingiest scoring defense held the Colts to only 14 points before giving up a meaningless bend-but-don’t-break TD late in the 4th quarter, and added to their league leading turnover differential ratio of +8 by intercepting Manning twice while not turning the ball over themselves.

Two was the magic number for the Tennessee Titans last night: 2 defensive stops of the Colts on fourth down attempts, 2 interceptions of Peyton Manning, a crucial 2 point conversion to tie the game (after which they went on to take the lead and never looked back), and 2 rushing TDs by LenDale “Smash” White, all of which adds up to a 2 game lead for the Titans on everyone in the AFC (4 game lead in the AFC South).

And to put the icing on a perfect night in Tennessee, the Titans honored franchise legends Steve “Air” McNair, Eddie “The Diesel” George and Frank “Music City Miracle” Wycheck at halftime by inducting them into the Titans (Oilers) ring of honor.

GO TITANS!

Contenders…

NY Giants – Seems like the only talk the defending Super Bowl champion Giants got going into the season was how crippling the retirement of Michael Strahan and loss of Osi Umenyiora to injury was going to be to Giants defense, how it was ridiculous to think they could repeat as NFC champions let alone Super Bowl champions. Yet, all the Giants have done is start off the first half of the season with an NFL second best record of 6-1, punctuated by their hard hitting 21-14 win over the Steelers on Sunday. You know what they say… to be the man you got to beat the man and, right now, the Giants are still the G-Men!

Washington Redskins – The Skins bounced back from their embarrassing week 7 loss to the Cleveland Browns with a win over the NFC doormat Lions, raising their record to 6-2 and keeping pace with NFC East leaders and defending Super Bowl champion Giants. QB Jason Campbell continues to play like the real deal (23-28 for 328 yards and a TD), while RB Clinton Portis has been unstoppable, leading the NFL with 944 yards rushing and tied for second with 7 rushing TDs.

Carolina Panthers – The quietest 6-2 in the NFL, the Panthers are legitimate contenders and current division leaders in the cutthroat NFC South (no team below .500). Anchored by a rock solid defense, with dynamic scoring lead by resurgent QB Jake Delhomme and outstanding WR Steve Smith (117 yards / 2 TDs this week), the Panthers are looking like a playoff lock at this point, at the very least a Wild Card if not an outright division win.

…or Pretenders

San Diego Chargers – After going 11-5, winning the AFC West, and making it to the AFC title game in 2007 many had projected the Chargers to be the AFC representative in the Super Bowl this year. Not so fast. The Chargers dropped to 3-5 with their loss to the Saints in London Bowl II and are in danger of seeing their season slip away barely at the season’s mid-point. Though second in their division (2 games back), they still find themselves “behind” 7 other teams in the AFC with better records that are all competing for only 2 Wild Card spots.

Arizona Cardinals – Despite the welcome and successful (2 TD receptions) return of Anquan Boldin to their line-up, the Cardinals 2 game win streak came to an end against the tough Carolina defense. Warner still threw for 381 yards and 2 TDs, but does this loss signal a return to pretender status for the Cardinals or merely a bump in the road for a team that currently sits atop a weak NFC West with a 4-3 record?

Indianapolis Colts – The perennial AFC South champion Colts find themselves in a very precarious position following their loss to the Titans on Monday Night Football, which dropped the Colts into a three-way tie with the Jaguars and Texans at 3-4. Given that the division is all but out-of-reach, that leaves the Colts in the unfamiliar position of looking to the Wild Card as their ticket into the playoffs this year. Not an easy task in a year where other teams likely fighting for a WC spot currently sport records of 5-2 (Buffalo), 4-3 (NY Jets, Ravens), and 4 teams in addition to the Colts at 3-4 (Dolphins, Jaguars, Texans, Browns). Could this be the first year in 6 seasons that the Colts don’t even make the playoffs?

Meet The New Boss

Well it didn’t take long for the new boss in San Francisco to make his presence felt. Not only did Hall of Fame Bears linebacker Mike Singletary bench starting QB J.T. O’Sullivan after he turned the ball over 3 times but, disgusted with a cheap personal foul committed by Vernon Davis, Singletary took the unprecedented action of not just benching Davis but literally ordering him to the locker room and off the field entirely while the game was still in progress.

Singletary then addressed these actions, as well as the team’s embarrassing 34-13 loss to the previously 1 win Seahawks, head on in a press conference that has become and instant classic and that will undoubtably end up as one of those Coors Light commercials at some point. If you haven’t seen it yet I highly recommend giving it a look. Preach on my man, preach on!

Quest For The “Perfect” Season

The Cincinnati Bungles and the Detroit Cowardly Lions both kept their quest for the perfect season alive this week, with the Bungles moving to 0-8 and the Lions to 0-7. Having actually showed signs of life last week, the Bungles reverted to classic form with a convincing 29 point loss to the Texans. In a somewhat worrisome trend, however, the Lions actually put forth a legitimate effort for the second straight week, barely managing to secure their loss by little more than a touchdown.