NFL Week In Review-Week 10

This weekend saw a lot of exciting action, some high-scoring games, and a demonstration of parity in the league.

The one team in the league with only one win is one that many expected to do great things, the Arizona Cardinals. The Dallas Cowboys went out to the desert and got a 27-10 win over the hapless Cardinals. The Rib Man, Tony Romo, threw for 308 yards and two touchdowns as the Cowboys cruised to victory. The Cowboys return home to face the undefeated Colts.

The Houston Texans got an unexpected win, defeating the Jacksonville Jaguars for the second time this season, 13-10. David Carr was knocked out of the game with an injury, and Sage Rosenfels came off the bench to guide the Texans to a win. Sage might have been a better quarterback all along. The Jags’ backup, David Garrard, threw four interceptions in a nightmare game on the banks of the St. Johns River.

Steve McNair had a successful return to Tennessee, as the Ravens came from behind to defeat the Titans, 27-26. The Titans continue to improve as Vince Young gains more experience. The Ravens are now 7-2, and own the AFC North division.

William Tecumseh Sherman, the pride of Ohio, burned Atlanta to the ground during the Civil War. The Cleveland Browns are the pride of part of Ohio. They didn’t exactly burn Atlanta yesterday, but they did shock the Falcons with a 17-13 win at the Georgia Dome. Michael Vick had a brain fart, throwing two interceptions and losing a crucial fumble. The Browns are now 3-6, while the Falcons are 5-4.

Ohio’s other team took part in a shootout. The Bengals scored 41 points yesterday. Trouble is for them, San Diego scored 49 against them. The Chargers are an offensive juggernaut. Yesterday was the third time the Chargers have scored 40 or more points in a game this season. They are now 7-2, and in a dogfight with Denver in the AFC West.

Upriver in Pittsburgh, the Steelers engaged in a shootout of their own, defeating the first-place New Orleans Saints 38-31. Fast Willie Parker rushed for 213 yards and two touchdowns. The Saints dropped to 6-3, but are still in first place in the NFC South.

The Philadelphia Eagles returned to the win column with a 27-3 win over the Washington Redskins. The Redskins and my fantasy team took a major blow, as Clinton Portis suffered a hand injury. His future status is unknown. Donte Stallworth was on the receiving end of an 84 yard touchdown pass from the Eagles’ Donovan McNabb.

The Northeast received a load of major showers yesterday. Nowhere was this more evident than Foxboro, as the New England Patriots played in the slop against the New York Jets. The Jets apparently are better built for slop, as they upset the Pats, 17-14. The Pats are crashing back to earth. The Jets are now just a game behind the Patriots in the AFC East.

Their AFC East buddy Buffalo Bills went to the dome in Indy, and gave the Colts all they wanted, before Indianapolis won, 17-16. The Colts are 9-0, but are not thumping inferior teams as they did last year. Still, 9-0 is 9-0. They’ll take it.

The Miami Dolphins won their second consecutive game, beating the visiting Chiefs 13-10. The Dolphins may finally be asserting themselves and starting to meet pre-season expectations, after a woefully slow start.

The San Francisco 49ers are still not a very good team. However, they found a way to win their 4th game of the season yesterday, with a 19-13 win over Detroit. Frank Gore broke a 61-yard run for a touchdown, and had 148 yards in the first half before leaving the game with a concussion. The vaunted Detroit offense did not show up.

The St. Louis Rams traveled to Seattle, and lost to backup quarterback Seneca Wallace, 24-22. Josh Brown kicked a 38-yard field goal for the win. The Seahawks remain in 1st place in the NFC West.

The Green Bay Packers continue to improve. The Minnesota Vikings are crashing, and crashing hard. The Pack went into the HHH Dome and nipped the Vikes, 23-17. Brett Favre is still crazy after all these years, and is still productive after all these years.

The Denver Broncos went out to Oakland, and had a narrow escape. The 7-2 Broncos pulled out a 17-13 win over the Raiders. The Raiders are still in contention for a high draft pick in the spring.

The Sunday Night extravaganza matched the Chicago Bears and the New York Giants, in the first of NBC’s flexible-scheduling choices for Sunday Night Football. The Bears thumped the injury-scarred Giants, 38-20. Devin Hester returned a missed field goal for 108 yards and a touchdown. This is a tie for the longest play in NFL history. The Bears placed themselves in much better position to game home field advantage throughout the playoffs.