NFL Week In Review-Week 9

My take on the Cowboys-Redskins game is found elsewhere on this blog.

The New York Football Giants were nearly caught looking ahead to next week’s game with the Bears, as they scored a late touchdown to sneak past the Houston Texans, 14-10. Tiki Barber, the league’s leading rusher, finally scored his first touchdown of the season. David Carr bounced back for the Texans after last week’s benching, scoring a rushing touchdown. The Giants are in command of the NFC East with a record of 6-2.

Somewhere, Nick Buoniconti is smiling. The Miami Dolphins, winners of one previous game, defended the legacy of their 1972 undefeated team by defeating the previously undefeated Chicago Bears, 31-13. This is not the first time the Dolphins have beaten an undefeated Bears team, as they stopped the 1985 Bears juggernaut in a famous Monday Night game at the Orange Bowl. Joey Harrington is turning into a good NFL quarterback.

Harrington’s former team, the Lions, got a big win over the Atlanta Falcons, 30-14. Kevin Jones had two rushing touchdowns for Detroit. Mike Martz, the offensive coordinator, is a mad scientist, and has turned the Lions into an offensive machine. For one day, their defense cooperated, and they got their second win of the year.

The Buffalo Bills won the Snowplace Bowl, defeating the Green Bay Packers, 24-10. This game will prove to be totally irrelevant, as neither team is headed anywhere this year.

The Cincinnati Bengals are in big trouble. They are now 4-4, and trail the Baltimore Ravens by two games in the AFC North, after a 26-20 loss to the Ravens in Baltimore. The Ravens are a force to be dealt with in the AFC.

Another AFC North team in even bigger trouble are the Pittsburgh Steelers. They fell to 2-6, with a 31-20 loss to the Denver Broncos. The Steelers are headed nowhere fast. The Broncos had a big day from Javon Walker, who had over 200 total yards, 2 receiving touchdowns, and a rushing touchdown. The Broncos are looking strong out West in the AFC.

Also looking good out West are the San Diego Chargers, who overcame a slow first half to defeat the Cleveland Browns, 32-25. The Chargers are now 6-2, as well.

Trent Green may not have a job when he comes back from injury. The Chiefs have now won 5 games with backup QB Damon Huard calling signals. The Chiefs won the Show Me Bowl yesterday over the St. Louis Rams, 31-17. Kansas City is in Missouri, while the Chiefs put the Rams into Misery.

Don’t you think the Jaguars would like to play all their games at home? Behind backup quarterback David Garrard, the Jags made the Titans look like a high school team, crushing them by a score of 37-7. The Jags are All-Pros at home, and dogs on the road.

Elsewhere in the Sunshine State, the New Orleans Saints won their sixth game of the year, as they thumped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 31-17. Marques Colston, the pride of Hofstra, caught another touchdown pass, and is the Rookie of the First Half of the Year, if there is such a thing. Sean Payton would qualify as Coach of the First Half of the Year.

Yesterday, in San Francisco, a snoozer of a game was staged. I don’t know if it was played, but there were two teams on the field doing something. The 49ers, as bad as they are, now have three wins, after defeating the Vikings 9-3 in a field goal festival. I am so glad our local Fox station decided to pick up the Cowboy game, as they were originally scheduled to show this barnburner at 3:00.

Finally, the Sunday Night game lived up to billing, as the Colts bumped their record up to 8-0, with a big win at New England. Peyton Manning had a couple of touchdown passes, and Tom Brady threw four interceptions. Most of the football world is now saying: “So what? Show me something in the playoffs.” That is where the Pats have the Colts: 3 rings to none. The Colts are the regular season’s team. It remains to be seen if it will transfer to the playoffs.