FRO's 2009 Drew Brees Watch-By Jon Wagner Sr. Writer at large Football Reporters Online

Brees-ing Past Marino's Mark?

FRO's 2009 Drew Brees Watch-By Jon Wagner Sr. Writer at large Football Reporters Online

One year after passing for the second most yards (5,069) in an NFL season, only 15 yards behind Hall Of Fame quarterback Dan Marino's single-season record of 5,084 yards in 1984, New Orleans Saints' quarterback Drew Brees is again poised to take aim at Marino's record. FRO follows Brees' prusuit of Marino each week, throughout the season:

Brees’ 2009 Avg. Yards Per Game: 280.33
Avg. Yards Needed To Pass Marino: 326.46

WEEK DATE OPP/RESULT COMP-ATT % TD-INT YARDS REMAINING
1 Sun 9/13 vs DET W, 45-27 26-34 76.5 6-1 358 4,727
2 Sun 9/20 at PHI W, 48-22 25-34 73.5 3-1 311 4,416
3 Sun 9/27 at BUF W, 27-7 16-29 55.2 0-0 172 4,244
4 Sun 10/4 vs NYJ
5 Bye
6 Sun 10/18 vs NYG
7 Sun 10/25 at MIA
8 Mon 11/2 vs ATL
9 Sun 11/8 vs CAR
10 Sun 11/15 at STL
11 Sun 11/22 at TB
12 Mon 11/30 vs NE
13 Sun 12/6 at WAS
14 Sun 12/13 at ATL
15 Sat 12/19 vs DAL
16 Sun 12/27 vs TB
17 Sun 1/3 at CAR

PF-PA COMP-ATT % TD-INT YARDS
TOTALS; 120-56 67-97 69.1 9-2 811

FRO's FAVORITE FIVE Top Five NFL Moments - Week 3 by Jon Wagner, Sr. Writer-At Large, Football Reporters Online

FRO's FAVORITE FIVE
Top Five NFL Moments - Week 3
by Jon Wagner, Sr. Writer-At Large, Football Reporters Online

#5: THOMAS MAKES THE MOST OF HIS TIME

That New Orleans Saints’ running back Pierre Thomas had a career high 126 yards? Good. That he ran for that much on just 14 carries for a 9.0 yards per carry average? Even better. That he put up those numbers without touching the ball on offense for the game’s first 32 minutes? Outstanding. All of Thomas’ carries came over the final 28 minutes in the Saints’ 27-7 victory in Buffalo, including a 34-yard touchdown run that gave the Saints some separation with 9:45 left in the game, and a 19-yard score to ice the victory with 2:03 remaining.

#4: PEYTON PASSES COLTS TO VICTORY

It was supposed to a wild west shootout between Peyton Manning and Kurt Warner, but it was Manning who fired all of the early shots for the Indianapolis Colts in the desert, and neither Warner nor the Arizona Cardinals could keep up in a 31-10 Colts’ rout. Manning threw three touchdown passes on three straight possessions in a span of 7:12 in the second quarter to give the Colts a 21-3 halftime lead. Manning finished 24 of 35 for 379 yards, four touchdowns (to four different receivers), and just one interception.

#3: GIANT DOMINANCE IN TAMPA

The score was 24-0, but it might as well have been 84-0. The Giants’ performance, particularly defensively, of the Buccaneers on Tampa Bay’s own home field, was that dominant. On the game’s opening drive, the Giants had as many first downs (5) and almost as many yards (80) as Tampa Bay had all game. The Giants, who had 27 first downs for the game, outgained the Bucs 397-86, including 226-28 on the ground, possessing the ball for 43:38 to the Bucs’ 16:22. New York also converted 10 of 16 third downs while the Bucs were 0-for-9 on such opportunities. The Giants also held Tampa Bay QB’s Brian Leftwich and Josh Johnson to a combined 11 of 26 for just 58 yards passing.

#2: THE LIONS FINALLY ROAR

Tampa Bay losing that badly? Perfect segue… Lions’ owner William Clay Ford said, “We not only got the monkey off our back, we got King Kong off our back.” That’s how it feels when you finally win after losing 19 straight and avoid joining the 1970’s Bucs in losing at least 20 in a row. Beating the Redskins so far this year is nothing special, but beating ANYONE when you’re coming off the NFL’s only 0-16 season in history and you follow that up with an 0-2 start the following year, is worth the number two spot on this week’s list. The Lions used a 13-0 halftime lead and then held on to finally break the string.

#1: MINNESOTA MIRACLE

As he’s done so many times in his career, the Favre-elous one pulled another game out of the fire in the final moments. Only, it wasn’t just Brett Favre scrambling and tossing a great ball into the back of the end zone on a 32-yard pass just as he was hit. It took a fantastic catch and incredible concentration and awareness by Minnesota wide receiver Greg Lewis to leap and very difficultly, get both feet just barely inside the back of the end zone with just two seconds left in Minnesota’s 27-24 miracle victory that the Vikings stole from the San Francisco 49ers. A sensational play by Lewis, and a great way for Favre, in his first game that counted in his new home, to endear himself to the fans who used to root against Favre and his Packers each year.

FRO's Performance rankings week three-by Jon Wagner Sr. Writer Football Reporters Online

FRO's Performance Rankings
2009 NFL Season
By Jon Wagner, Sr. Writer At-Large Football Reporters Online

While there are many power rankings out there based as much on hype, expectations, and too often, unrealized and inaccurate projections, at Football Reporters Online, we prefer to rank NFL teams on what's actually happened, taking into account only how teams have performed on the field and who they’ve played. At FRO, you won’t find yet another power ranking that doesn’t tell you much. Instead, here are the FRO NFL Performance Rankings:

Week 3

#1 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS 3-0 Week 2: #1 Week 3: Won at Buffalo, 27-7
The Saints stay in the top spot for the second consecutive week, proving in Week 3 that they’re not all Drew Brees and their passing game. After scoring 93 in the first two games behind 9 Brees touchdown passes, New Orleans posted its third straight win by at least 20 points on the strength of a defense that limited the Bills to just 7 points and 243 total yards, and a running game (now second in the NFL) that racked up 222 yards on the road.

#2 NEW YORK GIANTS 3-0 Week 2: #3 Week 3: Won at Tampa Bay, 24-0
The Giants start 3-0 in back-to-back years for the first time since the 1993 and 1994 seasons. After a solid but not exceptional win against a Washington team that looks bad right now, and barely pulling out a win in Dallas on the leg of Lawrence Tynes at the final gun, Big Blue had a laugher, blanking the Bucs on the road, holding Tampa Bay to just 86 total yards, five first downs (none for the first 40+ minutes), and while rushing for 226 yards to help keep the ball for 43:38.

#3 BALTIMORE RAVENS 3-0 Week 2: #4 Week 3: Beat Cleveland, 34-3
Okay, so the Browns are awful, but the Ravens didn’t let them hand around, storming out to a 20-0 halftime lead en route to a 34-3 thrashing of the current Browns by the “original Browns.” The Baltimore defense returned to its usual form after allowing Phillip Rivers’ career-high passing game in the Ravens’ Week 2 win out west. QB Joe Flacco meanwhile, continues to show progress and no signs of a sophomore jinx after his very good rookie season.

#4 NEW YORK JETS 3-0 Week 2: #2 Week 3: Beat Tennessee, 24-17
It doesn’t seem to matter what the Jets are wearing, they just continue to play winning football. Even as the Titans (of New York), they can beat the current Titans (albeit, as the Oilers), on throwback day at The Meadowlands. Week 3 looked easy at first for the old Titans against the new ones, with the Jets taking a 14-0 lead before Tennessee ran its first offensive play of the game. In a game of streaks though, the Jets allowed the next 17, before scoring the final 10 to win, as the Jets’ biggest strength this year, making stops on defense in clutch situations, closed out another win. Despite that victory though, the Jets drop a couple spots to make room for the slightly better Giants and Ravens.

#5 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS 3-0 Week 2: #8 Week 3: Won at Arizona, 31-10
The Colts have quickly shot up this list, from 17 (after a very mediocre 14-12 home win over Jacksonville), to 8 (after a nice comeback win on a Monday night in Miami), to 5 (after a blowout win in the desert against the Cardinals). Not easy to go on the road, on two different coasts, for consecutive national television night games, with a short week in between, and return to Indianapolis with a couple more wins to remain undefeated. Marvin Harrison gone or not, Peyton Manning is clicking right now with the receivers he has left.

#6 DENVER BRONCOS 3-0 Week 2: #9 Week 3: Won at Oakland, 23-3
We’re going to find out a lot more about the Broncos over the next five weeks as the schedule suddenly does a complete 180 on them (vs. Dallas, vs. New England, at San Diego, at Baltimore, vs. Pittsburgh). That’s a huge departure from the junior varsity cupcakes (Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Oakland –- okay, maybe the Bengals are at least pretty good out of that group) that Denver rode to a 3-0 start. Still, it’s hard to place the Broncos any lower as of now after a pair of easy routs in which they didn’t allow a touchdown, and especially not when Denver has allowed a league-low 16 points on the season thus far.

#7 MINNESOTA VIKINGS 3-0 Week 2: #5 Week 3: Beat San Francisco, 27-24
The Favrelous one did it yet again –- although not nearly enough credit was given to WR Greg Lewis for getting both feet in on a catch that was actually better than Brett’s game-winning heave. Whomever you give the credit to, the Vikings, after two easy wins, managed to barely pulled out their home opener, and thus deserve the last of the top spots occupied by the seven remaining undefeated teams, but two spots lower than they were last week.

#8 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS 2-1 Week 2: #7 Week 3: Lost at Minnesota, 27-24
Looking just one spot up, you see just how close the 49ers were to being in the number 7 spot instead of the Vikings after losing in Minnesota on the a miracle play by the Vikings. So, just one notch lower, is a reasonable place for the Niners who by and large have played well over the first three weeks.

#9 DALLAS COWBOYS 2-1 Week 2: #10 Week 3: Beat Carolina, 21-7
The Cowboys have yet to put together a full 60 minutes of solid football, struggling in the first half before pulling away in the second half at Tampa Bay, and getting shutout at home for a half before sealing a win late with an interception against Carolina. Still, they have a couple of wins by double digits, have rushed the ball better than anyone by far (a league-leading 6.8 ypc; New Orleans is second at 5.0 ypc), and are a Lawrence Tynes miss from being 3-0.

#10 CINCINNATI BENGALS 2-1 Week 2: #16 Week 3: Beat Pittsburgh, 23-20
The Bengals have played pretty well ever since Brandon Stokley’s fluke play cost them a season-opening win. If not for that play, they would be 3-0. They thoroughly beat Aaron Rodgers in a win at Lambeau before breaking their 8-game home losing streak to Pittsburgh with two Carson Palmer touchdowns in the final 9:14, including the game-winner with 14 seconds left.

#11 SAN DIEGO CHARGERS 2-1 Week 2: #13 Week 3: Beat San Diego, 23-13
The Chargers have been the epitome of inconsistency from week to week, even within each week. Favored heavily, they were outplayed in Oakland before pulling a win out of the fire. They responded with a huge passing game from QB Phillip Rivers only to lose a close game to Baltimore at home. And, they had problems with the Dolphins before they could put them away. Add it all up, and San Diego is okay at 2-1, and an enigma, playing both the bad Raiders and the good Ravens very close, as they continue to find their way through the early part of the schedule.

#12 ATLANTA FALCONS 2-1 Week 2: #6 Week 3: Lost at New England, 26-10
After home wins in dream matchups against winless Miami and Carolina, reality woke the up Falcons like a glass of ice water in the face when Atlanta traveled to New England for a 26-10 loss in which Matt Ryan and Michael Turner were suddenly held in check, unable to do what they did at home. For their own sake, the Falcons better not become that Jekyl and Hyde home/road team that’s often seen in the NFL, as three of the next four and five of the next seven are away from the Georgia Dome.

#13 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES 2-1 Week 2: #17 Week 3: Beat Kansas City, 34-14
It’s tough to judge the Eagles without Donovan McNabb, and even in their one game with him, it was their defense that dominated in Carolina to beat the Panthers before McNabb left with an injury that’s kept him out since. With Kolb filling in, the Eagles were awful against the very good Saints, before rebounding with an easy win against the bad Chiefs. With three losing teams coming up (0-3 Tampa Bay, 1-2 Oakland, and 1-2 Washington), the Eagles are in decent position to compete in the tough NFC East until McNabb can get healthy and back into the flow.

#14 GREEN BAY PACKERS 2-1 Week 2: #20 Week 3: Won at St. Louis, 36-17
The perfect prescription for the Packers after a disappointing effort at home against the Bengals? Meet me in Saint Louie… at least that’s what Green Bay must have been thinking after falling to 1-1. Failing three times in the red zone, coming away with three first-quarter field goals, the Pack responded with touchdowns on each of their next four trips inside the Rams’ 20, for a fairly easy win to get a game back over the .500 mark.

#15 CHICAGO BEARS 2-1 Week 2: #14 Week 3: Won at Seattle, 25-19
Very much like the Bengals, the Bears have shown some mettle after a tough opening week loss. Chicago followed up a late loss in Green Bay by gutting out two games late themselves, with new QB Jay Cutler leading the way each time, once on a drive for a game-winning field goal against Pittsburgh, and another on a touchdown drive to win in Seattle with under two minutes left.

#16 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 2-1 Week 2: #22 Week 3: Beat Atlanta, 26-10
What’s wrong with Tom Brady? Are the Patriots still good enough to be considered among the elite in the AFC? Well, it wasn’t against another elite AFC team, but New England quieted some of the doubters asking those types of questions after the first two weeks, with a solid 16-point win over the Falcons at home, to get over .500 and right the ship. A very strange scheduling quirk has the Patriots playing their next ten games split evenly against five teams that are currently undefeated and another five against teams that are currently winless (of course, that will all change by the time Pats play a lot of those teams, but interesting nonetheless).

#17 PITTSBURGH STEELERS 1-2 Week 2: #11 Week 3: Lost at Cincinnati, 23-20
The defending champs started the 2006 season 2-6 after winning it all in 2005. They’re now 1-2 after winning last year’s Super Bowl, and they could easily be 3-0 or 0-3, after three straight games that went down to the final drive. The Steelers’ staple used to always be defense and a solid running game. The defense remains solid, but Pittsburgh won last year’s title in spite of a rushing game that lacked. This year, they might not be so fortunate if they can’t breathe life into the NFL’s 27th-ranked rushing offense.

#18 BUFFALO BILLS 1-2 Week 2: #12 Week 3: Lost to New Orleans, 27-7
The Bills have played well enough to have a winning record, but letting the opener at New England get away hurt. Buffalo rebounded by beating up on a bad Bucs team, but they showed they’re not in the class of a New Orleans. Running back Fred Jackson has been good running the ball for Buffalo, but the fact that he also has more receptions (15) than Lee Evans (8) and Terrell Owens (5) combined is a huge red flag for the Bills’ passing game thus far.

#19 ARIZONA CARDINALS 1-2 Week 2: #15 Week 3: Lost to Indianapolis, 31-10
Reaching the Super Bowl last season after just a mediocre 9-7 regular season, it’s not a major shock that the Cardinals have followed up that trip to the Big Game with a 1-2 start this season. What is a surprise however, is that both losses have come at home. Kurt Warner was nearly perfect (24 for 26 for 2 TD’s, no picks, and a 131.2 QB rating) in Jacksonville, yet at home, he’s been consistently bad (a 67 QB rating with only 1 TD and 2 INT’s in each game in Glendale in this season), while not being helped at all by a rushing offense ranked last in the NFL.

#20 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS 1-2 Week 2: #27 Week 3: Won at Houston, 31-24
The Jags meanwhile, have been the opposite of the Cardinals… they’ve were awful at home (ironically, against Arizona), yet surprisingly impressive on the road (playing the Colts very tough and leaving Houston with a 7-point win led by RB Maurice Jones-Drew’s 3-touchdown, 119-yard effort). That type of formula, and the threat of more empty seats and television blackouts in Jacksonville has the Jags eyeing Orlando as a possible second site for some home games if the NFL expands its regular season to 17 or 18 games.

#21 HOUSTON TEXANS 1-2 Week 2: #18 Week 3: Lost to Jacksonville, 31-24
Now, here’s where the irony continues… Arizona’s lone good game on the road was at Jacksonville, which won at Houston, which is like Arizona, similarly struggling at home yet playing a good game on the road. The Texans are struggling to run the ball, at just 70.7 yards per game, good for 30th in the league. Houston also has the 28th ranked defense, the worst against the run. When you can’t run the ball and you can’t stop the run in the NFL, it makes for a lot of losses. The Texans have to address those two areas soon or all the pre-season playoff talk will be for naught.

#22 SEATTLE SEAHAWKS 1-2 Week 2: #19 Week 3: Lost to Chicago, 25-19
The Seahawks looked great in a 28-0 whitewashing of the Rams. Oh, right, that was the Rams. Playing the 49ers and Bears was a wake-up call. Seattle had the game against Chicago until they couldn’t stop Cutler from marching the Bears down the field for a late game-winning score.

#23 TENNESSEE TITANS 0-3 Week 2: #21 Week 3: Lost at the NY Jets, 24-17
The Titans have been the hard-luck team of the NFL this season. They’ve been in all three games they’ve played in the fourth quarter or in overtime, yet have no wins to show for it. It’s hard to believe that last year’s top seed in the AFC which started 10-0 and finished 13-3 has already matched last year’s regular season loss total after just three weeks in 2009.

#24 DETROIT LIONS 1-2 Week 2: #31 Week 3: Beat Washington, 19-14
Congratulations are in order! No, not because Detroit lifted itself from the lowly 31 spot on this list, up to number 23, but because they avoided joining the old Tampa Bay Buccaneers era of the 1970’s as the NFL’s only teams to lose 20 straight games. Yup, 19 consecutive losses was all the Lions could bear. Lions’ owner William Clay Ford put it best, saying “We not only got the monkey off our back, we got King Kong off our back.” You have to feel good for the Lions, but are they that much better than last year’s 0-16 team? Maybe not. The Redskins might just be that bad…

#25 WASHINGTON REDSKINS 1-2 Week 2: #23 Week 3: Lost at Detroit, 19-14
… And the Redskins would be rated even lower than 25, but they’re here by default, since there are enough really bad teams in the NFL right now. Averaging 13.3 points per game, Washington’s offense isn’t scaring anyone right now, and they are the one team in the tough NFC East that teams outside of that division, do want to play.

#26 OAKLAND RAIDERS 1-2 Week 2: #25 Week 3: Lost to Denver, 23-3
Oakland’s season started promisingly. The Raiders were competitive against San Diego before choking away a possible win. Since then, they were awful against the Chiefs yet won by default almost, simply because Kansas City couldn’t score despite dominating the Raiders statistically; and they weren’t competitive against Denver. Jamarcus Russell is not an NFL starter, period. By far, he ranks last in the league among starting signal callers with a 39.8 QB rating a 41.3
completion percentage. Ouch!

#27 MIAMI DOLPHINS 0-3 Week 2: #24 Week 3: Lost at San Diego, 23-13
It’s looking like the fish may go from worst (1-15 in 2007) to first (11-5 last year), back to worst. The wildcat racks up yards and control the clock, but it doesn’t yield points, at least not for Miami. The Dolphins have rushed for the third most yards per game (161.3) but they only rank 26th in what really matters: points scored (just 14.3 per game) as they seek their first win. Add to that, Chad Pennington lost for the season with his latest of a career of injuries, and Miami may be looking for that first win for a while still.

#28 ST.LOUS RAMS 0-3 Week 2: #28 Week 3: Lost to Green Bay, 36-17
As expected, the Rams haven’t been competitive against a pretty good Packers teams and in a generally tough place to play (at Seattle). The only place they were competitive was against the bad Redskins. The way they’re going, the Rams couldn’t score in a brothel with a suitcase full of hundred dollar bills: just 24 points in three games, and 17 of those were in last week’s 19-point home loss to Green Bay. Not good.

#29 CAROLINA PANTHERS 0-3 Week 2: #29 Week 3: Lost at Dallas, 21-7
Like Tennessee, the Panthers were a serious pre-season playoff contender at in a huge 0-3 hole. They’re having their own problems putting points on the board: just 37 points in three games as Jake Delhomme has already thrown 7 picks and just 2 touchdowns.

#30 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS 0-3 Week 2: #26 Week 3: Lost at Philadelphia, 34-14
The Chiefs were shockingly tied with Baltimore in the fourth quarter and should have blown out the Raiders. And yet, they’re 0-3 with the Giants coming to town next. This is no doubt another rebuilding year in KC. For all the talk of the Lions not being able to win until last Sunday, the Chiefs since 2006, are now a dreadful 6-29.

#31 TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS 0-3 Week 2: #30 Week 3: Lost to the NY Giants, 24-0
Yes, it was stated above, but again… 86 total yards? No first downs for the first 40+ minutes? The Giants defense is good, but come on, this is grown men playing, this isn’t Pop Warner. That’s just embarrassing. Seven straight losses and counting for Tampa Bay since its 0-4 December collapse cost it a 2008 playoff spot.

#32 CLEVELAND BROWNS 0-3 Week 2: #32 Week 3: Lost at Baltimore, 34-3
Ahh, the Browns. Outscored 95-29, the biggest differential in the NFL. Head coach Eric Mangini seems lost, and has already benched Brady Quinn, turning to Derek Anderson for help in Week 4. That will probably help, but for the Brownies, it’ll take more than that this season. A lot more.

NFL Changing Of The Guard In 2009? By John Wagner Sr. writer at large Football Reporters Online

NFL Changing Of The Guard In 2009? By John Wagner Sr. writer at large Football Reporters Online

Just three weeks into the 2009 National Football League season, it’s much too soon to draw season-ending conclusions. For proof of that, look no further than just two seasons ago when the 2007 New York Giants were shredded defensively to the tune of allowing 80 points while starting 0-2, before finishing 10-6 and riding a complete defensive turnaround to shut down the NFL’s highest scoring regular offense ever, in a Super Bowl XLII victory.

Still, there are some early signs that the final 2009 NFL standings could look drastically different than they did a year ago.

Only two (the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings) of last year’s eight division winners thus far are leading those same divisions this year.

And, three teams (Miami, Tennessee, and Carolina) that captured division titles a season ago are each still seeking their first win in 2009.

Last year’s AFC East champions, the Miami Dolphins have run the wildcat successfully enough to rank third in the league in both rushing offense and time of possession, but as we saw in their 27-23 loss to Indianapolis in which the Colts set a league record for having the ball for the least amount of time in a victory, that formula doesn’t necessarily translate to enough points (Miami is averaging just 14.3 per game) or wins (the Dolphins are 0-3). Throw in starting quarterback Chad Pennington’s latest season-ending injury, and Miami might be poised to go from the best turn-around in NFL history (from 1-15 in 2007, to 11-5 last season) right back to where it was two years ago.

The Tennessee Titans meanwhile, have been in every game they’ve played so far this year, and they’ve had some tough-luck losses, two by a field goal (one of those in overtime), and a third by a touchdown. However, last season’s AFC South champions have remarkably gone from the NFL’s best record (13-3) after a 10-0 start in 2008, to already matching last season’s loss total with an 0-3 beginning this year. Tennessee has a lot more talent and thus hope, than Miami, to turn things around, but NFL history has been unkind to 0-3 teams making the playoffs let alone winning a division.

And then there’s the Carolina Panthers, last year’s NFC South champions, also starting this season at 0-3 after going 12-4 a year ago. The Panthers were thoroughly embarrassed against Philadelphia in their 2009 season opener at home, a place where they went a perfect 8-0 in the 2008 regular season… that is until they were upset in a blowout loss to Arizona in last year’s NFC divisional playoff game –- which also marked a sharp turnaround for quarterback Jake Delhomme and the Panthers’ offense. Over Carolina’s last four games, Including last season’s playoff loss plus the Panthers’ first three games in 2009, Carolina has lost as many games (4) and Delhomme has thrown as many interceptions (12) as the Panthers and Delhomme had respectively, throughout the entire 2008 regular season. Carolina has already been outscored by 50 points (87-37), averaging a measly 12.3 point per game this season. That’s a huge departure from the team that was the number two seed in the 2008 NFC playoffs.

Meanwhile, last season’s Super Bowl participants, Pittsburgh and Arizona, the only teams to navigate through their respective divisions with perfect 6-0 records in 2008, are each just 1-2, and each has already lost its first game within its division.

Of course, if some of last year’s division winners are struggling now, there must be others which have stepped up and taken their place, and that’s been the case so far this year in nearly every division in the league.

In the AFC East, the 9-7 Jets of a year ago have begun 3-0 to lead that division on the strength of one of the NFL’s best defenses thus far in 2009.

In the AFC South, the Baltimore Ravens were already good last year, but they fell short to Pittsburgh by a game for the 2008 division title. This year however, they look to be one of the NFL’s most complete teams en route to a division-leading 3-0 record.

A similar situation for Indianapolis in the AFC South. After losing the division by one game to the Titans in 2008, the Colts have again ridden quarterback Peyton Manning’s arm to the top of the AFC South –- for now –- where they sit at 3-0.

And, to round out all AFC divisions with new leaders at 3-0, the undefeated Denver Broncos, albeit against a soft schedule to this point, have played well, allowing an NFL-low 16 points (just 5.3 points per game).

In the NFC, the only stability from last season can be found in the NFC East and in the NFC North.

But, with the Panthers and Cardinals faltering, last season’s 8-8, last place New Orleans Saints look like the NFL’s best team so far in 2009, storming their way to a 3-0 mark, crushing their opponents by a combined 120-56 so far; and the first-place San Francisco 49ers, just 7-9 a year ago, have already won at Arizona this season, and are a Minnesota Miracle pass (a Vikings’ game-winning 32-yard touchdown pass with just :02 left) from also being perfect at 3-0.

There’s a lot of football left, and November and December in the NFL often look a lot different than September. But, so far, it looks like we should be forgetting all about 2008 and possibly getting ready for a lot of new faces as either division winners or at least, playoff contenders, in 2009.

Oakland Raiders vs. Houston Texans Preview - CBS' Pat Kirwan on JaMarcus Russell

More at Zennie62.com | Follow me on Twitter! | Get my widget! | Visit YouTube | Visit UShow.com

NFL.com and CBS Sports Pat Kirwan knows his football and since we meet at the 2006 NFL Draft..



..I've had a number of personal conversations on everything from Vince Young and the Spread Offense to then-New England Offensive Coordinator and now Denver Broncos' Head Coach Josh McDaniels passing attack. I don't always agree with Pat and today's another example of why.

Pat's views on the upcoming Raiders v. Texans game are below:



Kirwan's comment that the Raiders..

JaMarcus Russell is struggling as much and they're trying to protect him and they're very sensitive about what anyone says about him. But I said as much when I went to camp and I'll say it again, the guy was not making decisions fast enough to have an effective passing attack.

Where I totally disagree with Pat is that he focuses on JaMarcus Russell rather than how he's coached and the design of the passing game. Maybe it's the rule of one coach (as Pat has been) not criticizing another coach, or something. But my issue is with the Raiders passing attack design, which I've discussed before.

In other words, any quarterback would struggle in that system.

I also take issue with Pat's look at the Texans. Pay says they can't stop the pass. The Houston Texans have one problem: they can't stop the run and haven't been able to since preseason which means its a scheme problem. They averaged 5 yards a carry on defenseagainst Jacksonville last Sunday; with stats like that, the Raiders won't have to worry about JaMarcus Russell, they'll just hand off.

My prediction: Raiders 20, Texans 17.

“FRO’s Favorite Five” Frankie’s Favorite Fantasy Picks Week 4

“FRO’s Favorite Five”
Frankie’s Favorite Fantasy Picks
Week 4
By Frankie Underwood
Sr. Fantasy Football Writer-Football Reporters Online



Carson Palmer stays in state to face the lowly Cleveland Browns. This should be great for Palmers stats. Last weekend Cleveland gave up nearly 350 yards to second year Ravens QB Joe Flacco, and 260 to Denver’s Kyle Orton, the week before. Palmer’s had low yardage totals so far this season and is coming off a huge win against division rival and the reigning Super Bowl champion Pittsburg Steelers. After that big win this game against the winless Browns could turn into a trap game, but I believe Palmer and the Cincinnati Bengals can put the past behind them and take care of business in Cleveland. I actually thought about recommending Trent Edwards again this week since he has a very nice match up against the Miami Dolphins, but thought I’d just mention it in pacing in case he lets me down again.

I selected Oakland’s Darren McFadden for my week two Favorite Five, and here he is again. Houston has been torched by running back this season. In week one Thomas Jones dropped 107 on them. Then in week two Chris Johnson broke two long runs for touchdowns and totaled 197 rushing yards not to mention a 90 yard plus touchdown reception. Finally this past weekend Maurice Jones-Drew scored three touchdowns and 119 rushing yards. As long as Oakland can stay in the game, McFadden should be a large part of the Oakland offense. Houston’s Steve Slaton in also a nice play since Oakland can not cover the run.

Who is the number one reliever in Chicago? If I run the team I’d start Earl Bennett and Johnny Knox and use Devin Hester as the third therefore freeing him up to be the full time punt and kick returner, maybe run him out of the victory formation as a desperation play (you can email me for further explanation of that idea). Well since I do not run the team and Hester is the so-called number one receiver, I look for him to have a nice game against the Detroit Lions. Santana Moss, a similar yet extensively more experienced receiver, put up 178 yards in a loss to the Lions on Sunday. Also Percy Harvin, again with a similar skill set, scored against them in week two. Chicago Bears QB Jay Cutler should attempt to force feed Hester the ball, and depending on how banged up RB Matt Forte is Hester may see some rushing attempts to go with his returns and receptions. Third receiver Johnny Knox should also be considered this weekend.

If you are still holding on to an Oakland Raider besides McFadden, hopefully it is tight end Zach Miller. This may be the weekend that Miller lives up to his off season billing as a top twelve TE. As have I stated before Houston can not cover tight ends, add this to the fact that Oakland QB JaMarcus Russell can not seem to find his wide receivers, and it should equal a big day for Miller. Whether coming from behind or dumping off because of pressure, Miller and McFadden should both be heavily depended on this weekend. By The Way, keep an eye on the Green Bay Packers Jermichael Finley Monday night in Minnesota.

Although their team has been decimated by injuries, The Buffalo Bills defense could emerge as a nice desperation play. The Bills will face a Miami Dolphins team that just lost QB Chad Pennington, and will be starting a new era behind Chad Henne. Buffalo should pester an inexperienced Henne with multiple blitzes, which will lead to sacks and interceptions. The San Francisco 49ers is also a defense worth starting this weekend.



Last Weeks Favorite Five

Trent Edwards - Don’t get much more of a bust than that.

Tashard Choice – Touchdown and decent yardage, That’s average but he gives you a couple more games worth or use

Josh Cribbs – Again, BUST!!! Sorry

Vernon Davis – I’d say I nailed that one, 96 yards and 2 TDs!!!

Green Bay Packers – 3 turnovers and one Sack, I guess that’s an OK day.

Jets Titans Recap-By T.J.Rosenthal contributing writer Football Reporters Online

THE JET EXPRESS ROLLS 24-17: THE TITANS ARE THE LATEST VICTIM-By T.J. Rosenthal contributing writer
Football Reporters Online

The Jet express is rolling. Sunday's come from behind 24-17 win against the desperate Tennessee Titans in front of another frenzied home crowd passed two tests. First, the Jets  defied a trap game that had LETDOWN written all over it.. Second, they weathered their first real mistake laden storm that saw a 14-0 lead turn into a 17-14 deficit. Rookie QB Mark Sanchez responded to his own careless stretch to help the Jets regain the lead late in the 3rd after a crucial Tennessee muffed punt.  The fumble and ensuing Jet TD became the momentum change of a game that from that point on, saw the Jets never looked back. 

In week one, the mighty Texan offense was smothered. In week two Tom Brady was baffled. Sunday, the Titans were in the end, outmuscled. The 24-17 win sets up a week 4, marquee matchup  with Drew Brees and the 3-0 Saints. THAT however, will be then. THIS, is now. Now, means enjoying a hard fought victory against a team with the number one rushing defense and one of the  leagues top RB in the dangerous Chris Johnson. The Titans become the latest victim for a Jet team that few  envisioned would be in the AFC East drivers seat so soon in the Rex Ryan era. 

The old AFL  rivals, both in their vintage wear ( Jets in their ugly blue 1960 NY Titans  gear and the Titans in their "Luv Ya Blue" Houston Oilers uniforms. Houston being where the franchise originated from) took to the field in a tale of two cities. The Titans, 13-3 in 2008 came to the Meadowlands  0-2 and in desperate need of a win after losses in OT to the world champion Steelers and the high powered Texans in a wild shootout in week two. The Jets came in to the contest 2-0 and riding high after knocking off the despised Pats at home for the first time in a decade.

The Jets wasted no time in proving to the home crowd and to themselves, that coming out flat would NOT be part of the equation. A balanced and controlled opening drive highlighted by throws from Sanchez to Dustin Keller and Jerricho Cotchery led to a gutty TD. Sanchez ran 14 yards for in the score thanks to a nasty head on collision with the Titans Michael Griffin at the goal line. Stretching the ball over before it was knocked loose, the play symbolized the new Jet toughness. It furthered the notion of Sanchez as a leader perhaps beyond his years. The 7-0 lead was also a great start that was about to get better. 

On the ensuing kickoff, Jets Special teamer Jason Trusnick delivered a jarring hit on Ryan Mouton setting the ball free. The Jets recovered and suddenly were in position to go up two scores. On third and goal from the four, a pretty play action by Sanchez to a diving decoy RB Thomas Jones action left back up TE Ben Hartstock all alone. Sanchez's short toss and Hartstock's catch made it 14-0. The Titans offense hadn't taken the field yet. The Jet defense came out strong as well, pressuring veteran QB Kerry Collins and leaving Chris Johnson (197 yds in week two)  with little room to find big runs. After one ,the Jets were in control on the scoreboard and emotionally, 14-0.

The second quarter did not follow the same script as the first. The well coached Titans settled down after the initial firestorm, and began to close in on Sanchez. Finally they got to him, stripping the rookie QB of the ball, and the Jets, of control of the game. Putting together a solid drive of their own off the turnover, QB Kerry Collins got hot with accurate throws under pressure and tight coverage. Then bruising RB Lendale White entered the stage. Taking the ball from the Jet 6 White bounced his way of off a plethora of hits like a pinball for the first TD scored on Gang Green's D in 2009. 7:24 to go in the half Jets 14 Titans 7. The Titans were back in the game.

Sanchez then continued to struggle , with balls now slipping from his hand on throws in the falling rain. Other tosses missed their target. Meanwhile the Jets ground game of Jones and home run threat Leon Washington , for the third straight week, had trouble establishing itself early on. A Rob Bironas FG with 4:38 left cut the Jet lead to 14-10. The half ended that way and as both clubs hit the tunnel. It was now the Titans who now owned the momentum.

Jeff Fishers club rode this momentum to a 17-14 lead four minutes into the third.  thanks to former Steeler speedster Nate Washington's 9 yard TD catch from Collins. As the 3rd wound down, the Jets were slowly becoming in danger of entering the 4th trailing a team with a two headed ground churning monster. Johnson and White, thanks to a succession of Jet three and outs, were now becoming a threat. A Titan pair that moved chains and ran out clocks out on a regular basis in '08. 

 Another 4th down punt by Steve Weatherford from the Jet 40, was to send to the ball back to Tennessee, up 3 and looking for more. Instead , a muffed punt, again by Ryan Mouton gave the Jets the mouth to mouth resucitation their offense needed. The turnover was the turning point of the game.The Jets early on in 2009 have become sound at capitalizing on opportunites. They didn't let this chance pass by either. A key throw from Sanchez to Jerricho Cotchery left the Jets on the 3. Cotchery was called on again holding onto a 6 yard slant thrown like a bullet by Sanchez (17-30 171 yds 2 TDS) for the lead 21-17. Now it was the Jets who looked to roll out their defense for the kill as the 4th quarter began. End of three, JETS 21 TITANS 17.

The stadium was rocking again as the Jets stood 15 minutes away from their second straight home win against a top notch AFC team. Before they could go for the kill, the Jets needed to deliver the knock out punch. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer then dialed up the play. A bomb to Jerricho Cotchery. Sanchez faded back and threw a beautiful () yard  fade to Cotchery who made a difficult catch in tight coverage. The Jets were in the red zone. The drive stalled there. on third down, Sanchez, under pressure, rolled out and found FB Tony Richardson brielfy alone in the end zone. Fullbacks are not accustomed to working the sidelines and the high throw became a bit too much for Richardson to negotiate. Still, a clutch Jay Feely FG gave the Jets a 24-17 lead with 11:30 left.

Enter the Jet defense. Though Chris Johnson (22-97yds 0TD) broke free for a scary 30 yard run on the following drive, the march towards a tying score died there as pressure on Collins was turned up by Rex Ryan's crew(Collins missed his last thirteen throws of the game).The teams traded another pair of  three and outs  as the 4th reached the midway point. Former Raven, the dependable S Jim Leonard then returned a Titans punt to the Tennessee 40 as the Jets sought to ice it. On the follwoing play, Sanchez threw high to Chansi Stuckey and was intercepted by S Chris Hope. This thwarted a chance to leave the Titans for dead. 

Collins and Co. began the march downfield once again with under 7:00 to go,  as White and Johnson took it to the Jet 40. Run stopping mammoth NG Kris Jenkins then made a huge 1st down stop of Johnson; a 5 yard loss that forced the Titans into a long yardage situation. The situation  led  Collins to a  mistake. Unable to step into a throw due to a collapsing pocket, Collins was picked of by LB David Harris. This ended a drive that had the Ttians with their best field position since the early 3rd quarter. 4:13 left.

The Titans last gasp drive started with with no timeouts and just over two minutes left . After more pressure then a David Harris sack , a 4th down incompletion sailed harmlessly over Jet secondary's heads. Final score:JETS 24 TITANS 17

Soon  the J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS will head to New Orleans for a showdown with the high scoring Saints. A club whose offense regained its balance thanks to the return of starting RB Pierre Thomas. Something will have to give.  A high powered offense and a wild high flying shutdown defense.The showdown next week in the Big Easy is a marquee matchup thanks in part  to the Jets latest win over the Titans. For Gang Green, the confidence is growing. So is the win column. 2009 couldn't be off to a better start for Rex Ryan's Jets, perhaps the newest darlings of the NFL.

Giants Blank Bucs, Start 3-0 For Second Straight Year-By Jon Wagner Sr. writer at large-Football Reporters Online

Giants Blank Bucs, Start 3-0 For Second Straight Year-By Jon Wagner
Sr. writer at large-Football Reporters Online

In a game like this, little analysis is needed. The numbers speak for themselves:

First Downs: 27-5, New York Giants; none in the first forty minutes for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Total Net Yards: 397-86, in favor of the Giants.

To put those first two categories into perspective, the Giants, on the opening drive alone, of their game in Tampa Bay on Sunday, just about matched the Buccaneers’ offensive output for the entire contest.

The Giants started the game with five first downs during a 12-play, 80-yard drive which resulted in running back Brandon Jacobs’ first touchdown of the season, on a 6-yard run, giving the Giants a quick 7-0 lead, 6:55 into the game.

Considering what little the New York defense would allow the rest of the day, it was pretty much game over at that point.

Still, here’s a further look at the Giants’ numbers dominance:

Total Plays: Giants 76, Buccaneers 36.

Time Of Possession: Giants 43:38, Buccaneers 16:22.

Third Down Efficiency: Giants 10-for-16, Buccaneers 0-for-9.

And, the most important numbers for New York: a nice, crisp, 24-0 road victory, pushing the Giants’ 2009 start to a perfect 3-0, marking the first time the Giants have started a season with three straight wins in consecutive years since the 1993 and 1994 seasons.

As difficult as the Giants’ grueling, last-second two-point victory was in Dallas last week, that’s how easy New York got by Tampa Bay a week later.

In sharp contrast to the Giants’ win over the Cowboys, this was utter dominance at Raymond James Stadium, summed up very simply by Bucs’ first-year head coach Raheem Morris, who admitted to AP reporter Fred Goodall, “They beat us down… “We were beat by a grown-man team, a team we want to be like one day. They came in here and took it to us. Out-manned us, out-gunned us… It wasn’t even close.”

The NFL’s youngest head coach was also well aware of the aforementioned statistical disparity between his team and the Giants, telling Goodall, “You get five first downs and you’re 0-for-9 on third down. You have 86 yards total offense. It was completely disastrous.”
Tampa Bay (0-3), which blew its shot at the playoffs last season with an 0-4 December collapse, lost for the seventh straight game.

What made the Giants’ defensive performance particularly impressive was that Big Blue, despite being depleted and limited with injuries to several key players, completely shut down and dominated a Tampa Bay offense that averaged a more than respectable 20.5 points and 401.5 yards per game over the first two weeks of the season.

The Giants held the Bucs to just 58 passing yards (the fewest since they gave up 53 yards through the air against Atlanta, on November 9, 2003) while posting their first shutout since a 36-0 rout of Washington at home, on October 30, 2005. New York also recorded their first game on the road without allowing a point since a 23-0 win at Philadelphia on November 20, 1983.
Giants’ head coach Tom Coughlin was happy with his defensive unit’s effort, saying “I was pleased with their energy, the way that they played, the way that they focused, their purpose… the fact that they took the challenge and really wanted to go and prove against a team that rushed for 174 against Dallas that we could stop the run. I thought the approach was really good. The leadership was strong… the energy that they showed from snap to snap, I thought all that was good.”

Meanwhile, the Giants, who entered the game averaging a decent (but not great) 100 yards rushing per game, broke out with 226 yards on the ground, led by running backs Ahmad Bradshaw (104 yards on 14 carries) and Brandon Jacobs (26 rushes for 92 yards), each of whom continually broke initial first tackles to gain additional yardage.

“I thought Bradshaw did a nice job,” Coughlin said. “He got hit, spun, got himself north again. He was able to do that on a number of occasions. Brandon did a nice job on some of the runs of just taking the pile and moving it… a lot of times [there were] two, three, four guys that he was able to move.”

While Bradshaw, in a larger role this season, was complimenting Jacobs very well, Bucs’ running back Derrick Ward, who teamed with Jacobs to give the Giants a pair of 1,000-yard rushers last year, was held to just 2 yards on 5 carries against his former team, after leaving the Giants as a free agent in the offseason.

While the Giants’ ground attack keyed their offense, it was a combination of their rushing and an effective passing game led by Eli Manning (14 of 24 for 161 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions) which helped the G-Men to three different twelve-play scoring drives, while controlling the ball for their highest time of possession since October 29, 2000, when they had the ball against Philadelphia for just three seconds longer (43:41) than they did on Sunday.

Leading the NFC East by a game over both Philadelphia and Dallas, the Giants will finish up the third and final game of their longest road trip of the season, next Sunday at 1pm EST, at Kansas City (0-3), which began a four-week stretch of playing the entire NFC East with a 34-14 loss at Philadelphia on Sunday.

AFC South Wrap Up Week 3

                                                     AFC South Wrap Up Week 3
 
By Rafael Garcia
Sr. Contributing Writer-Football Reporters Online
Southeast Region
 
New York Jets 24 Tennessee 17
If they thought they could not find another way to lose the Titans were wrong. Once again it was special teams that killed their hopes of win number one this year. They are now 0-3 and history shows that teams that start 0-3 do not make the playoff too often. Rookie Ryan Mouton was back in action and I would bet he wishes he had another week to heal up. He fumbled a kickoff and a punt and the Jets scored touchdowns on both errors. The first one helped put the Jets up 14-0 early and the second put them ahead to stay. Now head coach Jeff Fisher is taking a bunch of questions as to why he kept his faith in the rookie. The secondary is also thinner after Vincent Fuller broke his right arm on a heck of a collision.  Quarterback Kerry Collins could not complete a pass in the late stages of the fourth quarter. He has accepted full responsibility for his play but did not get help from his receivers. He was also under a lot of pressure from the Jets defense as they forced him to hurry throws and hit him several times. He finished 15-37 for 170 yards and a quarterback rating of 41.5. Fisher announced that there will be no changes in the lineup despite the 0-3 start. Running back Chris Johnson ran for 97 yards on 22 carries but did not score. They did better on defense this week as they held the Jets to 229 total yards but made rookie Mark Sanchez look good especially on third down. They had four turnovers with the Mouton fumbles and two interceptions by Collins. They are now in a hole that is very hard to get out of in the NFL. They will have to address the return game and maybe get some help in the secondary. During the off season they did not re-sign Chris Carr because they could not promise him time in the secondary and they could sure use him now. There is much work to do if the Titans stand any chance of making the playoffs. It is rare after a 0-3 start but it can be done.
 
Jacksonville 31 Houston 24
After one of the biggest wins in franchise history last week the Texans were looking to keep that feel good feeling they had. Instead they ran into Maurice Jones-Drew who had a big day. He had his first 100-yard game of the year running for 119 yards and three touchdowns. The Jags ran for 184 and that was the third straight opponent with over 180 yards on the ground against the Texans. It was especially heartbreaking when QB Matt Schaub went 26-35 for 300 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. The touchdowns all came in the first half though and he could not produce after that.  But Drew was a one man wrecking crew on this day and the Texans find themselves at 1-2 and back to the drawing board. Houston had there chances to stay in the game and failed to make it count when Chris Brown fumbled the ball at the goal line and the Jags got it back. Another chance happened when Dunta Robinson forced a fumble but the Texans went three and out to blow another opportunity. Mistake after mistake cost them so when in the third quarter LB Brian Cushing had a late hit penalty and it cost the Texans when Jacksonville scored off the penalty. Each team is now 1-2 and two games behind division leader Indianapolis.
 
Indianapolis 31 Arizona 10
 If there were any questions regarding Peyton Manning they were answered Sunday as he went 24-35 for 379 yards and four touchdowns. He appeared to make the right call every time as he moved Indy up and down the filed against a weak Cardinals defense. The Colts gained a total of 505 yards of offense and on defense gave Kurt Warner fits all day long. Indy also got two turnovers deep in their territory to stop Arizona drives. The Colts defense also rebounded against the run allowing only 24 yards on 12 tries to the Cards. The offense is moving crisply behind Manning and the Colts are all alone atop the AFC South at 3-0 with no one in their sights at this time. Looks like the Manning brothers like it in Arizona as Peyton won on his first trip there and brother Eli won the Super Bowl here.

NFC South Week 3 wrap up

                         NFC South Week 3
 
By Rafael Garcia
Sr. Contributing Writer-Football Reporters Online
Southeast Region
 
 New England 26 Atlanta 10
 It was one of those dreary days in Massachusetts and each team was looking for a 3-0 start. Things turned out the way of the Patriots as they held the ball for almost 40 minutes. Tom Brady was 25-42 for 277 yards and a touchdown and Fred Taylor scored once while rushing for 105 yards on 21 carries. Kicker Stephen Gostkowski chipped in with four field goals of his own and the Falcons never threatened. The Patriots defense did a good job of holding down the Falcon running game as Michael Turner got 56 yards and the team had a total of 58 yards on the ground. Still the Pats have to work on finishing a drive to get more points on the board. The have to be more effective in the red zone. Brady was able to cut down on his two game average of 50 passes a game and hand it off to Taylor. The Patriots continue to show faith in running backs that have done their time elsewhere only to come to New England and continue to excel. On the other side of the ball the Falcons offense just didn’t have enough time with the ball. They came in with confidence and were shut down. Matt Ryan could not get on track and finished 17 of 28 for 199 yards but no touchdowns. TE Tony Gonzalez was held to one catch which was one more than the Patriots planned on letting him get. The defense could not stop the Pats until it was too late on the drives that ended up in field goals.
 
New Orleans 27 Buffalo 7
They came to Orchard Park to see their beloved Bills but they also came to see if Drew Brees was the real deal. What they saw was a Saints defense that held Terrell Owens without a catch and held the Bills without a first down on their last five possessions. Owens was his old self missing an opportunity in the first half when he was wide open down the right sideline. QB Trent Edwards went 20-35 but could only manage 156 yards in the air. The offense could not score so they had to rely on a trick play off a fake field goal to get a touchdown. As for Brees, he ended his streak of 22 straight games with at least 200 yards passing and another of 12 straight games with a touchdown pass. He also fell short of the record for most touchdown passes in the first three games (11) and has nine. The game was not decided until the fourth quarter when running back Pierre Thomas scored twice and John Carney kicked a 35-yard field goal to cap a 17-point barrage. The Saints defense held the Bills to 235 yards of offense and forced them to punt nine times. Now the Saints find themselves at 3-0 on a day where Brees was normal for a day. If they can play with this kind of defensive intensity and Brees can be his usual self the rest of the league will have to take notice of the South front-runners.
 
New York Giants 24 Tampa Bay 0
Defense was the name of the game here. It told how bad the Bucs offense is as well as their defense. The Giants marched 80 yards on 12 plays capped by a six-yard Brandon Jacobs’s touchdown. The touchdown may not have happened if the Bucs could have held on to one of two interceptions they almost had. They fell behind 14-0 by the half just like they fell behind to Buffalo last week. The offense was horrendous in getting just 86 yards total. Yes, that’s would be under 100 yards of offense. They did not have a first down until late in the third quarter and about 50 of those yards came after Byron Leftwich was pulled. The defense allowed the Giants to kill the clock and score on offense as they had three long drives that ended in touchdowns. Second year backup Josh Johnson replaced Leftwich and at least moved the offense a bit more. Leftwich finished a miserable day going 7-16 for 22 yards. The Bucs are bad and they know it. Head coach Raheem Morris is going to have to make some major changes and now.
 
Dallas 21 Carolina 7
The second game at the Taj McJerry went a little better for the Cowboys. The defense came through with turnovers and big plays. They kept Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme struggling as he threw two more interceptions. DeAngelo Williams could not come through getting only 64 ineffective yards on just 11 carries. Delhomme’s bad luck continued when Terrence Newman picked him off and ran it back 27 yards for the score in the fourth quarter. He was also sacked twice in the quarter as well. Newman had a great day as he shadowed Carolina star receiver Steve Smith all game long. Smith managed just 38 yards on four catches. They allowed the Cowboys to dominate the line of scrimmage, as Williams could find no room to break one. Still the score was 7-0 Carolina at the half and the Panthers went into the locker room with hope for a better second half. It didn’t work out that way as they got a measly 96 yards of offense and just five more first downs the rest of the way.  The Panthers had so many chances to make this a game but they continue to struggle on offense. They are playing without confidence and with no sense of urgency. Delhomme plays as if he has forgotten what got him here. They now sit at 0-3 with nowhere to go but up. Or could it get any worse in Carolina?

Detroit Lions Fan Gone Wild video shows how men can hate women

More at Zennie62.com | Follow me on Twitter! | Get my widget! | Visit YouTube | Visit UShow.com

This video, called "Detroit Lions Fan Gone Wild", is the most popular video on YouTube today. It's also a massive shame. The video, created Sunday at the Detroit Lions game against the Washington Redskins, and where the Lions won their first game, shows just how men can hate women and in this case get away with it.

Look at the video here:



It shows a woman, a Lions fan by the jersey, and yes drunk and with her female friend, in an argument with another Lions fan who's a man. I can't hear what's being said clearly at first. But what bothers me is the man calls her names like a "dumb b___" and people laugh at her, again all men, one of which also says the same thing to her.

Ugly.

Then the police show up and even as they're talking, the man still makes offensive comments to her and the police end up taking her off in handcuffs.

Publicly drunk? Yes? But hey the guy was out of line for talking to a woman like that. In fact, all of the men were.

Is this where we've come to as a society? Where there are no gentleman and its ok to treat a woman like that? I believe had the man stopped talking to her in the abusive way he was, she would have calmed down. But he kept egging her on.

What do you think?

Take my poll below:

More fun polls on pollsb.com

Seven & Out By Michael – Louis Ingram Associate Editor/Director of scouting services-Football Reporters Online

 
Seven & Out
By Michael – Louis Ingram Associate Editor/Director of scouting services-Football Reporters Online
FRO/BASN
 
PHILADELPHIA (BASN): Each week the National Football League puts their significant moments on display. “Seven from Sunday” may focus on highlights, but there are some other considerations that may put a damper on the big picture…
 
Here, according to the NFL’s league office, are the highlights from Week 3 – along with our responses:
 
 
• New York Jets rookie quarterback MARK SANCHEZ became the first rookie quarterback to start and win his team’s first three games of a season after leading the Jets to a 24-17 victory over the Tennessee Titans.
 
 
(Although the Jets are 3-0, Sanchez, who’s been called “Sanchize” by some members of the New York press, will be called a “spic” just as quick should the Jets hit a prolonged losing streak. Stay focused, Matt – we want you to do well, but keep that shit in perspective…)
 
 
• The New England Patriots, who defeated the Atlanta Falcons 26-10, have won 16 consecutive regular-season games against the NFC, the longest winning streak any team has posted against the opposite conference since the 1970 merger.
 
(It’s a lot easier to win games when you have a league protecting your ass in case you get a hangnail in the pocket, but I digress. I respect Tom Brady, but I wish the league would respect the greatness of Fred Taylor as well. The ex-Jacksonville Jaguar was a steal as a free-agent pickup and his 21 carry, 105 yards rushing was the real difference for the Patriots. It’s called balance; and Taylor, like Brady, belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.)
 
 
 
• Philadelphia quarterback KEVIN KOLB passed for 327 yards in the Eagles’ 34-14 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, his second consecutive 300-yard game.  Kolb became the first quarterback in NFL history to pass for 300 yards in each of his first two career starts. 
 
(This statistic belongs in the “big fucking deal” category. Kolb, who choked in prime time last season when Eagle management wanted to hand him the starting spot at quarterback, threw for almost 400 yards in his first start because he threw 3 interceptions; and was playing catch-up for the entire second half in their Week 2 loss to the New Orleans Saints! And he beat the Chiefs – a team that frankly they were supposed to beat! Let’s see some bona fide wins – as in when the Iggles have to play someone they need to beat instead of an inferior opponent. Knowing Kolb was hand-picked by Andy Reid, and Vick is continuing his ghettoization on the Wildcat plantation, Eagles’ fans need to pray for a speedy recovery for Donovan McNabb.)
 
• Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver-punt returner DE SEAN JACKSON had a 64-yard touchdown reception in the Eagles’ 34-14 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.  Jackson has now scored a touchdown of at least 60 yards in all three games and is the first player in NFL history with a 60+ yard TD in each of his team’s first three games of a season.
 
 
(While I am happy for young Mr. Jackson, I just want him to get across the goal line first before celebrating! And, now that you have had your moment, my brother, stay on the j-o-b and keep it crack-a-lackin’ – we’re gonna need you!)
 
 
• Minnesota rookie wide receiver-kick returner PERCY HARVIN had a 101-yard kickoff return touchdown in the Vikings’ 27-24 win over the San Francisco 49ers.  Harvin has now scored a touchdown in all three games and joins Dallas’ FELIX JONES (2008) as the only rookies in the past five years to score a touchdown in each of the first three games of a season.  
 
 
(A good start for the young man touted by many to be Offensive Rookie of the Year; but God only knows how many fantasy assholes are creaming in their pants because of Harvin!)
 
• Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver HINES WARD (10,022) recorded 82 receiving yards and joined the exclusive 10,000 receiving yards club.  Ward became only the fifth player in NFL history with 10,000 career receiving yards all with one team (Colts, MARVIN HARRISON; Seahawks, STEVE LARGENT; Cowboys, MICHAEL IRVIN; Broncos, ROD SMITH).  Ward, who has 818 career receptions, also became just the 21st player in NFL history to record 800 receptions and 10,000 receiving yards in a career. 
 
 
(The good news is Hines Ward is being further recognized as one of the most complete receivers in football; the bad news is Ward will continue the Steelers’ backlog of potential Hall of Famers. We already know L.C. Greenwood, Ernie Holmes and Donnie Shell should already be in – now Ward will have to wait along with Greg Lloyd, Joey Porter, Dermontti Dawson, Jerome Bettis - and the band played on…)
 
• The 30-year age difference between head coaches TOM COUGHLIN (63) of the New York Giants and RAHEEM MORRIS (33) of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers marks just the second time in the past 10 seasons that two head coaches have faced one another with a gap of at least 30 years.  The last time it happened was November 4, 2007 when JOE GIBBS (66) of the Washington Redskins faced ERIC MANGINI (36) of the New York Jets. 
 
 
(I would prefer to remember that the real difference between Raheem Morris and Tom Coughlin is that in spite of the age difference, Morris knows a little bit about football, unlike the mistake near the Lake and Cleveland’s long–term woes in selecting NFL Super Genius Eric Mangini. The league’s answer to Wile E. Coyote will have the Dawg Pound denizens gnawing on their own bones before mid-season. The Browns would’ve been better getting a head coach from the Acme Company!)
 
Always remember, once the first point is confirmed on the dice table, if you throw a seven…you crap out!
 
 
mike@footballreportersonline.com