I’ve run out of superlatives to describe Peyton Manning’s brilliance, so I’m just not going to try, other than to stay that the man is unstoppable right now. Oh, and also I’d hate to be the Jacksonville Jaguars next week.
With that said, the Broncos got their first scare of the season as Tony Romo’s Cowboys destroyed their defense all day long. At the end of the day, this is the NFL we’re talking about and no team is unbeatable. The Broncos won the game, but showed some weakness in the process that future opponents will look to exploit.
The Patriots and Seahawks saw their respective quests for perfection end on Sunday as the Pats fell to the Cincinnati Bengals, and the ‘Hawks dropped a close decision to the Indianapolis Colts. Neither team has anything to be ashamed of as they were both beaten by talented contending teams, but how about Tom Brady falling just short of Drew Brees’ consecutive games with a touchdown pass record? I’m betting it’s a substantial amount of time before we witness another Patriots game that doesn’t feature a “Tom Terrific TD Pass”, and I’d expect plenty of them to go around in next week’s projected shootout against Brees and the Saints.
The Atlanta Falcons were unable to fend off the surprisingly feisty New York Jets, suffering a 30-28 loss on Monday night to drop to a stunning 1-4 on the season. Making matters worse, Julio Jones sustained a significant injury during the contest, and early whispers indicate that he may have fractured his foot. For a team that has had nothing go their way all year, an injury like that would end any flickering hope that the Falcons had of saving their season.
Everyone expected the Packers-Lions game to be a high-scoring offensive bonanza, but a funny thing happened along the way: it wasn’t. The Packers emerged with a 22-9 win in a defensive struggle that featured five Mason Crosby field goals and only a handful of the chunk plays that fans of these franchises have become accustomed to witnessing. The Lions offense faltered without Calvin Johnson in the line-up as the Packers were able to dedicate most of their defensive attention to stopping Reggie Bush. The NFC North is tightening up as the Lions and Bears both sit at 3-2, and the Pack (fresh off a bye week) are back up to .500. This will be an interesting divisional race to watch.
Speaking of the Bears, how about Alshon Jeffery? The second-year wideout broke out during Sunday’s loss to the Saints to the tune of ten catches for 218 yards and a score. “Da Bears” may have dropped two in a row, but this offense looks better than it has in years. Marc Trestman’s CFL-influenced game plan has brought out the best in Jay Cutler and Matt Forte, and with sensational pass-catchers in Brandon Marshall, Martellus Bennett, and the emerging Jeffery, this team is built to put points on the board in one of the highest-scoring divisions in football.
The Eagles picked up a desperately-needed victory over their divisional rival the New York Giants, but the 36-21 win came with a cost. Quarterback Michael Vick sustained a hamstring injury in the second quarter and early indications are that he will miss at least one game. The Eagles face a tough Buccaneers’ defense next week, so sophomore signal caller Nick Foles is in for a tough test.
Meanwhile, things can’t get much worse for the Giants. They lost David Wilson to a neck injury just after the second-year man rushed for his first touchdown of the season. The G-Men will have to proceed with Brandon Jacobs and Da’Rel Scott as a backfield tandem on a short week heading into a Thursday night match up with the aforementioned Chicago Bears.
You just know that the Steelers and Bucs found their bye weeks to be excruciatingly long. There is no rest for a winless team, and it is certain that these two clubs will be desperate to pick up a “W” this week. The Bucs face an Eagles team that has struggled to find its footing and is trotting out its backup quarterback, while The Steelers have a rough task on the road against the Jets. Logically, one would expect the Steelers to face the tougher test, but given the disarray in Tampa Bay (hey, that rhymed), this young Bucs team needs to rally immediately. The club just completed a protracted, ugly breakup with Josh Freeman, and the hope is that the chaos that has surrounded the franchise will subside. With the Eagles’ defense allowing big-time yardage, this is the game where superstar runner Doug Martin has the opportunity to put this team on his back, and get them out of this hole. I don’t expect him to disappoint.
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