Here's the problem. When teams ranked real low beat teams ranked real high, it screws up your board because you might get carried away and move the low teams so high that they vault over clubs that have beaten them already. Now if I were reading this, I'd say, "That's tough. You're getting paid, aren't you?" Nothing like self-arguments for clearing the mind ... making room for other things, such as greed, lust, depravity. Which brings us to this week's felonies. (Send comments to siwriters@simail.com)
| NFL Power Rankings |
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I spoke to a New England insider after Monday night's routine slaughter. "They gave us some problems at first," he said. Yeah, like maybe they wouldn't have enough people left for the second half. |
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2 |
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The injury list was fairly serious after the Broncos game, staring with Marvin Harrison (knee). Aaron Moorhead's the replacement -- bigger and slower ... a minimal threat. There's been some talk about moving Anthony Gonzalez over from his third wideout, slot position, but coaches don't like to mess with their normal alignment. SLB Rob Morris (knee) and SS Bob Sanders (rib). Fairly serious. They're important run stoppers and Denver bothered the Colts with the run game for a while. TE Ben Utecht (undisclosed). They don't lose much with Bryan Fletcher. Joseph Addai (shoulder). Crucial. He's the glue that holds the offense together. But they say he could have returned to the game. Besides, they have a much needed bye week coming up. |
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3 |
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Here's the statistic that jumped out at me. From the Rams contest: Patrick Crayton, seven catches, 184 yards, TDs of 37 and 54 yards. Until this game he'd been kind of a nondescript wideout. But if this bustout performance is for real, then watch out world. The league's highest scoring offense will be heading into record territory. |
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5 |
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Oh, they're handing the ball off? Whose deal is it? Why bother? I mean is a 2-yard gain such a big deal? The runner, whatever his name is, doesn't much like it, and he runs that way. Yeah, you're right. I said the same thing last week. And I'll say it again, while they're "establishing the offense" against the Bears, before Favre goes into the shotgun and puts some more TDs on the board. |
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6 |
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Steelers loss moved the Titans up a notch. Play your cards right, nurse those bye weeks and anything can happen. |
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7 |
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Sleeper outside linebacker all-pro possibility, Leroy Hill, No. 56. Lance Briggs is hurt. Shawn Merriman is not the force he was. You heard it here first. |
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9 |
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There's an unwritten rule when you're involved in as serious a project as these Powerful Rankings. Always move AFC South teams upward after their bye. If not one notch, then two. |
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4 |
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It wasn't a good week for teams that supposedly live by their defense. Bears, injured. Ravens, squished. Men of Steel, terminadoed by controversial QB Matt Leinart's 82-yard, fourth-quarter drive. |
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10 |
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Last three games, more runs called than passes. The result, W, W and W. Now if I were reading this somewhere, I'd say to my dear wife, "You know, I hate pat observations like this. Of course they call more runs when they're winning, because they're sitting on a lead and running the clock." Once again Negative Z is kicking the hell out of Positive Z as the arguments rage. |
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Kurt Warner once again is the man of the hour. Roll the clock back three years. He's the Giants' starting QB, facing the Cards. Arizona's defensive coordinator, Clancy Pendergast, throws a scheme at him that has him clearly outgunned. He kills him with blitzes when the Giants go multiple wides, drops eight back into coverage when they max protect. Cards win. The Giants decide, nope, Warner just isn't the guy to handle pressure and his career in New York is over. Next week rookie Eli Manning starts. And who is the one major Arizona coach who was retained by the new regime? Why defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast, of course. Maybe that's why Warner's so hot now, because he doesn't have to face CP. |
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