Step down, Patriots. You want to hold onto your No.1 spot, then play better. Make way for the Colts. Anyone who wants to follow this rather intricate reasoning, by all means, read on.
(Send comments to siwriters@simail.com)
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I mentioned all the injuries last week. There were a ton of them, including some biggies on defense, supposedly the weaker unit. And yet they ran through the Bucs, a division leader, without missing a beat. Different jerseys, same result. One of the more impressive performances I've seen this year. |
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They went in as 16 1/2 point favorites over the Browns and covered by half a point. Whew, that was close. Lots of folks were saying good-bye to that summer cottage on the Cape. Nevertheless, I didn't think Tom Brady was particularly sharp, especially when faced with whatever meager rush Cleveland could manage. I liked the Pats better when they were pounding the ball with Sammy Morris. |
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OK, let's forget about the Buffalo meltdown. I wrote enough about that the other day. Let's look ahead to 2007's most attractive matchup so far, Cowboys-Patriots. I think New England will open up with multiple wides and test the secondary. I think Dallas will counter by assigning their premier hitter, Roy Williams, mad dog duty on Randy Moss. Double with the cornerback, keep Randy in front of him and then punish him severely when he catches the ball. I saw Green Bay do that to Randy once, with Darren Sharper as the whipper. He knocked Moss groggy, but Randy surprised me that night because he showed he could take the punishment. He was rubber legged at times, but he hung in there and caught his share. If Tony Romo does the interception number again, the contest will be over early, but I don't think it will happen. The line opened at Patriots minus 4 1/2 and I think that's just the way the game will end. New England, 23 1/2, Dallas 19. |
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With defensive Pro Bowlers Casey Hampton and Troy Polamalu out, they hung a shutout on Seattle. Mike Tomlin fears the swelled head. "Anyone who feels great right now is an alien," he said. Well, gosh, I was feeling great about my won-lost in the magazine last weekend until I read that. Now I fear deportation proceedings. They say Belarus is nice this time of year. |
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Albert Haynesworth is playing the best DT I've seen this season. It's his contract year. They've got the money to spend. Better get him done, long term, right away or the dollars will go up and up and up, right into NBA type numbers. |
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Houston's coming up. Beware the trap ... now Linda, you know I said trap, not crap. Can't you take anything seriously? What's serious is that the Texans get wild eyed against the Jags, having beaten them twice last year and two out of the last three in the Jax Muni. |
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Just when Brett was starting to melt the hardest hearts, and I won't mention any names, he had to go futz it up against the Bears. "Keeps both sides in the game, keeps both sides in the game," are the malicious whispers I'm hearing, and I say, shut up, y'awl. I won't entertain thoughts like that. |
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Kurt Warner says he is smarter than he was in the Greatest Show days. He sees more, he knows more, and so forth, but what he doesn't say is that he's the same person, physically. Johnny one note, that's me. I tell you once again that the romance won't last. |
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This is not a top 10 team, but neither are a lot of others. They're 1-2 against winners, 2-0 against losers, and on Sunday they entered the Low Yardage Sweepstakes with 144. But how can I drop them any lower after Pittsburgh skunked 'em when there are so many other worthy candidates? |
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SF quarterback Trent Dilfer apologized to Brian Billick for all the nasty things he said after the coach let him go following his leading the team to a Super Bowl triumph. Billick replaced him with Elvis Grbac, who retired after the season. And what I want to know is who, actually, should have apologized to whom? |
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