Things I Noticed: Week 7

The Patriots may have been off this week, but there was still plenty of other NFL action going on around the league.

In addition to New England having a bye, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and the New York Giants were resting up this week.

For the rest of the league, here are some things I noticed this week:

• The score looked more fitting for a baseball game, but the Browns got the better of the Seahawks with a 4th quarter FG.  Both offenses struggled to move the ball for most of the game, with Charlie Whitehurst having an exceptionally poor game, completing only 12 of 30 passes for a meager 97 yards. 
• Peyton Hillis missed another game with a hamstring injury (or did his agent just advise him to sit out again?).  Montario Hardesty failed to impress when giving the opportunity, failing to surpass the 100 yard mark despite a whopping 33 carries.
• Seattle's defense leads the league in yards per carry allowed, so perhaps attacking them on the ground wasn't the wisest strategy to begin with.
• After getting off to the best start to a season that their franchise has had in over 50 years, the Lions have now dropped two straight games at home.  Matthew Stafford and the offense couldn't get much going, aside from Calvin Johnson's TD catch, which came after he split the defense to take the ball 57 yards for the score.  

• Stafford appeared to injure his ankle on his last pass attempt of the game.  No word yet on the severity of the injury, but given his history, the Lions have to be concerned.  I've said all along, the Lions are contenders if Stafford can stay healthy.  If he's forced to miss time, their dream start to the season could become another nightmare.
• Matt Ryan also injured an ankle earlier in the game.  He later returned to finish the game, so it apparently wasn't that bad, but it sure looked pretty gruesome when it happened.
• Tony Gonzalez moved into second place on the all time receptions list.  He now trails only Jerry Rice.

How to fix baseball

Baseball was once known as America's favorite pastime, but those days are long gone.  Attendance and revenue numbers may be up again this year, but the popularity of the sport has been dwindling compared to previous generations.  Last year's World Series between the Rangers and Giants had one of the lowest TV ratings numbers in league history.  You can't blame that all on the Yankees and Red Sox being absent from the event, as Dallas and San Francisco rank as the 5th and 6th largest TV markets in the country.  Add in the fact that the country has a much higher population and many more households that own television sets compared to previous generations, and it's mind boggling that these numbers are not higher. 

There are things that MLB can do to improve it's product and help increase it's popularity.  There are many ideas out there on how to improve the game, some of which could work, others of which may not.  Here are a few ideas that could help the game of baseball.

1. Shorten the regular season to 148 games
Part of what separates baseball from other sports is that teams play far more games in a season.  The grueling 162 game schedule isn't just tough on the players, it's tough on the fans.  By the end of the season, many casual fans have tuned the game out due to the fatigue of following their favorite team on a nightly basis for the better part of 6 months.  By the time the postseason rolls around, many people have had enough.  If their favorite team isn't still contending in October then many fans have turned away from watching baseball.  With the NFL season in full swing by then, there are other alternatives to occupy their time instead. 

The solution is to chop off the last two weeks of the season, allowing the postseason to begin in mid-September instead of October.  A 148 game season is more bearable for fans, as well as players.  Most players don't play in every game as it is.  Even if they are able to avoid major injuries, the wear and tear of the long season often forces managers to give players an extra day off once in a while.  The impact will also be felt by pitchers, who won't need to throw quite as many innings over the course of a season.  This will benefit them in the long run, keeping them fresher and helping to avoid injury, while potentially extending their careers.

2. Make every playoff round a best of 5 series
The divisional round is already a best of 5 series, so why not make every round the same?  Five games is enough to determine a winner.  The World Series rarely goes to a 7th game anyway, so it wouldn't be as drastic a change as you might think.


Teams should fear having to
face Verlander twice in a series

The best part about this change is that it allows teams to use their best pitchers in more important games.  Teams dread having to face a team like the Tigers in the opening round because they fear having to face an ace like Justin Verlander twice in a short series.  That should be the case in every series.  Most teams don't have rotations that go deeper than three quality starters, but in a 5 game series, all you need is three.  That means more of these playoff games will be started by the team's best pitchers rather than relying on the bottom of their rotation in key games.  Teams would then also have the luxury of using the back end of their rotation to strengthen their bullpen.

In this scenario, every game would count even more, with even less margin for error.  It also prevents a series from lasting nearly two weeks, if it were to go to a 7th game.  There's no reason why any series should be dragged out for over a week.  Even with travel days built in, a 5 game series allows for the series to last no more than a week.  It also may allow teams an extra day or two to rest before their next series, allowing them to reset their rotation to ensure their best pitchers can still pitch twice in the next series, even if they were forced to use them in a deciding Game 5. 

World Series Preview

It all comes down to this.  Two teams remaining, the best that each league has to offer.  The American and National League champions face off in the World Series to determine the winner of baseball's ultimate prize.  The Fall Classic gets underway tonight, with the St. Louis Cardinals hosting the Texas Rangers.  While the division winning Rangers finished six games ahead of the Wild Card Cardinals in the regular season, the ridiculous All-Star game rules give the National League team home field advantage.  Will that be enough to sway the series in their favor?

Let's break down how the teams compare in the main aspects of the game to help us determine a winner.

Offense

You can't talk about hitting in this series without starting out mentioning Albert Pujols, who is undoubtedly the best hitter of the past decade.  He is the heart of the lineup, which also includes star hitters Matt Holliday and Lance Berkman, forming a formidable core.  That trio arguably includes three of the top four hitters in this series.  David Freese is an up and coming talent that currently leads the NL in HRs and RBIs this postseason and just took home the NLCS MVP award.

On the other hand, the Rangers lineup is much deeper.  Josh Hamilton was the AL MVP last year, but he's hardly the only threat in this lethal lineup, which has few holes.  ALCS MVP Nelson Cruz leads all players this postseason with 6 HRs and he bats 7th in their lineup.  When the series shifts to Texas for Game 3, the Rangers will also have the advantage at DH.  Michael young, who tied for second in the AL in batting average this season, will hit in that spot.  Coming from the DH-less NL, the Cardinals aren't accustomed to having an extra bat for that spot. They'll likely put Lance Berkman there and use Allen Craig in right field, which upgrades their defense, but is a disadvantage offensively. 

Edge: Rangers

Things I Noticed: Week 6

Some of the league's top teams entering the week suffered losses this week and we're now down to only one undefeated team.

Six more teams are off this week: Denver, Kansas City, Tennessee, Arizona, Seattle, San Diego.

For the rest of the teams, here are some things I noticed this week: 

• A week after suffering their first home loss in over a year, Atlanta rebounded to set a new home winning streak by closing out the Panthers with a 17 point 4th quarter.
• Michael Turner led the way with 139 rushing yards and 2 TDs.  
• Not Cam Newton's best game, as he threw three INTs without a passing TD.  He did add a rushing TD on a 14 yard run that he made look far too easy.  Just another example that even when he's not at his best, he can find other ways to make plays to keep his team in the game.
• Curtis Painter had a chance to do his best Peyton Manning comeback impression, but it was spoiled by a costly fumble by Pierre Garcon, which was run back for the game sealing TD.  Hopefully that miscue doesn't cost Garcon the trust Painter has shown in him lately, as he's been the Colts best receiver since Painter took over.
• Dallas Clark has had some issues with dropping passes lately, so he put in some extra practice time this week to catch a few extra balls before the game.  It paid off when he hauled in a spectacular one handed catch for a TD.
• The Bengals entered the week as the top team in the league in total defensive yards allowed (279.6).  They actually lowered that average even further after holding the Colts to 273 total yards.  Cincinnati's defense is much improved, but their easy schedule thus far has more to do with that stat than anything else.

Red Sox clean house

In the wake of the worst late season collapse in league history, the Boston Red Sox have begun to clean house this off season as they prepare to start fresh with a clean slate.  First it was manager Terry Francona, who became the fall guy for the team's epic collapse.  Now GM Theo Epstein appears to be on his way out of Boston as well, agreeing today to a 5 year deal with the Chicago Cubs, which includes a promotion.  Despite leading the club to two World Series titles in their 7 seasons together, they'll both be moving on as part of ownerships attempt to clean up the mess they leave behind.

To be fair, Francona was an excellent manager throughout his stint with the Red Sox.  He is a well respected player's manager who never lost the support of the guys in his clubhouse.  Yet as the season began to spiral out of control, he found himself unable to right the ship to avoid disaster.  Rumors of pitchers drinking beer in the clubhouse may be a bit blown out of proportion, but it is part of a bigger problem.  Turning the clubhouse into a frat house doesn't just show a lack of professionalism, it shows a lack of competitiveness.  Regardless of their behavior in the clubhouse, it was clear that pitchers such as Josh Beckett and John Lackey struggled to stay in shape as the season wore on, which likely led to a lack of effectiveness as they stumbled down the stretch.  Multi million dollar athletes shouldn't need a baby-sitter and shouldn't need to be told to follow their work out routines and stick to a nutritious diet, but when the players fail to police themselves, it's the manager's job to step in and demand it.  The Red Sox clubhouse is loaded with veterans, but lacks the presence of a leader that will stand up and demand improvement from teammates.  Guys like Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis and Jason Varitek are notoriously hard workers who lead by example.  They don't have a guy that will stand up to his teammates, so that's when the task falls to the manager.  That's not Tito's style, and in the end it may have cost them. 

Francona said himself, he felt that at some point players need to hear from a new voice in order for the words to get through to them, which is why he felt it was time to step away.  It certainly didn't help that he felt ownership didn't support him, but with the way the season ended he may have felt he had worn out his welcome anyway.

Things I noticed: Week 5

Week 5 introduces bye weeks for the first time this season.  That's good news for Miami, because it means the Dolphins won't lose another game this week.  Cleveland, Dallas, St. Louis, Washington and Baltimore are also off this week.

As for the teams that do play, here are some things I noticed this week:

• The Eagles had already proclaimed before the week started that the "Dream Team" label was dead. Now their playoff chances may be as well.  They fell apart again in the 4th quarter when Vick's 4th interception of the game ended their comeback attempt.
• It was another sloppy afternoon for Vick, but on the bright side, his 90 rushing yards helped him set the all time record for career rushing yards by a QB.  
• Philadelphia's high priced defense had no answers this week for Fred Jackson, who's 196 total yards helped pace the Bills to victory.
• Kansas City scored 21 unanswered points in the second half to comeback to defeat the Colts.  Matt Cassel had his best game of the season, tossing 4 TD passes.  If he continues to connect with Dwayne Bowe they way he did this week, bringing back memories of last season, the Chiefs could become dangerous again.
• Curtis Painter came out firing, looking like vintage Peyton Manning in the first half while hooking up for 2 TDs with Pierre Garcon.  Then in the second half he essentially disappeared, as the Colts were shut out in the second half.
• In case anyone needed a reminder that Adrian Peterson is the league's best RB, he came through with 122 yards and 3 TDs to lead the Vikings to their first win of the season. Almost all of the damage was done in the first quarter, but the Vikings still managed to hang on to their second half lead this time.
• The Seahawks went on the road to stun the Giants thanks to three New York turnovers in the 4th quarter, one of which was returned for a TD.  Eli Manning had one last chance to make a desperation comeback, until his last INT ended the game.
• After leading the league in INT's last season, Manning came into this game on a league high streak of pass attempts without a pick.  His three picks this week more than doubled his season total and set the Giants back in their quest to take over the NFC East.
• Victor Cruz had another big game (161 yards) and may get credit for the best TD catch of the season thus far.  Manning launched the ball into double coverage, resulting in a tipped ball that Cruz somehow managed to juggle into his arms before taking it the rest of the way to pay dirt for a 68 yard TD catch.
• Tavaris Jackson exited the game with an injury and was replaced by Charlie Whitehurst.  The Jesus look-alike showed a lot more in limited playing time than Jackson has all season, throwing the TD pass that put Seattle ahead for good in the 4th quarter.
• The struggling Steelers put a charge back into their season with a convincing victory over the Titans.  Ben Rothlisberger led the way with 5 TD passes.
• Rashard Mendanhall missed the game with an injury, but the running game didn't miss a beat thanks to a strong performance by Jonathan Dwyer.  One uneventful game last season was the only other appearance of the second year back's career, but he came out of nowhere when needed with a 107 yard performance.
• A week after his first 100+ yard game of the season, Chris Johnson followed it up with another sub par performance.  He at least did score his first TD of the season.
• Speaking of RBs that signed expensive new contracts this off season, DeAngelo Williams had his first 100+ yard rushing game.  Most of his yardage came on a 69 yard TD run where there wasn't a defender that came close to bringing him down.
• The Saints won a thriller in Carolina after Drew Brees threw the game winning TD pass with under a minute remaining. 
• As great a rookie season as Cam Newton is having, putting up impressive passing numbers in the box score isn't what makes an elite QB.  The veteran Brees showed the rookie that the elite QBs put together game winning drives with clutch plays.
• Two rookie QB's squared off against each other, but it was Andy Dalton getting the better of Blaine Gabbert this time.  Dalton is doing his best to make people forget about Carson Palmer, who continues to sit at home rather than come play for a team... that is actually winning.
• Needing a score as time was running out, Jacksonville attempted to move the ball on their final play by lateraling the ball as defenders swarmed the ball carrier.  A total of 3 different Jaguar players fumbled the ball on the play before a Bengals defender was finally able to recover the ball, returning it for the game clinching TD with no time remaining.
• A sad weekend for the Raiders following the death of Al Davis ended with a silver lining, as the team rallied in the 4th quarter to do exactly as their long time owner had always demanded that they do - just win, baby!
• The NFL will miss having an interesting character like Davis around.  I'll miss getting to use Crypt Keeper and Weekend at Bernie's references.  They don't seem quite as funny now that he's really gone.  RIP Al Davis.
• Houston could really have used Andre Johnson at the end of this one.  Needing a TD to reclaim the lead, the Texans marched the ball all the way down to the Oakland 5 yard line after Matt Schuab connected with Joel Dreessen for 34 yards to set up 1st and goal in the final seconds of the game.  Just when it looked like they would pull off a miracle comeback, Schaub's next pass resulted in an INT in the endzone that ended the game.
• The 49ers embarrassed the visiting Tampa Bay Bucs in a 48-3 beat down.  
• Tampa was so bad, they managed to make Alex Smith look good (3 TDs).
• Since being temporarily removed from his position as the starting RB last week, Frank Gore has looked like a different player as he has earned his way back into the role with a second straight strong performance (125 yards, 1 TD).  
• I had a feeling that a Broncos loss this week could result in a QB change in Denver, with Tim Tebow getting his long awaited chance to take over after the team's Week 6 bye week.  As it turns out, he didn't even have to wait that long.  A miserable first half that saw Denver fall behind by two scores was enough to get Kyle Orton benched at halftime.  Fan favorite Tebow came in and nearly led an improbable second half comeback, engineering two TD drives in the 4th quarter and putting the team in position to have a chance at a win with a last second hail mary.  They came up just short this week, but it was a promising audition for the young QB.  Tebow will reportedly take over as the starter following their bye week, and it makes little sense for them to keep flipping between the two.  At this point they might as well see what they've got with Tebow.
• The Chargers have been winning, which has masked the poor season Philip Rivers is quietly having. Through 5 games, he has more turnovers (8) than TDs (5).
• The Patriots helped avenge last year's playoff defeat at the hands of the Jets by taking Round 1 of the season match up between the division rivals.  Ben Jarvis Green-Ellis rushed for a career high 136 yards and scored twice to help lead the way.
• The Patriots are known as a dominant passing team, with Tom Brady on pace to break all kinds of records.  However, few realize that New England actually ranks 6th in the league in rushing yards per game and 10th in rushing attempts. They are also one of only two teams in the league that has a running attack that has yet to fumble the ball all season.
• As expected, Wes Welker saw plenty of attention from Revis this week, but the league's leading receiver hardly found himself trapped on an island.  While Revis did do a good job of taking Welker out of the play on several occasions, Welker also managed to find himself free a handful of times on his way to a 124 yard day.  His biggest catch of the day came when he burned Revis for a 73 yard catch to help set up another TD drive.  Welker would have scored himself on the play had the speedy Revis not recovered in time to chase him down and make a TD saving tackle.
• The much maligned Patriots defense, which came into the game giving up a league worst 477.5 yards per game, had their best game of the season, holding the Jets to only 255 total yards.
• That was nice of the Packers to spot the Falcons 14 points early in the first half.  Of course that led to the Packers finally turning it on by scoring 25 unanswered points the rest of the way to cruise to another victory.
• Aaron Rodgers completed passes to 12 different receivers.  A lot of teams don't have completions to that many receivers all season.
• Atlanta lost their first regular season home game since December 2009.  The only other home loss during that stretch came in last year's postseason - against these Green Bay Packers.
• The loss also snapped a streak of 23 wins in games they led at halftime.
• The Lions are 5-0 for the first time since 1956.  You would have to ask your grandparents if they remember a Lions team that started this well.
• Jhavid Best showed that the Lions offense has another dimension outside of the Stafford-Johnson connection.  He entered the game having never rushed for over 100 yards in a game, but broke free for an impressive 163 yards (with an outstanding 13.6 per carry average!) against the Bears. His biggest play of the night saw him cut behind his blockers and find a hole that led to an 88 yard TD run.
• Matt Forte was overshadowed by the huge performance by Best, but he once again contributed a solid game.  He's clearly Chicago's best weapon, both running the ball and as a receiver.  He's not happy about his contract situation, so the Bears better take care of that quickly.  Their offense would be going nowhere without him.
• Detroit now leads the league in point differential (+70), while Green Bay is 2nd (+62, tied with Baltimore).  What a division race the NFC North is turning out to be!
• The Rams have scored the fewest points in the league (46), but are coming off a bye week.  What's Jacksonville's excuse?  Their 59 points through 5 games trails every other team in the league, including the other teams that had their bye weeks.  Baltimore has more than twice as many points (119) in their 4 games.
• It seems that defenses are finally starting to catch up, as we're seeing less big passing performances around the league.  This week, only 6 QBs threw for over 300 yards and 2 of them had over 400 yards.  Ok, so that's still a lot, especially when you consider that 6 teams had the week off, but it's still a decrease from what we saw earlier in the season when it seemed that just about everyone was on pace to break Dan Marino's all-time passing record. 
• 10 QBs (11 if you count both Orton and Tebow for Denver) were held to under 200 yards passing this week, so while we may not be done seeing big passing performances, it appears it is starting to even out a bit more.

MLB Playoffs: Championship Series

We're down to the final four, with the top teams remaining in each league battling it out for the pennant.  With a World Series invitation on the line, expect more postseason excitement as each team lays it all on the line.

Texas Rangers vs Detroit Tigers
These teams are about as evenly matched as you'll find this postseason.  They finished 3rd and 4th in the AL in runs scored this season, but Texas (855) was much closer to first place then they were to dropping behind Detroit (787).  With a star studded lineup that includes Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinslar, Nelson Cruz, and Adrian Beltre, the Rangers have the kind of depth that any team not named the Yankees or Red Sox would envy.  Detroit will counter with Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez, two stars clearly in that same All-Star caliber category, but their lineup lacks the depth that Texas has.  Delmon Young, who was a big part of the Tigers second half run after being acquired from the Twins, exited the Game 5 victory in New York with an oblique strain.  That's the type of injury that tends to linger, putting his availability for this series in question and giving the Rangers an even bigger offensive edge.

The Rangers also are the more efficient defensive team, which is an unappreciated aspect of what makes an elite team.  It may not appear that the Rangers are an elite team on the surface, because old school stats show that their 114 errors put them near the bottom of the league in that category.  However, digging deeper into advanced defensive metrics reveals that Texas is by far the more superior defensive team.  According to Fan Graphs, their team UZR of 25.9 placed them 4th in the AL, well ahead of Detroit (-3.7), which was a below average defensive team overall.  That large of a gap could be a difference maker in this series.

If the Tigers have an edge anywhere it's with their pitching.  Justin Verlander may be the best pitcher on the planet right now.  He'll pitch in Game 1 of this series, which puts him in line to pitch in Game 4 and potentially in Game 7.  If he gets to pitch three times in this series then the Tigers are going to be tough to beat.  Despite Veralnder's dominance, Texas (3.79) actually finished a bit ahead of Detroit (4.04) in team ERA this season, but much of that factors in the replacement level starters Detroit was running out there before they traded for Doug Fister (8-1, 1.79 ERA, 0.84 WHIP since joining the Tigers rotation).  Fister gives Detroit a legitimate second starter to slot behind Verlander.  As for the Rangers pitching staff, they go even deeper with talent, but don't have the top end aces to match up with Detroit.  CJ Wilson is coming off an All-Star season, but he's been shaky in his postseason career.  He's 0-3 with a 6.26 ERA in his past 4 postseason starts, which includes getting shelled by Tampa Bay during the ALDS series.  Texas needs their ace to step up to at least give them a chance in the games he opposes Verlander.

The pitching advantage, especially with Verlander potentially pitching three times in this series, makes me want to consider picking Detroit for this series, but I think Texas is slightly the better overall team.  Given their home field advantage in the series, I'm leaning towards them.  Despite that a potential Game 7 would be held in Texas, the thought of Verlander being available to start for the Tigers in that game against the struggling Wilson doesn't give much hope for the Rangers, but I think they take care of business before it gets to that point.

Prediction:  Rangers in 6


Milwaukee Brewers vs St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals surprised the world, not just for their strong finish to the regular season that saw them surpass the Braves for the NL Wild Card spot, but for overcoming the golden rotation of the heavily favored Phillies, who led the majors in wins.  Much of that is thanks to the performance of their ace, Chris Carpenter, who's complete game shut out in Game 5 in Philadelphia is the reason they are here.  With the roll Carpenter has been on through September and into the postseason, the crafty veteran may be the most dangerous pitcher in this series.  Unfortunately, for the Cardinals, his heroics in the last series also means he won't be available to start until Game 3 of this series.  He could be lined up to also start a potential Game 7, if it gets that far.  If it doesn't, then only having the luxury of using their ace once in this series could hurt their chances.  Their rotation fills out with Jamie Garcia and Edwin Jackson, two capable pitchers that will still give them a chance, but they don't quite match up with the likes of Grienke, Marcum and Gallardo.

Grienke will get the call in Game 1 in Milwaukee, where he was undefeated this season (11-0 in 15 starts at home).  Grienke has a history of shying away from the big stage, which is part of why he agreed to be traded from the small market Royals to the smaller market Brewers.  As the Brew Crew advance further into the postseason and the spotlight begins to shine a bit brighter, you have to wonder how he will handle the pressure.  He's also lined up to start Game 5 on the road.  The Brewers may be better served holding him off until Game 6, if possible, to allow him to pitch at home, where he's been substantially more effective (5-6, 4.70 ERA on the road).

The Cardinals have a formidable force in the middle of their lineup consisting of Pujols, Berkman and Holliday.  The Brewers counter with two MVP candidates in Fielder and Bruan.  The performance of these stars will go a long way towards determining this series, but the Brewers lineup has more depth to fall back on, with the likes of Weeks, Hart, and Morgan to help pick up the slack if either of their stars struggle.  The Cardinals lineup isn't nearly as deep.

The Brewers are not known for their defensive skills, but surprisingly that may not hurt them as much as you might think.  They are solid up the middle, but have issues on both sides of the diamond.  The left side of their infield in particular with McGehee and Bentancourt is abysmal.  They've helped themselves lately by giving more playing time to Jerry Hairston Jr. at third base, but calling them below average may be being too kind.  Yet somehow they managed to rank near the top of the NL in advanced defensive metrics, such as UZR (16.2).  Their two stars, Fielder and Bruan, won't be winning any gold glove awards, but each has improved defensively to the point where they aren't as much of a liability as they have been in the past.  Surprisingly, it was the typically defensively sound Cardinals that ranked near the bottom of the league (-29.8 UZR).

The Brewers were the best home team in the majors, winning 57 games in their park.  They'll have home field advantage in this series, which should give them the edge they need to stop the rolling Cardinals.

Prediction: Brewers in 6

Things I noticed: Week 4

Only two undefeated teams remain in the NFL and both reside in the NFC North.  How did the week go for the rest of the teams?

Here are some things I noticed this week:

• Cam Newton had another big yardage day in a losing effort.  He could go on to set all sorts of rookie records as long as his team keeps playing from behind.
• At least they showed signs of the running game finally getting going.  DeAngleo Williams (10 carries, 82 yards) and Jonathan Stewart (8 carries, 52 yards) both looked as good as they have all year.
• Matt Forte had a career day, rushing for 205 yards and a TD.  He also added another 23 yards on four catches.  Chicago didn't get much else out of it's offense, but as it turned out, they didn't need more.
• Devin Hester returned a punt 69 yards for a TD.  Not exactly newsworthy, considering how many times he's done that in his career, but the three somersaults he did in the endzone to celebrate was impressive.  The refs were so excited by it they reacted by throwing yellow flags joyously into the air.
• Buffalo finally lost a game after a last second FG dropped them to 3-1.  Just when you think the Bills are the new out of nowhere team to become a playoff contender, they go and lose to the Bengals.  
• Chris Johnson finally went over the 100 yard mark!  He hadn't totaled that amount through three games, but finally broke out with a 101 yard performance.  Now that he's gotten that out of the way, hopefully he won't look back and will actually continue this trend of earning that hefty new contract.
• The Cowboys blew another game in which they led by two scores in the 4th quarter.  Tony Romo, who had done so much over the past two weeks to change the impression others around the league have always had of him as a guy that can't deliver in the clutch, was back to his old ways again.  He threw three picks in the game, two of which were returned for TDs.
• Calvin Johnson appeared to be pretty well contained until he broke free for 2 TDs in the 4th quarter, including the game winner.  Megatron just can't be covered in the endzone.
• The Vikings have led in the second half of every game this season before blowing it in the 2nd half.  Meanwhile, the Chiefs just haven't been able to get started in any game.  Something had to give in this battle of winless teams.  The hometown Chiefs came through, as the Vikings blew another 2nd half lead.
• The Rams put a scare into the Redskins with a 4th quarter push, but came up short on their final drive.  Rex Grossman had a couple of 4th quarter turnovers that helped the Rams cause, but it wasn't quite enough to hand over the win to the quickly floundering Rams. 
• Even in the weak NFC West, there has to come a point where the hole is just too deep to crawl out of.  Maybe 0-4 isn't deep enough of a hole for this division, but it's getting close.
• The "Dream Team" from Philadelphia is off to a mind boggling 1-3 start.  Vick has been banged up, but at least he finished the game this week.  A team that was supposed to be a Super Bowl contender just can't lose games like this at home to inferior competition.
• The Eagles seemed poised to win the game, driving into 49ers territory, before a Jeremy Maclin fumble doomed their chances.  A couple of first downs later and the 49ers were able to run out the clock.
• Coming off an ankle injury and having lost his starting job for the week, things didn't appear to be going well for Frank Gore.  A 127 yard performance with a TD to top off leading his team to victory will do wonders to change that perception.
• A game changing moment came mid way through the 2nd quarter.  The Eagles had marched the ball down to the 1 yard line, where a TD was with in reach and a FG at the least seemed all but assured. Instead, Ronnie Brown fumbled at the goal line on a play where it appeared he was attempting to lateral the ball back to a teammate after it was clear he was going to be stuffed outside of the endzone. The bonehead play robbed the team of an easy FG in a game they eventually lost by 1 point.
• Drew Brees was hardly flawless, throwing a couple more sloppy INTs, but he did more than enough to out-duel the punch-less Jaguars.
• You would expect getting top receiver Marques Colston would give the team a boost, but his 1 catch for 8 yards was hardly a contribution.  Lucky for them, they didn't need more.
• The Texans hurt themselves with some big penalties that nearly cost them the game.  A blocked FG returned for a TD to end the first half was called back after an unnecessary block in the back that came nowhere near the ball.  On Pittsburgh's final drive, an INT that should have been returned for a game clinching TD was nullified by a late hit on the QB, giving the Steelers another chance to drive for the game typing score.  
• Arian Foster is back and he wants us to know his hamstring feels fine.  Good enough at least to rush 30 times for 155 yards.
• Andre Johnson left the game early with a hamstring injury.  It appeared worse when it happened, as he collapsed to the ground without being hit (never a good sign).  Hopefully it doesn't keep him out long.  The Texans struggled to move the ball after he left the game.  If not for Arian Foster breaking a big 42 yard TD run in the 4th quarter, the Texans would have essentially accomplished nothing after the injury to Johnson.
• Mike Wallace had a chance to tie a league record with a 7th straight 100+ yard receiving game (dating back to last season), but came up short with only 77 this week.
• The initial thought upon seeing it in the box score is that it must be a misprint when Tom Brady throws for only 226 yards in a game, but it was by no means a sign that he played poorly.  At least he didn't turn the ball over this week.
• Brady also added 2 passing TDs, passing Joe Montana for 9th place all time.
• Wes Welker was the man again for the Pats, hauling in 9 catches for 158 yards.  Brady spread the rest of his passes around, but Ochocinco's 2 receptions made him the only other Patriots receiver to catch more than one pass.
• Part of the reason for Brady's low yardage was because the Pats finally found some balance on offense with an effective running game.  Rookie Steven Ridley led the way (10 carries, 97 yards and a TD).  He showed impressive burst through the holes, particularly on his 33 yard TD run.  If he can prove capable of picking up the blitz and being an effective pass blocker, his role could expand.  Don't be surprised if he earns the starting spot before the season is over.
• After ripping through the Jets defense last week, Darren McFadden was held to only 75 rushing yards this week.  He did break free for a huge 41 yard gain, but take that away and he was generally held in check in a match up that looked like he could dominate.
•  Eli Manning led a Giants comeback that saw him throw 2 TD passes within the span of a minute in the 4th quarter.
• The go ahead score came with a bit of controversy, as the drive leading up to it included a 29 yard reception to Victor Cruz, who fell to the ground untouched before putting the ball on the ground.  The Cardinals argued it was a fumble since Cruz was never downed by contact, but the rule states the play is over when the player "declares himself down by falling to the ground, or kneeling, and making no effort to advance."  A confusing play that upon review still looks like a fumble no matter how you interpret the rule, but the play was whistled dead and therefore could not be reviewed.
• Beanie Wells shows the type of flash and skill that once made him a first round draft choice while rushing for 138 yards and 3 TDs.  If only he could look that good more often.  Or at least anything close to that good.
• Atlanta finally got a win on the road, but nearly blowing a 20 point second half lead to a terrible Seattle team isn't the way to show they are past their road issues.
• Julio Jones (11 catches, 127 yards) had the best game of his young carrier.  With opposing defenses locked in on trying to shut down Roddy White, Jones has a chance to be a lethal weapon. At least that's the thought the Falcons had when they sacrificed their future to get him.
• It won't quite match the impact of when he was named Super Bowl MVP, but statistically Aaron Rodgers had the best day of his career - 408 yards, 4 TDs and he added 2 rushing scores for good measure.
• Of course he'd blow up with a historical performance this week, when I'm facing him in my head-to-head fantasy football league.  Meanwhile, despite the huge passing numbers, JerMichael Finley (3 catches, 28 yards) barely contributed for my team.
• The Broncos dropped to 1-3 after barely putting up a fight against the Packers and Kyle Orton turned the ball over 2 times.  If they lose big again to the Chargers next week, could the team make the change to Tim Tebow following their Week 6 bye week?
• Speaking of the Chargers, they took care of business at home against the lowly Dolphins.  They got off to a bit of a slow start, but managed to pull away in the 2nd half.
• I think we can official say that Ryan Mathews (16 carries) has taken over as the lead back for the Chargers.  Mike Tolbert (6 carries, 1 for a TD) is still the short yardage/goal line back, while both RBs continue to be active in the passing game.
• Chad Henne left the game with a shoulder injury.  When news of the injury was reported during the Patriots game, nobody in the room full of people I watched the game with could think of who Miami's backup QB was.  Matt Moore was the answer, in case you're wondering.  Given his production in relief of the injured starter, there's not much reason to remember him.
• It's not often that you see a game with a score of 34-17 that included only 1 offensive TD between the two teams, but that's the kind of ugly game the Ravens and Jets gave us Sunday night. 
• The Jets only TDs came on a kick off return and an INT return.  The Ravens scored twice on fumbles and once on an INT.  Ray Rice rushed for the only offensive score of the game.
• Joe Flacco and Mark Sanchez seemed to be trying to out-duel each other for worst performance of the game, as each played a sloppy game full of turnovers and other miscues. 
• One of the fumbles from Sanchez that was returned for a TD was close to being a "tuck rule" play, which Tom Brady made famous 10 years ago.  The Jets challenged, but replay showed Sanchez's arm hadn't started forward yet.  Rex Ryan was so enraged by the call that he burned another time out before the extra point kick just to give him extra time to scream at the ref.  Wasting 2 timeouts in the second half of a game that you trail?  Brilliant!
•  ESPN pulled the "Are you ready for some football?" theme from their Monday Night Football intro after Hank Williams Jr. made some comments comparing President Obama to Adolf Hitler.  No matter your political opinions, that's a little harsh.  That song was pretty catchy though.  I'll miss it.
• The NFL had to be kicking themselves for scheduling so many night games for the Colts without knowing that Peyton Manning would be out, but the Colts have actually been at their best when in the spotlight of the nationally televised games.  They put a scare into the Steelers in Week 3, then followed that up with a tight game on Monday night against the Bucs.  They didn't win either game, but they at least made it exciting and worthy of the prime time spot.
• Curtis Painter made his first career start for the Colts.  He found out the hard way that starting in the NFL isn't quite the same as the mop up duty he's been used to, but after a shaky start he recovered to have a respectable performance that kept his team in the game.
• People seem to forget given that the loss of Manning has been such a big blow to the Colts, but this offense still has a lot of talent, with guys like Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clarke capable of making plays.  Pierre Garcon isn't the most consistent guy, but he's capable of blowing up for a big game at any time, as was the case this week (146 yards, 2 TDs).
• Legarrette Blount is a guy that just gets better the more carries he gets.  He can disappear at times when the team is behind because he's essentially useless in the passing game, but late in a game when you need to pound the ball, he's at his best.  He was on his way to a fairly mediocre game until a 4th quarter drive when he piled up 52 of his 127 yards, sealing the drive with a 35 yard TD run to put the Bucs on top for good.
• The Baltimore Ravens lead all teams in point differential (+62), thanks in part to also leading the league in forced turnovers (14).
• The top two leaders in scoring (Green Bay, Detroit) also happen to be the only undefeated teams in the league.  8 of the top 10 teams in scoring have at least 3 wins so far.  Only half of the top 10 teams that have allowed the least points per game this year have winning records. Who needs defense?
• Dating back to last season, the Lions have won an NFL best 8 consecutive games.  So yes, they are for real.