By Paul Gotham
Addai’s pass keeps Colts perfect
If a sign of a good team is that they win when playing poorly, then the Indianapolis Colts are a good team (okay, so I realize the previous statement makes me the master of the obvious). Not much of Indy’s win over San Francisco looked like their previous six triumphs. Not much came easy either. Sure, Peyton Manning threw for 347 yards on 31-48 passing. But Manning did not throw for a touchdown. The Colts didn’t even score a touchdown for the first three quarters. At half, San Fran led Indy, 14-9. Matt Stover put one through the uprights to draw the Colts closer, 14-12. When all else failed, Indy turned to the half back option, and Joseph Addai connected with Reggie Wayne on a 22-yard pass to put the Colts up, 18-14.
Suddenly, the Colts have some signs of vulnerability, and the Houston Texas at 5-3 are looming. Indy hosts Houton next weekend before the two meet again deep in the heart of Texas on November 29th.
Denver came crashing back to earth. Baltimore manhandled the Broncos, 30-7. Entering Sunday’s game, Denver had allowed 10 second-half points. The Ravens scored 24 after the break. The Broncos host the Steelers next week and still have the Chargers, Colts, Eagles, and Giants remaining.
Baltimore QB, Joe Flacco, had another efficient day – 20-25 for 175 yards and a touchdown.
Somewhere in the swamps of Jersey…
…there is a football team that started the season 5-0. Since then, the Giants have dropped three. Now it looks like the G-Men are caught in the middle. There is a distinct difference between the haves of the NFL (Indy, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, and Denver) and the have-nots ( St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Tennessee, Cleveland, and Kansas City). The Giants seemed stuck in the quagmire between the two. Things looked good when Eli Manning hit Kevin Boss with 1:54 remaining in the half. Despite playing poorly, New York pulled to within16-7. Momentum was theirs. Then Eli suffered from colorblindness. Momentum turned into a 30-7 deficit. The second stanza didn’t look any better for Big Blue.
“Hold on tight. Stay up all night. ‘Cause Rosy I’m comin’ on strong.”
Trivia Time
How do you score 21 consecutive points without your offense ever touching the field? Easy. Let Ted Ginn Jr. receive two kickoffs.
How do you score 30 points while only accumulating 104 yards of total offense? Easy. Let Ted Ginn Jr. receive two kickoffs.
Miami pulled off the feat yesterday. Ginn had 299 returning to lead the Dolphins past the Jets, 30-25. Between Ginn’s returns, Jason Taylor picked up a fumble and returned it 48 yards for the score.
The Jets had a chance late in the game. With the faithful watching a “fairy tale so tragic,” Mark Sanchez almost proved he was the “prince to break the spell.” With New York “countin’ on a miracle,” Sanchez led the Jets down field only to come up short on fourth and goal.
Free as a Byrd
Buffalo rookie Jairus Byrd had two more interceptions yesterday. That makes seven on the season. Byrd is one of the few positives Buffalo can take into the bye week. The Bills lost to Houston, 31 -10. This after leading 10-6 at half. Buffalo had a two-game winning streak going. Now, talk will resume about head coach, Dick Jauron’s job. Jauron might want to start weighing his options for life after Buffalo. Maybe Jauron should consider a relaxing stint as a driver of a beer truck.
Third a charm?
Josh Freeman gets the start at QB for Tampa Bay next week. Freeman is the third to go under center for the winless Bucs. At least Freeman won’t have to concern himself with lofty expectations.
MNF
Atlanta visits New Orleans tonight. Oooh yeah, something’s happenin’.
Got any NFL splinters? Share them here.
It is amazing how inconsistent Donovan McNabb look for 2 weeks and then suddenly he looks like he could hit the Flash in stride. Are the Giants that bad? Or are the Eagles suddenly that good. It looked like a little bit of both, but I don’t count the G-men out. Something tells me Coach Coughlin will turn things around. But it leads me to..
Is Eli Manning overrated?
You would think that once a guy returns a kickoff 100 yards on you – you would either kick it out of bounds or kick it short? But give Ted Ginn Jr. another chance? Shame on you Coach Ryan.. And to say that you outplayed the Fins? Head coaches look at winning all 3 phases of the game ( Offense, Defense and Special Teams). .Assistant coaches look at only one or two of those phases. You had you butt whipped and served to you like mashed potatoes. Don’t stand there and say you outplayed them and should have won. No way.
Phew..feel better.
The Browns are cleaning house. Their GM is gone and apparently a search into the personal like of Eric Mangini turned up nothing – so he is there for at least the season. Looks like they were trying to get him fired and not have to pay him. Hmmm something tells me that he won’t be around next year. Maybe the Bills will hire him.
Lastly – do you think Ted Thomspon sat up in the press box of Sunday’s games and the immortal words of Senator Lloyd Bentsen rang through his ears: ” I know Brett Farve. I traded Brett Farve. And you Aaron Rodgers, are no Brett Farve.”
Good night.
Smitty?
Mangini in Buffalo?!? Do you want the Bills to move to Toronto? He is repeating the same mistakes he made with the Jets.
I am sorry… That was sarcasm and I didn’t note . I said it because the Bills will not invest in bringing a quality coach to Buffalo and will settle for scraps – a la Wade Philips, Greg Williams, and Dick Jauron….Enough said.