By Paul Gotham
Another week; another comeback
Anyone wanting to anoint Peyton Manning and his band of brothers as drama queens of the NFL, will get no argument. For the fifth time in as many games the Indianapolis Colts trailed in the fourth quarter. Like the previous four games, the Colts recovered in time for a 35-27 victory over the Houston Texans. Indy outscored the Texans 21-7 in the fourth. Seconds after Indy grabbed its first lead at 21-20, Clint Session intercepted a Matt Schaub pass and returned it 27 yards for the touchdown.
Houston committed 10 penalties for 129 yards. Two second-half pass interference calls proved costly as both contributed to Indy touchdowns.
Kris Brown staked the Texans to a 17-0 lead in the second quarter with a 35-yard field goal.
Staying on the radar
With two teams maintaining undefeated records, the Minnesota Vikings might go unnoticed. Well, maybe not. The pressure of going undefeated is off them, and the Vikings might have the best lineup in the NFL. Instead of falling apart like Humpty Dumpty, Brett Favre contniues to lead the potent Viking offense. Yesterday, the Vikes rolled up 537 total yards against the Chicago Chihuahuas…er…Bears. Favre with Adrian Peterson, and Sidney Rice are as lethal a trio as any in the league. Minnesota averages 31 points per game. New Orleans leads the league at 36.9, and Indy scores 27.6. At the same time the Vikes limit opponents to 18.5ppg. New Orleans opponents score 20 ppg. Indy’s adversaries get 16.7.
On the season, Favre has 24 touchdowns with just three interceptions.
Minnesota visits Arizona next week before an interesting showdown with Cincinnati. Speaking of the Bengals….
Break out the brooms
Cincy downed Cleveland 16-7, and with that the Bengals earned a perfect 6-0 record against its AFC North rivals. Cincy stands in first at 8-3. Pittsburgh and Baltimore trail at 6-5. The Bengals host the Detroit Lions before the aforementioned date with Minnesota.
Young love in Music City
The current list of NFL MVP candidates consists of Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, and Brett Favre. How much longer before Vince Young gets mentioned? After falling to 0-6, the Tennessee Titans seemed destined for January fourth tee times. Five games later and denizens of Tennessee can start singing: “Baby, something’s happening…”
What changed? Young went under center and the Titans are 5-6.
Yesterday, Young found Kenny Britt in the end zone as time expired, and the Titans tripped the Arizona Cardinals, 20-17. Young threw for 387 yards for the day.
After the game, Matt Leinart must have been mumbling “this is not my beautiful house” because it was “same as it ever was.”
Forced to sit starting quarterback, Kurt Warner, the Cardinals turned to Leinart. Once again, Leinart was burned by a late drive orchestrated by Young. In the 2006 Rose Bowl, Young scampered eight yards for the winning touchdown to lead the Texas Longhorns over the Leinart-led USC Trojans.
“Into the blue again, after the money’s gone
Once in a lifetime, water flowing underground.”
For those keeping track at home
Three of this weekend’s top five receivers (total yards) honed their talents outside of the major six conferences of Division 1A football. Miles Austin made seven catches (145 yards) Thursday for the Cowpokes. Austin played his college ball at Monmouth. Donald Driver (7 catches – 142 yards) played at Alcorn State. San Diego’s Antonio Gates (7/118) roamed the college grid iron at Kent State.
That’s not to mention Indy’s Pierre Garcon (5 /63 yards and a TD). The product of D3 Mount Union has four touchdowns on the season.
While we’re on the topic, four quarterbacks from winning teams also played outside the BCS schools: Buffalo’s Ryan Fitzpatrick (Harvard), San Francisco’ Alex Smith (Utah), Minnesota’s Brett Favre (Southern Mississippi), and Baltimore’s Joe Flacco (Delaware).
What difference does a coach make?
Just ask fans of the Buffalo Bills. Perry Fewell took over as interim head coach less than two weeks ago, and the Bills showed more enthusiasm yesterday than they have shown in a decade. One play can demonstrate the change in attitude on Bills Drive. With a 17-14 lead and less than 3:00 remaining, Buffalo forced a Miami punt. A couple of weeks ago, the Bills would have attempted to run off tackle twice before a third and long screen and and a return punt. Yesterday, Ryan Fitzpatrick went up top on first down and hit Terrell Owens with 51-yard bomb!!!
Thanksgiving turkeys
Call them by name: The Detroit Lions, Oakland Free Academy, and the New York football Giants. Does any fan want to hear that their team is protesting having to play on Thanksgiving? Thank you, NFL Network. You spared me the misery of having to watch that debacle.
In case you missed dessert
‘Pomme’ Delhomme served up four more turnovers yesterday as Carolina lost to the New York Jets, 16-7. ‘Pomme’ has thrown 18 picks and 8 touchdowns on the season.
Mark Sanchez completed 13 of 17 for 154 yards as the Jets improved to 5-6. Yeah, the rookie is finding “The Ties that Bind.” Sometimes, “you sit and wonder who’s gonna stop the rain, who’ll ease the sadness, who’s gonna quiet the pain.”
Got any NFL Splinters? Share them here.
awesome article
glad to have put this site on my blogroll
Brady – Brees in the Bayou
No Reggie Bush, no Jabari Greer, no Tracy Porter…Belichick doesn’t like Williams…hmmm
I wonder if Charlie Weis has already started working for the Patriots? I mean, the way Drew Brees torched the Pats defense and seeing Brady get bogged down in the redzone, I figured Weis had to be nearby.
And I haven’t seen anyone as bumfuzzled as Belijerk since Bobby Bowden’s last game. Ha! 🙂
What a delight this MNF game was … Saints reminded me of Greatest Show on Turf II.
Here is hoping that Ralph Wilson doesn’t look the last two weeks and decides that Perry Fewell is the man for the permanent coaching position of the Buffalo Bills. I think Perry has done a fantastic and has injected a heavy dosage of enthusiasm into this team. It has shown the past couple of weeks and we are seeing that this team, probably isn’t as bad as its record indicates.
That being said – it has been 10 years since Western New York has sniffed the endzone called playoffs. Fans are hungry and Mr. Wilson needs to bring in a proven coach. He needs to hire someone that can handle GM and head coach duties ( Mike Shanahan) or hire personnel for both positions. But I really think it needs to be a proven guy and Fewell isn’t that at this point.
Hmmm.. Buffalo Bills fans and Notre Dame fans have more in common then I thought.
Smitty,
Agreed – Fewell is not the man for the long haul, but the coaching change allows us the opportunity to see what the Bills are capable of. If Wilson can lure Shanahan, that would be great. He just better have an alternative list. At least Shanahan won’t shy away because of the cold…not that anyone would do that.
Casey,
Agreed – It would be fantastic for Bills if Mr. Wilson can lure Shanahan here. I think for the right price and the right winter jacket – I think he would come here. I think the key will be control of personnel. That topic has certainly pushed other coaches away from Buffalo because of the lack of control for coaches and Ralph Wilson’s impersonation of Jerry Jones… or is it the other way around. But the Bills haven’t had a good GM since Bill Polian and look at the results. But this is an area that Mr. Wilson, who has said himself – needs to change.
But actions speak louder then words, so time will tell. I am hoping the alternative list isn’t Jim Haslett and Brian Billick. Not sold on Billick, who I think caught lightning in the bottle one year and rode it to a Super Bowl. Haslett seems to wear on players after a year or two. Mike Martz is someone said to be interested in the position – not sure how I feel about that, although he won’t be conservative on offense – that’s for sure. He also is Perry Fewell fan and would probably keep Fewell on as Defensive Co-ordinator. But if they brought in a Martz, I think they have to bring in someone else for GM..
Could also end up seeing Jimmy Clausen in a Bills uniform? Interesting thought.
Do you think Clausen will be a better pro than Brady Quinn? I do. I think Quinn will ultimately be better than he’s shown, but Browns are all-around woeful.