The St. Louis Rams ruined every NFL fans’ office pool or winning wagering ways by upsetting the New Orleans Saints in a shocker. The Dallas Cowboys would like a ‘do-over’ after getting b**ch-slapped by the Philadelphia Eagles in their Week 8 NFC East divisional showdown.
Both teams’ outcomes highlight my always fun-filled NFL Week 8 Review, so let’s get at it gridiron gamblers and pro football followers.
Winning One for the … Spagster?
Gridiron lovers everywhere know all about ‘winning one for the Gipper’ but how about the St. Louis Rams’ performance this past Sunday pigskin fanatics? The previously winless Rams clearly wanted to win one for head coach Steve Spagnuolo otherwise known as the … Spagster.
Dallas Do Over?
Last season, the Dallas Cowboys gave former head coach Wade Phillips the boot after the team consistently underachieved for the laid-back longtime NFL coach in getting off to a pitiful 1-7 start through eight games. In comes Jason Garrett and the ‘Boys responded nicely to finish at 6-10. Unfortunately, the Cowboys are doing many of the very same things that got Phillips fired last season. A lack of concentration, inexcusable mistakes and poor execution have plagued the Cowboys this season, reminding me of the same team they were under Phillips last season.
Miserable in Miami!
The winless Miami Dolphins need to get on the horn and give all of their former Super Bowl-winning players a call … seriously. I’d take a group of now elderly former Fins, over the current group of underachieving klutzes any day of the week. Please, someone give me the phone numbers for Bob Griese, Larry Csonka, Mercury Morris, and Nick Buoniconti!
Indecent in Indianapolis!
Talk about indecent exposure! Seriously though, the Indianapolis Colts probably shouldn’t be seen in public the way they’re playing this season … and no matter what anyone else says, I’ve got to lay a sizeable amount of blame at Jim Caldwell’s feet. The loss of Peyton Manning shouldn’t have affected this team this badly, particularly seeing as how several other teams are experiencing success with rookie quarterbacks like Curtis Painter.
Good Investment!
Last Saturday, the Buffalo Bills signed veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to a 6-year, $59 million dollar long-term extension. The following day, Fitzpatrick led the Bills to their first shutout win in ages, opening even more eyes in what has truly been a breakout season for the former Harvard star.
New York‘s State of Mind!
The New York Giants don’t look like world-beaters or anything, but I think they do have some sort of resiliency in winning five of their last six games. Of course, the G-Men did win three of their last four by four points or less, so maybe they’re not quite as good as their 5-2 record would seem to indicate. One thing’s for sure, the Giants have an absolutely brutal six-game stretch coming up against legitimate Super Bowl title hopefuls, including New England, Green Bay, Philly and New Orleans.
Corn on the Cob?
I don’t want to sound ‘corny’ or anything, but Arizona quarterback Kevin Kolb looks mostly like a very expensive bust in completing just 56.8 percent of his passes while throwing an identical eight TD passes and eight interceptions. Kolb has generally looked a lot worse than rookies, Cam Newton, Andy Dalton, Blaine Gabbert and now, Christian Ponder, so that’s saying something!
Newton’s Theory of Gravitation
I know the few Cam Newton ‘haters’ that are still out there hiding under a rock are just waiting for the rookie Phenom to come back to earth in a big way with a poor performance or two, but this ‘kid’ is so good, he’s already better than half of the veteran starters in the league, so the wait could be a long time for Cam ‘haters’ – like, forever.
Bad Ass by the Bay?
The Baltimore Ravens are known for being one of the best defensive teams in the league on a perennial basis, but it is the San Francisco 49ers that have allowed the fewest points in the league at the midway point of the 2011 regular season.
K.C. and the Sunshine Band!
I’m Your Boogie Man, that’s what I am,
I’m here to do whatever I can
Be it early morning, late afternoon
Or at midnight, it’s never too soon
– K.C. and the Sunshine Band
The Kansas City Chiefs are rocking and rolling better than one of my all-time favorite groups right now, having won four straight games, including consecutive AFC West division wins over Oakland and San Diego the last two weeks. You know what I say? Rock on K.C.!
Cry Me a River!
Speaking of AFC West teams, the San Diego Chargers and quarterback Phillip Rivers have got to be the biggest bunch of talented underachievers in all of North American professional sports. Okay, the Boston Red Sox might take that title this season, but you get the idea. The Bolts have lost two straight and just look lethargic if you ask me.
