SCOTT JACOBS

There is no greater rivalry in the NFL right now than Pats-Colts.  No rivalry produces more excitement.  No rivalry comes with more on the line.  No rivarly is this much fun.  Bears-Packers? Nope.  Cowboys-Eagles?  Nah.  Give me Colts-Patriots any day of the week.

Since both teams established their modern day dynasties this has been the marquee matchup in the NFL.  Rain, sun, snow, or dome, it’s always a treat when the two teams get together for their annual fireworks show.  This year should be no different.  With the Pats starting to gain steam at 6-2, and the Colts a sterling 8-0 under new coach Jim Caldwell, this NBC game of the week should be epic.  So Kenyon Rasheed, help us out here.  Who ya got?

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SCOTT JACOBS

Get excited Europe, and planet Earth!  The Patriots will be stopping in London next season.

The much hyped London game should be the most intriguing Euopean game yet, staging a most likely healthy and recharged Tom Brady versus a stout Bucs team.  It probably won’t match the points that came with this year’s London shootout, a 37-32 Saints win over the San Diego ‘not so super’ Chargers, but it will nevertheless be an exciting contrast of styles.

London has sold out the past two games at Wembley, getting 83,000 excited fans to pack the building, and many more to sign on waiting lists.  I got blasted back ion October when I bluntly stated that the London experiment was a waste.  Needless to say I was proven wrong.  European football fans are passionate and truly dedicated.  Some fly 6,000 miles, others would pay $6,000.  And for that I commend them.  I find it interesting that all three teams that have been picked for the London game have been from the Southeast United States.  Miami, New Orleans, and now Tampa Bay.  Just interesting I suppose.

But next year’s European tilt should be a good game.  Then again, in the ever-changing NFL landscape where you can beat a 10-0 team on the road one minute, and then lost to a .500 team at home the next, who the heck knows.  But I know one thing is for certain.  London will look forward to this game, and I will never again, bash the European experiment.

For the record, the NFL plans to stage a fourth game in London in 2010.

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SCOTT JACOBS

Wow, what a wild week of football. Who would have thought in their wildest dreams that the Patriots would get throttled by the Miami Dolphins at home nonetheless, ending the longest regular season winning streak in NFL history at 21 games. One thing’s crystal clear at this point: it takes a quarterback to win in the NFL, and yesterday Matt Cassel just wasn’t there.

Let’s get this thing rocking.

So, Ronnie Brown what do you have for an encore? After four touchdown runs and a throw to boot (he’s lefty, I never knew that!) Brown cemented himself in football lore becoming the second player in NFL history to throw for a score and run for four more. Who could have known that the answer to Miami’s abysmal offense was a run/handoff option directly snapped to a running back that was lost for much of last year with a tough knee injury? Certainly not New England, which looked absolutley lost trying to defend it. But it wasn’t just Ronnie Brown. Chad Pennington was in a word: brilliant, compiling the best quarterbacked Dolphins game I can remember in recent memory. Pennington was 17-20 for 226 yards and even had a nice little spin away from a defender to get a nifty little first down. All this proves: you don’t have to throw the ball deep to throttle an opponent.

Did we mention Miami’s defense? Because they were great. The Patriots rolled up a pitiful 216 yards of total offense and Miami forced two turnovers, while committing none. The Pats were 4-15 on third down. This much is clear: without Brady the Pats are ordinary, and boring. Kind of like that girl from American Beauty. As for the Dolphins, well it’s just one game, but could they have played a better game? No. They couldn’t do anything wrong, and if you didn’t know better, you would have believed they were the ones coming off of a 16-0 season and a trip to the Super Bowl.

As Miami beat-down the Patriots, the Bills climbed back from a 17-6 hole at home to the Raiders to win 24-23 on a Ryan Lindell 38 yarder. The Bills scored 17 points in the fourt, overcoming a late 9 point deficit with under five minutes to go, and in the process took the lead in the AFC East as they improved to a surprising 3-0. After the Pats pitiful showing at Foxboro yesterday, Buffalo’s resiliency mad a huge early season statement that they are in fact the real deal. The Bills improved to 3-0 for the first time in 16 years! That year, they made the Super Bowl. Is this year going to result in the same?

Meanwhile, the Raiders heartbreaking loss probably spells the end for coach Lane Kiffin. Kiffin was already under fire when reports surfaced that he would be canned last week. But this week, it looks like Kiffin is as good as gone. Not really sure why, considering how well Oakland has played these last two games, but desperate franchises make desperate moves. The youngest coach in the NFL is about to find himself out of a job.

Okay, so you can hold off on the Super Bowl tickets for now Cards fans. Arizona lost a tough one in D.C. to the Redskins 24-17 Sunday, their second loss in a row at Washington. Kurt Warner’s slightly under-thrown pass was basically the difference, as Carlos Rogers picked it and took it back 42 yards. The “what were they thinking play of the game” went to Arizona coach Ken Whisenhut, who inexplicably handed the game over to his defense instead of going for it on 4th and 4 at midfield with less then three minutes to go. If you want to win in this league you have to make bold, brash decisions. Playing it safe, or in this case, stupid, is just ridiculous and asinine. It may or may not have cost Arizona a win, but at least give the team a shot. So no 3-0 for Arizona. 1974 remains the last time the Cardinals won their first three.

Alright, now that we’ve got those fun friends down pat, here’s the skinny on the rest from a frantic week three.

The Giants, Bucs, Jaguars, and aforementioned Bills all won off a game winning field goal Sunday.

For the Giants, it was another clutch performance from Eli Manning, who engineered a beautiful overtime drive to ice Cincinnati’s frustrating 0-3 start. Manning made a perfect throw to Amani Toomer who made a splendid acrobatic catch on the sidelines, and dragged his toes in bounds. That set up a John Carney 22 yarder, and just like that, the Super Bowl champs are off to a flying start at 3-0. As for the Bengals, well it’s getting really ugly now. Once playoff contenders, the Bengals appear doomed back to their losing ways in the season that I believe will be Marvin Lewis’ last.

The Bucs threw the ball – now you may need to re-read this more then once – 67 times on Sunday as they beat the Bears in overtime at Soldier Field. The Bucs, known notoriously for a power running game, and great defense, instead won the game on Brian Griese’s 407 yards passing and two touchdowns. Why 67 times? Because Tampa mustered nothing on the ground, getting just 47 yards from Earnest Graham and Warrick Dunn. Instead, the Bucs won a game in which they committed four turnovers. The most astonishing thing about the whole thing? Griese dropped back to pass 67 times, and was not sacked once! That has to be some sort of a record.

The Colts dropped to a shocking 0-2 at the Oil Dome as karma reared its ugly head on the team that named its stadium based off a company that gives us a product that none of us can afford. But seriously, the Colts are now 1-2 for the first time in a long time, and their September swoon looks kind of serious. The Colts appeared to have this game won, after the Jags failed to convert on a 4th and 1 with under 30 seconds to go, but a pass interference call swung changed everything. On the surface the call looked terrible, but a closer look shows that the defender impeded the receiver’s route and it was indeed a good call. After that, it was all semantics as Josh Scobee nailed a 51 yarder to put the nail in the coffin and secure a 23-21 Jags victory. More impressive was the run Scobee did after the play, running all the way to the endzone to fetch the ball that saved Jacksonville from falling to a shocking 0-3. And because of that…

The Titans now lead the AFC South by two games. Tennessee destroyed a Texans team that had it’s bye week last week because of Hurricane Ike, and this week they looked like they needed a few weeks to prepare for a Tennessee team that is just rolling right now. How good are the Titans right now? They had eight penalties for 75 yards compared to Houston’s two for ten yards, and they still won by 19. Can the Titans be an elite team with ageless Kerry Collins at the helm? It’s too soon to say, but how about that Titan’s D, holding the Texans to 3-15 on third down. Jeff Fisher, your teams never fail to amaze me.

The Falcons are 2-1 and tied for the NFC South lead after beating the lowly Chiefs 38-14. Tyler Thigpen was not the second coming of John Elway, or even Elvis Grbac for that matter, and Kansas City’s fall from relevance continued as the new look Falcons thrashed the Chiefs. Is Atlanta actually good? Their two wins are over the Chiefs and Lions, who are now a combined 0-6! Yikes. But hey, after Atlanta’s miserable year last season, they’ll take any wins they can get. It doesn’t matter who they’re against.

The Seahawks and Vikes, two playoff contenders to start the year, both got on the board yesterday with their first wins. St. Louis on the other hand, looks like it may never win. The Rams have yet to score more then 13 points in a game, and have lost by 35, 28, and 24. If there’s anything positive, it’s that the deficits keep shrinking. Everything else, well is disturbingly negative. And remember Steven Jackson’s big contract extension? Well, he doesn’t look the part right now. St. Louis’ running attack is currently the worst in football, averaging just 56.3 yards a game.

Denver and Baltimore are still perfect. The Broncos held off a hard charging Saints team to improve to 3-0, as Jay Cutler proved that yes, he was indeed the best quarterback in that first round draft class. The Ravens dropped Cleveland 28-10, and it is getting ugly in Browns-ville. The Browns still have four more scheduled national TV games, and they’ve yet to record a win. In fact, the Browns have yet to score more than 10 points! That’s not exactly the formula for winning football as the Browns plunder into the AFC North basement.

Finally, the two participants from last week’s thrilling MNF Showdown both took care of business, as the Eagles held off the Steelers 15-6, and the Boys shredded up the Pack 27-16. I think these are the two best teams in the NFC right now. And Aaron Rodgers got a reality check yesterday, as Dallas sacked him 5 times for a loss of 40 yards total. The honeymoon isn’t over in Green Bay, but it’s clear that Dallas is right now at least, the superior team.

Alas we finish up by asking the question: how does Matt Millen have a &#$%@! job?  The Lions were trashed yesterday 31-13 by the 49ers who all of a sudden, are tied for the NFC West lead.

As for my Monday Night pick: Let’s go with San Diego to get their first win 28-21. 

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SCOTT JACOBS

Hey Joey Porter. Knock, knock. Anybody home? No. No one’s home? Well you know what? That actually makes sense.

Because after your ridiculous, absolutely asinine statement that Miami would get win number one against the Pats because backup Matt Cassel was starting, I’m questioning if there’s any brain cells left in your head. No? Okay, makes more sense now.

“I just know he’s not a Tom Brady,” Porter said. “So if it’s not Tom Brady, it shouldn’t be that hard.”

But wait. There’s more!

“It’ll be good to go out there and get our first victory.”

Um, yeah…

Whatever you say Jerry.

Now I’m not a mathematician but I can add, and you guys are coming off a 21 point butt whipping in Arizona that was long over early in the third quarter.

But yeah, the Dolphins look like prime contenders to knock off New England.

What’s that?

The Patriots have won 21 straight regular season games? Meh. That wasn’t with Matt Cassel. Besides, Miami was the last team to beat the Pats in the regular season, kind of astonishing if you think about it.

If someone asked you a trivia question on who beat the Pats last in the regular season, would you ever guess Miami? That is if you weren’t from New England or Miami? Probably not. In fact, I’d probably start throwing some CFL teams and maybe a few AFL teams before the Dolphins. Heck, I think USC would beat Miami. And I say that as a Dolphins fan!

But yeah Joey. Trash talk the defending AFC champs.

You do know that Brady isn’t the only holdover from last year’s team right?

Right?

Knock knock. Anybody home?

“I’m not going to be mad because [Brady] ain’t out there and we get the backup,” said Porter. If we get a victory for the rest of the season against all backups, I’ll take 14 wins against 14 backups and feel good about it.”

Um, Jerry, uh what have you been drinking lately?

Do you not remember that your team is 0-2, the offense looks horrible, the running game is non-existent, the stupid penalties are still there, the immobile quarterback who can’t throw deep is still taking snaps, and your number one wide-out is already being proclaimed a bust in year two?

Did you forget somewhere along the lines that your team won one stinking game last year. One. Not to be confused with 11, or even 4. No one.

So I get it.

It makes perfect sense. The team that can’t win will beat the team that doesn’t ever lose.

Yeah, I’m ready to call my bookie now.

Did I mention that the game was in New England? Did I put that out there?

Because the game is in Foxboro.

Home of the… o yeah, I remember now, Patriots!

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SCOTT JACOBS

Here’s what we learned from week two:

Buffalo is off to a flying start. Last week they pounded Seattle, this week they notched a come from behind road win at Jacksonville. The Bills are 2-0 and oozing with confidence. With the Jets loss today at New England (more below) the Bills are now tied with the Matt Cassel led Pats for first place in the AFC East. That has to be pretty exciting for a team that hasn’t made the playoffs since the Music City Miracle, back at the turn of the century.

The Jaguars are off to a terrible start. Look, no one expected David Garrard to repeat his three interception season in 2007, but Garrard is off to a really bad start after a shiny new contract extension this offseason. Garrard threw another pick today in the Jaguars’ loss to Buffalo, giving him three in two games. What’s worse? The Jags couldn’t run the ball today. Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones Drew had a few nice runs, but for the most part were rendered ineffective. What’s more, Trent Edwards had a squeaky clean 20/25, 239 yard, 1 touchdown day, and looks like the real deal for the Bills. The Jags, now 0-2, look like pretenders early on.

How about them Patriots? They just don’t lose. Matt Cassel played a nice solid game for New England which controlled the tempo and held Brett Favre and the Jets to just 10 points in Favre’s debut as a member of Gang Green. More importantly, the Pats got a win from a guy other than Tom Brady for the first time since December 17, 2000. That’s a long time ago. What’s more is that they beat the Jets, who many proclaimed the favorites in the AFC East after Brady was lost for the year. If this game taught us anything, its that the Jets are not only not the best team in the division right now, they’re not even second.

The Giants look good, the Rams look atrocious. New York did what it was expected to do today: they beat the Rams. The Giants are 2-0 now, and Eli is off to a nice start after he threw for three touchdowns today. The big deal though is St. Louis, which is in total freefall right now. The once feared Rams offense mustered a paltry 201 yards and just 13 points, and the seat under head coach (soon to be ex-coach) Scott Linehan just went up another 10 degrees. St. Louis used to be known as the Greatest Show on Turf. Now, well, they’re just awful. Even in the wide open NFC West, the Rams appear to be out of things, and after getting outscored in their first two games 79-16, it’s unlikely few would disagree. But hey, Chris Long got his first sack. That was about the only highlight on the day though for St. Louis.

How bout them Titans? This week they dealt with Vince Young issues, and started 156 year old Kerry Collins at Cincy, and still not only improved to 2-0, but did it rather easily, dispatching the fading Bengals 24-7. Carson Palmer threw a pair of picks, and Chad Johnson failed to garner 40 yards receiving, and the Bengals fell to 0-2. The Titans meanwhile are flying high after two weeks, and they lead the AFC South. Chris Johnson paved the way for Tennessee with 109 yards on the ground. It sounds crazy, but it’s the first time since 1999, that the Titans are perfect after two weeks.

Hello Carolina! After a wild come from behind win at San Diego last week, the Panthers staged another unlikely comeback beating the Bears 20-17. The Panthers, who were the people’s pick the last few years to go deep into the post-season and reach the Super Bowl, came into this year with few expectations. But after a pair of impressive wins they’re now 2-0. And my NFC South pick is off to a surprising start.

But wait, there’s more…

Aaron Rodgers is the toast of the town in Green Bay right now. The Packers, now 2-0 after beating up on the forever lowly Lions, look like they haven’t lost a step from last season’s division winner, and don’t look now: Rodgers has actually played better then Favre. Green Bay put up 48 points, rolling up 447 yards of total offense, and the supposedly improved Lions D was once again, o who are we kidding… they were pathetic. How does Matt Millen have a job again? Detroit is 0-2.

Don’t look now but Oakland is in second place in the west. I had a hunch that they might surprise some people this year, and after today’s thorough beating of the Chiefs I feel like there’s some rhyme to my prediction. Darren McFadden looked like a stud,rushing for 164 yards on the ground, but it was ex-Louisville Cardinal Michael Bush who offered a glimpse into what could be a lethal 1-2 combo. Bush rushed for 90 yards, 32 of them off a nice run, and a score, and the Raiders won a game easily, despite a ho hum 6/17 performance from Jamarcus Russel. You hear that booing noise Kansas City? Get used to it, it’s going to be a long year at Arrowhead.

The Chargers are 0-2, and the Broncos showed some brass balls going for two in the closing moments of their wild western shootout with the Bolts. 39-38, video game controllers be damned. It was a huge win for the Broncos who are now 2-0, and a crushing loss for San Diego which has lost both of their games in the closing seconds. Mike Shanaham’s decision to go for two was as gutsy as they come, but it worked out, and this week he gets the genius label. For Jay Cutler and Co. it was the right move, and the AFC West leading Broncos are off to a 2-0 start against their division.

The Colts and Vikings met in what some thought could be a Super Bowl preview before the year started. No longer I think. The Vikings were unable to hold onto a 15-0 lead, the Colts failed to score in the first half, and something is still off with Peyton Manning. The Colts came from behind to win on an Adam “I never miss a big kick” Vinatieri but it wasn’t impressive. In fact, it was ugly. Manning threw two picks, Ryan Longwell accounted for all of Minnesota’s points, and two elite looking teams at the beginning of the year looked pretty meh. The Colts are 1-1 after the win, as the Vikings fell to 0-2. But don’t fault A.D. Adrian Peterson racked up 160 yard on the ground, and now has 263 for the year. He just might be the best back in all of football.

The Cardinals are 2-0! It’s the first time since (drum rolls please) 1991 that Arizona won their first two games. But, its the way they did it, winning a road game at San Fran, and destroying the miserable Dolphins that makes Arizona’s start impressive. Not only did Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald again reiterate why they’re the best 1-2 receiving tandem in football, but Kurt Warner once again proved that he’s good enough to help this team make a playoff push. With a date at Washington next week, the Cards needed this one as they controlled the game from start to finish winning 31-10. Things look no better for Miami then they did last year as the lifeless Dolphins did nothing to improve the notion that they’re any better then the 1-15 nightmare from last year.

The 49ers won at Seattle 33-30 in OT to improve to .500. More importantly, the Seahawks fell to 0-2 and look very beatable right now. J.T. O’Sullivan had 321 yards through the air as the Niners claimed second place in the West. The Seahawks had an atrocious 10 penalties. It was a tough loss for a team that is missing its top four wideouts. Is this the year Seattle loses its grip on the west? It could be if things keep going like this.

Meanwhile in Washington the Skins beat the Saints 29-24 behind the arm of Jason Campbell.  Both teams are now 1-1.

Finally, Tampa Bay stifled Matt Ryan and the Falcons 24-9. Okay, so Rome wasn’t built in a day for Ryan, who threw a pair of picks as the Bucs improved to 1-1.

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SCOTT JACOBS

From 18-1 to o my goodness, Patriots fans just went numb.

The feared news that New England prayed wouldn’t be confirmed, was indeed set in stone today.

TOM BRADY IS DONE FOR THE SEASON.

THE REIGNING MVP IS OUT FOR THE YEAR.

THE PATRIOTS JUST WENT FROM FAVORITE TO AFTERTHOUGHT.

Brady suffered a knee injury in the first half against the Kansas City Chiefs and was unable to walk off the field under his own power. If Patriots fans were worried then, they must be in absolute shock now.

The New England Patriots, the team that went undefeated last regular season and lost the Super Bowl in the closing moments are done. There is no other way to put it. Whether you call it karma (Spygate) or nature taking its course (time for a new alpha dog) the most shocking injury that could happen to any NFL team is a reality.

Tom Brady is out for the year.

It’s astonishing to even say. It’s weird to look at. It’s uncomfortable to believe.

The historic Patriots offense that ran the NFL like a drug mafia last year just lost their best player. Their leader. Their face. In week one nonetheless in a year where win number 19 was going to be the only priority.

I still can’t comprehend it.

It’s almost as unbelievable to me as one of the two presidential candidates suddenly dropping out of the race, and thus conceding defeat. There are no words to put its meaning in perspective.

In losing Brady, the Patriots go from Super Bowl favorites to potential AFC East cellar dwellers? The Bills and Jets go from second place hopefuls, to AFC East contenders. The best teams in the AFC all move up a notch. Still, it’s just weird.

Since replacing Drew Bledsoe in 2001 Brady has helped the Patriots to four Super Bowls, three world championships. The only time he didn’t start was when the Pats rested him in favor of Matt Cassel. The Patriots didn’t want Brady to get hurt in a meaningless game. They didn’t want the heartbeat of the franchise touched.

And so, with the shocking news that Brady is out for the year, Boston just went numb.

The Patriots can put their blinders on and tell the world that they can rally around Cassel just like they did around Brady back when Bledsoe got hurt. They can say all they want.

But deep inside, they know the glue that held this masterpiece of a team together has been ripped from their core, and those beating heartbeats (the one’s that beat as one) just started skipping a whole lot faster.

The Patriots just had their dreams torn out from under them. A miserable pre-season. A epically horrific first game.

Teams deal with injuries all the time, but this one is different.

This is the best player on what was the best team going down. This is superman being stripped of his powers. Spiderman lying helpess in a back alley with no webs left.

That’s the Patriots right now.

They have no webs. They are left with Matt Cassel.

It’s an unfathomable situation for New England, who is prepared to bring in free agent Chris Simms for a look on Monday. He could be the guy.

Not ‘the guy,’ but he offers experience, and his dad was pretty good.

The Patriots today eeked out a win over porous KC, which has now lost 9 straight games. Just wait till they start playing the Jets and Bills, and the Colts.

This morning the Patriots woke up with dreams of finishing what they couldn’t last year: that is, win another Super Bowl.

Tomorrow morning, the Patriots will wonder how it went wrong, as they shift into crisis mode with the bleak hopes of being a playoff contender.

No one can replace Tom Brady. There is only one of him out there. The fact that the Patriots have a mediocre running game and aging defense doesn’t help either.

If it’s karma that did this then you can put the Spygate Scandal to rest. There is no worst thing that could happen to the Patriots chances then this.

“He’s the face of the New England Patriots, and Tom being who he is it kind of hurts, to be honest with you,” said Randy Moss, who signed a huge off-season deal to stay in New England.

I’m sure it does more then hurt. It burns.

Matt Cassel wasn’t expecting this. No one was.

It’s like the classic comic book movie. Once you get the superhero out of the picture there’s nothing left to fear.

For the 31 other NFL teams, that’s never been more the case.

As for the Patriots, well, they’ll try to spin this as something they can overcome.

But Tom Brady got hit with kryptonite today. The Patriots can’t overcome this.

Could this mark the decline of the great Patriots dynasty? It’s hard to say now. Tom Brady is 31. He’s got some years left in the tank. He should continue to be a great player next year. But there are no guarantees in football, nor in life.

And for at least now, the one guy who always got up and never stayed down, is down.

For the Patriots they couldn’t have scripted it any worse.

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SCOTT JACOBS

The sound was heard round the country.

In New England, it was the sound of potentially broken dreams. Everywhere else, it was the popping of champagne corks and the NFL’s red sea parting to allow everyone else through.

Matt Cassel is no Tom Brady. The Patriots are not a Super Bowl caliber team without the 2007 NFL MVP. In fact, if Brady’s injury (which I should stress is not known at this point) is serious, I’d be the first to argue that the Patriots aren’t good enough to even make the playoffs.

Of course, it will all come down to the extent of the injury. If it’s not too bad and he misses a game or two then no harm really done. But if he is on the shelf for a McNabb-esque 10-12 games, then the dynamics of the NFL landscape radically change.

Don’t jump off buildings yet Patriot fans. It could be nothing.

It could also be your season.

Welcome to the show Matt Ryan
His first pass was a 62 yard touchdown strike to former Ohio State great Michael Jenkins. That was far from the only highlight for the new look Falcons who put up an impressive (but not shocking, it is the Lions after-all) 34 points in head coach Mike Smith’s debut. I wouldn’t exactly start saving up for playoff tickets just yet, but if Ryan plays well, and Michael Turner rushes for 220 yards and two scores the Falcons will be a fun team to watch. The Ryan/Turner Era has begun in hot ‘Lanta, and for the fans of that dysfunctional franchise, it’s not a moment too soon.

Fly eagles fly, as they destroy the Rams
Never close, except when it was 0-0, the Eagles again showed why they are the great mystery of 2008. Donovan McNabb threw for 361 yards and three scores, and the Eagles were even able to get in ‘future guy’ Kevin Kolb. If McNabb stays healthy, the future is now for the Eagles, who are good enough to compete for the NFC East. As for the Rams, well maybe last year wasn’t just an abberation. Maybe 2007 marked the beginning of the end for high octane football in St. Louis.

0 for Florida
In a strange way, the Miami Dolphins put up the best effort amongst Florida’s three teams on this day. Miami lost, but came very close to stealing a win from Brett Favre’s heralded debut. Of course, like last year, Miami lost another close game. Then again, last year the ‘Phins lost every type of game imaginable. The Bucs played a fun back and forth thriller in New Orlean’s but Jeff Garcia’s interception ended any late hopes they had of taking home a win. And David Garrard and the Jags were pretty much awful. They lost 17-10, but Garrard was not good, throwing three picks, and the running game was invisible most of the game. Not exactly a Sunshine State start to be proud of for Florida’s three.

But wait, there’s more…

Buffalo flattened the now Shaun Alexander-less Seahawks 34-10 in arguably the most impressive win of the day. The Bills have a good team, and can end their playoff drought if Trent Edwards can make that leap from sufficient NFL QB to good QB. I don’t put it past the guy. He’s from Stanford. He gets it.

Joe Flacco’s debut as a Raven was also a success as the Delaware QB won his first start. Not flashy, not mind blowingly fast (did you see that one run, it was really at full speed) but efficient and strong armed, the new franchise quarterback in Baltimore did his job. The Ravens always good defense did their’s. And a 17-10 win was the result.

If the Texans plan on making that leap from ’should be good’ to ‘actually good’ this year, you won’t find evidence of the transformation in Pittsburgh. The Steelers put the hopeful Texans away early and pounded them often, building a 38-3 lead before letting the Texans tack on some meaningless scores. The point here is this: the Steelers ain’t dead, and the Texans ain’t that good. Not yet at least. And if Willie Parker can stay healthy look out for Pittsburgh as this season progresses.

Now that’s the Reggie Bush we all expected. Bush dazzled the Saints’ faithful against Tampa Bay, demonstrating his blazing speed and good hands. Bush ran for 51 yards, but more impressively led the team with 112 yards receiving and one nice looking score. The Saints have finally realized Bush isn’t an every play back, but he is one heck of an asset if used correctly. Today, Sean Payton and Co. used him to perfection. And the Saints, who started out 0-4 last year, are off to a nice start, 1-0, with a key win over a division rival to start the year. Will anyone ever win the NFC South two years in a row? Because it doesn’t look like it will happen this year either.

Finally, some stuff on the late games 

The Panthers (my NFC South pick this year) came back in San Diego to stun the Chargers on a 14 yard touchdown pass as time expired.  Carolina which has been very disappointing the last few years, and was riddled with injuries last year, took the ball down the field in the closing moments and stunned the mighty Bolts.  It’s a tough loss for the Chargers, but an even more impressive win for the Panthers, who could surprise a lot of people this year.

The Cardinals win a road game.  It happens once or twice a year, and Arizona got one out of the picture early, finally beating the 49ers 23-13.  Edgerrin James topped the century mark and the Cards played mistake free football to vault to the top of the NFC West with an incredible 1-0 record.  Yes it’s true.  Every other NFC West team lost today.  So today wasn’t exactly a good day to end the rap that the NFC West isn’t weak.

Finally, the Cowboys manhandled Cleveland 28-10.  TOny Romo had all the time in the world to throw and T.O. put on a show for Dallas which was never really threatened by the overwhelmed Browns.  And to think, the Browns have five dates on national television.  For their sake, they better hope the results are better then this one.

Again, today is all about Mr. Brady. Will we look back at this injury as the end of New England’s stranglehold on the league (at least for this year), or is this injury nothing more then a blip that will do nothing to slow down the mighty Patriots? That is the question being asked right now. And we’ll find out within the week.

Anyway you cut it though, the Patriots won again. The potential perfect season is still alive.

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Arlen Specter, who was observing meetings between Matt Walsh and Roger Goodell, says that Goodell is setting a terrible precedent by letting the Patriots get away with cheating.

“If you can cheat in the NFL, you can cheat in college, you can cheat in high school, you can cheat on your grade-school math test,” he said.

Specter is actually 100% correct. Some of my friends cheated in high school a few years ago and got detention for a month, so it is true that you can cheat in high school.

I’m not sure if you can cheat in grade-school, though, but Specter will probably impart on an intensive investigation of the topic.

Specter has no qualms about bias with his investigations. He admitts himself that he is driven by his constituents support for the Steelers, whom the Patriots defeated in the playoffs in 2005:

“I’m elected by 12 million people, and a lot of them are Steeler fans. … Frankly I’m incensed about what happened with the Steelers.”

As a Cavs fan, I’m hoping my Senater, the honorable George Voinovich, does his patriotic duty and starts an investigation against the Spurs.

Specter should also investigate Barry Bonds. If you can cheat in baseball, I think you might be able to cheat in grade school.

I’m sure Bonds has hit some big home runs against the Phillies at some time during his career and possibly been responsible for defeating the Phillies. His constituents deserve to know why someone was allowed to cheat to beat their team.

It’s going to be interesting to see how Barack Obama responds to Specter’s investigation. Obama is trying to gain some ground among working class “bitter” white people, and I’m sure a lot of white Pennslyvanians are bitter about what happened to the Steelers and Eagles. In fact, maybe Obama will start wearing a Steelers lapel pin.

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Eric Deters has tried more civil jury trial than any lawyer in Northern Kentucky.

Eric Deters has been described as: a fighter, passionate, aggressive, reasonable, tenacious and hard working.

Eric Deters is one of the lawyers representing one former Rams player and three fans who are suing the Patriots for cheating in the 2002 Super Bowl.

One thing Eric Deters did say on his website that I’m sure no one would disagree with is this:
“I’m never too busy to take a new case!”

(Profile Here)

One would think that if you have enough time to represent a few disgruntled fans and a no name player (his name is Willie Gary) that you would not be very busy.

Funny, because it seems that he would be pretty busy from all the cases he has to do to have tried more cases than any other lawyer in Northern Kentucky. (How he got to trying a case about the Pats I have no idea, because it say that he has only been licensed to practice law in Kentucky, Ohio and Florida.)

He listed 23 types of cases he accepts. No where does it say “Sports Cheating.” It doesn’t list “Wrongful Loss” either. Maybe this would fall under “Consumer Fraud,” or “Fraud of Any Kind?” If it doesn’t fit any of those, I suppose it could be lumped in under “General Litigation.”

As it turns out, the lawsuit was filed under fraud, unfair trade practices, and engaging in a ”pattern of racketeering.” Deters was hoping to turn it into a class-action suit for anyone who purchased a Super Bowl ticket, and all members of the Rams staff.

For the good of the country, Deters has now withdrawn the case. He called it an “exercise in futility,” claiming that Matt Walsh, accused of taping the Rams’ practices, would exercise his right against self-incrimination, or, in more universal terms, he would plead the fizith!

But, Deters says he isn’t giving up: ”We’re not giving up on the case. We just want to back off and see what he has to say before we make a move.”

In the meantime, Deters plans on taking up a case against Indiana University for their recruiting violations.*
(*NOTE: Deters isn’t really suing Indiana University. This is simply a joke, mocking the fact that he sued the Patriots for cheating.)

Interestingly, Eric Deters didn’t seem prideful enough in his case against the Patriots to list is as one of his “high profile newsworthy cases” even though it is one of his most newsworthy cases yet.

Eric Deters does have past experience messing with athletes, as he sued Chad Johnson for a raffle fraud (though that one actually had merit behind it).

This, my friends, is Eric Deters:

He does things for the people, not for the publicity.

You can email him your thanks here.

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It just takes a look at some ESPN stories that are almost as interesting as Britney Spears getting addicted to drugs or something then going in sane and trying to kill herself.

Look at the ESPN lead stories, and try to think, “Boy, that’s amazingly interesting.” Take a look at these sleep-inducers:

Spector arranging Goodell meeting for next week

Gee, a power-hungry senator, the same one who tried getting Congress to investigate the Eagles for anti-trust violations when they suspended T.O., is trying to get Goodell investigated for the Patriots spy scandal. The Pats scandal was much worse than T.O.’s suspension–maybe it has a little bit of merit for anti-trust–but seriously, why would I care.

There are two ways to think about this. Either: Congress is wasting their time! This is such an outrage! Let’s talk about the war and rising gas prices!

Or: Hmm… Congress just spent $800,000 on a single restroom for Mt. McKinley, $11 million for a “pleasure boat harbor” in Cleveland, and $250,000 to “study TV lighting” in Senate chambers. I’m glad they’re interrogating Roger Goodell and not having sex in a bathroom.

I’m inclined to go with the later. The less Congress does, the better.

Clemens meets with Congress about steroids

See above. (By the way, ESPN, we already know Clemens took steroids. And that he was going in front of Congress. It was reported a while ago.)

Jeter settles tax case with New York state

Nothing more interesting than taxes!

Gasol expected to make Laker debut

A report on how many points he scores during his debut might be just a little more interesting and little more relevant.

Rodriguez trying to keep WVU suit in federal court

More legal jargon no one understands just like in the A-Rod article.

Record 97.5 million view the Super Bowl

Mildly entertaining, but you really don’t need to read the article. Once you read the headline, you know it was a popular Super Bowl. What did you expect with a team going for perfection?

Patriots’ Andrews arrested on marijuana charges

You mean I don’t care if a classmate is caught with marijuana, but I’m supposed to be so interested when it’s a scrub football player?

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