Borderline Fantastic

Crabtree - Harrell 08
Texas Tech has put together a campaign for their QB Graham Harrell and WR Michael Crabtree for award season. They are calling it Pass or Catch 2008. Crabtree’s video asks what happens if he doesn’t grab the ball out of the air? Harrell’s video asks how those balls that Crabtree catches get in the air? Right now I would vote for Harrell because of his superior slogan: ‘Footballs don’t magically fly. Its Science.’

I hope they do a few more rounds of this back and forth. The first two videos are very enjoyable. I haven’t seen anything like this before. There usually isn’t a lot of campaigning by the schools for awards. I’m pretty sure all the Joey Harrington hype was generated by Nike.

Fives: Lou Marson
On Sunday the Phillies sent out quite a lineup. Really, check the box score. I wasn’t sure if a few of those players were even on the roster. It didn’t matter much, the division was clinched on Saturday. During the game, 3rd-string catcher and Olympian Lou Marson hit his first major league home run. He received the traditional greeting in the dugout from his teammates for a first home run. The video captures the entire thing.

Yankees Batboy
I heard about a podcast called The Moth. It posts stories that are read on stage at one of their locations. One of the first ones I heard was by Matthew McGrough. He is a writer on Law & Order and wrote a book called ‘Batboy: Coming of Age with the New York Yankees.’ The story he tells on the podcast is about getting the job of batboy for the Yankees and his first day, opening day. There isn’t a page for the individual show, here is the mp3 audio. I really enjoyed it and recommend a listen to any baseball fan.

Eagles/Bears
Mike: Can’t get much closer for the Eagles. With Westbrook, this is an easy win. Missing Shawn Andrews doesn’t help much either. I expected to see a lot more Lorenzo Booker and even some Tony Hunt. Too many defensive breakdowns and an offense that never looked all that smooth cost the Eagles.
Ahad: This was a heartbreaker. Failing to score on 3 chances from the 1 yard line is unacceptable. I am hearing a lot of “we would have won if Westbrook played”. That cannot be an excuse. This is not a one man team. Jackson needs to get his head in the game and not make stupid mistakes. I am not just talking about the fumble. It was a terrible decision to no catch that punt which the Bears ended up downing inside the 10.
Evan: I only saw the first half. I went to bed thinking the Eagles would pull it out. I didn’t even know what happened until Monday afternoon because a guy got shot to death in a drug deal gone bad in front of my driveway. That event took up much of my morning. I’m not too concerned about the Eagles, although after seeing the highlights I got the same frustrated feeling about the play calling as I had after the Gator game.
Matt: I only saw bits and pieces of this game. Kyle Orton looked pretty decent in the first half. I only saw the highlights of the goal line stand. It seemed like they pretty much ran 3 dive plays in a row. Why wasn’t there a pass mixed it there? Or a McNabb rollout? I agree, if I were a fan, I would be upset with some of the play calling.

Broncos/Chiefs
Ahad: I picked Denver in my survival pool this week. My thought process was that KC is a bad team on both sides of the ball and Denver has been putting up points at will. Herm decided to give LJ the ball this week and he was his old self again.
Evan: Who didn’t pick the Broncos to win this game? I also did not watch this game, so I have no thoughts.
Matt: It would have seemed the Broncos were a lock to win this game, but their prolific offense wasn’t enough to cover up their swiss cheese defense. This is going to be a problem for them as they try to make a playoff run.

Redskins/Cowboys
Ahad: The Redskins played a great game. I fail to understand why the Cowboys didn’t give the ball to Barber. When did Andy Reid start calling the plays for the Cowboys? What is TO complaining about, didn’t he have 20 touches?
Evan: Very impressive job by the Redskins. Are we ready to say that the 4 best teams in the NFC are all in the east? T.O. is not happy with Romo, although I agree with Ahad that I don’t understand what he has to complain about, although I have never understood anything T.O. has to complain about.
Matt: I agree, the Redskins simply played a great game and outplayed the Cowboys, especially in the trenches. For some reason, the Cowboys haven’t been able to run the ball on the Redskins the past few years. They typically hold Clinton Portis in check, but he ran all over the defense in the 2nd half. I found out from my sports reading that there were actually 10-14 other run plays called in the game, but Romo audibled out of them due to the defensive alignment. Barber and Jones do need more touches, and they just didn’t get it in this game. Regarding the TO saga, I don’t know what he was really complaining about. Obviously, he shows his frustrations more when the team loses, but there was a 3 and out drive where all 3 passes went his way. Even though there was tight coverage on all of them, he could have come up with at least two of those. That is what elite receivers do. I don’t like the forcing of the ball to TO. He needs to get it in the flow of the offense. This should hopefully blow over once the team starts winning again.

Packers/Buccaneers
Mike: I said that Ryan Grant needs to get in the end zone. Let’s take a look at his stats against the Bucs: 15 att 20yds 0 TDs. Awesome. Waiting on stories about Aaron Rodgers being a bust after last week’s stories about him being better than Romo (is that an accomplishment?)
Evan: Don’t be too concerned about the Packers, Tampa is a tough to place to play and the Bucs were emotionally charged for this one, especially with the situation regarding their kicker.
Matt: I told you last week Monte Kiffin’s defense would give Rodgers trouble. The defense, especially Derrick Brooks, played a great game. And you had to root for the Bucs because of the Matt Bryant situation. It is going to be tough on Rodgers due to him having his worst game and Favre having one of his best games ever with 6 TD’s. And Mike, what is your beef with Romo? You don’t think he is one of the top QB’s in the league?

Ravens/Steelers
Ahad: I think Jaws has a major man-crush on Joe Flacco. It might be possible that he loves him more than he does Jay Cutler. It was very painful to listen to.
Matt: I didn’t watch a whole lot of this game, but I do know that these two teams beat the crap out of each other. Flacco has looked better than most expected. Will Roethlisberger make it through the season?

USC/Oregon State
Matt: I flipped this game on during the 2nd quarter, just to see what the score was. When I saw it was 14-0, I knew I had to keep watching the rest of it. I thought Oregon State would have a chance, if only because they play USC well at home. But after seeing them against PSU, I really didn’t think they had a shot. But it was a great game by OSU, and a great game by Jacquizz Rodgers. He had 99 yards against Penn State, and he continued his strong play in this one. That little guy can really run. USC chokes in yet another early season game, but I do see them rebounding and getting back into the national championship picture.
Ahad: USC falls again to a team they are supposed to crush. After watching PSU dominate the Beavers, I thought USC would have no trouble. I should have known better since Oregon State has a history of playing USC tough at home. USC will most likely still win the PAC 10 and get back to a BCS Bowl.
Mike: I’m with Matt, I didn’t think Oregon State would do anything after seeing them play Penn State. The USC defense is just too tall, they couldn’t see Jacquizz getting by them. The OSU fans needed to calm down a little bit. After the missed extra point by OSU, USC still had a shot and the fans were jumping onto the field.
Evan: The reason I was surprised by this game is because everyone was throwing out the “USC better be careful” line based on what Oregon State had done 2 years ago, but no one actually believed it would happen again. I’d put money on USC running the table and still getting into the national championship game. I do like how this will help Penn State in the computer rankings.

Florida and Wisconsin Losses
Matt: Ouch and incomprehensible, respectively. It looked like Florida ran into a tough team, and they just couldn’t hold on. That blocked PAT obviously hurt them, but it looked like they had some other chances to come away with points. Wisconsin’s loss was such awful. Michigan had 5 turnovers and 20 yards total offense in the first half! They aren’t a very good team. They are fairly decent on defense, but come on, they are young and adapting to a new coach. I just don’t know how you could lose a game like that, but Wisconsin found a way.
Ahad: After the way Michigan played in the first half, they had no business being in the game. That should have been a rout. Wisconsin needs to be careful because this is the type of loss that could demoralize the team for the rest of the season. I only saw highlights from the Florida game, but that outcome is unexplainable. I will let our colleague Evan speak to this.
Evan: We completely looked past Ole Miss. We didn’t really start playing until the 4th quarter and by then it was too late. Inexplicable turnovers after we hadn’t turned the ball over once this year. I do not understand the play call of Tebow going right up the gut to try to get the first down. Everyone and their mom knew what was going to happen. He could have easily hopped to the outside, but he decides to plow through a pile of crap. Wisconsin’s collapse was poetic, and I was a fan strictly because of the chaos it created.

Alabama/Georgia
Matt: I should have went with my pick for SEC winner, but I thought Georgia could get the win at home. Alabama jumped all over them right away, and Georgia made a nice little comeback in the 2nd half, but it was too little, too late.
Ahad: The blackout failed miserably. It doesn’t hold a candle to the PSU White-Out. Is it me, or do teams always lose when they bust out a gimmick jersey? Georgia was dominated in every aspect of the game.
Evan: The only thing that made me feel better about the Gator game was watching the Bulldogs get rolled in the first half of this game. It will dull the specter of the cocktail party at the end of October.

Illinois/Penn State
Matt: My concerns over the defense were justified early on, but they held it together and made plays when they needed too. What a great game by Derrick Williams. We really need to learn how to hold onto the ball a little better. Daryll Clark is the type of leader at QB we have been sorely missing since Michael Robinson left. I am very excited about this team, but we have a very tough stretch coming up in October. It was a great game though, and an awesome stadium atmosphere.
Ahad: This is the game I have been waiting for out of Derrick Williams. Juice also played a nice game, but he needed help. After watching Clark this season I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if Paterno pulled the plug on Morelli. Don’t give PSU the Big 10 title yet, as the tough part of the schedule is still ahead. The defense has some holes, most notable at middle linebacker. I haven’t yelled this much at a PSU middle linebacker since a bum named Gino held down the position. I also don’t understand the personnel for the nickel defense. Why do they bring in an extra safety and play Rubin at corner?
Mike: I was worried about the special teams and rightly so. The first two Illinois scores were as a result of a poor punt and then a poor kickoff. I don’t know why Collin Wagner was kicking off to begin with, but after that he was not seen again. I was impressed Illinois was able to go no huddle the whole game without too many mistakes.Their offense was a little scattered, if something didn’t work on one play they’d abandon it for a while. If they had a gameplan and stuck to it, they would be dangerous.
Evan: I was flipping over to this game during breaks in the Bama/Georgia game. I was very proud of my jersey-twin, D Will, I think this is what everyone was expecting when he came to State College.

Atlanta @ Carolina, Sunday 1pm
Mike: What we have here is a good Panthers team and an Atlanta team the might be good? That’s the impression the Falcons have given but have you seen who they’ve played? They easily beat the Lions and Chiefs. Look out, just give them the title now. What? They got beaten up by the Bucs? Well then … Pick: Panthers
Evan: I know Atlanta hasn’t played anybody, but I feel like maybe this is the team that will win some games against better teams for inexplicable reasons. Maybe its karma coming back around after the pitbullgate and mynameisbobbypetrinoimajerkoffgate. Pick: Falcons
Matt: I like what Mike Smith is doing with this young Falcons team, and they will put up a fight with the Panthers. Surprisingly, the Panthers have not played well at home over the last few years, so this should be a good game. Pick: Carolina in a close one
Ahad: I don’t think Atlanta is very good. This will remain my opinion until they beat a good team. Pick: Panthers

Minnesota @ Tennessee, Sunday 1pm
Mike: With Adrian Peterson improved from last week puts this game very close to a toss-up in my book. As I mentioned the other day, I’m excited about this Titans team so I’ll take them at home. Pick: Titans
Evan: I am not on the Tennessee bandwagon. I’m not a fan of anything football related coming from that state. I still like Minnesota’s defense. Pick: Vikings
Matt: Great matchup of similary built teams. It will likely be a low scoring affair with whoever can pass the ball better coming away with the win. Both defenses are stout against the run, but I like Tennessee’s secondary to shut down the Minnesota passing attack. The opportunistic defense wins. Pick: Tennessee
Ahad: A battle of two good teams playing backup qbs. This game will probably come down which quarterback avoids making the big mistake. I will go with the PSU connection. Pick: Titans

Cleveland @ Cincinnati, Sunday 1pm
Mike: This one looks like a winner. Derek Anderson is getting the start. How badly does he have to play against the Bengals to get replaced? He might be able to do just well enough to hang around the whole game. I think the Bengals have confidence after taking the Giants to OT. Pick: Bengals
Evan: Ooohio, the ultimate toss up state. The epitome of mediocrity. Right now I think the best football team in this state is Miami (OH). I thought the Browns would be playing much better by now. This is the week they get it figured out. Pick: Browns
Matt: You can just see the headlines on Monday. OHIO FINALLY WINS ONE! Unless there is a tie of course. Either way, this matches up two underachieving teams, but the Bengals played decent and showed some fight last week. Haven’t seen that from the Browns yet. Bring on Brady Quinn! Pick: Cincinnati
Ahad: A showdown between two bad teams. Does anyone really care who wins this game? The Bungals showed some life last week. Look for Quinn to finally get some playing time. Pick: Bengals.

Green Bay @ Tampa Bay, Sunday 1pm
Mike: I try to avoid talking fantasy in these posts, but can Ryan Grant please find the end zone? If the Packers are going to be a real threat, that needs to happen. I doubt Griese can match his 400+ yard performance against the Packers defense. Without Al Harris the Packers pass defense might give up a few more yards, but should reduce their penalty yards by about the same amount. Pick: Packers
Evan: Tampa had little business coming back to win that game against the Bears. I agree with Mike’s assessment on Griese. I like teams that are coming off a nationally televised prime time loss. Pick: Packers
Matt: This was supposed to be the Favre Bowl until the Jets swooped in and snatched up Favre. I think Tampa will be able to run the ball and control the clock in this game. Aaron Rodgers takes a step back in his progess after facing Monte Kiffin’s D. Pick: Tampa Bay
Ahad: Is Griese going to be able to throw the ball this week? It doesn’t matter. The Tampa defense doesn’t scare people the way it used to. I think the Packers are the better team. Pick: Packers

Philadelphia @ Chicago, Sunday 8:15pm
Mike: If the Eagles defense caused Roethlisberger so much trouble, what does that mean for Orton? McNabb and Westbrook are both banged up but McNabb always plays well when he heads home. My guess is that this week’s practices focused on Booker being in more of the Westbrook role so the offense doesn’t fall apart if he isn’t 100%. Pick: Eagles
Evan: Was Pitts o-line really bad, or can the Eagles replicate this every game? The Eagles offense is much more dynamic than what the Bears saw last week. Can’t pick against my boys (but if sexy rexy ever comes in, look out!). Pick: Eagles
Matt: Tough game to call. The Eagles are a little banged up on offense, so this should be a good defensive battle. The Bear’s defense just can’t run out of gas and give up leads at the end of games like they have the past two weeks. The Bears are going to need to get a running game going against the Eagles #1 run defense to take the pressure off Orton. If they can do that, they will keep the game close. I think the Bear’s defense gets a few turnovers in this game. Pick: Chicago
Ahad: This game could get ugly. If the Bucs had 60+ pass attempts against the Bears, I think Reid might go for 100. It doesn’t matter if Westbrook plays or not. For the record, I think he shouldn’t play. Look for Hank Baskett to have another big day, maybe his new lady will be on the sidelines again. Pick: Eagles

Review spoiler warning: minor plot spoilers

After finding a disk containing the memoirs of a CIA agent, Chad Feldeimer (Pitt) and Linda Litzke (McDormand) begin this quirky quest to return the disk in search of a non-existent cash reward, but not after leaving a trail of destruction behind them. In their funniest farce since the “Big Lebowski,” the Coen brothers grace us with a combination of their masterful screenwriting, film work, and editing with an unforgettable all-star cast.

The Coens’ sense of humor is very unique. They take the darkest of human nature and develop some sick twist around it to fit their nothing but cruel sense of humor. They have a way with shocking humor as well as subtle dark humor that only they have mastered. It is the type of thing that had you witnessed in real life, you would be telling your new shrink about it for years to come. It is without a doubt an acquired taste of humor; witch would explain the recent mixed reviews. “Burn After Reading,” is a screwball comedy, but one tailored for the darkest and cruel sense of humors, making it unlike any screwball comedy in recent times.

“Burn After Reading,” sets itself up with a list of characters that are so simple minded, that the events become nothing but believable. Brad Pitt’s role as Chad Feldeimer has the innocence of a child, and it becomes easy to think, “well, how can you blame him, he didn’t know any better.” This is a trend that is safe to say with any of the characters, from the paranoid misogynist that Clooney plays, to the in-way-over-her-head Linda Litzke as played by Frances McDormand. With the ruined life of John Makovich’s character Osbourne Cox, whose simplicity comes with the single line he repeats for the majority of the film. Finally with the no named CIA superior of J.K. Simmons who is just utterly clueless.

The tagline for this flick sums it up nicely, “intelligence is relative,” in this cruel, dark, hilarious new comedy by the unstoppable director duo the Coen brothers. How the Coen brothers consistently bring such good product to the industry is beyond me, I just hope they continue their momentum.

9/10 Stars

Rated R for pervasive language, some sexual content and violence

After the USC loss to Oregon State, our trusty announcers break down the ramifications and the potential #1s.

Jesse Palmer mentions Georgia and Alabama. Jesse Palmer, you’re going places. Way to promote the network. Saturday, 7:45, ESPN, be there.

Chris Fowler mentions Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma, and Penn State.

Fowler: “Nittany Lions took apart this Oregon State team. I know it was a different venue, a different situation, but, it gives Penn State a little bit of a boost. Maybe.”
Craig James: “What about Wisconsin?”
Fowler: “They didn’t play Oregon State, Penn State killed this team.”

That’s right Chris Fowler. What’s your deal Craig James, did you go to Wisconsin? (He went to SMU.)

Post-Game: Jesse Palmed went with Penn State ‘dismantled’ Oregon State.

Either Penn State is really good or Oregon State picked a really terrible airline to get to State College.

This Illinois game just got a whole lot bigger.

PSU 45 OSU 14
OSU 27 USC 21

This year, for the first time, Ice Cream Helmet will feature Hockey Picks. The standard ICH game will feature 10 games per week to pick from. They are the top 10 rated games as rated by ICH. Each correct pick is worth 1 point. Your rank will go toward your Overall ICH Score.

You can choose to create your own group and have up to 25 games per week available to be picked. Custom groups also feature the option to use wager points as in most other Ice Cream Helmet games. Wager points allow you to get extra points if you are correct on your most confident selections but subtract from your total if you are incorrect.

You can get started now, games for Week 1 are all set to pick.

The first four games of the season take place on Oct. 4th and 5th in Europe. The rest of the league gets started on Oct. 9th. The deadline to make ICH picks is before each individual game, the first being the Flames/Canucks game on Oct. 9th. Custom gropus have the option of having a similar deadline of before each game or having a single weekly deadline before the first game of the week (weeks start on Monday).

Ice Cream Helmet Hockey Picks

Connecticut @ Louisville, Friday 8pm
Evan: I don’t know anything about either of these teams, mostly because they do not appear on Ice Cream Helmet, so I do not have easy access to their schedules. I do know that Connecticut beat Virginia and Louisville lost to Kentucky. Pick: Connecticut (Note: I assume Evan is talking about the weekly picks and since neither team is in the Top 25, they aren’t on this week’s schedule. To view all the teams, visit the college football team page. -Mike)
Ahad: If UConn is good enough to beat Temple, they are good enough to beat Louisville. Pick: UConn
Mike: I didn’t think Louisville was going to do anything this year and then they beat Kansas State. Not that Kansas State is great but let’s take this down a notch when talking about the Big East. I’m saying two in a row for the Cardinals. Pick: Louisville
Matt: I like UConn, but they barely beat Temple. Enough said. Pick: Louisville

Colorado @ Florida State, Saturday 3:30pm
Evan: Oh boy, I don’t what the hell to do about FSU. I mean, they are so bad. Colorado had FSU all the way last year until the Seminoles pulled a rabbit out of their hat. I’ve always had an affinity for the Buffs the same way Janke does with the Ducks. I love Ralphie, and since the Seminole tribe has no experience hunting buffalo (that was more the Sioux and Pawnee), I’m gonna have to say that the at home the Criminoles lose for a second straight week, although they score more than 3 points. Pick: Colorado
Ahad: I don’t know too much about Colorado, but I do know that FSU stinks. Once again I am going against Bowden. Pick: Colorado
Mike: Completely disreguarding Florida State in this game because of that weak performance against Wake Forest feels dangerous to me. Two things are making me pick Colorado: 1) They has beaten some decent teams (West Virginia and Colorado State) 2) FSU held Wake Forest to field goals, except it was 7 field goals. Pick: Colorado
Matt: Colorado has picked up some nice wins this year, and it will be tough to get another one here. I think they pull it off though. Gotta go against Bowden. Pick: Colorado

Alabama @ Georgia, Saturday 7:45pm
Evan: Whew. I really want Georgia to win so they are undefeated when UF plays them. On the other hand, I want Bama to win just to shake things up. This could be one of the top 5 games of the year in all of college football. John Parker Wilson has come a long way since his “two a days” on MTV. Pick: Georgia, in overtime
Ahad: Both teams have been impressive so far. Home field advantage could come into play. I think this will be a very close game. Pick: Georgia
Mike: I think Alabama has been propped up in the polls by a big win over a Clemson team that people thought would be good coming into the season. I’m adding this game to my list of reasons there should not be preseason polls when Georgia rolls. Pick: Georgia
Matt: I picked Alabama to win the SEC the other day, but I feel like Georgia will eek this one out at home. Pick: Georgia

Virginia Tech @ Nebraska, Saturday 8pm
Evan: I hate the big red. Va Tech always starts out slow. The game is also under the lights, something that the Hokies thrive on. Pick: Va Tech
Ahad: Va Tech is slowly starting to come around. Nebraska still isn’t very good. Pick: Va Tech
Mike: VT is just barely getting by in their games. They won each of their last two games by 3 and that ECU loss was right at the end. Shouldn’t Nebraska be back by now? Are they content with Oklahoma and Texas taking control of the conferece. Doesn’t seem like they want it back any time soon. Comes down to how well Tyrod Taylor can move on that ankle he hurt last week. I say well enough. Pick: Virginia Tech
Matt: Nebraska is actually favored by a touchdown in this game, but they haven’t had any serious competition yet. Special teams will win it for Va Tech. Pick: Virginia Tech

Illinois @ Penn State, Saturday 8pm
Evan: I love this Penn State offense so far, but this will be by far the best defense they have seen this season. The Zooker is supposed to be a special teams/defense specialist. While that did not work out so well at UF, he has fit in well in the Big 10. I think the Illini give Penn State all they can handle, but home field is too much. Pick: Penn State
Ahad: No offense to Temple, but this will be PSU’s toughest opponent yet. I think the special teams of Illinois will cause some problems. If Juice can put together a complete game, PSU could be for a long day. The PSU offense probably will not put up as many points as they have been, and hopefully fatigue won’t be a problem as the starters have barely played more than a half in each of the games. It is time for payback from the loss last year. Pick: PSU
Mike: I was concerned about this game before I saw all the predictions showing a blowout, that just made me more concerned. I was in complete agreement with JoePa when he was disgusted about the teams play against Temple. Most shows that I saw play the clip mocked him because his team had won 45-3. Temple lost their starting QB, their best player. Penn State didn’t score in the 1st quarter because of a number of mistakes. Illinois hasn’t looked particularly great so Penn State just needs to limit their mistakes and tackle on special teams. Pick: Penn State
Matt: This game concerns me a little, mainly because of Penn State’s defense. The offense will put up its fair share of points, but the defense will need to contain Juice Williams. They have done that fairly decently in their two previous matchups, but he is much improved. The D-Line needs to control the line of scrimmage, which they have done a good job of against weaker opponents. They just need to win the turnover battle and then let the ‘White Out’ crowd make things difficult for the visiting team. Pick: Penn State

1. Mets
2. Braves
3. Marlins
4. Yankees
5. Rangers

My most hated teams usually are Division Rivals or Geographical Rivals. The Nationals don’t make the cut because they haven’t been good yet and when they were the Expos I just felt bad for them. The Pirates haven’t been good in so long, I’d like to see them win a few. They would have made this list in the early 90s when they were in the same division as the Phillies and winning the division. I think the league boundaries in baseball help the Orioles out here, I’ve always kind of liked them.

Only four teams really qualified for the hate designation. So I went through the list and the Rangers were the only team that stood out for that fifth spot. Not even sure why.

Patriots Loss
Matt: That was pretty ugly, but you got to hand it to the Dolphins, their creativeness on offense and ability to ‘throw the kitchen sink’ at Cassel was a great gameplan. Luckily, they have a bye this weekend and two weeks to get ready for their next game. Prepare for some roster churning and the possibility of a QB signing.
Ahad: I expected more out of the Patriots defense. No way this team should have been killed on the run like that. Look for them to clean things up for the next game.
Mike: Can Cassel be written off already? The team did beat the Jets last week. This is not a 16-0 team this year and even with Brady, maybe they were a 13 win team. Is there a QB out there that will make this team significantly better? I don’t think so.
Evan: One of the most fabulous things I’ve ever witnessed. Does anyone think the Patriots win this game if they have Brady? With the way Miami was running the ball, I still think they win, although maybe the score would have been 38-35. I’m sticking with my Bills pick to win the division.

Eagles D
Matt: Was it their D or a horrendous effort by the Steelers offensive line? Their D was overmatched against the Cowboys last week, but I assume they blitzed much much more against Roethlisberger.
Ahad: The blitz was key. Big Ben held the ball too long and the o-line was swiss cheese. I was surprised to see the Steelers abandon the running game and not use more 3 step drops.
Mike: That was fun to watch. I have no idea what to make of this D after the Dallas game. I think there was just something special about that Cowboys game and nothing can me made too much out of the poor defensive effort. My highlight was Dawkins looking strong on his flying forced fumble.
Evan: D was awesome, very excited about this. I watched the game with a Steelers fan, which made it even better.

Kiffin Saga
Matt: I hate it. Does Al Davis even know what year it is anymore? He looks like he is dying whenever they show him. Look, if you have been wanting to fire him, then just fire him already. If not, wait and see how the season goes, and make a decision at the end. I have had enough of the rumors every Monday that Kiffin is going to be fired only to hear the next day that he is safe another week.
Ahad: Al Davis is just trying to make some headlines. I think if he is going to fire Kiffin, just go ahead and do it. There is no reason to wait around. It only hurts the players.
Mike: How about saving the news stories for a week when he isn’t about to get fired? He hasn’t had a lot to work with on the Radiers. They lost this week on a last second field goal to the AFC East leading Bills. Was Al Davis pulling for a big loss so that fewer people questioned his decision?

Griese/Orton
Matt: I like Kyle Orton, and I always have since his college days. I think he is the right fit for the Bears. They just need to open the playbook a little more. That was a nice little redemption for Griese on Sunday, but he is going to need at least two weeks rest for all the passes he threw.
Ahad: Kyle Orton will not win the Bears many games. He is more of a game manager than game changer. The team will continue to rely on the running game, defense and special teams. I have never been a Griese fan. Eventually the Bucs will have to stop rotating one veteran QB in for another.
Evan: I don’t like Orton because he played for Purdue when I was in high school playing baseball under a coach who went to Purdue. By the transitive property of being run through killer conditioning workouts, I hate Orton. Also, I’m the only Grossman fan left, including his mother. But that’s just cause he’s a Gator.

Any of the surprise undefeated/winless teams
Matt: Tennessee, Buffalo, and Baltimore are winning with the same ingredients. Tough defense, good running game, and minimizing mistakes at the quarterback position. Denver is just outgunning their opponents at this point. Buffalo would seem to be the biggest surprise of the undefeated teams. Baltimore has played both Cincy and Cleveland, two of the current bottom feeders of the league, so don’t expect their winning to continue. Tennessee has always been a tough team to play. Cleveland to me is the biggest surprise as a winless team. They just look awful at this point. It’s time for a QB change.
Ahad: The Titans are a big surprise, especially with the QB situation. It looks like Vince might have a seat on the bench for the foreseeable future. I now have to root for them as long as Collins is the QB. Cleveland looks really bad, not Rams bad, but still really bad. Quinn will have to get into a game at some point, if Romeo wants to avoid the hot seat.
Mike: The Titans are the biggest surprised undefeated team based on what has gone on. I’m with Ahad on rooting for the Titans this year. Kerry Collins is my all-time favorite college player. As for the winless teams, not too much of a shock. Cincy sounds like they should be a good team, but all they have are a couple of names. Poor Trent Green. The Rams are trotting him out as starting QB this week. He better wear two helmets.