This season of the NFL has been full of surprises. From the drama in Dallas to the inconsistency in Indianapolis, from the stunners of St. Louis to the Titans of Tennessee, what's not to love? I can't wait for week seven in the NFL!
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-2) at Dallas Cowboys (4-3)
Now that Dallas officially won’t have Tony Romo until after their bye week in November, let the drama begin. After losing two in a row, the ‘Boys can’t afford another loss. However, as far as I’m concerned, the show gets more entertaining if they lose. (I probably shouldn’t be so biased, but it’ll make for good television.) Brad Johnson will need to quickly rebound from his three interception showing against the Rams. For that happen though, Marion Barber must take even more of a central role to the Dallas offense. Roy Williams and Terrell Owens have to find ways to coexist as tight end Jason Witten will get the bulk of Johnson’s throws. Defensively, Dallas was a train wreck last week, getting abused on the ground. With Jon Gruden’s proclivity towards running the ball, I’ll have my eyes intently focused on this outcome.
It seems like Jeff Garcia was the right man for the job after all. Who would have thought that? (Oh wait, I did, and so did you.) By leading the way versus the Seahawks, Garcia has secured his job for at least this game if Brian Griese isn’t healthy. Tampa Bay will attempt to repeat St. Louis’s success by handing the ball off to Warrick Dunn on a regular basis. Garcia will be efficient and find the open man against a weak Dallas secondary. However, Tampa’s defense has been the key to their success, ranking ninth overall and fourth in points allowed at 15.3 per game. If they can bring that intensity against Dallas it will be a cakewalk for Jeff Garcia and the offense.
St. Louis Rams (2-4) at New England Patriots (4-2)
Yes ladies and gentlemen, this is a game. Now that St. Louis is on a two-game winning streak against the NFC East, they have to be taken seriously by wildly inconsistent New England. Jim Haslett has his team playing inspired football, and the NFC West is always up in the air, no matter how good Arizona seems right now. It’s a significant match-up for the Rams, because if they can take advantage of an aging defense by wearing them down with Steven Jackson, a third win could be theirs for the taking. Jackson has gotten more productive under Haslett, and quarterback Marc Bulger is reaping the benefits. He has shown why former coach Scott Linehan never should have benched him. He is accurate and on-time when he gets protection from his offensive line. With a solid running game to threaten defenses, Bulger will continue to pick defenses apart.
Which New England are we going to see this week? Is it the ferociously experienced defense that shut down Denver with five turnovers? Or will we witness another monumental collapse like their game versus San Diego? I don’t think anyone really knows. Matt Cassel turned Bronco mistakes into Patriot points, but he can’t be expected to throw three touchdowns each week. Since Laurence Maroney is done for the season, and Sammy Morris and Lamont Jordan are both expected to miss the next game, Kevin Faulk and BenJarvus Green-Ellis are the entirety of the Patriot running attack. That means Cassel will be under pressure all day, as no team will respect their ability to run the ball. He’ll need to hit Randy Moss and Wes Welker on shorter routes if he’s going to stay upright.
San Diego Chargers (3-4) at New Orleans Saints (3-4)
San Diego was man-handled by the Bills last week, so they’re due for an exciting win. The problem is, so are the Saints. These are two of the most unpredictable teams in the league, and both are coming off bad losses. The Chargers aren’t making up any ground on the faltering Broncos, and sooner than later the frustration will take its toll on them. L.T.’s toe injury just hasn’t gone away, and it’s causing their running game to suffer tremendously. Philip Rivers leads the league in touchdowns at 16 and passer rating at 108.5, but his spectacular season is overshadowed by the Chargers’ incongruity. San Diego won’t be able to keep trading off wins and losses, so getting back to .500 is monumental going into the second half of the year.
In the same position, New Orleans must win to keep up in the NFC South race. The question is whether or not they’ll have enough of their playmakers on offense to do it. Wide receiver Marques Colston is probable, but tight end Jeremy Shockey is questionable and has barely practiced this week, and superstar back Reggie Bush is out. Add that to the news of a possible positive test of a banned substance for Deuce McAllister means that quarterback Drew Brees will be carrying this team on his shoulders for some time. Like Rivers in San Diego, this is just another MVP season for a quarterback marred by his team’s otherwise mediocrity. Brees is the Saints’ only hope this Sunday, but the odds are against him.
Atlanta Falcons (4-2) at Philadelphia Eagles (3-3)
It’s looking to be a regular madhouse in Philadelphia this weekend. Game three of the World Series is on Saturday, followed by Falcons v. Eagles Sunday afternoon and game four Sunday night. Thankfully, Philadelphia sports fans have enough emotion to go around. Though if their teams go 0-3 for the weekend, there could be a riot. They’ll have a little more hope for the Eagles, as Brian Westbrook is probable for Sunday’s action. The bad news is the Pro Bowl guard Shaun Andrews had surgery on his back Tuesday, and won’t be expected to return for six weeks. With that timeframe in mind, Andrews would barely be back in time for the playoffs, if the Eagles make it that far. Donovan McNabb doesn’t have any room to maneuver, as any mistake in the next few games could cost them a trip to the postseason. The pressure is on, and Coach Andy Reid has to be ready to bear the brunt, so he can keep the spotlight off his star QB.
After the bye week, Atlanta is healthy and prepared to take charge of the NFC South. This team has risen above the lowly expectations that were placed upon them before the season by relying on its star talent. Matt Ryan has been a pleasant surprise, as starting rookie quarterbacks can be a hit-or-miss proposition. Michael Turner may have been the best free agent acquisition of the offseason by giving the Falcons a definitive 20 carries-a-game tailback. Defensive end John Abraham is anxious to regain the league lead in sacks after sitting for a week, so McNabb beware. Receiver Roddy White meshed perfectly with Ryan, instantly becoming the rookie’s favorite downfield threat. The Falcons have built a solid core of weapons on offense for the future, but they’re winning in the present. Arthur Blank can rest easy; the disarray of last year is over.
Arizona Cardinals (4-2) at Carolina Panthers (5-2)
These teams have been the trendy picks to win their division for the last few years. This season, they’ve actually put themselves in position to fulfill those predictions. Arizona is sitting pretty at 4-2, and their nearest threat is St. Louis at 2-4. The NFC West is that bad. Even if the Cardinals stumble, 8-8 will probably win the division for them. They’ve discovered a workable balance on offense, with a running game that features rookie Tim Hightower more and more each week. It may frustrate veteran tailback Edgerrin James who is seeing the ball less, but it’s the best course of attack for a Cardinal offense that is dependent on the big play. Arizona could use improvement to their 14th ranked defense, but will stay in every game thanks to their explosive aerial offensive scheme.
Despite being tied with the Bucs at 5-2, the Panthers are still behind their division rival in the standings because of a head-to-head loss in week six. Since Tampa faces an ailing Dallas squad, Carolina just needs to keep pace. Their defense has been erratic as of late, but they’ve been put into harsh conditions thanks to offensive turnovers. John Fox and his offense can’t afford to give the Cardinals any extra possessions because they will be cashed in at the end zone. As much trouble as Arizona might have trouble covering the receiving tandem of Mushin Muhammad and Steve Smith, Carolina might have the more troubling issues in the secondary. If Anquan Boldin plays on Sunday, the Panther defense is in for a long day. However, if he can’t go, Larry Fitzgerald will be seeing a load of double coverage coming his way and rightly so. The NFC South will beat up on each other throughout the season, so its residents must take advantage of their non-divisional match-ups.
New York Giants (5-1) at Pittsburgh Steelers (5-1)
If there was going to be a Sunday night game this week (freakin’ World Series), this would be it. Pittsburgh has persevered through a laundry list of injuries to sit at 5-1 on top of the AFC North. Their total defense ranks first in the league, which eases the tension placed on their under-manned offense. Ben Roethlisberger has kept his team in the division’s driver seat with his willingness to hold onto the ball and wait for plays to develop downfield or to allow his receivers to shake coverage. Ironically, it is that same willingness which may knock Ben out of a game before too long. He simply takes too many sacks and too many big hits to last through a sixteen game season. The Giants will be coming after Ben hard and often. Compounding matters is the deactivation of Santonio Holmes after his misdemeanor charge of marijuana possession. Running back Willie Parker will also miss his third consecutive game with a lingering knee sprain.
Leading the NFC at 5-1, the Giants still haven’t secured their chance to defend their title. In the “rough and tumble” NFC East, that status won’t be achieved until the last few weeks of the season. For the time being, New York will be traveling to Heinz Field to battle Pittsburgh for the title of “Second best in the league behind the Titans and tied with the Bills.” The Giants beat up on San Francisco last Sunday, but Pittsburgh is a step up in competition from their previous opponents. Defensively, it will take an aggressive pass rush on Roethlisberger and solid coverage on the Steeler wide-outs to be effective. The Steelers are low on running backs, so the Giants only need to concern themselves with protection against the trick plays which the Steelers are known for using. Neither team will be hurt substantially by a loss, but the win would sure make things easier down the road.
Indianapolis Colts (3-3) at Tennessee Titans (6-0)
So when are the Colts going to right the ship and win the AFC South for the sixth consecutive year? The answer has to be Monday, October 27th versus the Tennessee Titans, or it won happen, period. They’ll be short-handed in their effort, as safety Bob Sanders has been ruled out and running back Joseph Addai is questionable, but more likely doubtful if he really tore a hamstring. Indianapolis hasn’t played a solid four quarters for the entire season and is coming off a depressing loss at the hands of the Packers. Peyton Manning obviously hasn’t fully recovered from a surgery-filled offseason and it’s showing in his play on the field. He’ll need to use some of the ole’ “Manning magic” if his Colts are to beat the best in the NFL. Speaking of…
What isn’t working for Tennessee? Kerry Collins is playing solid and mistake-free at quarterback. Chris Johnson and Lendale White make up the best backfield in the NFL. Their defense (ranked 3rd overall) is holding opponents to a ridiculously low and league leading 11 points a game. That means four Rob Bironas field goals can net you a win if you play for Tennessee. Jeff Fisher is one of the best coaches out there, and his team’s play without Vince Young is the evidence. Reminiscent of the golden days of football, the Titans play aggressive, hard-hitting defense while wearing you down with their running game. It’s a combination that was worked to perfection this season, and a win against Indianapolis will almost lock them into the AFC South title.
