NFL Hangover - Week 9 Wrap Up

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Well, I finished 2-1 on my picks for the week, which is decent, but I still can’t believe the Cowboys pulled it off.

Quick Observations from the Couch
As always, these are a few thoughts that rattled around my head as I watched the following games.

Texans (17) – Colts (20)
With the Colts missing three quarters of their starting secondary to injuries, they still managed to keep the Texans offense in check. Peyton Manning and Dallas Clark hooked up more in the first half than Paris Hilton at a sailor convention, resulting in 11 catches for Clark by the mid point. The Texans played better defense in the second half, but the Colts came up with a big interception and Kris Brown reverted to his old Steelers form by missing a late field goal.

The Colts stay undefeated and get ready for their annual showdown with New England next week. Could someone please explain the NFL scheduling loop hole that allows these two to meet every year? As a Colts fan, I’d rather we played the Browns.

Dolphins (17) – Patriots (27)
Early in the game, the Fins looked to have the Pats number again. They grabbed a quick INT and even scored off a pass from the Wildcat in the second half. They couldn’t keep Brady and Moss down for long though as the Patriots came roaring back in the second half, drawing quite a few pass interference calls and eventually breaking through on a couple big plays.

Miami is just good enough to hang with elite teams, but not quite good enough to put them away. The Patriots are looking more dangerous every week and it was only a matter of time before they got the better of the Dolphins.

Ravens (7) – Bengals (17)
Does anyone else think the Bengals corners sound like a folk music group, Hall & Joseph? Ok, it’s just me. Either way, they are shutting receivers down this year and they kept it up against the Ravens. Leon Hall jumped a Derrick Mason slant route in the first quarter so quickly that he almost broke his own ankles. Cedric Benson is showing great patience on his runs and has topped 100 yards for the second straight time against the Ravens.

I don’t think the Bengals are a lock for the division title just yet, but they seem to be giving the rest of the division fits. They have a huge game versus the Steelers next week, which could decide the division.

Panthers (20) – Saints (30)
The early DeAngelo Williams touchdown run was amazing. I could feel the hearts being ripped out of Superdome fans through my TV. When Brees was stripped of the ball and the Panthers went up 14-0, it almost didn’t seem real. And it wasn’t.

At one point during the second half, commentator and former head coach, Brian Billick commented that “Jake Delhomme’s balls just seem a little hot”. Yup, you read that correctly. Sure, he was talking about Delhomme putting too much power into a finesse throw, but I’m sure there’s a better way to say it.

New Orleans once again displayed an amazing ability to score quickly when they’re behind and to get some key defensive plays when they need it. They are clearly the best team in the NFL right now.

Chargers (21) – Giants (20)
Just as I predicted, the Chargers pulled it off. Yes, I know they were supposed to win by eight, but just let me gloat a little. I think it’s safe to say that the Giants are officially reeling. But then again, they deserved to lose. They have an offense with a ton of talent and refuse to use their weapons properly. I would love to hear Tom Coughlin’s explanation for taking Brandon Jacobs off the field on 3rd and 1, then running the slightly built Ahmad Bradshaw up the gut, only to get stuffed. As a general rule, any time you have a 264 lb running back who averages 4.6 yards per carry over his career, you should use him on short yardage plays. I know it seems counter-intuitive, but just trust me. This is just more proof for Bill Simmons’ Madden theory. No Madden player would ever pull Jacobs in that situation.

Once the Chargers finally remembered that Eli looks like a deranged squirrel when he’s blitzed, they shut down the passing game. They sacked h

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