NFL Week 8 Shows Teams Need To Put Old Yeller Out Of His Misery
Many NFL fans are tired of saying "He's back!" Then there are others who wished he was never asked to return. Then there are the Hickocritons who don't care what he does, just so long as he returns.
Brett Favre is trying to tell his media buddies he will try to play Sunday so his team can win. With an ego so out of control, he fails to see he is the biggest reason the Vikings are 2-4 with his 15 turnovers.
With the highest interception rate of his career, coupled by the lowest yards per attempt average and passing yards per game of his career, Favre resembles the punch-drunk heavyweight who got in the ring one too many times.
While time eventually forgets those missteps, his may linger because of other issues that show he is more than the crying boy playing for his dead dad. He is now the dirty old man touching himself to a girl old enough to be his child while wearing Crocs instead of slippers.
ESPN tried to exclaim Favre took part in practice, while only showing footage of an old man by a locker trying to put weight on his injured ankle. Vikings head coach Brad Childress, obviously tired of watching a self-absorbed egomaniac throw away games while playing outside of the system, has publicly said the team needs a quarterback who values possession of the football.
If Childress does the right thing and benches Favre, the media blitz is on from the quarterback's buddies. If he says nothing, he loses respect in the locker room. While people point to the streak, trying to compare it to Jim Marshall or Cal Ripken Jr., it should be noted Marshall and Ripken were not causing their teams to lose for the sake of their streaks, and still contributed heavily towards victories.
Childress only has himself to blame. He asked for a return and even picked him up at the airport. Perhaps his only avenue is to let the Hickocrite play, lose the game and possibly get damaged so badly in the ankle that he is forced to retire. The Vikings win in that scenario.
Albert Haynesworth came out this week saying, ''I'm not good enough to play the 3-4 defense. I would like to start and start playing like I used to...but right now I'm fine with it (coming off the bench in the nickel package)."
Haynesworth may have been trying to be facetious, considering he just came off a game where he had his first sack this season and came up big on a goal line play, but the message of pity was the recurring theme he has spouted since Mike Shanahan was hired as the Redskins head coach and announced plans to switch to a base 3-4 defense.
He doesn't seem concerned whether or not he will be with Washington past this season either. ''I don't know. I have no clue. Right now, if I just keep playing, I'm going to be somewhere. Keep playing and help the teammates, and make plays and I guess get noticed more,'' Haynesworth pondered, ''so people will say I'm not a bust or whatever.''
Guess he is so self-involved and deeply sequestered from society that he fails to realize people have been calling him a bust most of his Redskins career.
Buffalo Bills @ Kansas City Chiefs
1 of 14
The winless Bills proved that they still were an NFL team last week by taking the Baltimore Ravens to the wire in their 37-34 loss last Sunday.
Buffalo's is good against the pass, but are the worst against the run defensively. The Chiefs stink at throwing the ball, but are the top team in the NFL at running it.
Buffalo might try to pound halfback Fred Jackson often, but attacking the Chiefs' 25th-ranked pass defense is the best way to go with them. They have a good shot at getting a win this week, but betting on the Bills to be consistent is a huge gamble.
Bills 27, Chiefs 24
Denver Broncos @ San Francisco 49ers
2 of 14
If you said the Chiefs-Bills game would be a better game before the season started, go buy a lottery ticket fast.
The Niners have one win, and the Broncos have two. Besides Denver quarterback Kyle Orton, neither team does anything particularly great on either side of the ball. San Francisco has recently shown some signs of getting halfback Frank Gore going, and it will have to lean on him heavily with third-string quarterback Troy Smith playing.
The NFL is trying to get global by playing this game overseas, but it is hard to imagine this battle of mediocrity will inspire much of a following.
Broncos 31, 49ers 23
Carolina Panthers @ Saint Louis Rams
3 of 14
Here is a look at two teams going in opposite directions a lot faster than expected. The Rams already have three wins, a total many did not expect over the entire season from them in training camp. Carolina has just one.
Matt Moore is back as the Panthers quarterback, and he had a few nice moments last week. With halfback DeAngelo Williams dinged up and questionable, he will need to step up again.
The Rams underrated defense is improving weekly, and they can get a big load of help from running back Steven Jackson pounding the ball frequently against the Panthers 24th-ranked rush defense.
Rams 21, Panthers 10
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Washington Redskins @ Detroit Lions
4 of 14
The 4-3 Redskins are just a few plays away from being winless. They have been so unimpressive that gamblers are betting on the 1-5 Lions this week.
Detroit has the seventh-ranked pass attack, but that was from the arm of Shaun Hill, who came on early in the season to replace injured starter Matthew Stafford. Now Hill is hurt and Stafford is ready to go against the Redskins 31st-ranked pass defense.
While Washington statistically has the second-worst defense in the NFL, it gets real tough once teams approach the end zone. Detroit also has no power backs to rely on, as it prefers to hand it to scatback Jahvid Best. Best has had a productive season, but has had nagging injuries to the point even Lions head coach Jim Schwartz conceded that full health is not likely to return all year for the rookie.
The Lions' defense is nothing special either, but rookie Ndamukong Suh could give a beat-up Donovan McNabb issues all day behind his subpar offensive line. If he gets time, McNabb could carve up Detroit's secondary when not handing the ball off to Ryan Torain, who is seeking his third straight week of over 100 yards rushing.
Redskins 30, Lions 28
Green Bay Packers @ New York Jets
5 of 14
The Pack made a questionable move in not supplementing their running backs corps after Ryan Grant went down for the year early on, especially after Seattle got Marshawn Lynch for very little.
The glare of Grant's absence will glow brightest this game, because the Packers will need to pass often to win. They are missing their best tight end, and their leading pass-catcher is beat up. Donald Driver is so hurt that he failed to catch a pass for the first time in almost nine full seasons, 139 games, last week.
The Jets are coming off a bye week, so guys are getting healthy again. Darrelle Revis is one of them, and he should be blanketing Greg Jennings all game. New York also has the second-best rushing attack in the NFL, not good news for a 23rd-ranked Green Bay run defense so beat up that it had offensive lineman T.J. Lang helping out last week.
Jets 26, Packers 17
Miami Dolphins @ Cincinnati Bengals
6 of 14
Cincinnati is a mess. Last week typified its 2010 season. Getting blown out 24-3 at halftime against the Atlanta Falcons, they went into the fourth quarter leading, 25-24. Atlanta then put up 15 straight points before the Bengals added a late cosmetic score in their 39-32 loss.
That has been the problem, looking good cosmetically with no substance. But that was expected after pairing up Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco, who are exactly what the Bengals are. They are a galaxy away from the 2009 team that went 10-6.
Miami should look to kick start its running game against a under-performing Bengals defense.
Dolphins 28, Bengals 20
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Dallas Cowboys
7 of 14
This is a game no one cares about, and that includes the players that will take the field. While Jaguars quarterback David Garrard returns from injury, Jon Kitna makes his first start in place of the injured Tony Romo in this battle of two teams going nowhere worthwhile in 2010.
Cowboys 18, Jaguars 17
Tennessee Titans @ San Diego Chargers
8 of 14
Only a Norv Turner-coached team can be first in offense and defense with a 2-5 record. Bolts quarterback Philip Rivers gets Vincent Jackson back from his holdout in three weeks, but it is hard to imagine Jackson giving his full effort. Jackson is probably looking to get out healthy in 2010 so he can join a new team next year.
Vince Young returns to the Titans after missing over a game from a knee injury. Wide receiver Kenny Britt has gotten hot recently, taking a little pressure off bellcow Chris Johnson.
This game should go to the wire.
Titans 34, Chargers 31
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Arizona Cardinals
9 of 14
Tampa Bay's head coach Raheem Morris says his team is the best in the NFC. Now is the time to prove it.
Buccaneers 21, Cardinals 17
Minnesota Vikings @ New England Patriots
10 of 14
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady once said he wants to play until he gets past 40 years old. Perhaps watching Brett Favre crash and burn this year will have him rethink that plan.
Vikings halfback Adrian Peterson should get the ball a lot, but maybe more in the pass than he has before. The Pats have one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL, but they could get good fast against a Vikings passer who already has 10 interceptions.
Randy Moss returns to New England, where he played over three years, wearing a Vikings jersey he wore six seasons previously. He will want the ball. The only question is if Minnesota has someone who can get it to him.
Patriots 37, Vikings 31
Seattle Seahawks @ Oakland Raiders
11 of 14
It is fitting these two face off on Halloween, because they truly are Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Oakland went crazy last week, scoring at will after a season of battling to get points. Seattle is leading its division, putting new head coach Pete Carroll in serious consideration for an award. One week they are stomping the 49ers, Chargers or Bears, and the next they are getting destroyed by the Rams.
Oakland did beat Seattle 27-24 in preseason, for whatever that's worth.
Raiders 27, Seahawks 17
Pittsburgh Steelers @ New Orleans Saints
12 of 14
The Saints are looking for that wondrous offense that won them a Super Bowl last year. It is doubtful they will finally find it courtesy of the Steelers, perhaps boasting the best defense in football.
While New Orleans has been excellent defending the pass this season, their 16th-ranked run defense will be tested by Steelers halfback Rashard Mendenhall. If the Saints can't run well, this could be over fast.
When Pittsburgh won Super Bowl XLIII in 2008, they failed to make the playoffs the following year. The 4-3 Saints are dangerously flirting with that territory this year.
Steelers 23, Saints 20
Houston Texans @ Indianapolis Colts
13 of 14
Game of the Week
Houston showed it could beat the Colts in the first week of this season. It helped that halfback Arian Foster ran for 231 yards and three touchdowns, but the Colts are horrible defending the run and rank 26th in the league. It is possible Foster matches those career-best totals once again this Monday.
Duane Brown is the Texans' best offensive lineman, and the left tackle will have his hands full with pass rusher Dwight Freeney. Houston did lose its best linebacker in DeMeco Ryans in the middle of the defense for the year, and now hope 2009 Defensive Rookie of the Year Brian Cushing can play the spot.
Indianapolis always seems to lose a key pass catcher every year and not miss a step. All-Pro tight end Dallas Clark is gone for the year, and red zone specialist Austin Collie is also out.
Future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning has already said this game is important to his Colts. They have lost both games in their division so far, thus making him realize how catastrophic a third defeat could be in this battle of 4-2 squads.
Colts 38, Texans 35
Power Rankings
14 of 14
1. Steelers
2. Jets
3. Patriots
4. Giants
5. Ravens
6. Colts
7. Titans
8. Falcons
9. Texans
10. Chiefs
11. Saints
12. Dolphins
13. Redskins
14. Buccaneers
15. Eagles
16. Packers
17. Bengals
18. Bears
19. Chargers
20. Rams
21. Vikings
22. Jaguars
23. Raiders
24. Seahawks
25. Cowboys
26. Broncos
27. Cardinals
28. Lions
29. 49ers
30. Browns
31. Bills
32. Panthers
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