Tuesday Morning Running Back Week 3: Patriots Lose, Chargers Cruise.

 Here's a quick little history lesson for you.

Including my time on Blogger, this is the 20th addition of Tuesday Morning Running Back during the regular season.

Within the previous 19 additions, one thing had remained consistent through all of them, The New England Patriots were always undefeated.

As a Patriots fan, it pains me to admit that the streak finally came to an end on Sunday, but what is most surprising is that of all teams that could have, the Dolphins were the team that ended the NFL's longest regular season winning streak at 21 games.

The Dolphins were supposed to be the laughing stock of the AFC again, although astute football fans know that any time a guy like Bill Parcells runs the show, you''re always in for a total organizational face lift that will eventually produce results.

That was certainly evident on Sunday.

Behind the pinpoint passing of Chad Pennington, and an outstanding performance by Ronnie Brown, the Fish trounced the Revolutionaries 38-13 in their own backyard and proved to everyone that they aren't as lightweight as we thought.

Brown in particualar, shredded the Patriots defense and kept them off-balance for the majority of the game.

In the process, he became the first running back in 85 years to score 4 touchdowns and throw for one in the same game since Paddy Driscoll in 1923.

He also showed that the Patriots defense is an aging unit, that has difficulty stopping the run, a fact that doesn't bode well for the Patriots with LaDainian Tomlinson as their next opponent.

So in essence, what we learned was that the Pats defense isn't as good as we thought and Miami will be much better than you think.

Now, let's see what else happened in the NFL this weekend, on to the bullet points!

• I must also admit that I'm glad I didn't sit through another domination of the Green Bay Packers by the Dallas Cowboys. In effect, the Cowboys staked their claim as the best team in the NFC.
• Maybe Aaron Rodgers will get the bonus the Packers are promising if he continues to play well by week 8, although then again he did seem like he was at the mercy of the Cowboys defense on Sunday night.
• This just in, Tina Fey has won another Emmy Award.
• I want to hear from you Jets fans out there. Be honest, do you still wish Chad Pennington was still your quarterback after what he did to the Patriots as you now sit at 1-2 with an aging and less effective Brett Favre at the helm?
• It was nice to see the entire Charger team play in sync with each other last night as they rolled to victory against the Jets.
• Whoops of the week goes to NBC's Al Michaels who claimed that the Cowboys and Packers tilt would be a lot of fun and the game of the week. Maybe it was a lot of fun for Dallas, but that was hardly the game of the week.
• Lambeau Field has to be the only place in America where people with ten-gallon cowboy hats and foam cheeses on their heads come together to watch a football game.
• I'm beginning to wonder if the Kansas City Chiefs should just hold open public tryouts to find a quarterback, but then again they would probably attract everyone from guys that have not played since pee-wee to guys who eat every meal at Arthur Bryant's.
• Mmm, Arthur's Bryant's barbecue, I could sure use some of that now.
• I still stand behind my claim that Michael Turner was the biggest off-season steal in the NFL, now if he could find a way to run through defenses away from the Georgia Dome.
• It's nice to see that everyone in Atlanta is having fun playing football again after the way last season ended.
• Got to hand it to the Bills, that was one heck of a comeback against the Raiders. They deserve to be 3-0.
• Of course all you need to know about the Raiders is that the defense gave up 91 total yards in the first half and 297 yards in the second. "Coach Kiffin, Mr. Davis on line one."
• Fumbles picks, and overthrows, all of which Matt Schaub did on Sunday. It may be a long year in Houston.
• Who would have thought the Titans would have been 3-0 with Kerry Collins taking the majority of their snaps. Although their defensive is pretty much stacked.
  
• Speaking of stacked defenses, how about the Vikings, 5 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, and a touchdown. Boy I'm glad to have them as my Fantasy defense.
• If you've been a long time reader of this column, you know I've taken my fair shots at Gus Ferrotte in the past. I must say though he kept his mistakes to a minimum and let his defense win the game.
• Jim Zorn has allowed his offense to be more open than the one we saw opening night. Not surspringly, the Redskins have won 2 straight.
• If the Bengals hadn't wasted so much time in setting up there offense on their last drive in regulation, they may have won the game.
• What a heroic performance by Brian Griese in Chicago. It isn't often you see a guy throw 67 passes for over 400 yards in a game. Yeah he threw three interceptions, but the important thing is he won the game, right?
• What a bonehead play by the Bears Charles Tillman. Why would you commit an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty when your opponent is backed up in their own end zone on fourth down?
• With their loss to the Seahawks on Sunday, the Rams have now been outscored 116-29 through three games. Where are the calls for Scott Linehan's head?
• Speaking of people who should lose their jobs after the thrashing they got in San Francisco Sunday, Lions president Matt Millen said that as long as the Lions stay the course, it won't be time to panic. Uh, Matt, the time to panic passed a long time ago, it's now time to revolt.
• Where are the Cleveland Browns? Do they even know it's week three?
• Ravens QB Joe Flacco became only the third rookie to win his first two starts in the NFL. The other two? John Elway and some guy named Ryan Leaf if you can believe that.
• The Broncos have allowed 798 passing yards over the last two weeks but yet have still won both of those games. I guess they're the polar opposite of the 2000 Ravens!
• Smart move by the Jacksonville offense to exploit the weak Colts secondary without Bob Sanders by running the ball.
• Dumb move by the Colts to commit a pass interference penalty that set up the Jaguars game winning field goal when it would have ended the game.
• All that needs to be said about the battle of Pennsylvania is that thank God the x-ray's were negative on Brain Westbrook's ankle.
• You've been a great audience, see you next week for more hard hitting football analysis.