The NFL landscape got a shake again this weekend and in a season so rife with parity, how could you be surprised? Contenders across the board went down and some looked pretty flawed in doing so.
The Dallas Cowboys ripped through the supposed powerhouse Giants. The Giants showed about as much electricity as their stadium during the blackout. Jon Kitna looked like a legitimate NFL QB and made Cowboys fans remember what their season should have turned out like. Jason Garrett also showed that, for at least one game, he deserves his shot at being the Boys coach.
The Kansas City Chiefs walked into a bloodbath at Mile High Stadium and were promptly dismantled by the Broncos. Before they even knew what hit them, they were down 35-0 in the second quarter. It’s not like Broncos are a great team either; this win snapped a four game drought.
The Ravens lost on Thursday night, but have to be included in here. They’re supposed to be one of the best teams in the AFC and should be able to hold onto a late lead, even on the road.
The Patriots did what they usually do, avoid back-to-back losses and win in Pittsburgh. That’s three in a row that Brady and Co. has won in Steeltown and now the Steelers may have been exposed. Big Ben couldn’t pull off his escape artist act enough and felt the pressure all night from a supposedly weak NE pass rush.
On the other hand, two contenders did show they are worth their salt. Those were the Colts and Jets. It is a bit concerning that New York needed almost the entire overtime period to score against Cleveland, but Indianapolis looked a lot better than 23-17 scoreline maintains. That was simply the Bengals usual garbage time act when Carson Palmer racks up meaningless yards and points when their team is too far behind to realistically come back.
We could get another shakeup tonight too. With Donovan McNabb’s old team coming to visit in Washington and the Giants having lost yesterday, there’s a big chance for these two teams to stake a claim as the best of the NFC East.
This week: 7-6-0 (With Philly -3 tonight)
This season: 76-63-5