Upon further review ...
We start our Week 9 tour with those five NFC victories.
Lions 44, Broncos 7
When Mike Shanahan looked at the 2007 schedule I bet he didn't say to himself, "Gee, I hope the Lions don't run it up on us in Week 9." Starting QB Jay Cutler got knocked out in the second quarter, Javon Walker is still sidelined with a knee injury and Travis Henry is likely a couple of weeks away from having his drug suspension upheld. Things couldn't look any more bleak for the Broncos. I guess the good news is that this latest humiliating result came on the road.
Vikings 35, Chargers 17
Talk about one step forward, two steps back. One week after throwing three touchdowns on 11 passes against the Texans, Philip Rivers was vexed by the Vikes' previously non-existent pass defense. That Minny contained LaDainian Tomlinson (16 carries, 40 yards) is no surprise, since they stuff everybody on the ground. But the fact that Rivers (19-42, 197, 1 INT) was baffled by a league-worst pass defense that came into Sunday allowing 288 yards per game and was without starting corner Antoine Winfield is seriously troubling for Bolts fans. Oh, and then there's the matter of getting trampled for 296 yards by Adrian Peterson. Next week they get the league's best pass defense when Indy comes to town.
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Saints 41, Jaguars 24
Wow. We knew Marcus Stroud was good, but we didn't know he was this good. Playing without their All-Pro defensive tackle — suspended four games for steroids — the Jags went from having a physical, dominant defense to being embarrassed to the tune of 538 total yards and 32 first downs by the Saints. How pleasant a walk in the park was this for the Saints? They converted 28 of their 32 first downs on their first- or second-down play. Not the way the Jags wanted to head into the next month against four teams (Titans, Chargers, Bills, Colts) with a combined 21-11 record.
Redskins 23, Jets 20 OT
The only guy who might be enjoying Eric Mangini's lost season as much as Bill Belichick is Redskins guard Pete Kendall. After what he viewed as bad-faith negotiation by the Jets during training camp, Kendall vowed never to play for them again and left town with nothing nice to say about his former employer. So on Sunday, when Shaun Suisham made his fifth field goal of the day to drop the Jets to 1-8 (two more losses than they had all of Kendall's last season with the team), Kendall left New Jersey in a much better mood than his last departure.
Packers 33, Chiefs 22
As Larry Johnson once again struggled to get untracked, the fans at Arrowhead began booing the Chiefs' conservative play-calling. When Damon Huard threw a pick-six that iced the game, the fans suddenly remembered why Herm Edwards and Al Saunders usually go the conservative route. If L.J. is forced to miss any time with the ankle injury he sustained on Sunday, Priest Holmes may return to his familiar role as the Chiefs' starting tailback. What will be unfamiliar is the nine guys waiting in the box on 1st-and-10.
Patriots 24, Colts 20
Well, the Patriots gave a clinic on how not to tackle as they allowed a 73-yard touchdown after a short pass to Joseph Addai. Tom Brady threw two interceptions, including an egregious pick into triple coverage while trying inexplicably to force the ball to blocking tight end Kyle Brady. And the Patriots set a franchise record with 146 penalty yards. Add it all up, and for the first time this season, the Pats failed to cover the spread. Lots to work on during the bye week.
Browns 33, Seahawks 30 OT
On a rare week of NFC supremacy the up-and-down Seahawks didn't get the memo, blowing a 21-6 lead against the Browns as they fell to 4-4. Shaun Alexander turned in a another dispiriting stinker with 32 yards on 14 carries. As erratic and uninspired as the Seahawks have been, they still get what essentially amounts to a bye into the playoffs by virtue of playing in the NFC West. The 5-3 Browns aren't so lucky. If they make the playoffs, they will have earned it. And believe it or not, with a soft schedule in the second half, Romeo Crennel's Brownies will be in the hunt in December. (They are currently tied with the Jaguars for the final playoff spot in the AFC.)
Titans 20, Panthers 7
Not only has Vince Young not passed for 200 yards in a single game this season — Tom Brady's season low is 231 — but the Titans QB seems to be going backward. In his last four starts he has thrown for a grand total of 429 yards (16 fewer than Drew Brees threw for on Sunday), 0 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. Not that any of that matters. Tennessee is 3-1 in those four grim Young performances and is now 6-2 on the season thanks to a punishing defense led by DT Albert Haynesworth who sacked David Carr three times on Sunday.
Buccaneers 17, Cardinals 10
Replays of Jermaine Phillips' apparent game-sealing interception showed that the pass should have been ruled incomplete. But the game was still outside the two-minute warning that would have triggered an automatic booth review. And the Cards were out of timeouts. So the mistake on the field stands. Sorry, Cardinals. Our bad.
Falcons 20, Niners 16
Not only have the Niners lost six straight, they've proven they can lose in every way imaginable. They get blown out. They lose squeakers. They lose at home. They lose on the road. In four of their losses, they've lost by an average of 20 points. In the other two, by an average of merely a field goal. The rest of the schedule isn't all that tough, but it doesn't need to be for this team to finish 4-12, which will probably give the Patriots a top-five pick.
Bills 33, Bengals 21
Every time you think the Bengals have bottomed out they plumb to new depths. After taking a 21-16 lead into the fourth quarter, the toothless tigers laid down and got smacked for 17 unanswered points as they fell to 2-6. Rudi Johnson and Kenny Watson each ran for a grand total of 11 yards. The defense allowed 176 yards rushing, 23 first down and 36 minutes of possession. And just when it didn't look like it could get any worse, Chad Johnson was taken off the field on a stretcher. Johnson's prognosis is good, but the same can most definitely not be said for the Bungles.
Texans 24, Raiders 17
Lane Kiffin, 32, already holds the record as the youngest coach in the history of the NFL. His team is playing like they want him to hold the record for youngest coach to be fired in league history. Playing a Texans team that was without starting quarterback Matt Schaub and star wideout Andre Johnson, the Raiders turned in a depressing performance on both sides of the ball that wasn't nearly as close as the final score. Josh McCown had a wretched day, going 13-for-28 for 158 yards and three picks as the fans held up signs demanding the unswaddling of JaMarcus Russell. For his part, as he watched the Silver and Black lose their fourth straight, Russell must have been thinking, Man, I'm in no rush to break into this lineup.
Cowboys 38, Eagles 17
Playing like a team whose coach was in court last week to see his two adult sons sentenced to jail time, the Eagles laid their biggest egg of the season. The 21-point loss dropped Philly to 1-3 at home (3-5 overall) and seemed to beg the question if there's anything to be gained by Andy Reid coaching out the rest of the season.
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