54-31, 48-28, 45-28, 37-29, 51-29. Those are final scores from five of the games on the highest scoring week in NFL history. The 837 points scored averages out to 52.3 points per game, the third highest average game score on any given week. The two higher were in 1987 (the last scab games) and 1983, the biggest offensive season in the 31-year history of the 16-game schedule. Right now NFL games are averaging 45 points this season, which would surpass the record of 43.7 set in 1983.
And Mercury Morris Pops the Champagne
With a dominating performance, the New York Jets knocked off the Tennessee Titans, the last unbeaten team in the NFL. While Brett Favre deserves a ton of credit for the Jets 5-game winning streak, an increased focus on the running game is the real reason for the Jets success against the Titans. The Jets racked up nearly 200 yards rushing while holding the ball for more than 40 minutes, running a previously stout Titans defense ragged. And the Jets proved that sometimes the best offense is a good defense, as they stifled the Titans running game (45 yards on 11 attempts). On the Titans first 5 possessions, they got exactly 1 first down, and therefore 4 3-and-outs. That allowed the Jets to overcome 2 turnovers and take a 10-0 lead. The Jets had 3 drives of 7 minutes or longer (ok, one was 6:54, close enough) and that was the key to this game, a very possible AFC Championship Game preview.
End of an Era?
Watching Donovan McNabb standing on the sidelines during the second half as the Eagles got trounced by the Baltimore Ravens, he looked like a little kid who just got yelled at by his mother. He had the hood over his head, his sleeves hanging limp by his sides with his arms tucked in his parka, and the saddest look on his face.
The Donovan McNabb era in Philadelphia is officially over. No matter that Andy Reid announced him as the starter for the Thanksgiving night game against the Cardinals, this was the end of McNabb's tenure as the Eagles starting quarterback. Reid is only re-inserting McNabb because Kevin Kolb isn't ready, and Reid doesn't want it to be the end of the Andy Reid era too.
McNabb never had the support of Eagles fans, who booed him on draft day and barely ever let up. Sure he never won the Super Bowl (and his Super Bowl performance, and some of his championship game performances too, left a lot to be desired), but being a pretty good quarterback over a long period of time should have earned him a little more patience from fans.
Unless McNabb surfaces somewhere (Minnesota? Chicago?) and has a late season resurgence, his career will be remembered most for its failures, and that wouldn't be fair.
Game of the Week
New England Patriots 48 Miami Dolphins 28
The final score didn't realy indicate it but this game was a real back and forth affair until the 4th quarter. The teams alternated scoring with the lead changing hands six times before Randy Moss's second touchdown catch of the day put the Patriots ahead for good. Moss added one more touchdown because he was so pissed off that the Dolphins dared to disrespect him by single covering him. And speaking of pissed off, Matt Light and Channing Crowder were both ejected for a fight, one that Light got the better of, seeing as how he was still wearing his helmet.
Game of Next Week
Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots
Even with the big win over the Dolphins the Patriots are still in tenuous playoff position. Both teams are being threatened by the Ravens (who play the Bengals this week) so the loser here will have some work to do. Matt Cassel is coming off one of the best 2-game stretches for a quarterback in NFL history. But now he's facing a real defense so we'll see how he responds.
Cheerleader of the Week
Julia Williamson of the New England Patriots Cheerleaders
There's a lot to like about Julia's bio. She has a dog, sort of. It's a pomeranian, but she named it Marley, presumably after one of the greatest books ever written and the upcoming movie.
Her favorite guilty pleasure is S'mores, maybe I'll invite her over to make S'Mores some time.
She lists "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" has one of her favorite movies and her favorite quote is from my second favorite transcendentalist, Thoreau. But here's what puzzles me, her favorite actor and actress are Steve Carrell and Rachel McAdams. Pretty disparate selections. I guess it shows that she's a girl with a sense of humor, but still a girl.
A Brief Rant About the Redskins
A win is a win, but you'd love to see the Redskins pound these bad teams a little bit. A few things that worried me: the offense had a couple long drives that stalled just short of field goal range. They need to convert more third downs in big spots. I think conservative play-calling hurts them. Both of the Seahawks touchdowns came right after Redskins touchdowns. I want to see more killer instinct out of the defense. It's like a pitcher in baseball who gives up runs everytime his team scores. It hurts morale. And finally, the field goal kicking. Shaun Suisham is good for one miss in every close game. He's already missed 7 field goals so far this year. It cost them in the Dallas game, but the rest of his misses all came in wins. But his inconsistency could kill them down the stretch.
If the Super Bowl Were Played Today
New York Giants 31 New York Jets 23
To the victor go the spoils. The Jets knocked the Titans off so they deserve this spot for now. I still think the Titans are a better team and the Jets will have a really tough time beating them again in Tennessee in the AFC Championship game (should that come to pass). Neither the Jets nor the Giants have lost since week 7 (the Jets stinnker against the Raiders) and this section is all about the hot team.
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