The best of the best from the early NFL games:
Seahawks 30, Rams 28
These two teams always play each other hard don’t they? Seattle gets a last second FG by Josh Brown to put the nail in a topsy-turvy contest. The Seahawks take sole ownership in the NFC West, but St. Louis proved today that their 4-2 mark isn’t by fluke.
Most impressed with: The two star receivers on both squads. Deion Branch caught six passes for 76 yards and two scores while Torry Holt hauled in eight catches for 154 yards and three touchdowns. While Branch will get more headlines because of the win, Holt continues to outperform most receivers on Sundays and gets less and less exposure.
Least impressed with: Nobody in this game should be ridiculed, but I guess Steven Jackson (20 carries, 56 yards, one TD) getting out rushed by Maurice Morris (23 carries, 74 yards) isn’t too impressive on Jackson’s part. However, Seattle’s run defense is among the best in the league, so Jackson’s low rush total isn’t a total shocker.
Saints 27, Eagles 24
It’s time to stop biting a lip when saying how good New Orleans is. After beating Philly 27-24 on a last second FG by John Carney, the Saints are among the leagues best. The Saints are in first in their division by two games now, play extremely motivated at home and are overachieving on both sides of the ball. New Orleans is a very solid football team and should be recognized after staving off several Eagles comebacks throughout the game.
Most impressed with: Drew Brees are brought security to the quarterback position in New Orleans. He did throw two picks to keep Philadelphia close in this game, but was otherwise marvelous in going 27 of 37 for 275 yards and two scores.
Least impressed with: I’ve said it for a few weeks now about how the Eagles don’t look the same on defense as they did in going to all of those NFC Championship games earlier this decade. They allowed 372 yards of total offense and are allowing opponents to score on a regular basis in the red zone.
Quick Shots:
The Giants look strong again after Tiki Barber (26 carries for 185 yards) pounded a once stout Falcons’ run defense. New York sacked Michael Vick about 42 times in its 27-14 win and are now right back in the NFC East chase…After a painfully slow start against Houston, the Cowboys abused the Texans 34-6 as Terrell Owens scored three times. Now shut up T.O…What a weekend for the city of Detroit. First its Tigers clinched a World Series appearance on Saturday and then on Sunday the Lions somehow found a way to hang on to a 20-17 victory over Buffalo. It was Detroit’s first win of the season…The Ravens defense got beat up like a piñata by QB Jake Delhome in the Panthers 23-20 victory in Baltimore. Delhomme threw for 365 yards and two scores as Carolina is now back from the dead and Baltimore is back to reality…Congratulations to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for winning its first game of the season. The Bucs beat the Bengals 14-13 on a last minute Bruce Gradkowski pass to Michael Clayton. The Bengals have now lost back-to-back games after starting the season 3-0…Another team that notched its first victory of the season was the Tennessee Titans. Rookie QB Vince Young (13 of 25 for 161 yards and a TD) wasn’t overly impressive in the Titans 25-22 victory over the Redskins, but he didn’t throw any picks and kept the offense moving the entire contest. What a crushing blow for Washington to lose against a winless team on its home turf. Yikes…
Don’t forget to check out my NFL Random Thoughts blog on Monday.
