Under Review: Week 8

It was all a dream, I used to read word up magazine

A storyline that is picking up steam: “Is the NFL down?” There seems to be a lot of bad teams in the NFL. Is this true? Why?

Fuzz- It’s down. This past Sunday proved this too. I think I was excited about one game all week and that was the Monday night tilt between the Packers and Broncos. And funny that it ended up being the best game of the week too. Anyways, the league is extremely top heavy right now. The NFL parity is shaped like Dolly Parton.

She’s really large from the hair down to...well...you know what. After that, theirs nothing really to look at. That’s the NFL. After you get past the top 9 teams (Indy, N.E., Dallas, Pitt, G.B., Giants, Jags, Titans and Chargers) it’s all down hill. Not one team beyond these nine teams is impressive. So the final count: 9 good and 23 bad. Like I said, it’s down.

Dogg- I don't know if the teams are bad or if there are that many average teams. That's why we have a lot of parity and a lot of teams looming around .500. Good teams beat the teams they should but the problem is that all teams are losing to each other except the Giants, Pats, Colts and Pittsburgh. The way the media and most teams are talking right now, nobody has a chance except the Colts and Pats so it doesn't really matter. Remember fans and media, the NFL playoffs is only a one game series. Have Brady and/or Manning go down for one game and it could be lights out.

Q- Yes with a capital Y. We were talking about this the other day when I realized just how bad the NFL is this year. At the midway point of the season, you have two teams that are winless (St. Louis and Miami), two that have only one win (Atlanta and NY Jets), four two win teams (Minnesota, San Francisco, Cincinnati, and Oakland), and six more teams that are under .500 (Chicago, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Arizona, Buffalo, and Houston). That's 14 of 32 teams that have a losing record half way through the year. Of the 18 teams with a .500 or better record, nine of them are either at an even record or just one game over. That leaves us with only 9 of 32 teams that are two games over .500 or better. In other words, 23 of 32 can be considered average at best. Wow.

Are San Diego and New Orleans playoff teams? If so, how good are they?

Dogg- I believe I've predicted this a few weeks ago already. Both San Diego and New Orleans will be in the playoffs and will not be teams you want to play. Both have high-powered offenses and with Bush getting more touches, they are that much better. SD has everything you could ask for now with Chambers on the outside and might have the single most dominant pass rusher in the game with Merriman. I will even go out on a limb now and say both teams will win a game in the postseason.

Q- I think they're both going to make the playoffs. As of today, San Diego is tied with Kansas City for first place in the AFC West (at 4-3, of course). Yes, the same Chiefs team that was picked by most experts in the preseason to be the worst team in the AFC. Add to that the Chargers newfound inspiration in playing for those affected by the fires in southern California, and you have all the makings of a playoff team.

It was that same inspired drive that led New Orleans to the playoffs last year. And while the whole Katrina thing may not give them some added reason to play well, they'll make the playoffs too. The reason? They play in the NFC South, where the Panthers and Buccaneers are their only obstacles. Not exactly intimidating.

Fuzz- They are both playoff teams but I don’t like the Saints team. I’m putting them in due to the much talked about weak NFC conference, plus they play in probably the worst division in football. If you have an ounce of talent, you win that division. The Saints have beaten the overrated Seahawks, the worst team in football the Falcons and the hopeless 49ers the last three weeks. They have some cupcakes left too. They’re a playoff team but will get stomped in the postseason. On the other hand, I love the Chargers right now. They are playing pissed off and like they are on some secret covert operation. Remember this was the #1 seed last year in that superior AFC division, so a total collapse was out of the question. I think they are a deep sleeper to make the Superbowl. That is a bold call with Indy and N.E. grabbing all the attention, but the last three weeks they’ve averaged 35 points a game with only giving up an average of six a game. Watch out for a sneaky attack by the Bolts the rest of the way…

Detroit is flipping 5-2 and one of Jon Kitna’s drug induced predictions of 10 wins is looking like it might come true. Will they get to 10 wins? And are the hopeless Lions really a playoff team?


Q- Let's get something straight here: those predictions weren't drug-induced. They came directly to him as a word from God. Since Kitna will soon be seated next to The Almighty One, he can say these things and recover from injuries miraculously. What a prick. I hate the Lions because of him and therefore refuse to believe that they'll get to double-digit wins. They have a significantly tougher schedule in the second half of the year (Green Bay twice, at San Diego, home against Dallas and the Giants) and will soon remember that they're the Lions and fall flat on their faces.

Fuzz- The have nine games left. 5-4 seems doable. Yes, Jon Kitna might just be right. Unbelievable. They had the second pick in the draft! Now they look like a playoff team? You have to love the NFL.

Dogg- Well, the Lions were supposed to have this great explosive offense but they've been winning with their defense, which is a great sign for their franchise. They've beaten Tampa Bay and Chicago the past two weeks with limited offensive production so they might in fact get to 10 wins. Those 50 TD's that Kitna was talking about? Well, everybody knew he needed to get a clue when that comment was made. We're talking about Jon frickin Kitna. With that being said, no way they get to 10 wins.

I think you need to put Romeo Crennel in the Coach of the Year category and Derek “yes that Derek” Anderson in MVP conversations. Am I crazy?

Q- Whoa. Settle down there buddy. The Browns are 4-3 and not even leading their division. Their last two wins have come against 0-8 St. Louis and 0-8 Miami. If you want to crown them, then crown them (copyright Denny Green), but I still think they are very much a below average team. That said, if I were running the Vikes, I would be on the horn with Cleveland doing everything in my power to work out a deal for Derek Anderson. At some point the Browns are going to have to turn over the reigns to Brady Quinn, and Anderson is still very young and very capable. Offer Chester Taylor straight up. Or throw in a pick with him. Find a way to get us a real, live NFL quarterback.


Dogg- Yes, Derek Anderson is having a great year but I would go with his teammate Braylon Edwards. He's opened up the field for Winslow and has made Derek Anderson's job relatively easy. He's definitely the surprise of the year thus far along with the Cleveland Browns as a team. Granted, they haven't beaten any good teams this year but it's better than not winning games at all like it's been for the past 71 years. They might be one of those teams benefiting from the NFL being very average.

Fuzz- I have D-Anderson on my fantasy team so he’s obviously awesome. MVP seems a little nuts, but who knows? What if they get to 10 wins and get in the playoffs? You have to consider him don’t you? The funny thing is they started Charlie Frye for the first game and then traded him and went with Anderson. Did Anderson do really, really, really well that week of practice? I don’t get it. It was a no doubter for them. It’s like they said: “I know we just had four preseason games plus one regular season game and we might be late on this but this Anderson kid is the real deal, let’s move Frye…like now!” What a story. Oh yeah, if thee flipping Browns win over 10 games, he’s a lock for coach of the year.

Ok, finally the game of the year everyone is talking about is when San Fran travels to Atlanta this coming weekend. Who do you got? Haha! Kidding of course. If you can go all week without hearing Colts/Patriots breakdowns you’re either a really big loser or living in a bunker. Anyways, who wins this game? And who ever wins this game really matter in the long run? FYI: They’re both making playoffs regardless…


Q- The outcome of this game matters A LOT. I think these teams are so evenly matched that home field advantage will determine the winner in the playoffs. Look at it this way: the winner of this game has a full game cushion for home field. That means they could lose a meaningless game at the end of the year while they rest their starters, and still get a home game in the AFC title game. That's big. As for this week? I think it's going to be a lot more vanilla and boring than most realize. Both of these teams know that they're going to play each other in January, so why give away too much for a regular season game? I think a lot of people are going to hype themselves up too much on this game and feel quite a let down when all is said and done. Oh, and I got the Patriots.

Fuzz- All it means is that we finally have a gigantic game to look forward too. I can’t wait. This has to be one of the better games on paper in the last 20 years. Two undefeated teams with the current SuperBowl champ against the dynasty team of the 2000’s. It doesn’t get better then this ladies & gentleman. I have the Patriots winning by 10.

Dogg- Colts win this week because I believe they have the most influential defensive player in the league in Bob Sanders. This defense is the polar opposite with and without him. Colts get home field advantage in the playoffs and continue their dominance with a repeat Super Bowl victory over the New Orleans Saints.