We Do Mess With Texas

I am sure many people are tired of hearing about the Patriots-Cowboys "Duel in Dallas" game but seeing as its basically all I have thought about all week, I don't care. I couldn't help but dedicate this week's entry to the game. It was a very interesting week in the NFL, that is for sure.

First us poor football fans were made to suffer through Dallas' six turnover, come from behind, last second win in Buffalo on Monday night, a game that literally made my blood boil. Being also an Eagles fan, I HATE the Cowboys. I hate them with a passion I don't think I have for any other team. I was angry after that win. I know some people are saying, oh we should be so IMPRESSED by Tony Romo that he could turn the ball over so much and still find a way to win. On what planet should I be impressed?? If Dallas had been playing a good team, even a slightly better team, there is no way that would have happened.

Then of course no week could go by without some sort of T.O. event, and we were forced to sit through a week of intense media scrutiny about his infamous letter, stating that he would not answer any questions until after the game and that we should "get our popcorn ready." Impressive.

To add to all this, Peter King appears on Inside the NFL on Wednesday night and says that Wade Phillips made comments to him about feeling like the Patriots had a black mark on their success due to the spying controversy. Then Phillips later denies saying it. Good work, Wade. That is exactly what you need - for the Patriots to get angry again. Hasn't anyone learned yet that the Pats love to be the underdog, they love to be told they aren't good enough? They use it, they feed off of it. I have heard a lot of commentary on this issue through the week, and the thing that struck me was that not one journalist even considered the idea that Phillips had been misquoted by PK. You do not mess with PK.

And you know what else you do not do? YOU DO NOT MESS WITH THE PATRIOTS. The game was a rout, a gem, a clinic in how to be the best team in football. I'll even give Dallas a bit of credit and admit that they did not play a bad game. Romo and T.O.'s stats were quite respectable and they only committed one turnover (the inevitable "Romover," as The Boys are now calling his interceptions), which can be commended after such a mess of a game last week and considering the level of pressure they were under. But respectable wasn't going to cut it. The Patriots are absolutely frightening and Tommy Brady is going to finally win his league MVP this year.

The Boys and I have been noticing that since the whole Spygate thing happened, Chris Collinsworth and a few other notable commentators have seemed almost mad at the Pats. They begrudgingly admitted they were good but always had this tinge of anger. Well Sunday night there was none of that anymore, there was only shock and awe and the admission that this may be the best team that anyone has seen in the NFL in years. I don't particularly like that people are starting to seriously talk about them going 16-0 - I am just too superstitious - but how can I fault them for bringing the idea up after that game? Maybe we'll lose to Indy, maybe we'll fall to our divisional nemesis at Miami (there's something about Dolphins Stadium) but maybe we won't. All I know right now is that Tom Brady is on pace for 56 touchdown passes and a 72% completion rating (both would be league records), and that Randy Moss is leading the league in touchdowns caught (8), and that our two "other" receivers both had over 100 yards in Dallas, and that the team is on pace to score the most points EVER in a season. That is all I know.


The State of the Babies

Not a good week for the Babies, my friends, not a good week. Mental note for next year - PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT WEEKS YOUR PLAYERS ARE ON BYE! This week I was missing a substantial amount of my team - Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, Brandon Marshall, Willie Parker, and my best backup RB Marshawn Lynch. Adding to that, my beloved Andre Johnson is still hurt. So it was time to make some moves. My backup QB had been David Garrard, who is playing well but doesn't get a whole lot of points. Midweek I found that Eli Manning had been dropped from someone else's team so I am going start him this week. Baby Manning has actually been pretty solid and they are playing Atlanta this week. The receiver position became a bit more of a problem because I was missing not one but two starters. Since I refuse to drop Johnson, I was forced to start Bernard Berrian (ok he didn't turn out that bad) and find someone else, who ended up being Jerry Porter (who stank). It was a best available situation and I wasn't expecting much. I also had to find another running back and again landed in a best available situation, which became DeShawn Wynn, who actually scored as well. But this was all to no avail. I had absolutely no expectation to win the game, which was unfortunate timing because this was the week that I went up against the other 5-0 team, Silence of the Rams. He's got LT and that was all he needed to absolutely trounce me. I know he is reading this so hats off to you - you've managed to unseat the girl.

My Dad's league Babies are getting incredibly frustrating, and for different reasons this week. I had very low expectations considering Deion Branch got hurt, which was such a disappointment, and the fact that I'd just had such low production so far from all of my other offensive "stars." This week some of them actually woke up! LJ had a great game, and Steve Smith and Marques Colston both caught TDs. And of course, I draw the guy who has Adrian Peterson. All 40 points of Adrian Peterson. To add to the suckfest, Vince Young again gets me zero points and then gets hurt, and Brees finally has a decent day. I scored the 3rd highest amount of points in the 12-person league and I still lost. UGH! This weekend my dad and I are playing each other for the first time ever. Smack talk has already begun.


This Week's Favorite Things About the NFL

1. Not many people may care about this, but for my female readers, Tom Brady is the new face of Stetson. HOT




2. Vinny! Vinny! Vinny! 43 year old Vinny Testiverde joins Carolina 4 days ago, ends up starting and wins against a good Arizona team. Check out PK's Monday Morning Quarterback this week for the story of how this all happened, its the feel-good sports story of the season so far if you ask me.

3. It was Old Man Week in the NFL. Quarterbacks playing this week - Vinny Testiverde (1987 draft, last started in since 2004) Kurt Warner (1999 MVP), Gus Ferrotte (1994 draft), Kerry Collins (1995 draft), Trent Dilfer (1994) and Jeff Garcia (undrafted in 94), Damon Huard (1996), and Brett Farve (1991) in their normal roles, all giving a beat down to quarterbacks of tomorrow (Vince Young, Carson Palmer, and Jason Campbell respectively). It ain't good but at least it provides some entertainment.

4. Tony Romo's post-game press conference. Couldn't someone from the Dallas PR team at least have grabbed Romo before he went out and turned his collar out? Romo looked like a zit-covered 17 year old in his dad's shirt. Cut to Tom Brady, perfectly coiffed in a designer suit. Don't even try, Tony, don't even try...(yes, I know, I'm biased. I promise further blogs will not be so Brady-focused)

Random Thought of the Week

Airfare is the biggest mystery on earth. Can someone please explain to me why it now costs so much to travel? I just want to go home to Philadelphia over Christmas, and a coach seat, with stops on both segments, is costing $700 and up. $700! I should be able to fly to Europe for that, not between two major metropolitan areas in the U.S. Half of my friends can't even afford to go home this year. It is so depressing.

Thanks again for reading and see you next week!