NFL Week 6: What We Learned
Week 6 of the NFL saw the last undefeated team in the NFC fall, the Cowboys finding their defense, and Jacksonville almost -- OK, not really -- giving the Broncos a scare, so let's get to it.
Tom Brady is still Tom Terrific ... If there's any doubt that Tom Brady is still one of the elite quarterbacks in the league, then those questions were answered yesterday. Brady brought his team back with less than two minutes to go to prevail over the previously undefeated New Orleans Saints,30-27. The Pats, despite their record, have struggled on offense because of all the injuries. But Brady pulled a rabbit out of his hat and got it done. The Patriots can only get better on offense, and that's scary for the rest of the AFC.
Cowboys win with a bunch of no-names ... How strange was it to see the Dallas Cowboys win a ball game with players you needed to buy a program to identify? Demarcus Ware and DeMarco Murray both left the game last night with injuries, but it didn't seem to matter. The Boys actually picked it up, especially on special teams and defense. Sean Lee and the D stepped up their game and basically shut out RG III. The Subway pitchman had his moments here and there, but the Dallas defense limited his big play ability. The special teams also kept the pressure off Tony Romo for once, so he avoided the pressure of eking out a last-minute victory. Do know that made every Cowboy fan happy.
Classless Texans fans cheer Schaub's injury ... Houston continued its slide yesterday, losing to the St Louis Rams, but the story was the Texan fans. Quarterback Matt Schaub went down with an injury, and incredibly, a number of Houston fans cheered it. Now, a couple of jerks on ESPN who shall remain nameless -- but they have a morning show -- both said, 'hey, cheering for injuries is part of game.' Really? Since when? Even the Rams thought what the Houston fans did was beyond classless, because it was! They should be ashamed of themselves. How bad would it have been if Schaub's injury ended his career?
Adrian Peterson probably should have sat out Sunday ... We admire Peterson for playing yesterday, but you could tell by his play that his mind wasn't on the game. It was noble of him to try, knowing the offense is build around him, but some things just take precedence and everybody would have understood. As it transpired, Peterson's presence wasn't needed, mainly because the Vikings are terrible. The Carolina Panthers destroyed the them in all facets of the game.
Time to give the Chiefs some credit ... I've neglected the Kansas Chiefs for too long, and I shouldn't have. The Chiefs, along with the Broncos, are the only two undefeated teams left in the league. Who says coaching doesn't make a difference? Head coach Andy Reid has brought a new attitude to Kansas City, and it's turned them around. The Chiefs have always been decent on defense, but Reid's bringing in Alex Smith was pure genius on his part. A fresh start has made a difference for Smith, who has shown maybe he wasn't him the problem in San Francisco. Either way, the Chiefs may be a tough out in the playoffs this year.
Going into next week, the big game most people will looking forward to is the Colts and the Broncos, as Peyton Manning returns to Indianapolis. But we've also got the the battles of division leaders when the Cowboys meet the Eagles and the Patriots face the Jets.
Yes, that undercard is still underwhelming at this point of the season, but the fireworks in Indianapolis should more than overshadow it.