Pats spend off-weekend relaxing, Shula calls bye tainted.

It was either that or, "Shula notes Pats failed to win over weekend, unaware they were on their bye."

Currently the AFC East is a hotbed of perfection. Possibly for the first time in the history of the NFL, the same conference is hosting two teams in pursuit of a record with a goose-egg. The Patriots are 9-0, with their toughest competition likely coming from the Steelers, and maybe the Giants.

The Dolphins, the one-time paragon of winning with a 14-0 regular season back in 1972, are fighting for another perfect season - they're seven losses away from 0-16. Of course the perfect season that the 'Phins is a dubious honor to say the least.

Miami likely has four chances out of their final seven games to avoid becoming the first non-expansion team to go an entire season without a victory, and the first team since the NFL expanded to a 16 game slate. Those four games? A rematch with the Jets (1-7), and games against the struggling Ravens (4-5), Bengals (3-6), and Eagles (4-5).

I have my doubts that Miami can go into Buffalo and beat the Bills, or go to Pittsburgh and beat the Steelers, let alone go to New England and pull out a win there.

Sure, there's a reason for the term, "any given Sunday," and an upset could happen. However, I'm guessing that the Dolphins will be the underdog in every game remaining on their schedule, so even if they beat the Ravens, it will technically be considered an upset.

U-G-L-Y

Last night the Chargers won ugly, the Colts lost ugly, Tony Dungy coached ugly (that time-out to argue a penalty was mind-bogglingly stupid, and ended up costing the team at the end of the game), and the Colts special teams - from top to bottom - were ugly.

Vinnie Iyer at the Sporting News was busy trying to put the best spin possible on this loss from the Colts standpoint. He notes that the Colts should not be counted out because of two losses in a row. He's right about that. What he is wrong about is that Manning played like a champion - in spite of playing poorly.

The Colts lost because of a variety of reasons - Manning being one of them. Special teams (Adam Vinatieri left six points on the field), and, as previously mentioned, Dungy and some poor coaching decisions.

When a quarterback throws six interceptions, you can't absolve him of responsibility in a loss.

What this did remind me of - the old argument about swapping the teams of Brady and Manning to see how well each would have done. I seem to remember a couple of years back (2004) that the Patriots went 14-2. Their leading wide-out was David Givens with 874 yards. Reggie Wayne already has 870 with seven games left. Leading receiver for Pats tight ends that year was Daniel Graham with 364 yards, if Dallas Clark (405 yards) remains out, Ben Utecht could still top 300 yards receiving. Joseph Addai (pace for 1400-1500 yards) is comparable to Corey Dillon (1635).

Manning was brutally bad - and the argument that the Colts O line is banged up. The Patriots were starting former Tampa Bay practice squader Russ Hochstein whom Warren Sapp famously said couldn't block Tony Kornheieser. The team started corners Randall Gay and Earthwind Moreland, and used wide-out Troy Brown as their nickel corner. In spite of losing weapons to an injured defense, losing protection (line-men), and losing Ben Watson for all but one game of the season, the Brady never looked as bad as Manning did yesterday.

I think we have our answer as to who does the most to elevate his team to the next level.

T.O. - A Blogger's Best friend and other thoughts on the week

Ah, the idiot club-house cancer speaks again.

According to MSNBC Owens made the following comment to the Fort Worth newspaper, “I am just hoping his retirement brings promise to what the team has to offer,” Owens said. “This past year was a big letdown. On paper we were as good as anybody we played against every week. The end result didn’t show that. Our play was not indicative of what we could have done. What we should have done. Hopefully, the owner will hire a coach to take the team to the next level.”

Nice to see that the receiver that was thrown to as much as if not more than any in the league, and led the league in dropped passes has accepted culpability in his part in guaranteeing that the Cowboys had to be on the road for the playoffs. For the dim and the slow, yes, that was sarcasm.

While I often have blogged here about Parcells record without Belichick - which is about .500, I have to put this question out there - How many rings do you have T.O., because the last time I checked, Parcells has two?

I've said it before and I will say it again - Owens will never win a ring, he causes too many problems in the locker room and believes he answers to no one.

Here is a list of the Coaches and teams who have given up on him -

George Seifert/Steve Mariucci - 49ers
Andy Reid - Eagles
Bill Parcells - Cowboys (and if you don't believe that Owens factored into the decision to retire, then listen to the recent ESPN radio interview with Parcells's buddy Bobby Knight).
The Ravens (see Owens escape from San Fran)
The Patriots (more trouble than that team would put up with)
The Jets (putting together a team in the manner of the Patriots, Mangini will not deal with the distractions)

Those are just the ones that have made preferences known. I wouldn't be surprised if that number were much higher - and that also doesn't include teams like Arizona that wouldn't pony up the kind of money that Owens believes he deserves.

On to other tidbits -

Here is an article on Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl showing up at a Lady Vols game with some of his players in a show of support for coach Pat Summit in a game against the top ranked Duke team. On Pardon the Interuption Wilbon and Kornheiser debated the concept of whether or not it was appropriate for the Volunteers Men's Coach to be shirtless with a giant V painted on his chest so that he and his players could spell out "Vols."
The debate is ridiculous. Not only was it appropriate, but its the show of support and solidarity that more coaches should show their colleagues on the collegiate level, particularly in regards to women's sports that are often treated as the bastard step child by athletic directors.
I, for one, commend Pearl for such an unabashed and enthusiastic show of support for the Lady Vols.
Keep it up Pearl, women's athletics could use more fans like you.

Well Mike Nifong...it was a blast;


Best Stories in the NFL this season? For my money, and in no particular order...

The Saints run into the post-season giving the Gulf Coast something to root for.

Detroit receiver and former arena league and Rams defensive back Mike Furrey's success in his first full year as a receiver - 98 receptions, 1086 yards. Not bad for a guy playing on one of the worst teams in the league.

The returns from what could have been career ending injuries for Drew Brees (shoulder), Chad Pennington (shoulders), and Rodney Harrison (knee).

The season of rookie sixth round pick Marques Colston out of Hofstra. The youngster played like a veteran catching 70 balls for 1038 yards - and for my money, Rookie of the Year.

In spite of wearing my Patriot blue on my sleeve, Tony Dungy getting over the hump and into the big game. I find it hard to feel the same for Manning, just because the ad campaigns, while intended to paint him as "just one of the guys," come off as obnoxious - I'm sorry, but the only thing missing in the Sprint ad where he has 70's porn-mustache is the bad funk music while Peyton "The Hedgehog" Manning is talking. But I digress...

Mangini's miracle turnaround of a Jets team that many people thought would be the worst in the AFC East.

Jeff Garcia's run of success with the Eagles, showing that in the right system, he can still get it done.