Sport-Blog.com
|
Sports News: ESPN | SI Leagues & Associations: NFL | NHL | MLB NBA | PGA | USTA Archives: Other: Resources |
<< Home
Week 2: Extra Points...and Opinions
Friday, September 22, 2006
By Tovash Hatcher
Saints v Packers
Can the Saints go marching into another road game to start 2-0? In this shootout Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers could remember the drumming that they gave New Orleans one season ago when the Saints gave up over 50 points to the Packers. This one looked as if the Saints would get stormed (excuse the pun) out of Green Bay early as the Packers jumped out to a 13-0 lead in the first quarter. Two Saints touchdowns in the 2nd quarter gave the Saints the lead 14-13 going into the locker room at the half. The fireworks started when both quarterbacks Drew Brees and Brett Favre put the ball in the air all afternoon long. Think I'm lying? How does 353 yards and two touchdowns on 41 attempts from Brees and 31/55 for 340 yards and 3 TDs from Favre sound? This is the type of game that you order that NFL "gimme-all-the-channels" package. And by the way, there was a little running as well. Deuce McAllister upset Packer fans when he escaped the Green Bay defenders for a 23-yard dash to the end zone. He finished the game with 47 yards on the ground. The Saints outlast the Packers 34-27, and head home with a 2-0 record to New Orleans to host Mike Vick and the Falcons in the Superdome for the first time since Hurricane Katrina destroyed the city. That game will be televised next Monday night on ESPN. I don't normally mix tears and football in the same sentence, but that will surely be a very emotional night. Stay tuned.
Redskins v Cowboys
One of sport's all-time greatest rivalries added another chapter Sunday night when the Washington Redskins invaded Texas Stadium to take on the Dallas Cowboys. Both teams were coming off 0-1 performances and both in search of that elusive first win. In this match-up, penalties, dropped balls, and wet conditions reared their ugly heads as these two teams squared off. Between the two teams, 20 penalties (11 called on the Redskins) had both Joe Gibbs and Bill Parcells pulling out their hair and yelling at the officials. The first play from scrimmage for Dallas was called back due to Terrell Owens being caught for making an illegal "crack back" block. Dropped balls didn't help the Cowboys either; 3 1/2 from Owens, 2 from Witten, 1 from Fasano, and 1 from Marion Barber. I gave a half of a drop to Owens in the back of the end zone because the defender got a hand on the ball. Heck, I even dropped a pass. Drew Bledsoe who threw for 19/38 and 237 yards with 2 TDs could have easily gone over the 300-yard mark if it hadn't been for the drops. Despite some of the Cowboys offense downfalls the Redskins stunk up the place with the Clinton Portis-less offense that they put on the field. The only positive play for Washington is the 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Rock Cartwright that tied the score at 10-10 in the 2nd quarter. The second half was all Dallas. It was as if the Redskins left for the airport a little early because the Cowboys totally dominated the third and fourth quarters. A Roy Williams interception on the Dallas 1-yard line led to a 99-yard drive ending in a 40-yard touchdown strike to Terry Glenn from Drew Bledsoe. That play seemingly sealed the deal for Dallas as the defense stiffened up and did not allow any chances for another Redskins comeback similar to the one that took place one season ago. In that game of the 2005 season the Cowboys led the Skins for 56 out of a 60 minute ball game before giving up two long pass plays to WR Santana Moss. The Redskins won that game 14-13 last year and set the tone for both teams' seasons. The Skins of course made the playoffs and the Cowboys finished a disappointing 9-7. On Sunday night Cowboys cornerback Terrance Newman made sure that Moss didn't get loose again by allowing only a little breathing room for Moss who grabbed just 4 balls. The Cowboys truck the Redskins 27-10. I sure wish I had binoculars to look up in the owner's box to see the face of Redskins owner Dan Snyder.
Giants v Eagles
This game took the "game of the week" title. Little Manning showed the league once again that ice water runs thru his veins by throwing for 371 yards including a 31-yard heave to Plaxico Burress in overtime to stun the Eagles at home. Eli Manning and the rest of the New York Giants came back from 17 points down in the fourth quarter to capture their first win of the season. Even big brother Peyton cannot say that he's thrown an overtime game winning touchdown. In doing so, the Giants avoid a 0-2 start, which in the NFL is a no-no. In fact, it's a rarity and the last two teams to start a season 0-2 and win it all are the Cowboys of 1993 and more recently the New England Patriots. The Eagles pretty much had the proverbial choke hold around the throats of the Giants for 3 1/2 quarters of this one. 10 penalties and an interception by the Eagles shifted good ole Mr. Momentum in the direction of the G-men. The third quarter provided a premature kick-out blow when Donovan McNabb found receiver Reggie Brown in the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown pass. The fourth quarter however, was a different story when Plaxico Burress hauled in a Manning pass, fumbled it, watched it roll in and out of the grasps of Eagles defenders, only to be recovered in the end zone by Tim Carter. Oh, he plays for the Giants by the way. That play jumped started a "giant" rally that ended with the Burress scoring the game winning touchdown in the 5th quarter of play. Giants prevail in an instant classic by the score of 30-24.
Steelers v Jaguars
The World Champs were at full strength on Monday night as the Steelers went to Jacksonville, Florida to take on the Jaguars. Fresh off of a 24-17 win over Dallas, the Jags came out fired up for Pittsburgh. About 10,000 Steelers fans attended this game in attempts to make a road game feel more like home to the Steelers. This game also marked the return of the now snake-bitten Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger who missed week 1 of the season due to an emergency appendectomy. Ouch!! This is the same Ben Roethlisberger that just three short months ago was fighting for his life when he put 3/4 of his head thru an old lady's windshield while riding a motorcycle without a helmet. Isn't it ironic that Roethlisberger did not have on a helmet while riding his bike but wears one on Sundays? On Monday night Roethlisberger DID have his helmet on but got the same result that he had with the car back in mid June. Did the Jaguars defense become invincible in a two week period? Not only does Drew Bledsoe still have flashbacks on the 3 interception performance on opening day, but "Big Ben" is having those same feelings that Bledsoe had. Jacksonville cornerback Rashean Mathis terrorized the young Steelers QB by picking off two passes in the fourth quarter and almost scoring on the latter INT. The story of the night was defense as the 2005 champs were kept off the scoreboard and falling to an eye brow raising Jacksonville team that has many calling for early AFC supremacy. The stingy Jags defense now has 5 interceptions in the first two games of the season. They also limited Roethlisberger to only 141 yards in the air. Kicker Josh Scobee booted three field goals which proved to be more than enough for the Jags as they knock off the Steelers at home 9-0.
Week 3 should have a few good games to pay special attention to. It will be very interesting to see if the Eagles can rebound from a tough loss against to the Giants to go on the road to San Francisco where a hungry 49er bunch is looking for their second win. Also keep an eye on the Steelers and the Bengals. Can Pittsburgh put in a better outing at home during a short week? And Monday night's showdown pairing the Falcons and Saints will go down as a game to remember.
3:48 PM
Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home
