NFL: Week Eight Review

They Might Not Be Giants After All:

It wasn't a good weekend for the teams I support, with the Giants taking their third consecutive pounding. The Philadelphia Eagles, beginning to look like their old selves - that is, my friends, NFC powerhouses - harassed Eli Manning all day, forcing a couple of picks and some poorly thought out throws. Their defense was on fire. As was their offense. They put up 40 points on the Giants, while allowing only 17 to Eli and the Big Blue offense.

The big thing is that they managed their 40 without ace running back Brian Westbrook who remained inactive after a concussion last Monday night in Washington DC. We haven't seen Donovan McNabb play this well since 2004, when the Eagles won the NFC and went on to play New England in the Super Bowl. Back then, Donovan had a real WR star in Terrell Owens. He has two more this year, in rookie Jeremy Maclin and super sophomore DeSean Jackson.

Those kids are as fast as any two wide-outs in the league. They make me think of Boldin and Fitzgerald out in Arizona in that they are a tandem who can make big plays every time they get the football. They can burn you like few others. McNabb must love having them to throw to. They have TO's talent without all the rubbish that comes along with #81. Imagine how good the Eagles might be when Westbrook comes back? After all, a balanced offense is what we're all about in the NFL circa 2009.

The Giants, on the other hand, are in free fall. Eli Manning started out this year looking as though he'd have a career year. These last three games, he's looked like the uncertain QB that started for Big Blue in 2003-04-2005. He throws bad balls, and that old Eli pout is back. I really thought we'd seen the last of that. Their running game isn't getting much. Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw aren't the effective double act they were last year. The red zone offense has been horrible, too. You can't expect to win football games when you kick more field goals than you score touchdowns in the red zone.

That's just the offense. The defense is equally as terrible. We thought they looked Who knew that having Aaron Ross and Kenny Phillips out would expose the secondary as much as it had. The Eagles ratcheted up big play after big play on Sunday, just as New Orleans and Arizona have done in previous weeks. Those guys can't get back quick enough for Tom Coughlin's team, but is it too late? The way Dallas and Philly are coming on, it may well be. At least Giant fans can take solace in the knowledge that Big Blue will never be quite as woeful as Washington are at the moment.

Back to earth:

Well, it had to happen eventually. The Denver Broncos have finally lost a game. I had a feeling that they would find the going tough against a desperate Baltimore Ravens outfit, but never expected the 30-7 blowout that we witnessed on Sunday. The Ravens needed the win they got pretty badly. When you start 3-0 and come back to be 3-3 in a division that's surprisingly competitive this year, falling back to 3-4 would almost be the death knell for your season. The Ravens D played lights-out and Joe Flacco did enough to ensure that the Ravens scored a crucial home win. Ray Rice is fast becoming a superstar in the NFL. They have a balanced offense in Baltimore, and I believe that they'll figure in the AFC again this year.

As for Denver, all is not lost. Kyle Orton had a bad game, but he's shown that he can bounce back from those easily enough. Lose another game - at home on Monday night vs. Pittsburgh - and things might start to look a little shaky for the boys from Mile High. The defense gave up TDs for the first time since Opening Day, and the offense weren't allowed to flourish by a stifling D. The good news for the Broncos is that they won't be facing a defensive unit as ferocious next week. Oh wait, yes they will. Pittsburgh won't make it any easier. The real good news is that they're almost a dead certain lock for the AFC West. When your only competition struggles to beat the woeful Oakland Raiders, they don't deserve a playoff berth.

Power outage:

San Diego Chargers, c'mon. Sure, you got back to .500 with a lacklustre victory against the hapless Oakland Raiders on Sunday. Really, you're not that good because you should have totally blown them out like other teams have been doing all year - except Philly - and you didn't. If there'd been a different QB to JaMarcus Russell under centre for the Raiders, the game might've been more interesting. After their first TD drive off a Russell INT, the Chargers didn't so much win the contest as much as Oakland did everything they could to lose it. Don't get too excited by LT'd double TD day. Anyone can pound the rock in against that Oakland D. Oh, except Philly.

So, keeping that in mind, Shawne Merriman, what's with the "Light's Out" dance when you sack JaMarcus? Save it for when you sack Tom Brady or Peyton Manning or someone. Remember your opposition and the position you are in the standings. Also remember what your GM said! A performance like that from the Chargers against a good team and it'll be lights out for the Bolts. Not a happy place in San Diego right now. Luckily they have the Giants this coming Sunday. A trip to the Big City might be just what they need!

The Return to Lambeau:

What an entertaining game of football Minnesota vs. Green Bay was. Brett Favre has always had a flair for the dramatic and a sense of occasion. Remember that Monday night game against Oakland just after his father died? He threw for 300 yards and 5 TDs in the first quarter. Remember the Super Bowl against New England or the Minnesota vs. Green Bay game from a few weeks back, or any number of rivalry games Brett played as a Packer vs. the Chicago Bears.

Sunday afternoon in Lambeau was no different. You know that Brett Favre shines on the biggest stage. He showed us just what he's capable of, picking apart the Packers defense with some bullet-like throws. He's like Benjamin Button, aging backwards, and certainly benefiting from having Adrian Peterson in the back field, a weapon he didn't have with the Jets last year. It was almost sad to see Favre trotting onto Lambeau wearing a Vikings jersey. It was like that sort of terrible Halloween costume. You know the type, there's one at every Halloween party.

It was Fright Night for the Packers for the first half. 47 total yards and what felt like 4 dozen sacks on Aaron Rodgers by that Minnesota defense that's better than advertised, ladies and gentlemen. They are mean, lean and love hitting the QB. There's no way Aaron Rodgers isn't challenging Ben Roethlisberger for the title of most sacked QB in the league right now. Still, the former Golden Bear came out impressively in the second half. His offensive line found what they needed to and Rodgers made some good throws. Pity that the Pack gave Minnesota too much of a lead to have a real hope of pegging it back. They did successfully execute an onside kick, which made it the second successful onside kick of the day, after the Giants did the same in Philly. How often does that happen?

But there's no doubt that Sunday in Lambeau was, as has always been the case, all about the great man wearing #4. It's just a shame that he was wearing purple this time around rather than green and gold. If he goes into the Hall of Fame as a Viking, Green Bay have a valid reason to lynch both Brett and GM Ted Thompson. This was a relationship that never should have ended. Sure, it must've been tough seeing Favre in a Jets jersey last year, but nothing compared to seeing him wearing Viking purple this year and stepping out onto the field he'd made his own, in front of the fans who have turned him into an American icon.

Sunday was sad for that reason and because something unthinkable happened, something that I never thought I would ever witness: Lambeau Field and the Packer faithful booed Brett Favre.