JC's Take: NFL Week 7 Review

JC's Take: NFL Week 7 Review

Hello all, and welcome back! Time to recap this week's slate of NFL games!

Team of the Week: Tennessee Titans

-There were a couple of teams I thought of giving this spot to this week. I could have given it to the Giants for their win in Dallas, I could have given it to Cleveland for pulling off a shocker in New Orleans, and I could have given it to Oakland for ther whipping of the Broncos. But I decided to give it to the Titans because this game convinced me that they're for real. They beat Philadelphia with Kerry Collins at QB. They also won again without getting much production from Chris Johnson. If they ever get the right dose of a passing game and Chris Johnson together, they could constantly put up 40 points a game. This team is legit and will be there in the end. It will still be tough for them to make the playoffs because of the AFC is that good, but if they continue to play the way they have, it'll be tough for them to be left out.

Game of the Week: Baltimore 37  Buffalo 34 (OT)

-Again, this spot could have gone to a few games. Minnesota/Green Bay was good, as was Pittsburgh/Miami. But to me, anytime a high scoring game goes to overtime, it's very entertaining. The Bills came out on fire, getting up 17-3 and 24-10 on the Ravens before Baltimore mounted their comeback. But Buffalo rallied, coming back from 10 down in the last 6 minutes to tie the game and force overtime. The Bills prooved that their not the laughing stock of the league, and they can hang with any team in the league. Putting up over 500 total yards of offense against a top defense is no laughing matter. The game was full of offense and big plays, and late drama with the field goals.

Goat of the Week: Denver Broncos

-After the 1 PM games I was going to give this to Jay Cutler, but then the Broncos started playing. I had my fantasy scores up, and noticed next to Knoshown Moreno it said "Oakland 21 Denver 0, 1st quarter." I had to click on it because I didn't believe it. A team that probably should have beat the Jets last week, hung with the Colts, and BEAT the Titans on the road is down 21 to the Raiders at home? There's no excuse for that. The Raiders put up 9 points last week against San Francisco. Josh McDaniels probably lost any support he had left in Denver after this game. I remember before the Bills decided to bring back Dick Jauron for a fourth year, McDaniels was a guy I wanted them to hire. But after his 5-0 start last year, things have gone sharply down hill. He may be out of a job by years end.

Other Thoughts:

-The fumble call at the goal line in the Steelers/Dolphins game was the right interpretation of a bad rule. Yes, Big Ben fumbled, but there was no clear evidence of who recovered it. Just because the Dolphins defender fell on the ball, and a Dolphins defender came up with it does not mean he had possesion when the play was blown dead. But even with that call, the Dolphins can only blame themselves for that loss. They can't turn two early Pittsburgh turnovers into only 6 points. They need touchdowns. This could be the game that comes back to haunt Miami at the end of the year.

-Kevin Kolb made Andy Reid's QB decision easy after the bye week. Mike Vick will be starting again in Philadelphia. Like I said previously, I think it is the right decision. Vick is a dual threat under center, whereas Kolb is one dimensional. Defenses have to leave a linebacker back just to spy Vick because of his running ability, whereas Kolb is a traditional pocket passer.

-Um the Browns? I'm pretty sure NO ONE, except a few die hard fans in Cleveland, saw that coming. Any team that can force Drew Brees into 4 interceptions deserves credit. A tip of the hat to Rob Ryan, Browns Defensive Coordinator, for a great game plan. After the big names that are out there, Rob probably put himself at the top of the list for head coaching positions at years end. There's problems in New Orleans, and they better fix them fast. But it doesn't get any easier with Pittsburgh coming to town on Sunday night.

-I don't care how tough the guy is. If Brett Favre goes out there this week against New England with two fractures in his ankle, he's officially nuts. I know the guy loves the game of football and has his games played streak going, but sometimes you just have to do what's best for your team. A half healthy Brett Favre does absolutely nothing for Minnesota. Favre showed the effects of his injury during the game Sunday night. It's time for him to do what's best for his team. Heck, I think he should even consider retiring mid-season.

-Here those nails being hammered? It's into the coffin's being made for the Chargers and Cowboys seasons. Dallas isn't doing anything at 1-5 and Tony Romo gone for almost 2 months. San Diego, at 2-5, looks like they lack the concentration needed to turn the season around. Even in the AFC West, the Chargers just can't turn it around. It doesn't get easier with the Titans coming to town this week.

POWER RANKINGS!!!

1. NY Jets (5-1, #1 last week)- No change at the top. The Jets are still here, and had time to get Darrelle Revis back to 100% during the bye week. That's not good for the rest of the league.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-1, #2)- The Steelers look like the Steelers of old. But an injury to star defensive standout Aaron Smith may effec them slightly.

3. New England Patriots (5-1, #3)- The defense stepped up against the Chargers on the road. No reason to think it won't continue.

4. Indianapolis Colts (4-2, #4)- It's a good thing Peyton Manning is their QB, or these injuries on the offense would be alarming.

5. Tennessee Titans (5-2, #11)- They convinced me this week. Now they have the chance to shovel the dirt on the Chargers grave.

6. New York Giants (5-2, #10)- I think they're the best team in the NFC, slightly ahead of Atlanta. Their new three-headed WR combo puts them ahead.

7. Baltimore Ravens (5-2, #5)- They dropped slightly because the defense got dismantled by the Bills, who coming in had one of the worst offenses in the league.

8. Atlanta Falcons (5-2, #8)- Nice rebound win against Cincinnati. They'll be competing for the top spot in the NFC by year's end.

9. Houston Texans (4-2, #9)- They proved they could beat the Colts in Week 1, now it's time to see if they truly are for real when they go into Indy on Monday night.

10. Kansas City Chiefs (4-2, #14)- The offense looks like they've finally come together. Dwayne Bowe is making amends for his early season miscues.

11. Green Bay Packers (4-3, #16)- They needed that win to distance themselves rom the Vikins in the NFC North.

12. Philadelphia Eagles (4-3, #7)- With Vick starting after the bye, the team gets better because of his play-making capability

13. New Orleans Saints (4-3, #6)- Anytime you lose to the Browns like that, you drop a good amount. Who thought a hangover could last 7 weeks?

14. Washington Redskins (4-3, #15)- They were gift-wrapped the game by Jay Cutler, but in the NFL, a win is a win.

15. Miami Dolphins (3-3, #13)- They had every opportunity to beat Pittsburgh before the end. They have no one to blame but themselves.

16. Seattle Seahawks (4-2, #21)- They look to be the best team in the NFC West, but Matt Hasselbeck needs to get his act together.

17. Chicago Bears (4-3,  #12)- Jay Cutler is gonna have nightmares of DeAngelo Hall for months because Hall will just intercept all of his dreams.

18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-2, #19)- Raheem Morris says they're the best team in the NFC. How about you beat a team with a winning record first, then talk about how good you are.

19. St. Louis Rams (3-4, #20)- Heartbreaking loss on the road at Tampa. The game showed their young and still have some things to learn.

20. Oakland Raiders (3-4, #28)- They're second in the AFC West. If they can put up half the offensive outing they did against Denver, they can compete.

21. Arizona Cardinals (3-3, #17)- That was ugly against Seattle. But they're still only a game out in the NFC West. Too bad they don't have a competent QB.

22. Cleveland Browns (2-5, #30)- They may not be going anywhere this year, but they showed the last two weeks that they will be competitive the rest of the way.

23. Minnesota Vikings (2-4, #18)- Who knows, playing without Favre may be an improvement for them at this point.

24. Cinncinati Bengals (2-4, #22)- The offense showed up late, but the defense had already blown the game by the time they got there. Marvin Lewis will be job hunting come January.

25. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-4, #23)- David Garrard should be back this week, but at this point it probably won't make much of a difference.

26. San Diego Chargers (2-5, #25)- They fought back against New England, but it wasn't enough. Turnovers early killed them.

27. Dallas Cowboys (1-5, #26)- Everyone besides Cowboys fans are loving everything about the Cowboys season.

28. Detroit Lions (1-5, #29)- They get Matthew Stafford back this week. They could play spoiler down the line for playoff teams.

29. Denver Broncos (2-5, #24)- How far away are we from the Tim Tebow era? It's probably closer than you think.

30. Carolina Panthers (1-5, #31)- Congrats on the first win. It's always better to get one under your belt.

31. San Francisco 49ers (1-6, #27)- If one person in the 49ers organization says they will still make the playoffs, they should be cheked in a mental hospital.

32. Buffalo Bills (0-6, #31)- They almost pulled off a shocker in Baltimore. They too could play spoiler come December.

Three Games I Want to See Next Week:

1. Green Bay @ NY Jets- A healthy, well-rested Jets defense against an outstanding passing attack lead by Aaron Rodgers.

2. Pittsburgh @ New Orleans- It should almost be like a playoff game for the Saints. They can't afford to fall to 4-4, even in a down year for the NFC.

3. Houston @ Indianapolis- Can the Texans take advantage of a hurting Colts team? They need to in order to back up their Week 1 win.

That's all for today. The 50 Best & 50 Worst Moments in Pro Wrestling is taking a bit longer than expected. I'm also in the process of developing an early preview of a potential Wrestlemania 27 card. Either way, I'll be back Friday with Week 8 NFL Picks.

Also, I'll soon have some news on where you can read more of my writing on another site!!!

Until next time,

Justin C