Just a
few thoughts on our 5-1 Stillers:
- I hope
the Pats beat the Jets this week, and the Beagles beat the Brownies this week
and whomever they play the following week. I'm liking our chances more and more
of a sweep of those two upcoming games, but I will take a split.
- The
schedule is funny, isn't it? At the beginning of the year, the Stillers had
supposedly the 2nd easiest schedule. �Now,
we may be playing two undefeated teams back-to-back, and the back-to-back games
against the New York teams in mid-December that once looked like 2 automatic
W's, now look to be tough tests.
- The loss
of Hampton for the year hurts. But, Chris Hoke in preseason was playing
possessed. Was this due to all his time against the other team's scrubs, or is
he good, but having the misfortune of playing behind a Pro-Bowler. I think he's
ready. Now, losing Chad Scott, for a week or six or the season you would think
would hurt. But, what the hell has happened to Chad? We always knew he couldn't
catch the ball, but some of the potential INT's he has missed or let through
his hands had been terrible in the last few weeks. And his coverage is sucky. I
was never a big Townsend fan, but little Deshea has outplayed Chad. It is time
for our youngsters to step it up, and I believe they will. Ricardo and Ike need
to step it up. Ricardo looks like a star in the making, with some experience.
Remember, in 1995, Woodson was one of the top CB's in the league, if not the
best.� We lost him and were still able
to make it to the Super Bowl.
- It will
be interesting to see what Belichick has in store for Ben. I think he will have
to take a long look at the Cryboys tape. The thinking last week had to be
pressure Ben and make him make mistakes. But it didn't happen. I would think
Belichick would have some variation of that.
- Rush was
right about McNabb. 23 possessions in two NFC Championship games AT HOME and he
has one TD. �Oh, that was a 23 yard
drive. Wait till Owens goes a few games without many receptions and starts
crying.
- Someone
else mentioned it, but, and not just in the Stillers-Cryboys game, but league
wide, the officiating has sucked. Phil Simms started to mention it but then
pulled back, probably got a phone call from the NFL during the commercial
break after he said the holding call on Hines was wrong. And there was
definitely a late hit, to the back of the knees on Ben that wasn't called. It's
a league wide epidemic, though. Watch some other games and just look at the
calls the refs are missing. And replay needs some sort of major overhaul. It is
to the point that Helen Keller can see calls on the field are wrong and the
refs aren't changing them. Maybe there is some sort of agreement that whichever
ref screws up the most, but the referee doesn't overturn his call, that is the
ref responsible for the post-game beer tab. Whatever the reason, the refs have
truly sucked this year.
- Of
course, they suck in the college game, too, especially the Big (Overrated 11)
Ten.
- After our
week of rest, I see a 21-13 victory over the Patsies.