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Comments October 24, 2006
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1 (2)
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Colts
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6-0
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Indianapolis scored 24 straight points in the second half against Washington, as
Manning lead the Colts up and down the field at will.
It was the third win for the Colts this year versus a playoff team from a season ago.
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2 (1)
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Bears
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6-0
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After barely surviving in Arizona,
Chicago had bye in week 7. The Bears return to action home in week 8 versus the 49ers.
But Chicago falls out of the #1 spot as the Cardinals’ team they barely beat (and failed to score an offensive
touchdown against) lost to the Raiders. And by some small twist of logic it’s enough
to let the Colts move up to the top spot this week.
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3 (3)
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Broncos
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5-1
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Another game, another single digit offensive performance by Denver’s opponent…
The Colts are on deck in week 8. If the Broncos win, they could be sitting
at the top of next week’s NFL power
rankings.
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4 (4)
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Patriots
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5-1
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New England’s defense played solid again, and Dillon ran for two touchdowns in Buffalo.
Meanwhile, Doug Gabriel and rookie Chad Jackson each caught TD passes.
The more production the Patriots can get from the receiver position, the more incredibly
difficult it will become
to beat them.
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5 (8)
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Saints
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5-1
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With 3 higher ranked teams losing during New Orleans’ bye week, the Saints move up to the 5th spot in
the power rankings.
However, a difficult five game stretch awaits Brees and company
including; Baltimore, at Tampa Bay, at Pittsburgh,
Cincinnati, and at Atlanta. So what continues to go up, could potentially come down.
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6 (12)
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Giants
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4-2
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New York made it 2 road wins in a row by knocking off the Cowboys. The Giants grabbed first place in the
NFC East. Don’t look now but this 11-5 playoff team from a season ago is back in the hunt.
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7 (13)
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Bengals
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4-2
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Last week the Bengals dropped to #13 from #6 after losing in Tampa Bay.
As promised, if Cincinnati won versus Carolina they would make it back into the top 10. And that’s
exactly what they did.
The Bengals claw back to #7, becoming the first team this season to beat the Panters with Steve Smith
in the lineup.
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8 (5)
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Panthers
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4-3
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Carolina lost for the first time this season with Steve Smith in the lineup.
However, the Panthers didn’t trail until half way into the 4th quarter which isn’t too
shabby when playing at Cincinnati. So we’re going to cut them some
slack this week… But to avoid falling to the .500 mark,
the Panthers will have to beat Dallas
at home in week 8. Unfortunately,
the Cowboys upset Carolina at Bank of America Stadium last season (although with
Bledsoe at quarterback). If the Panthers lose this meeting, then
out of the top 10 they will fall.
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9 (16)
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Vikings
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4-2
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Not only did the Vikings win in Seattle, but they
could have won versus Chicago in week 3, if not for a late Taylor fumble. Meanwhile, Minnesota has yet to allow
an opponent to reach 20 points. And while a week 4 loss in Buffalo is a stain on the record,
wins against the Seahawks and the Panthers (although without Steve Smith) go a long way to make up for it.
If the Vikings can beat New England on
Monday night, they will have laid the groundwork for what could turn out to be a lengthy stay in the top 10.
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10 (7)
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Seahawks
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4-2
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Without Matt Hasselbeck in the lineup for the majority of the second half (sprained ligament
will be out up to 4 weeks)
Seattle’s offense
couldn’t contend with Minnesota’s solid defense. Meanwhile, the Seahawks’ defense
surrendered a 95 yard
TD run to Chester Taylor. A trip to Kansas City is on deck. Not an easy place to play, especially
without one’s starting QB.
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11 (10)
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Ravens
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4-2
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Baltimore had a bye in week 7, after losing at home to Carolina. The Ravens visit New Orleans in week 8 for
a pivotal game that could put the Ravens three games over .500 or drop them to just one game above .500
after a blazing 4-0 start.
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12 (9)
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Eagles
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4-3
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Second heart breaking loss in a row, and third of the season, as Philadelphia was literally kicked out of Tampa Bay by
Matt Bryant’s 62 yard field goal. McNabb threw three interceptions,
two of which were returned for TD’s
by Ronde Barber. The Eagles arguably could be 7-0,
but they record stands at 4-3. The Eagles host Jacksonville next week in a matchup of reeling teams.
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13 (18)
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Falcons
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4-2
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Atlanta notched a huge overtime win over the defending champs. And will face another stiff test
week 8 in Cincinnati.
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14 (11)
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Chargers
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4-2
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San Diego played a close game in tough Arrowhead stadium versus a Chiefs team that arguably had to win to keep
their season alive…
The Merriman steroid news potentially puts a dampening factor on this year’s
performance by the defense. Not to mention the Chargers may be without his services
for 4 games which could include matchups at Cincinnati and at Denver depending on when any
suspension begins.
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15 (6)
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Jaguars
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3-3
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After highlighting Jacksonville’s impressive 15-6 record going back to last season,
while pointing out that 3 of the losses came against the Colts, the Jaguars were upset in Houston
and fell to the .500 mark.
Call it an abberation, bye week rust, or a
tremendous performance by the Texans. Either way, this loss dramatically reduces any chance
Jacksonville might have had to win the AFC South.
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16 (17)
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Rams
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4-2
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After a heartbreaking home loss to the Seahawks, St. Louis had a bye in week 7.
The Rams visit San Diego in week 8. It’s the start of a tough 4 game stretch
that also includes games versus Kansas City, at Seattle, and at Carolina.
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17 (15)
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Steelers
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2-4
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Roethlisberger suffered a concussion and the Steelers suffered a devastating overtime loss
in Atlanta… Once again, Pittsburgh must embark on the task of trying to win two
games in a row just to get back to the .500 mark.
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18 (19)
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Jets
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4-3
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The Jets held on versus the Lions to notch their 4th win of the season.
All 4 wins have come against teams with records currently below the .500 mark.
Call that good news, as the Jets have 6 more games on the schedule versus teams currently below .500.
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19 (22)
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Chiefs
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3-3
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With their season on the line, Kansas City got a key divisional win at home versus the Chargers.
To stay above .500 they’ll have to beat Seattle next, which should be easier with
Hasselbeck out of the lineup.
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20 (21)
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Buccaneers
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2-4
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Ronde Barber provided 2 interceptions returned for touchdowns, and Matt Bryant booted a game winning
62 yard field goal enabling Tampa Bay to grab its
second last moment victory in a row, after having lost back to back heartbreakers
to the Panthers and Saints. However, at two games below the .500 mark the Buccaneers still have plenty of work
ahead to get back to even.
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21 (14)
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Cowboys
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3-3
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Perhaps a classic case of letting the media and fans coach the team.
Pushing the panic button too early in a game or even in a season can often be detrimental to success.
Dallas did both, replacing Bledsoe (7-3 at home in a Cowboys uniform)
in the 2nd half trailing by less than a touchdown, and Romo proceeded to throw 3 interceptions
in one half of play… Romo may become a solid NFL quarterback in the future. But at this
stage of the game, we think Dallas just went from serious contender to mediocre team with this decision.
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22 (20)
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Redskins
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2-5
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With the season on the line in Indianapolis, Washington went into halftime with the lead.
But it takes 4 quarters of top play to have a chance of
beating the Colts. At the end of the day it was all Manning.
The Redskins were unable to turn the tide on their disappointing season.
And head into the bye week with five losses.
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23 (24)
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Bills
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2-5
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Buffalo was never in the game at home versus New England.
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24 (31)
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Texans
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2-4
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Houston upset the Jaguars, a 12-4 playoff team from a season ago. It was the Texans
2nd home win in a row.
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25 (28)
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Packers
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2-4
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Green Bay grabbed their 2nd road win of the season with a win in Miami. Unfortunately, the Packers have
yet to win at Lambeau.
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26 (26)
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Titans
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1-5
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After upsetting the Redskins in Washington, Tennessee had a bye in week 7.
The Titans host Houston in week 8 and will be looking to make it two in a row.
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27 (25)
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Browns
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1-5
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The Browns faced the stifling defense of the Broncos, and you guessed it, they were absolutely stifled…
But you can’t be too hard on a Cleveland
team that has gone up against Denver, Carolina, Baltimore, Cincinnati, and New Orleans.
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28 (30)
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49ers
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2-4
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After allowing 48 points in a home loss to the Chargers, San Francisco
had a bye in week 7. The 49ers visit Chicago in week 8, where last season
they allowed a field goal
attempt to be returned by the Bears for a touchdown.
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29 (23)
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Cardinals
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1-6
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Arizona lost in Oakland, suffering a letdown after last week’s
unbelievable loss to the Bears. With six losses on the books the Cardinals’
hopes for this season have faded fast.
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30 (27)
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Dolphins
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1-6
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Miami suffered a 10 point loss at home to the Packers, and continue their slide in the
power rankings. There’s only so much further the Dolphins can fall.
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31 (32)
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Raiders
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1-5
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Oakland pulled out of the #32 spot with their first victory of the season, a win over the sinking
Cardinals.
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32 (29)
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Lions
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1-6
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Detroit’s loss to the Jets marked the 4th time this season the Lions surrendered 31 points or more.
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