Fifth Down, Week Six

What a great weekend for pro football! Five games were decided on last minute plays, two previously-winless teams finally got off the schneid, and my fantasy team...well, let's not talk about them right now. Let's stay positive (but then we couldn't talk about my record this week,either) (my predictions in italics).

Bears 17, Falcons 13 - Best end to a game this year: two fantastic finishes. First, Kyle Orton threads the needle to Rasheed Davis at the back corner of the end zone, then rookie Matt Ryan--after the kickoff--is given one play to get his team in field goal range...and he does. Incredible. No other sport can offer drama this intense at a competition level (and athletically-skilled level) this high. Loss. Actual score: Falcons 22, Bears 20

Dolphins 16, Texans 14 - Another fantastic finish, with Schaub calling his own number on a quarterback draw to win the game on the last play. Loss. Actual score: Texans 29, Dolphins 28

Colts 17, Ravens 12 - Primetime Peyton dissected the defense at will, and the Colts' D sure knows how to play with a lead. The offense does, too. Win. Actual score: Colts 31, Ravens 3

Vikings 27, Lions 6 - Detroit's D played solid football. It's offense did not. Win. Actual score: Vikings 12, Lions 10

Saints 31, Raiders 20 - The Raiders have a new head coach. Result? Ask Pete Townshend and Roger Daltry. Win. Actual Score: Saints 34, Raiders 3

Jets 27, Bengals 9 - Bengals defense is looking better than it has since Marvin Lewis began coaching there. Pity the same can't be said of the offense. Win. Actual score: Jets 26, Bengals 14

Panthers 20, Bucs 10 - Tampa Bay (yet again) switches quarterbacks, and Garcia does here what he's done his entire career. Just win, baby. Maybe Al Davis should give Jon Gruden a call. I'm sure Chuckie'd get a kick out of it. Loss. Actual score: Bucs 27, Panthers 3.

Redskins 27, Rams 13 - I never even looked at this one until the last few seconds when the Rams' kicker booted the forty-nine yard field goal to give St. Louis its first win of the year. Washington outpassed them and outrushed them (by over eighty yards), but they turned it over three times. Ouch. Loss. Actual score: Rams 19, Redskins 17

Jaguars 23 , Broncos 20 - Outstanding game, and outstanding work by both offenses. Win. Actual score: Jaguars 24, Broncos 17.

Cowboys 31, Cardinals 30 - Arizona dominated the second half of this game--except for that Marion Barber seventy-yard catch and TD run. Their secondary and D-line played outstanding football, knocking Romo down every other play and rendering T.O. and Jason Witten completely ineffective. Fantastic finish, what with the Dallas field goal that Arizona blocked, only have it called back because Cardinal coach Wisenhunt called timeout to ice the kicker. Next try, the kick is good. Ouch. And then overtime, which marked the first time ever a blocked punt returned for a touchdown ended a game--and a great game, too. Loss. Actual score: Cardinals 30, Cowboys 24

Eagles 27, 49ers 13 - If the Eagles continue to make the massive blunders they made in this game against good football teams, they'll miss the playoffs again this year. This one was much closer than the final scre indicates. Win. Actual score: Eagles 40, 49ers 26

Packers 17, Seahawks 14 - Matt Hasselbeck couldn't go for Seattle in this one, so they started Charlie Frye. Charlie Frye? Really? Really. Win. Actual Score: Packers 27, Seahawks 17.

Patriots 20, Chargers 17 - Wow, was I wrong on this one. Phillip Rivers had an astounding game, and no one from the Patriots did. They looked as if they didn't care. They mailed it in. Loss. Actual score: Chargers 30, Patriots 10

Giants 28, Browns 12 - I was even more wrong on this one. The Super Bowl Champs roll up almost two-hundred yards rushing and lose by three touchdowns. Huh? I wish I would have watched it. Loss. Actual score: Browns 35, Giants 14

Record this week: 7-7
Record this year: 58-29