NFL Week 7 Wrap-up

This week, some teams played proudly, while others embarrassed our country:

Proud to be an America!:
New England Patriots
New England was the away team in what is now the leagues yearly jaunt to Olde England. Thankfully, Tom Brady remembered how to play QB before this trip took place. I said in the preview of this game that jet lag was probably all that would stop the Pats this week, and it looks like I was right. Brady and the offense picked apart the Bucs, but Brady only had 308 yards and 3 TDs in this one.

Indianapolis Colts
True to form, the Colts are right where they always are: atop the AFC South. The Colts have now won 15 straight games, and are already well on their way to winning another division title after losing it by one game last year. A lot of teams have tried to lay claim to being the best team in America, but no one has won with the consistency of the Colts since Peyton Manning came along.

An Embarrassment to the Nation:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Maybe when the league decided to send the Bucs to London, they thought they'd be a better team and put up more of a fight against the Pats. Or maybe they hoped they wouldn't come back. Seven weeks in and they still don't have a win. They've played well below their talent level, and their only saving-grace is that head coach Raheem Morris is in his first year, so he can learn from this. The good news: their 10 straight losses aren't even close to the franchise record. The team began their existence by losing 26 straight.

Oakland Raiders
I'm almost tired of writing about how bad this team is. This is a once proud franchise that gave us John Madden and John Gruden as head coaches, and whose home was once proudly known as The Black Hole. Now they are an embarrassment to the NFL. They're starting QB is terrible, and he wants to blame everyone but himself for their 38-0 loss to the Jets. Their owner is so in love with him that it was reported he didn't want Jeff Garcia on the team because he felt Garcia would be too much competition. Add to that the side-show that was last seasons firing of Lane Kiffin, which still hasn't been settled, and whatever happend between Tom Cable and assistant Randy Hanson, and this franchise has become the definition of dysfunctional. Al Davis was once a football genius. Watching him in the owners box now, he looks like a cloeless old man.

Injuries:
Leon Washinton, HB, Jets: out for the season with a broken leg
Will Allen, CB, Dolphins: out for the season with a knee injury
Bradley Fletcher, CB, Rams: out for the season with a knee injury
Richie Incognito, G, Rams: out 2-3 weeks with a sprained foot
Jermichael Finley, TE, Packers: possibly out a few weeks with a sprained knee
Benrard Berrian, WR, Vikings: day-to-day with a hamstring injury

Fantasy Studs:

1. Carson Palmer. The once top fantasy pick looks to finally be back on his game. Posting up 233 yards and 5 TDs against the Bears makes him my #1.
2. Miles Austin. The Cowboys look like a completely different team with him in the starting lineup. You know, one that wins. His production did fall off by 79 yards, though. He only had 171 this week.
3. Steelers Defense. They made the come-from-behind-victory Brett Favre look like crazy-gunslinger-who-tries-to-do-too-much Brett Favre, and scored two game-sealing TDs in the process.
   

Fantasy Duds:

1. The Oakland Raiders. All of them. Especially JaMarcus Russel.
2. Chris Chambers. Apparently he was the only thing the Chiefs could stop this week.
3. Bears Defense. The Bears and Browns both had all zeroes in the defense stats, but the Bears are supposed to be good. Giving up 45 points is not good.
   

Week 6 Picks:
Straight up: 7-6, 66-37 overall
ATS: 7-5-1, 61-41-1 overall
o/u: 6-6-1, 43-58-2 overall

Questions for Week 7:
Will the Bears remember how to play defense?
They were terrible this week. Absolutely terrible. They gave up 45 points total and 189 rushing yards to a guy they once thought was the worst running back in the NFL. Next week they play Cleveland. If this game is even close, it may be time to move on, and hope Brian Urlacher stays healthy next year.

Will the Raiders remember how to play offense?
Getting blanked by the Jets is like getting blanked by the Dolphins: its gonna happen, but its more likely your team sucks than their defense is that good. Without Kris Jenkins in the middle, the Jets are an easier team to run the ball on, as I'm sure the Dolphins will show next week. But the Raiders tried to go with the pass early, and it ended in turnover after turnover. Bruce Gradkowski tried his old, tired heart out to get them back in the game, but it was too little too late. Now they play San Diego. I'm thinking the Raiders will be 2-6 going into the bye week. I'm also thinking they need a new head coach, front office, owner, and starting QB.

Who will win on the Frozen Tundra?
This is it! The week you've all be waiting for! Brett Favre returns to Green Bay for the first time since being traded to the Jets! Unfortunately, hes already played against the Packers this year, and won. Will the outcome be the same? Who knows? I'm voting yes.