Sunday Rundown

Random notes from a full Sunday of football:

• The Titans/Texans game was an entertaining a football game as a fan can ask for.  I’ve never seen so many unforgivable defensive lapses as the Texans had.  It wasn’t that their D was bad, per sea, but they had three long TDs that looked like they were the result of blown coverages and terrible safety play.  Just a horrible job by their D-coordinator.
• Those two teams really fought for the win.  There was real spirit there.
• I understand the fair catch rule that sank the Titans, but it has to be changed.  I know it was applied correctly ala the tuck rule, but it’s a crappy rule.  If the returner bobbles the fair catch, he should be fair game.
• It was interesting that Jeff Fischer got double screwed.  I’ve always hated the new “continuous possession” addendum to catches.  It creates a bizarre and unworkable double standard for what is and isn’t possession of the ball.  I agreed with Tasker that the call on the Texans TD should have been overturned.  Fischer is on the competition committee.  I hope he can get both rules fixed.
• I really liked Tasker as a color guy.  Gus Johnson bugs me sometimes, but Tasker said several things that made me laugh at least.  Their discussion of all the excellent Johnsons on the field creeped the hell out of me.
• That loss had to wound the Titans deeply.  Sure, they could still come back and have a nice season, but for a team that has to play the Jets, Colts, and Pats in the next four weeks, they had better pull it together fast.
• The day couldn’t have worked out any better for the Colts.  Any week where the Pats, Steelers and Chargers all drop games is a good week.  Indy needs to take advantage on their generosity by going 2-0 tomorrow night.
• The Jags.  Good Lord. 
• The Pats are not a good team right now.  Anyone who has seen their games should know that. Sure Welker was out, but wasn’t that predictable?  He goes over the middle in the NFL.  He’s going to get hurt eventually.
• Loved how Tom Brady “carried his team” by throwing the ball 40+ times even though they ran the ball effectively (4.2 ypc).  Mix it up there, Tommy.
• Baltimore is 2-0, but maybe we should be questioning their defense.  They’ve given up a lot of points (for them) through two weeks.
• Speaking of the Baltimore defense, how do the Chargers not assign someone to block Ray Lewis on 4th and 1?  Seriously, he’s Ray Freaking Lewis.  I think someone should say in the huddle, “He’s my guy”.  Or, not.
• Mike Tomlin should be shot for opting for a FG attempt at the end of the game with the Bears.  From that distance and in those conditions, after Reed just missed, you have to go for it on fourth down. I felt like he gave that game away.
• The Denver Broncos are the worst 2-0 team in history.  There, I’ve said.  I feel better
• I don’t buy the Packers, and I didn’t buy them after last week’s game.  I thought they got out played last week and were lucky to beat the Bears.  I thought Chicago was the better team before the season, and I still feel that way.

The nice part of the Colts not playing on Sunday is that I got to watch the games in a relaxed state of mind.  The crappy part is that I have to wait a day before rejoicing in the Pats, Steelers and Chargers going down.  The door is wide open for Indy.  A two game lead over the Titans and a game in hand over the other big three contenders is all you could ever have dreamed of after 2 weeks. They need this win.  If they blow the game tomorrow, it will feel eerily like Week 1 of last year.

One last thing I forgot:  the funniest thing I heard all weekend was the Spanish speaking ESPN Anchor try to talk about Chad Ochocinco…”Y Ochocino anoto noventa y un yardas con un touchdown.  Sabes que?  Me traba la lengua decir Ochocinco!”.  How ironic.