I can’t believe it, but for once there’s a game with drama that the Dallas Cowboys are a part of and not one member of the Cowboys roster is a part of it.
The NFL season is getting more and more unique by the week, and I’d hate to be a gambler this season.
Plus injuries are just piling up left and right around the league. As if the NFL wasn’t enough of a crapshoot, now it seems like the healthiest team will win a ring. We got this and more in this week’s Scout’s Take.
**I don’t know if it’s just in Brett’s nature to be around drama or have the spotlight on him, but I think this time, it might be a little more than what he’s ready to take on.
For those that missed it, there are allegations about Brett Favre texting a woman by the name of Jenn Sterger, pictured above. She was an employee of the New York Jets back in 2008 when Brett has his small stint with the Jets.
Supposedly, during this time, Brett “allegedly” sent inappropriate text messages and/or pictures to her during their time there. While she was there, she allegedly reported it and they stated it would be taken care of but no action was ever taken.
Now, 2 years later and each of them a little further in their careers, this little token surfaces and it seems to have everyone wondering 2 things. A: Did Brett really do it and B: What action will the NFL take in regards to this? Is Brett “above the law” when it comes to reprimands?
First and foremost, you really have to wonder, what the hell was Brett thinking?! Brett’s been married and through everything with his wife Deanna. She’s a breast cancer survivor and they both brought a large amount of needed attention to the disease using his publicity. She stuck by him during his early alcoholism issues in his career with Green Bay.
Now, don’t get me wrong, Jenn is an attractive woman. Regardless how she wants to portray herself and situations she might “voluntarily” put herself in, Brett should know better. Each employee of the Jets is told not to try to date or build anything other than a personal relationship with the players, and vice versa.
I don’t believe that she was some innocent young lady who just happened to resist Brett’s charm and feels offended; otherwise she’d have made a much larger issue about this back when it happened in 2008. As her career starts to move in a different direction, it just happens to be that this story arises and her name is plastered all over sports websites and media talk shows.
If Brett does face the music from Roger Goodell and the league, I think his prior history of staying out of trouble will help to soften the blow. At most, I’d see a one game suspension as a lesson to remind him that as many records as he owns, he’s not above the league.
**Title it the Desperation Bowl, the Panic Button Bowl, or October Playoffs, but the fact of seeing the Cowboys and the Vikings playing this Sunday for what looks to be a season-saving game, it’s more sad than exciting.
These 2 teams were preseason picks to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. Both of these teams were dominant defenses last year with a balanced offensive attack and looked in the offseason to be even stronger than they were last year. Now 5 weeks into the season, both of these teams look like they couldn’t beat themselves in practice.
Minnesota’s banged up left and right. Their offensive line looks atrocious, Brett Favre’s age finally looks like its catching up with him, and they are losing more and more players by the week.
Dallas, although not suffering the injury bug as bad, just look lost. This team has 3 solid running backs, but can’t seem to find any balance to their offense. They are committing penalties left and right and for every step they take forward, they take 3 steps back. The leadership on this team has its arms up in the air and everyone looks lost.
While I’d like to believe these 2 teams will turn it around, it’s hard to believe. Dallas seems to be their own worst enemy, and I am not convinced that Brett will fully last the rest of the season. This just proves that this season is laying out to be one of the most unique seasons in recent memory, and that anything can still happen.
**Speaking of parity in the league this year, I think each week, more and more teams are proving this. No team looks 100% good so far. I think early runners have to be the Ravens, Jets, and Pittsburgh.
Only problem? They’re all from the AFC. The best looking NFC Team looks to be Atlanta, and I’m personally not convinced they’ll make it out of the NFC. Atlanta does everything good, but nothing great. Maybe balance is all it takes to make it out of the NFC, especially with so many other teams looking completely lost so far.
In last week’s edition, I was pointing out flaws on each team that normally looks good but for some reason is really struggling. One big detail this year that is obvious is the lack of special teams, or the greatness of special teams, whichever way you want to look at it.
San Diego is one of those victims. They had 2 kicks returned for touchdowns against them in the same game. Then follow it up a couple weeks later and have 2 punts blocked, 1 for a safety and 1 for a touchdown. Why that special teams coach has a job still, you got me.
Then you can go down to Miami against New England. In that game, New England returned a kick for a TD and blocked a punt for a TD, not even mentioning that they also returned an interception for a TD all in one night. It’s the first time ever in history that all 3 occurrences have happened in the same game.
To add to the running trend of how bad things are this year, does anyone else notice how many QB changes have gone on in the league so far? Run down the list with me real quick and see how many teams have already had issues at QB.
Panthers with Clausen and Matt Moore; Cleveland with Delhomme and Colt McCoy; Arizona with Anderson and Max Hall; Philadelphia with Kolb and Mike Vick; Jacksonville with Garrard and McCown; Titans had a small issue with Vince Young and brought in Kerry Collins for a game; Buffalo with Trent Edwards and Fitzpatrick; Oakland with Jason Campbell and Gradkowski.
All that, and that’s not including injuries to Chicago, Detroit, possibly Minnesota (barring how Favre’s elbow holds up), I believe Seattle is in that mix as well. This is insane how many QB’s have had their positions shaken up so far.
**Well last week, I was 3-1 in my Screamers/Sleepers games, and got one of them confused. Expecting Indy/KC to be a much better game than it was, and didn’t expect Jax/Buf to be as high scoring and close of a game as it was. We’ll see if I can call it a little better this week.
SCREAMERS!!!!
Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings
The only reason I’m putting this here is the hope that these 2 teams, as desperate as they are, will recognize how dire their situations are and turn this into one heck of a game. Minnesota’s Randy Moss seems to be the absolute killer for the Cowboys, having never lost to this team at all in his entire career and racking up some gaudy numbers against them over his time. From looking at these 2 teams’ games last week, Minnesota looked completely lost until the 4th quarter when all of the sudden Favre woke up and took the Jets, who I think is the best team in the league, down to the wire. Had Favre not had a Favre moment and tossed a last second interception, he could have won the game for them. This week, I don’t think that interception happens. Dallas’s pass defense is skeptical, and that’s putting it nicely. Having Randy Moss against anyone in Dallas’s secondary is a scary thought, and I think Moss will continue his streak of beating Dallas.
Minnesota saves their season, while Dallas sets Wade Phillips’ chair on fire 28-21.
Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots
Tom Brady’s first game without his favorite target in Randy Moss. Baltimore’s last trip into Foxborough left New England with a 31-3 drubbing at the hands of the Baltimore defense in the playoffs. This time around, I don’t see the Patriots let it get that bad. While their defense has shown up for one game total in its career this year, I think they’ll actually play good enough to make this an interesting game. Joe Flacco has an assortment of weapons to choose from, plus they have a rocket back there named Ray Rice who I can’t think of anyone on New England’s defense that can stop him.
Baltimore comes in to Foxborough and reminds them why they shouldn’t have got rid of Moss, 24-17 Ravens.
(I want to give a credible note that potentially, the Tampa Bay/New Orleans game has a lot more merit to it after New Orleans just dropped a big one in Arizona last week. I think the 2 games above will be better, but if you’re looking for another good football game, flip this one on as well.)
Sleepers….
Atlanta Falcons at Philadelphia Eagles
This game actually puzzles me. Atlanta is 4-1, Philly is 3-2. Atlanta looks like the only strong team in the NFC and took the Steelers to the wire at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. So why do the experts in Vegas have the Eagles favored by a couple points?! You got me. I don’t think this will be as interesting as it sounds. I think that Atlanta’s defense will stifle Kevin Kolb in this one and Philly’s offense will look rather anemic. Matt Ryan doesn’t really play “amazing” on the road, so I can see a lot of 3 and outs on both sides of the ball. Still, Ryan makes a couple more plays than Kolb does and they leave with the road win.
Atlanta pulls it out and makes everyone in Philly miss Vick more 19-14.
Seattle Seahawks at Chicago Bears
Cutler is coming back after getting his common sense knocked around by New York and having to take the week off. Even though the Bears offense is rather ugly, their defense knows how to take advantages of things when they see it. This week, they’ll be seeing an incomplete team in Seattle who doesn’t know how to travel at all and play on the road. Julius Peppers will have a field day in this one, as it will be an ugly game all the way around.
Chicago wins another duck at home 28-7.
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