CheeringMetFan
My Daughter is a Yankee Fan!
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(11/1/03 7:48 am)
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 Football Update
The EA Report: Around the Gridiron
2003-10-31 07:26:00
As the National Football League season hits its mid-point, the recent trend has become closer games. During the first four weeks, 38 percent of contests were decided by eight points or less. In the past four weeks, 57 percent of games have been decided by eight or less.
So, we’ve gone from blowout city to heartbreak hotel. There have already been 12 overtime games played, and at this pace, the league will break last year’s record of 25. That’s good news for those fans living on the edge, but bad for those with pacemakers. It seems like every time you turn a game on, it inevitably is going down to the wire and maybe even the final play.
The Jets were in one of those games last Sunday as a Hail Mary incompletion from quarterback Chad Pennington at the gun signaled the end of a tough 24-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. After running off a modest two-game win streak, the Jets couldn’t get number three. This week, New York goes for number three overall against New York’s NFC entry. It may be a nail-biter, so try to relax. Let’s take a closer look at this week’s action…
Look out Giants because the Jets become a scary team after Halloween. Under third-year head coach Herman Edwards, the Jets are 7-0 in November and have outscored their opponents 186-66. The Jets recovered from a 2-5 start in 2002.
“You’d like to have a better record, but you don’t,” Edwards said of his current predicament. “You have what you have. If you can work yourself out of it, it’s a heck of an accomplishment by a bunch of guys. They were able to do it last year. I don’t think they understand how hard it was. It was very, very difficult. But you can do it.”
Pennington, who makes his first start in 2003, has a history of making things happen in the red zone with 18 touchdowns and zero interceptions. Santana Moss goes for a touchdown in four consecutive games, and he is also second in the AFC with a 16.0-yard punt return average. The Green & White lead the NFL with a +18 sack differential (26 sacks, 8 allowed) and defensive end Shaun Ellis’ nine lead the league. The cross-town rivals meet every year in the preseason, but have had only nine meetings in the regular season, with the Giants holding a 5-4 edge.
In the Giants past 12 games against the AFC East, they own a 9-3 record. This match up features G-Men quarterback Kerry Collins, who has already passed for 1,882 yards (2nd in the NFL) against the Jets top-ranked pass defense (152.7 yards/game). Running back Tiki Barber needs only 120 total yards to become the first Giant with 10,000 all-purpose yards. Tight end Jeremy Shockey leads all tight ends with 37 receptions and is second in yards accumulated with 403. The Giants’ 24 sacks are second in the league to the Jets.
Carolina (6-1) will probably get their seventh win Sunday at the expense of the Houston Texans (2-5). But one stat jumps off the page – the Panthers have already tied an NFL record with three overtime wins and they are the first team with three overtime road wins in a single season.
Head coach Tony Dungy takes his Indianapolis Colts (6-1) down to Miami for an interesting match up with the Miami Dolphins (5-2). Ironically, Dungy may be happy he’s on the road. The road team has won six of the past seven in this series. Indy quarterback Peyton Manning (161-233-1,862-15TD-5INT) leads the NFL with a 105.5 passer rating and 15 touchdowns. In six meetings with the Dolphins, running back Edgerrin James has averaged 114.3 yards on the ground. But the Colts’ offense is going head-to-head with a Miami defense that is number one in points allowed (12.4/game).
The Buccaneers (4-3) have to be thinking revenge against New Orleans after dropping both games to the Saints (3-5) last season. Tampa quarterback Brad Johnson doesn’t have the flair, but we think he is one of the best quarterbacks in this league. Johnson again is putting up good numbers (159-250-1,747-14TD-6INT) and he’s had 36 touchdown passes against only 12 interceptions since the start of 2002. Bucs’ defensive end Simeon Rice has recorded 37.5 sacks in his past 33 games overall. New Orleans running back Deuce McAllister (169-761-4.5-4TD) quietly goes for his sixth consecutive 100-yard rushing game.
Coming off a bye, the Washington Redskins (3-4) will visit Dallas this weekend for a confrontation with the Cowboys (5-2). The ‘Pokes have won their past seven meetings at home versus Washington, and they will be in nasty mood following last week’s shutout loss at Tampa. Dallas is the only NFC club with three wide receivers with 300 yards receiving (Joey Galloway 410, Terry Glenn 359, and Antonio Bryant 304). Washington kicker John Hall, a former Jet, leads the NFC and is tied for second in the NFL with six touchbacks on kickoffs.
Here come the Rams (5-2). St. Louis owns the 49ers (3-5), winning eight of the past nine in the series. The Rams are averaging 282 passing yards and 23.7 first downs per game, which are both tops in the NFL. Wideout Tory Holt has 52 receptions (1st in NFL) for 778 yards (2nd in NFL), for a 15.0 average and eight touchdowns (T1st).
Will the NFC North be wrapped up by Thanksgiving? The Vikings (6-1) can build a four-game lead over the Green Bay Packers (3-4) with a win Sunday night at the Metrodome. Brett Favre and domes have never been a good mix – the quarterback is 11-20 indoors. Vikings safeties’ Corey Chavous and Brian Russell each have achieved career-bests with six interceptions.
The Broncos (5-3) have lost three in a row and things aren’t looking any better as the AFC East leading New England Patriots (6-2) make a visit to Invesco Field Monday night. Here’s a piece of good news for those of you who would like to go to bed before midnight – turn this game off if the Pats are ahead after the third quarter. New England has won 21 in a row when entering the final stanza with a lead. The Broncos are the only defense in the league to have three players with five sacks – defensive end Bert Berry (7.0), defensive end Trevor Pryce (5.0), and defensive end Reggie Hayward (5.0).
And
Jacksonville (1-6) @ Baltimore (4-3)
San Diego (1-6) @ Chicago (2-5) – We like the Chargers all blue uniforms.
Oakland (2-5) @ Detroit (1-6) – The Raiders host the Jets for the 45th year in a row next weekend.
Carolina (6-1) @ Houston (2-5)
Cincinnati (3-4) @ Arizona (2-5)
Philadelphia (4-3) @ Atlanta (1-6)
Bye
Buffalo (4-4)
Cleveland (3-5)
Kansas City (8-0) – 16 for 16 is highly unlikely.
Tennessee (6-2)
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