A Sick Week Six

Maybe it's because, with the Phillies season over, I'm back to paying attention to football more, but this was one of the most interesting weeks in the NFL I've seen in a long time. From the showdown in Big D, to the emergence of a young star in Minnesota, to the reemergence of a very old star in Carolina. Week six was simply sick.

Obviously the big story was the battle of 5-0 teams in Dallas. Well, as it turns out, it wasn't much of a battle. But that shouldn't have been too much of a surprise. Dallas, owner of five wins against atrocious teams, was going against what looks to be one of the best teams ever assembled in the salary cap era. The Patriots ended up being way too much for the Cowboys, but Dallas showed that they record wasn't all smoke and mirrors. Most teams, after tailing 14-0 and 21-10 to the mighty Pats, would've just tipped their hats to a superior opponent. But Dallas battled back to take a 24-21 lead in the second half. Even though that was the best it got for Dallas, they showed that they probably are the class of the NFC.

Is there any question who will be Offensive Rookie of the Year? Adrian Peterson had a day for the ages in Chicago, the home of Walter Payton himself. I'm sure you've all heard the stats by now, but they simply need repeating. He broke out with 224 yards on 20 carries, including TD runs of 67, 73, and 35 yards. Then to top it off, he added 128 yards on 4 kick returns, including his final return that set up the game winning field goal. If it wasn't for the unbelievable start Brady has had, or the fact that Peterson is a rookie, there would be MVP talk in Minny instead of just ROY talk.

The game in Chicago also saw another young star on display. Why does anybody kick to Devin Hester anymore. Hester returned another punt for a touchdown on Sunday, giving him nine special teams TDs in his brief 22 game career. The record is 13, held by Brian Mitchell. It only took him 200-some-odd games to get them. At this point, isn't it better to give Chicago the ball at the 35 or 40 yard line, or kick a punt through the end zone, then putting the ball in his hands? Oh, he also had an 81 yards TD reception from scrimmage.

The Carolina Panthers started a 43, 11 month old QB this Sunday. And they won. Vinny Testaverde was sitting on his couch watching football not ten days ago. On Sunday, he was leading the Panthers to a 25-10 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Due to injuries, both teams in this game called Vinny to lure him out of retirement. He chose Carolina because it was close to home, and as fate would have it, he beat the team that called him first. Vinny has now thrown at least one TD pass in every single season since 1987. Incredible.

When did Mike Holmgren turn into a bad coach. Seattle finally went to the Super Bowl two years ago, after years of underachieving. It looked like the Seahawks finally reached the potential of all that talent. Last year, they were devastated by injury, but still won the a playoff game; and nearly beat the Bears in the divisional round. But what are their excuses this season. They have simply looked bad. And Sunday night, against a winless Saints team, they screwed the pooch again. They failed to show up for three quarters, and then their comeback bid in the fourth was derailed multiple times by Mike Holmgren decisions. He looked indecisive in big moments, and then when the cameras came across him, he looked as if he regretted every decision he made. Then with his team moving in for a big score and time running out, and no time outs, he calls a draw play on third and long. Needless to say, it doesn't work, so they are faced with fourth down, unable to stop the clock. Fourth down is thrown incomplete, and just like that the game is over as New Orleans runs out the clock. Wha?!

This week had it all; the good, bad, and the ugly. Super stars are back, rookies are emerging, and veterans are pushing back the clock once again. If week seven is half as good as six, then I'll be more than happy. Of course, it helps that the Eagles won, and that I had Peterson on my fantasy team.