Rank 17-32

Pinned In Their Backyard

Slot

Team

Three easy steps/slides to get there

17

(2-2)

1. Jack del Rio’s decision to cancel David Garrard’s radio show was a sound one. He motivated him to let his play do the talking.
   
2. I was glad to see Maurice Jones-Drew get only nine touches. Only a few are more deserving of getting a “day off” to sit back, relax and enjoy a victory.
   
3. Owner Wayne Weaver declared he would consider playing some future games in Orlando. Here’s a newsflash: If he wants to attract more fans, fielding a competitive team is the way to do so.
   

Move made:

(LW: 20)

18

(2-2)

1. Terrible loss for the Cowboys. With one play (Renaldo Hill’s sack), the team lost all its momentum and sank faster than the Titanic.
   
2. After getting back-to-back
   200-plus rushing yards games, Dallas failed to reach the century mark for the first time this season.
   
3. Right now, Jerry Jones is looking hard at both Tony Romo and Wade Phillips. Unless Romo ignores Jerry’s phone calls, Phillips should be worried. A defeat in Kansas City will not be tolerated.
   

Move made:

(LW: 14)

19

(2-2)

1. Aaron Rodgers — the innocent bystander in the Favre-Green Bay saga — did not survive the pressure. The rest of his career he’ll try to become Steve Young and not Lynn Dickey.
   
2. The Packers’ left tackle for the evening, Daryn Colledge, was downgraded to varsity after the game. How fitting.
   
3. Hands down, this is the worst loss of the Ted Thompson-Mike McCarthy era. Their nightmare came to life.
   

Move made:

(LW: 18)

20

(2-2)

1. Steve Slaton’s first TD’s of the season enabled Houston to walk –not run– past Oakland.
   
2. The Texans’ NFL-worst defense held the Raiders to 45 yards rushing. Mmm…I prefer to highlight the fact that the unit got its first safety since they started playing in 2002.
   
3. “Everybody was having fun,” Texans’ DE Antonio Smith said. In the words of Joe Miller in Philadelphia: Please explain me, like I’m a four-year old…what was so funny about this game?
   

Move made:

(LW: 21)

21

(1-3)

1. The Lions employed six runners and ten receivers. Call Ryan Seacrest … there are auditions being held to find playmakers.
   
2. Talk about a burst bubble. Detroit started the second half of its game tied with Chicago, and ended it hoping that the injuries to Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson were not serious.
   
3. Rod Marinelli was let go at the end of last season after going 0-16. He’s now the Bears’ defensive line coach, and he has three times more wins than the Lions since he’s in Illinois. Just saying.
   

Move made:

(LW: 19)

22

(2-2)

1. A banged-up Clinton Portis (25 car. for 98 yds.) did the most damage without touching the ball. By drawing attention on a fake handoff to him, the Redskins caught the Bucs on their heels.
   
2. Bipolar Jason Campbell: he
   hurt his cause by matching his interception total from last season in only four weeks; and yet, called the game-winning play before it happened.
   
3. Jim Zorn has to trust this more than ever: You have to take it one game at a time, one play at a time.
   

Move made:

(LW: 22)

23

(1-3)

1. The Fins will go as far as Ronnie Brown is willing to take them. 369 yards say: It’s going to be a tiring ride. For the opposition.
   
2. With Joey Porter out, Cameron Wake and Jason Taylor picked up the pass-rushing slack for him. And then some (10 tackles, 5 sacks combined).
   
3. In ‘01, a second-year QB from Michigan shocked the NFL by leading his team to the Super Bowl after the incumbent was lost due to injury. The Dolphins are hoping that history repeats itself.
   

Move made:

(LW: 28)

24

(1-3)

1. Seneca (Wallace) tried his best (33 of 45, 257 yards, 1 TD, 94.4 passer rating) to fight with pride. Like his Roman namesake, he fell honorably.
   
2. And Julius (Jones) (11 carries for 25 yards) should have followed his lead.
   
3. Both were released in 2006, but the most compelling Game of Shadows book doesn’t even mention Barry Bonds. It’s all about Deion Branch’s career after he left New England.
   

Move made:

(LW: 24)

At the Bottom of the Pile

Slot

Team

Three easy steps/slides to get there

25

(1-3)

1. They say that before anything, you have to take care of the games within your division. The Bills are 0-8 vs. AFC East teams dating back to 2008.
   
2. And clearly, 46 rushing yards won’t make the task any easier.
   
3. The short-handed squad that played in Miami reminded Buffalo of one thing: Hockey season. And they want you to know that ten years later it’s still…NO GOAL!
   

Move made:

(LW: 23)

26

(1-3)

1. A typical JaMarcus Russell performance vindicated Jeff Garcia.
   
2. WR Darrius Heyward-Bay (20 yards) had a better rushing day than Darren McFadden (-3 yards). No wonder why they lost.
   
3. Even though they aren’t part of the Bottom Four, the following is very deserving of a:
   

   EXPLANATION ZONE. “We are really killing ourselves” Raiders coach Tom Cable said. There you go Officer…that’s the confession you needed to hear.

Move made:

(LW: 25)

27

(0-3)

1. Julius Peppers did not register a three-sack game and did not take a forced fumble into the end zone.
   
2. Jake Delhomme was not pressed to answer if a quarterback change would be good after yet another Panthers defeat.
   
3. After last week’s loss, Carolina DID enjoy the bye week. And that’s that.
   

Move made:

(LW: 27)

28

(0-4)

1. I just wanted to see some signs of life to get them out of the cellar. I don’t ask for much. I have low expectations for them.
   
2. Rookie WR Mohamed Massaquoi had a career day, catching eight passes for 148 yards. Please don’t sweat if you had trouble pronouncing his name, the Bengals had trouble containing his game.
   
3. Meanwhile, WR Mike Furrey played both ways. Does that make him ambidextrous?

Move made:

(LW: 32)

29

(0-4)

1. I hope I’m wrong, but I cannot help to wonder if this is the beginning of the end of the Jeff Fisher era in Tennessee.
   
2. Kerry Collins passed Dave Krieg for 12th place on the NFL’s all-time yardage list. To honor him, he committed two turnovers.
   
3. EXPLANATION ZONE. “This is the fourth week, and the last three I used up my excuses for what’s going on?” Titans’ LB Keith Bulluck said. Don’t worry Keith, I won’t ask what’s going on. I already know.
   

Move made:

(LW: 26)

30

(0-4)

1. The day for Bucs’ DE Gaines Adams: five tackles, one sack, two thrown-for-loss tackles, one QB hurry, one deflected pass and one fumble recovery. Finally a breakthrough…on a losing cause.
   
2. Want an encore? CB Aqib Talib delivers a career game (3 INT’s)…only to get burned on the game-deciding action.
   
3. EXPLANATION ZONE. “I bet he’d give the other three back for that one” Bucs’ head coach Raheem Morris said. Sorry coach, you’re not in a position to give away anything.
   

Move made:

(LW: 31)

31

(0-4)

1. Don’t pay attention to the final score, the game against the Giants was over the moment Jamaal Charles fumbled the opening kickoff.
   
2. As painful as it sounds, the only Kansas City player that’s reliable with the ball on his hands is Zack Greinke.
   
3. EXPLANATION ZONE. “This is obviously the worst-case scenario” Chiefs’ head coach Todd Haley said. And the end is not at sight.
   

Move made:

(LW: 30)

32

(0-4)

1. At 3:30 PM on Sunday I was picking the Chiefs as the tenants of the basement. Three hours and another shutout later, I changed my mind.
   
2. The rest is explained by the quote below.
   
3. EXPLANATION ZONE: “When the Rams first got here they won the Super Bowl — a lot of success in their first 10 years. I think our fans and the media got real spoiled” Rams’ DT Clifton Ryan said. Yes Clifton, but not because of you.
   

Move made:

(LW: 29)