Okay, so after five weeks it appears no team is poised to make a Patriots-like run at 16-0 this season. And, really, that's no surprise. Even the two remaining unbeaten teams -- the 5-0 Titans and the 4-0 Giants -- figure to each have at least a handful of losses before the final playoff seeding is complete.

But if there is one theme emerging through the early weeks of the season, it's defense. The Giants (49 points) and Titans (56 points) have two of three lowest point total allowed in the league. The Steelers (4-1), Panthers (4-1) and Bears (3-2) also have played great defense so far among the division leaders.

Meanwhile, explosive offenses like the Colts (2-2), Chargers (2-3) and Saints (2-3) have really struggled.

It's all made for some interesting picking so far.

Continue reading "Week 5 picks recap: Defense is carrying the day -- er, season -- so far" »

It might have been ugly – especially the four turnovers – but the Bills’ 41-17 loss to the Cardinals probably won’t be all that costly.

Quarterback Trent Edwards has the bye week to recover from the concussion he sustained on the game’s third play, meaning J.P. Losman’s re-emergence might not extend beyond Sunday.

It was also a loss to an NFC opponent, so it won’t hurt the Bills in most AFC playoff tiebreaker scenarios.

The Bills come back from the bye week and into a key stretch of games starting with an Oct. 19 home date with San Diego. After that the Bills visit Miami, host the Jets and visit New England.

The latter three games, all AFC East matchups, should set the division pecking order for the second half of the season.

Continue reading "View from Sunday's games: Bills can recover from Arizona meltdown" »

It doesn't happen often, so I'm going to seize the opportunity to gloat a little after a weekend in which I went 11-2 straight up and against the spread. The crown jewel of a good pickin' day came when my upset special -- Chiefs over the Broncos -- materialized on Sunday afternoon.

The two games I missed involved NFC East teams: The Redskins over the Cowboys -- although I had Dallas minus the points -- and the Eagles over the Bears -- which might have happened had Andy Reid not suddenly become the most conservative coach in NFL history after the Eagles reached second-and-goal.

Even better, I had all three local teams winning -- and they all won, which meant fewer ornery e-mails than usual this week.

At any rate, it was a good week. I'm sure there won't be many more as sweet.

On to this week's review...

Continue reading "Week 4 recap: It's good to be the king" »

What happened: Jeff Reed's field goal extended the Steelers' lead to 20-13, but the Ravens tied it on Le'Ron McClain's two-yard run with 4:07 to play. ... The Steelers reached midfield on their last drive before punting. ... The Ravens got it back at their 13 with 1:40 to play, but let the clock expire with possession inside their 30, sending the game to overtime.

Continue reading "Ravens at Steelers: Fourth quarter update" »

What happened: The Steelers took the lead with Ben Roethlisberger's 38-yard touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes and a Lamarr Woodley fumble return for a score in a span of 13 seconds.

Continue reading "Ravens at Steelers: Third quarter update" »

What happened: The Ravens drove 48 yards to a 20-yard Matt Stover field goal to take a 6-3 lead at 3:48. ... Baltimore stretched it to 13-3 when rookie quarterback Joe Flacco hit tight end Daniel Wilcox on a four-yard touchdown pass with 17 seconds left in the half. ... The Steelers' offense lost 6 yards on nine plays in the quarter, including a pair of sacks for 17 yards in losses. They have not scored a touchdown since the 6:26 mark of the second quarter in Week 32 against the Browns.

Continue reading "Ravens at Steelers: Halftime update" »

What happened: Jeff Reed's 49-yard field goal gave the Steelers a 3-0 lead. ... The Ravens punted on their first two possessions but Baltimore tied it on Matt Stover's 33-yard field goal with 18 seconds left.

Continue reading "Ravens at Steelers: First quarter update" »

Here is the first of regular updates tonight from Heinz Field, where the Steelers are hosting the Ravens on Monday Night Football.

Inactives:

Steelers: WR Limas Sweed, RB Willie Parker, OT Tony Hills, OT Trai Essex, LB Donovan Woods, DT Casey Hampton, DE Brett Keisel, QB Dennis Dixon.

Ravens: CB Samari Rolle, CB Evan Oglesby, S Dawan Landry, LB Nick Greisen, OT Oniel Cousins, OG/OT David Hale, NT Kelly Gregg, QB Troy Smith.

The Steelers are in their throwback jerseys, black with yellow letters and numbers, and their solid canary yellow helmets.

Look for updates after each quarter with highlights and instant analysis.

-- John Dudley

This much seems certain through three weeks of the NFL season:

-- The NFC East appears to be the league's strongest division. Its teams have only lost to each other, and even the 2-1 Redskins appear to be playoff-caliber behind head coach Jim Zorn.

-- The AFC East is, for now, the Bills' to lose. And Buffalo might have the defense to do it this season.

-- The Matt Cassell effect finally took hold in New England, but no one could have foreseen such a defensive meltdown against a Dolphins offense that usually doesn't bite.

-- The Ravens have a chance to take early control of the AFC North with a road win in Pittsburgh Monday, but a Steelers victory signals that the old guard remains in place in the division.

-- The Chargers can still be the Chargers, only their margin for error is a little smaller because Jay Cutler has the Broncos off to a scorching start.

-- The Bears are still the Bears, which means the NFC North is still the Packers' division to lose.

-- Someone has to step up and win the NFC West. Theoretically.

On to last week's picks:

Continue reading "Week 3 picks recap: Some things are a little clearer now" »

It's amazing that two teams that were unbeatable over the first two weeks of the season were thoroughly confounded Sunday by a couple of old football tricks.

The Steelers and their big, bad offensive line got abused by an Eagles blitz package that was far less exotic than it was effective sacking Ben Roethlisberger eight time and backup Byron Leftwich once.

Continue reading "Weekend rewind: Good teams looked baffled on Sunday" »

What happened: The Bills had possession to start the quarter and moved to their 40, where on second-and-7 Oakland's Kirk Morrison was called for pass interference. After a delay and an officials' time out, Raiders coach Lane Kiffin challenged the call, contending the pass tipped off of the helmet of a Raiders defensive lineman before the penalty. The call was overturned on review, bringing up third-and-7 from the Buffalo 40. The Bills converted, though, when Edwards hit Josh Reed for eight yards. A holding call on Derrick Dockery wiped out a 20-yard completion from Edwards to Reed and made it first-and-20 from Buffalo's 38. Edwards hit Robert Royal on a swing pass that Royal turned into an 18-yard gain, bringing up third-and-2 from the Oakland 44. The Bills picked up the first down on an 11-yard Edwards pass to Roscoe Parrish, and Marshawn followed a big line surge into the end zone from three yards out for a touchdown five plays later to make it 16-14 at 7:59. ... After a short kickoff return, the Raiders faced third-and-10 from their 16, when Johnnie Lee Higgins split the safeties and JaMarcus Russell hit him on the run for an 86-yard touchdown that stretched Oakland's lead to 23-14 at 6:23. ... The Bills responded by driving 69 yards in seven plays. Edwards, who completed 4-of-6 passes on the drive, hit Parrish for 14 yards for the touchdown to cut the Raiders' lead to 23-21 at 4:03. ... The Raiders went three-and-out and punted to the Bills, who took over at their 35 with 2:29 left. ... The Bills took over and drove to the Oakland 20, where Rian Lindell kicked a 38-yard field goal to win it as time ran out.

Observations: The Bills used nearly half the fourth quarter on their first drive, which covered 96 yards and took 17 plays. ... Nice coverage on the ensuing kickoff by the Bills, holding Johnnie Lee Higgins to a nine-yard return to Oakland's 16. ... Marcus Stroud whipped Bills fans into a frenzy during the TV timeout following the first Buffalo touchdown of the quarter, dancing around and waving his arms.

Final score: Bills 24, Raiders 23

-- John Dudley

What happened: The Bills took the kickoff and drove to the Oakland 27, with Trent Edwards hitting Lee Evans for 34 yards on the biggest play. Marshawn Lynch was stopped for no gain on third-and-short and Rian Lindell's 46-yard field goal attempt went wide right. ... The Bills forced a punt, but a holding penalty on the return at their 1-yard-line forced them to start about one foot outside their end zone. On the second play, Edwards threw to Evans over the middle and DeAngelo Hall ripped the ball out of Evans' hands while both players rolled across the field at the Bills' 13-yard line. The Bills challenged, contending that Evans had possession and was down by contact before Hall stripped the ball. Replay upheld the call. ... The Raiders took over at Buffalo's 13. Darren McFadden carried twice for 12 yards and JaMarcus Russell plunged in from the 1 for a touchdown that made it 16-7 at 7:30. ...

Observations: NFL officials observer Art McNally spent a good part of the third quarter explaining to CBS' television crew the ruling that led to the Bills taking possession inside their 1-yard line following Oakland's punt early in the quarter. McNally explained that the hold, by Copeland Bryan, occurred before Leodis McKelvin caught the ball and therefore was enforced from the spot of the foul, which was inside the 2-yard line.

Score: Raiders 16, Bills 7

-- John Dudley

What happened: The Bills' first series of the quarter fizzled when Trent Edwards was forced to throw away a third-down pass under heavy pressure. Brian Moorman punted and Oakland took over at its 13. ... The Raiders drove to the 30, where on third down Chris Kelsay sacked JaMarcus Russell and stripped the ball, which was recovered by Paul Posluszny at the Raiders 23. Marshawn Lynch scored on a 14-yard run three plays later to give the Bills a 7-6 lead. ... Oakland punted on its next series after reaching its 43. Michael Bush ran 16 yards on a delay on third-and-10, but the next three plays netted seven yards. ... The Bills were on the move with a first down at their 46 when Oakland's Kalimba Edwards sacked Trent Edwards and forced a fumble that Terdell Sands recovered for Oakland at the Bills 41 at 4:45. ... A 20-yard swing pass from Russell to Justin Griffith moved it to the Buffalo 15. On third-and-6 from the 11, Ashton Youboty came up and dropped McFadden for a three-yard loss. Janikowski kicked a 32-yard field goal at 1:56 to put the Raiders up 9-7. ... Leodis McElvin returned the ensuing kickoff 56 yards to Oakland's 44. Janikowski shoved him out of bounds to prevent a touchdown. On third-and-2, Edwards threw incomplete to Evans and the Bills up to go for it on fourth down at the Oakland 36 before calling a time out at 1:05. After the time out, Edwards heaved a shovel pass to Lynch, who was initially bottled up in the middle but reversed direction and picked up five yards to the Oakland 31 for the first down with 47 seconds left. Evans fumbled after catching a two-yard pass form Edwards on the next play and Oakland's Gibril Wilson recovered at the 29. Oakland ran out the clock.

Observations: Lynch's touchdown run came on a pitch left on which he skirted the left sideline and spun after being hit, but reached out with one hand and held the ball inside the pylon as he twirled out of bounds. Replays suggested it was an iffy call, but Raiders coach Lane Kiffin did not challenge it. ... The Bills got great coverage on the kickoff after their touchdown, dropping Johnnie Lee Higgins at the Oakland 20 at 10:27. ... Kelsay also jumped and knocked down a third-down pass from Russell intended for Javon Walker to force a punt at 8:20. ... Trent Edwards didn't complete a pass to a wide receiver until the final two minutes of the half, hitting Josh Reed over the middle for six yards.

Score: Raiders 9, Bills 7

-- John Dudley

What happened: Oakland's Johnnie Lee Higgins returned the opening kickoff 69 yards to set up a Sebastian Janikowski field goal for a 3-0 Raiders lead. ... Gerard Warren sacked Trent Edwards to snuff out the Bills' first drive. ... The next five drives resulted in punts. ... Oakland drove to a first down at the Bills' 20. Janikowski kicked a 35-yard field goal to make it 6-0 with 31 seconds left in the quarter.

Observations: Michael Bush, not Darren McFadden, hurt the Bills on the ground with two carries for 21 yards. McFadden rushed three times for six yards. ... Terrance McGee had good coverage on the 22-yard completion from JeMarcus Russell to Ashley Lelie that gave the Raiders a first down at the Buffalo 20. Three plays later Jabari Greer broke up a third-down pass intended for Javon Walker in the end zone. The Raiders settled for another field goal. ... The Bills' first three first-quarter possessions began at their 26, 13 and 11-yard lines. They finally got good field position when Fred Jackson returned a short Raiders kickoff to the Bills' 39. Darian Barnes took a shovel pass from Trent Edwards 25 yards to the Oakland 36 on the final play of the quarter. ... Officials on the field could be heard discussing the final plays of the first quarter when they left their on-field microphones enabled, making their comments audible in the press box.

Score: Raiders 6, Bills 0

-- John Dudley

After some technical difficulties I am now online with updates from Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Impressive opening kickoff return by Oakland's Johnnie Lee Higgins against the Bills' usually reliable kick coverage unit. That set up the Raiders at the Buffalo 30.

Nice stand by the defense after a 14-yard completion from JeMarcus Russell to Javon Walker made it first-and-goal from the 10.

The Bills held Oakland to a Sebastian Janikowski field goal, which has to be a small victory considering the return.

One note: Justin Fargas is inactive for the Raiders, giving Darren McFadden the start at running back. McFadden carried once for two yards on the opening series.

-- John Dudley

Cleveland Plain Dealer columnist Terry Pluto is getting hammered by Browns fans for taking what they claim is a weak, apolgist stance toward the team in the wake of its 0-2 start (see comments section at the end of the column).

Continue reading "Browns' 0-2 start has fans hunting for witches again" »

The NFL is supposed to have sports' greatest home field advantage, but in Week 2 five road underdogs won straight up and a sixth, the Eagles, kept the host Cowboys (-7) from covering.

That I had four of the five road winners helped in a week in which I went 10-5 straight up and 9-6 against the spread, a week that will remain in limbo until the Ravens and Texans make up their game, which was cancelled because of Hurricane Ike.

On to the results from Week 2:

Continue reading "Week 2 picks recap: Road 'dogs were a kind play this week" »

I was looking for a way to convince the kids on the MYAA football team I coach that they have to stay low and deliver the blow when they carry the ball and I came across this highlight video of Bo Jackson on YouTube.

Bo took on tacklers like no running back I've seen before or since. Watch for the part near the end of the video where he runs over San Francisco 49ers safety Ronnie Lott, one of the game's biggest hitters.

-- John Dudley

Recently the Erie Times-News asked readers to explain their NFL allegiances -- how and why they root for the teams they love. A sampling of responses appears in a front-page story in the Sept. 14 newspaper.

Complete responses are here:

Continue reading "Why I love my team (and hate yours)" »

Who knew the Bears would have a 1986 flashback? I even thought I spotted Lovie Smith on the sideline wearing a Jim McMahon-vintage headband at one point in the second half. Who knew the Browns would mistakenly install their third-week-of-the-preseason game plan in their mammoth opener against the Cowboys? Who knew the Steelers and Eagles would make Pennsylvania football look like the varsity against the rest of the NFL's jayvees?

Continue reading "Week 1 picks recap: Fooled by the Colts, and others" »

The NFL didn't allow Chad Johnson to wear his new Ocho Cinco jersey on opening weekend. Actually, I think the league should make Johnson wait to wear it until the Bengals reach 85 points scored this season, which should be sometime in late November.

Continue reading "News and views from the NFL weekend" »