Schill gets 15th, Papi 54th in 5-1 win

As the season winds down (ONLY 5 MORE GAMES TILL WINTER!) all Boston fans have left are accomplishments and milestones. Tonight we had two.

It only took 2 months but Curt Schilling finally earned his 15th victory of the season in Boston's 5-1 win over the Rays. It is his 8th season with 15 or more victories. Also, on the night David Ortiz was honored pregame with a banner, honorary bat, and congrats from the family of Jimmie Foxx for breaking his Sox HR record, Big Papi tied the score at 1 in the 3rd with his 54th blast, then added a 2-run single in the 4th to push the cushion to 5-1; he finished the night 3-4.

Although Schill was not sharp (7IP, 6H, 4BBs, 9 Ks)- he walked more men tonight than he did in the entire month of May- he was more than good enough against the roadkill known as the Rays from Tampa Bay; the Rays are now a mind-numbing 2-28 on the road since July 1st. As he went out to the mound for the 8th, Tito came out to remove Schill and let the faithful applaud their beloved warrior for all he did for the team this season. With hints of retirement in the air, it might have been the last chance to thank him for all he has done in a Boston uniform to date. Which is merely rescue a downtrodden, cursed franchise and take it to the very place he promised he would the day he signed- to a World Series Championship.

With the weak performance of the team down the stretch, specifically against the Evil Empire, we know that the roster of this team is going to be significantly altered this winter. But to think that Schill, the anchor of the staff, vocal clubhouse leader and workhorse extraordinaire won't be on that field in Fort Myers in March is a depressing thought for sure. It will be a long winter for all Nation members, but it could be a longer spring if faced with the prospect of going to battle next season without the unquestioned general of this squad.

Thanks for everything, Schill. Just in case I don't get another chance to say it after a game.

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Golf legend Byron Nelson dead

Lord Byron Nelson, one of the greatest professional golfers who ever lived passed away today at the age of 94.
Nelson will always be remembered for his 11 consecutive PGA Tour wins, a mark that only Tiger Woods, currently with 5 straight, has approached since he set it in 1945. He also won 5 majors, made 113 consecutive cuts (second to Tiger's 142), and is the only golfer to have a tournament named after him, The Byron Nelson Classic.

His wife found him slumped in his chair and the medical examiner has cited natural causes, thereby fueling rampant rumours that he died after viewing the controversial pictures of Tiger's wife Elin.

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NFL Week 3 Review

Three weeks into the NFL season some interesting things have taken place. Let's look at the top stories coming out of the weekend.

INJURIES:
*Simms loses spleen after Bucs lose game
All those Chris Simms bashers will have plenty of time to jump back on his bandwagon as the Buc QB had his spleen removed after their heartbreaking 26-24 loss to Carolina. Now rookie Bruce Rocket Gradkowski takes the reigns of Chucky's Mensa-esque offense and he'll have plenty of opportunity to prove his worth: Simms is expected to miss the rest of the season while recovering. Time for Buc fans to focus on who's gonna be the No.1 pick in the 2007 draft.

*Madden curse lives on: Alexander breaks foot
For the 6th consecutive year the cover boy for the mythic-like John Madden video game has been felled by an injury. The latest victim is Seahawks RB & reigning NFL MVP Shaun Alexander, who broke a bone in his foot during Seattle's 42-30 shellacking of the Giants and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. He joins Donovan McNabb, Ray Lewis, Mike Vick, Marshall Faulk and Daunte Culpepper as athletes who have been snake bit by the cover jinx. Let me be the first to nominate T.O. for lifetime appointment, John.

WHO DEY?:
*Saints prove they're no fluke
In a game that was nearly an afterthought to the symbolism it represented the Saints never forgot about what they were there to do- win a football game. And they did just that with an inspired 23-3 destruction of a Falcon squad that had amassed 558 yds rushing in their 2-0 start. New Orleans held Vick, Dunn & Co. to just 117 on the ground and a mere 3 points, stifling one of the league's most potent offenses and proving that the Saints aren't just a symbol, they're a force to be reckoned with as well.

*Bengals, Palmer get revenge on Steelers, 28-20
Although he never admitted as much, Cincy QB Carson Palmer had to want this win badly as payback for the Steelers knocking him out of the game and the Bengals out of the playoffs last January. And thanks to two costly Pittsburgh turnovers in the 4th quarter, both converted into immediate TDs by Palmer to TJ Whosyourmama, the man got his wish. A-Ben-dicitis was worse than his usual mediocre self (18-39, 208, 3 INTs), and the Championship hangover has hit the struggling Steelers, big time. All together now- "awwwwwwww!"

TROUBLED ATHLETES:
*Suspended Bengal arrested for DUI

Off-field issues have been plaguing the Bengals all season, but this may be an all-time low: LB Odell Thurman was arrested late Sunday night after the Bengal's win over the Steelers when he was pulled over for OVI in downtown Cincy. The catch is he was already on suspension for 4 games for drug offenses and was not even active for the game. But his passenger, WR Chris Henry- himself a 4-time arrestee in the past year- was, and caught 2 TD passes in the win; it was reported that he barfed out the car window as officers questioned Thurman. Supposed disciplinarian coach Marvin Lewis better get a hold of his talented-but-troubled team before these off-field troubles turn into on-field failures.

*Shockey tastes his foot yet again

In a development that surprised exactly no one, boozing, bimbo-loving blowhard Giants TE Jeremy Shockey criticized his embattled coach, Tom Coughlin, after New York's humiliating 42-30 loss to Seattle. "We got outplayed, and out coached. Write that down," Shockey said. Asked what he meant by out coached, Shockey said, "You saw the game." Yeah Jeremy, I also saw you catch 4 passes for 58 yards, bringing your season total to 11 recs for 132 yds & 1 TD in 3 games. Must be the coach's fault, right? When are they going to start making muzzles mandatory gear at 'Da U?'

RECORDS & MILESTONES:

* Brett Favre passes 400 TD mark

With his 75-yd 1st quarter touchdown pass to Greg Jennings Green Bay QB Brett Favre became only the second quarterback in NFL history to total 400 TD passes; he trails only all-time leader Dan Marino, who has 420. For good measure, and to get a jump on the record, Favre threw 2 more in the Pack's 31-24 win over hapless Detroit. Favre had a Favre-like day, circa 1999: 25-36, 340 yds, 3TDs, no INTs. Maybe he's not done after all. And I'll tell you what, by the end of the season he should be pretty damn close to that record, and you can bet your Limburger Cheesehead that the Packer brass won't let him set that mark in another uniform; he's not Barry Bonds.

*Mark Brunell sets passing record

After a week in which everyone in the DC area but George W. took a turn ridiculing QB Mark Brunell, the ancient warrior went out and silenced everyone with one of the most impressive performances in league history. Brunell completed his first 22 passes of the game in the Redskins 31-15 destruction of the Texans. The mark is a record for a single game; Donovan McNabb holds the overall record of 24 straight, accomplished over 2 games in 2004. Brunell finished an impressive 24-27 for 261 yds & 1 TD. Now get off his back! (it hurts)

THINGS THAT MADE ME SICK:

*Me-shawn burns old Buc mates
Of all the things that happened this weekend this hurt the most: seeing the self-promoting, under-performing, ultra-egotistical Meyshwan Johnson torch his former team to the tune of 8 plays, 101 yds & 2TDs. His score :59 into the game after a Chris Simms INT set the tempo, then he added another on a 4-yd end-around to start the 2nd Q; it was only the 3rd rushing TD of his career, 1st since 1998. The plays supplied the clubhouse cancer with plenty of ammo for his me-first cannon- hint to Bucs for the Nov. 13th rematch: wear earplugs!

*Patriots a shell of former selves

The memories of 3 Super Bowls in 4 years will never be forgotten (or duplicated) but it looks like memories are all Pats fans will have as the team has reverted back to pre-Dynasty mode. Tom Brady and the "offense" looked helpless and harmless in the 17-7 loss to Denver. Without his 2 top targets from last year, Deion Branch & David Givens, Brady has a collection of has-beens (Troy Brown), never-were's (Doug Gabriel, Reche Caldwell) and may-be's (Chad Jackson) to choose from at wide receiver. But equally as troubling is the fact that the vaunted defense has not played up to snuff: the unit has given up 998 total yards in 3 games to teams that aren't exactly offensive powers (BUF, NYJ, DEN.) Oh, did I mention they can't run the ball either(50 yds vs. Denver)? Up next: Cincy (gulp!)

BEST BOWL BETS:

* New Orleans, 3-0

How can you go against America's team (sorry, Dallas) after that awesome, inspiring homecoming victory Monday?

* Cincy, 3-0

After beating their arch-rival they get a home date with the Pats; come out of that 4-0 and watch out

*Indy, 3-0

Peyton scored his 1st rushing TD since 2002 as the Colts beat the stingy Jags 21-14. Don't quit you're regular gig as Tourette-like signal caller please.

*Atlanta, 2-1

Caught up in the buzzsaw that was the return of football to New Orleans; that rushing attack won't be down for long

*Seattle, 3-0

After CHI this week, a cake schedule and the acquisition of Deion Branch should offset the loss of Alexander- for a little while

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Crescent City Crush-Job

Saints ride a tidal wave of emotion to a 23-3 pasting of the Falcons

The Dome was rockin & the unfortunate Falcons came a-knockin'

It was like NFL Opening Night, Mardi Gras and the Super Bowl all rolled into one. The Saints came marching back in to New Orleans last night with enough pomp, circumstance and music to have qualified as a giant homecoming parade.

Which of course it was. After 56 weeks of agony and displace-ment, 23 consecutive road games, and millions of tears of pain & anguish, the New Orleans Saints returned to their home turf in grand style last night with a 23-3 pasting of the Atlanta Falcons in front of 69,000+ fans in house and millions more around the country who all had to be rooting for the new America's Team.

It was a magical night all around starting with the grand opening of the renovated former hurricane relief center/symbol of a region in despair, The Superdome. And the organizers of this extravaganza sure kicked it off right. Brought in to be the opening act was none other that two modern titans of the music industry, Green Day & U2. Robin Roberts stated that U2's The Edge had set up a charitable fund called Music Rising and a clip played showing the efforts to bring the life blood of the Bayou country back home- the music. The clip then segued into Green Day's Billy Joe on stage singing their soulful ballad "Wake me up when September Ends". As the song concluded, Joe, channelling Moe Howard with his dark mop, croaked out a little rendition of "House of the Rising Sun"- "there is a house in New Orleans, it's called the Superdome..."; the chills were multiplyin' by now. Then the crowd roared as U2's Bono entered stage right, sensing the real fun was about to begin. The two supergroups combined for a moving piece called, appropriately enough, "The Saints are Coming". By now the gooseflesh was rising and the tears were welling- the sight and sound of two of music's greatest bands of the past 25 years belting out the refrain "the Saints are coming..." over & over while the crowd went wild was a powerful emotional scene that will be etched in my memory for a long time. Bono's melodic voice spoke to the essence of what was going on in the area: "...Lower 9th (Ward) will rise again, above the waters of Lake Pontchartrain..." They capped it off with the uplifting anthem "(It's a) Beautiful Day" as the building rocked & the tears flowed-"... Fats Domino, you're beautiful, Allen Toussaint, you're beautiful, Aaron Neville, you're beautiful"- and it truly was a beautiful day for the millions of hope-starved citizens of New Orleans. The whole clip can be viewed here, and please view it; in a word that opening sequence was FREAKIN' AWESOME!

But wait, was there still a game to be played? Oh yes there was, and whoever said Bono isn't a prophet was lying because after the Saints took the field, their field, for the first time since Dec 26th, 2004 ironically against these very Falcons, the onslaught began. After a short-lived drive in which Mike Vick almost lost a fumble on 3rd down Atlanta was forced to punt from deep in their own end. New punter/old placekicker Michael Koenen didn't fare much better at his new position as New Orleans' Steve "Stevie G" Gleason snuck right up the middle, blocked the punt with his belly and Curtis Deloache fell on the ball in the end zone for a Saint TD a mere 30 seconds into the game; the Saints were indeed coming, and they were going to run right over the helpless Falcon squad right from the get-go. As Deloache reverse-spiked the ball over the goalpost and pointed to the screaming fans in the stands I thought to myself "I hope they repaired that roof real good, 'cause if not it might just cave in from all the noise." The good times continued as the Saints repeatedly stymied Vick, Dunn and Atlanta's vaunted rushing attack. After a Falcon FG the Saints pulled a beautiful double-reverse, using Reggie Bush as a decoy in handing off to former LSU star Devery Henderson, who scampered in for the 11-yard score and a 14-3 lead. Another Saint FG pushed the lead to 17-3 and when Atlanta threatened to add a morale-boosting FG before the half the Saints turned it into a morale-killer: they blocked former Saint kicking legend Morten Anderson's 25-yd attempt, then marched down the field and with help from a foolish late hit penalty on Atlanta CB Kevin Mathis hit a 51-yd FG as time expired for a 20-3 halftime lead. But the game was over then. As I had hoped and predicted (toot toot) the Saints rode the wave of emotion generated by their homecoming to an impressive victory that couldn't have been scripted better by Disney. Thanks to the awesome combined healing power of music, words, and terrific play a devastated area of our country was allowed to let loose, have fun, and forget their troubles for at least one day. It was one of the most powerfully moving sporting events I have ever witnessed, and one that will linger in the minds of fans and Americans for quite a while.


At least until the Bucs come to town in 2 weeks.

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Reminder of my Sunday pick

Falcons (2-0) @ Saints (2-0), MNF, 8:30PM, ESPNFootball returns to a devastated region

Who woulda thunk when the schedule was announced that this game would be the marquee matchup at this point in the season. Not only are both teams surprisingly undefeated, with Atlanta's record coming courtesy of 2 dominating wins over division rivals Carolina & Tampa Bay and the Saints squeaking by Cleveland and pummelling Green Bay. But this game marks the return of pro football to the region devastated last August by Hurricane Katrina and to the site that became a symbol of government ineptitude and civil unrest, The Superdome. Fitting that the Red-Headed Stepchild that has become Monday Night Football on ESPN has this game, which is drawing media requests from 500+ sources all over the world and from agencies that have nothing to do with sports. A nice In-Your-Face to the glitzy-but-stale Sunday Night production on NBC (I'll take Kornheiser over Madden any day)

This one should have everything a fan could want: Undefeated teams?-check. Starpower? Mike Vick & Reggie Bush-check. Musical heavyweights? How 'bout U2 & Green Day? Emotional ceremonies?-check. Exciting football- remains to be seen, but with the hype and build up it will be hard to imagine a terrible football game. Look for the sheer emotional lift of 65,000+ hope-starved fans cheering their lungs out in unison for both the return of their beloved Saints and the home debut of Reggie Bush to form a wave of noise and luck that will propel the Saints to victory. Nice storyline at least. Hint to New Orleans: watch for the run.
MY PICK: Saints, 27-24

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Sox limping to finish line

Another day, another loss, this time an 13-4 shellacking by the birds to the North, the Blue Jays as the Sox continue their monotonous march to the end of this miserable season.

The only highlight of the day was David Ortiz' 53rd homer, adding to his team record and keeping alive his campaign to be named the AL's MVP, a prospect that becomes slimmer with each Sox loss.

Lowlights included a screening of the Boston film Errors in the Outfield, as rightfielder Willy Mo Pena misplayed 3 balls and substitute leftfielder Youk misplayed 2 more in that corner. Miraculously only 1 of those gaffes went for an error, but it didn't matter as 4 Sox hurlers (Snyder, Gabbard, Delcarmen, Dinardo) combined to allow 15 hits & 13 runs in 8 innings.

It's abundantly clear that the team is playing out the string and cannot wait to go their separate ways as soon as the season ends on Sunday. Word is coming down that Man-knee has YET AGAIN requested to be traded, this coming amidst allegations that he has given up on his team with this balky knee injury the past month & 1/2. To which the Sox brass this off season will be very likely to accommodate him, perhaps even for .50 cents on the dollar just to rid themselves of the mercurial clubhouse presence once and for all. There are other hitters who can provide Papi with the protection he needs to do what he does (Carlos Lee or Aramis Ramirez come to mind immediately), and what they will gain by losing the sideshow that has become MannyBeingManny will be an invaluable addition to a team sorely needing a shot of inspiration.

Let the off season begin (please!)

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Enough Already!

Just had to take a moment to say how very sick & tired I am of ESPN's beyond-annoying habit of branding each and every event, incident, day, or happening in sports with a slogan. At first it was cute and catchy, like College Game Day, Play of the Day, and Thrifty Car Rental Holiday Bowl Week.

But the past couple of years they have really gone off the deep end, starting with last summer's ultra-annoying '50 States in 50 Days', which was handily shrunk to '50 in 50' for marketing & logo purposes. Heck it even came with it's own aggravating jingle courtesy of has-been Canadian rocker Bryan Adams. By the time that Summer of Sam was over I wanted the government to step in and ban all future playings of "(life is an) Open Road (to me)"

And now the marketing maniacs in the suits in Bristol have gone all crystal meth in the nickname department, coming up with abominations like the Budweiser Hot Seat, Separation Saturday, Sportscenter's 30 in 30, and The Game Leading up to the Game that is Going to be the Game of the Year. Okay, so I made that last part up. But it can't be very far behind.

Step away from the slogans ESPN, or at the very least make them interesting, like my Kick-Ass Weekend in College Football suggestion.

Thank You.

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Pats look pathetic in 17-7 loss to Denver

"How's that turf taste, Tommy Boy?"

The Denver Broncos continued their trend of embarrassing the New England Patriots with a dominant 17-7 victory Sunday night over the 3-time Champs.
With the loss the Pats achieved a trifecta of futility against these Mile High maulers going back to last year. In their regular season meeting last October the Broncos used 3 TD plays of more than 55 yards each to beat the reeling Pats 28-20 at Invesco. The next meeting was in the AFC Divisional Playoff game again at Invesco, and the Broncs opened a giant can of Rocky Mountain Whup Ass on the boys from Beantown, embarrassing the defending champs with a 27-13 win in one of Brady's worst games as a pro.

And now this. The silence was deafening at The Razor, contrary to what I had believed and hoped. But what do you expect: the Pats didn't score through 3 quarters, the longest they had gone scoreless in a game at home since 1993. Tom Brady looked anything but terrific, although his numbers weren't awful (31-55, 320 yds, 1TD.) But anyone who follows this team knows that they do not want the guy slinging the rock 55 times in a game. Why was he forced to throw so much? Well for one thing they were playing from behind the entire second half, courtesy of a Jason Elam 27-yd FG and a Jake the Fake 32-yard TD pass to off-season acquisition WR Javon Walker. It was the Broncos first offensive TD of the season. Walker (3 recs, 130 yds, 2TDs) also reeled in a dazzling 83-yder a couple minutes into the 4th that put the game away and sent many of the disgruntled fans to the exits.

When RB Always Illin' Corey Dillon went out of the game in the 2nd quarter with an arm injury the Pats were forced to rely heavily on rookie RB Lawrence Maroney; Denver was ready, limiting the Pats to a paltry 50 yards rushing. Ouch. Meanwhile the Broncos ran the ground like, well, thundering horses, to the tune of 144 yds, 123 by Tatum Bell.

Toss in the fact that Brady has not found a rhythm with his merry-go-round of receivers and that he could only throw to one side of the field because Brady & Belichick were clearly afraid to test Champ "100-yd return" Bailey after the playoff debacle, and you had a confused, one-dimensional offense that had but one decent drive the whole game- an 80-yd, 10 play effort that culminated with a Brady to Doug Gabriel TD with 9:00 left in the game.

The whole miserable performance brings up an interesting point: if Brady really is a lost soul now that his buddy and favorite target Deion Branch is grabbing passes in the Pacific Northwest, why on Earth didn't the Patriot brass do everything in their power to retain him? It wasn't the money- the Pats are so far under the cap they look like they have a salad bowl on their heads. It wasn't as if they had a young stud ready to step in and supplant him- this collection of pass catchers is more helter skelter than Charlie Manson. No it was the mere fact they the team has a strict policy called It's Our Way or the Highway. So what if you are one of the most valuable players on the team, a Super Bowl MVP and clutch playoff performer who was grossly underpaid by these standards? We do what we do, which is to deny you the right to a raise until your rookie contract runs out. Well look where that got them. Branch's new team, the Seahawks, put up 42 points against the tough Giants yesterday with Deion just getting his feet wet with 2 grabs for 23 yards. Tom Terrific looked like a shell of his former self.

The Pats could only muster a measly 7 points against a squad that now has beaten the Pats 5 out of 6 times and that Brady has a 1-5 record against. Wouldn't it have been worth it just to keep Branch for Brady's sake? Or is foolish pride more important than winning championships and keeping the franchise player happy in New England these days?

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Adding injury to insult: Simms loses spleen

Buccaneer QB Chris Simms had to have his spleen removed after the Bucs loss to Carolina this afternoon. Reports as to when and how Simms was injured vary, but he was removed from the game briefly after a damaging hit in the 3rd quarter. He re-entered the game after coaches believed he was suffering from dehydration.

But following the game Simms was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa where his spleen was removed and he was given a blood transfusion. It has been reported that he is resting comfortably, should be able to go home in a few days, and should be able to resume his playing career.


That return might not take place this season, however. Peter King, the Peter Gammons of the NFL, has received reports from 2 physicians that state the estimated recovery time for such an ailment is 2-3 months. With that time frame that could put Simms back on the field in late November, early December, best case scenario.



But would it be worth the risk? Obviously he would not be cleared to play unless he was 100% healed. But with the season already in the tank and the team forced to go into survival mode at the QB position for the foreseeable future, what good would it do to bring Simms back this year?



It looks like all the Simms bashers who have been calling for his head will get to see what life will be like for this horrid team without the popular punching bag under center. And if they think that a rookie (Gradkowski) or waiver wire acquisition is going to do any better job than Simms, well I guess we're about to find out if there is any truth to that myth soon enough. Like 2 weeks from today when the Bucs return to action at New Orleans after their bye.

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Bucs lose again, but not for lack of effort

A heartbreaking last- second 26-24 defeat leaves
the Bucs on the outside looking in at 0-3

Me-shawn(7 recs, 97 yds, 2 TDs) certainly helped do-in his old mates

It seemed as if they had this game lost after the first quarter, when the score was 17-0 Carolina. After all, the Bucs beyond-anemic offense had only managed 3 points in 2 games, and the Panthers have one of the league's stingiest defenses.
But a funny thing happened along the way to devastation & humilation at the hands of their arch rivals and arch-ex-team mate Me-shawn Johnson- the Bucs crawled out from their offense hole they had been in for 2+ games and gave the Panthers a run for their money, a run that lasted until there were 0:07 seconds left in the game. That is when clutch Carolina kicker John Kasey booted a 46-yd game-winning field goal that left the Bucs players & fans in a stunned silence of disbelief. They had worked so hard to snatch a victory out of the jaws of defeat, scoring 15 points in 20 minutes of the 2nd half, only to have those vicious jaws snatch the win right back at the last, most excruciating moment.

This game had a little bit of everything, but what it had way too much of was Me-shawn and his preening, prima donna antics. It began a less than one minute into the game, when after an early Chris Simms INT (his 7th in 2+ gms), the Panthers immediately threw a pass to the disgruntled former Jet, Buc and Cowboy for a crowd-silencing 31-yd TD :59 seconds in. When he added a 4-yd score on a USC-esque end-around 2:00 into the 2nd quarter and proceeded to mock the entirety of the Bay area with his misogynistic faces, howlings and poses, it looked like it would be a long afternoon at the New Sombrero. it's one thing to lose, but it's another thing completely to lose while having your faces rubbed in it by a guy like that.

Ah but wait- could it have been the obvious nose-rubbing antics of Mr. Get Me the Dam Ball himself that awoke the slumbering giant that is the Buccaneer offense? Okay, well not giant, but how about talented-but-underachieving? I think that is highly likely as all of a sudden the Bucs were playing like a house on fire. They had finally broken the TD seal when Simms found Galloway for a 4-yd score 8:03 into the 2nd. But after the break, when you KNOW Chucky ripped into his squad for being embarrassed by a guy despised the league over and a receiver who had been nearly crippled by hamstring injuries the past 2 weeks (WR Steve Smith, 70 yds rec. in 1st half) the offense went downright St. Louis circa 1999.First the Bucs located the keys to their Caddy when Williams went in for a 2 yd TD scamper, then Simms galloped in for a 2 yd score and it was a game again, 21-20 Bucs.

But that is when the good times ceased rolling. Simms was temporarily injured on a late hit and everybody's favorite rookie Bruce the Rocket Gradkowski came in for a few plays. Although he was 1-1 for 16 yds, the offense was out-of sync and the momentum swung back to Carolina after another Kasye GG, this one from 49 yds (field position killed the Bucs all day- they should be nick0named the Tampa Bay 3 & Outs.) After trading FGs the Bucs still had the lead with just over 5:00 minutes to pay- they could smell their first win of the year, and it would be a sweet one.

But it was not to be in this season of discontent on the Gulf Coast of Florida. The Panther mounted one last drive, grabbing one big third down after another, and it was all up to Kasey and his powerful right foot with the clock winding down. Of course he nailed the clutch game winning 46-yd'er, and the Bucs were left with a full season of potentially playing out the string as spoilers.

At least they scored more than 3 points.

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NFL Week 3 Preview

Heading into Week #3 there are quite a few games of interest around the league, capped by two great night games tonight & tomorrow. Please pace yourselves.

Panthers (0-2) @ Bucs (0-2), 1PM

So many ways to classify this one: a grudge match between 2 division opponents who have no love lost for each other, to say the least. Probably because the Panthers lately seem to find a way to beat the Bucs (5 straight times thru last season) and always seem to be perennial Super Bowl favorites while the Bucs are basically the NFC South's version of chopped liver. Adding mercurial ex-Tampa Bay receiver Me-shawn Johnson is the equivalent of throwing pure gasoline on an already intense fire. Bets that he screams at Chucky from the other sideline? It is also a match up of win less teams, which few 'experts' thought possible. While both squads got their asses handed to them by Atlanta, Carolina shot themselves in the foot last week at Minny while the Bucs have barely come close to sniffing the end zone, let a lone a win. A lot riding on this one for both clubs- win, and you keep playoff hopes alive. Lose, and start making off season plans early. If star WR Steve Smith does suit up today after missing the 1st 2 games, the Bucs could be booking those January vacation packages by this evening.

MY PICK: Carolina, 17-13

Broncos (1-1) @ Patriots (2-0), 8PM, NBC

Hmmmm, wonder if there's any significance to this one...oh yeah, that small matter of last years' 27-13, 5 turnover debacle in the playoffs when Denver derailed the Pats dynastic hopes for 4 titles in 5 years. You remember, when the Pats were robbed on numerous calls, none more egregious that the 97- yd interception return by Champ Bailey where Ben 'Runaway Train' Watson ran down the speedy DB and knocked the ball out of the end zone, but the refs still gave Bailey the TD? No matter, the Pats played poorly (Brady- 2 INTs), as they historically have in the thin air of the Mile High Madhouse; heck, the Broncs are one of Brady's true nemeses (1-4 career record, 8TDs, 7 INTs.) But tonight's Grudge Match will be in the chilly-but-not-frigid air of the Rockin' Razor Blade, Gillette Stadium, and the Pats will be bound & determined to turn things around, starting with Brady performing like Tom Terrific and Jake "the Snake" Plummer being exposed for what he truly is- Jake The Fake. The Broncos will have a taste of their own medicine when the Pats 2-headed tandem of Clock Killin Corey Dillon and Catchmeifyoucan Lawrence Maroney run it down their throats, while Big Ben catches TD TDs just as payback for running the length of the field last year for nothing.

MY PICK: Pats, 50- 3

Bengals (2-0) @ Steelers (1-1), 1PM

Talk about your "no love lost" game. Remember back to last January when the Steelers were the team to destroy the playoff dreams of the entire Queen City and surround Tri-State area when Pittsburgh lineman Kemo von Oelhoffen rolled up on QB Carson Palmer's leg, exploding both his knee and the Bengal playoff chances in one fell swoop. In the regular season each team won on the others' home turf, so there is no fear factor for the road team. To spice things up Cincy WRs Chad Johnson & TJ "Houshamazilli" did a 2-man rip job of crazy Steeler LB Joey Porter the other day, both professing to have no fear of the fearsome defensive playmaker. Careful guys, Porter may just sic his dogs on you guys!

MY PICK: Cincy, 27- 20

Jaguars (2-0) @ Colts (2-0), 1PM

This matchup has become quite an intense little rivalry; that's what happens when every game comes down to the wire (every meeting since 2002 decided by 10 pts or less.) For some reason the Peyton's just can't seem to shake the pesky Cats from J'Ville. Perhaps it's because Mr. Cut That Meat does not enjoy a healthy dose of in-your-face, smash-mouth football, which doesn't allow him to fully exploit his Rain Man-esque run-around-the-line-screaming-and-yelling fake-calls-before-every-play technique that he enjoys so much. But coming off that psychical battle on Monday Night in which the Jags beatdown & shutout the defending Champs, it's going to be tough to duplicate that effort, especially in the RCA Dome. They'll try, but the Mannings should have just enough to pull it out.

MY PICK: Mannings, 21-14

Falcons (2-0) @ Saints (2-0), MNF, 8:30PM

Who woulda thunk when the schedule was announced that this game would be the marquee matchup at this point in the season. Not only are both teams surprisingly undefeated, with Atlanta's record coming courtesy of 2 dominating wins over division rivals Carolina & Tampa Bay and the Saints squeaking by Cleveland and pummelling Green Bay. But this game marks the return of pro football to the region devastated last August by Hurricane Katrina and to the site that became a symbol of government ineptitude and civil unrest, The Superdome. Fitting that the Red-Headed Stepchild that has become Monday Night Football on ESPN has this game, which is drawing media requests from 500+ sources all over the world and from agencies that have nothing to do with sports. A nice In-Your-Face to the glitzy-but-stale Sunday Night production on NBC (I'll take Kornheiser over Madden ANY DAY.) This one should have everything a fan could want: Undefeated teams?-check. Starpower? Mike Vick, Warrick Dunn, Drew Brees, Reggie Bush-check. Emotional ceremonies?-check. Exciting football- remains to be seen, but with the hype and build up it will be hard to imagine a terrible football games. Look for the sheer emotional lift of 65,000+ hope-starved fans cheering their lungs out in unison for both the return of their beloved Saints and the home debut of Reggie Bush to form a wave of noise and luck that will propel the saints to victory. Nice storyline at least.

MY PICK: Saints, 27-24

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