I Like the Close Ones

I know, I know. I recently claimed that a good ole' fashioned shutout is like icing on the cake.. And such a post might imply that Turkeyday's nailbiting overtime win over the Cowboys was less than icing. But I was wrong - the Broncos close-call victory was even better than the shutout. An OT win against a quality team on the road is more than just the icing. It's the icing and the moist insides and the quadruple layering of chocolate and whipped cream. Man, it's the best.

Looking at the second-half schedule, Thursday's game against the Cowboys and next week's game against the Chiefs are the two big tests. Both games are on the road against quality teams of playoff caliber. And the Broncos got past the Cowboys, and they pounded the Chiefs earlier in the season, so things are looking good. Next week's game should be just as exciting. The Chiefs dominated Tom Brady and the Patriots yesterday, and the AFC West has to be (once again) the most competitive division in football. The more the Broncos win, the bigger their reputation becomes. And if we have to face Indy at any time in the playoffs, we need as big a reputation as we can get. So here's hoping that the Steelers are on top of their game tonight against Indy.

It was disappointing to see Plummer's streak end. It was disappointing insofar as the streak silenced his critics whose biggest complaint was always the interceptions. But the guy has only thrown 4 all year, so his critics should keep their mouths shut for a bit longer (including me - notice I haven't called him The Plum in about five weeks or so). The run-game continues to come up big for the Broncos. I have no idea what Shanahan will do with Dayne next week, but he's been the hero twice now for the Broncos and that should mean more playing time. The defensive backfield has played against all expectations (well, mostly my expectations), and are helping win games that the Broncos normally lost last year. Props to Shanahan for having one good draft year in the last eleven. I'm worried about the receiving corps though. If Rod Smith ever gets hurt, we'll have to resign the Three Amigos 'cause nobody else on the roster merits even a mention in the passing game.

Other notable NFL items:
-I've said that LT is the best player in the game, and he proved it again yesterday when he single-handedly beat the Redskins with three rushing TD's - one for the win in OT.
-But Shaun Alexander has to be a close second. He turned in a gritty OT performance of his own in Seattle's OT victory against the Giants.
-This is the second consecutive week I've picked against the Bears, and the second consecutive week I've had my a$$ handed to me in the betting pool. Da' Bears are for real this season. Right now they're Super Bowl contenders.
-You gotta feel for Giants kicker Jay Feely who missed three consecutive field-goals that would have won it for the Giants. (But I don't really like the Giants so I don't feel too bad.)
-You also gotta feel for the Houston Texans. They dominated St. Louis in the first half, only to give up 14 points in the last three minutes and then the winning TD in overtime. The Lions just fired Steve Mariucci, but someone should have fired Dom Capers and the entire management-team in Houston long ago.
-Why do people keep hounding Michael Vick on his throwing ability? I watched Thursday's game against the Lions, and the guy seems to fire pinpoint lasers everytime. I'm high on Plummer right now, but there's no way he could have thrown that TD pass to Alge Crumpler in the endzone - no way.
-What's up with Packers? They've been close in almost every game this season. I thought for sure they'd beat the lowly Eagles, but they came up empty again. The Packers suck right now, but no one can figure out why.
-Finally, I'd like to say that the Raiders suck too - period.