The NFL kicked off another season this past week, opening in the house of the defending Super Bowls Champions, and deservedly so.  Viewers were treated to a grand spectacle of entertainment in the big apple, filled with incoherent ramblings of commentators, multiple seg-ways of the finest eateries, and crazed fans not so crazed anymore.  There were games this weekend too.  The schedule ran the gambit of predictable poundings to shocking upsets, to superstar’s seasons ending before they began.  And all of these things were good and bad.

The Good

The Pittsburgh Steelers opened their season at home this year against the Houston Texans.  Experts believed that this game would be close because of Houston’s improved defense and special teams.  Pittsburgh weaknesses were supposed to be their offensive line and their special teams.  While the offensive line did yield two sacks, one leading to a turnover, they did an excellent job of protecting Big Ben and opening parkway-size lanes for Fast Willie Parker to run through, to the tune of 136yrds and 3 TD’s.  When the starters left the game for Pittsburgh at the end of the third quarter, the score was 35-3.

There where some major upsets in games this past week that supposedly had no chance of happening.  Two Super Bowl favorites, the Colts and Chargers, both lost to NFC teams that weren’t even supposed to be contenders in their own divisions.  Now, you can contribute those losses to injuries or early season rust, but the fact is the Colts looked terrible in their game against the Bears.  San Diego’s game may have been a bit more of a fluke, losing on the last play of the game, but their defense just isn’t going to be the same without Merriman.  Why is this good?  One, it helps shift the balance of power a bit in the AFC.  Two, upsets are always good for professional sports. Without them, people would just get bored and change the channel.

The Bad

As much as I’m NOT a fan of Tom Brady and the Patriots, I hate to see the NFL lose one of its most marketable players, not to mention its reigning MVP, to a season ending injury.  I think any sports fan will tell you that even though they “hate” a particular player, an injury is never the way you want to see someone not performing.  A lot of people may say that it was a dirty hit and that a defensive player may try something like that to gain an advantage, but I’m going to disagree in this instance.  After watching the play multiple times, you can see that there was a huge pile-up all around Brady, a player came in at an odd angle, and the circumstance was unfortunate.  While it seemed intentional, it’s just something that happens in professional football.

Monday Night Football becomes more unbearable to watch with each passing game.  Tony Cornheiser has to go!!!  He is by far the worst color commentator I’ve ever heard broadcast a game.  His comments come out of turn, he’s loud and obnoxious, and his analysis to ever play is simple; it’s the most devastating, long-term circumstance that one could ever conceive of.  I’ve mentioned Cornheiser in my column before, and my stance remains the same.  He should go slide under a bus and spare us all any more agony.

     It's great to be back from my long vacation.  My Fantasy team stands at 3-3, 1 GB of first place with a match with the division leader this coming week.  No problem.  Oh yeah, my Steelers totally blew out the Chiefs in what was supposed to be a make or break for the Steelers season... Questions answered.  Enough said...

     Wow!  So how about that Monday Night game.  It was probably the most boring first half of football I've ever watched (I missed the Sunday Night game this week), and the greatest second half of football I've seen in a while.  This game will be debated over the next week as either the greatest comeback in Monday Night history, or the biggest choke job we've seen in a while.

     Those poor, poor Arizona Cardinals... what is left to say that hasn't been said about a thousand times before.  This team is notorious for horrendous collapses, but this takes it to another level.  I have to give the coaching staff of Arizona some credit in that they still tried to be aggressive in the latter stages of the game.  They knew, along with the rest of us watching, that there was no way they were going to run out the clock with that dominant  offensive line of theirs.  On the other hand, I need to blast the Arizona coaching staff for blowing the end of that game.  Here's why...

     The Bears have this guy on Defense named Urlacher or something like that.  I think that everyone knows he wears jersey number 54 and plays middle linebacker and he's the best defensive player in the league, etc...  You get the point.  I get the point.  The whole football watching, football loving universes gets the point.  Everyone I think, except for the Arizona Cardinals.  I watched helplessly at the end of the game, the Arizona running backs getting blown up by #54.  Now I have to think as a coach, your objective would be to take out the other team's best player.  Not hurt him, just try to neutralize him.  I watched M. Leinart hand the ball off, the offensive line part like the red sea, and #54 step into the opening and crush the ball carrier.  Not just once or twice, but about eight times.

    I'm not a coach, but I've played football nad I feel that I could be an outstanding coach.  If I was coach, I think I would tell my Offensive line, no matter what, please block #54.  Let the rest of the team try and beat you.  The Bears were already down two of their starting DB's and I hadn't heard T. Harris's name mentioned once last night.  Don't let the other teams best player beat you.  It's as simple as that.  If you let the other team's best player beat you, you're headed for a Monday Night Mishap.