Patriot Games
J. Andrew Horvath
Issue date: 9/13/07 Section: Sports
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Something wonderful happened this weekend.
Can you guess what it is? No, it doesn't have anything to do with those two foreign guys swinging threaded sticks at a rubber ball for a couple of hours, resulting in an outcome everyone had predicted. It also wasn't the multiple busts of Major League Baseball players for the use and shipment of performance-enhancing drugs. It wasn't the first ever 0-2 start for both Michigan and Notre Dame. It certainly wasn't the VMA's and Britney Spears'...energetic…return. After a summer of horrifying dog-abuse stories, ridiculously early and embarrassing presidential debates (I wish YouTube was never invented), and more steroid talk than Congress could shake a subpoena at, the NFL is finally back. In celebration of opening weekend, I submit for your approval a week-late preview for the upcoming NFL season. The best news I can give anyone who is preparing themselves to read this is that after only week one of the NFL season, nobody is out of it yet. That is, of course, nobody but the Kansas City Chiefs, who this week certainly did not "play to win the game." Actually, let's throw in the Browns and Falcons too. Sorry to the Dog Pound in Cleveland and the Dog Fighters in Atlanta.
In the NFC, this year's miracle pick is the New Orleans Saints. Saints fans: do not panic. A loss to the Super Bowl champions isn't the most terrible thing in the world, especially when that team also happens to know your best cornerback better than you do. Yes, they got abused by a dominant Colts team on Thursday, but take a quick peek ahead. Not counting division opponent Carolina, the Saints only face one defense that was ranked in the top ten in 2006, when they go to Chicago to close out the season. Shootouts are what the Saints do best, and when they can work out some of the offensive kinks, they'll be able to roll again.
In the AFC, the Patriots seem to be the most popular Super Bowl pick since the Washington Redskins in the 2000 season.
Can you guess what it is? No, it doesn't have anything to do with those two foreign guys swinging threaded sticks at a rubber ball for a couple of hours, resulting in an outcome everyone had predicted. It also wasn't the multiple busts of Major League Baseball players for the use and shipment of performance-enhancing drugs. It wasn't the first ever 0-2 start for both Michigan and Notre Dame. It certainly wasn't the VMA's and Britney Spears'...energetic…return. After a summer of horrifying dog-abuse stories, ridiculously early and embarrassing presidential debates (I wish YouTube was never invented), and more steroid talk than Congress could shake a subpoena at, the NFL is finally back. In celebration of opening weekend, I submit for your approval a week-late preview for the upcoming NFL season. The best news I can give anyone who is preparing themselves to read this is that after only week one of the NFL season, nobody is out of it yet. That is, of course, nobody but the Kansas City Chiefs, who this week certainly did not "play to win the game." Actually, let's throw in the Browns and Falcons too. Sorry to the Dog Pound in Cleveland and the Dog Fighters in Atlanta.
In the NFC, this year's miracle pick is the New Orleans Saints. Saints fans: do not panic. A loss to the Super Bowl champions isn't the most terrible thing in the world, especially when that team also happens to know your best cornerback better than you do. Yes, they got abused by a dominant Colts team on Thursday, but take a quick peek ahead. Not counting division opponent Carolina, the Saints only face one defense that was ranked in the top ten in 2006, when they go to Chicago to close out the season. Shootouts are what the Saints do best, and when they can work out some of the offensive kinks, they'll be able to roll again.
In the AFC, the Patriots seem to be the most popular Super Bowl pick since the Washington Redskins in the 2000 season.
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