Finally, things are beginning to even out in the NFL The Green Bay Packers had an impressive offensive showing against the New Orleans Saints, and the previously undefeated Tampa Bay Buccaneers fell to Vinny Testaverde and the New York Jets. Also, the New England Patriots managed to narrowly avoid their first losing streak since the 2002 season.
Surprisingly, the Packers had been winless, and their usually flawless quarterback, Brett Favre, had been struggling behind his injured offense. However, on Sunday, both Green Bays offense and defense shined as the Packers blew out the Saints 52-3, thanks to 3 touchdowns from Favre. The team attributed the blowout to the frustration that built up over the last month full of losses.
The Buccaneers win streak ended as well, except not quite as gloriously. The Jets, starting their fourth quarterback of the season, narrowly defeated them 14-12 for only their second win of the young season. The Jets offense was led by veteran 41-year-old quarterback Vinny Testaverde, who joined the team a week after watching the last Jets loss on his television at home.
The Patriots also continued a streak of their own this week, when they once again avoided a two game losing streak. This one was close, as the Falcons came back from 14 and 15 point deficits. However, they eventually made the mistake that many teams do against the Patriots;
putting the ball in the hands of Tom Brady (350 yards, 3 touchdowns). With a minute and a half left on the clock, another classic Patriots 4th quarter drive ensued and was capped off by a 29-yard game winning field goal by the always clutch Adam Venitieri. The Patriots looked good, even on the ground where they had previously struggled, with Corey Dillon reaching 100 yards for the first time this season. Next week the Patriots face yet another playoff team from last year when they travel to Denver to face the 4-1 Broncos.
The Colts won once again, leaving them as the only remaining undefeated team in the league at 5-0. However, another powerhouse, the Philadelphia Eagles, suffered an embarrassing loss to Bill Parcellss Dallas Cowboys. The Eagles will be tested next week when they host Parcellss former team, the surprisingly good New York Giants.
Next week should be interesting, because although there arent many big ticket games, fans get to see the return of two of the best running backs of our generation. Jerome The Bus Bettis returns from an injury and the Dolphins will improve their offense when Ricky Williams returns from a year of retirement and suspensions thanks to failed league drug tests.
