Bye Week Observations

• Houston vs. Jacksonville is playing out as expected. The difference in the game is a surprisingly gutsy move by Del Rio. After the Jags take a narrow 7-6 lead late in the first half, they try a successful on sides kick. A field goal results.


• Vince Young has a fumble and a pick, but Dan Dierdorf is still raving about his play. Luckily for Jeff Fisher the Bucs have had no success against the vastly underrated Titans Defense.


• Jacksonville and Tennessee are making a strong push for both wild card spots in the AFC. As I type this Vince Young pulls a hammy while running out of bounds. Kerry Collins comes in the game. Garcia puts Tampa up 7 points with a 70 yard score to Galloway.


• This would be a costly loss for Houston. They would fall to 3-3 in a tough division. They have struggled since losing Andre Johnson in Week 2.


• Let the hype begin. 4-1 Jacksonville hosts the 5-0 Colts in a battle for first place. David Gerrard is having an effective, but unspectacular year under center. That's all the Jags need out of him. The Jaguars are back to running the ball and defending the run. Boring.


• Kerry Collins enters for Tennessee. He is winging the ball all over the field. Maybe the Titan receivers don't suck after all. He is playing better than Jeff Fisher could have hoped for. He throws for 100+ yards and gives the Titans a chance to tie the game with 2 minutes to play. Ronde Barber has an interception overturned by replay for the second time in the half. Lendale White's touchdown run caps a 13 play drive to tie the game at 10 with one minute to play.


• The Jags love throw to their backs. On back to back plays Maurice Jones Drew and Greg Jones make grabs for a combined 52 yards. This really ends any chance Houston had of mounting a comeback. The Jags pour it on for a blow out win.


• Jeff Garcia leads an impressive field goal drive to win the game, 13-10. The Colts will play next Monday night for a two game lead over the entire division.


• The bad news: Jacksonville is in a groove. Get ready for the "375 yards rushing" crap from the media. This is a more important game than the New England battle next month. This is a potential watershed moment in the AFC South. Lose and Colts are no longer the undisputed kings of the South. They need a win to restore the natural order of things.


• The good news: if the Colts can pull out a win they send the Jags off on a three game road trip.


• I propose a new statistical category. A "suck" is when you have a pick or fumble run back for a score. Tom Brady has tallied one suck this game. Philip Rivers just had one too. Dallas is very much in the game despite SEVEN first half penalties.


• Dallas has imploded with four more costly penalties in the third quarter. A pass interference gives the Pats first and goal. An offensive holding penalty destroys the following drive for Dallas. A roughing the passer penalty sets up a Patriots field goal. On the next drive an illegal shift kills a big gain to Owens. Later, on the first play of the fourth quarter a holding penalty kills a huge fourth down conversion. I've never seen anything like it.
  
• Incomplete pass to Moss in the end zone. Jim Nantz and Phil Simms should be censured as a result their poor work in this game. They have no idea what they are looking at on their replay screen.


• New England comes away with the victory, but there are some chinks in their armor. Their D gave up a generous 7 yards per rush. On offense they averaged only 2.5 yards per carry. Not a good formula come playoff time. Dallas played well on offense, but 12 penalties for 98 yards was too much to overcome.