Week 6 Reflections

After watching NFL football for 32 years, this league continues to amaze me. I'm beginning to realize that I haven't seen it all and may never see it all. This insitution continues to find ways to make itself unique and incalcuable. Every single NFL Sunday, the identity of a game or team can transform right before your eyes leading to this hardcore truth.

Anything can happen to anybody anytime.

Week 6 showed that every now and then you can forget parity. Certain storylines, unexpected performances, injuries, and hidden records are just a few examples of things that can make you sit back in your recliner when the final gun sounds ending the final game of the week and just shake your head.

Vinny Testaverde's story is approaching the level of NFL folklore. On October 10th, the Carolina Panthers signed Vinny (who turns 44 next month) to serve as the backup to David Carr who was Jake Delhomme's backup at the start of the season. Delhomme went on injured reserve after an elbow injury two weeks ago and Carr injured his back last week so they needed some insurance.

They called Vinny the day after he turned down the Arizona Cardinals backup job after injuries to Matt Leinart and Kurt Warner (yeah, stunning I know.) Four days later, Vinny is starting against Arizona and beat them 25-10 behind 20 of 33 passes for 203 yards and one TD. He'd been out of football for 5-6 weeks after getting cut by New England this year and was laying on the couch last Sunday watching when Carr got hurt.

In this game, he threw a pass to rookie WR Dwayne Jarrett who was born the year Testaverde won the Heisman Trophy. His backup entering the game was rookie QB Matt Moore whose father is 2 years older than Vinny. He's also four years older than his offensive coordinator and has thrown more passes and won more games as a QB than Carolina has accomplished in their history. Panthers WR Drew Carter remembers watching Vinny quarterback the Cleveland Browns. He was 7.

This is just one of many amazing plots and events that unfolded Sunday.

• In their 16-9 loss to the Eagles, the NY Jets had no penalties. It marked the 10th time this decade that a team was not penalized. The Jets have done it three times.
• Other records Sunday: Brett Favre has now thrown more INT's than any NFL QB. Chiefs TE Tony Gonzalez broke the record for most TD receptions by an NFL tight end. Pats QB Tom Brady set a personal career high with 5 TD passes while LaDainian Tomlinson tied his personal best day by scoring 4 TD's. It was the third time he's done this and the first time at home.
• Vikings rookie RB Adrian Peterson accumulated 361 all-purpose yards vs. Chicago. It was the third-highest total in NFL history....and he's a rookie. Did I mention he was a rookie?
• The San Diego Chargers have woken up from their deep slumber by exploding for 69 points in their last two games. They are now 3-3 on the season and have jumped right back in the AFC race.
• The New Orleans Saints won their first game of the season by somehow beating Seattle on the road.
• Tampa Bay and Carolina are each 4-2 which is astonishing considering that Tampa Bay's running back corps and Carolina's QB situation (despite Vinny's fairy tale game) are very shaky. Both coaches appear to be saving their jobs.
• All four of Carolina's victories have come on the road which means they've lost both their games at home.
• With Dallas' loss and Green Bay's win, the NFC is evening out a bit. These two teams meet Nov. 29th.
• St. Louis, Miami, NY Jets, Cincinnati, and Atlanta need a miracle to save their season if they have visions of making the playoffs.

GAMES TO KEEP AN EYE ON IN WEEK 7
Tampa Bay at Detroit, Tennessee at Houston, Kansas City at Oakland, Chicago at Philadelphia, Pittsburgh at Denver, Indianapolis at Jacksonville