The Debriefing: The Seven Deadly Sins of Sunday … Week 10

Filed under: Colts, Cowboys, NFL Fans, Featured Stories, The Word

The Debriefing is a column that runs every weekday at 9:00 a.m. here on FanHouse. It goes deep into one issue and then bounces around to a plethora of smaller ones … and does it all in a way that will make you feel like the prettiest girl at the cotillion. Bookmark this page, and visit daily.

This week, the Cowboys sin for their Wrath against the Giants, and the Colts sin for their Sloth against the Chargers, compelling us to ask … are the Cowboys, at this very moment, one of the best two teams in the NFL?

Meanwhile, the San Diego defense displays some Pride, the Miami Dolphins are left in a position of Envy, and it’s a day for the kick returners in Greed and Gluttony.

As for Lust … the last picture in the photo gallery, the one of the Redskins lass, is a pretty good place to start.

All that, and lots more …

For the player or team who unleashed their hellish fury on Sunday …

The Sinner: The Dallas Cowboys

It was a cute little run you had, Giants, with wins over Miami, San Francisco, Atlanta, and the Jets … but the Cowboys would like to take this opportunity to remind you that your place in the NFC East food chain is somewhere significantly below them.

Tony Romo, Terrell Owens, and the rest of their friends once again lit up the scoreboard against the Giants, scoring 31 to add to the 45 they dropped on them in Week 1. Romo threw for 4 touchdown passes, Owens was a big-play machine, and the Cowboys defense put Eli Manning on lockdown in the second half. After a 17-all halftime score, Terrell Owens outscored the Giants 14-3 in the final 30 minutes.

It was a statement game, if you believe in such things … and one way or the other, someone was going to make a statement in this game. Either it would be the Giants saying, “We are one of the elite teams in the NFC, and Tiki Barber cannot tear this team down this year,” or it would be the Cowboys saying, “Sorry, ladies. Men only in this club.”

The latter, as it turned out, was the resounding statement. The Cowboys now have concrete proof that what happened in Week 1 was not a fluke, and that the Giants are helpless to stop the Cowboy offense.

Tom Coughlin and his guys were of the opinion that things had changed since then. And they had, I suppose … even though the path might have been lined with cupcakes, a winning streak is a winning streak, and the Giants defense had filled out a little bit in the undershorts area since that Week 1 game.

To the point that they could hang with the Cowboys, though? Well, the scoreboard says otherwise. And it sets up a Week 13 Cowboys vs. Packers game that looms as the NFC’s version of Patriots vs. Colts.

For those who were unable to overcome their own slovenly inertia …

The Sinner: The Indianapolis Colts

The letdown game is a fact of life. If a team gets all jacked up for one game, and pours every ounce of energy and emotion they have into it … the next week, the tank’s bound to be a little empty. It’s human nature. People only have so much to give.

It’s easier to deal with a letdown game, however, if you actually win the game you put your entire heart and soul into. Losing to a team you should beat the week after you lose to a team that you desperately wanted to beat … that can’t be any fun. The Colts have to be a pretty miserable group of people right now.

They might even be a team with a confidence problem. They find themselves in the midst of an actual losing streak after a pitiful loss to the Chargers last night. Peyton Manning threw 6 (!) interceptions and Adam Vinatieri missed 2 field goals he almost always makes … and honestly, if any one of those eight plays goes the other way, the Colts probably win last night. It felt like watching the Dolphins.

Obviously, injuries played a huge part, as well … the Colts were without Marvin Harrison, Dallas Clark, Anthony Gonzalez, a couple of linebackers and a herd of offensive linemen, and it showed. But I don’t think it showed quite as much as the Colts emotional problems.

Tony Dungy admitted that his team was emotionally tapped out after the soul-crushing loss to the Patriots last week, and admitted being afraid that his guys would have a hard time bouncing back. And after watching that game last night, it’s clear that Dungy knows his team pretty well.

Peyton Manning looked like Maverick after Goose died … not only is Sundown not nearly as helpful a RIO as Goose, but something was missing in Maverick, too. Six interceptions? I don’t care if his receiving corps consists of Craphonso Thorpe and these two, that just shouldn’t happen.

So with the Colts unable to engage, and Dallas having slapped the surging Giants in the mouth, it brings us to the question of the week:

Are the Cowboys again in the conversation for the NFL’s best team?

No, actually … that conversation involves only the Patriots.

Troy Aikman disagrees with me, believing that the “Big 2″ in the NFL right now consists of Dallas and New England (and he said this even before Indianapolis had lost to San Diego).

I’m not quite buying that, but if we can set aside New England as a “Big 1″ and then discuss who belongs in a group right below them, then absolutely, Dallas is in there. They fit right alongside Indianapolis and Pittsburgh (I guess we have to throw Green Bay in there, too) in the not-quite-as-elite group right below the Pats.

For the group who played with, gained, or displayed some dignity on Sunday …

The Sinner: The San Diego Defense

Please note that it’s the San Diego defense, as opposed to the San Diego Chargers, that showed some pride yesterday.

After giving up 17 miles on the ground to Adrian Peterson and the Vikings last week, the Chargers front 7 had to find some confidence and rebound quickly against another of the best young backs in the league, the Colts’ Joseph Addai. He’s not Peterson, but he’s been fantastic … and honestly, last week, it felt like Rashaan Salaam could have gone for 200 against the Bolts.

It was gut-check time for Jamal Williams, Igor Olshansky, Shawne Merriman and Shaun Phillips … you can blame Norv and the offense for a lot of things, but those guys getting manhandled would not be one of them. If they didn’t man up this week, all hope would be lost for this Chargers team.

The final tally for Addai: 22 carries, 56 yards, 0 TDs.

Phew.

It is a relief … it looked for a second there like the San Diego defense was going to turn out to be as miserable as the San Diego offense. At least now we can say with some confidence that Peterson’s 296-yard day was — I can’t use the word fluke, because Peterson and the Vikings offensive line earned every one of those yards — but from the standpoint of San Diego’s defensive performance, perhaps an aberration. They are not as pathetic and lifeless as Peterson made them look.

The Chargers offense? They are that pathetic. They have been all year, and will continue to be. The offensive line misses center Nick Hardwick, and is not the same dominating unit they have been in recent years. Philip Rivers is getting worse by the week, too, and all of this adds up to LaDainian Tomlinson not being able to be as effective as he was last year. There’s nothing wrong with Tomlinson, other than the people surrounding him.

As long as the defense plays as they did against the Colts, however, and not like they did against the Vikings, and as long the rest of the AFC West continues to flop around like dying trout, the Chargers offense has some time to sort things out.

For those who were left in a position to be jealous on Sunday …

The Sinner: The Miami Dolphins

This morning, the eyes of Miami look jealously upon the bountiful football mecca of St. Louis, where there is an NFL team that’s capable of actually winning a football game. What a joy that must be.

The Rams, finally with a healthy Marc Bulger and Steven Jackson, took 9 weeks of frustration out on the Saints yesterday.

The Dolphins, on the other hand … they don’t have a Marc Bulger and Steven Jackson to count on. Ronnie Brown isn’t coming back. I suppose Trent Green could come back, but Trent Green isn’t very good.

Still, though, that there’s not much difference between a team like the Dolphins and a team like the Bills. Sure, the difference is vast in the standings, but the difference on the field is one play here, one play there … it’s a matter of confidence more than anything else. It’s a matter of belief. It’s a matter of believing that doom and strife are not foregone conclusions.

I hate to get to the quotes early, but here are a couple of key ones in the aftermath of the Dolphins/Bills game:

First, Dolphins defensive tackle Vonnie Holliday:

“Who’s the guy from Charlie Brown who has the gray cloud following him around? Pig Pen? We’re like Pig Pen.”

And Buffalo quarterback JP Losman:

“This win tells a lot about our team. Our backs were to the wall, and we made enough plays when we had to.”

You can’t fault Losman for seeing it that way, but he’s got it backwards. The loss tells you more about Miami’s inability to do anything when the chips are down than it does Buffalo’s ability to circle the wagons. The Fish outgained the Bills, they did not turn the ball over, Jesse Chatman had his way on the ground, they held Marshawn Lynch in check … and still found a way to lose.

Some teams develop a knack for that. And once they do, it’s nearly impossible to shake.

For those who gorged themselves on big, beautiful numbers yesterday …

The Sinner: Darren Sproles: 89-yard kickoff return, 45-yard punt return, 2 TDs; and Josh Cribbs, 100-yard kickoff return, 90-yard kickoff return, 1 TD. Yesterday was a fine day if you like kick returns … Darren Sproles won the game for the Chargers over the Colts, and Josh Cribbs had the play of the day with a 100-yarder against Pittsburgh.

Marc Bulger: 27-of-33, 302 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs.
Donovan McNabb: 20-of-28, 251 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs.
Tony Romo: 20-of-28, 247 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT.
Brett Favre: 33-of-46, 351 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs.
Jason Campbell: 23-of-34, 215 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs.
Kurt Warner: 26-of-36, 259 yards, 1 TDs, 1 INT.

Ryan Grant: 25 carries, 119 yards, 1 TD
Clinton Portis: 30 carries, 137 yards
Jesse Chatman: 27 carries, 124 yards
Selvin Young: 20 carries, 109 yards, 1 TD
Brian Westbrook: 20 carries, 100 yards, 1 TD

Terrell Owens: 6 catches, 125 yards, 2 TDs
Reggie Wayne: 10 catches, 140 yards, 1 TD
Jeremy Shockey: 12 catches 129 yards, 1 TD
Marques Colston: 8 catches, 129 yards
Torry Holt: 8 catches, 124 yards

For those who just couldn’t stop burying themselves in hopelessness …

The Sinner: Devin Hester: 6 punt returns, 12 yards, 2 kickoff returns, 34 yards, 0 TDs. When Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin said earlier in the week that the Raiders wouldn’t be afraid to kick the ball to Devin Hester, I thought to myself, “Yes, and that’s what makes you the Raiders.” But the strategy paid off … not in any way that led to a Raiders win, of course, but … at least it wasn’t Hester that pantsed them. It was Rex Grossman.

Damon Huard: 6-of-15, 83 yards, 0 TDs, 2 INTs.
Philip Rivers: 13-of-24, 104 yards, 0 TDs, 2 INTs.
Josh McCown: 14-of-27, 108 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT.
Peyton Manning: 34-of-56, 328 yards, 2 TDs, 6 INTs.

Kevin Jones: 4 carries, -4 yards
LenDale White: 8 carries, 12 yards
Rudi Johnson: 22 carries, 46 yards
Jamal Lewis: 16 carries, 35 yards
Reggie Bush: 7 carries, 17 yards
Joseph Addai: 22 carries, 56 yards
Cedric Benson: 29 carries, 76 yards

Ted Ginn: 1 catch, 12 yards
Jason Witten: 2 catches, 12 yards
Jerry Porter: 2 catches, 22 yards
Chris Henry: 2 catches, 15 yards
Chris Chambers: 2 catches, 17 yards

The best in photos from Sunday’s NFL action, hopefully focusing on cheerleaders more than anything else …

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Donovan McNabb on his postgame hug with Andy Reid: “There was a lot of love there. A lot of love.” Enough love, I hope, for Reid to not actually bench the guy. McNabb had a fantastic game against the Redskins, in terms of both stats and leadership, and it came on the heels of a week where head coach Andy Reid wouldn’t even guarantee that McNabb would remain the Eagles starting quarterback. That’s what McNabb has done this year, though … when the scrutiny gets turned up, so does his game. I could never fault a team that’s out of contention for benching a veteran quarterback, so they can get a look at a younger guy as the ship goes down … and if that was the Eagles M.O., fine. But here they are at 4-5, with the NFC’s two current wildcard leaders being the 6-3 Giants, who have historically not been a great second half team, and the 6-3 Lions, who just lost to Arizona, and can’t beat anyone on the road. There’s only one team between the Eagles and those two teams, and that would be the Redskins, who the Eagles just beat on the road. A wildcard is not an impossibility for the Eagles. Unlikely, maybe, but until it’s bordering on impossible, McNabb has to remain the quarterback.

Ravens quarterback Steve McNair: “This is probably the lowest point in my career. What do I need to do about it? I don’t know.” There’s always retirement.

Lions coach Rod Marinelli on his team’s loss to the Cardinals: “Missed tackles, 11 penalties, five turnovers, and our coverage units weren’t very good. That covers our entire football team.” Sure does, coach. It covers your entire football team, just about every time they play on the road. The Lions at home: W, 20-17 over Minnesota W, 37-27 over Chicago W, 23-16 over Tampa Bay W, 44-7 over Denver The Lions on the road: W, 36-20 over Oakland. L, 56-21 to Philadelphia. L, 34-3 to Washington. W, 16-7 over Chicago. L, 31-21 to Arizona. Just something to think about if you’re a betting man.

Rams quarterback Marc Bulger on what the Rams do next: “We know we’re still 1-and-8, and we’re a really bad team, but we are going to enjoy this for 24 hours.” As you damn well should. Tell you what, you’ve earned it, Marc … take 26 hours. Go wild.

Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel on Ben Roethlisberger: “All I ever hear is about (Tom) Brady and Peyton (Manning), but this guy we have here is very special. He makes plays those guys don’t make and that’s what makes him so special. He can get out of the pocket, he can create, he’s a beast and we’re glad he wears black and gold.” Brett Keisel is obviously not a listener to the Postin’ Up podcast, where I named Ben Roethlisberger my first-half, non-Patriots MVP. But he’s right, Roethlisberger is fantastic, and generally doesn’t get enough credit around the league. Guys like Tony Romo and Brett Favre seem to get more media love these days, but Roethlisberger’s as good as anyone not named Tom Brady. He was the difference for the Steelers against the Browns yesterday … when the Steelers weren’t getting the bounces, Roethlisberger made his own. He ran one in from 30 yards out (that should stop all the clamoring in Pittsburgh for a Kordell Stewart return), then threw a bullet to Heath Miller in the endzone to cap the comeback … he is a guy capable of putting a team on his back, and he had to yesterday.

Titans QB Vince Young on his performance: “A lot of people are always looking at me like it’s always my fault, but that’s being a quarterback. That’s what goes on. You’re going to get all the respect when you go out and have a good game, and then when the game is not right, everybody wants to say it was the quarterback.” Vince Young is right. Taking the blame when a team loses is part of being a quarterback in the NFL … particularly a quarterback with 4 TD passes, 10 interceptions, and a 62.2 rating.

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