Sunday was an action-filled day in the NFL. We saw the number of unbeaten teams reduced from six to four, a career day from Brett Favre, a couple of vintage performances, an extension of misery for a few teams, including one (at least) who’ll likely have a new coach in the coming days. All in all, it was a pretty good day for me, as I went 8-4 in my ATS picks, which assures me of going into Week 5 with a +.500 record.
Here’s a quick run through Sunday’s dandy dozen, with Pittsburgh-Baltimore on tap for tonight to wrap up Week 4 and the first month of the season. On that note, I’ll be revealing my September awards come Wednesday, so be on the lookout for those.
Tennessee 31, Minnesota 17: Titans follow the same script as they have all season - a steady dose of Chris Johnson (61 yards, 2 TD) and strong defense (held Adrian Peterson to 80 yards) to go to 4-0.
Tampa Bay 30, Green Bay 21: A special mention for Bucs kicker Matt Bryant, who kicked three big field goals with a heavy heart after his infant son died on Wednesday. Even with the loss, the Packers are still tied atop the NFC North standings with the Bears at 2-2.
New York Jets 56, Arizona 35: Not only did Grandpa Brett Favre not sit on Sunday, he took advantage of Arizona’s biggest weakness and went for a career-high six touchdown passes. Some might consider it to be a little insult to injury by going for it and throwing it on 4th down when you’re up by two scores late, but I suppose you can never count your chickens when the other team’s offense can score like the Cardinals can. As for Arizona, there are only so many things you can say when you contrive to give up 34 points in one quarter. 15 minutes may be able to save you 15% on your car insurance with Geico, but it can also blow up your chances of winning a game too.
Kansas City 33, Denver 19: You had to think that Denver couldn’t get away with not playing good defense for too long, and what it took was Larry Johnson looking like the L.J. of old, running for 198 yards and two touchdowns. About time, L.J., about time.
New Orleans 31, San Francisco 17: After throwing for 363 yards against the 49ers, Drew Brees already has 1,343 yards through the first four games. Do the math, and he’s on pace for 5,372 yards, which would shatter Dan Marino’s record of 5,084. Breaking the record would be cute and all, but wouldn’t amount to much more than a sore arm if the Saints miss the playoffs.
Jacksonville 30, Houston 27: Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew didn’t have their best days (17 carries, 57 yards combined), but David Garrard stepped up and delivered (23-32, 236 yards, TD, 41 yards rushing, TD).
Cleveland 20, Cincinnati 12: The Browns did a great job of rallying in the fourth quarter to finally nab their first win, but you have to wonder what the outcome would’ve been had the Bengals had a healthy Carson Palmer and not Ryan Fitzpatrick in there. Marvin Lewis can’t be feeling too secure right now with his team at 0-4 and with no easy games ahead.
Carolina 24, Atlanta 9: So far, the pattern for the Falcons has been to go nuts at home then lose 24-9 on the road to a division foe.
Buffalo 31, St. Louis 14: Great day for Steven Jackson, but he might be regretting having signed that long-term deal now, because he was really the only bright spot on another losing day for the Rams, who played one good half but threw it all away by allowing 25 unanswered points in the second. As a result, Scott Linehan is clearing out his office today, and Jim Haslett gets the big boy headset for now.
San Diego 28, Oakland 18: Just as Linehan might not have a job for much longer, the same can be said for Lane Kiffin, as the Raiders followed up losing a late nine-point lead at Buffalo by giving up a 15-0 lead to the Chargers. Still, I was on track for a win in this one in my ATS pick until Tomlinson’s late touchdown.
Washington 26, Dallas 24: I was looking forward to seeing how Jason Campbell could do against the Cowboys after putting up great numbers in the last two weeks against below-average pass defenses, and Campbell stepped up yet again (20 of 31, 231 yards, 2 TD), and with some assistance from Clinton Portis (121 yards) and the defense shutting Marion Barber down, got the win. Disappointing for me as a Cowboys fan, but I’m really impressed with Campbell, who’s got six touchdowns and no interceptions in 124 attempts this season.
Chicago 24, Philadelphia 20: Nailed it! The Bears’ offense wasn’t much to look at, but the defense looked a lot like the unit we’ve seen in recent years, making a huge goal-line stand on a 4th and 1 at the 1 late to preserve the lead and pretty much wrap up the win. The sooner Devin Hester is back to 100%, the better, but even better for Chicago’s hopes of being a serious challenger in the NFC North would be the ability to generate some regular offense, whether it’s through Hester or not.
